It was surrounded by wilted salad from a bag and watery white rice.

The awkwardness in the room could be felt from a mile away.

Noelani was supposed to have gone with Jalen to Krispy Kreme as part of her food bucket list but Alejandro had requested her presence at tonight's dinner specifically.

Noelani pokes the meat with her fork then glanced at her father, Alejandro sitting at the head to her left and Erin, her stepmother across the table.

What kinda dumb bitch can't make rice from a box?

"I uh, I tried to make Loco Moco. Your dad told me that it was your favorite meal. " Erin smiled at Noelani.

Noelani gave a tight lipped smile back before continuing to poke at the food on the medium sized blue and white floral plate in front of her.

Blue sniffed the air from her place on the floor, then whimpered before padding out of the dining room.

Same, Blue. Fucking same.

"Loco Moco is made with hamburger patties not ground turkey. And they usually have a fried egg on top." Noelani sighs before gripping her plastic cup of lemonade.

"Oh." Erin looked to Alejandro.

"It's hard to remember all the ingredients." Alejandro defended her, "Just try it, you might like it."

Noelani cut into the meat with her fork then put a small piece in her mouth and swallowed.

Noelani had to force her face not to contour with disgust at how salty the gravy was.

"I'm surprised you're not out with uh, your boyfriend." Erin sipped her water.

Alejandro immediately turned his gaze to Noelani, "You uh, have a boyfriend, Noel? I didn't realize that you and Jalen were that serious."

"No," Noelani rolled her eyes a little, "Jalen and I are...," Noelani trailed off, "I don't know what we are." She admits.

"Maybe you should find out." Erin suggested.

"Maybe you should mind the business that pays you." Noelani responded curtly.

There was a silence before Erin coughed and tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder, "Maybe there's a real Loco Moco place nearby?"

Noelani snickered, "Doubt it. I'm probably the only Hawaiian here for miles."

Erin glanced at Alejandro, "I didn't know you were Asian."

Noelani narrowed her eyes, "I'm not Asian. I'm Polynesian. Pacific Islander?"

"Oh. Maybe you can teach me to hula."

I'm not teaching this white bitch anything.

"I'll buy a grass skirt." Erin continues with a smile.

Alejandro groaned softly as Noelani narrowed her eyes again and tilted her head, "No one actually wore grass skirts or coconut bras. You know that right? My culture isn't a costume."

"I-I-I meant no offense. I just..." Erin trailed off with a stammer.

"Just stop okay? Please stop trying to relate to me right now." Noelani responded before turning to Alejandro, "Can I go now? I'm done playing house with her. I need to go walk Blue and Cin'."

Alejandro sat back in his chair, "Yeah. Go."

"Ale." Erin complained but Alejandro held a hand up, silencing her.

Noelani stood from her chair and strode out of the mustard painted dining room and into the kitchen.

Their leashes were hung up by the keys and the rustle of them called both of her pets to her.

Noelani clipped the respective leashes onto their collars then led them out of the house through the front door.

The air had turned considerably frigid, causing Noelani to pull her scarf tighter around her neck.

In her jacket pocket, her phone vibrated with a call.

Her mother's contact name was on the screen and Noelani quickly swiped to answer and pressed the phone to the ear as Blue and Cinnamon ambled her along on the sidewalk.

"Hi, mom!" Noelani chattered excitedly.

"Hey love! Sorry I missed your call yesterday. Work was hectic and I didn't get in until late. How are you? How's Blue and Cin'?"

"They're good. I'm great. How are you?"

"Well," Anela sighed, "I'm a little annoyed. I got a bone to pick with you. Why didn't you tell me you and this boy started dating? One of your cousins showed me this picture on your Instagram."

Noelani chuckled and Anela continued, "It's not funny. What's his name again? Jeremiah? Jordan?"

"Jalen, mom. His name is Jalen. And I didn't say anything to you because we're not dating. We're just friends..."

"Right. Friends who kiss a lot and take impromptu road trips and lay in the same bed. Did he ask you to homecoming?"

"No," Noelani said in a slightly forlorn tone, her eyes on the Great Dane coming their way.

Noelani paused in her walked, tightening her hold on Cinnamon's leash, "And I don't think he's going to."

Noelani nodded at the Great Dane's owner, a caucasian man who nodded back politely before continuing her walk.

"Like... It's only three days till homecoming and he hasn't asked me. We've talk everyday and nothing. Coleman asked Jasmine over the weekend and Sydney and Jordan are going together. I'm gonna be solo dolo that night."

"If you don't just ask that boy your damn self." Anela huffed.

"You think I should?" Noelani raised an eyebrow even though her mother couldn't see her reaction.

"Yes. You wanna go with him right?"

"Yeah."

"Then call him right now and," There was the sound of something heavy crashing and breaking, "Keoni! I told you to leave that alone! Sorry, love. I have to go clean that up. Call me back with his response."

"Okay. I love you. Tell everyone I said hi." Noelani said.

"Will do. I love you more." Anela hung up the phone and Noelani went to her recent calls to click on Jalen's contact name for a FaceTime.

After a few seconds he answered.

Jalen was clearly drenched in sweat from practice, his forehead and nose shiny.

There was chatter in the background as Jalen put the phone down on the wooden bench, showing the white ceiling, a set of open lockers and Jalen's face.

"Hey, what's good?" Jalen asked starting to pull his t-shirt over his head.

"Hey Noel!" Jack popped up in the camera next to Jalen.

Noelani watched, amused, as Jalen screwed his face up a little and pushed Jack away, "She don't wanna talk to you."

But it was too late.

Frank, Saba and Jackson had stolen Jalen's phone.

"Hey, Noel! How are you?" Saba asked in heavily accented English.

"I'm good, Saba," Noelani chuckled.

"My turn!" Jackson snatched the phone, "You have physics right? Can you help me?"

"Gimme that shit," Noelani heard Frank say off screen.

There was the sound of someone being smacked and the phone dropped onto the floor.

"My neck! Unhand me!" Frank screeched.

Someone scooped the phone from the floor and Jalen reappeared on the camera.

"Can you get alone?" Noelani asked.

Immature oohs filled the air as the ceiling moved and the setting around Jalen became the Prolific Prep gym.

"What's up?" Jalen asked, his hand reaching up to twist a faded blonde curl.

"What's up with Homecoming?" Noelani asked bluntly.

"What you mean?" Jalen responded.

Noelani rolled her eyes then pulled her dogs' leashes to get them to turn around.

"Homecoming? Are you going?"

Jalen's eyebrows rose, "Huh? Yeah."

"I'm going too." Noelani nodded.

"Okay..."

Noelani rubbed the space between her eyebrows, "I'm going. You're going..."

Jalen shook his head, clearly confused.

"I want to go to homecoming with you. Can you be my date?" Noelani enunciated bluntly.

"Oh, shit! Yeah, yeah. I didn't think you wanted to go to that. What color we wearing?" Jalen smiled.

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