echoed throughout Joshua's room along with various voices yelling at the screen.

Sitting on Joshua's bed was Joshua and Shareef while Dior and Caleb, home for the weekend, were on his bean bag chairs to the side of the room.

"Bruh, you are ass at this!" Caleb directed his words towards Dior.

"Shut the fuck up! Shareef missed two layups and I'm ass?" Dior exclaimed back.

"Do not... Bring me into your shit." Shareef's hands moved fast on his controller.

Joshua remained quiet, his eyes fixed on the screen.

His player stole the ball from Dior's player during a pass then lead the fast break and dunked it in for a game winning shot.

"Damn it!" Dior threw his controller down on the bean bag then stood up.

"You are a big ass baby." Shareef laughed.

"Imani, you can't miss this!" Ayoluwa's voice sounded suddenly through Joshua's open window.

Her window must be open too.

Joshua rolled his eyes and rose from his bed.

"I don't see why not." Imani, Ayoluwa's older sister replied in a dry tone.

"It's Lauryn's birthday party. She wants you there, she told me herself. All you and Jamal have to do is make time for-." Ayoluwa's voice sounded high and in anguish.

Joshua was about to close the window when Shareef put his hand up, making Joshua pause.

"Well I don't want to make time for that. Jamal and I are going to Vegas. We've already made the plans. Just tell her to get over it." Imani sounded nonchalant.

"Please, Imani. Please don't miss another one of her birthdays." Ayoluwa replied in a tired tone.

"God, Ayo. Don't you ever get tired of trying to talk me into the same shit, fassyhole?" Imani scoffed, her accent becoming exaggerated.

It was silent for a moment in both rooms as Ayoluwa took a pause and the four boys continued to eavesdrop.

"Fine. But one day you're gonna try and be there for her and you're gonna realize that it's too late to get to know her." Ayoluwa snapped.

"When are gonna realize that I don't give a fuck? I'm tired of this conversation. I didn't want this. I didn't want her. Get over it!" Imani snapped.

The sound of a door slamming came through Ayoluwa's window and then there was a sound of quiet sniffling and then sound of a piano flowed through.

Joshua finally closed his window with an annoyed groan and a rub of his forehead.

Who's Lauren?

"Damn..." Shareef said, "I'm gonna go check on her."

"I'm coming too." Dior started to slip on his shoes.

Joshua gave his friends a surprised look, "For what? She'll be good."

Dior scoffed at his words, "You heard her. She's crying."

"Okay?" Joshua picked up his controller again.

Caleb snickered and shook his head.

"What?" Joshua asked, turning to look at his brother.

"Why are you always such an asshole when it comes to Ayo? She's great." Caleb responded.

"Let's see... She's a know it all, she's uptight, she always has something to say, she can never let shit go. Should I continue?" Joshua sat on his bed again and started a new game.

Shareef sat on his bed to slip on his own shoes, "She's only that way because you've always been a huge asshole to her. Ease up sometimes and you would see the real her."

"I'm an asshole because I'm not gonna pretend to care about a girl I don't like crying?" Joshua scoffed.

"No, you're an asshole because you won't let her be. What has she done to you for you to be so rude all the time?" Caleb questions.

Joshua rolled his eyes, refusing to answer the question.

"I wanna go too." Caleb straightened his spine in his sitting down position then stood up.

Joshua gave his brother a surprised look, "When did you and her get close enough to be popping up?"

"You know her friend, Nick?" Caleb responded, stretching a bit.

Joshua nodded and Caleb continued, "He taught me a bit of guitar and she was there at a couple of lessons."

"Ion even know if she's gonna let you in, bro," Dior gestured to Joshua, "You look too much like him."

Shareef and Caleb started to snicker while Joshua gave Dior a look, "Wow. You're hilarious. Who's Lauryn anyway?"

Shareef and Dior exchanged a silent battle fought with facial expressions.

Shareef must've won because Dior simply sighed, "No one you need to be worried about. We should really go check on her.

"Okay, go." Joshua shrugged, his fingers moving across the PlayStation controller once more.

Caleb slid his feet into some Nike slides and then the three boys were gone with Shareef closing Joshua's door behind him.

"Simps. They're not even fucking her. Acting like I'm crazy because I don't wanna check on an annoying ass female. I'm tripping? Fine. Whatever." Joshua muttered.

His eyes flickered to the window with curiosity then back to the tv.

I already heard half of the conversation.

I might as well hear the rest.

Joshua ended his game and snuck over to the window and opened it a couple of inches.

"I just don't know what to do anymore," Ayoluwa was saying, "I don't even know how to tell Lauryn that Imani isn't coming."

Her voice sounded deep and full of pain and sorrow.

Just from her tone alone, Joshua knew all at once that this part of the conversation was just not meant for his ears.

So instead he closed the window completely and turned back to his video game like he had never heard a thing.

vote & comment, porfa!