This morning, I wake up dreading going to this new school where all eyes would be on me again because I'm the new girl. I get out the bed, do my routine, and go downstairs to the kitchen. I grab a pop tart and some juice. Then, I start leaving out. On my way out, I see Symere passed out on the floor with the tv on. I turned the t.v. off and put a cover over him then head out.

When I start heading to the bus stop, I hear someone call my name. I look back to Tyrell in his car.

"You wanna ride with us?" Tyrell asked.

"No thanks."

"You sure?" He asked. I stood there for a second and thought about it. I looked to where I was gonna walk then back at him.

"Um, no."

"Come on then." Tyrell said. I nodded and got in the backseat.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Tyrell said. India got in the car and looked back.

"Hey, girl!" She said.

"Hey."

"I can't wait fa you ta meet my friends. You gon like them." She said. I nodded.

"I hope we have the same lunch period." She said.

"Me too. Ion wanna be by myself."

"Yeah. That would suck." She said.

We got to the school and went in the building.

"I'll take you to the main office." India said.

"Okay."

She takes me to the main office, and they told me they ain't have my schedule yet still. They asked India if I could just go with her until they got it. She said yeah and we left.

"Welp, I guess we can just walk together when it start." She said.

We go into the lunchroom and sit where Tyrell and some other people was. They all look at me. I look at India.

"This Symone. I was telling y'all about her last week." India said.

"This is Mika, Chiyah, Man Man, Daeja, and Woo." She said pointing to each one as she said their name.

"Hi." They all greeted me back.

"So where you from?" Woo asked.

"Atlanta."

"Merchh Man Man from there too." He said.

"Yeah. What side u from?" Man Man asked.

"West side."

"Word? Me too." He said.

"We probably got mutuals from there." He said.

"And you just moved from there?" He asked.

"Naw. I moved a some years back."

"Aw." He said.

"Look at y'all having stuff in common already. I told y'all that y'all was gon like each other." India said.

"Yeah..."

"What made you move here?" Mika asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. My brother just be movin us wherever."

"Aw. You live with yo brother?" Mika asked.

"Yeah."

"How come you don't live with yo parents?" She asked.

"...They died a few years ago."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She said.

"It's okay."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did they?" Chiyah asked.

"Um...they were killed."

"I'm so sorry. Did they get the people who did it?" She asked.

"No..."

"I'm sorry for your losses." She said.

"Me too." Looked down at my hands.

"Let's change the subject and stop interrogating her." India said.

"What you doing for your birthday Mik." India asked.

"I think I want to just have a house party or some." Mika said.

"When is it?" I asked her.

"October 28th, but I'm celebrating it on the weekend. I got a good two weeks to plan it." She said.

"Oh."

"You gotta come." India said.

"Ion know... Ion even go to parties."

"Please?" India said.

"Mika. Help me." She said

"Please. For my birthday? As my birthday present? I can introduce you to more people." Mika said.

Tyrell joined in as well to beg me to attend.

"I mean if y'all really want me to go."

"Eeee! Of course." India said.

I felt someone staring at me. I look over to a cute brown skin boy with short curls looking at me. I flashed a little smile and looked back to the table. Just then the bell rang, so we all got up and went to our classes.

Overall, the school day pretty cool. India, Ty, and I went to Wendy's before going home.

When we got back on our block, Ty dropped us off cuz he had some to do. India came in my house with me to hang out. In the living, we saw Symere, a pretty light skin girl, and a scary lookin brown boy.

"NaNa? Leak? What y'all doing here?" India asked.

"You know them?" I asked her.

"Yeah. Them my cousins." She said.

"Hey cousinnn!" NaNa said coming to hug India.

"The real question is what you doing here?" Leak said taking some fries out India's bag.

"I asked first. Get yo own food nigga!" India said.

"I got you some food." I told Mere holding out the bag.

"Good looks. A nigga was hungry." He said digging in the bag.

"Who is that?" He asked referring to India.

"This India."

"Mhm. What y'all finna do?" He asked.

"Just chill in my room."

"Okay."

"You must be Symone." NaNa said to me. I nodded.

"Nice to meet you." She said.

"You too."

"Aye, how old you is?" Leak asked me.

"Not old enough for you. Move around nigga." Mere said eyeing him. Leak put his hands up in surrender.

"Y'all work with my brother or some?" I asked them.

"Yeah." NaNa answered.

"Aw."

"Well, let's go upstairs, India."

"Mon. I'm finna be out tonight, so be careful." Mere told me.

"I will. Come home safe." I told him before heading towards the stairs.

_________________________________

|Symere Woods|