"BRO, TELL ME WHY MY MOM'S busted in on me smackin' my shit last night." Dupree announced, leaning back in his brown leather seat.

Jamal and Thomas busted out laughing, except for Takashi who didn't find the conversation as amusing. He narrowed his eyes, "Ya'll niggas gay." He said shaking his head and snatching the bottle of Hennessy out Jamal's hand as he took a swig from it.

It was eight o' clock at night on a Saturday and he got permission from Laura to hang out with his friends. His curfew was eleven o' clock at night. If the night was going good Takashi was planning on staying out longer than that, and get yelled at later. If it was getting boring, he would head home. He asked Dupree to bring Toryn over since it was his house. Dupree said he didn't mind and okayed it. While the boys hung downstairs in the living room, Dupree's sister Opal, her friend's and Toryn hung out upstairs in her room.

"What'chu mean she walked in on you?" Thomas asked. He was the comedian of the group and loved drama.

"Bro what I said, she legit like, boop," Dupree said reenacting his mom wildly busting his door open. "Walked in on a nigga...I was going in so hard my wrist was hurtin'. I was like right on the head and allat, just yankin' my shit and she just bust in."

"Yoooo'," Thomas said with a fist up to his mouth. He'd never gotten caught doing that. He would probably die or something. Plus knowing his mom, she would kick him out the house. She was a hardcore Christian and didn't go for that type of stuff. "So what you said?"

Dupree smirked, "Nigga what'chu think I said?"

"What?" Thomas smiled back in amusement.

Dupree lightly smacked his chest with the back of his hand. "Nigga I said...I'm cleaning in here!" He said restating a line from a viral short film called The Strange Things About The Johnsons.

The boys all screamed in laughter and even Takashi couldn't help it as he leaned forward, damn near choking on the Hennessy in his mouth.

*******

ALL THE GIRLS LOOKED TOWARD OPAL'S closed bedroom door, at the loud muffled laughs that came from the boy's downstairs in the living room.

Rose screwed up her face but what also trying to suppress her laugh. "Damn, them niggas feignin'. I bet you it ain't even that funny." She said, checking herself out in front of the mirror.

In all there were six girls. Opal, Rose, Diamond, Tisha, Camry and Toryn who distanced herself, sitting quietly on the floor in a corner, pretending to be on her cellphone. She was so uncomfortable that she wanted to go back to Takashi's house. She wasn't feeling these girls at all. They were loud, ghetto and had no self respect. The only cool one was Opal. She too was a little ghetto but not as severely as her friends.

Toryn was the last type of person to judge anybody. She had no room to judge, but it was hard not too with a group of girls like these. They cursed way too much for girls their age, the clothes they wore were also a little extreme and they had nothing to talk about except social media. Especially the Rose chick. She was the worst out of all of them. Toryn couldn't even lie, she was a little scared of her.

Rose stood in Opal's mirror, rolling her belly as she watched the belly piercing in her flat stomach. She was fourteen and attended Tilden high school. Tilden was one of the worst schools and if you weren't connected their, then it was very likely you would get a safety transfer very early. Her older sister went there and was affiliated with several gang members and drug dealers so Rose was popular and certified by default of her sister.

"Bruh I got this cute shirt from Forever 21. That and like four little purses. I boosted them though." Camry spoke up, clapping her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Camry was sixteen and a little thick. She was pretty however and knew how to dress.

Toryn peeked up from her phone for half a second. She wasn't much into the street stuff but she knew boosting was stealing. She looked back down on her phone, praying Takashi was ready to go home. He was taking so long she even decided to text him.

Toryn: Can we go now? I'm a little scared.☹️ 8:15PM

"You need to get me something!" Tisha complained. She was also fourteen like Rose but not nearly as crazy. Tisha was more of the flip-floppy friend. The one who never really had her own opinion. If you said yes she would too. And if you turned around and said no then she did too.

"Uh bitch, then you can give me some shopping money. The fuck. I can get caught, what I look like? Imma just go steal for you and not get a profit? Girl you better suck a whole dick." Camry said flinging her braids over her shoulder.

"Ya'll are so crazy..." Opal mumbled, on her desktop computer as she wrote out her essay for Monday. Opal wasn't nearly as wild and out there as her friends. In fact she wasn't at all. She wasn't a punk but she wasn't a thug either. She was protected by her brother who was more into that type of stuff even though they didn't go to the same school.

Dupree begged his mom not to send Opal to the same school as him. He claimed he didn't want her in his business. Not that Opal was that kind of sister anyway. He could have a girlfriend and she wouldn't embarrass him or spy on him in the hallway. Opal did end up going to a different school anyway, so it worked out in Dupree's favor. She went to Tilden with the rest of her friends.

Toryn's cellphone buzzed in her hand and she looked down at it.

Taka: Go home for what? You okay? 8:16PM

"Hey."

Toryn looked up and saw all the girls looking at her. All of them had this look on their face but Opal was the only one smiling. "Why you siting way over there? Come over here."

Toryn quickly put her hand up. "No that's okay. Can I stay here if you don't mind?"

Opal shrugged. "Okay."

Toryn heard one of the girls mumble something before they all busted out laughing. She hated being made fun of. She gripped her phone tightly and sent another text.

: I'm okay, these girls are just a little loud and stuff. Not really my crowd.

"Yoooo'," Rose suddenly said, banging her fist into her open palm. She tossed her head back before she came forward, looking at the rest of her girls. "That nigga downstairs is wild sexy."

"Who?" Tisha said, damn near breaking her neck. "Not Opal's brother, right?"

Rose sucked her teeth. Dupree was sexy but she wasn't talking about him.

Taka: Toryn stop texting me please.😐

"No dummy, we know Dupree. I'm talking about his friend. I saw him a couple times before. The one with the waves in his hair...he got the weird name?" Rose said as if she was trying to ring a bell.

Toryn: What do you mean? 8:17PM

"Oh, you talking about that Naruto nigga?" Camry said busting out laughing.

: What you mean, what I mean? What does my text say? Okay so they being loud, be loud with them then. Stop closing yourself off all the time. That's why people always so quick to target you. I'm not going no fucking where we just got here. That shit's a dub.👎👎🖐🖐

Toryn could feel the tears coming on but she didn't want to cry. If anything, she would go home by herself. Or call Laura to come get her. She didn't know why he couldn't understand why she was uncomfortable. She would never tell him to suck it up if he was not willing to be somewhere he didn't want to be.

Toryn: Okay so because I'm uncomfortable, I'm being closed off? Because I'm not up here talking about penis, stealing, and smoking? These girls have been making fun of me since I got here, and giving me the side eye. That's why I wanna go! Can we go now?😡😤 8:18PM

Toryn was mad enough to write an essay to his ass. She didn't know why Takashi was acting like this. She knew his friend Dupree smoked. She wondered if he was down there doing that. Or if one of his friends took his phone pretending to be him as a joke. Takashi would never really act like this.

Taka: Okay so they laughing at you. What you want me to do? Come upstairs and beat they ass? Their females, Toryn. You fucking pussy and that shit irritating. If they laughing, then ask them what the fuck they laughing at! Stop texting my phone with this dumb shit, forreal. This baby shit you be doing be blowing me mad hard. You not a little girl anymore. A nigga not gonna be there to hold your hand every second. If you so pressed to go, call a taxi. 👋👋👅👅😂😂 8:20PM

Toryn turned her phone off and smirked to herself. Shaking her head. Sometimes she wished her dad was still alive. They did say family was you're only true friend.

*******

"ASS OR TITTIES?" Dupree asked, passing the bottle of brown Henny to Jamal. Takashi just chuckled and shook his head. The things these dudes talked about were ridiculous. They were only kids though, so he didn't mind. At fifteen they didn't need to have intelligent conversations. It was part of being a kid so he enjoyed it.

"Titties for sure." Jamal answered. He could date a girl with the flattest ass, but breasts were everything to him. He didn't want to feel like he was having sex with another man. So a flat chest was a no.

Dupree nodded his head like he understood. "I hear you...but I'm in the middle. Like you either have one or the other, but a little bit of both if you don't have a lot of any. You feel me?" He said grabbing the bottle of Henny out Jamal's hand. He turned toward Takashi. "What about you?"

"Ain't this nigga a virgin?" Jamal remarked.

"Yup, and what about it?" Takashi remarked. He was drunk as hell and feeling like a boss. So bossed up that he didn't care if anyone knew he never had sex yet. It didn't matter to him.

Thomas smacked Jamal's leg, pointing at Takashi with his thumb. "I'm waiting for the right one head ass."

Everyone started laughing. Takashi mocked laugh, "That's funny? Take my nuts out ya mouth."

Dupree shook his head. "But we was just the gay niggas tho', right?" He said laughing uncontrollably as he wagged a finger at Takashi, "You's a batty mon."

Just then the girls came walking down the stairs. Rose of course with her shirt up to show as much skin as she could. Camry walking extra hard and pouting like she had an attitude and Tisha just following behind her girls trying to be cute. Opal just came down to get a snack and Toryn didn't want to be sitting in anyone's room alone when it wasn't her house. If anything came up missing she knew it would be nothing for her to get blamed. She was the odd ball out who didn't know anyone. So she came down like everyone else.

Opal headed to the kitchen and all the girls came into the living room, sitting in the available spaces between the boys. The boys gave each other a look, a little taken by surprise. These were Dupree's little sister's friends, but all of them were in the same age group. The girls just went to a different school then they did.

Toryn and Takashi made eye contact, but he was the first to look away. He was having a good time and Toryn's childish behavior wasn't cute today. Sometimes she had an annoying habit to make things about her. He understood she didn't have any friends besides him. But it wasn't always because people made fun of her. Sometimes it was because she didn't try.

"Hi."

Takashi looked next to him at a little chocolate toned girl. She was cute and had her shirt up, showing off her belly piercing. But she was short as hell. He's seen her a few times when he came to Dupree's house and they always did eye each other, but never spoke. He assumed she was bold today. Or at least because they weren't alone.

"Whassup," Takashi said with lowered eyes, licking his lips.

"What school you go too?"

Dupree sucked his teeth. He liked Rose, she was cool. But sometimes she was a little hot ass. "Girl shut up, you know what school he go to. Same school I go to."

Rose sucked her teeth and stuck her middle finger up at him. "Mind your business!"

Opal came back into the living room eating some hot Cheetos. She took a seat on the arm of the couch next to Camry who was talking to Jamal and hopped into the conversation easily. Everyone was talking to someone. Toryn being the only one standing. She had her eyes on Takashi though as he flirted with Rose. She didn't care and it didn't bother her, but how he was acting right now is what she could do without.

"You got a girlfriend?" Rose asked.

"No, why?" He remarked, his eyes seeming to get lower and lower. It was pretty sexy to Rose. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen." She answered, "what about you?"

"Fifteen," Takashi replied, "and no, no girlfriend."

Rose poked her juicy bottom lip out, reaching forward to lightly tug on his half heart pendant. "Then what's this?"

Takashi quickly put his hand over her's, discreetly easing her hand off the chain in a nice way. He didn't like people touching it at all. Instead, he smirked and made a head motion toward Toryn. "My best friend gave it to me."

Rose looked in the direction he nodded in and was surprised, when she saw Toryn. She was about to make a stink face but then caught herself. She looked back at Takashi. "She really ya friend?"

"Yeah, why?" Takashi asked. He was already looking around for the bottle of Henny as if he needed to drink another sip.

"Just asking..." Rose claimed, "Would you—" before she finished her sentence, she clapped, then turned toward everyone else. "Guys let's play would you fuck!" She said out of nowhere.

"Play what?" Opal said, sucking the cheese powder off her fingers.

"Would you fuck. Like Jamal...would you fuck Tisha?"

It was quiet for a second, then Jamal glanced at Tisha. She was average. Wasn't ugly, wasn't pretty. Wasn't skinny or fat. He shrugged, "I mean, yeah, she aight."

"Ooooo," Everyone else started to hype. Tisha sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes like she wasn't low key hype on the inside.

Opal put her finger up. "I'm not playing."

"Damn right you not." Dupree answered, "and I'm dead ass, nobody say nothing slick about my sister. That shit not funny." Everyone knew Dupree didn't play when it came to his little sister.

Thomas sucked his teeth, looking directly at Dupree. "Nigga shut up, I would fuck the shit out of her."

Thomas got up and ran as Dupree started to chase him. Everyone laughed but turned back toward each other.

"Okay, let's do girls first...who would fuck Jamal?"

Rose and Camry raised their hand, and Tisha did just because they did. Jamal's ego wasn't boosted too much. He knew he looked good and he got girls on a daily.

"Who would have sex with Thomas?" Rose continued to question. She didn't dare raise her hand. Thomas wasn't that cute and he was overly goofy. She only messed with hood or cute guys. No one raised their hand. "What about Dupree?"

No one raised their hand because it was Opal's brother. Even though every single of of them wanted to raise their hand. Rose smirked, "And what about him?" She said motioning toward Takashi. She still didn't know his name.

Camry hesitantly put her hand up, Tisha did as well just because someone else did and Rose bravely raised her hand with a smile. The only person who didn't was Opal. She would but she wanted to show some self respect. And because her brother would probably whoop her ass.

"Okay now the guys can answer these...who would have sex with Camry?" Rose questioned.

Camry instantly tensed up. She always felt a little insecure about her weight. She was thick but now people made it such a big deal to be slim, that she didn't know if her body type was sexy anymore.

Dupree and Thomas came back into the living room, breathing extra hard from their play fight. They sat back in their seats looking lost as Jamal and Takashi raised their hands. Takashi honestly just didn't want to be rude. He was planning on raising his hand at all of the girls. Not to be desperate, but wouldn't it be offensive not to raise his hand?

It got quiet as Rose then giggled, "What about her?" She said motioning toward Toryn.

Toryn felt her heart skip a beat, she looked all around pretending not to look at them.

"What about her?" Dupree questioned, lost on what was going on.

"Would you guys fuck her?" Rose questioned. She was about the ugliest chick here. Even Tisha's simple ass looked better then her. With her sick, skinny looking self and thick goofy prescription glasses.

"Nah that's Takashi right there." Dupree said remaining respectful. It was honestly just his way of saying no nicely because Toryn was not his flavor, but she was really nice and she was Takashi's best friend so he wanted to show respect.

"Forreal." Jamal remarked.

Rose looked at Takashi. "Would you fuck her?"

All eyes were on Takashi at this time, even Toryn had low key glanced at him. Everyone watched like they were waiting for the New Years Eve ball to drop. Takashi just looked at Rose and gave her a tight lipped smile before looking back down at his lap. Everyone roared in laughter, even Opal couldn't help it. Toryn felt her heart stop. She was so embarrassed.

"Oh shit! Yo' you wrong for that," Jamal said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Rose of course found it the funniest, as she cackled extra loudly and fell all over Takashi. Opal was the only one to quickly catch herself as Dupree soon followed suit. He felt bad honestly. They weren't friends but she went to his school and didn't have one single friend except for Takashi. He didn't think it was right for her to come to his house to get made fun of.

"Okay leave her alone, chill." He said.

"Yo', don't she low key look like that teacher from the movie The Incredibles. Remember the old white nigga with the football head that realized Dash had super powers?"

"I think not!" Rose said shouting the famous line from the movie the character had said, causing more crazy laughter. Takashi buried his face in Rose's neck like they were old time friends to hide his laughter. His face was a bit red. These girls were funny as shit to be honest.

Toryn felt her body becoming hot. She wasn't trying to be a crybaby, but it was pretty clear these people were being mean on purpose. When none of them were her friends or didn't know her, the things they were saying weren't "just jokes." They were hurtful.

"Aight chill, chill." Takashi said, still chuckling.

"Socks in the top draw, panties in the bottom looking ass." Rose continued, causing another round of laughter.