Book One | New Friends

I woke up the following morning with the slightest memory of what had happened last night. Guess I must have passed out at some point but the one thing I couldn't get out of my mind was what I'd heard.

Should I be mad that he was fucking some other nigga after I'd just dropped him off?

I mean it's not like we together or anything but what the fuck!?

This shit is so fucking messed up and worst of all is that he had the nerve to answer the phone whilst doing that shit. I mean did he do it on purpose just to mess with my head or what?

You know what! Fuck this shit I gotta get ready for school anyway.

I then reached for my phone which was somewhere on the floor where I'd dropped it last night and saw that I'd gotten about a few missed calls from Clay along with some texts, non of which I felt like answering. So then I threw my phone on the bed and got up to go take a shower.

The water was real nice and warm so I took my time with it cause it was also helping to clear my thoughts about what had just happened.

"Dre, you almost done baby?" My mom asked knocking on the bathroom door. "I don't want you to be late for school"

"Ya Ma almost, jus' give me a minute"

"Aight hurry"

I then quickly finished up and stepped out, made my way back to my room and started getting ready. I picked out a black T-shirt along with some black jeans to go with it and paired it all up with some white sneakers. Took a quick look in the mirror to make sure everything was on point then grabbed my book bag and walked out of my room.

"Morning Dre, would you like a ride to school?"

"Nah I'm good thanks, I think imma jus' walk today"

"Aight you sure?"

"Yea"

"Okay then see you later"

"Bye" I said walking out the door then put my headsets on and started listening to 6LACK - PRBLMS.

It was real quiet outside. Basically no cars, nothing at all which gave me a time to think. A. part of me knew I had no right to be mad but I couldn't help but feel betrayed you know.

I mean...

Out of no where my thoughts were then interrupted by a car which drove past me then stopped midway and began to back up towards so I started to move a bit slower with a bit more caution in each step I took.

Wtf

I thought to myself "I wonder who that could be, cause I hardly know any people around here and that car didn't belong to anyone that I knew so who could it be?"

The driver then hooted at me and stuck his hand out the window to signal for me to come closer so I did but still being cautious cause I know I'm a big dude and all but I ain't trying to get kidnapped or nothing.

"Yo nigga, hop in!" Some dude asked sticking his head out the window of his car.

"Huh?"

"I said hop in...you want a ride or not?"

"Uhm... sorry, do I know you from somewhere?"

"Yea man, we go to the same school. You that new kid, Louisiana right?"

"Uhm yea.... I am but the name's Dre not Louisiana by the way"

"Oh sure my bad, now you getting in or not?" He asked raising his brow at me which made me feel like I had no choice especially cause I didn't wanna seem rude and shit so I hopped in and we drove off.

"Uhm thanks for the ride man"

"No problem"

"Cool. Uhm I just remembered I didn't catch your name back by the way?"

"Oh shit ma' bad, I'm Chris...short for Christopher but just call me Chris"

"Aight nice to meet you Chris"

"Nice to officially meet you too Dre" he said flashing me a smile of genuine reassurance so I just nodded back at him and looked out the window as we continued to drive.

There was hardly any communication between us at the time. We just kept driving listening to music and I gotta admit nigga has pretty good taste especially considering that we basically got the same artists in both our playlists.

"So Dre, you play Football?" He asked breaking the silence.

"Nah man, but I do play Basketball" I informed him. "That more of my shit"

"Aight makes sense"

"How?" I asked looking confused.

"I mean you real y'all nigga so it makes sense that you'd like that ishh but yea I also fuck with Basketball when I ain't playing Football"

"Oh snap really?"

"Yeah man, I'm actually the Captain on both my teams. Have been for the past two years now."

"Wow that's impressive"

"Thanks" he said looking flattered like he wasn't used to the compliments. " You should consider signing up for the team. I'm sure we could use a guy like you on the court"

"Haha, Im not sure I have it in me" I said anxiously cause my mind wasn't into the thought of doing sports right now. Man this Clay business really fucked with my head.

"Why not?" He asked looking confused. "You just said you like Basketball, so why not?"

"I just got a lot of things on my plate right now and my mind isn't in the right space"

"Well that's why you need something like Basketball, it really helps clear the space and helps you think you real?"

"Mhm... guess you're right, imma think 'bout it"

"Aight man cool, Im counting on you though" he said pulling on into the school's parking lot then we stepped out the car together. In that moment I felt a split second of awkwardness cause I didn't know whether to say bye and walk away or to wait for him cause let's be honest all he did was give me a ride, it's not like we actually friends or anything.

"Yo we got first period together right?" He asked me.

"Yeah I think so, I'm not sure"

"Yea Mr Saltzman"

"Oh yeah aight." We then made our way into the schools building and started walking to class but before that we ran into a few of Christopher's friends along the way and hala'd at them cause he wanted them to meet me. We spent a bit of time with them which kind of made us late for class but luckily when we got there it hadn't started yet so we still managed to slip in without any drama like the last time I came late with Clay.

"Ah, just barely made it gentlemen now take a seat so we may begin" Mr Saltzman uttered as we walked in.

"You can sit next to me today" Chris whispered so then I followed him to the back of the class but this time it was opposite where I usually sit.

I then noticed Clay staring at me from the other side of the room as I sat down but I didn't bother greeting him.

I guess what he did still had me a bit fucked up.

I tried not to think too hard about it but the thought of what I heard kept lingering in my mind and all I could do was keep wondering who the other nigga he was with is. I just couldn't recognize the voice.

I even occasionally found myself staring at him at certain moments during class but the moment he'd look in my direction I'd quickly look away without hesitating.

As soon as class was over, I saw Clay try to walk up to me but then he stopped the moment he saw Chris whisper something to me.

He stood there looking confused and suspicious of us. Almost as though there was something he was trying to keep a secret and was scared Chris would reveal it to me.

After saying what he needed to say I dapped at Chris then we both walked out of class and went out separate ways but then I noticed Clay trying to catch up to me from behind.

"Hey there Louisiana, so you and Chris friends now?"

I that moment my heart went from 0 to 100 again and I could feel myself getting anxious along with my breathing rising. I didn't know what to say first to the nigga.

Do I reply to what he said like every is normal or do I freakin snap at him for the shit I heard last night.

"Fuck off Faggot!"

Holy fuck what did I just say! 🙆🏽‍♂️ I didn't mean to say that shit, I swear it just slipped out.

"Wait-what?" He asked me looking all confused and shit.

I that moment my mind completely went blank and I didn't know what to say next so I just continued walking to my next class as though nothing happened and we didn't say shit to each other for the rest of the day.

***