{SIXTEEN}
                             "formals are for bitches who wanna get drunk and losers"

-

There was a formal. I wasn't sure what kind. Winter, spring. I didn't give a fuck but Gia did. She forced me to go and said that she'd be living the experience through me, which I thought was bull but she was to cute to say no too.

I honestly didn't want to go. But when I told her she ran to my closet and started throwing things around. "I don't even have a fucking date Gia." I point out and she rolls her eyes. "Ask ashtray." She mumbles. "Hell no." I say and get up, changing into the dress she picked out.

It was a black skin tight dress with those stupid ass heels Ray bought me for one of his business meeting. "You look great." Gia says as I fix my hair to my liking. "Thanks Giana." I say and she smiles handing me a bag.

-

Soon I arrived and I immediately regretted going. There were couples making out in every corner, drunk teens and it was a shit show. I then approached Maddy and the girls. "Weren't you in rehab six months ago?" I hear Maddy say. I guess I was late to the conversation.

After a while I really wanted to go home so I ended up texting ash to come pick me up. I decided to wait for ash outside since I was fucking sweating.

As I stood outside I got a text from Maddy.

                                                                     Mads🫶🏾🫶🏾

The one and only time you were having fun 🙄

Bye🤭
Read at 10:34pm

                         
As I laughed at the message I heard a deep voice behind me. "Is it cold or is it just me?" I hear Nate ask. "Just you." I mumble. "You look pretty tonight." He says and I roll my eyes. "I know." I say and he scoffs. "I'd watch my back if I were you." He says and I laugh. "Yea?" I ask.

"Yea." He says. "Nate you don't know me. All you know if I'm a sixteen year old with a dead brother, but if you try me. You'd wish you never crossed me in the first place." I tell him and he just stands, shocked. Before he can respond ashtrays obnoxious horn honks and I walk away from Nate.

"Was that Nate?" He asks eagerly. "I handled it." I tell him. "I didn't ask if you handled it Mari, I asked if it was Nate." Ash says and I roll my eyes. "Yes." I mumble. "How was the thingy?" He asks. "Formals are for bitches who wanna get drunk and losers." I say and he laughs.

"Well at least you look pretty." He says and I smile then frown. "Please don't say pretty. It's gonna give me flashbacks." I jokingly say and ash looks at me confused. Soon ash gets to my house and as I open the door he speaks up. "If he fucks with you tell me." He says. "Ashtray I have three guns, but thanks." I say kissing his cheek.

As I walked to my front door I could tell ash was still looking at me. I turned around blowing him a sarcastic kiss to which he caught and placed on his heart. Even though I thought it was a cute joke little did I know ash meant it. And I did too, but after all of that shit I knew I shouldn't have.

-

Fucking Kayla. "Hi." I mumble as I walk into the back, Kayla on ashtrays lap. "Hi Mari right?!" The girl asks. "Amari." I correct her. She definitely didn't deserve nickname usage yet.

Ash then gave me a look and I rolled my eyes laughing, he really thought she got under my skin. I hadn't seen rue in days and when I saw her at the formal she didn't speak a word to me. I felt hurt since I used to hang and be with her all the time. I was the first one she came to after she left rehab.

But like Ray said. "The things that are meant to last will. Like if someone's gone but you can still feel them, it was meant to be."

"Have you talked to rue?" I ask ash as Kayla not so discreetly tries to listen to our conversation. "Nah man, she's always with that Jules chick." He says and I nod.

Soon I got tired of sitting down and was thinking about getting a snack until ash and Kayla started fucking kissing. I immediately got up, fake gaging which caused her to scoff and ash to groan.

I walked out front to see fez had left so I just slid behind the register, grabbing a bag of chips. Soon ash came from out back and approached me. "What's your deal?" He asks. "My deal? Dude, your kissing some girl when here's a whole other person around. You know, there something called privacy. Yea. It exists." I tell him with sarcasm dripping through my voice.

"Ok Mari. You're obviously not understanding." Ash says. "Not understanding what?" I ask. "Not understanding that maybe I'm kissing her, but want it to be someone else!?" He asks and I stare at him blankly. "Who?" I ask. "Never mind." He says walking away.

"You always do this shit!" I shout at him. That man was the reason my anger is always so high. He always found the littlest things to annoy me with. Like one, he's purposely pour his milk before cereal just because once I mentioned how I hated it.

-

"Honestly Gia at this point, I'm not even sure if we're still friends. And he obviously likes some other chick which is mildly confusing." I rant to Gia. "Mari. It's not rocket science. You like ashtray. You don't think you do, you do." Gia points out. "I do?" I ask. "You do." She says.

"Shit I do." I mumble. I fucking liked ashtray. That's not good, well at least I don't think so.

A/N: oh shit she does😨