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* Friday *

Arnell was sitting in her algebra class bored as hell. She finished taking her notes and started on her class work. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket.

🐜: got b-ball practice. find a ride home.

Arnell sighed and put her phone back in her pocket. She started back up on her work when the classroom door swung open. She turned around to see who it was.

SHIT.

Mercedes stood in the door frame popping her gum while looking at a paper that was folded in half.

"Can I help you?" The teacher asked.

"I got a schedule change." Mercedes said rudely. "I'm in this class now."

How???? Arnell thought. It was an AP class. And Mercedes has never been in an AP class in her life. She was just fine with being in Regulars. Not Arnell, she liked the challenges AP classes offered.

The teacher went over her schedule and nodded his head in confirmation that it was in fact her class now. Arnell's heart raced. She never had any classes with her and she was fine with that.

"You can have a seat at that desk." The teacher said pointing at an empty desk next to Arnell.

"Eww." Mercedes scoffed. "I am NOT sitting by that lame."

The whole class started laughing. Arnell however, didn't find the joke so funny.

Shaydon, a boy she's known as long as she'd known Jada, shook his head. He knew she was only  messing with Arnell because she was pretty.

"Well, you have no choice. You're all in alphabetical order."

The teacher had the desks grouped together in fours. In Arnell's group, it was Shaydon, some girl named Victoria, and now...... Mercedes.

"Switch seats with me." Mercedes told the other girl in the group.

The girl nodded and switched seats so that now she was sitting next to Arnell instead of Mercedes. Arnell rolled her eyes and ignored Mercedes extraness.

*

Arnell made her way to the parking lot. She figured she'd wait for her brother to be done with basketball practice instead of finding another ride. She didn't talk to anyone else besides Jada who was carless as well.

She watched as students hopped in their cars and head home.

"What you doing out here, Nell?" She heard a voice from behind her ask.

She turned around to see Shaydon. She hadn't really talked to him since sophomore year.

"Ugh, waiting for my brother to get done with basketball ball practice. He's my ride."

"Shit, I'll give you a ride." Shaydon offered.

Arnell shook her head. "Nah, what would Amari think about that?" Arnell asked being petty.

Amari was his girlfriend and she swore that Arnell wanted Shaydon or something . She was the reason Arnell and Shaydon fell off. Once she saw Amari's true colors she distanced her self from them as much as possible.

"Mannnnn, Mari not even like dat." He replied.

"Mmm." Arnell simply replied.

Shaydon stared at Arnell waiting for a reply. She quickly realized she didn't even answer his question.

"No thank you, I'm not even trying to get caught up with no drama behind y'all."

"Then, I won't tell her. I just don't want you out her by yourself, it's getting dark." Shaydon replied.

Arnell thought for a minute. She knew Anthony wouldn't be out of practice until at least 7.

"Take me straight home." She said warning him.

"Where else Ima go?" Shaydon asked smacking his lips.

She didn't reply to him and followed him to his car. He had a nice car. It was a black mustang.

"Put ya stuff in the trunk." Shaydon said popping the trunk.

She didn't argue with him, it was his car. She tossed her backpack in the trunk and made her way to the passenger side. They got in the car and left the school.

"Aye, you goin' to that party tonight?" Shaydon asked.

"When have you ever known me to go to parties?" She replied.

Shaydon shook his head at her response.

"You a lame."

"I'm cool with that." She shrugged.

"You should go, I heard Jada goin'."

"Oh, Forreal?" She said acting surprised.

She already knew Jada was planning on going to the party, she had told her all about it a few days prior. Jada asked if Arnell wanted to go but she declined the offer.

Shaydon pulled up in the driveway and shut his car off.

"Aye, you get that shit we doing in algebra?" Shaydon asked scratching his head.

"Of course."

"Well can I come in for a few so you can teach me?"

"It's only the first week of school and you already lost?"

"You gone help a nigga or not?"

"Yeah, let's go inside."

When they got inside, random people were scattered throughout the house. Some guy was rummaging through the refrigerator. Arnell rolled her eyes and made her way to her room. Once they got there, she locked the door behind Shaydon.

They took out their books and began working.

"Shay...." Arnell said while she watched Shaydon work.

"Wassup?" He replied not looking up from his paper.

"Why did you ask for my help, you know exactly what you are doing."

"Maybe, I just wanted to spend some time witcha." He said while smirking.

She watched him as he twisted his hair with his finger. That boy was the devil.

Just then a knock on the door cut their moment. She got up to see who it was.

"Can you watch the kids?" April asked.

"I'm kinda busy." She replied looking back at Shaydon who was tapping away on his phone.

"Cmon, you ain't doing nothing."

"Man, I really don't feel like being bothered by those kids."

"Whatever man." April said angrily while slamming the door.

"Yo sista gotta anger problem." Shaydon said. "Ima get going."

*

It was about one in the morning when Arnell was woken up to her phone ringing. She squinted her eyes as she read the name on her screen.

"Hello?" She answered with sleep still in her voice.

"Girl, what you doing?" Jada asked.

"What you think?" Arnell responded.

"Being a lame."

Arnell rolled her eyes at her friends' comment.

"Can I come over? That party was WACK. Damitri bum ass came starting drama. He's so aggy." Jada said sounding annoyed.

"Mercedes' brother Damitri?" Arnell asked.

"Girl, who else? They both always in some drama, she must get it from him."

"You coming over or what?" Arnell asked changing the subject.

"Oh, yeah. Be there in about ten."

Arnell hung up the phone and drifted back to sleep. She was awoken by a light knock at her door. She got up to open it.

"Girl, why yo door locked?" Jada asked entering the room.

"Because April be having all kinds of people running through here." She responded while locking the door.

Jada flung her things on the bed. She sighed as she kicked off her shoes.

"That party was so laaame, girl." Jada scoffed.

"I bet." Arnell replied tapping on her phone.

She didn't understand the rave about parties. She'd rather just kick back at home. What's the point of going to someone else house for something she can do at home?

"It was aight at first, but then Damitri came in starting bullshit. He beat up this guy so bad." Jada told Arnell.

Arnell shook her head. Every time she heard a story about Damitri it consisted of drama. He and his sister had that in common.

"I guess the guy owed Meech money and Meech finally got his ass." Jada said. " I felt so bad for him."

Arnell couldn't do anything but shake her head. She was glad she never had any run ins with that guy. She began taking off all her jewelry. She gasped when she realized she couldn't find he bracelet. She began tearing up her room for it.

Jada finally noticed how nervous Arnell looked. "What are you doing, Nelly?"

"Looking for my James Avery bracelet. I can't find."

Arnell sighed. "Girl, you know your sister be havin' randoms in yo house. Maybe somebody took that shit."

"Don't say that." Arnell said not wanting to think of that possibility. "I probably just misplaced it." She explained.

She finally gave up searching for the bracelet and plopped on to her bed next to Jada.

"Don't worry, Nell. It'll show up."

She sure hoped so.