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"Girl, you better have a good reason to bring me out here and you're late? What if some weirdo kidnapped me?" I complained to my best friend as she walked up.

She wanted to meet me at the old basketball court that we used to chill at all the time in middle school. The hoop is broken so nobody comes out here anymore. We haven't even thought of this place in 2 years.

She hopped up and sat on the brick wall beside me.

That wasn't like her, she's goofy and childish and always has some shit to say back.

"Imani what's wrong?" I asked looking I over at her. She messed with her headband.

"Nothings WRONG...." she said

"Then what? Why are we out here? Why are you acting like that?.. you have been acting weird lately..."

"Acting like what?" She said sounding kind of defensive.

"I don't know.. It seems like you've been distracted lately and yo-"

"I'm gay" she said cutting me off. She didn't even look at me.

"Wha- what are talking about?"

"I like girls" she said quietly as if someone was around to listen.

I squinted "no you don't! You like Nick, you're going for Nick and I'm going for Jamal.. that's been the plan since ninth grade" I said confused.

She didn't respond. She just shift and pulled her hood up slightly over her bun.

"You can't be... I've known you since first grade, we've had sleepovers and talked about boys... is that why you use to want to kiss when we played house?"

She jumped off of the wall.

"Man fuck this" I could her the nervousness and annoyance in her voice.

"Mani wait!" I said getting down careful not to rip or scratch my leggings on the bricks.

She was already so far ahead of me. I jogged to catch up with her.

"Imani stop being dramatic"

She finally looked at me and I saw the anger in her eyes.

"I wasn't trying to BE dramatic! I was trying to finally come out to somebody. I wanted my bestfriend to be the first one I told" her jaw clenched

"Your serious..."

"Yes I'm fucking serious. Why would I lie about that?!"

"How do you know you like girls?"

"Wooowwww. Forget that I even said that shit. I thought I had somebody I could tell anything."

"You can! I'm your bestfriend."

"You just proved to me I can't."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to say"

"Not that. The fuck. It was already hard enough coming out. You made me feel like I was some kind of weird ass Nigga"

"Okay! I'm sorry your right, I just didn't expect you to spring that on me like that."

She glared at me.

" how else was I supposed to fucking tell you? if you think I'm weird and you don't wanna be my friend just let me know now."

"What? I would never stop being your friend over that.. I was just surprised it was all so sudden."

"No, cause I don't want shit to be so awkward between us. I don't want you to treat me weird. If shits gonna be all ...  weird I rather just leave you alone"

"what are you talking about? It's NOT going to be different... in fact. Spend the night tonight"

"I don't know.. I-"

"Imaannniiiii" I whined "come on! Spend the night"

She looked back as if someone was waiting for her.

"Uhhhh" she kicked at the gravel as I put my phone up to my ear.

"Hello? Hey mommy! Imani wants to spend the night"

Her eyes went big and she looked over at me. She started frantically whispering shit and I just smiled and nodded on the phone with my mom.

"Yep. We're coming back now. Okay, see you soon. Love you, bye."

"What the fuck Leah?!" Imani groaned.

"Good news.. we're having tacos tonight"

She pulled her hoodie over her head and pulled the draw strings tight.

I rolled my eyes. "Your so dramatic, you said you wanted things to stay like normal right? Then shut up and come on"

She glared at me "sometimes I strongly dislike you."

"Awwww I love you too" I said squeezing her tight. "It'll be fun! We can paint our nails, and watch a movie, stay up late gossiping..... oooo we could make some tiktoks!"

"Okay, cool.. I guess I'm coming over" she said a tiny shy smile formed on her face.

"Yayyy!" I smiled.

"You can let go of me" she blushed.

"Sorry" I said letting go.

I really was excited. We used to sleep over with each other so much she has a toothbrush and body wash at my house. But, for the past 2 weeks she has been kind of distant. I guess I know why now.

She was kind of quiet on the walk to my house.

"How am I suppose to act normal with you when you won't talk to me?"

"Okay, fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"So who are you crushing on?" I smirked .

She blushed hard.

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell me you like girls for no reason... there has to be a girl."

She stuck her hands into her pockets.

"It's nobody" she said not looking at me.

I gave her the side eye.

"Fine... it's.... Yaya" she mumbled

Suddenly I felt frustrated.

Yaya out of all people. She came to our school with her stupid Islander accent and fake innocence and all the boys immediately started drooling over her. Now my best friend too? How could Imani like her she hasn't even had a real conversation with her.. we were literally just mocking her accent and need for attention last week.

"Really?"

"Oh my god, you asked m- never mind." She groaned focusing her attention ahead of us.

"What do you like about her?"

"... I don't know!, she's cute... Leah you asked me and I told you chill"

I rolled my eyes opening the door. "I just didn't know we were simping over pick me's now"

"Man just forget I said that shit" she mumbled

"Imani! My mom called out. "You hadn't been over here  in so long I thought you two stopped be friends"

"Ma!" I groaned "you know thats dead. She your other daughter"

"Yep, that's what the bills tell me" she mumbled under her breath.

My brother Tao chuckled "yea that's what my plate tells me too. Damn, I was getting used to having seconds."

Imani cut her eyes at him. "Trust me, you don't need seconds."

"Okay, that's enough.. you two go put your stuff up and come back down for dinner" my mom chimes in quickly.

Tao made a face at us. We giggled to each other as we went up the stares.

"Your brother is such an asshole" Imani laughed throwing down her stuff

"Believe it or not, before today I swore you had a crush on him"

She struggled to get her hoodie over her head.

She looked at me like I was crazy as she undid her bun.

"Oh hell no" she laughed. She bent over combing her fingers through her curls to smooth out some of the tangles.

I slid my shirt over my head.

"I mean you two had your little cat and mouse game going"

I said looking at myself in the mirror.

I looked back and caught her looking she was paused in the middle of redoing her bun.

"I'm not making things awkward am I?" I asked grabbing her hoodie.

She watched me grab it and swallowed "n-no, we're both girls.. I've seen you change so many times."

"I bet you did." I joked.

I didn't expect her to react so annoyed.. sometime we joke like that "shut up Leah." She said sitting on the bed and taking off her shoes.

I threw her hoodie over my head.

"It was just a joke damn. I know you don't look at me like that. That would be weird."

"Then stop being weird." She mumbled

I wanted to say something back but I just let it go. I changed from my pants into some shorts that barely showed under her hoodie.

"Let's go"

"Okay, Leah and her girlfriend are down here can we eat now?"

Well damn just add salt to the wound Tao.

Mani glared at him.

My dad looked up from his phone .

"That's not funny Tao" my mom said giving him a look.

"Didn't say I was trying to be funny but okay. I mean, she's dead ass wearing her hoodie"

"And friends borrow each other's clothes" my mom said stepping in before Mani and I could say anything.

My dad's voice boomed gaining everyone's attention. "Now can we please have a nice, relaxing diner without bringing up homosexuals while I'm trying to eat"

We wear each other's clothes all the time Why today out of every other time did my brother have to start this up.

Mani looked like she wanted to run.

After dinner we went back into my room.

"I told you wearing my hoodie was sus."

"Oh my god, it's not! Don't listen to Tao we wear each other's clothes all the time and he never does that, he was just being extra bitchy today."

"It is sus if your walking around half naked in them."

"This is my house. I always walk around like this whether its your clothes or not but whatever, here. Take it back" I said pulling her hoodie back off.

I saw her eyes shift down to my bra for a second then she took the hoodie and stared at her phone.

"What? is that Yaya?"

She blushed hard.

"Wha- no, shut up Leah damn.." her eyes wondered back to my chest. "And put a shirt on."

I couldn't help but giggle "I'm trying to find a shirt chill." I started digging though my dresser.

"And why you getting so pressed that I asked you if it was Yaya? Your a simp for her anyway."

When she didn't answer I looked at her through my mirror.

I caught her watching me search. she was staring at my body, definitely look at my ass in my shorts.

I started twerking and she blushed hard. She looked away quickly then looked over as if she was just seeing me.

"You fucking stupid" she giggled.

"So you gonna make your bestfriend twerk alone?"

She laughed "there's no music Leah that's just weird"

I quickly went to Spotify and started playing my hoe music.

I pulled her off of the bed. "Come on! Bounce that ass!" I said smacking it

She laughed and rolled her eyes but I knew my bestfriend wouldn't  just let me twerk without out her.

She squated and started shaking her ass.

"Ayyeeee! See ! That's what I'm talking about. This is what I wanna see!"

She laughed falling over into the bed. I laid beside her.

"Seriously Mani, are you okay?"

The smile left her face. She turned over staring at the ceiling.

"I'd be better if your parents weren't home.. I want to smoke some fucking weed"

I smirked at her.

"Nooo, you have some? I'll be your bestfriend forever I swear"

I pouted at her "you were already suppose to be my bestfriend forever."

She laughed. "Get me high right now and I'll put that shit in writing."

I hopped up putting on a cropped tie dye shirt.

"Oh god, what are you about to do Leah?"

"Come on" I said leaving the room. She rushed after me.

I knocked on Tao's door.

No answer.

I knocked in a beat while I rapped. "Tao open this fucking door, imma beat yo ass like did when I was four, I beat that ass so many times but who was keeping sc-"

He swung the door open in the middle of my rap.

His face was visibly annoyed, but at least that made Imani giggle

"Man what?" He said looking us up and down.

"You should take us on a drive real quick"

He scrunched up his face. "Uh... no, the fuck." He said closing the door.

I stuck my oversized fluffy slipper in the doorway just in time.

"Tao come on!"

"Why the fuck would I do that Leah?"

"Because you want to be in the rotation.. don't you?" I smirked.

I could see the wheels turning in his head. He was probably debating whether he wanted to be petty because of my rap or get high.

He sucked his teeth. "Man, be ready in 5 minutes."

He said before closing the door.

"Yeesssssss" Imani and I whispered to each other in the hallway

We went back into my room. I grabbed her hoodie to put it back on.

"Why do you always wear my hoodies and shirts?" Imani asked randomly. She was sitting there acting shy unlacing her shoes to put them on.

"Because they're comfortable and they smell like you and your my bestfriend. I mean I can sto-"

"NO! I mean no, you can keep wearing them I just wanted to ask."

"Mmm okay, I don't want to make Yaya jealous"

Her facial expression dropped.

"God damn Leah. Chill"

I smiled "I teased you about Nick-"

"Okay, Yea and this is different. Don't mention any of this around your brother"

"As if he needs anymore fuel. He swears we're girlfriends" I said rolling my eyes "he's so childish"

We went out to my brothers car. He was already there chilling in the front seat.

We both got in the back.

Before we knew it were hot boxing the fuck out of his car.

"I'm high as fuuucckkk" Imani giggled

I leaned my head on her chest. "Damn your heart is beating so fast" she blushed when I looked up at her.

"Man listen I don't want to be a part of your weird lesbian shit." Tao said instantly irritating the fuck out of me.

"Shut up Tao, damn. Why are you so obsessed with what we do any damn way?"

"Ain't nobody obsessed. Y'all just not about to be making out in my backseat." His eyes locked with Imani's.

They've always had a weird energy between them, every since my 11th birthday. I don't know what happened. Tao use to be cool with us even though we were younger then him but after that day all of a sudden shit was different.

I sat up and rolled my eyes at him.

"You don't have to always kill the mood"

"That's what he does Leah he's a fucking mood killer." Imani said before hitting the bong hard.

I was relieved when we didn't need him anymore.

"What happened between y'all?" I said as soon as Mani came in the room behind me.

"I told you I don't want to talk about her"

"I'm talking about you and Tao."

She got quiet "nothing, what are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid or blind Imani. We were all cool."

"And me and him found out we didn't vibe. Damn, he's your brother. You see how he can be"

"I guess... it's just kind of weird... one day y'all were cool and the next day y'all weren't"

"Wow, look how fast you figured that out. Just drop it Leah. I swear you can't let go of anything"

"Okay fine, I'll drop it.. it's dropped, geez girl" I said laying out on the bed.

"Your brother was so close to killing my high." She said laying  on her back beside me.

"ugh. I know. If it wasn't so late we could've just walked around the neighborhood and not share the weed"

She yawned "I don't want to go to fucking school tomorrow"

"At least it's Friday.." I said giving her a smile.

"Yea, at least." She said before getting up and pulling off her pants.

We got under the covers. I smiled when her arms wrapped around me.

It's not weird ok? We've been cuddling since second grade. She always lets me be the little spoon.

My mind was racing as I laid there.

My bestfriend is a lesbian... I wonder how long she knew before she told me... and Yaya?  I mean I get that she's pretty.. a lot prettier then me, but she has zero personality.

"Are you awake?" Imani whispered making me jump. She had gotten so quiet I assumed she was asleep.

I turned on my back and looked over at her.

"Yea, wassup? You okay?"

She blushed. I don't think she expected me to actually respond.

"Y-Yea, I'm okay.. I just wanted to say, I'm so glad I don't have to keep that secret from you anymore."

"I'm glad you told me."

She chuckled a little rolling her eyes.

"No seriously Mani" I said sitting up. "I know it was hard. Especially since I acted stupid as fuck at first but, your my best friend and I support you, and we gonna get you a bitch"

She busted out laughing.

"You have issues"

"You say that now but your going to be thanking me later." I said before turning away and snuggling back into my little spoon position.

Her warm hand touched my side so gently it made me blush.

Her touch is usually so comforting  but for some reason when I felt her arm around me I stiffened up.

I didn't even know I was holding my breath until I let it go when I heard her snore quietly.

Imani. My best friend from since I can remember... is gay. This is crazy.