𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞, 𝐨𝐦𝐛/𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧

thirty six.

MONSE FINNIE POV

It's the end of first period and I have to meet up with Latrelle like I promised. Problem is that as I walked, I saw Ruby and Jamal glaring at me at the water fountain.

Is it safe to assume that this is about Latrelle?

I swallowed hard as I approached them. They never took their angry gazes off of me either. "Hey..."

Ruby spoke rudely. "Oh look who it is, Jamal. The queen of shady."

Jamal dissed me. "Cesar's the king of shady, but who knew you'd be the queen?" He shook his head. "Such a shame."

I'm already annoyed. "Okay, this convo started off horribly."

"This convo shouldn't have started AT ALL!" Jamal shouted. "We already know where your loyalty lies!"

"And it's definitely not with us!" Ruby added.

"I never said that!"

Jamal crossed his arms. He's more angry than Ruby, honestly. "What happened to me and Ruby being your friends for life, HUH?!"

"YOU ARE!"

Ruby chimed in. "NO WE'RE NOT! You're all about Latrelle now and we're not having that!"

I let out a huff. "So that's what this is about. Latrelle. I knew it."

"No shit! It's ALWAYS about Latrelle lately!" Jamal yelled.

"You know about what he did to Dwayne that night, and you're still his friend?! What the fuck, Monse?!" Ruby raged.

My ears perked up. "Wait, Jamal told you what happened?"

Jamal nodded. "I did. And Ruby has enough sense to know that Latrelle is bad news. You however, are acting DUMB!"

"And FAKE!" Ruby inserted as always.

I just sighed and explained myself. "Jamal, I told you that Latrelle saved my life. He's not a bad guy."

Jamal just shook his head, not understanding my point of view at all. "Do you feel like you owe him or something?! Is that it?!"

Ruby put his two cents in once again. "It has to be! There's no way in hell she'd be Latrelle's friend just for the hell of it! Right, Monse? Please tell me I'm right!"

But he's not right and I'm going to let him know that. "I don't owe Latrelle anything. I just honestly like his company."

Jamal couldn't believe my betrayal. He put his hands on his head and paced around. "Jesus Christ, the shadiness is ASTRONOMICAL!!!"

Ruby scowled at me and muttered under his breath. "Fucking unmatched..."

I defended myself. "It's not shady! Your dad forgave him Jamal, and you should too!"

That pissed him off even more. "You and my father are both trying to protect Latrelle FOR WHAT?!"

"NO ONE'S TRYING TO PROTECT HIM!"

"THEN CUT HIM OFF!"

I stood my ground. "I'm not doing that. And I'm not cutting you guys off either."

"It's us or him, Monse. I already told you that you can't have both."

"Well I am because I'm not choosing. I don't want to lose anyone."

"Too bad, you already have," Jamal retorted.

Ruby nodded. "If you can't choose, we'll choose for you. We're DONE!"

Jamal snapped his fingers in my face. "FINITO!"

I sucked my teeth. "Are you guys serious right now?! You're acting childish and entitled!"

"We're as serious as a!-"

Jamal cut Ruby off. "No Ruby, let's just show her how serious we are."

He turned his back on me and walked off. Ruby didn't though. He just stood in place with a disappointed look on his face.

I frowned and was getting ready to say something to him, but Jamal demanded his company. "RUBY, LET'S GO!"

Ruby quickly scurried off behind Jamal and I shouted after him. "RUBY!"

Ruby stuck his middle finger up at me as he walked away. "GOODBYE MONSE!"

And then they disappeared around the corner and I feel heartbroken. I feel like I've been broken up with, and I guess I just was.

Ruby and Jamal have been my best friends for as long as I can remember, mostly Ruby, and now they hate me and it fucking hurts! And it's all because of me wanting to be Latrelle's friend?!

So petty.

"Hey, you okay?" a familiar boy asked me.

Speaking of Latrelle.

"I was waiting for you," he added.

I just crossed my arms over myself sadly. "No, I'm not okay."

Because Latrelle lost his best friend not too long ago, and now so did I.