The Alliance

Chapter 4

"What classes do you guys have?" Alisha says, eating a Dorito from her family-sized bag.

"Business. Bio." Kiana smiled shyly at me, "Math with Ava, then music."

"Luckyyy." Alisha shoves Kiana. "The school thought it would be great to put all the hardest classes together. 'Let's just screw over Alisha'." She grumbles, offering everyone some of her Doritos. "Fuckning, business, art, math and then chem,"

"Wait, are you in my business class?" Kiana asks.

Alisha sighs, "They put me in accounting instead of marketing, but accounting is third period- and I don't want to take it- so it took them a hot minute to switch me back, Ms. Kennedy just told me this morning," She explains, talking about the guidance counsellor.

Kiana I and take some, but Nevaeh shakes her head, "I'm vegan."

Alisha blinks. "You just keep surprising me Nevi- Nevaeh." She corrects and she takes a sip of her water.

"What instrument do you play?" I ask Kiana.

She blushes, "Um, piano, guitar, and a bit of violin," She pauses, "And I sing a bit."

"How long have you been playing for?" I ask as I sit next to her on the piano, giving her a kool-aid and drinking my own that I got from the kitchen.

"Since I was little. We just never had the money for one." She says, slightly embarrassed and I frown. I know her family's tight with money.

"Well, you can play ours anytime." I smile, "But promise me you won't ditch me when you become famous in the future."

She rolls her eyes, "I promise."

"I'd offer you to just take the piano, but I already asked my parents, and they said Theo is starting to play the one at school, so they're keeping it for him.

"Theo sucks ass." She grumbles and I mutter in agreement.

"Did your parents even play piano?" She asks, running her fingers over the keys. I shake my head.

"No, they just had a piano. It was my grandma's, but then she gave it to my mom for some. Old people are weird like that. My sister played for a month then got uninterested, which is why I told my parents you should take it. Stupid Theo." I scoff.

She pauses, then looks at me and says, "Thanks anyway, Ava."

I hug her, hoping she feels how much I love her.

I shake my head to get rid of those memories, and I try to enjoy this time with my new...friends? Do you actually have a brand new group of friends? After months of being alone?

We talk throughout lunch, and when the bell rings Alisha says, "Let's hang out after school. Do you guys wanna go to Walmart?"

Kiana agrees while Nevaeh says, "Walmart? The fuck?"

"Where else would we go? You're coming Nevaeh, that's final."

She rolls her eyes, "Fine. Only because I don't have shit to do after school."

I feel a pang of jealousy. Does she not want me to go? I can't blame her; I'm not the most interesting person to be around.

"A? You better be coming, don't make me drag your ass." She says, and that jealousy and sadness disappear.

"Jesus Christ please come so I don't have to deal with that." Nevaeh nods her head toward Alisha.

Alisha scoffs, "Deal with what exactly?"