Sweetest Thing (gxg)

4. House Parties ఌ

Friday, 26 January 2018
***

Yoaly spent the next two weeks barely speaking to her parents, not that it really mattered because they haven't been talking much the last few months anyway. She left for work at 6am every morning, spent the day working with pre-school-aged children, came home after 7pm every day, and then spent the rest of her night in her room doing homework. She wasn't being confined to her room, but she also didn't feel as comfortable around her parents as she used to, so her bedroom is where she spent most of her time.

That Friday, after all of the kids had been picked up for the evening, Yoaly spent time straightening up her classroom and disinfecting toys and tables for the next very long week ahead of her.

"Yoaly." She heard her name being called and a knock on her open classroom door.

Yoaly turned around to see one of her coworkers, Mia, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her polo-covered chest. Mia is tall, slim, blonde with blue eyes, and has a very fit figure from the four years of competitive cheerleading she did in high school.

Mia works in the church's pre-school part-time, usually after class. Yoaly doesn't know much about the girl other than she's 19, in her first year of college at Phoenix university, and that her boyfriend is a part-time student and full-time plug. The very same plug Yoaly has bought weed from more than a few times— in that very same church parking lot too.

"What's up, Mia?"

"What are you doing tonight?"

"What I always do," Yoaly went over to her desk to begin packing her things to leave for the evening. "Going home to finish my homework for the week. Maybe I'll finally finish writing those songs for the children's choir I was supposed to have done last week."

"Girl, you're always doing homework. You're always on the computer all day, so what do you possibly have to finish when you get home?"

"I write a lot of essays for my classes."

That wasn't exactly true though. Yoaly spends a lot of time on her computer writing/editing songs that she isn't sure she'll ever get the chance to really sing because they don't fit the 'image' her mother developed for her.

A lot of the songs are about love, even though Yoaly has never been in love before. They're about what she thinks love would feel like. They're about what she wishes she will one day experience for herself when she's finally ready to stop letting her family's judgment keep her from being who she really is and loving who she really wants to.

"Well, my boyfriend's friend is having a party at his house. it's his twenty-first birthday so you know it will be loads of fun."

"Okay...?"

"I'm saying you should come."

"Me?" Yoaly pointed to herself with a very puzzled look on her face. The two are not friends, so she thought it was very weird that Mia was inviting her out to a party.

"Yes, you. We've been working together since August, and we barely know each other. You seem really cool, and you also look like you need a little change of scenery. I noticed you've been more reserved and quieter than usual."

"Sounds fun, and thank you for the invite, but I think I'll pass."

"Why? Girl, you don't ever go out."

"I like being in the house," she shrugged. And that wasn't technically a lie either. She does like being in the house. Lately though, she just hasn't liked being in the house with her parents.