Just Friends

Chapter III: Competition

Mayari Sekani Thompson

I'm going on a date.

People are usually excited about things like this. But i'm not because it isn't a date, date. Messiah got two tickets for him and his girlfriend to this Nba Youngboy concert because that's her favorite rapper.

Someone he knew gave him two more tickets cuz the dude broke up with the girl for cheating on him with his grandpa.

So he gave them to Tamris and I. The concert is an hour and thirty minutes away and we taking one car to save gas. I'm the closet to the highway exit so they picking me up last. It's 11 o'clock on the dot, meaning they should be here soon.

"Mother, wherest you've beenth?!" I say dramatically in a amazing British accent.

"Girl what in the hell wrong wit yo voice?"

My mom so lame she don't do accents.

"Nothing mama. Seriously where you been, young lady?" I cross my arms over my boobs and tapping my foot against the floor waiting for her to lie to me.

"Work, baby. I don't got a man or women if that's what you implying."

"Save it for the birds, young lady." I say waving her off and going into the refrigerator.

My momma is one bad mamma gamma. I know she got a lil sneaky link. She be having sleep overs at work bout every night? Yeah okay, let me find out she think she somebody grown.

"So I um heard." She says her voice going quiet towards the end.

"You heard...?"

"Messiah got a girlfriend. Two days ago Sherry called me saying she was happy for Messiah cuz he look happier...but she was kind of upset because she thought you two was gone be together."

I don't respond because I know she not done talking and she continues. "Y'all still got many years ahead of you we both know that. But Sherry think that he like bout to be in love with the girl. He ain't ever in his seventeen years of living brought a girl even near the house that wasn't you. But that don't mean anything baby."

"Mom, it's fine. I knew already. Everyone keeps saying that they thought this, that and the third. And how they can't believe we weren't together this whole time. But like we been said we just friends...and that's the watered down tea."

I put my glass in the sink upside down and grab my phone out of my back pocket and seen Tamris texted me 'Here'. I turned towards my mom who was already staring at me with a look of pity.

I hate that look.

"Okay baby. If you ever wanna just talk to ya old ass momma about anything, anything at all." She says exaggerating the 'anything'. "I'm here for you. If they here already you can go. Have fun, I love you, keep me updated, and please god keep my baby safe." We both say amen and I walk out the door making sure to lock it behind me.

Well...here goes nothing.

———————

This is harder than I thought it would be. Before I didn't care if he flirted, talked to, or even looked at another girl because I knew not much would come from it. But now he's in and has been in a committed relationship.

It doesn't even matter anyway. As long as he doesn't find out i'm perfectly fine just being here.

"I don't know why you just won't tell 'em." Tamris says chopping on popcorn.

"Tell who, what?" I ask playing dumb.

"Messiah that you are in love with him and have been since we was like twelve."