The Novelty of Existence

3

𝙽𝚂 ⋆ 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 ⋆ 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚕

"Are you peeing yet? I can't hear anything." Wes cooed through the outhouse door.

"Dude, I think it's number 2." Aiden countered with a smirk.

"Mo Mo, is it number 1 or number 2?"

"Shut up both of you! I'm gonna kill you guys."

"She must be constipated."

I chuckled to myself as I watched the stupidity unfold in front of me. I was so glad that we had formed into a family. Some of us needed family more than others, but we all contributed.

During middle school- specifically 9th-grade graduation, I could have ruined this family. Growing up, none of us saw Paloma as a girl. Then, suddenly that night, it was hard to miss. I guess it's possible that we all had a little crush on her at one time or another. I'm just happy we all steered clear of some messy high school relationships in the group.

As much as Wes liked to tease me because of my 9th-grade lapse of judgment, the truth is that Mo and I were never more than friends. Best friends. And I was happy with that.

Growing up outside of Halifax as a black kid could be a little lonely. My parents moved there from Boston, so it was a big change to become so much of a minority. I think that's why my Mom started collecting minorities like Pokémon cards when I was little.

That's how I met my best friend, so I'm not complaining. We happened to go to the same preschool, and our mothers just gravitated toward each other.

Mo always had her hair in two braids back then. She had medium brown skin and always stayed in the painting center. Though I was much darker than her, we gravitated toward each other as well. Like we found comfort in each other's melanin.

When I brought a little Asian boy home to play video games with me one day after school in fourth grade, my Mom was overjoyed and kept inviting him back. Aiden should be thanking me for that one.

Of course, in third grade there was Wes. Though not a minority, my Mom saw him at the spring concert and just knew something wasn't right at home. She asked me to be nice to him, and we became fast friends.

I guess that's the good thing about having a therapist as a parent.

"Bro, what is that?"

"Sasquatch stay back!"

I looked up from my daydream to see Wes and Aiden running toward me and the van with high-pitched screams. Mo ran behind them with a long stick.

"What was that?" Mo cackled as she chased them around the van.

"Danny, help!" Wes darted behind me and clutched the back of my shirt. "She's got a dog turd on that stick!"

"Yo, let go this is a new shirt!"

"Did you buy new clothes for this trip?" Aiden's dry voice cut through the chaos.

"No." I stammered, straightening my shirt out.

"Oh, you totally did."

Mo laughed so hard that she dropped the stick and clutched her belly.

"The polka dot button-up will impress those west coasters." Wes patted me on the back before walking to the driver's side of the van.

"Guys, I seriously didn't."