the unexpected

1.

Three...

two...

one.

"Shit," Anxious and irritated, Zoe Barrino was one of the many Jamesville High School students that muttered multiple obscenities under their adolescent breath, waiting impatiently on the dismissal bell to ring. With it also being the last day of school, everyone, from the janitors to the administrators, was ready to go—to enjoy another wondrous three months of summer vacation. Tapping her smoky black Supra sneakers against the off-white tiles of Dr. Ralph's Algebra classroom, Zoe kissed her perfectly whitened and aligned teeth and averted her attention from the ticking analog clock to her best friend, Azani [uh-zon-ee].

"I swear they doin' this shit on purpose, 'Ni," huffed Zoe, turning her petite body toward her preoccupied friend, whom was rapidly pushing her French-manicured fingers against the touch screen of her iPhone. "Oh, please. You're just pressed to see Ivy's high-yellow ass. S'all that is," Azani responded matter-of-factly, refusing to peel her eyes away from the screen of her phone as she referred to Zoe's boyfriend, Ivory Coleman. Not only was he a senior, Ivory was a top-notch basketball player, honors student—not to mention he was easy on the eyes. Every girl fought to get even an ounce of his attention and somehow Zoe—a freshman—managed to snag all of it without much effort. How she managed to pull him was, and still remains, beyond her comprehension to this day.

"Whatever," Just as Zoe rolled her chocolate-brown orbs, the bell rang and everyone shuffled out of class and to their designated destinations—Zoe's being Azani's car.

"So I don't even have to ask if you're going to his pre-graduation party tonight, right?" Azani inquired as her hot pink Chuck Taylor's crunched against the asphalt toward her baby blue 2006 Beetle Volkswagen, her hips switching in sync with her steps. "Uh, duh," Zoe replied dryly, as if the answer was obvious. She folded her arms, waiting for 'Ni to unlock the door. "Well excuse me, Carlos. I was just asking, damn," Azani countered, unlocking the doors with a press of a button. The two climbed inside of the vehicle—Azani on the driver's side and Zoe on the passenger's.

Not even a second after turning the key in the ignition, The Weeknd's alluring voice filled the vehicle as the two absentmindedly sang along, forgetting about their little tit-for-tat in that instant. That was how their friendship had been since they'd met in elementary school. One minute they could be gouging each other's eyes out and the next they'd be laughing like it never happened. That's something Zoe loved about being friends with Azani. No matter what transpired between them, Zoe knew that Azani wouldn't turn her away. And it felt damn good to have a friend like that, because many haven't had the chance to and never will.

Azani rolled both windows down as she drove, letting the breeze blow against their faces—a much-needed relief from Florida's blistering heat. "So," Azani spoke, breaking the silence. "Where am I taking you? My place, or..." Her voice trailed off as she tapped her fair-complexioned fingers to the beat of "Montréal", chewing on a piece of Winterfresh gum whilst waiting on the stoplight to transition to green. "Ehhh. I think I'll go home. Need to get a good nap in before Ivy's party, so..." With a shrug of her shoulders, Zoe refocused her gaze upon the familiar landscape as they drove by local churches, stores, restaurants, and homes. "And you're still comin' right? You know I need you as my wingman 'Ni." She added as an afterthought, looking back over to and pulling a chuckle from Azani.

"Shut up, Zo," Giggling, she turned onto the street that led to Zoe's neighborhood. "You know I can't leave your chicken-legged ass out to dry." A look of surprise claimed Zoe's visage; her eyes burning a hole through 'Ni, causing her to laugh even harder. "Oh shit—forgot you were sensitive about that," She could hardly speak without cackling. Zoe prolonged her glare of death before finally uttering, "You lucky you my nigga Chilombo. Lucky. As. Hell," She shook her head and unfastened her seatbelt as Azani parked in front of her two-story home. "Aw, I love you too." 'Ni cooed playfully and attempted to kiss her on the cheek. Zoe swatted her away only to point a stern finger at her. "Don't push it."

In the driveway, three individuals could be seen playing a game of basketball. Zoe recognized one of them as her step-brother, Desmond. Watching as he attempted to do a crossover on one of his friends, she kissed her teeth. "Desmond ol' cone-headed ass," shouted Zoe as she stepped out of the car and shut the door. Distracted, her step-brother looked in her direction; one of his friends taking that as an opportunity to steal the ball and score. "Game," The tall, attractive guy stated; his coffee brown chiseled torso glistening from sweat accumulated while playing vigorously in the sun.

Zoe's eyes couldn't help but to roam his physique, unclean thoughts wandering her mind as she forgetfully bit down on her bottom lip. The speeding off of Azani's car behind her brought her back to reality as Zo' witnessed Desmond getting in the face of the fine individual she was just shamelessly scoping not even a minute ago. "Nah, nah, nah! That's bullshit, man! I was distracted," Between them was the third guy, another face she recognized; Desmond's friend, Allen, who was trying to diffuse the situation.

"Des, man. Chill! Nigga it ain't that serious," He was struggling to restrain Des; meanwhile, Zoe was sauntering right down the two-car occupied driveway, swinging her hobo bag over her shoulder and ignoring her step-brother's usual overly-aggressive antics that he displayed whenever he didn't get his way. This behavior was nothing out of the ordinary for him, so she wasn't fazed in the least.

Reaching the front door, she retrieved the house key from her bag. Zoe took one last look over toward the driveway, only to catch eyes with him. The stare-down lasted a few seconds, before she quickly diverted her attention back to the door, unlocking it and rushing into the comfort that which was home; all-the-while, her heart beating at a record rate. Closing the white, oak door behind her, she leaned her back against it in hopes to catch her breath. Just when she thought she was calm, her phone began to vibrate in her back pocket. Retrieving it, her mocha brown eyes scanned over the LCD touch screen.

Ivory.

Shit.