"Shit, your breath really does stink," Amanda retorts, scrunching up her nose as she hands me the shopping bag which has the dress inside.
I take a peek and act fascinated. "Wow. Looks good." I then look passed her to the lime green Porsche parked on the side of the road. Inside is a familiar face. The guy is wearing dark shades, and he gives me a small wave.
I can't deny the fact that I'm bothered by this.
The apartment building I live in looks so shabby and the whole area is just... poor.
I can't look Amanda in the eye because of how embarrassed I am.
I don't wave back at the guy.
"Here's some mint." Amanda offers me two mint gums coming from her cute purse.
I put both in my mouth and I start sucking on them. "Thanks."
"Aren't you gonna drop the dress off? It's fine, I'll wait again."
"It's fine. I'll wear it after I shower at your guy's place." I sigh and I walk passed her already, climbing down the porch steps to approach the car.
I stop by the window of the driver's seat to greet the fancy looking black dude. "Hi. I'm Nile."
His smile is tight and fleeting. "I know." He slowly nods. "Go ahead and get in."
I narrow my eyes. "Cool, but your name is...?"
"Michael," he curtly answers.
I can't help but twitch my eyebrows from this unpleasant energy he's emitting. Or maybe I'm just seeing things. I just go ahead and climb into the backseat while Amanda takes the passenger seat.
"You going to the party, by the way?" He asks, looking straight at me from the rearview mirror.
His eyes are harsh and the fact that he's unsmiling rubs me off the wrong way. I look at Amanda who is looking back at me with a gleeful grin on her face. She answers his question for me, "She sure is. She's excited."
Just from the look on my face, I am obviously not excited. I'm only going because I don't want Amanda to be alone. Even just sitting in this uber expensive car, I'm doing it for her.
Throughout the car ride, I prefer to remain silent. I put on the headphones I brought with me and just watch everything passing by through the window. I roll down the window and just observe the houses we pass. Major contrast there is as we drive further from my area and into the more clean, privileged areas.
A familiar, intense longing grows in my chest as the images of fancy mansions burn into my head.
Eventually I get the strength to look away from the window and just tune more into the music playing in my headphones.
I catch Amanda laughing at something Michael said. She's throwing her hands in the air, squirming in her seat, a large grin on her face while her shoulders shake. I can't hear their conversation as it is drowned out by the loud sound of my music.
But I don't need to hear them to know that Amanda is happy. She's usually jolly but the male species rarely impresses her. So I'm wrong about Michael.
When we arrive to his territory, I straighten and take my headphones off while the gates are opened by the guards.
I gasp. As Michael drives us through the driveway landscape with beautiful gardens on the side.
My jaw slackens. It's as if I'm being taken to a royal palace. The extravagant, humongous mansion literally looks like a castle.
