45th Street

Eshals POV

   I'm almost late for school, being late is the last thing I need to be, especially if I just got suspended not too long ago and I'm not trying to hear Mamas mouth.
   I rush out of my bathroom  and put on some random black hoodie, black sweatpants, grey new balances, and add about five or six silver necklaces and chains so it looks like I tried. Diamond studs, gum, silver rings, lip gloss, backpack.
   Backpack, where is my backpack? Lord if I be late for this bus. Lucky for me, when I went to grab my phone off my dresser I spotted my backpack behind the door. Quick to grab it, I rush downstairs.
   The bus stop is just down the street from my house, thank god. Gladly it's not almost a block away like it is from Femi's house. I begin to text her as I walk.

   Me: Walking
Femi <3: Hurry up girl. I'm up here with Quan by myself !
Me: Girl Boo :/

   Femi is my best friend, she has had a crush on Quan since middle school. Is he fine, sure. Is he my type, no.
   I get about five feet from the bus stop and Femi is looking directly at me. Quan is standing next to her talking to Lennox and Talik along with other kids waiting to board the bus. Femi widens her eyes at me and bucks a little with a Girl if you don't hurry up face. Femi is my bestie, my ride or die.
   "Well it took you long enough." Femi says rolling her eyes.
   "I'm here though, aren't I." I say putting my hoodie over my bob, I just got this head silk pressed and I'm not trying to get it all frizzed up. Femi sucks her teeth.
   "Nah but I missed you girl, It was so boring at school those last three days without you," Femi admits, hugging me from the side, "You know bitches don't like to lose." she adds, talking about Keisha. She's right, I wouldn't be surprised if Keisha wants round 2.
   "Welcome back Sunshine!" Talik says, I shoot my head over to him. He made up this dumb nickname for me "Sunshine" because I'm always wearing jewelry, he's been calling me that since freshman year, mind you we are now Seniors.
   "Talik don't start." I say. Did I mention I have a mini crush on Talik, not a big one though, a mini one. Not like the ones the girls have in highschool movies when they get nervous around the boy, nah nothing like that. I just find Talik and his personality attractive.
   "Awww, come on Sunshine we missed you!" Talik says, stepping to me.
   "No we didn't." Lennox says.
   "Oh fuck up Lennox." I say giving him the finger. He laughs. Just then the bus pulls up and everyone starts to get in. Talik looks me up and down and smiles squinting his eyes before turning around. He catches up with Lennox and Quan on the bus. Me and Femi look at each other and both shrug.
   Once we are on the bus we get our seats all the way at the back of the bus, usually Lennox, Quan, and Talik sit back there too. Once we are seated I grab my lip gloss and put a coat on.
   "Son, why you always wearing big ass clothes?" Lennox asks out of curiosity.
   "Son, why you always start with me in the morning?" I mock him.
   "I'm just looking out for you, one day you gone trip on them shits, we not in the 90s no more Eshal." Lennox picks.
   "Boy shut up, that's why you don't have a girlfriend now." Femi jumps in.
   "Even if he did have a girlfriend, I bet I dress better than her." I shoot at Lennox. Talik lets out an "Ooouuu" with his fist over his mouth.
   "Ouch." Quan says.
   "Tell him girl!" A random girl on the bus shouts.
   "I like mine in tight jeans that make that booty POP." Lennox says checking me.
   "She really be styling though." a random guy sitting next to them say. Talik looks at him and lifts the side of his cheek with a Shut the hell up face.
   "Can we talk about something else besides my clothes." I say.
   "So y'all heard about that party tonight? It's about to be jumping." Femi says, of course I know about the party she keeps posting the flyer and sending it to me.
   "Hell yeah I'm fading." Quan says, licking his lips looking at Femi, she blushes. Why am I in the middle of this? Ew.
   I put my earbuds in and let The Isley Brothers bless my ears. As soon as we get to the school the song switches from Between The Sheets to Alicia Keys. Femi ends up getting off of the bus with Quan, which I'm okay with.
   Once I'm off, I turn my music up even louder to block the noise. Mont Vert High, where all the shit goes down, more than just learning.
   The reason I was suspended was because I got into a little altercation with this girl named Keisha. She called herself calling me a bitch in front of the whole cafeteria, so I beat her ass in front of the whole cafeteria.
   Bad idea yes, but respect is respect and she had no business calling me a bitch nor getting in my face because I ACCIDENTALLY bumped into her. So that's why I'm sorta tight this morning, I got to hear people's mouths.
   "How you gone be my Sunshine and never smiling." Talik says walking next to me loud enough for me to hear. I take my hoodie off and reveal my short cut bob I hid away earlier, then I take my earbud out.
   "My jewelry smiles, not me." I say tugging at one of my necklaces, smiling showing my tooth jewel on my left top tooth. He smirks a little and walks ahead of me.
   As soon as I step in the doors there goes the stares and whispers. I turn my music up even louder and head to class, can this day be over with already.
                                          ____
   Thankfully at lunch I didn't get as many stares as I was getting throughout the day. Mama picks me up from school on Fridays, I asked Femi if she needed a lift but she turned the offer down, so she could ride the bus with Quan of course.
   "So how was school ShalShal?" Mama asks, glancing at me then the road.
   "It was okay, not as bad as I thought it would be." I say.
   "Did that girl say anything to you?" Mama asks. I saw that question coming.
   "No Ma, I wasn't worried about her." I say, which I wasn't. I couldn't even tell if she was at school or not.
   "That's my girl, I know that's right." Mama says . When we get to our house I spot Femi and Quan walking, they must've just got off of the bus. Mama sees Femi and gives her a wave. She waves back of course.
   "Femi's got a boyfriend?" Mama asks, being nosey as usual.
   "Well, she likes him. It's complicated." I say getting out of the car. Mama grabs her purse and slams her car door shut.
   "Mhmm, well I'm guessing you're about to tag along with them?" Mama asks with a smirk on her face, I throw my bookbag across my shoulder and glance back at them.
   "It's okay, go ahead." Mama says smiling.
   "I'll be back." I say before walking over to Femi and Quan, once I get to them Femi she has the biggest smile on her face.
   "Hey Sunshine." Quan says in a mocking voice trying to sound like Talik. To be honest, Talik is the only one that says it right. It's like it's fit for him. Femi laughs.
   "Quan NO!" I laugh, it's bad enough Talik goes around calling me that.
   "Nah I'm jocing, but wassup." Quan says trying to be serious.
   "Nothing, I just came to see what you two were up to." I say looking at both of them. They look pure guilty might I add.
   "Girl ask your Ma if I can spend the night tonight." Femi says inspecting her fingernails then looking at me.
   "For?" I ask knitting my brows at her, Femi never really asks to spend the night, she's my best friend, she could just show up whenever so her actually asking me means shes up to something. She looks at Quan and he lifts his brows.
   "I'll see y'all tomorrow, bye Shal." Quan says, giving me a side hug, he goes to Femi and kisses her on the cheek before going across the street to his house.
   Femi crosses her arms with an uneasy face as she walks Quan walk off, then she looks at me.
   "Me and my Ma are moving in with my Dad tomorrow." Femi says hesitant. My eyes widen and my heart drops almost.
   Femi's Ma and Pops split apart a while back, that's why her and her Ma moved to South Heights, and that's when we became best friends no matter how boujee she sometimes was, she blended in with us. Now she's leaving, probably for good. Don't get me wrong, the Northside is full of rich people with bank but the thought of walking to the store by myself, the bus stop, going to parties alone, birthday parties without her.
   "Femi, you're joking." I say with a crack in my voice, I want to cry. I want to break down the thought of not seeing my best friends on the school weeks and weekdays.
   "I can still come and visit you, the North isn't that far." Femi says adjusting her backpack on her shoulder. A tear drops from my eye and Femi pulls me closer to her and gives me a hug, best friend hugs are the best hugs. I cry on her shoulder and laugh a little too.
   "Northside huh?" I ask, laughing a little letting her go. She's crying too, she wipes her eyes and smirks.
   "Yeah." She says laughing.
   "Aww my best friend is moving." I say crying some more.
   "We still got a day together, it's not like you can't visit." Femi says trying to comfort me, she's right though.