Beyond us (all of us #3) 18+

E I G H T

D I E S E L

Dear April,

You were right. I could make it to Junior year without being, suspended expelled--

Or worse. Thrown into a continuation school.

It's the small victories that count. Like getting a C on a test I didn't study for. Like going an entire day without ditching, or needing to get high before first period.

"Her. With the hair," Gio says distractedly, barely looking up from his hands as they frantically move in the locker. I watch him hit the lid of the grinder on the small rolling tray making sure there isn't even a spec left. My body blocking him from any snitches passing by who wanna be the weed police.

Maybe tomorrow I'll try that last one. Baby steps.

I'd never say it to his face, but Gio's the fastest at rolling between the three of us. Plus I've gotten caught way too many times and can't afford another without probably getting expelled or something.

Getting caught with weed the first day of junior year would be ridiculous and believe it or not I'm trying to do things differently this time around.

I fucked up completely freshman year, fucked around sophomore year, and I'm not trying to fuck away my last two chances to graduate. I hate to say it, but Mom's right. It's the least I can do.

Trent clicks his teeth and squints at the group of girls across the hall. "No shit? Which one?"

It's a rare occasion when Gio points out someone he's into. He's different from Trenton and I in that way.

Trent's generally not interested, but the fucker still flirts with any and everyone until they fall into this one-sided romance with him--Hence, Marina.

It's probably not intentional. He doesn't understand that being nice is easy to confuse for flirting, but then again you never really know what's going on in his head these days.

As for me, I'll be honest. I've never had any shame in making my rounds. I don't know if I've truly lost count of all the girls I've been with or if I just don't care enough to keep track. But dating to me is like shoe shopping. If I see a pair I like, I'm gonna try them on to see how they fit before I buy them.

And then there's Gio who'll find one solid girl to mess around with every few months. They might stop to talk in the halls, he might even walk her to class, or make out at a party. But we never know when it happened, we never ask.

"Long hair," Gio says blandly.

"Oh yeah? The one with the yellow shirt and shorts?" Trenton crosses his arms, looking her way. "What do you like about her, huh?"

"I don't know. Nice ass," Gio mutters while his tongue wets the paper, still tight in his fingertips.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really fucker." Gio gives Trenton a double take. Probably noticing the look written deeply within the lines of his smug smirk. "Why? You got a problem with that or what?"

"That's my sister."

His hands come to a fumbling stop and for a second I think the finished blunt's going to roll off the dingy steel and fall to the empty floor space between our sneakers.

"What? No." He frowns, narrowly looking her way.

"You need glasses or something, asshole? That's my sister. That's Joselyn."

"Nah." Gio laughs, his head shakes in denial. "No it's fucking not. Since when does she look like...that?"

The tone in his voice even makes me question if it's really her, but then she lets out that girlish giggle of hers and if that's not enough clarity, Trenton cups his hands around his mouth and belts out her name.