Hello! Sorry for the late update. I'm still trying to figure out where this story will go.
Joseph gets off the bus with Shinto and two of her friends, Marcella and Shirley. The way to her house is filled with gossip and laughter and Joseph can't help but be fascinated by their ditziness. He feels like a nature documentary host observing these squealing party girls. As they turn into a dirt road, the girls start to piercingly howl. They almost sound Satanic, but as Joseph listens closely to the words he realizes they're singing "The Table of Plenty."
The dirt road leads into the boonies. A sign nailed onto a tree reads "Private Property! Taotao Tanu Only!" Joseph raises an eyebrow at the sign as the girls walk into the property. Shinto doesn't seem like a defender of the Taotao Tanu, Joseph ponders. Taotao Tanu is the Chamoru name for the natives of the Marianas. While Western colonizers claim that Chamoru is the politically correct term for the Mariana natives, Tasi and other activists believe the true name is Taotao Tanu. As a native, Joseph is fine with both terms but Tasi persists that they call themselves Taotao Tanu.
The path of shrubbery and humidity surprisingly leads to a yellow house. It is about half the size of Joseph's small home and about a thousand times nicer. A nice round window on the door makes him think of a Hobbit's home. The brown tiled roof reminds him of Spanish movies.
"Don't mind the snobby design," Shinto mutters as she leads the way. "My grandma has been a cunt on redecorating since she's retired."
Once inside, Shinto turns on the aircon along with the fans in both the living room and kitchen. She says, "You bitches better not rat to my mom that I'm cooling the place."
Joseph examines the canary pink living room. There are pictures of Shinto spanning from baptism to whoredom. Shirley and Marcella raid the fridge while Shinto puts a CD in the Xbox. Lana Del Rey fills the room and Joseph doesn't mind. Though Tasi sees Lana as a product of Hollywood whoring, Joseph is actually fond of her dark songs.
Shinto sprawls down the couch and pats a space next to her for Joseph to sit. He just sits on the arm of the couch to keep some distance. He asks, "So, what is it you wanted to show me?"
She sits up and replies, "Ok lesson number one..." Her manicured fingers grip his short hair as her cherry flavored lips suck his chapped lips. His skinny hands try to push away her luscious lumps, but utterly sink into her softness. No longer fighting back, he groans softly into her delicious force. She pulls away and says, "Lesson one: the element of surprise."
Joseph stands up and says, "This isn't what I asked for." He closes his eyes and wipes his mouth.
"But that's what girls love. It worked for me and my first," Shinto claims. "You can't be the same boring you. You gotta show her that you're different from other boys."
"What the freak?" Joseph opens his eyes yet he can't even look at her. He's scared he'll lose himself at the sight of her plump lips and sparkly stare. Joseph continues, "Tasi needs to love me for me. She already knows that I'm different from the other boys. That's why I'm her best friend."
Shinto puts her hand on his chin. "Well you gotta show her that you're different from a best friend."
He grabs his school bag and leaves the small beautiful home and walks into the humid, muddy boonies. He is too angrily confused to remember the way back to the main road. He tries to imagine making Tasi his girl, but all he could taste is Shinto's sweet musk. I shouldn't have followed her today.
The sky turns from blue to orange and he eventually finds his way to the main road. As he is nearing his subdivision, a small honk pulls him from the Shinto spell. He turns and sees Pedro in his green Scion. "Yo, geek," Pedro hollers. He looks stylish drinking his Porto Mocha chocolate mocha and wearing white Hello Kitty shades. The Scion slows to a halt. Joseph forgets to pretend to be friendly or to say 'hey, what's up.' He just opens the passenger door and says, "I screwed up." He gets in and buckles up. "I really, really screwed up..."
"What?" Pedro asks as he starts to drive. "Did you tell Tasi that she's an annoying activist who has an impossible vision?"
"What no!" Joseph yelps. "I let Shinto kiss me."
Pedro slams his brakes so hard that his chocolate mocha splashes all over Joseph. "You did not!" Pedro shrills. "Once you get the taste of the Shinto you become enslaved to her sloredom."
"No," Joseph counters. "I am not weak. I will not fall for her charms." He lies to reassure himself, because truth be told he was already under her spell.
YOU ARE READING
Hey, Jose!
Teen FictionGeeky, Joseph is tired of his small island life on Guam. The only thing that keeps him going is his crush on his poetess best friend, Tasi. He promises that junior year will be the year he'll tell his feelings to her, but what happens when she frea...
