A House But Not a Home

Chapter 2

Her name was Lani Hansen. The girl we had met on our first day of school.

It wasn't long before for me and Charlotte would be admitted into her group. Michelle never liked Lani, or anyone of her friends, she sorta despised the fact that Charlotte chose to hang with Lani over her and she'd let her know.

"I mean I don't like the bitch." Michelle would say. "She like a hipster catwoman, with all those sex features."

"So you think she's sexy?" Charlotte asks.

"No-yeah. I still don't like her, she's just weird man."

It was funny to me at the time, I held my ipod close to me, lowering the volume in my earbuds to hear what they were saying but without drawing attention.

"What are you listening to Z?" Charlotte asks me.

I thought I would be able to zone out in Michelle's room without attracting their attention. I never liked talking with Michelle in the room, even if I am at her house; the only reason why I'm here is because it was better than coming home.. where I wasn't even wanted at all.

Some things about Michelle made her okay, but she was annoying. She was that person that would make fun of you even though she wouldn't mean it. She only made fun of the things that I've liked, I wasn't like other dark-skinned african american girls in my school.

"I-It's Blonde Redhead." I reply.

I took off one ear piece off and heard the TV blaring in the background. Charlotte took a step towards me and sat next to me to listen.

"It sounds depressing." Charlotte said.

I got all insecure for a moment.

"I like it." she said with honesty "I'd drink my sorrows to this."

I smiled for a moment. It felt good to know someone would understand me even if all I did was give her an answer to what I was listening to.

"So that's what you like." Michelle interrupted. "I always thought you were a Jay-Z, Kanye, or Drizzy fan."

She was wrong.

"I don't even like rap." I said. And I didn't like how she thought just because I was dark skinned African girl, that I would listen to rap or anything hip hop.

"Oookay," Michelle went on. "Sorry Shakira, I was wrong about you."

Charlotte's cell phone began to ring. She took off the earpiece and answered her phone.

"Yeah, we'll be right out." Charlotte and hung up.

It was time for me and Charlotte to go.

"We're leaving." Charlotte said.

I got up and got ready to leave with Charlotte. Michelle lead us out there but we were stopped inside by her mother. She gave Michelle a plastic with a small box of food inside.

"Tell her to bring some home." We heard Michelle's mother say.

"No, we'll be okay." Charlotte smiled.

Michelle had the box of food in her hand, her mother was saying something to her in tagalog that we couldn't understand.

"My mom wants you take it anyway." Michelle said. "It's dinuguan."

Dinuguan= chocolate meat. (but not what you think.)

"..take it, besides you're the only white girl I know that likes this crap. I don't even like it."

Michelle led us out after we thanked her and her mom for letting us stay. Charlotte's sister, Carlin was waiting and we could tell just by the way she stopped in front of the house that she was not in the mood.