Because of You

Chapter 3

Choochie in the media.

Nolen

"So, you know there's a party at Ariana's place tonight," my best friend Choochie asked on the other end of my phone.

Tajria (Ta-zh-ree-uh) "Choochie" Morrison was Choochie's real name to clear up the confusion.

I continued doing my homework, tapping my pencil against my paper impatiently.

"Yea, what about it," I replied.

"We're going," Choochie answered.

I rolled my eyes and smacked my lips, "Girl, you know good and damn well Ariana doesn't like me, and besides, don't you need an invite to go?"

"Pssh, invite my ass. Ariana does this party every year, and half the people who be there didn't have an invite anyway; she does it so her wall-less edge-less ass can look classy. We're going Nolen," Choochie said.

"But I don't want to," I whined.

"You need to get out the house. You haven't gone to any social function since-," Choochie began.

"Don't even talk about it. You know how much I hate reliving that moment."

The line went quiet for a minute.

"Which is why this is all the more reason for you to get out the house instead of being so secluded and slowly becoming a hermit. I don't wanna be friends with no weirdo afraid of society. I'm not gonna allow you to do that to yourself. It's my job as a friend," Choochie continued.

I shook my head, "I don't even really have anything to wear."

"Well you better find something. It's eight right now, the party starts at nine, and I'm trying to get there at nine thirty, so I'll see you in an hour. Bye boo," Choochie said.

"Bye heifer," I chuckled.

"Uh uh, rude," she cackled, ending the call.

I floated to my closet, pushing things around on the racks.

"Not this, not this, oh definitely not that," I mumbled.

Throwing my head back, I heaved another large sigh.

***
I was ready at around 8:45 and decided to go downstairs and wait.

My mama was in the living room watching Real Housewives of Atlanta with my older sister, Kira.

"Hey ma, hey Kira," I said.

"Hey boy," my mama waved me off, her eyes remaining glued to the tv.

"What up big head," Kira chuckled, looking back at me, "where you going?"

"Out with Choochie, she's on her way," I said, taking a seat on the loveseat across from the couch.

"Out? How long you gonna be gone," my mama asked, finally looking up.

"No later than twelve like how I usually am when I'm gone," I shrugged.

"Okay, have fun but not too much fun."

"Yes ma'am, but it's not like I can bring home a baby anyway," I chuckled.

"Yea yea," my mama waved me off again.

My mama knew that I was gay and she accepted it, so did my sister.

My father on the other hand shunned me.

It wasn't serious to the point of all out ignoring me, we still talked and stuff, it's just it wasn't the same anymore.

He looked at me differently and shook his head more often, even when I didn't do anything.