What About Your Friends?

Call To Adventure:

Here it is, the next day, and Teesha could barely move. She didn't wanna get up, that is. She tottered outta bed & went straight for the shower. She Got dressed. Slammed the door behind her, and got ready for the world.

"I hate school. I aint gon learn nun...jus a bunch of boring s***."

Teesha repeated over & over again.

Teesha had a heart as big as the sun, underneath those bruises on her chest. She was really a good girl deep down inside...but for some reason she felt she had to fight her way through life. She longed to be something...an actress, director, movie critic, astronaut...something. She jus didn't have the willpower to do so.

Upon walking through the entrance of the school, no one was in the hall. No teachers watching the walkways. No girls hangin out in the bathrooms. No jocks smoking in the janitors closet...that's because Teesha was late. The same as everyday. She walked to class without her books, which was a waste of time, but it made no difference to her.

She stomped into 2nd period with no regrets. None of the kids acknowledged Teesha either...She was irrelevant as far as they were concerned. A few people stared at her, shaking their heads in pity.

Mr. Alsina said, "Ms. Thomas, you're late..."

"No s***." Teesha replied, laughing.

"You disgust me, Thomas! Get Out of my classroom! Now!" Alsina roared.

"The name's Teesha..." Teesha rolled her eyes& sat back, getting comfortable in her seat.

"Why you tryna kick me out, bruh..?I just got here..! Party just started💁" She continued.

Mr. Alsina picked up the phone.

"I'm calling the superintendant!"

Teesha crossed her legs, brushed her shoulders off, & said "Be My Guest."

She knew he wasn't gonna tell on her.

"He doesn't have the balls." She thought.

And she was right. Mr. Alsina left the room.

Teesha heard some chicks giggling in the back of the class. She assumed they were laughing at her, & wanted to tell them off...but she left instead. The girls followed.

"Hey! Wait up!" One of them yelled.

Teesha stopped.

"Yes..?" Teesha replied, not turning around.

The girls walked up to her.

"Hi! I'm Chloe. These are my friends, Jess & Renee."

"Ren." Renee corrected.

Chloe sucked her teeth.

Chloe was the leader of the pack. She was bossy, yet sweet. Mean, yet perky. We all know someone like that.

Jess was the dumb one. The kind that goes along with any/everything...not knowing what's going on. That kind. Renee really dgaf. She didn't like them, honestly. She hung with them just cause.

"Anyway...that was some show you put on back there..." Chloe went on.

"We could use that kind of dominance..or..willpower in our circle."

Teesha stood there...in silence, thinking to herself.

"They actually think I have...

Willpower? It's almost like they knew every little insecurity. As if they could see right through me."

Teesha being as volnerable as she was, she accepted the challenge.

"Great!" Chloe chanted.

"There's so much we have to catch you up on. So let's just get to know each other for right now. We'll teach you the secret handshake later."

Teesha became cautious..but let every gaurd down one by one.

Renee & Jess high fived, as if the "plan" worked.

Putting her arm around Teesha, Chloe grinned and said...

"This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."