LaMelo Ball - By Ari

Twelve

"So...um...I was going to ask you something," Nelly clutched her books tightly to her chest with nerves. Curious to see what she was about to say, I brushed a curled strand of hair out of my face and glanced down at her, her sight fixed on the long hallway in front of her. I had always been a few inches taller than my best friend, her being only 5'3 made her an easy target when playing basketball but she's surprisingly almost impossible to guard. She has about the quickest damn feet I'd ever seen in my life and sharp handles.

Nelly glanced up at me to see if I was listening and blew out a small breath through her nose that I barely heard. "Anyway, there's this party tonight-"

Instantly interrupting her, I shook my head and saw her begin to protest but I stopped her again, making her shoulders slump in frustration. "You should know better, Chanelle. Parties aren't for me and I thought you were already fully aware of that. Remember what happened the last time you dragged me to Heather Gleason's abandoned mansion 'get-together'? Everyone was drunk and the cops came; we had to run all the way home and your parents caught your ass."

"But that was last year," the whiny edge in her voice made me roll my eyes. "We're smarter now. Plus, I'm pretty sure your man candy is going to be there, he was the one who told me about it."

"LaMelo is going to this party?"

"Yes, girl," Nelly stretched out and raised her eyebrows with hope, obviously knowing that if LaMelo was going, then I was going to agree to attend this so-called 'party.'

Thinking for a moment, I considered whether or not I should go. I mean, it was Friday night and I haven't really been associated with other people besides LaMelo and Chanelle for awhile and I needed to let my hair down. But what if my parents caught me sneaking out? That would be the end of my existence!

"Where and when?" As soon as I said this, Nelly squealed with happiness but I put my hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking. "I never agreed to go. I just asked a simple question."

"At Nevaeh Whitmarsh's house. I think the party starts at around 10 'o clock, and we can meet at your neighborhood pool to walk there together, since I'm pretty sure she lives a few blocks away from us."

Glancing around the hallway deep in thought, everything sounded okay so far. I needed to quit thinking so much, especially about the Heather Gleason ordeal; maybe everyone wouldn't get drunk. Maybe there wouldn't even be alcohol. Come on, Cori, live a little!

Sighing and feeling myself giving in, I pursed my lips together reluctantly. "What should I wear?"

-

I noticed the darkness of the night outside of my bedroom window and looked at my full-body mirror at myself and my outfit. I had on a gray tee-shirt dress with a burgundy flannel tied around my waist, followed by my white Timberlands. It was simple, but I wanted to be comfortable if I were going to be dancing and having as much fun as Nelly said I was going to have. The nervous pit in my stomach seemed permanent as I glanced down at my phone that laid on the edge of my bed, the time reading 9:28 at night. I knew that both my parents were passed out in their bedroom from exhaustion, so I hesitantly stepped over to my large window and slid it open, the cool air of the outdoors wrapping around my ankles instantly as I climbed over the sill and landed on the close ground below with a soft thud.

As I made my way to my neighborhood pool, I couldn't help but look over my shoulder every ten seconds with paranoince, the fact that it was so dark out already freaking me the hell out. But when I rounded a corner and saw Nelly sitting on the curb next to the entrance of the pool, my mind relaxed a small amount when she called out to me and I jogged over to her.