BLK JUPTR

iii. the rinse cycle

I hate to sound cliché, but a rich white kid threw a wild party in a mansion.

When Diana pulled up to the party, my immediate thoughts told me that we were in the wrong place.

"This can't be where the party is, right?" I questioned.

"Oh no, we're in the right place," Diana said, "I've been here before. The guy who threw this party throws it every year as a kind of back to school party, I guess you can say."

After Diana parked the car, the three of us exited the car and walked into a huge house. There was a chandelier on the ceiling and a large staircase in the middle of the house, like the kind you see in movies. PRBLMS by 6LACK played throughout the vicinity, and people were dancing. The place was tightly packed, and if my assumptions were correct, at least one third of the school's students were here. The other people may have been students from nearby colleges or high schoolers that somehow managed to get invited. But like a sore thumb, Diana, Jasmine, and I stuck out because we were someone the only black people here. Jasmine and I seemed anxious, but it was obvious that Diana had grown accustomed to looks and stares.

"When you've been here for almost four years, sticking out becomes day to day life for you," she told us.

We followed Diana to the kitchen where drinks were. Though I wasn't going to be the one driving, I still didn't plan on drinking any alcohol. I hated the taste. Once at a party in the eleventh grade a friend had given me some beer and it tasted gross; that night I couldn't get the bitter flavor out of my mouth until I got home. So for a drink I settled on a cup of Sprite, because with soda you can never go wrong. Jasmine did the same. Diana however, poured herself a small cup of Ciroc, but not too much. Not too long after I watched her having a conversation with a guy about the election, Diana disappeared, and Jasmine did the same. Now I was in trouble, my very small social circle had evaporated completely, and now I was left to fend for myself. So I went from the kitchen to the living room, trying to remain as cool and collected as possible, hoping to find my friends. Instead, I just got lost in a sea of even more unfamiliar faces, lucky me.

In the living room, I began to feel more comfortable, yet uncomfortable at the same time. There were girls twerking on guys, and people making out, yet many eyes were still on me, the one black girl in the corner of the room. I tried to keep my head down, but I had no choice but to look up when someone nearly spilled their drink on me.

"Xo!"

I looked up and saw Joey, who appeared  slightly tipsy with a big grin on his face, which made me laugh. "Hi Joey," I greeted him.

"Did you come here with friends? Or by yourself?" he asked, taking a sip from his red cup.

"I came with two friends. But I'm by myself now."

He glanced to his left and then his right. "Damn, they just ditched you high and dry like that? That's cold. Come with me, I'll introduce you to some of my friends."

We linked arms and he walked with me up the stairs to another living room like area, still crowded, but with more of a secluded feel to it. There was a small group of black people here, including Vincent. Two guys were seated playing poker at a table, while the rest of the group sat on the couch and watched. Jasmin was there as well, and she looked very pleased when she saw me next to Joey.

"I figured you'd wanna hang with us instead of being by yourself," Joey told me. I guess he sensed that I was more of the introverted type.