THE RAVENS

five

- aliyah -

Two knocks.

I rushed down the stairs and opened the door. Xavier. I quickly shut the door, this cannot be happening. Is he fucking crazy? What the hell?

I heard another knock and a soft chuckle. Oh my God. I'm in pajamas and he decides to show up? Now?

I slowly open the door to see Xavier with a smirk on his face.

"You were kinda rude, Jones." He stated before letting himself in. And he's the one calling me rude.

I closed the door and scoffed.

"Why are you here?" I asked as I walked towards my kitchen to give him a glass of water. Yes, I'm actually trying to be nice to him.

"You didn't show up. So I came here." He replied as he took the glass of water, basically chugging the liquid.

"So...your here now. What do you want?" I asked as we both sat down on the long sofa.

He was silent until he ran his hands through his hair, and looked around my house.

"Um, is your parents here? Or anyone for that matter?" He asked, his head low and his voice slightly above a whisper.

I laughed, "No. My Mom is working late tonight. Just me at the house." I replied, my eyes trailing off and into the front door. Sometimes I wish that my Mom wouldn't be at work all the time. She doesn't understand how isolated I feel when I'm all alone at the house.

Isolation. Loneliness.

I used to feel lonely, and isolated. It somehow became part of me. That's why I try not to get too attached to people. Because I'll always end up back at square one.

"I need you to be my date tomorrow night." He said, his eyes infixed on mine.

What? That's what he needs help with? Xavier Smith, needs me...out of all people, to be his fucking date? Is this a joke?

I laughed. I laughed so hard. I glanced back up at him, he was confused and kept on asking why I was laughing. This has got to be a joke.

"Xavier, you are joking, right?" I asked as I started to calm down. He looked at me even more confused. He stood up and walked to the kitchen, who does this guy think he is?

"Look, Jones..." He said as he sat back down with me on the sofa, along with a soda in his hand. "I need you to be my date. And I know, it sounds crazy, but it's gotta be you." He continued. He began drinking the soda as he scrolled through Instagram. His feed consisted of really pretty models, a lot of fancy ass cars, cute puppies, and...poetry? Who even is this guy?

"I just don't understand. You could pick any girl you want to be your date. All the girls in this weird-ass town basically adore you, but you ask me? Yeah, sorry, my answer is no." I replied as I stood up.

"Look, Jones, you don't get it. You see, my parents.." He scoffed, "-my family, knows everyone in this town, basically the whole city. Okay? And, well, my father...he wants me to change. And I really am Jones, I'm trying. He wants me, to be successful. Ya' know? He's always in the back of my mind, telling me to stop slacking around and focus on what's important. He expects me to find a date tonight who he knows is good. And Jones, your the good one."