Pride Rules

Hey there, Delilah

"Knock Knock!" Niko opened the front door with a smile. "Hey babe!" We both kissed each other, passionately, till I realized Rachel was still watching from the car. I showed my hand away signaling her to leave. Then went inside the grey 1st floor apartment. Waving to Rachel on the way in.
We sat on the L-shaped couch and let ourselves sink in. Niko, Delilah, Rosa, and I were the only ones there yet. I knew Jake and Talyn would be there soon, but I wasn't sure if Niko had invited anyone else.
"Yo guys, want some drinks?" Niko was in the kitchen getting things ready.
"Is alcohol allowed yet? Rosa asked with an adventurous smile. I knew she would get wasted almost immediately after the drinks were permitted.
"Yea, but I'm gonna limit how many drinks you have until 5." I'm not even sure if Rosa can go 5 hours with limited drinks.
"Hit me up with a red if you have one." Niko grabbed a red wine is his stashed up beer and wine cabinet. Delilah took out all her tiny braids in her long blonde hair, making it incredibly wavy.
"Guys, I know it's Mason's birthday, and I want to keep it lighthearted and happy, but I have bad news." The air was filled with tension. Delilah had put everyone on edge with a few words. "I just figured out, I'm moving." Oh, it wasn't that big a surprise. I was too, when school started, I was going out to Colorado to go to CU. "And my dad is having me cut off all communication." OK, so maybe this was a problem. "Apparently my dad is going undercover in Japan, and it could be years. I have to cut off all my life here. Some guy kept threatening the captain in the 99. He has to go to a safe-house and as for me and my dad and mom, we are going undercover with a few other agents and have to shut off our lives her." Yea, definitely not expected news.
"So, you're moving to Japan and we'll never get to talk to you again." Niko butted in from the kitchen.
"Yea. Pretty much. Can you grab me Bud Light?" I didn't even know that Delilah drank.
"Oh! Do you have like, a cool alias like in Brooklyn 99?" I eagerly asked. I love Brooklyn 99, best show ever.
"All I know now is that I'm going to still live out my family life, but yes I will have a different name."
"Oh! Spill!" I blurted.
"I haven't decided. I might just want to go with Ava or Emma, maybe I might do Hannah, it's my middle name, so I'm already used to it. I don't know though."
That. Is . So. Cool.
"So babe, have you decided what to major in?" Niko was always very pushy on that, she didn't want me to waste money, blah, blah, blah.
"I'm torn between Criminal Justice and Animation."
"Those are two completely different things, Mason." Just as Rosa said that Jake and Talyn knocked on the door.
I ran over to the door and opened it.
"Happy birthday Mason!" Jake embraced me in a big hug, Talyn was more traditional, she wrapped one arm around me and simply said,
"Happy birthday." And pulled out. They are so cute together. We walked over to the couch and on the way I grabbed my Juicy Juice.
"Mason you have an addiction." I was violently sucking on my juicy juice at this point. I pulled my mouth away prepping for a sassy response.
"Maybe I do, but it's better than being addicted to Alcohol *cough* Rosa *cough* or Cocaine *cough* Talyn *cough*." I think I've made my point.
"Fine, but you're wasting our honeymoon money on Juicy Juice."
"Niko, we aren't even engaged."
"I don't care."
"Niko, we're seventeen."
"Yes, but I already have plans."
"But what if we can't handle long distance? California and Colorado aren't exactly close."
"What if your addiction gets in the way?"
"Juicy Juice will not get in the way of our relationship."
"I'm talking about the 'other one'." The room went silent. No one knew what to say. I don't think it's an addiction. It's just, Niko. He does this think to trick my mind into doing things that I don't want to do. But as soon as he says the words, my brain craves it. I know it's not healthy, but he's happy, and that's all that matters to me.
"I don't have an addiction." I say in a deeper and honestly, more depressing tone than I was expecting. "Can you just," I paused for a moment, "do you have any cider?" I just wanted to wash my worries about Niko out with alcohol. I've seen Rosa do it so many times, how hard could it be. "Hard cider, by the way."
Niko looked pretty surprised, I don't know why, he knew I was excited to drink alcohol, maybe I just still sounded depressed. Niko handed me a Hard Cider, and I took a sip, wasn't what I was expecting, but it tasted good.
"Yo, Mason?" Jake chose his words with caution, you could hear it in his voice. I don't blame him, I was pissed. Anything could send me off the edge. "Are you ok, do you want to talk about anything?"
I did want to talk, and even if I didn't and said everything was fine, no one would believe me, they all could feel something was off. I didn't want to open up to everyone about Niko, he was right there. I just needed to find another excuse. I do want to talk about Rachel, I suppose.
"It's just the stress of everyone leaving and leaving all of you. I had a talk with Rachel on the way here, I had to have her drive me here because my car is still in the shop. She got all emotional and told me all this depressing shit. How she doesn't want me, or Sandy, or Jess, or anyone to leave and I'm just stressed. I don't know what this will do with my relationship with Niko, and..." I felt and hand on my shoulder.
"There's no need to cry, Mason." Niko was right beside me comforting me.
"Thanks."
"Now who wants cake!"