obsession; mariano castano

preppin

destiny's pov

dinner time with my family is always the best. everybody sits down and talks about their week.

"so, dad, when are you gonna get me a car?" i ask my dad, tired of driving in joseph's truck when i need to get anywhere. it's nice, but i need my own.

"on your birthday, not far away at all," he replies.

"i can't wait."

"i'm sure and i can't wait for you to stop asking where my keys are and steady changing my seat," joseph chimes in.

"mhm. guess what ma?" i ask.

"what baby?"

"i met this girl named shylah, she's so pretty and she's chill. her birthday is on halloween, she wants to throw a party. she doesn't usually go all out for it but she wants to this year and she invited everybody to her party so, can i go?"

"why you ain't tell me?" joseph questions confused since i tell him everything.

"wasn't no point if we didn't run it by mama first."

"that's right too, y'all can go but you already know the deal, be home by 10."

"it starts at 9 mama, that's no time."

"i don't know shylah or what she's gonna have at that party."

"i'll facetime you, every 30 minutes. and we'll come home at 12. when we get here at exactly 12, i'm gonna tell you all about it. you can drug test me, do whatever. please please please."

"it's not that i don't trust you but i don't trust other people."

"i can watch out for myself AND jo gon be with me."

"what are your thoughts on that jay?" my mama looks at my dad and says. jay, short for justin which he hates to be called.

"i think they gonna be alright because they already know the consequences behind everything they do. for every action is a reaction. with that being said, we gotta go to rite aid," he says looking at joseph.

"rite aid? they don't have party stuff at rite aid."

joseph leans over to me, whispers in my ear and says, "he's talking about condoms."

"ohh," i say out loud.

"don't try me like i'm stupid, i know what y'all be up to," my dad says pointing to me and jo. i actually don't do anything, i stay to myself and haven't been in a serious relationship.

"i'm gonna go take a shower," i say getting up from my table, going to the sink to wash out my dish.

the next day

it's the end of lunch, meaning i have to wait on my brother and his friends. i stay on my phone for about 2 minutes, then i hear my name being called. i look up and see the boys.

"hey," i say to everyone watching them sit down at the table with me.

"waddup," mariano says back. everybody else just nods their heads.

"where's your friends from yesterday?" joseph asks.

"amara told me she was going to see her boyfriend but he's right here so i dont know where she went."

"her boyfriend?"

"um, yeah. isn't mattia her boyfriend?"

"oh fuck no, that's my sister dawg," mattia says looking disgusted.

"shit, i'm sorry. i assumed you two we're dating because she hugged you yesterday."

"hell nah," malcom says, "she's gonna be my girl."

i laugh and say, "good luck with that."

i see joseph scrambling through his pockets and i see something fall out. i look on the floor and its a condom.

"what the hell? when did dad even take you to rite aid and why couldn't i go? i could have grabbed snacks this morning."

"ohh, that boy rubbered up. ready to get in somebody," samy says.

"these for a special occasion, you never know what could happen," joseph says.

"in that case, slide me one," mariano says with his hand out.

joseph gives him a look, shakes his head and laugh. "nah, i got something even better for you." he looks at me then back at mariano, "hell yeah."

mariano rubs his hands together and says "bet."

joseph slaps him upside the head and says "sike," throws him one.

"us too," samy says pointing at himself and malcom.

"shit, that reminds me," joseph says and pauses, "one of destiny's friends is throwing a party on friday, post halloween/birthday party because who would want to party on a thursday?"

"who's her friend?" mariano asks.

"shylah, i think."

"isn't that kio's sister?" mattia asks.

"yeah, she got hot. like, mega. he'd fuck someone up about his sister though and she's not even who i'm feeling, so i'm not even gonna go for that," mariano says and looks back up at me. so, i grin.

i felt the energy he was giving off. i don't want to assume but i think he's feeling someone else and that someone could be me. he spoke to me over my brother's facetime last night. my first time actually hearing his voice because he didn't speak the first or second time i saw him.

"yeah, so y'all boys pushing up?"

"jojo, remember what i told you. without us, there ain't a party," mariano says and laughs.

"jojo?" i ask.

"yeah, we gave our boy a new name."

"what about yourselves?"

"everybody goes by their first name except me and jo. nobody ever calls me mariano unless it's an administrator. 'mar' sounds flyer anyway."

"hm."

867 words. i need feedback :))