time flies / j. christopher

1

reagan hangs up her last bit of clothes, flops onto her bed, and stares up at her ceiling. first day of summer, and she hasn't done anything. this is a first.

her phone rings and reaches over and grabs it, smiling when she sees the contact name 'summer 💕' and 'reef' for a group facetime. "hey," she says, answering. summer has her phone propped up against something while shareef holds it up against his chest.

"you busy tonight?" shareef asks her. reagan shakes her head. "good. come to cassius' tonight? for a little kickback?" he says.

"cassius don't even like me," reagan says, rolling her eyes. he acts like she broke joshs heart, when in reality, he broke hers.

"yeah he do, he was just fucking with you because of josh, you know that," summer says. shareef snickers at the memories of cassius ignoring reagan and saying stupid shit to her when they broke up, just to make her mad.

"i mean, i guess i'm down to go. let me ask," reagan says, standing up and sliding her feet into a pair of slides. she exits her room and goes downstairs to where her mom most likely is. "ma?" she calls.

"in here!" reagan follows her moms voice to the kitchen and sees her little sister, nadia, at the table eating lunch. "hey, sweetie."

"hey, ma. summer and shareef want to know if i can go to a party at cassius' tonight?" her mom, cynthia, dries her hands on towel and leans against the counter.

"what time?" reagan looks down at her phone and summer speaks up.

"hey, miss cynthia! 10, but we'll pick her up at 8:30. she can stay at my house after, too," summer says. reagan glances up at her mom who has a thinking look on her face. it's pretty hard for her to say no to summer because she's not a girl who gets into trouble.

cynthia runs a hand over her slicked back hair. "hey, summer. i guess. but if you do come home, no later than 1:30, please? and try to be quiet. and absolutely no drinking!" cynthia says, looking down at the phone at summer and shareef. "hey, shareef!" she waves down at the phone.

"hey, momma!" cynthia loves shareef like her own—he's practically reagan's brother. "we'll have her back on time, don't worry." he says, putting on his good boy act. reagan rolls her eyes. shareef knows how to act around adults.

"can i go?" nadia asks, getting up and putting her plate in the sink.

"no," reagan says. nadia glares at her.

"you said next time! and it's next time!" nadia says. reagan shrugs.

"when you're older," she says.

"mom!"

"nadia, hush," cynthia says. reagan sticks her tongue out at her eight year old sister and she huffs.

"fine. but next time, i'm going," nadia stomps into the living room and reagan follows her to go back upstairs.

she re-enters her bedroom and goes to her closet. "what do i wear? you know cassius got cute friends," reagan says.

"just look cute."

reagan gives summer and look that makes shareef crack up. "thanks, genius. i planned on looking ugly," she says sarcastically. reagan pulls out a pair of mom jeans, a red body suit, and a Jordan windbreaker. "this cute?" she asks, laying the clothes out on her bed and flipping the camera.

"that jacket is doug," shareef says.

"it's josh's," reagan says shamelessly. "he still asks about it, and i told him i lost it." she says, sitting on her bed.