Coming Out

Chapter One

Media: Carmen - Jasmine Brown ^

Carmen POV

"Carmen look over there!" I turned to see my best friend Rayla pointing to a crowd of kids running. "C'mon , two hot Hispanic chicks? I've got to see this." She tugged me towards the circle of video phones ready to record.

It was the last day of school before summer started at MayCreek Highschool and plenty of angry fights were going down before everyone left for the break. Me and Rayla are both juniors here.

Rayla was a total lesbian. Her long purple braids of hair flew in the wind, the sun bouncing off of her chocolate brown skin. She loved the thrill of drama and fights.

MayCreek is a predominantly black school and it's pretty ghetto, if you know what I mean. I try to stay low on the radar and keep my circle small. I didn't have time for drama. I just needed to keep my grades up and get out of here.

The fight was ended when three cops pushed through the circle and pulled the two wild girls apart.

"Uh oh, cops! Let's dip," Rayla grabbed my hand and guided me away from the madness. "Let's ditch classes today." She said once we were by my locker.

"No way Rayla! I need to stay out of trouble if I want to get through finals." I unlocked the locker and grabbed my binder.

"Stop being such a pussy. I wanna smoke, not learn." Rayla grabbed my jacket from my locker and slammed it shut. "I'm spending the night at your house tonight by the way."

"I don't smoke." I gave her a knowing look. "I'll catch you later." I took off for calculus before she could find a way to persuade me to skip.

Even though me and Rayla are best friends, we are total opposites. She blows off school and parties while I work hard and study. I have a plan for my future, and she doesn't. I want to be successful in life, but it doesn't seem like she cares about what goes on after highschool. Rayla told me that she just wants to have fun.

I want to help her, yet nothing I have to say can change her mind. To her, (besides me) weed, parties, and girls are the only things that matter.

The area that we live in is very low income. I will one day no longer be living here. I hope to one day live with wealthy, sophisticated people. For now, I hear gunshots and crys all through the night. Homeless people begging and young men and women fighting on the streets. Soon, I will live in a beautiful house and have money, be happy, and I will finally be safe. Why couldn't this dream come to reality any sooner?