De Nelson's Senior High Book 2 - Decisions

Chapter 15- A year long party

" Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." Kobby agrees glad for the distraction and jogs off to  the oval racetrack encircling the lake. After a quick chitchat with Jerome they get the keys to the cars from the pro who handed them some protective equipment for the drive. They both revved their engines for a test as the pro walked in between both cars with two flags. Everyone gathered on the sidelines to watch the match.

He flagged them and the race begun. Kobby's engine revved as Jerome sped off. Kobby followed a few microseconds later.

It was obvious Jerome wasn't used to tracks because he couldn't realize he had to slow down at the turns in order not to drift or skid off the tracks. With that foreknowledge, Kobby switched gears and his engine roared as he bypassed Jerome at full speed while he drifted off.  By the time Jerome regained control, Kobby was well close to the intersection.

He won hands down and was greeted by a couple of his friends from junior high, Caleb and Enoch at the finish line.

" Damn, you're still the speedster we know." Caleb says as soon as he took off his helmet and fist bumped him.

" Still the ladies man too, huh?" Enoch says with a suggestive wink gesturing at the crowd dominated by girls on the sidelines.

" What can I say, it's all in a day's work." He states vaguely with a rye smile.

Jerome arrives and gives Kobby a thumbs up before walking into the party.

Next person he saw almost shook him out of his skin. Keilah! Who decided to invite all the girls he had previously been involved with?

" Heyyy." He greets nervously.

" You looked surprised to see me, I got a late invite."

" Didn't think you'd come." He says through gritted teeth, " I'll be right back."

He drags Samed who was a few feet ahead of him from his group of friends and dragged him out to the back.

" What is Keilah doing here?!" He almost freaked out.

" She's here?! I don't think I invited her." Samed says.

" Kobby!" Shrieked Sandy from Kobby's junior high home economics class.

She hugged him so excitedly and Samed slipped away to avoid Kobby's drama.

" Hey you, where have you been?" Kobby asked forcing a smile.

" Don't even get me started on that suffocating boarding school my mom shoved me into." She let go rolling her eyes at Kobby and he laughed,
" What's the point to these annual parties you have anyways?"

She threw an arm around his torso hugging him to herself while they wove their way through the crowd.

" I actually do it to bring all the people I love together." He sighed before lighting up, " Also, so I can tell everyone I had the longest party in the year. It'll be next year by midnight."

" You're funny, if you really have all your loved ones here why do you seem so gloomy?" She asked and Kobby thought deeply about it. Was he that obvious.

He was snapped out of his reverie when Leila's eyes caught his from a distance. He instantly looked away.

" I'm going to go look for Francis. Other than that, if you need me, I'll be at the barbecue stand." She informed him patting him lightly on the chest before leaving.

Keilah caught up with him a few minutes later, " You never came back...why do I get the feeling that you're avoiding me?"

" M..me? No." He stuttered.