Better Than The Movies

Chapter Two

"We are most definitely going to that party." Destiny gushes in my car after school. I told her about the party knowing that she would love to go with Erika. I didn't expect her to try and badger me into going along with them.

"No, we aren't doing anything you are," I say, making a turn out of the school. "You know parties aren't my scene especially not private school parties around complete strangers."

"Come on Scar, you're looking at it all wrong," She smirks at me. "You know what's at private schools?" I am about to answer with STDs, but she cuts me off clearly not wanting my response

"White boys. The same ones in all those books you read and you and I both know that the main girl always meets her man at a party. This is your moment, Scar."

I have no words. Not because she's right or I'm considering going, but because she thought that would reel me into her plan. Those books I read aren't real and she knows that better than anybody. I can want something so badly and still not believe that it'll happen. It's like believing the Tooth Fairy is real, of course, I want to believe that a fairy breaks into my house and gives me money for my teeth, but I'm also smart enough to know that my parents made the story up.

"Yeah, still a hard pass, but good try."

"Fine, but don't be mad at me when in 30 years you're pissed because you're single and missed your Prince Charming all because you didn't go to a damn party." She huffs, dramatically.

"I think I'll manage." She turns up the radio to the new Cardi B song and a few minutes later she's out of the car.

I decided to go grab a burger from Shake Shack since I didn't eat lunch. I would've invited Des to go with me, but she has to babysit her next-door neighbor which really means that she'll switch on a movie while she raids the parents' fridge.

There aren't many people here, which is rare considering I've never seen an open table at first glance before. I order a vanilla shake with a bacon burger and cheese fries all of which are to die for even though it's expensive as hell.

I'm waiting for my food to be called when a group of Elkridge boys walks in. It's not very surprising considering this is the closest Shake Shack in a 30-mile radius. They are all fairly good looking and I do admit to staring at them for a little longer than necessary, but it's not my fault. We don't have these kinds of boys at Turner.

They finally call my name a few minutes after the boys order their food and stand a few feet away, talking loudly about some girl at their sister school Riverside. I grab my food and sit down, a few minutes later the loud boys sat at the table in front of me.

I study them for a second, eyes not leaving the book in my hand, but ears open to hear their conversation. They were talking about a birthday party. The biggest one of the year, apparently. It was for a Riverside girl with 'massive tits and a skinny waist' At that point it was harmless, boys at Turner talked like that every time. Then they started talking about the cars their dad was going to get them when they turned 18 or what Ivy they were going to. Three said Harvard, two said Yale, and another said Columbia.

They talked about things that the kids in my school wouldn't even dream of. They spoke of something better than this place, the farthest Dondre wants to go is the college down the street. I hear what happens in the hallways. Kids grow up with bad role models and have a distorted vision of what their future will look like. It seems like I'm the only one eager to leave this place behind. I don't want to settle for this city, in-state college when in my heart I know that I'm destined for something better.

Something more than what I've been given.

After I finish my food, I go to my car, leaving the Elkridge boys behind. I ran to my car braving the cold winter wearing only a hoodie to keep me warm. I quickly get inside my car and turn the heat on waiting for the cold air to stop blowing.