Dani
"Hey, Kasey," I smiled.
Since we met that day, him and I became friends the more we started to talk. It sorta just happened.
Earlier in the day, I was passing by in the hall and saw him going through his locker.
"Sup," he said, dryly.
I frowned at how the way he responded. Usually, he would be smiling or joking to me. But today, he was dead. "What's wrong? Anybody hurt you?" I asked, voice getting softer.
"Nothings wrong. I'm just tired."
I give him that look that I don't believe him. I can tell something is on his mind. "I know when there's something wrong. I mean usually you would be all up on me. Today all I get is one word. Tell me wassup."
"Nah, I'm good on that," he said, closing his locker shut.
He starts to walk to his class but not without me following behind. "Why not?" I asked.
"Because," he muttered.
"Because what?"
"Because I just don't wanna tell you, aight?"
"Oh. I get it." I walked past him to get to my class. I can tell that I upset him.
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"Dani. Dani. Dani!" I heard, snapping me from out of my thoughts. My mind was on how Kasey's and I conversation was this morning at school.
I looked over at my two friends Sara and April. We were in Sara's car, coming home from school. "Yes?" I asked, clearly agitated.
"Why you all quiet? Normally you would be talking our ear off about that boy. What's his name?" April said, looking at me in the backseat with that smirk.
She begins to snap her fingers as if it'll pop up in her head more quicker.
I groaned because here they go.
"Kasey, isn't it?" Sara laughed.
"Yeah, Kasey!" April said, laughing.
They both started to laugh like they were still in elementary school. They knew how much I liked him.
I tried to hide my smile. "Here we go."
It doesn't matter if he likes me back or not because he acts like he isn't into me. I don't know what is wrong with me. Am I not pretty enough? Or maybe he doesn't see me as more than a friend.
"Good girl Dani likes them hood, don't she?" Sara teased.
I decided to shift the conversation because they could keep on going about it. "Going to that party tomorrow?" I asked, referring to that party that everyone has been talking about for some days now at school.
A star quarterback that plays for our school and is number one player in our district be hosting all these wild parties. He's a rich white boy but he can get down like he's one of us.
Every time he hosts a party at his house, something always happens.
"Hell yeah, the fuck I look like not going?" Sara said.
"Dumb question honestly," April shrugged. "The question should be, are you going?"
I see why she asked me that, because they know how my dad is. Strict as he can be, and I really can't do too much for someone who's almost eighteen.
"Of course I am," I said, unsure.
April scratches her head. "Mhm."
Sara didn't say anything, just quietly looked at the street before her.
I rolled my eyes. Soon, Sara pulls up in front of my house. I tell them bye and got out of the car. My mood was shifted when I stared at my two story home.
Coming home everyday is something I never looked forward to, simply because of my parents, especially my dad.
Walking to my door, I dug into my purse to pull out my keys. When I felt the metal key, I pulled it out and put it inside of the lock, twisting it. As soon as I opened up the door and stepped in, I smelled food that mom has to be cooking.
Closing the door, I start to walk through the hall, trying to past the office that was near the front room when I saw my dad in it looking down at some papers.
But I failed when I heard my name. "Danielle."
Groaning lowly, I stop and go to the doorway. "Yes?"
"You really didn't think I wouldn't see you walking past?" He chuckled, looking up from a bunch of files.
I shrugged.
"How was school?"
"It was alright," I plainly said.
"Nothing happened?" He asked, trying to build a conversation with me.
"Nope."
My eyes lit up, remembering what I have to ask him. "Can I go to this party that is tomorrow?"
His face wasn't something that I couldn't read. He states at me for a few seconds before he answers, "No."
Just what I thought.
"Why not? Dad I'm almost eighteen! I've been getting good grades in school."
"No, because why do you need to go to a party? So you can get encouraged doing something you aren't suppose to be doing?"
I rolled my eyes, groaning.
I could never do anything unless I have to sneak and do it. It's been like this my whole life.
"You'll be alright. It's only one little party." My dad goes back to writing down in his files.
My anger only build up more when I saw him go back to doing his work. He always work. There isn't a day where he doesn't work. All day, everyday, even at night he's obsessed with this case.
I don't know what case it is, but I know it is a case because he's a detective.
I never really thought about snooping through his files to see what's got him so hooked these past two years he's been working on it.
I bit my lip, getting ready to ask the question. "What's so important about this case that you are doing?"
He sighs and puts down his pen to look up at me above his glasses that was on the bridge of his nose. "It's my job. You know being a detective and going through these cases is what I do. I'm invested to put a end to a lot of things here."
My eyebrows raised. I really wanted to go through his things to see what it was all about, but he's always in here. Whenever he do leave, he locks the door behind him.
I just shake my head to steer away from the conversation because I knew I wasn't getting anywhere with him. "Just please let me go to the party dad," I practically begged, hands clasping together.
"No."
My hands go to my sides as I did the most biggest eye roll. I'm sick of being babied by him.
Sneaking out it is.
I nodded my head sadly. "Fine, I get it. I'll just stay home rather than you agreeing for me to go with my friends."
His eyebrows furrowed but he goes back to work.
I turn around and start to walk up the staircase to go into my room.
"Hey, Danielle," my mom greeted, who just walked out the kitchen.
I mumbled a small 'hey' to her before continuing to walk up the rest of the steps. It was no point in asking her too because she wouldn't agree on it either.
I'm going whether they like it or not.
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Next day rolled around and all day at school everybody was talking about the party that was about to go down tonight.
Kasey was nowhere to be found, completely MIA. I was wondering where he could be at.
I found myself kinda disappointed that he wasn't here. If anything, the more I see him the more I'm starting to like him.
But it's like he doesn't feel the same way about me. Is there something wrong with me?
__________________________
When nighttime came, it was almost time for me to leave for this party. All I had to do was wait for my dad to hurry up and go to bed. Last time that I checked, he was still in his office doing work.
I have gotten away with sneaking away a few times. It has became a habit for over a year now whenever I can't go nowhere I like.
Soon, about five minutes later, I hear his footsteps come up the steps. Then, I hear my parents room door shut a few moments later.
I get up and quietly open my door, looking up and down the hallway.
Saying a silent thank you, I started to slowly but quietly creep down the steps. I made sure that I have my house keys when I reached the front door. When I had it, I opened up the door and see my friends sitting in the car.
Quickly, I ran to the car, hopping in the back.
"Finally! What the fuck took so long?" Asked April.
"My dad was up in his office. It was hell," I huffed.
"Enough of that. Let's go to this party!" Sara yelled out.
We all begin to get excited.
This has to be one of the most wildest things that I have ever done.
_________________________
"This party is turnt!!" Sara yelled over the loud blaring music as the three of us first stepped into the house.
There was a lot of people that flooded the party. Everyone from all over came here for this specific party right here tonight.
The heavy smell of weed engulfed my nose. Teenagers stood around, smoked, drank, danced, and other wild activities. Hell, I've seen a fat white guy running around shirtless, drunk off his ass.
So far my experience with going to my first ever party is... Interesting.
"Don't they got some fine ass niggas in here, don't they?" April asked, looking at a guy who just passed her.
I shook my head. We haven't been in here for more than two minutes and they were already starting.
"What are we doing just standing around? I'm trying to get fucked up!" Called out Sara.
With that, I didn't even get a chance to debate because they were both grabbing my hands and pulling me to wherever they wanted to go.
And it was like that for about two hours. I tried things that my parents would flip if they found out I did. For the first time in my life, I was actually enjoying myself.
"Suuuup, Saaarraaa," came Sara's ex boyfriend who's currently drunk off his ass right now. A bottle was in his hand and a blunt was in the other.
Sara scrunched her face up. "What do you want, Rico?"
He draped his arm over her shoulders, leaning on her. He starts to play with her face. "I seen..." he lets out a burp. "I seen you o-over here... And I w-wanted to say hiiii," he practically slurred.
April and I begin to snicker when we notice the annoyed look on Sara's face.
Her and Rico broke up not too long ago. She got so tired of him being controlled by him like she was his toy. So, she called it quits. But even then, Rico still wants her back.
Even when he's drunk and high right now.
"Rico, move off of me. You're trippin' right now."
She shoves him off of her and walked away. The shove caused him to stumble back and fall on the ground like a dumbass.
We quickly follow behind her.
Next, we were by this bar that had drinks and people at a dining table that were smoking and rolling up weed. Sara goes to the table to get one since anybody can get any.
She holds the blunt between her lips as one of the guy's at the table lit it up for her.
"What I look like not hitting? Puff puff pass, Sara," April said, wanting so badly to smoke.
Sara begins to chuckle as she took a few more hits and passed it to April. Then, I begin to watch her do it. Never have I ever smoked before. I just stood back and watched.
After April gets done smoking, both their eyes land on me. "Wanna try, Dani?" She asked, holding the blunt out to me.
"Ion know how," I said, quietly so the table full of guys didn't hear me since we were standing so close.
"We'll show you. Now come on." With a sigh, I take the blunt from her hands and put it to my lips.
"Take it in, not too much. Now, let it out smoothly," Sara coached me.
I inhaled, taking it in. When I tried to release the smoke from out of my mouth, I let out the most erratical cough. The guys at the table looked over at me, chuckling and snickering off their high asses.
"Shit, I remember my first time," one of them said, laughing.
"Dani, ignore them. Try again."
So, I tried again. The more I tried, the more I started I get the hang of it.
The high started to kick in.
I passed the blunt and started to look around. My eyes landed over at the bar and see a familiar face talking with must be his friend that his arm over some girl's shoulders. My eyes immediately went to staring. How could someone be so fine?
"I'll be right back," I told my friends.
They said 'okay' going back to smoking. Hope this wouldn't be an issue when we have to go home.
I went over to the bar, stopping right at Kasey. "Hi, Kasey," I giggled.
Him and his friend looks over at me.
"Well I see that you got a girl to talk to. We're gonna go dance," his friend said.
"Aight, Boogie," said Kasey before his friend and the girl left.
He starts to laugh when looking at me. "Never took you for the smoking type. You look gone," he laughed.
I start to feel embarrassed that he noticed. My eyes are probably bloodshot red.
"I'm nooot," then I let out a snicker. "I haven't seen you around school today."
"I was busy."
"What makes you so busy that you can't come to school?"
He shrugged. He wasn't going to tell me. In fact, he's been missing lots of days of school.
He goes back to drinking out of his solo cup. He soon puts it back down on the counter. "Never seen you at these parties."
"You never thought to see me do anything," I chuckled.
"Yeah," he laughs. "Because you seem to be having your head in books all the time and not focusing on parties like these."
There is a reason for that, but I don't want to tell Kasey that I have strict parents. I have no choice but to keep my head in books and not go anywhere.
My dad still wishes that I was that same eight year old girl that was up under him all the time. My mom doesn't want anything bad to ever happen to me.
But what will they do when I leave for college soon though?
"Whatever, but what have you been up to? You never want to tell me anything and we're friends," I said.
I could tell that he wasn't paying any attention to me. Instead, his focus was on something else. My eyes goes to follow whatever he is looking at.
My heart pace quickened when I see what he is looking at and who he had his undivided attention on.
That same look that I never got to see these past few weeks of knowing him. Of being friends.
I looked the boy up and down in envy who stood near the dance floor talking to some guys.
My head quickly snaps back to Kasey, pissed off. "Kasey, were you even listening to me?"
He still didn't pay attention to me so I snapped my fingers in his face. "Kasey!" I repeated more louder over the music.
His eyes flickers to me. "Wh-huh?"
"Huh?" I mocked.
I fold my arms over my chest. "You didn't listen to a word I just said."
"Yes I did," he lied.
"Okay, what I say then?"
When he didn't answer, I threw my hands up. "See."
"Uhhh, you look beautiful tonight. Did you do something to your hair?"
My cheeks started to flush. He noticed my hair and called me beautiful.
"Y-you noticed?" I asked, smiling.
"Yeah... I did?" His eyebrows furrowed but then his face lit up. "Yeah, I sure did!"
"Awww," I poked my bottom lip out, bringing him in for a hug.
His hand goes to pat my back a few times, making the hug awkward. I pull away from him, looking him in his eyes.
"I'll be right back. I gotta use the restroom," his eyes fixated on who he had on before. He then walks away from me just like that, disappearing beyond the bodies. I knew he was lying so he could get away from me.
I wasn't dumb. I just wonder why he is so interested in wanting to talk to him out of all people. There's nothing interesting about someone who runs in a gang and kills.
But then I had to think back to when the whole school was buzzing about Kasey and Ace getting into another altercation at the rink. I wasn't there to see it, but I heard it had something to do with Gee.
I was beyond confused. What is up with them? Eventually, I was going to find out.