Holden's POV
"Um... Holden. Why is Elizabeth on your back?" Thuy said asking.
"It's because we did four laps around the school and I lost too much energy." Elizabeth said holding on to me.
"That's true, my feet are killing me." Thuy said slowing down as she caught up to us.
Denzel ran to us. "Okay that's it, I'm done. Fuck Mr. Singleton, I'm done for today." He said running out of breath.
"Denzel, you played football." Elizabeth said to him.
"That's running across the field at night when it's cold. We're running around the track in the heat, Elizabeth."
"Don't forget it was the fall to, so that means it was getting cold as well." Thuy said as we were going to the entrance of the gym.
"Exactly." Denzel said as he points at Thuy when she said that.
"I'm tired and not at the same time." I said walking to the doors.
"Nigga, think he all that cause he's a runner." Denzel said walking to the water fountain.
We walked into school to go to the water fountain. The four of us go to the water fountain with Elizabeth still on my back, Elizabeth got off my back as she and Denzel went to the fountain, and Thuy and I sat on a window sill.
"Hey Holden, can I ask you a question?" Thuy said turning to me.
I turn to look at her. "I guess?" I said quietly.
"I know we started hanging out last year but even before I met you guys I notice you always looking at Elizabeth. Since we did sit next to each other in Algebra, from the corner of my eye I notice you staring at her and you guys always smile and laugh with each other the most. So I'm just wondering if you like her or not?" Thuy said.
I looked back at Elizabeth sipping on the water fountain. Wow, the sunlight from the window makes her look so beautiful.
"Come on Lizzie, you taking up too much of the fountain." Denzel said hurrying her up.
She stop sipping from the fountain. "Denzel, I was dying from the heat."
"So have I! I'm not like Nigerian Usain Bolt over there." Denzel said pointing at me and chuckling.
"Use the second one!" She said still drinking.
"I'm too tall for that shit!" he said as she finished.
She looked at both of us and gave her best smile to us. I smile back because she's the type of person to always smile back.
"I'll step on them pink new balance." Denzel said looking down at her shoes.
Elizabeth looked down. "Then I'll step on your Jordan's." she gave Denzel a 'try me' look.
Elizabeth had her right leg up and her foot above his shoes. "Don't step on my J's bitch!" Denzel said jumping away and making each other laugh.
I looked back at Thuy. "Yeah... please don't tell her Thuy. Only you and Benicio are the only people out of the group who knows this." I stop for a second. "I want to tell her myself. When she's 18."
"Why do you got to wait until she's 18?"
"Okay, one. because I'm 12 and she's 14 and two her dad gave her a rule for her and her sister to date until they're 18."
Thuy nodded. "It's okay. And your secret is safe with me." Thuy said smiling at me.
"You and Benicio are the only ones who knows I like her."
"Ben knows?"
"Yeah."
"Holden!"
"Holden!"
"Holden!"
I woke up from my dream to see Elizabeth looking at me, smiling like she always does. Why was I dreaming about what happened freshman year in gym class and why was it vivid?
"Hey sleepyhead." she said smiling. "It's almost the end of class, doodle bug." she said turning back with a smile.
"I told you she would wake him up." Carlos said next to me.
"Tsk, tsk tsk." I turn around to see Marlon tsking. "We said his name more than three times but when she said it, 'doodle bug wakes up'. He wakes up!" he said pointing at her.
"Aye, don't call me that."
"Oh, so I can't call you that but Elizabeth can?" Marlon said being defensive.
"Yes!" I said to Marlon because he should have known after eight years.
It's Friday afternoon it's my last class, waking up from my nap, my Spotify shuffled to a random song and it started to play Pop Smoke's Something Special.
I'm already pissed off because I heard my best friend Elizabeth-Bryony Watson is going on a date with my bully for years Bartleby Beauregard Muldoon. Half the school and I hate that motherfucker, he's legit like Jake Paul because he's got the same personality as that country dude but acts like those dude bro jocks in those unrealistic teen movies. I'm mostly pissed because she would go out with that jerk. Well, she can date whoever she wants but nobody expects our friends know what I'm like when she's around she makes my eyes light up when I see her, how I act, and how I smile at her.
It's worst when I'm sitting behind her right in our History class, I mean I enjoy it but when the guy who hates me is sitting in the seat in front of her always trying to talk to her. During spring back when we were hanging out at our friend Corey Emerson's barn and my crush turned into more than a crush it was love. Even know I was in love with her as a kid but I don't know at this point, I've been bitten by the love bug.
The bell rang and as I got up with my friends Carlos Ponce de Leon and Marlon Bozeman, we walked out to go to our lockers. As people pass by I saw the most beautiful girl in the whole school with the most beautiful smile that lit up a room, like an angel that came from heaven to make people feel something about themselves.
The girl with long blonde hair down to her lower back, a heart-shaped face, nice beautiful big blue eyes, and the softest voice ever. I sound like a simp but I don't care, but I feel this everytime I see her.
Her smile is perfect
Her personality is perfect
Her voice is perfect
The girl with the Halo above her head
Man, she's just the perfect human I ever met.
I always tell her she looks beautiful everyday and she enjoys my comments. She's wearing a casual red white strip long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, black flats, and a small Jesus cross around her neck. Man, it's really hard when I got five out of eight classes with her. We got 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th period classes together, so I basically see her everyday our senior year.
She waved to the three of us we waved back but both Marlon and Carlos looked at me.
"Keep looking at her then your eyes going stay like that and people gonna be like 'The fuck is wrong with you eyes, man?'" Marlon said while putting on his windbreaker jacket.
Carlos chuckled when Marlon said that while looking at me.
"Come on Holden, just tell her how you feel about her, I got a feeling she likes you. It's been nine years!"
"Yeah or she'll just laugh at you." Marlon said right after Carlos' sentence.
"I'm joking!" he chuckled.
"Whatever nigga." I said deep in thought.
Carlos shut his locker. "You guys ready to go see the squad?" he said and we all agreed.
Both of them started to the exit and before I shut the door I see a note I left for her in my locker. I'm too scared to give it to her, should I give her this or tell her personally? While I took one more look at her she gave me a little smile then shut my locker and start walking towards the exit.
I still remember how we met each other when I was eight years old my family moved from Nigeria to Philadelphia and I was the new kid in the third grade.
*Flashback*
When my family settled into a new country, new home, and new school, back in Nigeria I was going into kindergarten and believe it or not I was born on Christmas Day in 2005, mom called me her 'Christmas Miracle' and Christmas is my second middle name. I was born nonverbal but I never had autism, I was tested but there was no sign of me being autistic, I started talking but some experiences happened that made me got mute. I never talked until December of our first year here. Shoo a mall Santa was the first person I had a conversation.
Before school started four weeks before that the school called my parents for a meeting and after that, I skipped kindergarten including first and second grade, I was supposed to go Greenspring Secondary School back in Nigeria like my siblings but we decide to move during the beginning of summer. The school told my parents to do school for a week to show them I can handle it and boy they were shocked because I finished it in an hour. The school board found that out and they said I could go to college at the age of five years old but my parents said I should decide when I get older. I was looking at a Rubik's cube cause I didn't know what it was cause my family was broke and I did know anything yet, the teacher told me to solve the cube all the colors have to match on every side and I did in four seconds.
When it was the first day of school I was so scared since everything around me is new plus being five years old in the 3rd grade, I was an ant and every kid were scorpions. I was told to wait in the office for an Administrator to take me to my class since I didn't come to look at the school cause we were getting settled in. The administrator took me to the class and knocked on the door.
The door opened. "Mrs. Duncan, this is Holden. Remember the five year old kid who's starting 3rd grade?" Mrs. Hawkins the administrator said.
"Hello Holden." Mrs. Duncan said with a smile as I waved at my teacher who was in her early 30s.
She brought me inside the class as Mrs. Hawkins left. "Class this is Holden, he's from a different country called Nigeria."
The classroom was in four rows and her desks was in front of cubbies and next to the second and third rows of desks.
"You see that desk next to Elizabeth-Bryony? This is your seat." she said walking me to it.
I sat down at the desk and turn to see this girl. I looked at her and she looked at me back with a smile which made me smile a little.
I sat by myself at lunch since everyone knew everyone, recess came and I sat at the tables they have under the shade if kids wanted to read or play a board game but I had nothing to do. I mean what eight year old wants to play with a five year old at school.
I see the girl I sit next in class leaving some other girls come walking up to me with a smile. She had on a violet head band with a violet short sleeve collared sweater, white skirt, and white flats on. Her hair was so long and beautiful and it went down to the middle of her back and the sunlight in her hair made it looked so beautiful. I thought I was looking at a real life Rapunzel, well Rapunzel starting to grow her hair long.
She was looking at me while talking to other girls and I met her sweet gaze and it was like I was smitten. She was a magnet and I was metal. Thinking about it Elizabeth did looked like any white girl with blonde hair and blues eyes in our childhood, AnnaSophia Robb, Emily Osment, Sara Paxton, and the Olsen Twins, but mostly then and especially now she looks like Kirsten Dunst because she looks somewhat like her the most but all six of them were cute in my five year old eyes.
I shyly looked down on the grounds as she walked away from the girls she was talking to.
"Hello." the voice of an angel said to me.
As I looked down on the table I saw a shadow above it and I looked up to her. "May I sit with you?" she said with a foreign accent and that shocked me cause I thought I was the only one but not anymore.
I nodded at her response.
"My name is Elizabeth-Bryony but people just call me Elizabeth or Lizzie." She said smiling.
I nodded again.
"So your name is Holden, right?" She said as she sat down right next to me and I was shocked when she didn't sat across from the table.
I nodded again.
"Mrs. Duncan said your from Nigeria, and as you can tell judging by my accent I'm from London." She said as I nodded again.
"Holden, do you live across from the park?"
I nodded to her.
"When I was at the mini golf course at the park I saw someone that looked like you and when I tried to start a conversation he ran away."
I pointed to myself and nodded to show her it was me.
"Holden, I don't want to be rude but can you not talk back or are you just shy to say anything? There's nothing wrong if you can't do either but I just want to know so I can tell other people if they ask."
Before school started my parents got me a portable dry erase board the folds and it was also pocket size so I can just grab it out of my pocket. So I grabbed that and wrote down "I am shy but I'm a mute and it means I'm temporality speechless."
"Oh, so you can't talk at all?"
I wrote done, "I talked before but something happened to me and I haven't talk since, because the accident made me speechless."
"That's okay, Holden, I'm patient. Can I ask you another question?"
I nodded.
"How old are you because you look younger than the rest of us?"
I held my hand up and made a five with my hand.
"Holden, how are you five years old in year three?"
I wrote done. "I have a high IQ."
"Oh really?" She said grinning.
I erase that response and wrote another one "I'll prove it to you, give me a number, a high number.
"Okay." she said as she thought of something, "Okay what's 256 x 694?"
I wrote down my answer and for proof I wrote down how I got it, "177,664"
"Oh my gosh, Holden you are smart."
The bell rung and kids was going to line up with their classes. We got up from the table and headed to the line. "I think you and I could be friends"
I risen my eyebrows like a 'really' expression.
"Really."
I smiled wide when she said that cause she knew what I was thinking.
At that moment I thought God gave me happiness by meeting someone like me to a new country so we can be friends. Over the years we gain to talk like any other American together but people can tell we were not from Philadelphia or this country because you can tell. I was also smitten by her beauty, brains and kindhearted soul at the age of five. After that everytime I see her I feel like I develop a fondness towards her.
We met new friends like Carlos and Marlon then others Benicio Franklin Negroni, Jr., Corey Emerson IV, Denzel Saint Joseph, Monique Pfeiffer, Selena Alcazar-Morales, and Thuy Vu, and we all became a squad. During middle school, I started to get bullied by this jerk name Bartleby Beauregard Muldoon thinks he's all that cause he's a quarterback and his parents are rich, like a damn white guy in those shitty white teen movies and he wants Elizabeth.
Then during our middle school and early high school years which I called 'The Awkward Years' because Elizabeth was kind of my babysitter from 2015-2018. For four years she was my babysitter and it awkward and embarrassing for the both of us but we hung out more and it was cool in our books. But then I felt like a little boy who had a crush on the babysitter even though I did but she's the homie. See that's why I call that 'The Awkward Years' because now I'm weirded out about it again.
Over the years her family, The Watsons made a great reputation in town. When people think of the most perfect family it's them and I highly agree, there's nothing to hate about them cause they're not rude to anyone. Her sister Kimberly started her YouTube channel her freshman year and she changed it to a movie react channel with her husband cause they got a kid and they don't to exploit him so they switched it up but they 1.5 million subscribers, her older brother Simon is in a college navy program. I also have a reputation too! They call me 'Holden Chukwuzi, Boy Genius' because I technically am and I'm not saying that to boost my ego. I'm the only 15 years old in the 12 grade. I should be in my freshman year but I'm gifted.
*Flashback Ends*
As the three of us head out to the school parking lot I get tripped on by Bartleby and he and his friends Scotty O'Connor, Thomas Moss, and Jeff Murphy just laughed and walked to their cars.
"Sorry not sorry, stickman." Bartleby said laughing hi-fiving one of his friends.
This dude is calling me stickman cause I'm skinny but that's just my high metabolism.
"Man, he's going to get knocked the fuck out one day and I'm going to be the one to record it." Marlon said while helping me out.
"You can try to kick his ass if you want." Carlos said picking up my backpack that went on the sidewalk.
"Yeah, you got the timbs on. So go stomp that nigga out!" Marlon said.
"Maybe one day but I'm not violent. Plus he's only doing it cause I also like Elizabeth." I said walking towards Corey's truck while Corey, Benicio Franklin, and Thuy are at.
"And you fight like a bitch." Marlon said slightly laughing.
"Marlon!" Carlos said to him.
"It's true. Remember in 7th grade when I betted him I can fight him." He said mocking the way I fought back when I was 10.
"I was short, I couldn't reach you. Everyone was past 5'3" at the time and I was a tiny kid until before senior year."
"He did tackled the one kid
Plus my military veteran turned police officer father taught his kids to fight but only fight when it's necessary.
"You do remember he still beat your ass, right?" Carlos said to him. "In the words of Corey Emerson, IV, 'You got wrecked by a kid who's 4'8" in 7th grade."
"You had to mention that, huh?" Marlon said embarrassed.
"Do I need to get Denzel to show us the video?"
"Eh.. no!"
"Then two year later we recreated the fight for our YouTube channel but we called it a tie instead of me whooping your ass." I said to him.
"Alright, don't listen to what Marlon been saying but does Bartleby know that's not how you get a girl like Elizabeth or just any girl in general to go out with them?" Carlos said.
"You know how white boys are, they do stupid stuff to impress girls." Marlon said.
"Facts." Carlos said as we got to Corey's truck.
"Sup guys, ready for tonight? We're not going to that party everybody's talking about let's go to my barn and party like how we always do." Corey said trying to hype us up.
"We can just do dumb shit like finally beating Denzel at wrestling." Benicio said thinking about the last time he and Denzel wrestled and him down pinned after three seconds.
We all burst out laughing while Denzel came with his arm around his girlfriend and our friend Monique with Selena next to him to kiss Carlos on the lips.
"You ain't gonna do shit man. Cause you weak, son." Denzel walked up.
"Boy, don't you remember the last hundred times you been on the ground on your back screaming mama ayúdame." Selena said laughing while we all started to laugh.
"Yeah, kept saying you were trying to distract him by talking in Spanish but you still got your ass beat and cried like a little BIOTCH." Monique raising her hand to hi-five Selena then we all started to laugh even more cause she wasn't wrong.
"Whatever. You guys didn't need to bring up old shit." Benicio said getting on the back of Corey's truck and giving us the finger.
"Don't be like that Benicio, you're still our favorite loser." Marlon said jokingly as he get in the back of the truck.
"Los odio cabrones." (I hate you bastards)
"I don't know what you said?" Marlon said to him laughing.
Elizabeth walked up to us.
"Hey Elizabeth, you gonna ride with us?" I asked hopefully cause she only rides with us sometimes cause her dad is scared for her when she rides with us because all 10 of us in the truck think we can all get hurt which is understandable.
"Can you drop me off at my house Corey?" She said giving him that innocent smile.
"Yeah sure."
"Elizabeth, I heard you got a date with Bartleby, is that true?" Monique asked for basically all of us.
"No, I'm just going to his party." She said in a tone I'm not sure she's glad about. Monique nodded as Denzel helped her get in the back.
While the guys started to get on the truck, I took a step toward her to ask.
"So you're not going on a date with that fool?" I asked her with a nervous tone while Corey and his girlfriend Thuy both know the drill and headed to the front of the truck.
"No, but at this point, I should go because he keeps asking me everytime he throws a party since freshman year." Elizabeth said looking at me.
"I thought we were going to hang out tonight?"
"He asked me during lunch. Besides were graduating in two months might as well go to at least one. It will be just one stupid party like all high school parties all, trust me, I know."
"Yeah. I get it you want to live a little more." I said to her.
A smile rose to her face. "Doodle, don't look at me like that."
She's been calling me 'Doodle Bug' since we were kids. Why? I don't know. Probably just a nickname but when she says it, it's cute.
"I'm not giving you a look. I'm actually okay with you going, just because I don't want to go doesn't mean you can't go."
"Okay." She said not believing me with a smile.
We both chuckled and she walked to go sit next to Thuy in the front as I helped opened the door and then hopped in the back of the truck.
Before Corey started to back out of the parking Denzel stopped. "Let's take the top off this bitch!"
Both him and Benicio help Corey take off the top part and placed it in the middle then took off.
While driving to driving it was time for someone to get aux and play something.
"Hey someone play an Olivia Rodrigo song." Selena said.
"Oh hell no." Denzel said.
"Why not Denzel? She's one of the biggest artists out right now!" Selena said arguing.
"She does some white music when she's half."
"How do you know that?"
"Cause Benicio told me when we thought she was Spanish."
"She's Filipino and white." Selena stated.
"Well the bitch needs to act Filipino cause she does some white music and I bet she be hanging out with white people." Denzel said making half of us laugh.
"Bitch trying to be new Taylor Swift and shit." Marlon said.
"Exactly." Denzel said agreeing with Marlon. "She's like 'a guy I was secretly dating left me for a blonde girl and now I'm driving by myself while I drive pass his street'. But me personally Sabrina Carpenter is fine. Always liked her when we watched Girl Meets World, except when episodes when she wanted to date Riley's uncle cause that's a no to me." He said acting like a white girl.
"That's white people for you." Marlon said.
"Oh so you both want to hear stuff about snitching, murder, and fucking?" Selena said to him.
"It's better than white girl dating issues. Wannabe Taylor Swifts, like I care about white boys cheating on y'all." Denzel said making ever guy including two white people Elizabeth and Corey laugh.
"Plus just like half the Latinas in school including you listen to K-Pop." Carlos said looking at his girlfriend.
Selena gave Carlos a death stare after he said that.
"Okay, I got something for you guys." Corey said giving his phone to Thuy.
Corey whispered in Thuy's ear then focus back on driving. Thuy typed on his phone on his Spotify and found a song.
"This song?" Thuy said making sure.
Corey leaned over "Yeah. Since we are country folk and since Elizabeth and Holden have lived in the country for 10 years, let's play a song that we all can enjoy, play it, Thuy."
Thuy pressed his phone, and Tennessee by Arrested Development started playing.
"A classic right here." Denzel said bopping his head.
The music started blasting through the truck. "Yo Mar, how's Zena doing?" Carlos said asking bopping his head to the music.
"She's doing good got the good grades on point, she's excited to have us in school with her again" Marlon said to Carlos.
"Yo, I'm bringing a girl from the next town in for prom." Benicio said putting his head up.
Everybody laughed except for Marlon, Elizabeth and me. They knew he was on some shit but Marlon knew who she was but we need to see her in person. This man is like a white girl laughing and texting on the phone.
"How come Holden doesn't know? He's your co-brother-in-law!" Selena said.
"It's still a surprise but Marlon saw us together when he was coming back from college."
"Yo, she is fine, her ass is out of this world for a Latina. No disrespect Carlos but so does Selena." Marlon said laughing reenacting on touching a butt in the air.
"You're not wrong. Selena your ass is amazing" Carlos said smiling at her like when a little boy calls an older women cute.
"Carlos!" Selena said being embarrassed. "Don't say that in front of everyone!" She said starting to laugh a bit.
"The same girl who in the 7th grade dance said 'Look at me twerk' and her ass didn't even jiggle or anything it was stiff. Pancake ass." Monique said laughing.
"No she did not!" Thuy said mouth opened wide looking at Selena.
"She didn't even have an ass back then." Monique said laughing harder.
"What 12 year old have a big butt?" Selena said.
"I mean it did get bigger that May." I said which made everyone laugh.
"Holden, you were staring?" Selena said more embarrassed.
"We all did!" Marlon said laughing.
"It wasn't the only things that got bigger that year." Carlos said as Selena hit him on the arm as we all laughed.
We stopped at Elizabeth's house it was big before she started to walk to the door she stopped.
"Hey guys, my parents are going on an anniversary trip for the weekend we can hang out and go to the theater room and watch a movie." We all agreed she walked off giving one last look at me then smile and I smiled back.
She walked up and whisper in my ear. "How about we hang out tomorrow night. Just the two of us." Elizabeth said whisper in my ear and my hormones made it sound sexual when a girl whispers in an early teen boy's ear.
She leaned back and smiled at me which made me smile even more. Corey drove off while Monique is elbowing me with a smile thinking she said something erotic in my ear. As we got to Corey's place his parents were cool with us so we just went into his house into the basement it felt more of a hangout but the barn is where we can do all kinds of stuff.
"So Holden, how you feel about Elizabeth going on a 'date' with Bartleby?" Benicio said with finger quotes on date.
Benicio asked cause he knew I hate Bartleby cause he got bullied by him the most before me but in 8th grade, he choked him. Good thing the camera caught it cause Bartleby started it and since then he never bullied him, Bartleby started to get scared by him since he's the only one to ever teach him a lesson.
"It's not a date she's just going to his party like everyone else."
"I know. That's why I used finger quotes on 'date'." Benicio said sitting at the bar.
"Holden, just tell her how you feel she probably in love with you. It's been nine years that's about to be 10 in late August, I'm pretty sure she likes you." Selena said resting her head on Carlos' shoulder.
"That's the same shit I said." Carlos said trying to make me feel better.
"You guys are meant for each other. I've been calling it since I met you guys." Thuy said.
"Wait what?" Monique said wide eyed.
"How long did you know, Thuy?" Selena said asking.
"Since 8th grade."
"What the hell! So you knew for almost six years?" Marlon said.
"Yup, but I asked him freshman year and he said yeah and don't tell nobody."
"He said the same to me." Benicio said.
"Oh come on." Carlos said.
"Hey man, if you at a wedding until 2:30 in the morning you get bored and tell some secrets you know. And we both now Spanish weddings don't end until the middle of the morning." Benicio said putting his arm around me.
"So basically Thuy and Benicio knew about this?" Denzel said.
"We are so blind that only earlier this month and we just realized this?" Corey said scratching his head.
"We made jokes but none of us thought of it or we all did and just never asked the both of them." Monique said.
"Well, I'm just scared alright. I'm really scared of telling her that I've been in love with her, she's legit the one I want to spend my life with. I know I'm 15 but I know this girl... this girl is God's angel." I said leaning back on the couch.
Benicio got up to sit next to me. "It's okay hermano, remember at the wedding when my brother told your sister he was madly in love with her when he met her tell Elizabeth that." Benicio said hoping a little confidence got to me.
"Holden, I know deep down Elizabeth is in love with you because when I talk shit about you for jokes to get her reaction she defends you and it sounds like love to me." Monique said.
I turned my head to Benicio. "Benicio, can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Have you ever had your manhood question?"
"What do you mean by manhood, mano? Cause I'm Puerto Rican in America, shit is still tuff out here. Or are you talking about something like sexuality?" He said being a bit confused.
"These three ignorant hard-headed negros, basically did that to me last year." I said looking at Denzel, Marlon, and Monique.
"Wait, when was this?" Monique said looking shocked.
"Don't y'all remember when Denzel and Marlon were picking out girls like Ebony Prince, Brianna Lebouf, Mikaela Bryant, Taylor McKnight, etcetera? And I said no and you asked me if I was gay?"
"Did you really asked him that, Mo?" Thuy said looking at Monique.
"I only said that to get these two niggas to stop hounding him about them hoes."
"But do you know how embarrassing that was for me that just became they listed beautiful women and I said no? Maybe because I actually like someone that they didn't named"
"How come you didn't say nothing about this." Monique said.
"Because... I'm a soft-ass nigga, okay. I'm not like the power couple like Denzel and you that will take action into their own hands, or Benicio the ladies man, Marlon, the energetic guy, Carlos and Selena, the couple who been together since middle school, or Corey and Thuy, the school's favorite couple." I said quietly to all of them.
I got up from the couch and headed to the bar area to put my head down.
"Look I don't know how to tell her I'm too scared to tell her so can we just drop it... please."
"Yeah, we can. So we can have fun tonight?" Corey said as he came up beside me. "I think we all need a group hug." he said again.
"I'm too hood for that." Marlon said.
"Me too, but fuck it." Denzel said as he forced Marlon to join in.
They all came over and we all hugged each other.
"I'm sorry about last year." Monique said as she hugged me.
"Yeah we're sorry too." Marlon said.
"We were trying to get you laid to be honest." Denzel said making me laugh a bit. Then Monique slapped him on the back of the head for that comment.
"Thanks for thinking about my sex life." I said making him laugh.
"From this point on, no more hurting feelings you three." Selena said.
"Yeah guys and... I'm not a ladies man." Benicio said.
"Yes you are!" We all said in unison.
"How?" Benny said being confused.
"You got that Al Pacino trench coat like he wore in 'Carlito's Way' and you look like a mix between dollar store versions of Benicio Del Toro, Rudy Mancuso, and the Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez from The Sandlot especially through from 4th grade to freshman year ." Carlos said to him.
"Don't forget since Bruno Mars came out they've been having the same hairstyles since 2011." Corey said remembering the elementary school days.
"But you never had an afro like Bruno."
"Guys, imma need a break from my all of this." I said going upstairs to go sit on the porch.
I got to the porch to sit on the swing to cool down. I see Corey's two younger siblings come walking up to the house since they took the bus. His brother Brooks who's a junior and Abby who's a sophomore and I think she has a crush on me, I'm flattered but I don't like her like that because I don't date a friend's sister even though she's older than me but whatever.
"Hey Holden." Brooks said to me as we had a handshake than walked into the house.
"Holden, can I ask you something?" Abby said as she sat next to me on the swing.
I nodded.
"How does it feel to like someone who's not the same race as you?" She said shyly.
I turn to her. "Why?"
"Do you know a freshman name Treyvon Lazala?"
"Yeah I got gym with him and is he black or Spanish? Cause he got one of the black names ever and Lazala is Spanish."
"He's black and Mexican. Well we met in cooking class earlier this year and he doesn't talk that much but he knows some of my friends then we became friends slowly. When third semester started we both have and we have third lunch together but don't sit with each other because we have different friends and in February he told me he has a crush on me and I told him I want to focus on school."
"I heard that before." I said thinking back to my freshman year.
"But as time went by I slowly started to like him and I don't know what to do."
"So a Blaxican and a white farm girl. Look I know your parents are cool with Thuy because I guess it's Corey he's a boy. I think they will be okay with it because they never had a problem with us since the 4th grade so yeah I think you good."
"You think so?"
"How about Monday you tell him your true feelings and see how far it goes from there."
"Okay, thanks Holden." She said as she to me before she went inside.
I put myself in a new position on the porch swing to think about Lizzie and as I was thinking of her, I just looked up at the blue sky. Thinking about whether can I really be with her, romantically. I remember all time we hung out over the years and once specific memory the first time we hung out by ourselves she took me to a spot back in the 3rd grade.
*Flashback 2*
It was a Friday afternoon in 2011 and we just finished our first Friday of 3rd grade and It was a nice sunny day as well. I was wearing one of my brother's shirts, a red shirt that went to my knees and it said 'I'm not slippin I'm just livin', big blue jeans, and white high top fila sneakers with velcro and Elizabeth had on a vintage grey lace button bow frill crop top long sleeve v neck basic shirt Harajuku retro fairycore tee pullover, low rise boot cut blue jeans, white strap tan rag thong sandals.
She was taking me to this place in the end of her neighborhood at the time. Somehow after being friends for a two weeks she knew me and I knew her, like she knew what I wanted to say when it's a short answer like she can read my mind.
I tugged on her shirt.
She looked down at me. "It's okay, Holden, I'm taking you somewhere that's very special to me." She said smiling at me.
We basically left the neighborhood as we took a left as we walked through a trail. All I saw was green because it was a field and after two minutes she took me to area with big hills and big trees. It was beautiful because it looked so peaceful and quiet and it felt like those locations you see in those kids direct to video movies from our childhood.
"We're here." She said and I looked up at her she was smiling.
She started to run up the hill and I ran after her and when we got the the top there was another hill but a tree was in front of it by a few feet.
"Here it is." She said as we stood at the bottom of the tree.
She took off her backpack and started to climb up the tree. She climb onto a branch and scooted her way to the middle of it.
"Climb up here Holden, the view is so beautiful." She said as her legs are swaying.
I took off my backpack and look back at her to see her pants legs are now covering the bottom of her feet than looked to see how I'm going to do this because I never climbed a tree before.
I started to climb it but a little hesitant about it until she said. "You got this Holden, I know you can do it. Have faith in yourself."
After she said that courage came to me and I climbed on the branch she was on. She was helping me get on and as I sat on the branch she hugged me.
"I knew you can do it." She said as she let go.
I leaned back on the tree and just looked at her.
"I wanted to show you this because I wanted to. When my family moved here Kimberly, Simon, and I were exploring the neighborhood and found a trail, we walked through it and found this beautiful place." She said as she look over the view.
I nodded at her at what she said and she was right.
"So Holden, we only known each other for a few days, tell me more about yourself." She said as she faced me.
I tilted my head to the side a bit because I didn't really know what she meant by that.
"I already know you're a genius so tell me something interesting like a hobby or a talent you can do. Let me help you out, I can do gymnastics and I know ballet."
I nodded and made a gun sign with my fingers made it look like I was snipping something.
She was surprised. "Holden, why would a five year old know how to use a gun?"
I carefully pulled out portable dry erase board out of my pocket and wrote, 'The both of my parents was part of the Nigerian military so once they had kids they taught us stuff and before we left my dad was a police officer before we left but retried. Well I'm still getting taught the most since I'm new at this.' I said with a little smile.
"Anything else?"
I put my arms in a fighting stance and pretended to punch someone.
"You know how to fight?"
I raised my right hand and it shake left to right for a maybe.
"Then what?"
I tried to say learn but only the L was trying to coming out. Every since I met Elizabeth I tried to say something but I was unwillingly able to talk. I still don't know to this day but maybe it's because Elizabeth just became my first best friend so I was probably nervous.
"Learn? Are you trying to say learn, Holden?"
I nodded.
"It's okay if you can't talk right away, like I told you on the first day 'I'm patient'."
I picked up erase board from my lap and wrote 'They told me not to force myself'.
"It's okay, Holden, it really is."
I erase and wrote something new, 'Sometimes I feel like I'm a baby again because I can't talk."
"Holden, speaking or not, I'll still be your friend."
I slowly scooted closer to her and gave her a hug cause let's be real people like her who's this nice as a kid were raised right.
After I let go of her I picked the board back up I wrote, 'What about you? You said you can do gymnastics, what else can you do?'.
She smiled and giggled. "I can sing."
I smiled as well that made my eyebrows rise to make a 'really' look.
She smiled but looked embarrassed about it but she nodded. I wrote down 'There's nothing to be embarrassed of.' and I should it to her which made her smile.
"I'm not embarrassed it's just I don't like telling people." She said as she moved back to her position she was at.
I stopped leaning on the tree and moved closer to her. I playfully bumped my elbow on hers than played with her long hair. I wrote down, 'I bet you got an amazing voice.' and showed it to her.
She looked at me and smiled wide a me and that made me smile. "Thank you."
I made an expression for her to sing.
"Nope." She said she turned her head to look at the view.
I got my hands together to plead with her jokingly.
"Wait till Sunday at church."
I tilt my head to the left and made a face that still smiled but made an 'oh come on' face.
"Nope. You got to wait till church." She said teasingly.
I grabbed the board again and wrote, 'Is there anything else I should know?'
"I'm Russian."
I erased the last sentence and wrote, 'I thought you we're from London?'
"My mum's parents are Russian and they moved to London and they had my mum and aunts then she met my dad who's 100% British."
I pointed at her than back at my lips.
"Are you asking me if I can speak Russian?"
I nodded.
"Yes I do."
I grabbed the board and wrote down, 'Can you speak something in Russian for me.'
She gave me a warm smile. "Я рад, что мы с тобой подружились.That means I'm glad you and I became friends." She said with a smile.
I grabbed her hand to hold it which made her smile wide.
She checked her watch. "It's 4:12." She said as she looked back up at me. "We should go to my house now."
I nodded as I scooted to the end and started climbing down.
I got to the bottom and helped her down. We got our backpacks and put them on and started walking to her house.
"My parents is taking us to Pizza Hut for dinner and they said I can invite you to come with us."
I nodded as we started to walk back to her house.
*Flashback 2 Ends*
After I remiss old innocent times everyone came out from the front door.
"Come on Holden, we're heading to the barn." Corey said as he patted me on the shoulder. I got up and we walked side by side headed to the barn.
I caught up to him. "Corey, I think your sister got a crush on someone." I said to him.
"Oh God." He said laughing to himself and put his hand forehead as we went inside the barn.
Sometimes when Elizabeth is not around or when I'm not around for her they said we both feel a bit jealous sometimes cause we don't have anybody to be all lovey-dovey with someone.
When Elizabeth and I we're walking around the playground we met Carlos in our 3rd grade class and we got along so well then in 8th grade he started to date Selena and then broke up once but since then they always got along a lot better.
When 4th grade started Elizabeth and Carlos and I was still together in the same class, then became friends with Denzel, Marlon, Corey, Benicio, Monique, and Selena we actually met in one day during an end of the day recess we had on Friday and we met but it was only a one time thing. We were in the same class but we didn't know each other yet. In mid September of 2012 I was in a afterschool program, I played chess with the high schoolers since I'm a prodigy and I met Selena cause we were both waiting for older siblings so we met in the cafeteria in the high school with Marlon and Denzel playing against high schoolers for basketball. Elizabeth met Monique during their time in girl scouts and for Benicio and Corey we all met during recess in 3rd grade at the kickball field. Now of course I was the youngest and never really watched any kids shows because we didn't have no tv in Nigeria and I had a tablet so I was watching the old school Barney and Friends. I tried watching the season with baby girl Selena Gomez but I hated it what they did to his voice, man, they made my boy sound annoying even know some people said it before the season but nah son.
Anyways I watched season three and four the most because the kids reminded me of my group cause they we're at least nine to ten at least. Corey reminded me of the dude Chip cause they had that Johnathan Taylor Thomas type of hairstyle, Elizabeth reminded me of both Kristen and Hannah but mostly Kristen cause I though she was really cute, beautiful and adorable like Elizabeth, them days were good times.
During 8th grade, I was getting bullied for no reason by Bartleby and his friends always calling me names even calling me Nigga and Nigger, The Hard R and he always pushes me to the ground. But Thuy became our friend in the middle of the school year so that was a good thing. I'm just glad it's getting close to graduation so I can stop seeing him but since today more of a hatred for him grew, I'm still wondering why would Elizabeth-Bryony Watson one of the most sweetest, nicest, innocent, soft-spoken girl go out with a dick like him.
Wait, she said it ain't a date. She wouldn't lie about that cause her parents don't want her to date until she 18. Elizabeth is the girl next door type with a brain in real life, she wouldn't go out with a dude like him. It will never be those hate turn love type of things. Shit, she said she hates that stereotypes but likes friends turn lovers and popular girl and smart guy type of romances.
It's night now, so we are at the barn hanging out and doing whatever. Everybody's together while I'm in the back by myself on my phone listening to music with my hood on. Everyone from school is posting stories on Instagram and Snapchat about how good the party is but judging by the stories it looks boring as fuck. From the corner of my eye, I see Benicio and Denzel about to wrestle to see who would win this time I got up to see while Selena counted them off Benicio had a funny look to him while Denzel got a serious look Selena told them to go and this time Benicio won we all cheered for him including Denzel. I went up to Denzel asking him if he was even trying.
"Were you even trying?"
"Nah, but sometimes you got to let the opponent win at least one or let fate decide but fate had other plans for that man."
"Oh, I saw what Bartleby did to you in the parking lot today, before we graduate kick his ass, fam. He's 6'2" or 6'3" and you're 6'4" but you got one advantage that he doesn't."
"And what's that?"
"You have God on your side as always." Denzel said holding his cross chain.
"You've been hanging listening to Selena again haven't you?"
"No, but you catholic right?"
"Yeah?"
"And Elizabeth is also catholic?"
"Yeah?"
"Isn't it a rule for catholic people to date other catholic people if they truly respect their religion?"
"You're sounding like my mother." I said as I scratch the back of my head.
"I just know the type of person Bartleby is, he doesn't believe in God. His type might say they do it to look good but it ain't true. And knowing by his type he probably just wants to fuck her and never look in her direction again and brag about it to his friends."
"Maybe, but he's also a privileged white kid with lots of money. You heard the people who are stupid rich? Bartleby Beauregard is stupid and rich." I said laughing making Denzel also laugh.
"Oh, don't forget freshman year and that senior on the athletic guy that wanted to get with her which I still don't understand cause why you want to date a freshman when you a senior?" Denzel said.
"Motherfucking Jacob Armitage. What the fuck happened to him?" I said laughing and wondering.
"You think he killed himself?" Denzel said.
"Damn nigga, that's a dark turn." I said starting to laugh cause we all know he didn't do that.
"Bro, after what happened during homecoming week, that was some embarrassing shit as in you can't go back to normal after what his nasty ass did." He said laughing.
We both laughed more then Thuy turned up the music on blast we all just partied then an hour later a slow song was playing.
"Tone Stith - When You Love Someone feat. H.E.R.".
I like the song but out of all the songs for tonight this has got to play. I see Carlos and Selena together on a haystack, Denzel and Monique dancing together on one side and Corey and Thuy dancing on the other side, Marlon is on face time with Zena and Benicio is just asleep on a haystack on the loft and at that point, I started to leave because I fell something's off.
"Aye nigga, where you going?" Marlon said getting off a haystack.
"I think home. I thought you were face-timing Zena?" I said.
"She going to bed early. She got an early class, and yo I'm scared for next year, I don't want a morning class on Saturday!" He said sighing.
"Hey, what you two doing?" Benicio said rubbing his eyes getting up and coming down from the loft from a few-minute nap.
"Home!"
"You guys leaving?" Corey said as the song ended and they all came up.
"I'm going home! Why does everyone want to know?"
"Guys, I realized something when I was resting my eyes. If Elizabeth is by herself at the party would something happen to her?" Benicio said.
"What do you mean?" Monique said probably knowing what he's gonna say.
"I'm talking about what happens to every white girl in a teen tv movie with alcohol, drunk people, maybe high people, and a guy that what's to be together" he said using his fingers to count the things he listed.
"You don't think Bartleby might do what I hope your not thinking." Thuy said about to get worried.
"Elizabeth might get raped!" I finally said finishing the puzzle. "Oh hell no!" I said starting to walk to Bartleby's house.
"Oh shit, come on y'all." Corey said with his southern accent following the back of me.
As we all started to walk I was thinking back to the reason why I had fallen for Elizabeth, now when I met her I thought she was cute then during middle school it turned into a little crush then in sophomore year it grew into love and the reason for that is I gave her a Christmas give she would love forever. Picture of the squad and a picture of both of us at eight and 15. Like from then and now. She loved it and the look she gave me looked like it was love but I couldn't tell but at that point for me it was love.
"Yo, where Holden at? Look for eyes like a forest creature!" Marlon said looking around in front of me.
I'm walking behind him so I slapped his face from behind.
"Oh, there you are. All I got to do is like for your eyes since I can't see you at night."
"Really. Darkskin jokes." I said to him.
"Hey, Holden got beautiful dark skin on him." Monique said making me feel better.
"What about me?" Denzel said.
"You still my handsome dark skin king. But Holden's darker than you." Monique said cupping his chin.
"You right, you right. You like that Idris Elba, Daniel Kaluuya, John Boyega, Damson Idris type nigga."
"Ooh. I love me some Damson." Mo said.
"What a beautiful chocolate man hahahaha" Marlon said quoting the movie White Chicks. "But you do know she listed black British guys right?"
"Goddamnit." Denzel said under his breath.
"But Holden is darker than all four of them. He's black as the night like he's almost black like the actual color!"
"I don't know if I should be offended by this?"
"You shouldn't." Monique said reassuring me.
"He's dark like midnight and he's replacing Wesley Snipes as the king of darkskin niggas." Marlon said.
"I'm actually okay with that." I said to him.
After thinking about something else we got to his house.
"Goddamn! Music is bumpin'. Guess Bartleby does play black music." Marlon said in disbelief.
"So what's the plan?" Selena said.
"We go find Elizabeth, Thuy and I, Carlos and Selena, Denzel and Monique, and Marlon and Benicio." Corey said giving us a plan.
"What about me?" I said.
"Oh my bad. Go with Marlon and Benicio."
"Cool." I said as we all walked into the house and Tiana Major9's Think About You is playing.
This song is good for this occasion. It's chill and everyone looks tired and about to go any second. Corey and Thuy went to the kitchen, Marlon, Benicio and I went upstairs and Denzel, Monique, Carlos, and Selena went to the living room.
Marlon, Benny, and I got up stairs to see not the many people up here.
"Hey Benny."
"Hey Tamara." Benicio said to her.
"Hey Tamara. Have you seen Elizabeth around?" I said to her.
"Not since I was downstairs but I hope you find her, I'm going home. See you guys in first period on Monday." She said leaving down the stairs.
The second she got down stairs I heard a scream.
"What was that?" I said putting my arm in front of them.
"What was what?" Marlon said.
"You didn't hear a girl scream?"
"I didn't hea-."
A scream cut him off.
"Hear a scream." He said finishing his sentence.
The three of us went to the room with the scream, I tried to opened the door and it was locked.
"It's locked!" I said turning to them.
"We have to do something this ain't The Players Club." Marlon said as we both started banging on the door.
Another song by Rae Sremmurd's Over Here started playing now.
"Oh come on, they had to play this song now!" Benicio said since he liked the song back in 2016.
"Aye, nigga focus on the door instead of Rae Sremmurd, alright!" Marlon yelled.
"It's not working! We're have to break this door down. Shit it ain't our house." Benicio said.
"What!" Marlon yelled.
"We're have to break the door down."
The music is to loud to hear anything at this point.
"I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR RAE SREMMURD!"
"WE'RE GOING TO KNOCK THE DOOR DOWN, CABRÓN!" Benicio yelled in Marlon's ear.
"OH, I GOT YOU NOW."
"Okay 3,2,1." Marlon said as the three of us hit the door with our shoulders.
"Over here." Benicio said with the song while we hit the door.
It moved but only a little. "Damn. Let's do this one more time." I said to them.
"After three let's say 'over here' as we bust the door down." Benicio said.
Marlon and I looked at each other but fuck it we're trying to help a young woman from a predator.
"Let's all do this together." Benny said.
"3,2,1, Over Here." we all said together as we fell down with the door.
"Ah shit!" Marlon said lifting his head up as we were slowly getting up.
"What the fuck." a voice said slowly.
The three of us looked up from the door to see a shirtless Bartleby on top of Elizabeth who looks scared to death.