Tora'lei Taylor
📍Notti's Party
Sunday, 9:30 p.m.
Tora'Lei pulled her jeans up as she stepped out of her car. She had just pulled up to the place they were hosting Notti's 18th birthday at. It was a bowling alley they rented out.
She wore a black longsleeve crop top, dark washed blue jeans, and her black cat 4's. Her hair was styled in bohemian knotless braids.
She grabbed her purse throwing her keys and her phone in it. Opening the back door she grabbed the large gift bag that held the gifts she'd purchased for Notti.
Even though they didn't get along at all she still thought it would be rude to show to to his party with no gift. She didn't mean to go all out for him but gift giving was her love language and she couldn't help it.
She shut her car door reaching into her purse pressing the lock button on her keys. She walked towards the instance of the building seeing a good bit of cars outside. She opened the door immediately hearing the music playing and many loud voices.
She wasted no time walking towards the area Lora texted her they would be at. She quickly spotted them sitting at a lane talking amongst each other.
Dd was the first to spot her and he did what he always does.
"Yoooo my heart" He greeted as she approached them readjusting the heavy bag that hung on her arm.
"Hey guyssss" She dragged giving everyone a hug. When she got to Notti she took the bag off of her arm.
"Happy birthday" She spoke to him nicely. This caught Notti off guard because he didn't expect her to come let alone tell him Happy birthday.
Times where the two spoke like normal people was rare, they either didn't say anything at all or they bickered.
"Preciate that" He nodded.
She reached out her hand holding out the bag to him. A confused look washed over his face.
"What" He furrowed his eyebrows eyeing the bag.
"Your gift" She said trying get him to take the bag but he simply stared at it before his eyes met hers.
"You okay" He questioned. He wasn't used to this treatment from Tora and it was making him suspicious and a little nervous.
"Yes I'm okay, just take the gift please I promise it's not a bomb" She laughed seeing him hesitate before he took the bag.
"Bro you gotta open it now, this shit is mind boggling" Ddot eyes widened watching the interaction.
The friends were used to seeing the two act like they hated each other so this was foreign for them.
"Nah deadass, she got to have a snake or something in there" Dd laughed, he didn't believe for a second that Tora actually got his brother a nice birthday gift.
Notti looked at Tora once more before he sat the bag on the ground in between his legs scooting up in his seat. He removed the paper from the top of the bag carefully looking down into it.
First he pulled out a customized game controller that had Notti going down the left handle Verically and Osama on the right. The rest of the controller was decorated in a pictures of him.
"Before you think I'm weird, I got those pictures of of Instagram" Tora quickly spoke making them laugh including him.
"Nah this pain for real" He examined the controller that was made just for him. He sat it down beside him before reaching into the bag again.
He pulled out a new headset for his game. He had recently broken his after he rage quit on a game so she thought it would be a good gift.
"He did just break his shit, you so thoughtful" Lora nodded as Notti just smiled sitting it beside him.
He reached in again this time pulling out multiple beanies and ski masks. She had gotten him different kinds of beanies she had seen online and every color ski mask.
"Why she showing out for this Nigga like this, I'm lowkey gettin tight" Dd playfully pushed Tora.
The next thing he pulled from the bag was some Yves saint Laurent cologne.
"I smelled it in the store and it's similar to the one you always wear just a little different" She spoke unintentionally revealing that she paid attention to Notti.
They made eye contact before he nodded.
The next to last thing in the bag was two Nike techs, one black and one grey.
"You gotta be fuckin with me man, this shit feel like a set up" Notti spoke truthfully not believing the girl had went out of her way like this for him.
"It's not, I just love giving gifts I didn't even mean to go overboard I swear" Tora responded chucking slightly.
The last items in the bag was a pair of black kappa slides, 2 pairs of psd boxers and 3 pairs of ethika boxers.
She had gotten them in all different designs not knowing what he really liked.
"Damn you got me hella shit, I appreciate this for real" He stood up and moved to give her and hug but paused midway. It looked as if he was questioning himself.
Tora not wanting to make things awkward, leaned in wrapping her arm around him giving him a friendly side hug. They pulled apart quickly and the group eyed them.
Lora was the first to clear her throat trying to rescue her cousin from the awkward situation.
"Alright now can we bowl, I'm ready to whoop y'all ass" She teased making the attention now fall on her. Tora sighed silently thanking her cousin.
She watched Notti put his gifts back into the bag and sit it close to them where he would see it.
They all typed their names in on the screen and were about to begin the game.
"Oh shit, I didn't get any shoes" Tora looked down to her feet to see she was still wearing her black cat 4's when she was supposed to have on the bowling shoes.
"I'll got with you" Lora offered about to stand up but Tora stopped her.
"No you're fine, I'll be right back" She sat her purse down beside Lora and walked off to find the counter.
There was a short line of about 2 people so she went to stand behind them. She watched observed her surroundings seeing people everywhere here and there. She looked over towards the seating area seeing a girl sit by herself as she looked around. She watched her sit and watch others bowl and talk to each other.
The girl looked out of place and Tora could see from a mile away that she was uncomfortable. She had a mini debate with herself before she walked out of line and towards the girl.
As she approached the table the girl looked up at her quickly noticing Tora from her peripheral vision. She smiled nicely at Tora waiting for her to speak.
"Hey, I'm Tora i saw you looked a little uncomfortable I just wanted to see if you were okay" She spoke softly to the girl.
"Oh hey I'm Kae'or, yeah I'm just a little out of place because I don't really know anyone here" She informed Tora as she looked around at all the unfamiliar faces.
"Ohhhhh ok, yeah I get that. Did you come here with anybody" She asked because whoever she'd came with obviously left her alone.
"I came with my mom, she's friends with the lady of the birthday boy so she's somewhere around here with her" Tora nodded now understanding her situation more.
"Do you want to come bowl with me and my friends? We're just about to start the game" She offered seeing the girls face morph into a nervous expression.
"Are you sure? I'm not really social and I don't want to offend anyone if I don't speak much" Tora could understand the girls nervousness. She was too like her once before.
"Of course I'm sure, and I promise they are cool you'll see come on let's go get some shoes" She grabbed her hand and they both walked side by side to the counter where no one was in line anymore.
They traded in their shoes and collected their bowling shoes. They sat down at put them on before Tora led Kae'or back to the group.
As they approached Lora was the first to look up. She was confused on who the girl was but still greeted her with a warm smile because if she was with Tora she couldn't be anyone bad.
"Hey y'all, so this is Kae'or her mom is friends with Mama Crims and she doesn't really know anybody here so I invited her to bowl with us" Tora'Lei explained to the group as they nodded.
"It's nice to meet you you're so pretty, I'm Lora'lei Tora's cousin but you can call me Lora" She stuck her hand out letting Kae'or shake it.
"Thank you and so are you" She smiled liking Lora's vibe.
"Wassup my heart, I'm Ddot" He smiled at her shaking her hand as his trembled a little.
"Nice to meet you" She returned the smile.
"Yoo, I'm dd Lora's boyfriend" He introduced himself as Lora smiled at him.
"Hey I'm Notti" Notti introduced catching everyone off guard. With the way he acted when he when he met Tora and how he was actually introducing himself to Kae'or was crazy.
Tora couldn't lie and say it didn't make her feel some type of way. When she met Notti she hadn't been rude or anything to him so for him to just not like her was confusing.
But seeing how he acted first meeting Kae'or it made her feel a little sad.
What was wrong with her?
Dd caught the sour look that rested on Tora's face. He tapped Lora catching her attention, she turned to him and he pointed at Tora making Lora focus her attention on the girl.
They watched as she watched Notti shake Kae'or's hand. A small frown covered her face but it was gon as quickly as it had came. Lora furrowed her eyebrows deciding she would definitely talk to her cousin later.
What went unnoticed by everyone was Notti as he watched Tora'Lei. After he introduced himself he looked over to dd who had his attention on something along with Lora. When he looked over he saw Tora staring at nothing in particular with a saddened look on her face. This confused him but he chose to not say anything.
She pushed all the thoughts to the back of her head seeing Ddot help Kae'or add her name to the game.
They started with Notti rolling first since it was his Birthday. The game took off with Ddot in the lead. That quickly changed as Kae'or knocked all the pins down making the girls cheer for her.
Even though there weren't teams the boys still claimed they were better than the girls.
This making the girls play harder.
"YEAH NIGGA WHAT" Lora shouted in DD's face as he back up laughing. The game was now over and Kae'or had won but Tora and Lora came closely behind her while the boys sat at the bottom of the list.
"This some bullshit, you cheated" Ddot accused Kae'or making her laugh.
"You just can't bowl son, and dd why would you shoot the ball like that" She laughed at dd who had tried to shoot the bowling ball like a basketball.
They decided to eat before playing another game. They walked to the food counter with Ddot ordering his his food first.
After waiting 5 minutes they walked to a random table and sat down. They ate and got to know Kae'or better seeing she was finally getting comfortable.
They had learned she was 17, a junior in high school, she attended a different school than they did, her mom worked with Mama Crims, she had a younger sister who was with her dad at the moment, and her dad wasn't present in her life.
"You should hang with us more, it kind of feel like our little group complete now" Lora spoke as Tora nodded agreeing with her.
"Of course, I really only go to school and go home. Maybe being with y'all will give me a reason to get out of the house" She nodded before taking a sip from her drink.
As Notti's party came to an end he gathered all of his gifts with the held of his mom and siblings. The friends said their goodbyes. Dd went home with Lora after they exchanged contact information. Tora went home immediately hopping in the shower.
She completed her night routine and went to bed preparing for school in the morning.