"Hell yeah I wanna go! A banquet with a bunch of rich, snooty people? This is gonna be fun! I gotta go find somethin to wear! You gonna come pick me up?" Dani said excitedly. She didn't even ask me about my date.
"You know I will. And bitch, you don't have a car! So I gotta drop you off too." I said flatly. She pointed at me as she put her shoes on.
"Right. Let's go!" She said.
"Damn, we've been awake for five hours and you haven't even asked me about my date." I said, pouting.
"I was gettin to it! It takes me a minute to get my thoughts together when I first wake up!" Dani said, putting her jacket on. When I came in this morning from my date, she was knocked out with crumbs all over my damn couch and carpet.
"Well let's go Chi! I gotta find somethin to wear!" Dani said, flying out the front door. I grabbed my keys and followed her, getting in my car. I started off toward her apartment, turning the radio on. Dani turned it back off and turned toward me in her seat.
"Dan-"
"So tell me about the date! Did she take you to a fancy restaurant? Ooo! Nope! She bought out a skating rink for the night and y'all skated to her favorite song! Or she took you to a big ass penthouse and had a waiter and chef hook-"
"Dani! Are you gonna keep tellin me what happened on my damn date or are you gonna let me speak?!" I yelled. She huffed and sat back in her seat, crossing her arms like a defiant child.
"Alright. So she- put your damn seatbelt on!" I said angrily.
"Damn Chi!"
"My car, my rules! And not to mention its a fuckin law!"
"I'm putting it on, see?! Now go ahead and tell me! Shit.."
"Okay. She pulled up in a fuckin Ferrari girl! A two million dollar car!" I said.
"Two million? That's petty change to her family." Dani said sarcastically.
"Right. And just like you, I thought that she would try to wine and dine me, impress me by showing her money around. That's not what she did though." I said, stopping at a red light.
"Oh of course not. She has to show you she's modest and humble and money doesn't change her." Dani said, rolling her eyes.
"Why do you have a attitude? Cause I told you to put your seatbelt on?" I asked.
"No. It's her." She said, talking about Mani.
"Not this again. What about her? I thought you liked her! Her and her friend saved me!" I said, pulling off when the light turned green.
"I don't dislike her, Chi. I just... I mean, we met her parents."
"She isn't like them."
"Not from what she showed you, China! You don't really know her! You don't know anything about her!"
"I know why she doesn't fuckin talk! I know she let me stay at her home because I was fucked up after some guy dosed me and was about to rape me! I know... you know what?" I pulled over and Dani looked at me like I was crazy.
"Get the fuck out Dani." I said plainly, glaring at her. She scoffed and unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Seriously, Chi? You want me to get out, over her? A girl you've known, what? All of, three days? I'm your best friend, have been since grade school! You think I'm saying this to hurt you?!" Dani said angrily.
"I don't know why you're saying it Dani! Are you jealous or something?" I asked. She snorted then started to laugh out loud.
"You know what Chi? You can keep it, your boujee inlaws, Ferrari's, banquets, mute girlfriend, ALL OF IT. Fuck you China." Dani said, getting out of the car.
"What the fuck ever Dani. See you at work! Even though you gone have to walk there." I said, shifting my gear to drive.
"You know something Chi?! You can be mad at me all you want, but you can't be mad about me looking out for you! You don't see it now cause you're all goo goo love eyes, but her parents will NEVER let you two be together and deep down you know it!" Dani said, stomping off down the street.
**************
After I'd come from the beauty salon, I went home and did my make up and put on my dress.
I shot Mani a text to let her know I was ready for her to pick me up. I grabbed my matching purse and threw my keys in it. My phone vibrated but before I could check it, I heard a knock at the door. I got up and checked the peephole. I rolled my eyes and opened the door. Dani was standing there in an all red dress, wearing red... Nikes?
"Dani, are you wearing sneakers?" I asked her.
"Hell yeah. I'm not walking around or dancing in heels!"
"Oh, where you goin?" I asked sarcastically. She pushed her way into the house and plopped down on my couch.
"Pffft. Stop playing. I still want to go to the ball."
"It's a banquet."
"Ball, banquet, ballroom blitz, whatever. I'm going. Let's see how well we mosh with the upperclass." She said, smirking.
"You only wanna go so you can see me fall flat on my face in front of them rich folks and you can be proven right. That I don't belong with those types of people." I said.
"OR I'm going because I was invited and its free food?" She said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes and finally checked my phone.
Mani
I'm sorry I couldn't get away, still doing some last minute stuff. I sent my driver, Alegra, to come and pick you up. See you when you get here 😘
"Dan..." I said. She looked up at me from her cellphone.
"Can't you just be happy for me?" I asked her. She sighed and stood up, smoothing out her dress.
"Trust me China, I love seeing you happy. But if this girl breaks your heart, I'm the first person you'll come running to. We make fun of boujee, snooty people like them all the time, we don't date them." She said.
"Sometimes opposites attract. We might not come from the same background but that doesn't mean anything to me. I know... I know she's the one, I feel it Dan. Why do you dislike what you don't know?" I asked.
"It's not important what I think, right Chi? You like her and China is gonna do what China wants to do. I just wanna go eat their damn food." She said, crossing her arms.
"Fine. Let's agree to disagree cause you're so damn stubborn you won't see reason." I said angrily.
"No, you're so lovestruck by quiet girl that you can't see the truth. But I'm off it." Dani countered. She knew how to push my fucking buttons like nobody in the world. But no matter our disagreements, we always manage to stay buddies, have for over ten years. A horn sounded outside and I checked out my window to see a white limousine. Dani came by me and chuckled.
"If I had to guess, I would say that was our ride." She said.
"Oh you think? Come on, lookin like a Twizzler." I said.
"Yeah, whatever! Let's go pull up to the ball in style!" She said, going out the front door.
"Dani, it's a... nevermind."
***************