"Champions keep playing until they get it right."
- Billie Jean King
~ ~ ~ ~
They finally decided to feed us after like thirty minutes of us sitting there.
"Man they had us waiting this long and the food still crusty and unseasoned?" Rodney complained as he pushed his plate away. We all laughed at his outburst.
I looked at my food and couldn't agree more. They served us, baked chicken, with rice, string beans and macaroni.
"Y'all need anything else?" I looked up to see our waiter, Ben. He was the only black waiter and we loved him.
Before I could even say anything, Rodney spoke up, "Yea. Why don't they season they damn food? Do they not know they serving black people?"
The waiter laughed and shook his head, "From what I be hearing, it's because it be some people who allergic to a lot of stuff, so they gotta limit to what they put on the food." He explained.
"Well y'all ain't got no hot sauce or seasoned salt or something?" Kailah asked.
Ben thought for a second, "I know we got hot sauce, but I'm not sure about that seasoned salt."
Kailah fanned him off, "That hot sauce can do." She said.
Ben laughed as he walked away and came back seconds later with a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce.
"Yaasssss!" Mya said as she reached for the bottle, but Kailah slapped her hand away.
"Hell naw bih, I asked for it first." Mya rolled her eyes and say back.
Ben just laughed as everything happened, "Aight just lemme know if y'all need anything else." He said and he walked away.
After we all seasoned our food, we finally began to eat in peace.
"Ben is kinda cute." Kailah said out of the blue. I set my fork down and looked at her.
Miracle shrugged, "I mean she not lying. He look like a young Michael B. Jordan to me."
My eyes wandered around the room looking for Ben, but they stopped at the door. I did a double take because I swear it looks like Nathan and Aaron standing at the door. I squinted, so I could get a better look, but I still couldn't believe what I was seeing.
"Izzy, what the hell are you looking at?" Marcey asked, causing everyone to look my way.
I pointed towards the door, "Doesn't that look like Nathan and Aaron. Or am I just tweakin'."
Everyone looked towards the door and I heard Rodney smack his lips, "Them ain't nobody but some gay ass niggas." I turned to him and punched him in his shoulder, and Miracle did the same. "Ow, damn." He said as he rubbed his shoulder and mugged us.
"Don't be talking about our friends like that." Marcey jumped in.
"Okay but y'all ain't have to hit me like that." Rodney complained again.
I rolled my eyes, "Then don't be saying no slick shit. Ain't nobody ask for your commentary int he first place." I snapped at him. All Rodney did was roll his eyes and mumble something under his breath and went back to eating his food.
Mya stood up from her seat, "Nathan! Aaron!" She yelled. Nathan stopped walking and looked over towards us. He smiled and began dragging Aaron to our table.
I took my napkin off my lap and stood up, "Where have you guys been?" I said as I hugged both of them.
Nathan frowned, "Whatchu mean?"
I raised my eyebrow and was about to speak but Mya beat me to it, "Whatchu mean, what she mean!? Y'all been M.I.A for the last couple of months and y'all ain't tell nobody nothing!" Mya was practically yelling, but since the music was so loud.
Nathan looked taken aback. "We've just been busy that's all. Y'all ain't gotta worry 'bout us. I'm sorry for not answering y'alls calls though."
"Mhm." Mya said, still not believing him.
I was about to say something, but Aaron beat me to it, "Well look it was nice seeing you guys again, but we gotta go greet other people." He said as he grabbed Nathan's hand, and walked away.
Once they were out of sight, Carter leaned into the table, "I never knew Nathan was gay. He is way too fine to just like dick." She said. I chuckled at her comment.
"That's what everybody said, but hey, everyone's different." I said as I shrugged.
*
After everyone was done eating, we decided to dance for a little bit. I was dancing with Kado, but Rodney decided to steal him from me, so now us girls are dancing to No Problem by Chance The Rapper.
"Look at these fools." I heard Kailah say. I turned to see Kado and Rodney on the stage pretending that they were at a concert. I laughed at the fact that they were really into it too.
Some girls started to crowd around them. One of the girls even had the audacity to start dancing on Rodney. I looked over at Mya and she didn't look fazed by it at all. I guess she really is over him. I looked back over at them and one of the girls were dancing on Kado as well. I felt myself getting angry. As much as I wanted to go over there and snatch that girl away from him, I didn't because Kado and I are not together, and we never will be together.
I sighed and turned around to the girls, "I'm about to call an Uber because this prom is boring." I said as I pulled out my phone.
Kailah frowned, "Girl shut up, you only saying that 'cus yo man over there dancing with some girl."
I rolled my eyes, "First of all, he's not my man so he can do whatever he wants." I said as I pulled up to Uber app, "Who else is coming before I book this for myself?" I ask.
"I guess I'll go too." Mya said, along with Kailah, Carter, and Miracle.
"Well I'm going to hang with Eric over there." Liana said. I gave her a look.
"Since when you start talking to Big Daddy Eric?" Miracle asked.
Liana shrugged, "Not that long ago."
"How come y'all ain't go to prom together?" Carter asked.
"Because he already had a date at the time, damn what is this 21 questions?"
I chuckled, "We'll talk about this later. Have fun though!" I yelled as she walked away towards Eric.
I continued to set up the Uber for me, Mya, Carter, Miracle and Kailah since Liana was with Eric and Marcey with some guy named Brantley. Once it was done, the estimated time was 6 minutes. We headed out the door, to wait on our Uber.
*
We took the Uber back to my house so that I could take my car, and not an Uber everywhere we go. We're currently sitting in one of my favorite restaurants called Lumes. I've been coming here since I was little and I never knew this place stayed open this late.
Prom is probably over, but I don't care. I just hope that Marcey and Li Li got home safe since they didn't leave with the rest of us. Kado and Rodney was blowing up our phones once they found out that we left, but we reassured them that we're good.
"Guys I can't believe that we're graduating in two weeks!" Miracle squealed.
"Technically, y'all are graduating in two weeks. I don't graduate until fucking June 8th."
I chuckle, "Damn what kind of school you go to?" I asked.
"Charter." She said as she rolled her eyes.
"So y'all must follow CPS schedule then?" Mya asked.
"Yup."
"Hm. That's weird." Mya said.
Kailah shrugged, "But enough about my school. Why y'all school so damn weird?"
"Whatchu mean?" Cared asked as she stuffed a fry in her mouth.
"You go to a private school, but you don't have to wear uniforms. What kind of shit is that?"
I shrugged, "I guess that is weird. I never thought about that to be honest. But our schools is really expensive though."
"How much?" Kailah asked.
"Like thirteen thousand." I said as I bit into a chicken finger.
Kailah's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"
We all nodded, "Yea but they give you three thousand off once you apply, plus any other scholarship they give you--if they give you one." Carter explained.
"Still, it's like y'all already paying college tuition."
"True, but the good thing about going to a catholic school is that if you apply to a catholic college, then you get money off."
"That's cool." We nodded in agreement and continued to eat our food.
My phone dinged tearing my attention away from the conversation. I had a Snapchat request from someone named Ben. I frowned and looked up from my phone.
"Do y'all know anyone named Ben?"
Miracle shook her head, "Nope, but the name does sound familiar." She thought for a minute, "Oh! That was our waiter!" She finally remembered.
My eyes widened, "Oh yeaa. I wonder how he got my snapchat." I mumbled, "I accepted his request and followed back.
"Girl he tryna get onnat witchu." Carter said as she nudged me.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head, "Girl boom, no he is not."
"Then how come he added you, but not us?" Carter asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. I shrugged as slid across his name to open the chat.
To: benj_mills: how you get my snap?
He opened the snap almost immediately
From: benj_mills: i have my ways 😏
I rolled my eyes.
To: benj_mills: ahh, creepy much?
From: benj_mills: 🤔 nah, ion think so.
To: benj_mills: lol okay ben.
"What you laughing at over there?" I look up to see everyone smirking at me.
I locked and set my phone down on the table, "Nothing. Ben just snapped me so I responded."
Just when I said that, my phone beeped. I unlocked it and saw that I had two snaps from Ben.
From: benj_mills: how old are you anyway?
From: benj_mills: merrch you go to lsu??
To: benj_mills: lol im 18 & yea im going this year. imma be a freshman.
To: benj_mills: do you go there to or are you just in the area?
From: benj_mills: i go there. im an alpha.
I gasped, catching the attention of everyone.
"Girl what's wrong?" Miracle asked.
"Ben is an Alpha."
They all looked at me confused, "Whatchu mean he a Alph-- Oh shit! That nigga in a fraternity!" Kailah exclaimed.
"As in Alpha Phi Alpha??" Mya asked.
"Duh bitch what other Alpha is there." Kailah said.
I chuckled, "I just hope he's not like the rest of em."
Carter shrugged, "He probably isn't, but I would still be careful."
"True. I don't need my life ruined before I even graduate high school."
*
I got home around 3 in the morning, and I still wasn't tired. I'm still texting Ben, and he's pretty cool. I told him that I was on a volleyball scholarship which is why I'm going to LSU, and he promised that he would help me around once school starts back up because he knows that none of the girls would be nice enough to do it.
Besides Ben, I had a great night, but I'm so ready to graduate. My years at this school have been a blessing because I met the best friends I could ever ask for. It sucks that we're all going our separate ways after high school, but with our bond I highly doubt we'll lose contact.
Once I changed out of my dress to some spandex and a big t-shirt, I took off my make up and rolled my hair. I told Ben I was tired and needed to go to bed, even though I really wasn't, but I know that I need to. I plugged my phone up and once my head hit the pillow, I immediately felt tired.