Estell opens the door, and we walk into the room. My jaw drops like it just broke off my face.
¨Dammm ok¨
Gagged at how the room looked. By the way, gag means out of breath or can't find the words.
¨Yeah, I know I'm good. Other than the hell I went through putting up the curtains, I did good¨
In the room there is a king-size bed with black sheets embroidered with red and yellow flowering. It's giving wu-tang clan if they also had red. The walls are covered in posters of artists of all kinds. Biggie, Wu-tang, Rupaul, Dolly Parton, and Michael Jackson. All of it from A-Z.
¨This looks dope as hell gurl.¨
My mind rushes with ideas and images of all these artists performing together. Think Coachella but for all genres.
¨Thanks, I know¨
she gets a text notification and before I could ask what it says, Estell looks up, Turns off her phone, And says
¨love this, but I have to go on my date now.¨
¨oh right you have a date with Phenix.¨
I say in a shocked voice. Her boyfriend is umm..... Interesting. I wouldn't say he's the worse guy but he's definitely an asshole. Estell rushes out the door, saying
¨bye see you soon at dinner.¨
¨Bye.¨
I say with a smile.
I look around the room admiring the artwork on the wall. I can definitely tell that Estell put in alot of effort for me. Which I deeply appreciate. While looking at a Nas poster, my phone starts buzzing. It's Jemma, one of my best friends since I was a kid. I answer
JEM
¨OOOOOO GURLLL, What is UPPPP? How is it over there?. Ooo, are you jet lagged? Have you tried a telephone booth yet? Oh, what about-.
KC
Gurll.... Slow down, and no, have not been in a telephone booth.
I don't say anything about the jet-lagged part. I mean, I was, It's just that I didn't want to make Jemma feel bad ya know. Jemma has been with me ever since we were three years old. Our moms were friends in middle school and have stayed friends ever since.She'ss like my sister. We grew up in four cities together. We also both don't have siblings, so we basically are siblings from other parents. I wish there was a correct usage like a sister from another Mr. Or brother from another mother. I don't know it's weird. It feels like they say that because they want the same genders for best friends? It's just confusing.
JEM
I cannot believe you actually became a forign exchange student AND IN ENGLAND OF ALL PLACES.
KC
Oh yeah absolutely. Ima go all american on these brits.
JEM
Not to much though i know they dont like us like that.
KC
Yeah no doubt but we'll haft to see
JEM
Yeah true. Anyway, I gotta go ms.thang im still in school.
KC
Oh yeah. I gotta get use to the time difference.
Jemma lives in San Dieago right now so were eight hours apart.
JEM
Dont worry KC, you'll get used to it.
KC
Yeah i hope so.
JEM
You willlll. Ok I gotta go boo. Love you
KC
Ok, love you to
We both say bye and I hang up aftwards. I take a deep breath as I look outside the window and see a beautiful field with a tree. Its green but not like an evergreen. Just a medium sized, beautiful tree. I take another deep breath as i open my suit cases and start to unpack.
When I finish with taking everything out of my bags. I look over at a blank desk and see my bag that has my music equipment that I set down beside it. I leave everything that I was doing and start setting it up. Its pretty standard stuff. Just a mic, a beat maker, small keyboard, a vinyl with some records, and my laptop. Nothing to fancy, just what I need to make good music.
As I start setting up everything, about halfway though I hear someone.
"Huh, interesting."
I look up and turn my head twords the door. It was Liam.
"Whats interesting"
I say in a southern and californian mixed accent.
"Nothing just that you looked over at a bag, stopped everything that you were doing with the first bag, and started setting up music stuff. That's so weird"
I would have just brushed it over or I would have an excuse for what I just did but then again, im gonna be living with him for awhile so i just say straight up
"yeah i have adhd."
I say in a calm and quiet voice.
"Oh im sor-".
I cut liam off.
"yo its cool, dont worry about it."
I usually dont say I have adhd. My mom self diagnosed me when I was five but because I am me, I made her take me to the doctor and actually get tested. I just despise when people say that. Ya know, the oh I have self diagnosed depression or I have anxiety. And yes adhd. People tend to over exaderate it which I dont like to do. Also, people think that having adhd is a bad thing. Its not. I mean, my mind never turns off. But I think of it as a gift. My mind forever creates. Lyrics, paragraphs of novels, poetry, All of it is a gift to me. My gift. So I like to keep that part of myself private.
"So you do music."
Liam walks into the room.
"Yeah but not like actual music ya know. Lofis. Thats what I do."
"Oh thats amazing."
Liam says in a pretty soothing voice. Unike his dad, Liams voice is pretty soft and calm. Like a shy kid that somehow has the best voice in the high school and tries out for some musical even though the high school production of it is pretty bad anyway. Then they take center stage and sing in an elegant voice. Yeah like that.
"If its alright, may I listen to one."
"Sure why not."
And I play one of the songs on my laptop.
About 15 minutes into showing him lofis I start to panic because im about to run out. I mean I have a lot more music but thats when I rap. I rap a lot like nas and wu-tang. Also side note, if you dont know who that is please stop reading, put them on and come back to it. You done? Ok thats how I rap. Meaningful and lyrical.
"Not to sound disrespectful but this sounds pretty gay."
"yeah, well due to the fact that I am, I tend to try and make my music sound like its for all people but mainly for my community."
Liam freezes.
"Oh im sorry I didnt try to mean it li-"
I cut him off again. After I do I realized I was gonna stop and not do that. But this guy is just.... A lot, ya know? I say
"Yeah ya did and dont worry I dont take anything to the offense so quickly I need to have reason to hate. Also it is so dont freak out so much."
I dont get offended that much. Hell, my favriote ganrea is 90s rap when it comes to music. My favriote song is no vaseline by Ice Cube. Sure its all subliminal shots at N.W.A, but it still has some pretty homophobic stuff. I just say its a diffrent time. Sure its still wrong, but it was compton in the 90s. There was no such thing as woke there at the time. So I dont mind that.
"Oh ok."
We head back into the last four songs on my lofi playlist.
After those songs play.
"Well shit I was not expecting a rollar coaster like that."
"yeah I know I my work is crazy but still good." "
Well maybe we can make some more sometime?"
Liam says pretty quiet like hes asking for some candy to his parent at the dollar tree or some other place rich people shop.
"I mean sure why not. We are forigen-."
This time I cut myself off.
"No thats not right. Um....".
Liam steps in to help me.
"Exchange brothers? I mean I dont know what to call it."
"Well same here, so I guess thats what were going with."
We both start to laugh as Jenny yells from down stairs.
"Boys its dinner time".
"We'll be right there"
Liam yells from my room.
"Well, better get going. Mum gets mad if were late.
"Well note taken. Lets go" as we say as we both head downstairs.
YOU ARE READING
The American Boy Project
RandomThis story fallows a 16 year old teen that becomes a foreign exchange student in London England. With the help of his old and new friends he finds a way to make ends meet when a teenage boy comes into his life.
