Under His Influence||Dallas Winston

003/New Faces

I couldn't sleep well that night, something was bothering me. I couldn't tell if it was my boyfriend's hostility towards me or the fact that my mother was upset with me. I wanted to leave the house but first I had to hop in the shower.

I turned the faucet to a somewhat warm temperature, it was already super hot outside. I had to scrub the smoke smell off of my skin from the night before. Luckily it was more attached to my clothes. 

I wasn't sure what I'd be doing all day but I had my options; the river, the pool, or I could hang out at a diner. I didn't have a preference. I didn't know many people in town, if I did I hadn't seen them in forever. I probably wouldn't recognize them.

"Hey! Maya!" Halley popped up in my doorway, I had to clutch my towel. "Oh-sorry! I was just wondering if your boyfriend actually called last night."

"No, he didn't," I lied. I didn't want to discus it with her.

"Oh, sorry... Do you have friends here?" she kept pestering. I just wanted to get dressed.

"Yeah, a few," I stated. "Halley I'm naked, I need to get dressed..." She glanced at me and then the door. It took her a while to get the hint but she eventually left for me to change. I didn't enjoy being around children and would probably hate her if we weren't related. Children were always so nosy and don't give you personal space.

I slipped on a baby-t and a jean skirt along with my tennis shoes. I thought I'd call my other friends back home too. I could tell them what happened with Benny. Alicia and Luciel were my best friends back in New York. 

Alicia was tall and had warm dark skin and black curls that fell to her waist. She was the calmer of the three of us. She often referred to Luciel and I as crackheads, but she kept us in line. She would be a senior with Benny in the fall.

Luciel was the youngest of the group. She had just turned sixteen in March. She had dark brown hair and pale skin. But she had these lively and dancing golden eyes. They looked like pure honey.

They were always together over the summer, like I would've been if I hadn't come to Tulsa this summer. I dialed Alicia's number first but nobody picked up so I dialed Luciel's. 

"Hello?" Luciel picked up, I could hear Alicia ask who it was in the background.

"Hey guys! It's me, from Tulsa! I thought I'd call and see what's new," I greeted them. It was relaxing to hear their voices.

"Oh! It's Maya!" Luciel exclaimed to Alicia who was now also on the phone. "We're just fine! We watched Mark Bunsen humiliate himself yesterday at the pool, he asked out the lifeguard. What about you, anything interesting?"

"Actually... Benny and I got into an argument," I started. Benny and I almost never fought so it was a newer idea or concept to them. 

"Oh my god? What? When? Why?" Alicia was practically begging for gossip.

"Well, it was last night. Remember how I told you guys about my best friend who lives here?" I tried leading the conversation toward the answer.

"Yeah, the one with the funny name? Sodapop? I think..." Luciel chanted in again.

"Yeah, I went to see him. It's been forever, right?" I still didn't understand why Benny was so defensive of it, he's always been my best friend. "He had a bunch of friends over so  was in a house full of boys. Benny freaked out when I told him. It's not like I'm attracted to any of the boys."

"Well are they cute? I want to see them!" Alicia sang.

"Me too!" Luciel added.

"I suppose? I'm not sure. I'll invite you guys to the annual Fourth of July barbecue, if they still do that. Then you guys can meet them," I made an offer. I wanted them to come visit for a week or so, then maybe come back for my birthday at the end of July.