From Friends to Lovers - Book I

Chapter 22 - And ..., Some More Drama - Monday Afternoon, Early June

Heading home from school, Chris, Luis, and Carl all ride in Clay's car. After getting some drinks from Sonic, Clay begins to drive home.

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Luis: we like the Fantastic Four, again!

Carl: well, I'm the Torch, because Michael B. Jordan is the only black one.

Clay: what, you only half, just like me ...

Luis: it's got nothing to do with race, I meant like it's four of us and we're fantastic, we four dope niggas ...

Carl: motherfucker, you Spanish.

Chris: Carl, tone it down ... nobody's talking about race.

Carl: says the darkest one of us, that sounds the whitest ...

Luis: dude, why you being like this.

Carl: cause, people asking why my brother got me hanging with fags?

Clay: [slams on the breaks] get out! [looking in the rear-view mirror at Carl]

Chris: Clay, we're in the middle on the road, what are you doing?

Clay: I said, get out Carl!

Carl: you gonna do me like that? You my brother, and you gonna do me like that?

Clay: I'm not gonna tell you again.

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The cars behind them begin to blow their horns and drive around the vehicle, giving them the finger as they passed by.

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Chris: Clay, please let's just get home ... we can talk about this, or whatever you want to, but please don't put him out of the car like that ...

Clay: ... [as more cars drive around them]

Chris: please, Clay, at least get off the road ...

Clay: [turns to Chris and sees his eyes begging for him to listen, Chris reaches over on puts his hand on Clay's knee and mouths the word "please"]

... okay [pulling into the parking lot of some random apartment complex]

... now, what the fuck did you say?

Carl: ... [pausing] why you gotta be the way you are?

Clay: what way is that?

Carl: GAY!

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Grabbing his door, flinging it open Clay hops out, Chris jumps over the drive selector and driver's seat he grabs onto Clay's arm, trying to stop him from doing something to his brother. Luis grabs Carl as they both jump out of the car, pulling Carl back from confronting and possibly fight his brother.

.

Chris: Clay, Clay, please stop. [Chris pulls Clay over to the driver's door and blocks him from leaving, and whispers]

... Clay, please don't fight your brother. [holds his hand]

... Clay, please! [Clay looks into Chris' eyes and smiles, then sits in the driver's seat, Chris kneels in front of him and begins to rub on his thighs]

Carl: look there y'all go again.

Luis: what are you doing? [pulling Carl away from the car so Clay couldn't hear them speak]

... come here man ... c'mon man, talk to me what's going on?

Carl: [fakes looking shocked and says sarcastically] oh, you know who I am now? Thought you were in the C2 Club ...