Coming of Age

16

"You think you slick huh? Asking me to ride with you."Joelle rolled her eyes.

"Nah. I ain't even being slick. I just want to get to know you a little better. So we can talk."

"So where we goin?"Joelle smacked her lips.

"Where you wanna go?"Monte chuckled and turned his car back on. "I got some places to go first so we can wherever after that."

Joelle shrugged. "It don't matter to me."

"What time you gotta be home because I don't want no problems with Ms.Margaret."Monte joked, he knew how Joelle's mother was.

"Oh, you got jokes."Joelle laughed. "I don't have no damn curfew. I come home whenever I feel like it."

"Alright Ms.Bad ass, what kind of music you like to listen to?"Monte pressed buttons on his radio.

"I listen to a lil bit of everything. What you got?"

"I'm more interested in what you got. You the music connect."Monte chuckled. "How you be getting all that shit anyway?"

"I work at the record store during the summer. They give us free tapes."Joelle looked through her backpack.

"So how do you make mixtapes?"

"I can't tell you that. You might try to steal my hustle."Joelle pulled a tape out of her bag. "I don't if you'd like this or not."

Joelle slid the tape into the radio and the music started.

You let me violate you
You let me desecrate you
You let me penetrate you
You let me complicate you

Monte looked at Joelle with wide eyes as she started to sing. "What the hell is this?"

"It's Nine Inch Nails."Joelle started to laugh. "Give it a chance."

"Aight, Aight. I ain't gon Judge you for this."Monte chuckled as the song continued.

"This is some kinky shit."Monte widened his eyes.

"The song is not about sex. I mean it is, but it isn't. It's about animalistic behavior, having a downward spiral."Joelle explained to him. "Kind of like taking your frustrations out on your partner type of thing."

"That's the kind of shit you like?"Monte raised and eyebrow at her.

"I don't think I've had sex enough to know what I like, but no. I just enjoy the music."

"Damn JoJo, which of them lame ass niggas you done gave it up to? I thought you were a Virgin."Monte chuckled.

"Who said it was a nigga?"Joelle narrowed her eyes. "Anyway, let me put on something you can get with."

"Nah, let it play."Monte moved her hand away from the radio.

"Can I ask you some questions?"Joelle asked.

"Only if I could ask you some too."Monte shrugged.

"You first."Joelle cautioned herself.

"Alright. Lock the doors, I'll be back."Monte grabbed a duffle bag out of his trunk and walked away.

Joelle sat in the front seat looking around. She was confused. She had no idea where she was or what he was about to. All she did was lock the doors and stayed put like he had asked her to.

So many different things were running through her mind. Different thoughts, different scenarios. Truth be told she was scared as hell.

There were all kinds of people walking around and they all looked like they were off some kind of drugs.

Monte had finally started to walk back to his car until a man stopped him. "Say man, don't touch me."

"What you got man? I need something. Anything."The tragically thin man held onto his forearm.

Monte started to say something until he looked up at the man. His whole facial expression went sour.

"Nah man. I know this ain't you."Monte sighed. "It can't be." He held onto the man until he snatched away.

The man quickly ran away and we made eye contact. I quickly opened the car door and tried to catch him before he disappeared.

"Joelle. I'm sorry."Monte started to walk towards her.  He pulled her in for a hug and she pulled away. She opened the door and climbed back into the passenger seat.

"It's fine."

"You don't want to talk about it?"Monte tried to comfort her.

"No. I really don't."Joelle stared out of the window.

"I know you're upset, because I am. We've been friends since we were kids. That's your brother, so I know it's bothering you."Monte spoke but stopped when he realized Joelle wasn't listening. "You want me to just take you home?"

"Please."Joelle replied dryly.

"We were having a good night. I don't want you to go home and be sad."Monte stopped his car. "I won't take you back until I make you smile, so let's talk."

Joelle sighed and shifted in her seat. "What if I don't want to talk?"

"What you wanna do then?"Monte raised an eyebrow.

"You."

"Nah. That's not an option. You only trying to do that to hide that you're sad."Monte shook his head.

"But this will make me feel better."Joelle unzipped her jacket. "I know it's been on your mind. Show me what you've been thinking."

She took her jacket off and climbed into his backseat. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."

Short Chapter, but I wanted to leave you all in suspense 🤪