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Sapphire
"Sapphire, wake up." I kept hearing Esmée's voice repeat to me.
"Hmm?" I hummed.
"We got school." She said.
I rolled my eyes and yawned, sitting upwards in bed. "Man, do I have to go?" I asked.
She gave me a dull face, "yes."
She left my room and I made my way into my bathroom to start my morning routine.
•••
"Ay, y'all wanna walk again? We kinda early," Stokeley asked Ashanti, Esmée, and I.
"Uhh— sure." I responded.
We began to make our way down the block, and I pulled out my phone to check my notifications.
"You got Instagram?" Stokeley asked, causing me to look up. "Me?" I asked. I was nervous.
"Yes, you." He chuckled.
"Y-yeah,"
He placed his hand out for my phone and I refused. I had anxiety with that shit, especially since that's like my whole life on a drive.
"I promise I won't read ya messages with ya hoes or whatever." He laughed, but I didn't find anything funny.
"What hoes? Ion have any." I reasoned.
"Mhm," all three of them hummed in unison.
"Bye, y'all whalin." I said with a laugh.
"I mean sis... you bad." Ashanti said.
"Not bad enough for hoes," I replied. "No one has time for that."
"What? Time for a relationship?" Stokeley asked quickly.
"I'm big single," I said and seen him frown.
"We'll get you a boo, there's plenty of fish in our school." Esmée said.
I shook my head okay.
"What time school end?" I asked.
"Two-forty, why? Got somewhere to be?" Stokeley asked.
"Damn Ski, you on her case for what?" Ashanti said. "Yeah, Skeeter." I responded.
He laughed it off, "Nah, I'm just bored."
"What y'all doing after school?" I asked them. "Work," Ski says, "Meaning the library." Esmée followed. "You work at the library?" I asked.
"Nah, I just go there to write songs."
I shook my head as an understanding.
"Well, we're here." Esmée says as we walked up the steps of the building.
•••
I finally got the chance to take a seat in the lunchroom, bored out my ass.
I guess I was early, because no one else was there. "Sapphire," I heard.
I turned my head and seen Stokeley.
"Yes?" I asked.
"Gurll, come sit over there." He said.
I looked to where he was appointing and seen a group of boys. "Uh-um.." I cleared my throat.
"I'm good." I said.
"They don't bite," he answered. "Esmée and Ashanti coming in a few." He said.
I got up and followed him over there.
"Guys, I want y'all to meet someone." Ski said.
I waved hi to everyone and took in their features. All these niggas look goo-
"Wassup shawty," one said. He was brownskin, black and blonde dreads. I read the words 'Numb' and seen a broken heart on his face.
"Hi," I said.
"What's your name?" Another asked. He was brownskin with long dreads, and his grills made his mouth hang open a bit.
"Not Julissa," another said. He looked Asain and his hair was pink.
Once the laughing dyed down, they introduced themselves one by one. They seemed cool.
Another guy came, his body full of tats. He scared me at first, because he looks like a skeleton. (LMFAOOOO SKIES)
"I see you met everyone already," I heard Ashanti's voice and turned to see her hovering over me. "Yeah," I said.
"Anyone tried talking to you?" Esmée asked.
"Uhhh, this lightskin named Nahmir. And this guy everyone calls 'young boy' I said.
They began to laugh at me.
"What's funny?" I asked, confused.
"He has herpes, stay away," one of Stokeley's friends, Trippie said.
"Ion know why you laughing, y'all fucked the same bit-" before Omar could finish, Trippie punches his arm.
"Hey, don't touch my man," Pump joked.
"Oo- I wasn't gonna talk to him anyway." I said. "Good." Stokeley said. It went quiet.
"Sooooooooooooo, how's your day so far?" Jahseh asked me. "I just wanna go home." I answered.
Curving boys and introducing myself over and over again was honestly tiring. I wasn't interested in anyone here.
Most of these boys were rappers. All of them turned to music as a way out.
"Aweee, Sadfireee," Ski teased. "Stockly Dockly," I responded. He gave me a straight face, "Don't call me that." "Then don't call me sad-fire," I said.
"Awee, y'all cute." Ming says.
Before anything could be said, the bell rung. Everyone sprang up for their goodbyes, "I heard that's Julissa's tingz..." I said with a smile on my face.
I avoided looking Stokeley in the eyes as they "oouuu'ed" and laughed. "Bye guys," I said before walking out with Ashanti.
•••
"Where you going?" I heard Esmée's voice from behind.
"The library-"
"It ain't even that way," she laughed at me.
"Ooh shit," I said.
"You was boutta go to Staircase C. Never go there, unless you want to get your throat fucked." She said bluntly. "I-"
She just nodded, so I pushed the thought to the back of my head. "Where's Ashanti and Stokeley?" I asked. "Everyone's there already." She responded.
I followed behind her as we walked down the hall and down the steps, through another hall and finally into the library.
"She made it," pump yelled with a smile.
"Shhh," the librarian there shushed him.
He apologized and both of us joined the group. It was much bigger than I expected.
"How do y'all make music here if she expects y'all to be quiet the whole time?" I asked.
"She'll fall asleep or leave in about five minutes, then we could do whatever we want." Jahseh says.
I shook my head as an understanding.
"Ight, well— get to work." I said with a smile.
I have so much I want to do with this book. Comment/Vote/Share.
