The Lovers, Dreamers, and Me

I

"No..no, ugh no!" Destiny knocks on your bedroom door and opens it with a quizzed expression on her face. "You good?"she asks. "Sorry was I too loud, I'm looking for my green velvet scrunchie. I know I left it on my nightstand but it's not there!" You rummage around your room a bit longer with your cousin standing in the doorway. "Are you just gonna watch while I pick my room apart or are you gonna help me?" Destiny sighs but enters and starts going through some of your drawers. "What's the big deal it's just a hair tie, couldn't you just buy another one?" "It's not just some hair tie it's a scrunchie my mom had from the 80s she said it was her favorite, it's in almost every picture I have of her."
You squat down and take a look underneath your desk. "And today I get my license I need every ounce of luck I can get. You remember when Kate Marc got her picture taken and had a cowlick? Sis looked like Alphalpha." You explain. After waiting for 4 months you finally get to toss out that permit paper and hold the shiny plastic piece of freedom. You feel something hit your back and stand up from your crouching position from around your desk. Destiny points to the ground and you squeal. "Ah thank God I thought I lost it for good!" You pick up the scrunchie and dust it off wrapping it into your waist length braids, making a ponytail at the top of your head.
You hug your cousin tight as a thank you.  Yelling out a good bye to your aunts and grab your black pea coat as you walk out the house. With a slight skip in your step you walk a few blocks coming up to the high school, junior year is going to be golden. As you turn the corner and breathe in the foggy autumn air and look for oncoming traffic you make a beeline for the dmv door across the way. You're so focused on making it that you nearly miss the green Toyota RAV4 barreling down the road. You don't see the careless driver through the tinted windows but the license plate reads "Kermit". You think to yourself if the car is named Kermit because the car is green but it quickly leaves your mind as you see the Toyota turn viciously into the handicap parking spot.
The passenger and driver's side door open. Two boys step out. Watching, you see the back of their heads one with straight red hair the other with dark brown curly hair. The brunette, now on all fours, begins kissing the ground. "Oh sweet pavement I will never leave you again," he exhales. "You say that every time, yet you still ask me for rides." The red head scoffs. Their conversation dims as they walk towards the doors. You tighten your ponytail and continue walking. Slightly annoyed you look at the long line ahead of you, grab a ticket and sit in the waiting area. As you sit for almost 30 mins you begin to get a bit antsy lightly bouncing your legs and keeping an eye on the screen displaying the ticket numbers. You look at your ticket , 53, and look back at the screen,33. You get up to go to the bathroom thinking it'll be another 25 mins until it's your turn. You come back from the bathroom and wipe your damp hands on your jeans and head back to your seat when you bump into a small girl with long black hair in a loose braid."Oh I'm sorry," you start but as you look at the girl you realize something is very familiar about her. "No you're totally fine, I should probably watch where I'm going." She chuckles softly. "Do you go to Friar-park?" You ask squinting your eyes and tilting your head slightly trying to figure out where you've seen her. "Uhm yeah I transferred last year, my name's Eshana." "Yeah that's right, your the girl that slapped Hope Marring at lunch for making fun of your food", you exclaim. Hope Maring is like a sadist, but that day Eshana was taking no prisoners. "She had it coming, how can you just walk up to someone you don't even know and just pick on them for having some flavor and spice?" Eshana says.  You shake your head and a smile creeps onto your face. "Hope just caught me on a bad day I really wasn't feeling it, so I had to knock some sense into her." You both talk for a while longer explaining you're getting your license today and Eshana tells you she just got hers an hour ago. A few minutes pass and you say your good byes and tell her you can't wait to see her at school in a few weeks.

Walking back into the waiting area the screen reads 47. Dang this place moving kinda fast you think to yourself, but you don't complain. Sitting down back in your chair you go on your phone, it's 10:48 and receive a notification from Destiny. "Don't forget to bring some eggs and powdered sugar home we're making nanas cake this afternoon." "I know I won't forget, I should be home in 20 or less" you text back. The ticket screen now reads 52. You start to gather all your identification when you catch a hint of vanilla bean you look up and see "Kermit" and his friend with a navy blue jacket and Ray bands. You try not to draw attention to yourself  but catch a quick glimpse out of the corner of your eye. He seems to be looking at you too. You turn your head to look at him no longer caring to draw attention and start to open your mouth but then he cuts you off. "I think they're calling your number?" He says politely. You're a tad caught off guard, thinking he would sound rude but it's quite the contrary. His voice is deep but not so deep it sounds like a cello but like he has a few hairs on his chest, like a man. Causing you to think I need to decide on a piece for nana's party. But it's also smooth like honey , do we need any honey, you think to yourself. The nice smooth polite voice speaks again "Hey what's your number?" You then snap out of your stream of consciousnesses. "What?" You ask confused and surprised. "What's your number I think they're calling you." "Oh yeah, thanks." You gather all your identification and start at the window. "Hi, my names-" you're then cut off by the gray middle aged woman behind the plexiglass window. "Hand me your items and fee." "Okay" you mumble under your breath and hand her the paper work. As the attendant asks you for your height and weight the process moves along. "Okay you're all set just turn and face the camera. 3,2,1." *flash* Hoping that you don't look frazzled or anything you turn the corner and wait a few mins for your card to come out. The woman at the window then calls your name you walk up and almost in total awe look at your new license. The hard plastic shining in the dingy fluorescents but no amount of passive aggressive attitude could dampen your mood at this very moment. "Okay enjoy your new license!" The attendant proclaims "Remember, driving is a privilege not a right." She states in a firm but kind manor. You politely smile at her and walk out the sad gray building into the foggy air.

Excited and full of optimism for the upcoming school year. The woman's voice from the DMV echoes in your head "Driving is a privilege not a right" causing you to think about how so many things can go wrong with a car. What if you get into an accident? What if you cause the accident? All these thoughts coursing through your brain while crossing the street you barely see the car zooming towards you. You quickly look up hearing a car horn blaring. Jumping to the sidewalk from the bike lane you feel your heart racing. Looking up to see the Neanderthal behind the wheel is 'Kermit'. He exits the car quickly slamming his door. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING CROSSING THE STREET LIKE THAT" he shouts. "ME?" You shout quickly matching his energy. "What about you, charging at me like a bull." The brunette is eyeing you and stops at your hands. "Hah!, you just got your license but you're a shit pedestrian, I can only imagine how terrible your driving is!" Blood already boiling you ball up your fists feeling your face get hot. "Are you kidding, you almost hit me I should sue your ass for emotional distress?" As you both enter a stand off in the middle of the bike lane. Hearing the slow whir of the passenger side window. "Hey no need for a legal dispute."  "As an act of kindness we can give you a lift. Wherever, as long as it's not a crack den," he jokes. Still frazzled you exhale out your nose with a humph. "Damn I really wanted to score some crack today," you snap your fingers like you just missed an opportunity. He expelled a light chuckle, "no seriously it's no problem how about we get you some 'Betterments' for your troubles?" The red head says in a calming manor. The thought of a cinnamon latte instantly calms you down.
...
As you join the boys at the indoor table waiting for you're orders the brunette looks over to you. I'm sorry I yelled at you and you're right I should've been looking." "Yea you should've" "Aren't we supposed to go back and forth about whose "fault" it was" he smirks. "I mean we could but we all know the truth". The red head sitting beside him nods his head agreeing. "My name is Cassius this muppet betraying me is Sterling." Cassius sticks out his hand for a shake. Taking it you reply back "Farrah."
The barista calls all three orders and you stand up to take them. Placing them on the table you say aloud "I'm super grateful y'all didn't BTK me." They look at you quizzically. "BTK you?" "Yeah you know like in Criminal Minds," you chortle. "I'll have to check that out." Your expression falls "you've never seen Criminal Minds? It's literally the best. How about S.V.U.?" You ask hopefully. "Nah I'm more of an Impractical Jokesters/Ridiculousness type of guy," he claims. Cassius then turns to Sterling and they both erupt with laughter. Slapping their knees like old men. "We're totally b.s.-ing, of course, we know SVU and Criminal Minds"! A breath of relief escapes your lips.

Finishing up your drinks you and Sterling stand up and start to throw away all the trash. "So do you go to the Bushwick school?", he asks. "I did my freshmen year but now I go to Friar-park," you reply. "As in Friar-park Academy?" "Yeah, do you go there too?" "I mean we did a tour of the place when I was in middle school but then we saw the tuition, my dad fainted." Trying to stifle your laughter you cover your mouth. "Yeah the tuition is one thing but going to school with those pretentious nepo-babies is a whole other game." *A-hem* Cassius now has his hands in his pockets rocking back and forth on his heels. "Are you guys finished with you're gab-sesh by the trash," he mocks you both like a cheerleader. His face almost expresses jealousy. Shaking the idea out of your head you face Sterling and smile. "Yeah totally."

Watching them get back into his car and drive away with a light honk pulling out of the lot you stick your hands into your pockets. Feeling a napkin in the left pocket you pull it out and see two numbers written on it. In case you get tired of the lames at your school, was written on the back. A small drop falls on your face as you look up from the napkin. Now heading into the corner store. Traipsing through the small aisles you pick up the eggs and powdered sugar and head to the checkout line. Leaving the store standing under the awning watching the rain crash down you start jogging home. Whipping out your keys you open the front door sopping wet. "uh ah you better stand right there, I'll go get you a towel." Taking your shoes off you stand shivering in the foyer. Destiny rushes down the stairs stopping at the landing. "Let me see it." extending your hand Destiny rips the plastic from your grasp. "Oh my gosh, how did your picture come out so well, you look like a model bro?" "wow, you really think so?" She looks at you with a face of disappointment and hands you back the license. Aunt Kida hands you a blue and white striped towel. "let me see it," she says. "Wow, I can't believe how grown up you are!" With a sad smile on your face you stare at your aunt thinking about how much longer you will have moments like this with her. Her gray hair wild and curly perched on her shoulders like a waterfall.