It was so cold outside! I had some lights in my hand helping my parents decorate the house for Christmas. They didn't have work today, so my mom thought it would be a great idea to decorate the house since we're in December. I like the decorations we put up, but I feel like my mom likes to go overboard. You would think my dad and I like to decorate, but my mom goes all out. She always takes it too seriously because all the other moms around the neighborhood go all out. My dad and I sometimes don't be in the mood to put up more decorations, but she always guilts trip us.
The worst part is when we have to take it all down. We usually put up lights and then the blowups. My dad was handling the blowups since it took a little strength to set them up. I was putting the lights on the bushes and also untangling them. My parents say once I do that then I can have my own personal time to spare. I was almost done with my part of the job which I was a bit happy about. I saw Hiro and Ceasar's car pulling up into a parking space by Freeman's residents. I wonder what's going on?
I saw Ceasar, Ming, and Hiro look my way while I was putting the lights on the bushes. Ming ran towards me and I didn't know how to react. She did a little jump when she got to me and smiled. "Hi Ming!" I smiled at her. "You coming over to play the game with us?" she asked me. "What game?" I asked finishing the lights on the bushes. "I don't exactly know, but it's Riley's turn to pick the game," she said a bit unsure. "This will be a surprise," I mumbled under my breath. "Yeah, but are you coming over?" she asked again.
"Coming over where?" my dad asked overhearing our conversation. "To Huey and Riley's house, we're all doing our monthly game night," she smiled. "Game night...that sounds fun! Jazmine, why don't you go over there with your friends to play your monthly game night," my dad told me.
"Okay, I'll just go put the boxes in the house," I told him. "Ok, have fun!" he smiled. I went inside the house to put the boxes up. When I was done I took my phone and left with Ming towards Huey and Riley's house. "Dude your dad is so chill, he's not as strict as my parents, " Ming had whispered to me.
"Yeah, he's not as stuck up as people think. As long as I keep everything in check I'm good with both of my parents, " she seemed a bit surprised. "It's hard to please my parents, they're all about competition, " I kinda feel bad for her. Her parents are a bit strict with her. They don't approve of certain things she does, for instance, her dating Hiro. Ever since they found out Hiro wanted to be a DJ they didn't approve of her dating him. The only reason they're not complaining is that he's not as much of a distraction they thought he would be.
Her parents especially don't like it when she hangs around Cindy and Riley. It's clearly an obvious guess on why they don't want her around Cindy and Riley. The reason why is because the two of them are trouble makers (I will admit). They know they do stuff around the neighborhood which why they don't fully agree with her hanging around them. Ceasar and Huey are semi-approval. I remember she told me they were a little upset that Huey fractured her leg and they're a little afraid that Ceasar might twist her ankles. It's kinda weird how they weren't afraid of her going up against competitors until that sudden injury she and the other players had in the game.
In the beginning, I didn't understand why her parents didn't mind her hanging around me. I wasn't into contact sports like Ming was. I was more into the arts with a peaceful environment. Then I thought they allowed Ming to hang around me because of what my parents' jobs were, but then I come to realize that I was a great influence on Ming. I didn't do anything bad and I was very focused on my education. They always invite me to their celebrations like 'Chinese New Year's!'. It's very fun and cultural!
When Ming and I made it inside the house I saw the others in the living room. Riley was opening up a game I guess he had just bought. I was a little curious about what was in the box. When he pulled out the object it seemed like that fun lie detector test some influencers use on their channels. I thought about buying one, but I felt like it would cause drama and be a waste of money.
"Oh, my...are we playing that game that only involves the truth?" I asked kinda worried. "Yeah, that's what Cindy had told me," she said. "We're not going to be drinking are we?" I still asked a bit concerned. "I don't think drinks are going to be needed because I think the detector shocks you if you lie," she assured me. "I honestly feel like it's just random," I bluffed. "Yeah, but knowing Riley he would try to get an actual one," she bit down on her bottom lip.
I saw Ceasar walk towards us with something in his hand. Ming and I just looked at him as he kinda stood in between us. He had a pink envelope in his hand while his other hand was in his pocket. "Hi, Ceasar!" I nervously smiled at him. "I see your headache is better," I exclaimed. "Yeah...my mom wanted me to give you this," he awkwardly said giving me the pink envelope. When I gently took it, I observed my name written in cursive letters. "What's this for?" I looked up at him.
"For your kindness and help; my mom wanted to reward you," he smiled at him. "Really, with what?" I asked. "Why don't you open and find out," he gestured towards the envelope. I opened the envelope to see a stack of money and a card. I took it out to count $1,000! "Oh my..." I was surprised by how much she had given me. I took out the card to see it was a $100 gift card to Bath and Body Works. "Oh my..." I felt my heart start to speed up a little bit.
"I can't accept this," I nervously told him. "Why not?" he worriedly asked. "Because I didn't do it for the money, I did it out of kindness," I said feeling a tear come down my cheek. "No, my mom really wanted you to have it. She was so happy to walk into a clean house along with my dad. So my parents thought it would be nice to give you money for your help. And I had bought the gift card for you," he pointed towards. "Thank you Ceasar and thank your parents for me," I hugged him.
"Aye get yall ass over here the game is fin to start," Cindy yelled from the living room. I put all the stuff back in the envelope and kept it in my pocket. Everybody sat down in a circle in the living room while Riley smirked at everybody. Something tells me that he's up to something. To my surprise, Huey was sitting in the circle. I know he told me a while ago that he was trying to be a little more open.
Riley was rubbing his hand together still mischievously smiling. "Ok Riley, what's up with the evil smirk?" Ceasar cocked his eyebrow. "Nothing, just ready to play my game tonight," he emphasized. Something is really about to go wrong! "Riley just gets on with it," Ming rolled her eyes. "I am Ming Twan," he rolled his tongue trying to be dramatic. Ming just rolled her eyes and sighed. "Now this game night will be about the truth and nothing but the truth. We will sadly not be doing dares, so Jazmine you can relax," he snickered at the last part.
I was glad that we weren't doing the dare part. I wasn't up for any crazy stuff they had in mind. "So how are we gonna play this?" Hiro asked with his arm around Ming. "We'll do youngest to oldest. With the questioning will spin this bottle to pick who'll ask the question," he said placing the bottle in the middle. "So basically; you, Cindy, Ming, me, Jazmine, Ceasar, and Huey?" Hiro pointed youngest to oldest. "Basically!" Cindy answered his question. "Ok let's do this!" Ceasar shouted clapping his hands putting a smile on everybody's face.
Riley crawled to the middle to spin the bottle. As it was spinning I was wondering who it was going to land on. It slowly started to stop spinning landing on Ceasar. Everybody except Huey started to snicker a little bit. "Make it good nigga no homo," Riley said putting his hands-on the print of the object. "Ok, Smart-ass, have you ever checked out a dude before?" Ceasar smirked. Riley scowled at him making him laugh. "Nigga you know damn well I don't check out no dudes, so no," he answered. The detector didn't shock Riley and it was pinned at the truth.
"HA, IN YO' FACE CAESAR SALAD!" Riley excitedly shouted at Ceasar. Ceasar smacked his lips and rolled his eyes at Riley's outburst. "Cindy your turn," Ming told her. "Ok!" she smiled as she spun the bottle. The bottle had landed on Hiro! "Ok whatchu you got my man?" she asked putting her hands on the detector. "Have you ever kissed a girl before?" he simply asked her. "Yeah!" she answered. It pinned at the truth which made Riley look her up and down. "C you never told me you were interested in the other side," he said a bit surprised. "It was a dare," she told him.
It got awkward because Riley was just looking confused. "Ok Ming your turn," I said as she spun the bottle. It had landed on Hiro who rubbed his hands together. "Ok, am I the best kisser?" he asked her as she said "Yes!" then her hand got shocked. She immediately took it out and Hiro stared in surprise. Wow, that's gotta hurt. Some of the others started to silently snicker. "Umm Jazmine it's your turn," Ming tapped me on the shoulder. "Right!" I leaned in to spin the bottle. My heart started to beat a little bit because I was afraid of who it might land on. It had landed on one of the people I didn't want it to land on. Huey Freeman!
Oh my gosh! "Ok let me think," he said in deep thought of what he was going to say, I didn't want him to say anything that would make me uncomfortable because knowing him he will get the truth: "Are you and Ceasar dating?". To my surprise, I didn't even know the answer myself. I didn't think we were dating because we were faking it the whole time.
"No," I simply answered. I waited to be shocked but there was no burning sensation on my hand. Huey looked a bit surprised by my response along with Ceasar. "Yeah, we aren't actually dating, we just do that to keep some of my exes away," he agreed. "Exes...I thought it was to make Makayla jealous," Huey cocked his eyebrow. "No, it was to keep some of them away and I kiss Jazmine to give them the proof," he explained. "That explains why yo' nasty lips were on hers," Riley commented. "Shut yo' uneven edge up' up," Ceasar scold Riley. "Man fuck you, it's yo' turn!" he mumbled.
"Okay!" he said spinning the bottle. The bottle spun and landed stopped on me. "Ok Jazzy Fresh what's yo' question?" Ceasar asked me putting his hand on the print. "My question is: Is Makayla crazy?" I asked as everybody started to snicker. "I ain't gonna lie: yes!" he answered. Not to my surprise, he didn't get shocked.
"Why you ask a question like that?" Hiro looked at me. "Because so I can be prepared to expect the unexpected. She always comes at me with these insults. For instance, when she saw me walking to Ceasar's house she came up to me with an evil smirk. Then she started inferring that Ceasar and I were between second and third base," I told them. "And what did you say?" Riley asked a little interested.
"I said 'I guess you can say that' because I was unsure what she meant. Then she told me not to gag. I didn't fully know what she meant by don't gag and I was like 'On what!' and then she just got even more upset with me," I told them as they all except Huey busted out laughing. "Yo' ass is way too innocent to understand what she was talking about," Riley cried out in laughter. "What was she referring to?" I asked them. "Jazmine she was talking about giving head or a blow job," Ceasar answered my question. "Oh!" I said pretending I understood. I still didn't know why that was funny. A blow job must be for doing hair along with giving the head because you're letting someone do your hair.
"Huey man it's yo' turn," Hiro told him as Huey simply just spun the bottle. I was kinda curious about who it was going to land on. When the bottle stopped it was Riley who it had landed on. "Okay, I got a question I've been wanting to know for years?" Riley exclaimed. "And that is?" Huey asked unamused. "Is you gay?" he asked surely of his question. "No!" Huey answered. Not to my surprise, he was telling the truth. I mean if he was gay he wouldn't have got some of me. Plus for a person who's been accused of being gay; he sure did seem like he enjoyed the sex with a girl (who is me). Okay, now I'm sounding a little cocky in my own thoughts.
"Now Riley can stop calling you gay," Hiro smiled. "That won't help my case," Huey simply said. "Ok it's my turn," Riley said taking the detector away from Huey. He spun the bottle and placed his hands on the print. When the bottle stopped it had landed on Cindy who smirked.
"Ok, Reezy did you like that bitch Oliva's picture that always is flirting with you right dead in front of me?" Cindy glared at him. "Depends on which pic you talking about," she sighed and simplified: "The one she recently posted with her wearing a matching set of undergarments,". "No!" he answered as his hand got shocked.
"Ha, I knew it!" she angrily looking at Riley. "Why are you so upset with him liking her picture?" Ming asked her. "Have you not seen how that bitch looks; she got the curves and everything," Cindy exaggerated. "Yeah but she also keeps her options open so you shouldn't worry about her stealing Riley from you," I assured Cindy. " Wait how are you so sure of it?" Ceasar asked me. "Because I'm friends with her and she usually tells me about all the guys she crushes on," I explained. "How are you guys friends with her?" Cindy exaggerated.
"Because she and I are both captains and once or twice a month all the captains have to go meet up at school. We got to know each other and we just became friends. Plus we're both dancers so we can co-partner on some things," I explained. "Huh, I never knew the captains meet up," Hiro said a bit surprised. "Yeah we always meet up," Huey answered. "Wait you go?" Hiro asked a bit surprised. "I am the president of the A.F.R.O Association so I have to go as well," he told Hiro. "Plus he's my ride!" I added in.
"Sadly that too!" he sighed. "What's so sad about it?" I crossed my arms. "Because when it's all over you stay for an extended time to be social while I am ready to go," he told me. I can't argue with him on that because I do socialize with everybody. "Ok, umm Cindy it's your turn," I simply said. Cindy spun the bottle for it to land on Huey. "Ahh shit," she cursed. "Ok, my question is do you really like my brother's dumbass?" he scowled at her. "Surprisingly yes!" she answered with no shock following through.
"That's no surprise the both of you act alike," Huey went against. "Whatever McHater, here you go Ming," Cindy shrugged off. "Ok!" she said as she spun the bottle. The bottle had then landed on Cindy. "Ok Ming, a couple of years ago during that kickball game did you secretly enjoy all of us getting hurt on the pitch?" Cindy immediately asked. "No!" she answered as the pinpoint went halfway. "Seems like that was a half-lie," Riley shook his head. "Ok now tell the truth," Riley crossed his arms. "Ok at the beginning it was funny but at the end, I tried to hide it until Huey somehow caught on," she answered. "Well if you're going to try and be convincing make sure your teammates don't say shit about it," he simply said.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about it," she assured him. "Good, I hope not," he said a little bit too seriously. "Ok... let's move on to Hiro!" I said trying to break the tension. "Yeah," Hiro said catching on to what I was trying to do. He spun the bottle which had landed on Cindy. "Ok, what year did you lose yo' virginity?" Cindy asked as everybody seemed a little interested to know. Hiro looked at Ming who scowled him. "Last year!" he answered with no shame. Ming covered her face in embarrassment because of Hiro's answer.
"Here you go Jazmine," Hiro said sliding the detector to me. I spun the bottle which had landed on Hiro. Ok, I'm glad it didn't land on the others. "Are you a virgin?" Hiro had asked me. Now I regret it landing on Hiro. "What type of question is that you know good and well that out of all of us that Jazmine has not lost her virginity," Ceasar answered. "Yeah, Jazmine would most likely have sex when she is married," Ming agreed. I started to get a bit nervous because I did lose my virginity, but I never told anybody. Riley doesn't count because he had found out by putting the clues together.
I'm surprised he didn't say anything. All he was doing was silently snickering to himself. Huey as always was uninterested. "I'm sorry, I just thought that since we were on the topic I ask," Hiro tried to defend himself. "Yeah, well that was a wasteful question. Jazmine just gives it to Ceasar we all know the answer," Cindy thankfully said. I gladly passed it to Ceasar who had leaned in the center to spin the bottle. When it stopped it had landed on Ming. "Okay Ming hit me," Ceasar said pumped up. "Who was the last girl you were with?" she asked him. "Makayla?" he answered as didn't follow through. That's not a surprise.
Ceasar had passed it to Huey who had spun the bottle and when it stopped it had landed on Riley. "Ah this should be good," Huey sarcastically said. "Alright, bitch, who was the girl you surprisingly lost your virginity to?" Riley evilly smirked at Huey. Huey didn't seem to happy with Riley's question because if looks could kill then Riley would be six feet under. "You lost your virginity, to who?" Ceasar asked a bit surprised. "Man why didn't you tell us?" Hiro said a bit disappointed. "Because it was none of you guys' business," he scowled at them.
"Nigga just answer the damn question," Riley pressured him. Is he really trying to do this? Is he trying to expose us? "Come on answer?" Ming said kinda jumping up in down her place. "I lost my virginity to my crush!" he answered as everybody's mood went down. Huey didn't get shocked and Riley was not amused by it. I was a little surprised that I was his crush because he had sex with me. "Nigga we wanted the name of who you fucking lost it to," Cindy angrily burst out. "Well you ain't getting a name because it's none of you guy's business," he shrugged off.
"This wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be," Ming sighed. "Yeah, I thought he was going to lose his virginity at the age of 40," Riley said a bit surprised. "40?" Huey re-questioned. "Yeah, have you ever noticed you didn't like nobody's ass and they didn't like you? The only thing you like was politics, bringing something to justice, and your own beliefs," Riley said giving facts. He wasn't wrong when he said that. "Ok, what's your point you're trying to get through?" Huey asked getting a little upset.
"I'm just saying you really don't like to get into your other personal interest you might have a liking for," he exclaimed. "I have hobbies!" Huey told Riley. "Yeah, but ones you relax with other than the ones that stress you out all the time," Riley shook his head. Huey seemed to be in deep thought as everybody had stared at him in curiosity. "Only time I've seen you smile is when you held a sword on the side of my face," Riley crossed his arms as everybody had then broken out in laughter.
"Now that you can picture," Ceasar said as everybody laughed some more. "You must have done something," Ming said wiping her tears. "I didn't do shit," Riley protested. "Yes the fuck you did, you kept trying to go over to Ed and Rummy's," Huey disagreed. "Yeah and you was stopping a brotha from having some fun," Riley swiftly said. "Well if I didn't you would have been a dead brotha by a long time ago if I didn't stop yo' ass from hanging out with them," Huey emphasized. I have to admit Ed and Rummy are a little reckless! The only time I see them is when Cindy and Riley hang out with them. They're always getting into some trouble whether it's worth it or not.
I heard my phone vibrate and I pulled it out of my pocket to see I got a text from my Dad. He was telling me to come back home for dinner. "Well you guys I gotta make my way out," I said standing up. "You sure you can't stay any longer Jazz?" Cindy asked me. "No, my dad had made it clear I need to come home for dinner," I nicely said. "Ok, see you tomorrow," "Have a nice night," "I hope you live the next day," "Good night Jazmine," the others had started to tell me. "Why'd you say I hope you live the next day?" I asked Riley kinda confused. "Because yo' mamas cooking is naassty. It be looking like she just be putting stuff together like that peach cobbler she made a couple of years ago. That shit had peas in it and it looked like a dog barfed that shit up. Then I remember she put raisins in the in the potato salad like who the fucky the fuck puts raisins in potato salad and don't get me started on walnuts in that sweet potato dish she made for Thanksgiving. Then she be going a little too overboard with that mayo. That is the straight definition of white people cooking," Riley blabbered.
"Well thank you Riley for your thoughtful compliment and carefulness," I told him as he said: "You're welcome Jazmine, I don't ever have a problem telling you when you're eating some nasty ass shit and wishing you the best for tomorrow," he kindly said. "Ok..." Ceasar said looking the other way. I was about to walk out until I surprisingly heard Huey say: "Aye let me make sure you get home safely," he quickly got up off the ground. "Bitch she lives across the street," Riley commented as Huey ignored it. I opened the front door to leave with Huey following along with me.
I shivered a little bit as I felt the breeze hit me. We started to walk in silence to my house. "Well this was an interesting night," I said as he agreed. "Hey umm thanks for not saying my name," I told him as he said "No problem, I'm still not telling even if we were dating," he simply said as we made it to my front door. "Yeah, well I'll see you around tomorrow!" I smiled at him. "Yeah!" he said as we just stared at each other. He leaned in and kissed me on the lips for a quick five seconds.
He parted as I felt my face heat up. "I'll see you around tomorrow," he simply waved off. "Yeah, you too!" I said as I entered my house. When I closed the door I had smiled and then leaned on the door in a daze. What a night!
Thank you for reading!