Fuckboi Class System: The ordered hierarchical standing in the ecosystem of Jackson high school, which instills certain rights, such as the performance of purification rituals, to high ranking officers.
Chapter 2
Jean
5%. 5%. 5%. 5%. 5%. The miniscule percentage reverberates endlessly in my skull, a constant echo reminding me of the failure looming in my imminent future. The crimson glow of the Stanford web page illuminates my face in its daunting grasp, suffocating my every thought. My eyes rake over the tear stained paper, reporting the one I scored on my AP exam. Just as my mind begins to travel deep into my darkest oblivion, my phone pulls me back into reality, the screen lighting up and the speakers releasing the sharp note of my text tone.
Keland. Keland… My thoughts are drawn into an instant battle between lust and my fuckboi aspirations. The fear the weaboo had imbued within my mentality is brought forth to me once again; the fear of being found out. Regardless of my anxieties, I venture into a world of risk and anticipation, taking my phone in hand and unlocking it to view the recently intercepted message.
Keland: Yo bro. U been risin up the ranks with the boiz. Wanna hang?
My chest is instantly filled to the brim with pride due to my success in both pursuits; the pursuit of Keland and my pursuit of entrance into the brotherhood. Eagerly, I type out a response, elation and glee visible in my trembling hands and profuse blushing.
Jean: Ye man, soun coo…
The door bell interrupts my racing thoughts, and at the sight of my only true friend, Kevin, I am reminded of my despair caused by my shameful score on the AP World exams.
"Hey! I'm so sorry about your score, I just thought I'd come over to see—" I interrupt Kevin, grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards my bedroom. Once encapsulated by the walls, I spring towards the closet. I can see the befuddled expression on my friend's face as he asks me, "Are you sure you're ok dude?" I shake my head at this and slink closer to him, for my secret is too shameful for these thin walls.
"Do you… Remember…. The thing I told you… About…Me?" I say anxiously, my hands gyrating with pure fear.
"YOU MEAN THE KPOP!" His eyes grow wide as he recalls the embarrassing events of the prior year. I shake my head once more, my dismal disposition clear on my face; suddenly I see the realization overtake him.
"Is this about, Keland?" My closest friend was the only one I had confided in, and because of this I solemnly nod. I come out of the closet… Numerous articles of attire in hand, my face burning with the heat and fear of judgement, "So, what should I wear?"
Forward? Back? FORWARD! No—no BACK! I endlessly adjust my American flag SnapBack but regardless of how intensely I long to look like the rest of the brotherhood, the hat never sits quite right on my head. Making my way to the apartments, I attempt to replace my expression of joviality with one of ennui. The first thing I see are his emoji pants, adorable as always yet classy in their own right.
"Ey, boy, you been lit lately!" I blush as Keland ever so eloquently regards me and reply, "You know it bro just doing what I do." I coolly pass off his compliment but inside I am spinning in exuberant splendor. Keland recognized my efforts to assimilate after all.
"Man, we gotta bounce, oh wait yo, I got something for you." He reaches into his adidas jacket pocket, what hidden depths are within it I do not know, but my heart beats in anticipation, galloping like a wild stallion. Then I see it. A silvery rod emerges from the caverns within the breathable fabric of his adidas jacket, its length glistening in the dim glow of the horizon. Vape.
"I got that strawberry inhale apple exhale on lock. You even vape bro?" I take his gift in my hand, but a voice in the back of my mind reminds me of my future. Stanford, TSA, maintaining my Lychee based YouTube channel! But it was Keland… I take a long draw of vape. Keland. Another toke of the delicious fruit concoction. Keland. I smile dopily up at him, and before my dulled brain can register the situation, Keland's thick fingers grasp the metal rod containing the substance, and his powerful lungs gulp the thick white vape. My face flushes as I watch his perfect lips exhale the fruity cloud. And then it hits me. An indirect kiss. The transfer of saliva. The exchange of steam. I feel the blood pulsing through my veins and quickly attempt to subdue my desires. In this moment I am complete, no mortality exists when I am near him. We walk the trail along the apartments, my mind at ease, my heart filled with ecstasy.