Across the street from my home is a house that’s been up for sale for about a couple of months now. It used to belong to Old Lady Kissinger, but she hit the legendary lotto and skipped town with a quickness. Her furniture was still there collecting dust when the realtor scouted the place. She made sure no one would come around with their hand out begging and to this day we don’t know where she fled. As she should, she paid her dues.
Locking the front door as I left for school, the first thing I noticed was the ‘For Sale’ sign covered up with a huge sticker that stated ‘Sold’. Huh. Guess our block’s getting new neighbors. What run-of-the-mill suburbia excitement, am I right? Leisurely, I strolled down the lengthy sidewalk for five or so streets until I was approaching the bus stop. Sitting on a single bench was over half of my friend group; Nova Norwood, azel Zen Thompson, and Hazel Harris. Quite magnificent ladies that shaped my formative years if I do say so myself.
They were all doing their own thing while sitting together. Nova clutched a compact mirror with her manicured fingers, reapplying on lip gloss and wore gold hoop earrings large enough to fit a closed fist through it. Hazel was nose deep in a hefty book, thumbing pages. Zen inspected the wheels of her skateboard meticulously, her massive dreadlocks tied up in a bun.
"Good morning guys!" I merrily greeted them with extra pep in my step. Politely, they scooted over so I could sit at the edge of the bench.
"Heeey." Zen’s raspy cadence replied in a lethargic drawl, grinning amicably at me.
"Howdy." Hazel’s quiet inflection deadpanned, briskly nodding, eyes never leaving her book.
"Nuh-uh. No. It's a bad morning, Irene." Nova immediately complained, expression etched in irritation.
Both Hazel and Zen rolled their eyes, sighing deeply as I leaned forward into Nova's elbowroom, ears primed to hear her vent like the unparalleled best friend I am. "Ooh, someone's in a grumpy mood. Talk to me, talk to me."
"Miss Debutante here is her usual bratty self. Nothing new." Hazel finally looked away from her pages to side-eye Nova, who loudly gasped, scandalized.
"How dare you trivialize my agony, Hazel! We should be riding high in my truck, bossed up and glamorous, but instead we're taking the bus like measly peasants." She huffed, pouting severely. "It's not my fault dumb boys do dumb things when it comes to moi!"
Zen instantly scoffed at the high-pitched whining. "You had them boys literally duking it out hand to hand combat style for a chance to date the Notorious Nova Norwood. Quit playing."
"Um… Correction! I didn't make them do anything. I simply said they'd have to fight for my attention. Those barbarians took it too far when all I wanted was basic old-timey gentleman peacocking." Nova valiantly protested.
"What a weak defense. You were eating that foolishness up, dollface. Don't lie."
Hazel cut deep through the BS, her tone sharp like samurai swords, all no-nonsense. Cracking her lips into a mischievous simper, Nova finally admitted that Hazel was right in some regards.
“Ok! Maybe I was indulging their wolfish behavior a tad. Well, until I got my driving privileges unjustly revoked."
I struggled to contain my gurgling laughter. It was common for our little squad to have debates like this every blue moon. In case it wasn't obvious, Nova was spoiled and exceptionally theatrical, making the others take up the mantle to bring her back down to reality if she went off the rails.
"Hazel. Irene. Was Nova even a safe driver? When she turned a corner, 9 times out of 10 she hit the curb and was a speed demon in these streets." Zen voiced her observation with no ill intent, but she had a knack for that, innocently offending people.
"Yeah, she sho did. Didn’t she? It's a miracle we survived. I most definitely shed years off my life." Hazel concurred, teasingly smirking at a furious Nova who’s top blew off.
"That's it! All those unlicensed have no right to judge. I oughta ban yall for bumming rides from me. Criticizing car-less cretins! I didn’t even demand gas money from you heartless harlots! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”
Hazel and Zen snickered unreservedly at Nova popping a vein. She would’ve called the duo another spiteful term that rhymes with go and started with letter ‘H’, but Nova was expanding her vocabulary lately.
"Haha. She's heated." Zen loudly whispered to Hazel.
"Get this broad anger management." Hazel kept airily mocking.
Now was the time I refereed the mounting discourse. As the self-appointed glue, I had to temper the hotheads and the instigators. Sadly, one of the downsides of maintaining friendships with conflicting personalities. Nova was shouting a slew of coded curses, unaware that it tickled Zen and Hazel silly.
"Nope! No more arguing when tomorrow's the beginning of summer fun under the sun." Clapping my hands, I smoothly changed the topic with my booming voice.
Disturbingly fast, Nova switched from anger to ecstatic. Her hissy fits weren’t longlasting, thank ya lawdy! She hopped to her feet to stand in front of us, hip jutted out and arms crossed over her chest triumphantly. Flipping her straightened blue hair elegantly, she smugly spoke.
"Speaking of summer, we're celebrating our survival of another year of high school by painting the town red tonight."
"For real?! I thought we planned a basic sleepover at your place."
I was prepped for cozy movie marathons and snacking on junk food. Recalibrating for outside activities required extensive mental preparation. I'm an introvert through and through who yearns to be adventurous, it just takes me a moment to boost up. Changing plans, surprises like that, were the bane of my short existence.
"We're still doing that." Nova reassured me. "It’s just that I've been invited to a butt load of parties kicking off the season."
"Popular as ever." Hazel nonchalantly commented.
"You know it!" Nova didn't miss a beat. "The party that interests me the most is in Oakview Grove. Vance Collington personally insisted I show my flawless face."
We all bucked our eyes crazily at the news. It was a big deal.
"That's where the trust fund babies live!" Zen hollered in astonishment.
"They call mini mansions houses over there!" I chirped, amazed.
"Excuse me, did you say we're going to State trackstar Vance Collington’s party?" Quirking a brow, Hazel frowned up.
"Yup! I can't go without my tried and true day-ones. Nice to have friends in high places, isn't it." Nova patted herself on the back.
Zen and I vigorously agreed. Hazel, on the other hand, grunted in disapproval.
"Hard pass. I hate people and socializing. My house is the opposite of all that hoo-rah. Y'all be blessed though."
I gripped Hazel's shoulders, shooting her a pleading look with my award-winning puppy dog eyes. "C'mon, Haze. Think of the memories!"
"And the attractive eligible rich boys!" Nova added.
"And the cringeworthy couples we can make fun of." Zen offered her two cents as well.
Mulling it over silently, Hazel reluctantly caved. She didn't care for any of the reasons we brought up. In actuality, Hazel wanted to cease our tiresome griping so she could finish reading in peace.
"Are Shauna and Kenzie coming, Nov?" I asked about the other half of the squad who took a different bus than us.
"They already texted me that they're down. We'll link up at the vending machines to discuss outfits." Geez, she thought of everything in advance, how ambitious of her. Well this was her forte after all.
"How'd you get under Vance's radar, anyhow? He doesn't go to Pinecrest Prep and I heard he's uppity." Zen was nosy when she wanted to be. Usually she minded her business.
Seemed like Nova anticipated this interrogation to show-off and pulled up pictures on her phone where she was posed next to a dapperly dressed young man. They were at a snazzy ballroom gala.
"He and I met up at cotillion practice. We're dance partners. Chatted him up and he grew sweet on me. Bada boom bada bing, babes!"
"Whoa, confidence on a thousand. I'm impressed." Zen complimented, whistling as Nova basked in the flattery.
Hazel clicked her tongue, irked at being dragged to a party again by peer pressure. She had hope laced in her voice when probing. "Oakview is two towns over. How are we getting there? Walking? Biking?"
"Not to worry. I'll have my keys by dinnertime." Nova giggled cutely. "I've got the 2nd highest GPA in our grade. Mode of transportation will be solved with a little moping and ugly sniffling since I’m their irreplaceable gifted only child."
Gosh, my bestie has it easy as pie, straight pampered. Must be nice. With her cult-leader charisma, even Nova's parents relinquished their wannabe strict nurturing no fuss no hassle. My folks would definitely double over, thunderously hooting until tears poured if I acted a fraction of Nova. They'd never let me live it down.
"Tonight's gonna be trifling." Hazel wholeheartedly believed, shutting her book as a familiar sound neared.
The jarring squeal of the bus had us scrambling from the bench to board.
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