Jessica, she’s so beautiful, and I HAVE to be with her, and her party tonight, is probably my only chance I say to myself as I think of my ‘one and only’

There’s a phone call. It’s my friend Johnny:
“Hello?”
“Yea dude, it’s me Johnny. Are you coming to the party? Did you ask your dad yet?”
“Not yet dude, I’m gonna go ask him now”
“You better hurry dude, Mathew and I need to know whether you’re coming or not, so we know to pick you up or not”
“Yeah cool, I’m gonna go ask him now” I whisper so my dad doesn’t hear, as I hang up the phone.


I have to do everything I can to get to the party. I’ve known her for 5 years now and I could never get closer to her because she always has those d*bag jocks around her. Sure I’m not as strong as them, but I’m smarter than all of them combined! Jessica is smart as well, so it’s only right to think we were meant for each other.

I heard that Jessica was the one who invited me; maybe she wants me to be there. IT COULD BE A DATE. I HAVE to go to the party. So I go downstairs, I see my dad watching TV and drinking beer. I take a deep breath and ask:
“Hey, dad, there’s a pa-“
“No.” he cuts me off
“This party is important for me dad, I have to go please”, I plead in hope of my father’s approval
“No way son! I don't want you to end up doing something stupid and embarrass me,” replies dad angrily. I don’t want to repeat myself. You are not going to any party”
Dad really pissed me off “I’m going to bed!” I shout and storm out of the living room.
I am going to the party. I sent a text to tell Johnny and Matthew to wait for me few houses down the street. I went to the bedroom and I started creating a replica version of myself, but with pillows on my bed. I lock my bedroom door and quickly put my clothes on and a bunch of cologne. Since my room was on the first floor, I didn't have trouble getting out of the house from my window. I ran down the street and saw Matthew and Johnny parked by one of the houses. I got in and we drove off straight away, because we were already running late.


We arrived at the party and just when I though I was completely off the hook, my worst nightmare, the devil himself was waiting at the door to punish me for my sins. No, it was just Jessica’s older brother Bruce. He just got back from his Rugby University somewhere in Australia. He got accepted there because he was good at tackling people. He’s a big muscular guy, who just happens to hate my guts. He lets my friends in and stops me:
“Who the hell invited you? This is not a party for nerds” Everyone around the party surrounded the devil and I like a big fight was about to go down. I didn't want my glasses to break; I just got new ones yesterday. I didn’t know what to say, I either, throw a punch first, run away, or think of a clever comeback.
So I said “then why the hell are you here?”
You could hear the oos and the ah’s of our surroundings.
Next happened something everyone expected, but me.
POW, I was knocked out cold.


I slowly open my eyes, as I opened them, I started seeing bits of beauty, until I saw the whole beauty itself. IT WAS JESSICA. She was putting ice on my right eye, where her steroid filled brother socked me.
“Are you alright?” she asked in the most caring voice
“I’m better now” I tried to smile, but with a bruise like that I just looked like an idiot
“I’m so sorry about my brother, he can be an idiot sometimes” she said as she smiled
“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know” I laughed, but thought she would be mad for criticizing her sibling. Surprisingly, she laughed back.
“Hey, I have to get back to my friends, let me know if you need anything?” she spoke as she walked away with a smile.
She looked back.
SHE LOOKED BACK.
I’m so in.
I didn’t see her for the rest of the night.


Time passed, the party was still going, and everyone was drinking and smoking except for me. I was just sitting on the couch and drinking my soda and thinking whether my dad has found out that I left the house and faked my sleep. He called me 6 times and left 2-voice call messages.
Yeah I guess he did find out. “How?” was the question on my mind. I thought thoroughly. I locked the door; he couldn’t have opened, unless he has duplicate of each key for each room in the house. God doughnut, how could I be so dumb? He’s going to kill me now.
I need some advice. I should ask Jessica maybe she can help?


I start looking for her around the house, she’s nowhere to be seen, and maybe she went somewhere. I asked some of her friends, they didn't know as well. I asked my friend Matthew, he said he saw her go upstairs. Should I wait for her to come down? No, I really need some advice now.
I go upstairs.
There’s a bunch of teenagers just making out in the hallway. I’ve been to her house once, when we came over for a family dinner, so I know where her room is. It's the last door on the left. I walk over to the door and slowly open it, to not disturb her, what I saw next was heard breaking.
She was making out with some jock on her bed.
“Hey! Get out a*****e,” yelled the jock. Jessica was surprised and shocked to see me.
“No, Kendrick, this is not what you think” she didn't know where to put herself.
I was speechless.
I closed the door and walked out.
I loved her for 5 years; we were great friends as well. I can’t believe what I saw back there. I decided to leave the party. Nobody cared; they didn’t even notice that I left. I checked my phone only to see 8 more missed calls and 2 more voicemail messages from my dad. I didn't call him back. My mind was completely somewhere else. My thoughts were lost and nowhere to be found. I put on my earphones and played “Poetic Justice” by Kendrick Lamar, my favorite rapper. I’m blessed to have the same name as him.

I’m making my way home alone. It’s 11pm. I’m walking down the neighborhood and hear a car engine. It’s my dad. Oh man was I going to get it. He drove up next to me. I tried to ignore him.
“Get in, kid” commanded dad, loud enough for me to hear him despite my music.
I get in the car. Just as dad is about to yell and scold me, he sees the sadness and the vulnerability in me, his son’s face. Dad calms down and asks:
“She was special huh?” He understood me; he knew what was killing me inside.
“Yeah, she was” I answer
“It’s alright kid, you’re still young and there’s plenty of other fish in the sea,” says dad in hope of cheering me up. I sigh and look back out the window. I see the lights and I hear the music from the party. Dad tried to take my mind off of all the negativity:
“The Lakers game is going to start soon, we better get home on time, yeah buddy?”
“Yeah” I reply with a small grin on my face as we drive off the neighborhood. We never talked about the argument or me running away from the house.