My big day has arrived. I had already turned 16 earlier this week, but today is the day I am celebrating it with my friends.
Last weekend, my grandfather had given me a good amount of birthday money. Me being that kind of person that I am, decided to spend it in good company.
I purchased a few cases of Dr. Pepper and Coca-Cola. Victor was most likely going to claim all the Coca-Cola as that's pretty much all he drinks.
I'm convinced that's what's running through his veins instead of blood.
With some help from Pebbles and some of her friends, I was able to score some smokes to share.
Mom already had booze in the house, so I got that covered.
There was a stack of coupons already clipped and ready for when I order enough pizza for everyone.
Now to just wait for mom to go out with her friends and Pebbles to head out with hers.
"You think you're gonna be ok?" Pebbles asked.
"I think so." I shrugged. "It's mostly the guys and a few others, hopefully."
"What do you mean others?" Pebbles crossed her arms and gave me that inquisitive stare big sisters do.
"Pos (well), I told some of them they can bring a friend. I also invited a few girls, too."
Pebbles sucked her teeth. "Ay si!( yeah right!)"
"Neta neta (seriously seriously)." I nodded quickly.
"So what. You trying to have a hook-up party?" Pebbles laughed.
"I mean, if someone hooks up..." I shrugged.
Pebbles rolled her eyes.
"And you? When are you going out tonight?"
"Pshh. Yeah—when Fernie gets off." Pebbles face shifted. "He closes tonight."
I groaned and hung my head low.
That meant Pebbles was going to be around with my friends here. I immediately started to pray that my sister behaved and my friends didn't make fools of themselves.
Amen
-----
By late afternoon, Mom was already gone and the misfits started showing up. Victor and Boss arrived together as they lived across the street from each other. James arrived on foot since he lived a few streets away. Bear was dropped off by his parents and Nate was a no show.
One person I've always expected to arrive was a friend I've had since childhood—Mark.
Mark and I became friends in the first grade. We were both hyperactive and considered the weird kids. It was in middle school when Mark started to get very dark and morbid, embracing the goth style.
Even though our styles and attitudes may have changed and gone different directions, we remained friends throughout. He was actually the friend that introduced me to Magic: the Gathering. Every now and then, he would join in on a game during lunch. His strategy always made the games interesting and challenging—A power player.
Boss had a big duffle bag with his friends PlayStation and 2 of those huge CD binders full of games. He wasted no time in setting it up to the TV.
I was in awe by this console. Unlike the traditional grey casing that I had, the casing to this one was custom. It was a transparent smokey black case and it had a pc fan added to it.
"Whoa! He got that in Korea?" I held the console and looked at all the details of it. This console had been modified externally and internally.
Besides the custom PlayStation, the few surprises I was hoping to see was CC. She had not arrived yet, but I was still in high hopes she would arrive.
However Cherise did.
Cherise being the really friendly and flirty girl she was, gave everyone a hug.
There was a sudden tension in the living room when she went to go hug Mark. Mark just stood there stone cold and very statuesque.
"C'mon give me a hug?" Cherise pouted with her arms open to him.
"I don't like hugs!" Mark shook his head and stared at her while narrowing his eyes.
She giggled and gave him a hug anyway. Mark remained motionless and did not move a single muscle, but you can hear him make a soft grumpy growl.
"God. You don't have to be like that." She released him and went to sit at one of the couches.
As I come to find out, Cherise and Mark dated while in middle school. I don't know the details of it or how it ended, but Mark seemed bitter to see her there.
Victor went ahead and gave me my present early. "Hey. Put this on, track 6!" He smirked.
From the shape and feel, I could easily tell it was a CD or game. I was surprised to see the Eiffel 65:Europop album. I went ahead and put it into the stereo system in the living room and put it to track 6 just as Victor requested.
"WE GONNA PLAY THE GAME. THE PLAYSTATION ALL DAY—WITH METAL GEAR SOLID TO TEKKEN 3—"
(My console: Eiffel 65)
My eyes widened with amusement at those opening lyrics. When the synth beats started playing, I started bobbing my head to it.
"Dude!" I said.
"I know right! It's our anthem!" Victor was already flipping through the game album. He already had that ambition for competition.
Bear already had a controller in his hand and ready to play.
DING —DONG
I perked up with excitement after hearing that door bell ring.
Could it be?
Did she come?
I stood up and hopped over everyone while trying my best not to step on anything.
Pebbles was already opening the door by the time I reached it.
"Alfie!" She hollered.
A smile was already stretched across my face.
"It's the Pizza."
That smile quickly faded away. In all my 16 years, I have never been disappointed by those words.
I let out a deep sigh as I fished my wallet out of those deep back pockets JNCOs were known for. My sister grabbed the pizzas and took them to the dinning room table while I paid the delivery guy.
After the delivery guy left, I checked my watch and started staring out the front window hoping she would still come.
With that bit of sadness blooming over, I went to my room and grabbed my incense burner, a dragon's blood incense stick, and grabbed my smokes from my stash—inside one of those collectable Burger King pokéballs with the gold plated bar.
Because of how much I valued my collectables, I had to keep them on a high shelf so my little brother couldn't get to them. They were also in plain sight. I don't even know how many times my mom has overlooked them, it was perfect.
Pebbles looked over at me and raised her eyebrows. "Que tienes?( What's wrong?)"
She could tell something was bothering me. I just shook it off and ignited my smoke. "Nothing. Just getting lit." I gave her a broken smile.
Victor and Boss perked up like a few hounds at the fragrant smell of pizza and the smoke.
"Now we're talking." Boss clapped and rubbed his hands.
Pebbles decided to come out to the living room with drinks and joined us to partake in the pizza and smoke.
Bear was hesitant with the smoke, but I assured him he didn't have to do anything if he didn't want to. He carried on and started playing Tekken 3 while he waited.
The strong smell of the dragon's blood incense overpowered the smell of the smoke from the cigarette we were passing around.
I noticed Victor kept staring at my sister at our little circle. He had a cheesey grin on his face. Every time he saw me, I shot him a look to knock it off which only made him giggle.
Once the cigarette was done, we piled onto the couches and the pizza boxes were being passed around.
Whoever was playing was at the floor by the console. Bear and Victor were already going head to head. Bear as Kuma vs Victor as Jin.
(Ironically fitting)
Cherise was laughing at how those 2 were trash talking each other and smashing buttons the entire time.
"Hey. Isn't this the game that has that one Native girl?"Pebbles was watching the fighting while eating a pizza.
"You mean Julia? Yeah." Boss nodded.
"I GOT NEXT" She raised her hands.
"Ooh ok girl." Cherise suddenly became invested.
All of us just stared at her for a moment—especially me.
My sister wasn't really one for video games, but there were a few instances like this she surprised me.
Sure enough, she jumped right into the action. "Ey, there's my bitch." She made her selection.
Pebbles Vs. Victor. Julia vs Jin.
We were all laughing and cheering my sister on. What cracked me up the most was seeing the way she played and how she moved with the controller.
Gaming was a full body experience for her.
Whatever she was doing, she broke Victors winning streak. Boss took the chance to jump in, then James, Mark, Bear and me.
We all lost.
When the hell did she play Tekken 3 and why was she so good?
I sat back into the couch and kept looking between my watch and the window. It had become too late for CC to show up.
I really tried my best to pull some strings, but it didn't work.
"What's wrong?" Cherise asked in concern.
"Oh nothing. I was just...hopeful. just being hopeful." I sighed.
"Is it your girlfriend?"
"Hmm?"I looked at her puzzled.
"You know, the girl from homecoming." Cherise was starting to get concerned I didn't know who she was talking about.
"Oh. Lilly?" I finally realized who she was talking about.
"Yeah her."
"She's not my girlfriend."
"What! She gasped. "What happened?"
I shook my head slowly. "Nothing. We're just friends."
"Oh. I thought you scammed with her and everything." Cherise sat up right and had her hand over her chest.
"Nah. Still green. I don't even know how to scam."
(Time out! You're probably a little lost right now. You see, Scamming had a slang meaning in the late 90s early 2000s. Scamming meant kissing and casually making out. Being green meant you haven't experienced it yet. Time in!)
"What?" Cherise was genuinely surprised.
"Dude seriously?" Victor snapped his head to face me.
"C'mon man." James and Boss said simultaneously.
"Jinx!" Boss shouted and pinched James in the arm. "You owe me a coke."
"I'm not even green." Bear giggled and commented while still trying to beat my sister. "I did that back in middle school."
"What?" I felt very vulnerable and like the odd man out.
Was I seriously the only one in that room that has never made out.
"Unless you want to make him not green" Boss suggested to Cherise.
I raised my brows.
Cherise had a mischievous grin. "I can teach you, if you want."
Mark just peeked his eyes up from his dangling hair and huffed. He had his arms crossed tightly.
Pebbles stopped playing the game and gave a very judgemental look to Cherise with a slight grimace.
All eyes were on me. I could feel the weight of all their stares piling up on top of my shoulders.
Cherise is cute and all, but I never found myself interested in her. She was very free spirited and a bit of a heartbreaker. A libertine, if you will.
I was hoping my first anything would be with someone I really liked.
But what if that never happens.
What if I turn out to be a horrible kisser.
I kept repeating scenarios in my head, but my buzzed mind was making that difficult.
I'm single. I'm not spoken for or committed to. There's no harm in learning how to kiss, right?
"You know what..." I paused then started to nod. "Sure. Why not."
Maybe it wasn't the kiss I'd imagined in my daydreams... but it was real. And maybe real was better than perfect.
I stood up and took a drink of liquid courage. I guess I was off to play 7 minutes in heaven with Cherise. The stares of everyone's eyes increased. Pebbles shook her head lightly in disapproval.
Cherise followed me into my bedroom. I was anxious, nervous, my palms were already sweating before I even opened the bedroom door.
Was this really happening.
"Hey. Relax. This is no big deal." Cherise talked softly to me and took my hand.
The sound of the music and bantering was muffled behind the closed door. It was becoming too real. I sat down on the edge of my bed and took a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. She sat right next to me.
"First thing, breath mints. They make they experience so much better." She pulled out a tin of wintermint Altoids and handed me one. I popped it into my mouth immediately.
"Hmm." I was so used to peppermint that wintermint took me by surprise. It had a cooling effect.
Cherise then leaned in towards me and pressed her lips onto mine—soft, slow, and playfully.
At first, it was just a simple, delicate press of her mouth against mine. Her lips were warm, soft, tasting faintly of cherry lip balm and the faintest hint of Dr. Pepper.
I sat there like a statue, terrified of messing it up.
I didn't know whether to keep my eyes open or closed like in the movies, but I went with what felt best—what felt natural.
She giggled and started to pull me in gently and increased the intensity. Her tongue slid gently into my mouth and tickled the tip of my tongue.
Our lips moved against each other, exploring, testing. I found myself mirroring her, matching the small, slow movements she was making.
"Mmm." I raised my brow in surprise. It was a new and different sensation. My tongue started to push and brush back against hers, the breath mint rolling around in between the whole time. It started to become a bit of a game.
Cherise pulled back just enough to feel her breathing against my lips. "That wasn't bad at all." She giggled softly. "Are you sure that was your first?"
"Yes. I swear!" I raised my arms in surrender.
My blood rushed to my cheeks. My heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else. I swallowed hard, still dazed, still feeling the lingering warmth of her mouth against mine.
Exiting my room, The guys erupted into wild cheering. Mark and Pebbles just shook their heads. I buried my face in my hands, half from shyness, half because I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face.
We both sat back down on the couch near each other.
Cherise laughed and gave my knee a playful nudge before leaning back into her seat like nothing had happened.
She was indeed a scam artist.
But something had happened that night.
Something that made me feel a little less like a kid.
A little less green.
Something that maybe, just maybe, meant I was growing up after all.