#dejworth

The Flame was a teen club located directly on the border of the East and West side of Dejworth. For that reason, it was one of very few places you could find the two under the same roof. 

Entering the club Asia and Kiara immediately started for the booth they claimed to be “their spot” but Maya’s attention was elsewhere. The dance floor was packed and she longed for those distant across the room stares she’d been given at their last GNO. 

Climbing into the booth she couldn’t take her eyes off the glowing neon floor. While her friends sat devouring a plate of nachos and gossiping she sat dancing in her seat silently begging for one of them to get up with her. 

When the beat dropped, she couldn’t stand it anymore. Leaping up out of her seat she pulled them up on their feet. 

Maya: Come ooon!! 

Having eyes on her had never been something she’d enjoyed but there was something about the strobing lights and pulsing speakers that made her crave it. 

She had no idea whose bodies were pressed up against her and quite frankly she didn’t care. 

As the music changed to a song that oddly reminded her of a nursery rhyme the room went berserk. Even people who hadn’t danced all night shot up out of their seats. 

“ She got her hands all on her knees, and then her bows on her thigh She like to twerk and that’s for certain ‘cause I can tell she fi'e She got me hype, I wanna bite it right now yi, yi Say, I yi, yi, yi, yi OH”

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Miesha: Hello, Maya. 

Maya: Oh-uhh hey Miesha. [Awkwardly chuckles]

Miesha: [Scoffs] Cute table. What is it you’re giving out? 99 cent store earrings?

Kiara: Hold up-

Maya: No Kiara, that’s okay I deserve that. 

Asia: Like hell you do!

Maya: I do. Miesha I should’ve told you I planned to run this year. The truth is it was kind of a spur-

Miesha: Does your boyfriend know that you and gangster boy are going to The Flame tonight?

Lamonte had only asked if he’d see her there a few short minutes ago. But how could Miesha have possibly known that?

Maya: Huh?

Miesha: Wow guess it’s true what they say then, “the bigger the hoop…”. 

Miesha turned her back towards them leaving both the insult and unspoken threat to hang in the air. 

Kiara: I will yank that-

Later that night Maya lay listening to music with Terrel on speaker phone. 

On the one hand the dreamy music she was playing made him think she was excited to talk to him but the sound of typing coming through the phone made him think otherwise.  

Terrell: Maya? Maya, are you even listening to me?  

Maya [Texting]: Hmm?

Terrell: I said I was coming to see you on Friday. 

She sits up suddenly alert. 

She should have been excited to see him but for some strange reason, she just wasn’t...

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Maya was pleasantly surprised to see Lamonte walking towards them. Although he had said he'd be there she was certain Youngsta's situation would prove more important.

As it would have it the police received an anonymous tip that it had been Youngsta who started the fire that destroyed West Dewport High. With the lack of evidence, there was nothing that could tie him to the incident so naturally, there was nothing to worry about, especially when Lamonte knew exactly who had opened their mouth to snitch.

"Ooo there go, Lamonte, he so fine. Oh sh**, he comin' over here. How I look?"

"Girl have several seats he ain't coming over here for you."

Asia: He's not worried about you neither. Ain't that right Maaaya?

Lamonte: You looked good out there.

Maya: Me?!

Lamonte: You ain’t gotta be humble, you sick wit it. Come show me some more?

"Ooo- you need some watah girl?"

"Fresh draws?"

Shaking her head she grabs his hand leading him out onto the dancefloor.

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Terrell: The guys said they didn’t see you at lunch today…

Maya: I thought it’d be a little...weird without you.

Kendra: [In the distance] Terrell, tell Maya goodnight.

Terrell: [Smirking] Goodnight Maya.

Maya: Goodnight Terrell…[Loudly] goodnight Kendra!

Terrell:[Hushed] I'll see if I can get her to make some buttons for you.

Maya: Oh- Terrell you don't have to.

Terrell: [Winking] Go team Maya!

--Call ended--

As Maya lay down to close her eyes, the events of her day began to replay through her mind.

Sure she told a few fibbs, but in the end everything worked out.

She made two new friends, went to a really cool party, almost got busted, and the only real consequence is having to run against Miesha Hebert for president.

Oh… and then there’s the Bengalis’, but as long as she kept her mother busy, everything would be fine...right?

Suddenly one of her grandmother’s proverbs began to creep into her mind.

“Sugar, a lie may take care of the present...but it has no future.”

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A PROLOGUE OF SORTS

Massive fire destroys West Dejworth High Saturday evening.

The fire started around 7:30 p.m, just after principal Warren Richardson left the school, said School Board Superintendent Malik Harris.

The cause of the fire isn’t yet known, Harris said.

Over 30 classrooms were lost.

No one was in the building when it caught fire and no firefighters were in the building when it collapsed, Harris said.

Smoke could be seen from miles away.

While much of the fire is out, firefighters are expected to continue to work on the flames throughout the night.

Nothing has been said about the opening of the school previously scheduled to occur, Monday the 8th of August.

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Lamonte didn’t stay for lunch and although Maya was a little relieved she still wondered why. 

Asia: What was up with that? 

Maya: I honestly don’t know, Jerome has never been like that. 

Kiara: Not that, we been told you Eastsiders were di***. She means Lamonte.

Her whole body goes on high-alert. 

Lamonte, so that’s his name. 

Maya: Who?

Asia: Oh for real? You gon’ play dumb?

[Maya shrugs]

Maya: There isn’t a lot to say. We met last night.

Kiara: What? When? I was witchu the whole night and I ain’t see him. 

Maya: He came up to me last night while I was freaking out, asked if everything was okay. It’s not a big deal.

Kiara: Lamonte? Lamonte Thompson?? Fine a** Lamonte? [Low] Dangerous Lamonte? 

Maya stopped walking, turning around.

Maya: Alright you got me. What’s his deal? I mean you guys acted like he was royalty or something. The entire cafeteria rose for him. 

Asia: [Mumbles] Fast learners. 

Maya: What does that mean? 

Kiara: [Shrugs] I could go for some ice cream, y'all down?

The subject change hadn’t gone unnoticed but still, Maya agreed. 

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Kiara: Girl, go on we’ll be right here. 

Before leaving that morning for school her mother had called her outfit ‘adorable’. 

Pulling out the fit she had stuffed into her bag, Maya was certain the word would be far from anyone else’s mind. 

Asia: Damn Maya you lowkey double cheeked up! 

Kiara: Yaaas Boo! Go off!

Across the hall Maya’s friends worried for her and her sudden desire for change.

Caleb had suggested that maybe it was a “girl thing,” that Maya simply wanted to appear “more feminine”. 

Caleb: [Laughing] Like back in middle school when socks were falling out of bras left and right. 

Kofi wasn’t so certain that was it as the pink pleated skirt Maya had changed out of was as “girl” as it got. 

All Jerome could do was facepalm at his friends’ blindness. Why couldn’t they see what he could?

That the change in Maya was a direct result of the westsiders she was calling friends. 

He might not have been able to do something about the lot of them but there was one in particular he could...

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