Chapter 33

Everyone hops in my black jeep and I start to pull out of the driveway, and start to head to the mall. Everyone was chatting it up and filling the air in the car with laughter. I look at the time and it's 12 pm. We have plenty of time. What would we need?

"Hey, Zen?" I start talking to him, as he is in the passenger seat next to me. "What should we be getting? Besides bathing suits."

"A duffle bag to hold all of our stuff in. Do you have a duffle bag?" He replies.

Yikes. I HAD one. "No, I think my Aunt took it."

"Well we need to buy bags,sunscreen. Heavy sunscreen. Kuya and I should be okay without but you guys definitely need it."

"Why is th-"

"We're Black, Xena."

"Got it. Got it."

"We don't usually need it but we put it on just in case. Anyway, phone protectors from the water, towels and that should be it. I believe, yea."

"So not much. Then we can go, and I Don't know, eat maybe? At a restaurant like a big family."

"Maybe." He turns around and faces everyone else.

"Yo, y'all wanna eat at a restaurant or go home and probably order food or something?"

Murmurs raised and they started to slowly change to saying "restaurant." So I guess it's settled. We get to the mall and we divide into groups, girls and boys and go off into different directions. Alex, Jace and I went to the clothing store across the mall so we can get new bathing suits.

"Soooo what exactly happened when Zen and I went to sleep?" I ask.

"Well...we did more dares...." Alex answers.

"Like?"

"Malcolm and I had to sleep in the same bed."

"I had to kiss Kuya." Jace said.

"He's gay though." I replied.

"Well so am I so we didn't really care."

"What???" Alex and I said unanimously.

"Yea, I like girls. It's whatever, I didn't think it mattered so I never said."

"Of course it matters." I say. "Why would it not???"

"I Don't know...I'm just not interested in anybody so I didn't think it mattered. Kinda like how Alex and Malcolm like each other. "

"Oh so you know??" I ask.

"Everyone knows. You have to be dumb or blind to not know."

"Because when I walked in on them this morning, it definitely looked like they did way more than just sleeping last night." I say as I turn to Alex, her face is red.

"Well....we definitely kissed. A lot. But that was it." She seemed hesitant. No eye contact and she was doing this thing with her hands where she would tap on her thumb nail behind her back. She's lying.

"You're lying. Really really badly too." I say.

"No, I'm not."

"You are. I'm guessing you guys got really touchy feely, but no sex. Which is fine with me. When are you guys going to start dating?"

"I don't know, I've asked him that question a couple times and he just says that he isn't ready for a relationship."

"So he just wants to continue being a hoe."

"He's not a hoe."

"So he definitely is a hoe." Jace says as she looks for a swimsuit.

"How?" Alex seems to not like that but I could care less. Let me chill out though.

"Well not a hoe but he does have a lot of problems Alex so I do understand why he doesn't want to start a relationship. Him sleeping around so much is a way of him getting attention that he wants from his dad since his dad doesn't accept the fact that he's bisexual. Sex compensates for his loneliness. Malcolm has a lot going on that he doesn't really tell us because of this constant wall he has up. I. Don't necessarily agree with how much he has sex though, since sex is something that should be bonding. Like yea I get it, it feels good and lust isn't a sin but an emotion, yes. I understand that but it's almost like he is doing it for attention." "There is a certain...complexity to Malcolm that I personally don't think you are ready for, as there are certain characteristics of you that I don't think he can handle. For instance, you have this thing where you try to make people happy before you worry about yourself and although it's sweet, it can be troubling. Malcolm had massive commitment issues and doesn't know what it's like to be stable. If anything, you guys should take this time to learn each other. No rush,ya know?"

"Did you take your time with Zen?"

"Yea, and everyday I'm still learning new things about him. Like he wears socks while he sleeps or he blinks three times before lying. It's like a new thing every day."

"I think you should be a counselor." Jace says as she keeps looking for swimsuits.

"I don't know, maybe I should. Like a therapist or a psychologist. That would be fun." I say.

"Do you think you and Zen will last after high school?" Alex questioned.

"Yea, he doesn't have a choice. Of course we are." I say. We have to pick out colleges and where we want to move to and things like that. Oh also, I should definitely meet his parents soon.

"You guys are cute. I really do hope you guys last after high school. Shit happens."

"Yea. I know. Well for now, let's just look for bathing suits so we can go eat." I say. And that's exactly what we did.