What Are Your Parents Like?

"You know I'm glad you're in a better mood about this whole going to a boys' school thing." Ariella was the first to arrive at my apartment and was more than eager to help me pack.

"I want my friend back." I laughed, and she threw a shirt at me and laughed as well.

"Come on you two, we need to pack the clothes not throw them at each other." Lasaly smiled at us, not even trying to hide her amusement. Lasaly was after. To have both of them here meant a lot to me. If I wasn't supported by the whole world, at least I was supported by my friends.

"You know you could help us," Ariella stated as she threw a shirt at Lasaly.

"I actually finished this handbook cover to cover and helping Tiana with your school uniform that conforms with the rules and regulations of the school." Lasaly took a minute to breathe. "I'm going to get some food. You guys want anything."

"What about your kids?" Ariella asked, and I just looked away as the tension started to fill the room.

"They are with their father. I'm just going to go get some pizza." She started to walk away, and I slapped Ariella on the arm. "Oh, I almost forgot." She came back to my door. "Tiana wants you to gpo and try on the clothes." I just smiled and nodded, and when we heard the front door of the apartment open and close, Ariella decided to return the favor and hit me back.

"What the hell?" I said as I held my arm.

"You hit me first." She wined.

"Could you be anymore insensitive?" I got up from the bed and headed towards Tiana's room. "You know she doesn't have full custody of her kids."

"Right because she has an inappropriate job." I turn and pop her on the mouth.

"Really. We talked about this. It's because she's a woman. You know she could be a doctor if she wanted to but no one wants her to be anything more than a nurse. And you know Tiana could be a lawyer, but God forbid a woman wins a case." I look at her thoughtfully as I enter Tiana's room.

"You know you don't have to be so defensive. Once you open the door to how smart a woman is then, it'll open doors for Lasaly and for me." Tiana looked at me as if teaching me a lesson. I just looked away and noticed something.

"Um, I thought you were just tailoring the outfit that was given to me." I looked at the 5 different outfits. "One for each day of the week."

"Yeah, you know... when I started I just couldn't stop." She smiled down at her work excitedly. "They are all up to code, and I want you to try all of them. My favorite is the one with the short skirt."

"I like the one with the short shorts and suspenders," Ariella added in her two cents.

"Let me try on the one with the pants," I said, and Tiana passed it over to me. I headed to the bathroom to change.

While in the bathroom I heard a knock at the door. "Can someone get that?"

"I got it!" I heard Ariella answer me as she opened the door. "Hi, and who might you be?"

"Hi, I'm Demarcus Gardner. I'm friends with Lasaly and Diamond." I went to try and lock the door when it was opened.

"Hottie with a body is here to see you," Tiana stated as she fluffed my hair and pushed up my boobs.

"Hey!" She covered my mouth instantly.

"You've got to be quiet. I'm only trying to help you with the guy you are always talking about." Tiana reached for my hair, and I slapped her hand away.

"Look. I appreciate this, but I can handle this myself. Please, and thank you." I went and fixed the way I looked, and she left the bathroom. Where I was lucky to hear one sentence come from Ariella's words.

"You know Diamond never told me she had a hot white boy in her mist every day when she went to work."

"Okay!" I basically ran from the bathroom. "Hi, Demarcus."

"Hey Diamond." I saw he looked me over and I looked over at Ariella as he did and glared her way. "You know you look really great."

"Thanks." I smiled as I looked down at the outfit myself. The pants were resized to fit me perfectly same with the jacket, and the white button up under it only accented off the red accents put on both the pants and the jacket.

"Yeah, I had to hold myself back from adding anything like flowers." Tiana came in with a beer for all of us. She passed them around, and the only person to decline was Demarcus. "You don't drink?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that I have to drive home after this." Demarcus explained.

"Why do that when you can stay the night here and help us pack up Diamond's room." Ariella pushed as she checked him out.

"Maybe you should go home, Ariella," I said as I took a sip of my beer.

"I will if this fine specimen takes me home." I couldn't help but wonder if she was really my friend or not.

"Actually I think you'll leave when I tell you too." I decided to challenge her. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Really now." She stared daggers at me, and I only gave her a cool look back knowing if she saw I was not affected by her gaze, she would get even more irritated.

"Why don't you join me in getting more boxes, Ariella?" Tiana got up and grabbed Ariella by the arm and practically dragged her out the door.

"I'm sorry for her." I looked at the door as I spoke to Demarcus.

I heard him let out a little chuckle. "Don't worry about it. I'm just surprised that you two are friends." I looked over to him to see him smiling at me.

"Well, it's not always easy." I chuckled as I took another sip.

"Do you have a spare notebook?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so." I went over to the bag that Ariella brought over. In the bag was everything in my locker minus textbooks and those papers with everyone in the school "encouragement." I grabbed one of my spare notebooks, as well as a pen, and passed it over to him. "What do you need those for?"

"Well, I'm guessing Tiana is tailoring your uniform for school to fit you right?" I nodded and took another sip. "Then what better feedback than from a perfectionist." He gave me a smile that sent warmth throughout my body. From his hazel eyes and long messy dark brown hair to his broad shoulders and long muscular arms. I wanted him to wrap those arms around me and hold me; call me his and his alone. I looked back at his thin lips, and I saw they were moving. "Diamond?"

"Huh? Yes?!" I blushed as I was taken out of my trance.

"Is there any other ones that she has made?" He chuckled as he spoke his smile never fading.

"Yeah. There are actually four others." I looked down to avoid getting lost in his eyes. "This is the only one that has pants with it."

"Well, why don't you go change into another one so we can get to packing up your room?" I looked up just enough to give him a smile.

I left soon after to change into the one that was with the shorts. I came back and basically modeled my outfit. "What do you think?"

"I'm surprised they'll let you wear that as a uniform." He chuckled.

"Well, Tiana ran it by the rules that they, themselves, have set for wardrobe, so…" I just shrugged as I looked at him.

For the next 3 outfits, that's what we did. Demarcus wrote down something about the outfits that Tiana had made, and I got to model for him. It was fun then the anxiety kicked in when I realized it was time for him to help pack my room. He would actually have to enter my room.

"Are you ready to pack up your room?" He gave me that smile once again.

"No. To be honest, I don't really want to leave." I chuckled nervously as I purposefully walk ten times slower than my usual speed.

"Why is that?"

"I just don't want to be made an example for women everywhere on how smart we are. Plus I would have to live in that boy filled hell." I roll my eyes.

"You know you might meet some really cool people." He smiles down at me.

"You know you don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Be so optimistic." I stopped and crossed my arms.

"I have to be. I'm going to be the owner of the cafe sooner or later, and under my leadership, we are going to make some changes." He looks serious. "Like, for instance, I have been pushing my dad to make Lasaly the general manager of the place. You know since I am still going to college. I won't be there all the time."

"He keeps turning you down, huh?" I walk over to him and place my hand on his arm. He only nodded. "Well, in my opinion, I think every man in the world should be like you." I gave him a sympathetic smile as I started for my room. I let my hand fall from his arm, to be met with him grabbing my arm and pulling me towards him.

"You know I like you better in normal clothes." He smiled down at me, and I felt my face flush.

"These are only pajamas." I giggled as I looked away from him. He lifts my chin so that I'm looking at him then the front door starts to open, and I jump away from him and look at the door to see Lasaly.

"Hey, Demarcus. You made it." Lasaly placed the pizzas on the counter and made her way over to hug him. "I was wondering when you were going to show up."

"So you invited him?" I said in the form of a question when all in all it was more of a statement then anything.

"Yes, I did. Seemed like Tiana needed some help with the clothes, and the more, the merrier to pack up your room by Monday." She pinched my cheeks and headed into my room.

"Thanks, mom," I muttered under my breathe.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." I just rolled my eyes and went towards the pizza that she had placed on the counter.

"That's your mom?" Demarcus follows my footsteps as he asked.

I could only laugh. "No. No. She's only my best friend, but she acts like my mom sometimes, so that is what I call her."

"Oh. You know I never heard you talk about your parents." I froze at his words. "What are they like?" I didn't answer him.

"Hey, Diamond. I forgot the drinks in my car. You want to go get them for me?" Tiana came to me in a hurry and gave me a forced smile as I nodded and headed out the door.

******

Hours had passed of me sitting in the car thinking about the parents that I don't even know. Don't know their names, what they look like, how they act, or even where they are. Questions like that only stump me because I have nothing to say. I used to answer honestly, but then other people would treat me with sympathy, even Tiana, Lasaly, and Ariella did when I first told them. I don't want to go through this story again.

Soon there was a knock on the window. I looked over to see Demarcus. I opened the passenger car door and then looked out the driver side window.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." I continue looking out the window. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "Is that all?"

"Diamond…" He stopped once again, but I still didn't look at him.