All about us, the canvas was dark and speckled with what are known as stars, our bulging golden beams. Rain began to stream down, covering the town's grandiose like long trains with glittering pieces fit for the Met Gala. Seated at the table with my laptop in front of me, I searched for my next insecurity by staring at my reflection in the eye through the screen. Nothing flooded my mind other than that along with the dramatic rain dance outside.

    I was pulled out the void by my sister who took time out of her cooking to shout "Tony! Are you good?"

"Yeah..." I said, visibly still mad at her.

    Without making it obvious, I kept an eye on her by watching her faint reflection on the screen and just by her face I could see a guilty conscience beginning to overfill the pot and toss off the lid. And the pasta was also tossing off lids. And I was tossing off my lid stressed that I wouldn't be selected into the subject program I desired at school as tonight was selections which is why I was tied up at my laptop.

   They divided us up into four subject-specific area groups for the classes. Business, Science, Art, and finally Math & Technology. Although these would be our primary emphasis, we are free to experiment with seven to nine other subjects.

We all were giving careful consideration to each of our selections. For my extensive knowledge of the subject and books in general, I chose literature. Though I heard the teacher, Mrs. Abram is pretty hardcore and has a reputation of hate and disgust from past and present students.

    I also chose Principles Of Business, in hopes of finding a well-paying corporate career that would enable me to buy the clothes and apartment I want in a high-rise building. Its become a dream of mine to be a sophisticated business woman in stellar heels. Mink coats, a lavish ride, and expensive vacations to treat all the trauma I've gone through.

My other subject choices included Social Studies, French, Accounts, Economics and the mandatory Mathematics and English. And as I wrapped up my selections my mother came into the room. She looked a little mad.

"Can you please take out the trash Tony? I asked you to days ago!"

"What? No you didn't?!"

"Yes I did! Right before you left to go to the game shop with Dustin!"

    But no matter how much I scratched my brain, I couldn't remember her asking that. Weird.

7:59 p.m
    Dustin sat on his top of the bunk bed with his little sister breathing down his neck, awaiting him to finish so that she could play Roblox.

"Art is the obvious pick for you! Just click it so I can play dress up!" She said getting agitated.

"Its not that easy... I adore Art. But I'm aware that in our country, there is little to no revenue and recognition for people employed in that talent field"

    For a split moment he sighed, grew soft and put his hand around around her shoulder.

"The pay isn't enough to support this family especially with inflation right now. And I don't want to leave here at all and leave you all alone especially with the people in this house and their retched religion. I'm choosing Business to find a well-paying job in accounting and I guess I'll do side jobs that involve art! So I'm thinking... Principles Of Business, Accounts, Food And Nutrition, Information Technology, Art, Social Studies and... Mathematics and English makes eight!"

"Great!... can I play now?!"

   Dustin sucked his teeth.

8:17 p.m
    Carson and his parents sat around the house computer. On the table they had their plans that had been strategically thought out to mark his career and how they would be moving about it. It was in perfect order just like everything in their minimalistic house, from the jars being arranged in a certain way and pattern, the smallest being for seasonings to the curtains having a direct amount of ruffles.

"Okay so we have Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Literature, Advanced Mathematics, Health Science, Geography, Mathematics, English and History. I know the least amount of subjects is eight but pick at least another two please Carson. Quickly!"

"Um... how about... Spanish and French?"

"Great... submit this quickly and come get dinner. It's going to get cold!"

"Okay!"

8:30 p.m
"Okay, so I have Principles of Business, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Spanish, Food And Nutrition, Mathematics and English!" Beth said looking at her parents for their approval.

Her father was leaning against the arch that gave access to the living room, his second batch of dessert cookies in his hands, and peering over her shoulder in the back. Through a video call, her mother appeared, beaming more than usual, her skin appearing more radiant and her voice carrying more hip than she had ever heard.

"Lovely choices Kendra! Make sure you don't procrastinate in Business. I would love for you to take over my business one day!"

"Okay! Wasn't planning to anyways!"

"Good! Now I'm turning in for the night make sure you don't stay up too late and I'll leave the money you asked for to go to Mandy's tomorrow on your dresser for you!"

"Okay! Goodnight and thank you very much!"

The two shared a kiss on their cheeks and as he waddled to his bedroom Beth finished catching up with her mother.

10:21 p.m
Mandy was standing in front of the mirror, graphing her hair into four different twists so she could lather it in her essential oils and put on a bonnet to end the evening. Her mother entered at that point and took a seat on her bed. Her boyfriend, wearing only short khaki pants and no shirt, followed her trail before pausing at the entrance.

"So what subjects did you select?" She questioned.

"Um... Clothing and Textile, Principles Of Business, Accounts, Arts, Mathematics, English, Literature and Economics"

Mandy knew that star and glamour came with a lot of shady dealings. She picked Business to be aware of sort and move through the industry like a snake on the prowl with her money in her pockets. No one was going to punk her. She also knew that the Arts program was introducing clothing and textile like everything was tailor made for her final two years in this hell hole. Mandy also recognized that clothing and textile was a subject that required lots of funds from students for fabric and tools and knew that what she was earning right now wasn't enough so she needed to rake in extra cash somehow.

"Okay that's great!"

"You could've just came when I was selecting it like almost two hours ago"

"Yeah... sure... just had a lot to deal with" she said rubbing her temple and getting up and walking away.

However, her stepfather paused in the aisle, flirtatiously raising an eyebrow as he looked at Mandy and gave her an odd expression of intrigue. Creeped out, Mandy stomped to her door, and struck it closed in his face. This caught her mother's attention which made her walk to the closed door. Their voices were muffled but Mandy could tell they were in some disagreement and it was mostly her mother agitated and disgusted by him going so far as telling him to sleep on the couch tonight. Trouble in paradise?

11:23 a.m
   Witched down to Mandy's waist was her corset. She accessorized it with a little purse slung over her shoulder, kitten heels, and black, torn jeans. Her sketchbook, filled with designs she had been working on for us for Carnival over the past few days, was in her hands just like the world was right now. She had never been more excited to make clothing.

    Right beside her was Gibbs holding everything she had purchased to bring them to life. Multiple pieces of spontaneous cloths, ribbons, gems, jewelry, belts, buckles, thread, bras, skirts and press on nails. The bags were clearly heavy and Mandy didn't mind carrying a few but Gibbs wouldn't allow her to. She thought it was sweet but his chest didn't.

    Once they had completed getting everything on the list, Gibbs had them stop at an Indian restaurant to get lunch.

"What would you like babe?" He asked.

"Just a chicken roti and a bottle of water please!" She responded quickly, returning to ruffling over her sketches to ensure she didn't leave town and later discovered she wanted to add any last-minute embellishments to the clothes.

"Got it, and Ill get a mango lassi, naan and some butter chicken for myself!"

"Sounds good babe!"

    As he placed the order at the counter he looked outside the window and spotted Gary coming out of a liquor store with a bunch of boxes and bags filled with liquor. It was him and a couple other guys our age and a man who was clearly in his twenties still trying to cling to his teenage years hanging around them. The guy was obviously the one who purchased the alcoholic beverages and was the one loading the crates into his truck.

They were for the party tonight. Gibbs had been practicing how to look cool and act more like them in his mirror for weeks as just their aura alone felt crushing to him. He didn't want to look like a wimp or be the laughing stock at the party and had previously downed a couple Heineken in one sitting just incase they wanted to play drinking games.

   Mandy had no idea where he was going to be tonight, and he thought it was the appropriate decision. Mandy had heard what others had said about him, and it appeared that all of the girls were the ones boarding his hate train. Surely he could not be this demon. He was much too cool, accepted by many, talented at different sports, a little wealthy, and guys who looked like him, tall, light-skinned, and muscly, couldn't possibly be anything other than a sweetheart.

As a child people had always told Gibbs that people of his darker complexion were constantly jealous of their lighter skinned counterparts, and that the lighter folk were more desirable and characterful, so perhaps that was the facts. These scrutinies latched on a pair of glasses to his face that made him see lighter tones of not just humans but animals with only halos above their heads. He'd realized this today but why bother unlearning something that was "normal"?

10:49 p.m
    As Gibbs hopped out of his father's car, he pulled out his phone to discover a text from Mandy.

Mandy🥰: I'm almost done stitching the lining and gluing the gems on but I don't think I like how this is coming out... I might redo it ugh!

Gibbs: Ok babe, don't stay up too late! I have cricket practice tomorrow so I'm going to bed! Goodnight❤️

Mandy🥰: GOODNIGHT❤️❤️❤️

    As he fixed his gaze on the house, in the background he heard the fleeting sound of his father's car. Along with the music, children's voices and the noise clusters they made both inside and outside were tearing up the neighborhood. As he entered, he observed the scene: people were drinking, dancing, and grinding on each other. Drunk children were being revived by having water poured over their heads, and couples of children were stalking the shadows, kissing and dry humping each other.

    He stared up from the base of the stairs as he tracked down the booming sound of Gary's voice upstairs. He ascended the stairs and entered the room to find him and six other of his friends. Most of which had their shirts off, flaunting their bodies with liquor in their hands and a cigarette or backwood stitched to the corner of their mouths.

    On the television they stood around talking over and giggling was the live feed of an extremely popular Twitch streamer. Gibbs recognized him because he was chronically online and knew that guy had gotten in lots of trouble offending minorities with what he said and by having misogynistic talking points. But he didn't know what to make of all of it.

"You're here?! Holy shit, I didn't think you'd actually come!" Gary said walking over to him and bustling him over to the leather couch.

"Yeah um... what's up?" He answered swallowing his spit, legs with anxiety.

"Nothing much we just talking and shit! Ayo, get him a beer!"

A beer was tossed into his palms and with a snap of the cap he tossed it off and as the foaming bubbles came oozing out, he quickly brung it up to his mouth so it wouldn't spill.

"So Gibbs... we heard... you been fucking shawty... what's her name?" He snapped his fingers trying to remember "Mandy? Mandy!" Gary said as they all huddled up around Gibbs activating his claustrophobia.

"Um... Yeah! I wouldn't say fucking tho!"

"What? Why?! I know she got a crazy arch!"

They all chuckled and Gibbs forced one out.

"She's asexual... we don't get into that stuff and I don't really mind!"

Gary looked at his friends for a moment then they all bubbled into laughter, running around the room and pointing at him.

"What... what's so funny?"

"My guy!" Gary said trying to compose his laughter. "No bitch is asexual! This bitch lying! She probably fucking ten other niggas on your head! You probably getting played dawg!"

He disassociated into the dark closet that was his lone mental safe haven, their laughing dribbling in the background. He could only ponder on their words. It is impossible for them to be correct? Why would she conceal anything from him or lie to him? That wasn't the kind of thing she did. Or was it?

His thoughts strayed to their grubbing at the Indian restaurant earlier in the day. Their conversation brought up the events leading up to DeeJay's death, when Mandy confided in him that she had seen DeeJay just hours before he was slain, even though she had never told anyone. And just like that, he started to lose faith in her.

    Was this why she wanted him to stay clear of them? Afraid of what they could say? What they would open his eyes to?

But soon he was stripped from the burning building of his mind as the boys decided to go for a drive. He followed instinctively, but became timid finding out once he was in the car that Gary would be the one at the wheel. The others had no worries but he did as Gary only ever had driving experience from his uncle on occasion and had no license.

He placed on his seatbelt as they took off and the others snickered at him. Seeing this, Gary put the pedal to the metal as they dove down a series of hills and Gibbs felt as though his skin would come off his body from the speed. The others cheered and screamed to go faster and he tried to remain calm to not seem like a wuss.

Gary turned around looking at him not even paying attention to the wheel while smirking. Gibbs struggled to remain composure and that brought Gary joy. Each minute they began going faster and Gary relished in the idea that Gibbs was too wrapped around his finger to stand his ground.

Once the car stopped at a nearby lake the group got out, Gibbs on the verge of vomiting and began chanting and cheering. The others surrounded him throwing him into the air like a cheerleader and patting him on his back. He was now one of them.

    Soon they drove back to the house where everyone made like an egg and beat it. The group settled on the leather pullout couch chilling. Gary got up at one point and came back almost ten minutes later with a gun, slowly loading the clip. A bit freaked out, everyone sat up in their seats and quivered trying not to move.

"What? Y'all don't trust me?! Seriously?!" He raised the gun and started moving it about at each person. One eye closed, aiming for the perfect shot.

    He then pointed it at the middle of Gibbs's forehead and bent over to his ear. "Do you... trust me?"

    Gibbs took the hand he gripped the gun with and refocused it to below his chin. The chill of the steel gave shivers. "You tell me"

"I like you you sick fuck!" Gary responded feeling giddy inside.

     Then everyone nervously burst into laughter and Gary rested the gun down on the coffee table. "Okay, okay! Who wants to get their ass kicked in COD?!"