SAM's POV

"Somebody say 'Amen'!"

"Amen!"

"Praise Him!"

"Hallelujah!"

I was sitting in a pew at our church next to my moms and Antonio. Sitting on the other side of Antonio was Mrs. Justine, her husband Mr. Joe, Diggy, and his younger siblings. We were all in the same row listening to Pastor Palmer preach his sermon on this first Sunday of the new month. As per Christian tradition, everyone in the congregation wore white and you know they showed out! Older ladies wore the biggest hats you'd ever see in your life; the deacons wore their formal suits with white shoes to match; and the choir had on their white and gold robes while fanning themselves to cool off from the heat, despite it being 40 degrees outside and snowy.

"Before I let y'all go home to y'all Sunday dinners and family time -- I know that's what y'all waiting for -- let me leave you with this last word," Pastor Palmer speaks from the podium in the pulpit. Some of the congregation clap their hands and chuckle at his remarks.

"Go on, Pastor!" A member of the congregation shouts.

"As the choir sang, be not weary in well doing. In time, it shall come to pass..." the pastor continues. Galations 6:9 and 10 says: 'And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.'"

"Amen!"

"Let me say that again. Do good unto all men... do good and good will come to you. As we start this new month of February, remember to treat others how God would treat his own. Whether it's a family or friend, stranger or foe -- do good unto all men. Let's walk into this new month with the spirit and the love of Jesus. If someone makes us angry or treats us wrong, if we feel overlooked at work, if somebody's talking bad about us, or maybe we just run into a hurdle we just don't feel like getting over..."

"Preach it!"

"Stop and breathe. Don't say anything nasty, don't roll your eyes or your neck, don't punch nobody in the face. Instead, show them love and kindness. Pray for them. Because the better you treat people, the better your blessing. Can I get an 'amen'?"

"Amen!"

"Amen! Let us all rise as I close out this beautiful Sunday with a prayer..."

***

After the service finally ended, I stood up and stretched my arms above my head, glancing outside the tall stained glass windows at the fresh snow which was falling a bit heavier now since this morning. Even though it'd be cold outside, I was so ready to leave this place. I haven't been to church in a good minute because of my basketball schedule, but it was kinda nice. Lord forgive me of my sins, but I do not be wanting to come here. 

One of my pet peeves about coming to church is how long it takes for everyone to leave. For example, during the service, I was sitting at the end of the row so I could easily make my escape if I wanted to. I could've been up and outta the building minutes ago if my mama and everyone else didn't wanna hold these long conversations. It's like they gotta say goodbye to every single member before they leave. Why can't we just say goodbye to people immediately around us and keep it pushin'?

Ready to go, I put on my winter coat and leave our row, with Antonio slowly following behind. Mama was chatting with Mrs. Justine about who-knows-what; I also peeped Diggy and his siblings talking to one of the deacon's wife. I let out a sigh and Antonio, wearing a white suit with a light blue dress shirt and dark blue striped tie, raises an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm ready to go..." I reply in a tired voice, my hand on my hip.

Antonio glances around as he speaks. "I know... we'll get there eventually. Your mom and Justine were talking about both our families having dinner together today."

I groan. "Seriously?"

"Yes," he grins.

"Where?"

"I think at Justine and Joe's house."

"Oh... my gosh..." I reply, truly out of words to say. At least ones that are polite enough inside of a church.

"Why are you groaning? These are our friends."

"I know..." But I still don't want to go. I could think of a better use of my Sunday. Plus, I don't really wanna be around Diggy. We sat on opposite sides of the row so I didn't speak to him or see him pretty much at all today. I'm still a little annoyed with him for wanting to spend time with Dana of all people but not his homies. And he doesn't see anything wrong with it either. I'm really not trying to spend my dinner with him or his family, no offense.

"Samantha! Come here," my mama waves me over to where she's been talking for the past five minutes. I see that Mr. Joe and the kids were standing in the aisle, waiting in line to leave the sanctuary. It's not like our church is huge so why does it take so long for everyone to leave? Meanwhile, Mrs. Justine was smiling beside my mama with Diggy standing on her other side.

I walk toward them and make eye contact with Sister Wanda, one of the elders of the church.

"Hey, baby! I haven't seen you in forever!" Sister Wanda says while pulling me in for a tight hug. Her overly large white hat hits me in the face before she lets me go. "How have you been?"

"Good..." I force a smile and fix my hair.

"That's good. It's so good to see you back in church. How's school and everything going?" She asks.

"It's good..." I nod while giving her a simple reply.

"You're a senior, right? When is graduation? I'm gonna get an invite, right?" Sister Wanda asks.

"Of course, Sister Wanda," my mama butts in. "We couldn't leave you out. And can you believe it? My baby got accepted into UCLA!"

"Oh, what?! Look at God!" Sister Wanda and my mama have a hoot as they enthuse over my college acceptance. A few of the other elders near us hear the news and also congratulate me. I give them thanks with a forced smile... how long is this gonna take?

"Sam, that's amazing! I didn't know that," Mrs. Justine says with the biggest look of pride on her face. She reaches around my mother and squeezes my shoulder, making me a bit embarrassed. "God is really working overtime because we got the news that Diggy got accepted into UCLA also!" Mrs. Justine reveals.

My jaw drops. Diggy got into UCLA? I felt super happy and super proud. I mean, this was our dream school that we've been talking about since we started playing ball. Of course, I expected both of us to get into the school, but at the moment, I can't seem to celebrate like I thought I would.

"Oh, my! Congratulations, sweetheart," Sister Wanda grabs Diggy and wraps him in a hug, making him show all 32 teeth.

"Thank you, Sister Wanda," he replies genuinely.

"Ah, my God. Like two peas in a pod, you two!" Sister Wanda holds Diggy's hand in her left and my hand in her right, beaming up at us with her old eyes. "I'm so proud of y'all. I never doubted for a second that y'all wouldn't do great things with ya lives. I love y'all both so much!"

I nod, feeling a bit awkward that so much attention is on us.

"Thank you," Diggy says in the calmest way.

"When y'all go to college, watch out for each other out there, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Diggy replies but I don't say anything.

"Oh, you know they will," Mrs. Justine says.

After some more small talk, we finally are able to leave the sanctuary. It was true what Antonio said. Mrs. Justine invited us over her house for Sunday dinner. So after we go home and change into more comfortable clothes, we'd have to drive to her house to eat around 3pm. It was currently 1:15 and I was in the backseat of Antonio's ride thinking a whole bunch of thoughts. I just wanted to go straight home and relax after church... and now my afternoon will be filled with... Diggy.

***

"This tastes so good, y'all. Thank you for inviting us over because I surely didn't feel like cooking today," my mama says while beaming at her best friend Justine sitting next to her.

"Oh, no problem," Mr. Joe, who's sitting beside his wife, says. "What did the pastor say? Do good and good will come to ya."

"Amen to that. These sweet yams sure are good... amen!" My mama shouts while waving her hand in the air, causing everyone to laugh at her silliness. Except me.

"This mac n cheese is really delicious, too," Antonio compliments them before going for seconds.

"Aye, thank you, man. It's all Justine's recipe," Mr. Joe replies.

"I'm glad you like it," Mrs. Justine beams while making eye contact with Antonio. "It's so good to see you again. This is only the second or third time we've officially met, but I've heard so many great things about you. Martha seems to really love you."

"Ah, yes. And I love her even more. And it's good to meet you again -- all of you," Antonio politely says while glancing toward Russy and Miley who are sitting to my right. The younger ones smile and continue eating.

"Now that we're about to be husband and wife, hopefully, we'll all get to see more of each other. Soon enough, you'll be wishing we stayed at our own house," Mama jokes which causes another chuckle fest.

"Speaking of your wedding, are you excited? I know you are!" Mrs. Justine smiles as the two friends begin talking about the details of the wedding as well as her relationship with Antonio. As they happily talk, I steal a glance at Diggy who's sitting beside his dad. He catches me looking and I quickly look back at his mom.

***

"...by the way, are you gonna have a bachelorette party?" Mrs. Justine asks while finishing up the last of the yams on her plate.

"Oh, you know what? I haven't even thought about that. I don't know..." Mama looks toward Antonio with a conflicted face. "If I have one, then Antonio's gotta have one too, right?"

"I told Martha that I don't want one, but she can go have fun with her friends. You don't have to worry about me," Antonio replies.

"Martha, you gotta have one! Let me set it up! It'll be so fun to get some of our old friends together and hang out somewhere." Mrs. Justine tells my mom.

"And that's my cue. I'll leave y'all to have your little girl chats and go try to clean up the kitchen," Mr. Joe says while getting up from his seat, carrying his empty plate in his hands.

Antonio follows him, jumping to his feet. "Let me help you."

"Y'all don't have to run away just because we're talking about planning a party," Mrs. Justine says with a pout.

"That's okay. Do ya thang. Maybe I'll convince Antonio to have a little date for the men to hang out, drink beer, and nag about our loving wives..." Mr. Joe replies in a joking tone.

"A date?" Russy asks his dad with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Yes, a date. Is there something wrong with a group of men going out on a date and--"

"No, no, no. It just sounds weird when you say it like that--"

"Men can have little dates and hang out and have a good time. Am I right? Antonio?" Mr. Joe asks while looking around the table.

Antonio smirks. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"Thank you. Dig?" Mr. Joe looks towards Diggy expecting an answer.

"Do you, dad. Maybe just don't call it a date. That's too romantic. Say 'hang out'," Diggy corrects him while getting up from his spot at the dining table.

"Hang out. Date. Potato. Tomato. Whatever. Come help us put this food away," Mr. Joe says while looking at his kids. They reluctantly stand up and take their garbage with them while following their dad to the kitchen.

"Thank you!" Mrs. Justine yells as they leave. "And let Sam and Antonio make themselves a plate to go. We have plenty of leftovers!"

"Thanks again, Justine," Antonio says while walking out of the room.

"Sam, go make a plate to go," Mama tells me.

I stand to my feet and follow everyone else out of the dining room.

"We'll cut the dessert a bit later, okay? And Sam," Mrs. Justine pulls me aside, "I'm super proud of you for getting into UCLA. I'm gonna miss not seeing you around as often..."

I grin for, possibly, the first time today and allow Mrs. Justine to give me a big hug.

"Stay safe out in LA, okay? You and Diggy watch each other's backs," she says while letting me go.

"I mean, I'll try, but I can't stop him from doing something stupid..."

"Sam!" My mama hits my arm.

"What?" I shrug my shoulders.

Mrs. Justine chuckles. "You're so silly."

***

~Later~

Everyone was in different corners of the house. Mom and Mrs. Justine were talking in the dining room, Mr. Joe and Antonio were watching sports in the living room, and us "kids" were upstairs in Miley's room playing a card game. The game was pretty chill and a little fun. It was me and Miley on one team versus the boys. Best two out of three. We beat their butts in the last round so now the final game would determine the winner. Unfortunately, Russy and Diggy won the last round and that got Miley heated.

"That's not fair!" Miley crosses her arms and throws down the cards in her hand.

"Don't be a sore loser, Miley," Russy teases her while finishing up his slice of chocolate cake.

"I wanted to win!"

"You can't always get what you want..." Russy replies with a smirk towards his younger sister. "Somebody had to win. Today was just our lucky day."

Miley groans and pouts, crossing her arms. I slightly pinch her arm.

"Hey, we still did good, Miley. Plus, we can always play again and beat them," I try to encourage her but she shakes her head.

"I don't wanna play again, I wanna lay down..." she frowns.

"You sleepy already?" Diggy asks while gathering all of the cards into a neat pile on the floor and carefully putting them in their box.

"Mhm..." Miley replies while glancing up at Diggy.

"Miley's been up since 5 this morning. She probably ready to knock out," Russy mentions while pulling out his cell phone.

Diggy looks surprised. "Since 5? Why? Couldn't sleep?"

"She wet the bed..." Russy spills, holding in his laugh.

Miley groans and hits Russy's arm. "Shut up!! Don't tell everyone my business!"

"Aye! You ain't gotta hit me!"

"Aight. Just chill. Miles, you said you're sleepy." You wanna nap upstairs or downstairs with ma?" Diggy asks while standing to his feet.

"In my room..."

"Aight. Let's get your room all comfy so you can sleep..."

It took a few minutes, but Diggy helped Miley straighten her room and move her toys off her bed before laying her down and throwing a blanket over her small frame. We left her to her nap with the lights off and door slightly cracked, walking into the upstairs hallway.

"Aight, well, it was nice seeing y'all. Sam, I'll holla at you later! I'mma go to my room and chill," Russy says while texting on his phone and walking to the next bedroom.

"You'll holla at me?" I reply with a chuckle.

Then it was just me and Diggy. Awkwardly standing in the hallway not knowing what to do next.

"Should we go downstairs?"

"Yeah. Maybe it's finally time to go..."

"Finally? Didn't mean to take up your time..." Diggy replies in a fake hurt tone.

"I don't mean it like that. It's just been a long day..." I reply, not feeling like arguing.

He nods and quietly walks downstairs as I follow behind. Diggy walks into the living room with the men... so I walk into the dining room where my mom and Mrs. Justine are still chatting away. I sigh and take a seat.

"Hey, sweetie. You ready to go?" My mom asks me.

"Yeah... Miley kicked us out of her room to take a nap," I tell her.

They chuckle. 

"Oh, is she sleeping?" Mrs. Justine asks with a grin.

"Mhm."

"I better go run her a bath so she can get cleaned up for tomorrow," Mrs. Justine stands to her feet. "It was nice to see you again, Sam. And I hope you have a good week at school."

"Thanks, Mrs. Justine," I reply with a weak smile as she leaves. Then, my mom turns to me with a smile.

"Did you have fun?" She asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I guess... I'm just tired."

"Thank you for hanging out with me and Antonio today. I know you probably had other plans for your Sunday, but it was really nice to go to church together again," she says while fixing my hair.

"Do I have to go to church every week?"

"It would be nice, but you're becoming an adult; you have a job and you're going to be in college in just a few months. You should have the freedom to choose what activities you want to participate in, so I'm not going to force you to go to church every week. But... once a month would be nice, at least," she pleads with puppy dog eyes.

"I'll think about it..." I pout, which makes her smile.

"I love you, Sam. Let's get outta here."

***

DIGGY's POV

"This week's top of the week is... 'Future'. What does the future mean to you? What does it look like? You'll have five minutes to write your thoughts in your journal. You may begin..." Mrs. Lyon states before setting her timer and taking a seat at her desk.

I look up at the word on the blackboard: "FUTURE". The future. The future always sounds so exciting -- like going to UCLA! I'm super excited that I got accepted, but I wasn't really worried. My grades are good, my athletic skills are good, and I've never gotten in trouble for anything crazy. I vibe with most the the teachers and the students at Wesley High, even if we've only spoken once. I'm an upstanding guy and UCLA is lucky to have me!

Back to the prompt, I want my future to be better than the present. I can't wait to play college ball and meet some new guys on the court, go to tournaments, etc. I wanna be one of the best players in the game, signing deals with the biggest companies, and living that dream life. I want to work hard to earn my money and provide a nice life for a potential family. Maybe I'll start a new life in Los Angeles after I'm successful, buy a house, and start a family. Not too soon though. Maybe after I've done professional ball for a couple of years. When I'm 30, I'll think about settling down and marrying someone, but that's so far away. Twelve years to be exact. So much could happen in that time...

After our journaling time was up, Mrs. Lyon asked if anyone wanted to share their thoughts about the future. A couple of students were brave enough to share their thoughts. One girl talked about starting her own clothing line, and one boy said he'd like to be a tattoo artist. Julie raised her hand to share her thoughts, which surprised me a bit since she's been kind of quiet in the majority of the classes we have together. I glance at her for a moment before she speaks.

"I'm a senior so I feel like the future is going to be my present really soon..." She starts, causing the teacher to chuckle. "But I've always wanted to be a ballerina dancer. Dance was one thing I was really good at even as a kid. My plan was to go to Juilliard, but I guess I have a bit of cold feet since a lot has changed recently..."

She glances at me for a second.

"So I'm... kind of nervous for the future. I don't know if I should stick with old plans or find a new path," Julie finishes with a nod and a sad grin.

"Girl, you can do anything you set your mind to," London cheers her on from her seat in front of me. "Being a ballerina sounds dope!"

A couple of students chuckle at her comment and even agree.

"Thanks, London..." Julie replies.

"I agree with London that being a ballerina sounds amazing. Being a fashion designer, an artist, a musician -- it all sounds like great goals for the future," Mrs. Lyon says with a smile. "And I also think it's perfectly normal not to have every detail planned out as well. Sometimes plans change and feelings change, right? Sometimes we may have to try three or four or eight different routes before we find the right way to go... and that's perfectly okay."

"Did you always want to be a teacher, Mrs. Lyon?" A student asks.

"I'm glad you asked because, honestly, I hated writing with a passion!"

The class breaks out in chuckles at her confession. I smile a bit myself.

"Reading, writing, it was all boring to me. I tried playing instruments, I tried cooking, I tried almost everything in college. I was having such a hard time sticking with one thing and I started journaling my progress. My ups and downs. My frustrations. It wasn't until then that I realized that writing could be therapeutic -- you know, when you're not writing a 10-page essay."

The class laughs as Mrs. Lyon continues.

"But to touch on what you said, Julie, going to Juilliard sounds amazing. If dancing is really something you love to do, don't give up on that. But at the same time, don't be afraid to try other things too because you never know where they'll lead. I hope everything works out for you," Mrs. Lyon says with a grin.

"Thanks, Mrs. Lyon," Julie replies.

I glance at her again and we make eye contact. I throw a thoughtful grin her way and her face lights up even more.

***

After class, I throw my backpack over my shoulder and head to lunch. I'm hoping for something good on the menu because I'm starving like crazy! As I walk through the crowded hallway, Julie appears by my side.

"Are you heading to the cafeteria?" She asks, in a shy voice.

I glance at her and nod, walking down the staircase. "Uh, yeah."

"Could I walk with you? Since we kinda have the same table anyway..." Julie asks, chuckling softly.

"Sure," I shrug.

There's a small pause in our conversation as we weave around other students and make our way to the lowest floor where the cafeteria is.

"Mrs. Lyon's class was kinda cool today. It was really nice how she told us about her goals and stuff..." Julie says.

I nod, internally surprised to see Julie in a better mood than usual all of a sudden. "Yeah. It was actually kinda cool hearing that she struggled with choosing a career. It made her more on the same level as us..."

"For sure! She seems so nice. I'm kind of glad I enrolled in her class..."

"Yeah. She's real cool," I reply.

We make it to the cafeteria and grab a food tray, filing into the long line behind other students. I shift my weight between my feet.

"So... have you gotten accepted to Juilliard? Or are you choosing somewhere else?" I ask with a curious glance. Her revelation in class kind of got my attention.

"Um... well I'm supposed to have an audition with them in April but--"

"Hey, Diggy! Lookin' good today..."

Dana and her friend LaDelle appear on the other side of me, making me jump a little.

"Whoa! Where'd y'all come from?" I glance at Dana who's smirking mischievously at me.

"Did I scare you? Sorry about that..." she chuckles and wraps her arm around mine. "I can make it up to you later."

"Is that Julie standing beside you?" Ladelle asks while loudly chewing her gum.

Dana frowns and peeps around me to make eye contact with Julie. "Julie? Um, we're having a private conversation here, so if you don't mind..."

"Yeah. Private. You know P-R-I-V-I-T," Ladelle says while rolling her neck. We all blink at her for a moment before I speak up.

"Uh... actually, we were getting lunch together," I say.

"Y'all eat lunch together?" Dana asks me with dissatisfaction, sizing up Julie who's quiet.

"We sit at the same table, so yeah."

Dana thinks for a second, unwrapping her arm from mine. "Looks like you still got some buddies after getting kicked off the cheer squad. Good for you. I'm sure Diggy only feels bad for you; he's such a gentleman so he'd do anything just to make others happy. Don't get too used to it."

"Aye, wait a minute. Why would you say that, Dana? I don't have nothing against nobody--"

"That's what I'm saying! And that's why I like you... you're so caring," Dana smirks up at me while caressing my cheek. "Enjoy your lunch. I'll talk to you later, Diggy. And, Julie, remember what I said. Mine, not yours."

Dana and Ladelle walk away and I feel the tension between the girls that was once present leave the area. I furrow my eyebrows and look at Julie.

"What was that about?"

"Don't worry about it. Girl stuff..." Julie quickly grumbles as the lunch line moves forward. "Do you two, like, hang out... a lot?"

"Me and Dana?"

Julie nods.

"I mean, lately we have... why?"

"Nothing. You guys seem kind of close... I guess I'm surprised..." she replies while stepping ahead of me towards the buffet of food, scooping some mashed potatoes onto her tray.

I chuckle a bit at her reaction. "I mean, you two are on the cheer squad together, right? Aren't you two close too?" I ask while scooping some mashed potatoes onto my tray.

Julie tilts her head. "We were. Past tense. Guess we weren't as cool as I thought..."

Her sharp responses make me bite my tongue. I don't know what went down between Julie and Dana, but it might be best to not pry any further. Maybe I'll ask Dana about it? I also feel like I gotta check her about that sly comment she made about me feeling bad for Julie. She thinks I'm forcing myself to eat lunch with her because I feel bad for her. What would I feel bad about anyway? Maybe it's about those rumors again... I don't know, man.

I follow behind Julie as we take a seat at the usual table with Khalil, Sam, and Becca. I give Khalil a dap and say wassup to the ladies.

"Oh, good! You're here. Diggy, we were just talking about having a Bestie Day on Friday and checking out this new pizza place that opened," Becca practically screams in my direction. She's so happy all the time.

"Pizza? And you're suggesting this, Becca? I'm surprised..."

Becca chuckles. "Hey, I'm a bit of a changed woman. I can eat pizza now... especially since Friday is my cheat day. Until then, it's salads and fruit," she replies with determination.

"They also got a huge arcade with different games and a roller skating rink," Khalil enthuses.

"Yo, word? That sounds kinda cool," I reply with a nod.

"Right?! So are you coming?" Becca asks. "We haven't been out as a foursome in a while..."

I glance at her pouty face and feel bad. "I know. It's been a crazy year." I take a glance at Sam who's busy taking a bite of some fried chicken. "I would go, but I got plans already..."

"With who? With homegirl?" Khalil asks while giving me a pervy look.

"Yes, with Dana. Stop looking like that," I laugh.

"Oh... alright. Since when do you hang out with her anyway? I mean you two clicked at the skating rink last month but is there something you're not telling us?" Becca asks while squinting her eyes suspiciously at me.

"Nah, man. We just vibe, that's all."

"Mhm. Vibe on that booty--" Khalil starts to say but I playfully smack his head. "Hey!"

"Stop being weird, bro. Keep it up," I say.

Becca rolls her eyes. "Boys... Julie, what about you? Would you wanna hang with us? Y'know, if it fits your schedule."

Julie clears her throat before replying. "Oh, um, that's super nice -- and sounds really fun -- but I have a thing..."

"Aw... that's okay. There's always room for one more when you're free."

"Thanks..." Julie awkwardly replies before shoving food into her mouth.

"I could invite Jake. We haven't hung out with him as a group in a while," Sam suggests.

"Ooh, that'll be fun. Sweet. It's settled then! I'll see you guys on Friday," Becca claps her hands and starts eating.