3 

Mom assumes I'm some kind of a dork or a nerd like Fox or Lilah Mey. I don't even know why she still hangs out with that creepy fag when she should be hanging out with me and the other girls. I know she likes me better than Fox.
"Are there any boys that you like?"
Mom asks through washing dishes. I pretend to ignore her, because what kind of a mother asks her twelve year old daughter that damn question?
"Prim," she says. She has got to shut up.
I continue to stare blankly at the TV and dont bother to get up and change the channel.
Finally she gives up. Thank God.
"Prim, why dont you ever talk to that boy anymore? I thought you and Lilah Mey and him were friends?"
"Just stop, Mom. You dont even understand that." Now I'm mad at her.
I hear her heels click on the floor and I close my eyes as she clicks off the TV.
"Why don't you ride your bike to the park like you used to?"
"You know what, fine," I say, and hop up off of the couch. The screen door slams behind me, even though Mom's asked me like a million times to shut it quietly. Whatever.
When I was nine years old, I went down Carolla to get to Fox's house. It was our meeting place- me, Lilah, and Fox.
"Fuck," I say quietly, knowing Mom would never let me use that language, as I distractedly turn down Carolla. Old habits die way too hard.
I realize theres no turning back now- if there's any chance that Lilah is over at Foxs house, theres no way I could turn back around on this narrow street without looking so stupid. And that is not an option. That is never an option.
So I ride slowly on the street, my shoulders hunched, but then I sit straight, realizing hunched backs look, like, so dorky on bikes and I'm not a dork.
I turn at the wrong moment and make direct eye contact. There is Foxs house. Directly on my left. There is Fox. Directly on his porch.
There is Lilah,also on his porch, looking me directly in the eyes like some kind of weirdo. I break eye contact with her because she is seriously freaking me out right now.
"Faggot!" I practically screech, because I'm starting to think about when we were nine and I have to take my chance.
Lilah is getting up and actually running towards me, because she's seen and I've seen that look on his face, first the wide eyed full on surprise, then the defeated kind of understanding.
The last thing I think before I hit the ground and Lilah's on top of me is, I think he deserved it.