Darling, how would it feel?

 It wasn't even getting dark yet. Tyra looked at the time. Mom was already in her gown, sitting with the curtains closed in the dark waiting for 9-1-1. It was the finale. Didn't Tyra want to watch it with her?

The popcorn was buttered. There were extra Frescas. The night was ready. If only Tyra wasn't itching to go, but of course that helped her remember, she had a friend. Her mom wanted her to have a friend.

"Sorry, mom."

"What?" Her mother turned to her with her eyes slightly bulging. 

Tyra almost held her breath for a second and then replied. "I have to go out. This..this friend of mine. He-"

"He?" Her mother was going to seize the moment. Tyra winced and hoped she didn't think this was the answer her mother had been praying the last few years.

"He's just a friend, Mom."

Tyra gave her a look that she was the one in charge. Not her mom.

"Can I meet him?" 

Now she wondered what her mom meant by that. Of course, her dad was a truckdriver on the road and her mom hardly left the house these days.

"Oh, God-" Tyra fretted. She stomped around in her tight cutoffs and tight tee. She wore her cushy shower slippers. She'd just painted her toenails red as if it might be a secret code that Naoki might pick up on. But Tyra pouted, "You don't need to know him."

"But-

Tyra saw Naoki's sporty car in the driveway from the kitchen window. 

"ALL RIGHT. But no questions. Got that!" 

Tyra had other plans. She did have a little bit of weed in her backpack. They could drive down to the river, on the side nobody went to. It hadn't rained, so she didn't think he'd get his car stuck. But now, her mom had to change everything. 

She got to the driveway when Naoki got out. 

"We have to spend some time with my mom," she said very quickly.

"Your Mom? Didn't you spend enough time with her on Mother's Day?" He shrugged.

"God, just be nice to her, will you." Tyra snapped.

"OK."

He didn't look as nearly as happy to see her as she thought he would, but he followed her in. Tyra called from the kitchen for her mother to come.

"No, you come here, my shows on." Her mother said from her cozy chair in the livingroom.

Tyra practically rolled her eyes, but took his hand to lead him into the dark. Yes, she liked his grip. She liked him. If only she could truly feel he licked her back. But he didn't really know her yet.

To her surprise, Naoki knew what she was watching. "Is the finale on? I was afraid I was going to miss it?" In about a minute, they were already friends on a first-name basis, and Tyra needed to make more popcorn.

"Why don't you heat up the Velveeta. I think there' a can of Rotal," her mother said they had a guest and Tyra needed to make sure he had plenty of snacks.

"I see." He was indifferent. She knew she deserved that. She'd been indifferent to him.