_high-school flashback_

It's an ordinary day down at Brackish High in the small town of Brackish Ville. Tony, who had been at his locker for two long minutes saw Alec who had just walked in into the locker hall. He puts on a big smile on his face and calls him over. "Yo, Black! Get your black ass down here, dork!" He called.

With a big grin, Alec walks over to Tony. Alec's full name is Alec Black. And it has been a source of people's jokes on him as well because he is an African-American anyway. Alec used to hate it when people make fun of his name like that but nowadays, he unfazed by it all especially when he is amused by own circle of friends. Today, however, he feels excited about the after-school 'activities' they're going to have later. Well, the five best friends will always have something to do after school. Whether it's a dare or a prank... It's the only thing that excites them. "Waddup, Brown?" He greeted.

With that greet from Alec, Tony puts a frown on his face. He understood that Alec is calling him 'brown' because he is Mexican and his skin is tanned in color. His full name is Antonio Fernand but his friends just call him Tony. It's not that he feels insulted. This kind of name-calling is normal for them best friends but he just finds it boring... "Why does it have to be 'brown'? You can just use... 'chocolate' instead... 'coz it's yummy... like me," Tony said cockily. It's not about racial discrimination for them. They're just joking this way with no meaning of harm towards the other and they both were open about it.

Alec scoffs at him. "Then why don't you use 'coffee' on me, man?" Alec said, being cynical.

Tony got silent for a while as if he's thinking about what Alec said just now and all of the possibilities. He then just shrugs his shoulder. "We'll stick to brown and black," Tony said. Seriously, 'coffee' and 'chocolate' would sound so wrong... He is beginning to imagine Alec in a cup... That is just... wrong. He then has his face lighten up in excitement as he saw Kyo Takako walks towards them. "Dude, the Asian is here. 1 2 3." He said to Alec and started counting. As soon as Kyo reached them, they both call out to him; "Yo, Asian!"

With a smirk on his face, Kyo calls back to them. "Yo Nigga, Latino!" He greeted.

Alec shakes his head in disbelief at the new name-calling Kyo came up with. "Look Tony, Kyo always find better words to use," He whined with a sad look on his face.

Tony nods at him in agreement. "Yeah man, I'm so disappointed," Tony said, pretending to be sad as well. They both then grin widely and started punching softly on each other's chest as they laugh loudly. Nothing is serious enough for them. That's just what they're best at doing. Laugh it off. Even when they're bullied or picked on... It's not a big deal for them. "What's our plan for today, Asian? You're gonna go out with your lovey-dovey boyfriend?" Tony asked Kyo teasingly.

Kyo is openly gay. And his friends accepted him as he is even though many others didn't. They protected him from being bullied even when Kyo can surely take good care of himself because he just didn't care about what other people said. He, too, would just laugh it off. And that is the kind of attitude that everyone else in their circle of friends had adapted from. Kyo taught them to laugh all their problems, worries, and fears off like they don't care. "Hell no. I'm gonna go all-gay on you guys today!" Kyo said, teasing his friends in return. All three of them laugh aloud at the same time.

Alec now notices two figures walking towards them with a smile. The handsome duo that the whole school gone crazy for, Dominic Liam and Micah Stantleton. "Whoa. The whites are here. 1 2 3." Alec said and he started counting. When the duo reached them, all three of them shouted out; "Yo, Whites!"

Micah quickly replies to them. "Yo, losers!" He said. He then just as quick laughs back at them.

All three of them were shocked by what Micah had just called them though they know that it's just a joke. "What?!" They all asked in unison. Micah only laughs at them without a care in the world. Micah is always the dominant one in the group. He is also the strongest. Once, when Kyo was bullied, he jumped on the bully and beat him up to a pulp. He was suspended for a few weeks of school after that and the guy was hospitalized. He is like a leader and whether they liked to be pushed around or not, he is like an alpha in the group and the rest will just follow his lead. But he is not malicious and he cares a lot about them so they are all very comfortable around him, like being taken care of by a big brother.

Dominic only shakes his head at them. "You guys still have that name-calling prank going on?" he asked.

Alec nods. "Yeah ofcoz man, 'coz it fuuun...," he said.

"You guys really need to grow up," Dominic advised. Well, contrary to the rest of them, Dominic is the most matured one out of the five. He is also the smartest and they had been relying on him to teach them in their studies. He looks docile and sweet but he can be quite direct in his words. He is the total opposite to Micah but Micah sticks to him like glue. If there's one fact that they all had to agree on is that Dominic is the one that had brought them together. Micah, who seems like a leader, in truth will listen to Dominic without second thoughts. The three started their friendship with Dominic first and naturally, Micah will think of them as his friends too. Dominic and Micah had been best friends since they were in kindergarten and they only met with the trio Alec, Tony, and Kyo in middle high. They got along well and been best friends ever since.

Alec makes a face at Dominic. Dominic sure knows how to nag sometimes. "Well I don't wanna have wrinkles. So, I'm gooood," Alec said.

"I don't wanna have babies. So, I'm good," Tony said and that made everyone in the circle burst out laughing because it is so out of the topic. Tony is excellent in being funny with words he spoke.

Alec who takes some time to catch his breath after laughing so hard started to tease Tony. "Yo dude! What are you? Are you gonna get pregnant or some'in?" He asked.

Tony is still putting on that serious expression on his face as he comes up with more funny ideas. "Just saying... you never know technologies these days..." He said.

Kyo then rises up his hand like an eager kid wanting to answer a teacher's question. "I'll gladly be the dad!" He said, teasing Tony.

Tony no longer finds that funny. "What? Fuck no. No one's gonna stick his dick up in my ass! And especially not you, Kyo," Tony said. And that only made Kyo laughs because he is successful in teasing him.

"I'm not interested in a Brown's ass anyway," Kyo said, inserting the name-calling prank along in his words.

Tony nods. He knows that none of the conversation they're having is serious enough to care for. "Gooood," He commented, nodding his head up and down like Alec always did.

"How 'bout a black one then?" Alec suddenly asked.

Kyo knows that it's a tease. He's not gonna let Alec win. So he plays along. "You want it?" He asked.

Alec got all quiet for a moment as if he's thinking but he is just actually pretending to be thinking just to play along with the tease. He then laughs. "No. I'll stick to girls..." Alec said.

Kyo knew all along that Alec would say that so he just laughs along with him. He wins again with his teasing this time. "However..." Kyo said and started to walk over to Dominic. He puts his arms around Dominic's shoulder, acting all naughty. "Dome boy here is all nice and juicy... I'll fuck him anytime," Kyo said. Dome only laughs at Kyo's tease understanding it as a joke.

Micah feels alerted by what Kyo had just said and he has no idea as to why because he knew very well that Kyo was just joking but... "Whoa..." Micah said. He then comes rushing to Dominic and pulls him away from Kyo. "You gotta get your own Dome, dude. This Dome is mine," he said playfully. But in truth, he is serious. To him, Dome belongs to him. He might not understand the reasons of his possessiveness over him but he won't let others touch him.

Kyo makes a face. "Oh c'mon Micah, you straight ass, you're not gonna fuck him anyway. If you're going to, then I will hand him over," Kyo said, still playing along with his teasing.

Micah smiles naughtily as he hugs Dominic from behind and places his chin on one of Dominic's shoulders. "Just saying...you'll never know in the future..." He said with a naughty look on his face.

Kyo and everyone else including Dominic himself laugh at Micah's statement. "I'll cut off one of my fingers if you really turn gay!" Kyo said excitedly.

Dominic starts to feel his face flushed in embarrassment. The suggestion in Micah's tone is too much for him so, he quickly pulls Micah's hand away from holding him. He just hopes silently that Micah won't hear his heart beating so loud. Damn! That's why he laughs just as loudly in order to hide his own mixed emotions. "Oh c'mon, you guys. You are all for shits. Let's just go to Joanne's Place already," he said and leads them out of the school. Joanne's place is a café down-town where they always hang out at after school.

Alec smiles excitedly. "Yo, let's go!" He shouted.

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