Early August of Previous Year:

It was late summer, over a year ago, where this all began. I blame Eliza for all of this commotion, now that I remember how it all went down. She was the one that wanted to go out to this crazy festival our town has every year.

She called me right after I got off work, begging for me to go to the late part of the festival. The After Festival is when all the family-friendly activities go away for the adult-only events to come out. Think of it as your typical club experience only twice as big and outside. Drinks, well-known artists performing, food, and tons of attendees ready to get their mingle on.

These kinds of events aren't my style but why not go when your best friend is on her knees, begging for you to go?

I dressed up in jean capris, white tight crop top, brown cover up, tan Chelsea boots, and decorated myself with my bracelets and Fitbit. Just in case someone asks if I keep up with how many calories I shove in my mouth daily, I had to have that handy.

Anyway, on the way there, Eliza explained the plan for us. "Always stick together. Do not leave my side and I won't leave yours. We're going to get some food, drinks, and enjoy a bit of music. Maybe we'll bump into another friend there and chill in their camper. I hope and pray Trey Songz will actually perform tonight. I want to lick his chest."

It had been a while since I've been to something like this. With work, my family, and lack of sleep, I didn't go anywhere anymore. The last time I had gone out was when my sisters and I took my brother to the fair years ago.

I hope and pray she doesn't get a chance to lick Trey Songz chest. Hopefully, he doesn't even show up. Not a huge Trey Songz fan after his cornrow days.

Once we pulled up, bright colors of green, blue, and yellow decorated the area. Food trucks, adult souvenir shops, and portable toilets that I wasn't going 10 feet near, were around this large part of land. Oh, let's not forget the hundreds of campers and huge ass stage for the performers.

This part of the event was gated and only those with tickets could get in. Luckily, Eliza had a few connections and talked the security guy's ear off. He was so annoyed that he just let us go through with no tickets.

"Oh, Kass, I'm so excited to be here! We can finally let our hoe out freely! I know you get down like that too. Don't try to hide it."

Not really, Eliza. I've never been as nasty as you are with anyone before. Just plain ol' sex with my partner that felt pretty good. Never got my rocks off but we'll set that aside and blame my picky ass vagina.

I just chuckled as we walked around the place, studied these other attendees. Droopy eyes, loud laughter and singing, the smell of weed just hanging in the mist of the space, grinding, dry humping, and a lot of PDA. You couldn't even call what these people were doing PDA. It was TMI.

I forgot. We're all grown here but this is some public shit. These people are high as fuck and fucking around like there aren't other people around here, like they're aren't tons of cameras here and I'm not just talking the cameras on the poles. Some of them will be in trouble.

"Did you see that throuple getting banged near the RV over there? Hot, isn't it?"

Hot? Really, Eliza? Two guys and a young, probably just-turned-21-year-old woman. Her poor holes will be feeling it in the morning.

I didn't want to see it but it just appeared and I looked away quickly. At night, the freaks come out and they were not holding back.

That's what it is. This was an event for adults to just get away, go into a different world that wasn't the real world. I bet half of the people here were nurses, teachers, and police officers. They wanted to live in a life where eyes weren't always on them. I understood that much at least.

Of course, Trey Songz came blasting through the speakers. I checked the stage, to see if he was on it, and they were waiting for someone else to come on. Eliza was so upset that it wasn't her freaky ass R&B singer.

We stood together and watched the next artist perform as the sun went down. The sunset looked beautiful, going down behind the stage. I wasn't even paying attention to the artist on stage. I was too busy looking at the yellows, oranges, reds, and light purples.

It was time for the sun and moon to change shifts. Their job: To protect us throughout the day and night.

It became dark quick and the performer's set was over. Eliza's voice was halfway gone as she was singing and shouting out the rap songs she knew. I didn't know one song from them so I was just the friend that she could cling on when she was overly excited.

"Hey, Kass, I see someone I know. I'll be back soon. Will you be alright here?"

I don't know, Eliza. What was the first rule in this? 'Always stay together'? Now, I know why you called for us to stay together. No, I won't be alright.

But if I kept her with me, she'd figure out a way to slip through my fingers so I had to let her go. Plus, it was better than following her and her 'someone she knew' to wherever they were going. Was it the weed that got her to change her mind or what?

I spent my time walking around and watching everybody have a great time. The performers at our little palooza, people hanging out in camping areas and chilling with friends, couples buying stuff for their partners, and more.

I think that's what really caught my attention. There were couples here and so much temptation surrounding them but they still had their eyes on each other. Either they were blind or they just ignored everything going on around them.

Wish that kind of love was available for everybody.

Eliza's plan was to stick around until midnight. How was she not here yet?

I called her phone, due to my anxiety taking its toll on me, and leaned against a nice chicken food truck to calm my nerves. Chicken wasn't a bad idea after this.

Eliza was struggling to catch her breath from what I heard on the other end of the phone call. It sounded like a guy was grunting in the background and a smack or two. Fuck, Eliza! Now is not the time to fuck around.

"Eliza, it's past midnight and I'm ready to go home. Where are you?"

Some friend she was. I should've expected this. I mean, tons of campers, Eliza with plenty of connections and friends, a place for people to not be who they really are in daylight. It was bound to happen but I thought it was just going to be a quick talk.

You could hear the aggravation in my voice because I was annoyed as fuck. I had been out there by myself for two hours straight. She was getting her blonde hair pulled and her pale backside broke while I've been waiting for her to get back. How fair was that to me? My back needed to be popped but not here.

"Oh shit! I completely forgot you were still here. Look, just go back home without me. I put the keys in your purse just in case something happened. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love ya."

After that, I could hear her and her partner pleasing each other. It freaked me out so I just hung up. They were plowing each other well in that camper but I don't want to picture Eliza riding a pro-athlete's junk.

Fuck it. She gave me the green light so I'm leaving in her car.

Let's be real for a second. Eliza knew everyone in the city through intimacy, bouncing from one bed to the next. Monica and Eliza both had connections around town but Eliza's were under the table.

Monica knew people through her husband Mark, the mayor of the city. She kept up this perfect image for her husband and the community so she could have friends in high and low places.

Let's not forget that they're both beautiful. Monica with her caramel-colored skin, bottle-shaped body, thick thighs, barely any waist, dark brown hair that fell to her waistline, those almond-shaped, dark brown eyes, and thin lips to make her smile stand out. She was every man's dream girl and her husband knew that. Hence why he caught her before anyone else.

Eliza was a beautiful woman with blonde hair a little past her shoulders, same body type as Monica except with bigger breasts, gold beige skin tone, light brown eyes, and thick lips probably due to all the guys she's let suck on them during sex. The guys only wanted her for one thing and she was known for that. She accepted it.

Well, besides Harrison. He's one of those guys that believes he can change a woman but was just taking his time, waiting to find the perfect time to cuff her.

I believe I'm an attractive woman as well. I am a beautiful plus-sized woman with thick thighs, an ass, titties bigger than Eliza and Monica's put together, mocha skin tone, with dark brown almond eyes, and thick lips. My hair may be kinky and curly but it does what it wants at this point. I am a lovely woman but nobody was worth my attention.

Nope, that's not it, Kass. You just can't catch anyone else's attention.

Anyway, thinking of my best friends and their successful lives, I was caught comparing myself to them.

How does someone with a clean track record feel so low and not have the life her best friends have? Especially love lives? I know everybody's journey is different and it may take time to get to the successful point, but I can't just sit and ignore how I feel. I can't just pretend that I'm not at least a little bit envy of my friends.

We could put the blame on anything else but I knew the only way my life would change was if I took the steps to change it.

Speaking of steps, as I took mine towards the car, I was hit with a tray of nachos to the chest. Picture this in slow-mo. A plastic tray of tortilla chips and hot nacho cheese thrown in the air and onto my breast, exposing my new red lace bra. I wanted to cry.

The burning cheese sat on my chest and the temperature of it seeped through my skin, making my anger rise at a slow pace. Some of that cheese was on my neck and face. Just wanted to punch the guy who threw them.

"Oh shit! Yooooo, my bad, bruh! Lemme go get you some napkins or some shit, man." Some random guy raced towards a food truck for something to clean this shit off with.

My momma told me to keep my mouth shut. Momma said if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all. I was trying to take her advice because I had some not-so nice words for this asshole.

I was so pissed off. From Eliza leaving me hanging to this. My Friday evening was something else.

"You don't look so comfortable..."

No shit, Sherlock. If you're not here to help, you should fucking leave.

"Here's a warm rag to help with that cheese. I'm really sorry about that."

Yeah, you should be but it's cool. I'm going home anyway.

I looked up to find a relaxed-looking mixed woman with her black hair in a ponytail and a hat on her head. She was dressed down in a t-shirt, sweats, and sneakers. Full sleeves of tattoos, nose piercing, studs in both ears, thin lips, and fit body.

Somebody works out. What's up with all the tattoos? Why did her woodsy scent overthrow the nacho cheese smell? Why were her teeth so white? Why was she smiling at me?

"Hey! Take the rag. You might wanna clean that up fast." She called me out of my confusion.

I took it and wiped myself off as I realized the sauce would stain my clothes...

But that's not all that caught my attention.

Her ivory skin, upturned, dark brown eyes, those full sleeves, shaped nose, flat chest, and...might I say, very cute smile.

"Sorry about that, again. There are my friends for ya; high as hell and can care less about other people and their outfits. Please excuse them." She goes on with a delicate, lazy tone in her voice.

Yeah, your friends are true reckless characters. Why are you not like them right now?

"Anyway, are you sticking around? I can grab you a change of clothes if you need them. I'm sure you don't want to walk around with...yeah." She noted, calling out my bra exposure.

Her voice was so odd with its deeply relaxed and chilled tone, very soft and delicate. I just wondered why her posture didn't match her voice. Yes, call me judgmental all you want but it was strange.

Shaking my head, I declined the offers and told her of my plans to go home. I had to change out of this outfit before I became a snack for mice.

"Alright then. It's been really nice to meet you but be careful going back home. It's pretty dark and these guys out here act like they can't drive. Also, sorry about my friend again."

Like I don't already know about people driving recklessly around here. Also, you and your posse should be sorry but all is forgiven. I'm going home and won't be back here so you're good.