"This song is the business" I shouted to Jamal over the loud music blaring through his car stereos, we sang along to one of my favorite songs by my favorite band. Jamal sang along, but his lack of vocal ability had me cracking up the whole drive. His whale calls didn't stop as we pulled up to a stoplight, our infantile antics perpetuated.

As the song progressed to the chorus we glanced at each other knowingly throwing out our vocal cords on the dashboard. A few other motorists eyed us through their car mirrors and windows, but we didn't have a care in the world whatsoever as we danced and acted like fools. I missed these moments with Jamal, I knew he wasn't too happy that I left but we both made an oath to be as prosperous as our parents were but we have been inseparable ever since that day my dad had introduced me to Jamal, my father had him show me around the plant that he was employed at.

     After the song had culminated he turned the radio down so I knew he wanted to catchup and talk about my college adventures. He went along and told me about his many achievements he neglected to share with me, surmounting his fathers company at a very young age didn't seem to integrate any psychological quandaries to his life as he took the mantle from his father a couple years ago after an early retirement, but he was doing a marvelous job and I had to revere him for his stoutheartedness, I decided against asking him if he was dating anyone at the moment since I planned on laying all cards on the table tonight, I was reluctant to and dreaded the moment when I would let him be plenarily vigilant of the truth, but the night was still puerile, there was no rush at all and it made no sense deferring the ineluctably foreordained, a face to face talk was long overdue with him anyway and we both knew that even if we failed to admit it.

He delved into my non-existent dating life making me dodge questions I didn't feel comfortable responding to because of their nature.

"So five years in college and you still haven't been on a date?" Jamal blurted out, I shook my head at him scarcely rolling my eyes but I ended giving him a sizably voluminous smile instead.

"Nope" I beamed, a wide grin was plastered on my face because I just knew his face sported a smirk and I didn't even have to take a glance to know it. I knew him better than anybody else in the world.

"Alex your literally sex on legs man, now you really mean to tell me your best friend, that kens you better than anybody else in this whole world, that you haven't even been on one date the whole five years you were in Paris?" He asked incredulously and I was consummately in shock as he referred to me as sex on legs, I brushed it off in reluctance and gave the best exculpate that man could ever conjure in such a situation.

"No, I was focused on my subjects and lab projects, stop pretending as if we didn't talk all those years I left Jamal, we literally spoke  every day" I argued flatly as I punched his arm causing him to chuckle like a buffoon, but still grimace as my fists connected with his arms a little harder than I had hoped to.

"Still the nerd I know and love" he mused lightly but I shrugged him off not intending to expound myself further.

"I've never genuinely seen you go out on a date" he raised an eyebrow.

"Shocker, I bet you've never genuinely seen me get asked out on a date" I grumbled knowingly glaring at him as he drove.

"You get asked out a lot when we go to parties" he integrated but I raised an eyebrow in the worlds most Grammy worthy what the fuck stare, he was beyond delusional and I contemplated slapping some sense into him but that would probably result in both of us trapped in a car that was smashingly folded up on a redwood tree, yikes.

"Are you high, or just incredibly delusional?" I shot at him laughing, he laughed along.

"I always seen somebody talking with you at parties" was his impuissant reply.

"Yeah, about homework and Mathletes" I mumbled flatly eyeing him.

"Oh, I always thought you just turned down an abundance of people" I shook my head at him.

"Well sorry if I wasn't transmuting boyfriends or girlfriends every two months" I fired back in mock disdain.

"That was one time Alex" he verbally expressed groaning out loudly making me cachinate beating my right leg.

"Whatever floats your boat" I replied after my fit of laughter had ceased.

"No boyfriends, no girlfriends, nada, zilch, nooooo-" 

"Ok, I get it I'm such a virgin and will probably always be now focus on the road, it's my first night back and I don't intend to be killed" I repined dramatically gaining a low chuckle from Jamal.

"Ok, I won't let you die a virgin then because we bout to hit up a club tonight" he whisper shouted solemnly, I groaned out loudly at the cerebration of going to a club my first night back so I simply digressed, knowing a turn up was plenarily out of the question.

"Yep, books before cocks, or is it books before dick?" Humor thick on my tongue as I side eyed him waiting to optically discern his expression.

"Umm, dicks? I think?" he was regaled by the looks of it, his lips curled up remotely and I smirked. 

"Your adorable Jamal" I muttered blankly as he chuckled, he prehended my hand in his free left hand gently squeezing it as if he was silently telling me that he wasn't going anywhere, an inelegant silence washed over us as tension was built for a reason I couldn't quite place my finger on but in a few short moments Jamal cleared his throat and spoke.

"Alex?" I settled my gaze on him for his features had transmuted from regal to expressionless albeit earnest.

"Yes Jamal?" 

"I wanna to ask you something really serious but you gotta to promise me you won't get freaked out though, I know you" he admonished but it seemed he was pleading with me and his deep voice verbally expressed it all so I ruled out a joke and considered the possibility that he wanted to ask me to be his best man at a wedding he didn't mention, my heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I began to calm my self, after a few purloined intakes of breath, my mind cleared of all negativity and I was able to function opportunely once more.

"Jamal, we've been friends since forever man you know I'm the last person who would judge you, and besides I have a lot I have to tell you also, and I'm hoping you won't judge me after I say all m this so I'm not judging just yet" I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze m with a smirk plastered on my face, he raised an eyebrow then chuckled eyes still glued to the road.

"Well...." He paused smiling, his hand stiffened in mine as I started to become apprehensive about what he so desperately needed to tell me but he spoke before I could say anything.

"Would you Like-" a loud smash resonated around me jerking my eardrum making everything around me sound like echoes in a vacuous cave, then it was tenebrous and silence became my torture.