D’andre and Dylan walked out of an exhausting 3 hour lecture.

“No more engineering for me.”

“Just 2 more weeks. We got this.”

Dylan laughed, punching D’andre on his shoulder.

“By the way, did you hear about the job opening in GE?”

“You’re applying there too?”

“I’m getting that job. Forget you!”

D’andre flashed his charming smile.

“I’m gonna get it.”

Dylan became serious but then smirked.

“You right.”

D’andre patted him on the back.

“See you at Christina’s party. Need it.”

They went home. They lived 30 minutes away, close to Christina’s dorm.

D’andre and Dylan met up before heading in. A weird smell. Cigarette smoke and alcohol intoxication; D’andre felt uneasy.

“Hey man, I don’t think we should stay. Let’s leave.”

Dylan stopped him.

“Relax. We need to detox.”

D’andre shot him a look.

“The right way.”

Vodka shots passed by Dylan. He turned to D’andre.

“Just one. The right way, remember?”

But Dylan wasn’t doing things the right way. D’andre was by his side, remembering the pact. After taking pictures, they left. Dylan went with another friend, high as he was. D’andre left, posting a picture on Instagram writing, “A much needed detox.”

A week later, interview time. The duo decided to go together. Suited and booted, they were ready. D’andre was going in.

“Good luck man.”

D’andre didn’t know how to react. They both wanted the job, so he just smiled.

Interview done. Doom. He entered prepared, but left confused. It was as if he was a criminal. What did he do wrong? Dylan entered, leaving his seat without any best wishes from D’andre. He later walked out, white teeth shining bright.

“You’d never believe it…I got the job!”

D’andre was lost, still trying to figure out what went wrong.

“Hey? I GOT THE JOB!”

Anxious; shattered.

“Already?”

Dylan hugged D’andre in excitement.

“They loved everything!”

Confused, D’andre had to ask.

“Everything?”

“It seems they check social media accounts, and said they were pleased to find a clean record. Approachable, friendly. Lucky I didn’t look high in that picture.”

Dylan’s smile faded.

“Hey, don’t be down. There’s an opening in Ford, you’ll get it. But let’s celebrate? You choose.”

But D’andre was somewhere else. Instagram, Christina’s party, drugs, alcohol, black, white….he became furious.

“I can’t. You go.”

Dylan stopped in his tracks.

“What’s up? Why the attitude?”

“I just don’t want to go.”

“Because I got the job and you didn’t?

“Because you were high that night and I wasn’t.”

“You seriously still stuck on that? It was one night. Besides, what does that even…?”

Dylan looked at D’andre, surprised.

“Oh my god, are you mad because of the social media thing?”

“Yes I am. You were high, I wasn’t. But they say no to me and yes to you.”

             “You’re gonna lecture me on wrong and right now?”

             “It’s not about wrong or right, Dylan. Right now, it’s about being black or white. I look wrong, but you’re white which makes everything right. Everything.”