Ashley Woodfolk - Tobyn

It was late, but Tobyn Wolfe didnt care.

She climbed down the rickety, old fire escape attached to her bedroom window and jumped the last few feet to the ground, her skirt flying up and showing too much of everything, but luckily there was no one around to see. She had on black fishnet stockings with her black skirt, and a black jacket over her shredded black tank top. The only color on her body was the blue streak in her short, curly afro, and she liked that everything about her blended into the night. She turned up the music in her headphones and couldnt help but sing along, loudly, as she jogged to the end of her alley and then the end of her block, waiting at the bus stop to catch the one that would take her to her sisters apartment.

Tobyn didnt care about the stares she got when she sang out loud in public. In fact, she welcomed them. She loved to be the center of attentionloved to be looked at and watched. It was why shed first joined the Harlem High Notes, the a cappella group at school. And it was why she dreamed about being famousrecording an album and going on tourwhy she wanted it all so badly.

The ride passed quickly. When she got to her stop, Tobyn stepped off the bus with her songbook (a worn notebook full of her original lyrics) in one hand and her phone in the other. She texted her sister, Walking , as she started down the block that led to Devyns apartment. She was actually on time for once, so she knew her sister wouldnt be expecting her yet. The thought of catching Devyn off guard gave Tobyn a little thrill. She liked being underestimated. She liked surprising people, and she loved being surprised, too.

Noelle Lee had surprised Tobyn. They were friends and had been for years. But ever since Noelle had placed her wide palms on either side of Tobyns face and kissed her after the fall showcase last semester, Tobyn couldnt get her friends hands out of her head.

Noelles hands were dark-skinned and long-fingered and bigger than Tobyns. They were cello hands, perfect for moving along the instruments long neck, and her nails were always painted (by Lux) so they looked like works of art. Tobyn had tiny hands with short, stubby fingers that gripped a microphone fine but werent elegant at all. As she walked, Tobyn thought about her hands holding Noelles, how her lighter brown skin would look next to the deep ebony of her friends. Things had been fine between them for the last couple of months; calm, and easy, and oddly normal. But it didnt change the fact that Tobyn thought about Noelle way more than she used to. And she didnt know what, if anything, she should do about that.

It was a school night, but lately Tobyn cared less and less about staying out. With her mom working the night shift, it was easy to get away with doing whatever she wanted. She used the fire escape to leave so that her keys would be in the dish by the front door just in case her mom came home earlier than she expected. Climbing the fire escape and sneaking in through her bedroom window meant she could get into bed without needing to pass her mothers bedroom, or opening the creaky front door. She went to shows as if shed already graduated, not making it home until the sun was rising, like she didnt need to be at Augusta Savage School of the Arts a few hours later. And she drank a lot of coffee to keep it all together.

Outside Devyns building, Tobyn lifted her finger to her sisters buzzer just as a tall guy pushed his way through the door. He held it open for her, so she eased inside with her hand against the wall. She tapped her fingers along the railing as she skipped up the three flights that led to Devyns apartment, humming along with the song playing in her headphones.

She knocked and waited. Knocked again and waited longer. It was the first time she was hanging out with Devyn in forever, and she was excited but nervous. She and her sister used to be really close, but over the last year Tobyn had felt more and more space opening up between them. Tobyn wondered if Devyn had forgotten about their plans tonight, like she had when Tobyn told her about the fall showcase back in November, and when Tobyn had saved for months and bought two tickets to a show their favorite band was performing on New Years Eve. It wouldnt be the first time her sister let her down, but it made a part of her heart ache to think it might be happening again.

She took out her phone and sent Devyn another text. Yo Im here. After what seemed like far too long, and still with no one coming to answer the door, Tobyn tried the knob. It turned easily and slid open.

Hello? Dev? Tobyn called into the apartment. It opened into a short hallway, and the living room was on the right, the kitchen on the left. Anyone home?

Devyns head poked out of the living room. Her hair was all fuzzy, streaked with red instead of blue like Tobyns. (Devyn had added the streak of blue to Tobyns hair. Whenever she needed a touch-up, Tobyn would text Dev. When her sister stopped by and tilted her head over the small bathroom sink to bleach the roots and reapply the sky-colored dye, it made Tobyn feel like things between them might get back to how they used to be.)