In the guest bedroom, Emani took off her oversized shirt and groaned. “I should thank you for signing me up for homecoming. It’s a break I didn’t even know I needed. I’m at capacity right now.”
“It’s not getting better?” Donnée asked, unzipping the garment bag and removing it.
“Titties up, I’m coming in,” Carson’s voice sounded against the door.
Emani cupped her breasts and stepped into the dress and wiggled, helping Donnée pull it up. Carson walked in right as Emani was adjusting her breasts in the dress. He didn’t bother sitting as he examined her.
“This is what you picked?” Carson asked. “This isn’t the one we looked at.”
“No, that one was vetoed by Janet. I-” Emani sighed, twirling the ring around her finger. “I don’t think I want to do this.”
“That nigga is still in the driveway, you want me to tell him?” Carson asked, pointing over his shoulder.
Emani shook her head. “Let me sit with it. I’m overwhelmed. I hate this dress. And this rushed wedding ,like I’m pregnant, is too much.”
“Are you?” Carson and Donnée asked in tandem.
Emani frowned. “He can’t touch me without a rubber.”
“Damn!” Carson grunted. “You know what kind of nigga you got to be for your girl to hold up the rubber in the throes of passion?”
“Let’s not even harp on it. Let’s just get me out of this.”
Oceania State University Homecoming: Welcome Home Rebels.
A large sign read as the sprinter holding The Crew rolled down University Row. Three of the sorority and fraternity houses were located on this block of houses. The groups pledged organizations, Phi Beta Alpha and Sigma Zeta Delta had houses at the end of the block. That was the greatest lick the group ever pulled together. The six of them were determined to succeed and a way to do that was to pledge and rub elbows with people they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
“Carson remember that letter Ashton wrote up for you as an apology for that thing?” Donnée asked with a snicker.
“That thing?” Ashton asked, playing confused.
Carson, who sat next to Emani, had his hands resting on top of her legs scrolling through a series of emails. “Let this be the last time we bring up Ashton fuckin’ my momma.”
“Ohh, yeah that,” Ashton spoke snapping his fingers. “It was either I got that nigga in or he was going to kill me.”
“Got him in and paid his dues,” Kyrie spoke with a snicker. “Carson, he made that payment for the year yet?”
“For life, nigga,” Carson spoke back, making the group erupt with laughter.
“We did some shit didn’t we,” Donnée hummed.
Emani stared out the tinted windows and let her mind play all of the times they had on campus. Good and bad, joy and heartbreak. “Y’all remember that time I got that work study job in the Eagles Nest?”
“Stole all their chicken, it was a mystery for years,” Kyrie laughed. “I don’t know who let our ghetto asses up in here and decided to have us back as special guests.”
“Man, let’s not forget Donnée bleaching the entire drumlines uniforms because of that nigga Jermel,” Jahlil commented with laughter finding its way in his voice. The sound of it made Emani’s hair stand on ends. As if the woodsy scent of him wasn’t enough to inhale for the forty-five minute ride down the coast.
“I told that knock-kneed nigga not to play with me,” Donnée said, shrugging her shoulders. “You were right there with me snatching all the uniforms and drums off the top shelf too.”
“Damn straight. Ky was there too,” Jahlil pointed out. “Pretty sure he knocked a couple of that nigga’s teeth loose and dared him to do something.”
“You know, looking back on it. I swore it was going to be Emani and Jahlil married with at least three kids by now and Ky and D right behind them.”
Emani watched Carson’s face twitch and Donnée pretend like she couldn’t hear anything Ashton said.
“So y’all going to pretend like y’all don’t hear me?” Ashton huffed. “Aight.”
“My bad G, can’t hear shit that low to the ground,” Kyrie muttered.
