Saturdays were reserved for Keynauri and Lyric. Sometimes he would bring his baby girl Keyami when her momma wasn’t acting a fool. Since my mom usually spent the weekends chasing behind a man, they would come over and stay the night. We usually watched movies until we fell asleep, and then Keynauri would get up in the morning and cook us breakfast. My momma rarely kept groceries in the house since she was hardly there, so Keynauri usually took me grocery shopping on the weekends, and I would be in charge of dinner. It was our little routine that I looked forward to.
“Our plans have changed. I should be home by my curfew.” His jaw flexed, but he didn’t speak right away. Someone in his background said something, but he seemed uninterested in the conversation. I rarely questioned him about his whereabouts as long as he checked in with me.
“You need some money? Is he picking you up? Does your momma know you’re going out with a stranger?” Keynauri fired off back-to-back questions while taking a pull of his blunt. His eyes never left mine. In fact, his stare seemed much more intense.
“No, you gave me money two days ago. He’s picking me up in a few minutes, and my momma has talked to him on the phone. She also knows his parents because they host a lot of food giveaways,” I informed him, checking the time to make sure I was still on schedule. Keynauri nodded, blowing smoke through his nose and mouth. There was silence between us, making the interaction awkward. Keynauri never held his tongue for anyone, but he seemed to be thinking about what he wanted to say.
“Well, I don’t want to hold you up. I have to make a few plays, then I’ll grab Lyric and head to your house. Call me if you need me.”
“I will. I’ll see you later.” I bit my bottom lip as I swept my hair out of my face.
“Be safe, Cocoa Puffs. You know I’ll catch a body behind you.” I tried to hide the smile on my face because he wasn’t joking. I had lost count of how many boys were on the receiving end of his fist on my behalf. There was no use in trying to reason with him, because he was overprotective.
“I got you. I love you, best friend.”
“I love you, too.” The call disconnected, leaving me with a nervous feeling in my gut.
“Aww, aren’t the two of you the cutest. I told you that man was not going to be okay with you running off into the sunset with Issac. He might not have said it, but his face gave him away. I can’t wait for the day the two of you stop playing around and get it together.” Nova huffed, gathering her things since Logic was on his way to pick her up. The two of them seemed to be getting pretty cozy, but I decided to mind my business unless she involved me in it.
“You’re going to be waiting a long time because we are nothing more than friends. We love each other, but that doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be together. If anything, I pray our friendship is strong enough to pass the test of time. I can’t even imagine a world where he isn’t a part of my life.”
Whenever we discussed the future, there seemed to be a disconnect. It was almost as if Keynauri didn’t plan for us to be friends in the future. Whenever I would call him out on it, he would insist that I was being dramatic. I didn’t see it that way though. It didn’t matter where life took me; he would be right there with me. Best friends forever.
“I had a really good time tonight. Even though you cheated on that last round.” Issac called me out. I giggled, knowing damn well he was right. I cheated so badly on those last few holes, and he let me do it.
“You gotta do what you gotta do. It’s not my fault you want to play with morals.”
“You’re funny foreal. I haven’t been there since I was younger, but this was my favorite experience. Did you enjoy yourself?” Issac’s butter pecan-colored skin was smooth and blemish-free. His face was clean-shaven, and it fit him perfectly. In my opinion, he could be a model in the future.
“I really enjoyed myself. This was my first time, but I would love to go again someday.” I expected to have a good time with Issac, but he exceeded my expectations. Not only was he a perfect gentleman, but he was also funny. I laughed most of the night, and it made me want to get to know him even more.
“Maybe we can make it happen. I’ve been enjoying my time with you, and I’m glad you decided to give me a chance.” I had my fair share of crushes over the years, but never an actual boyfriend. Between the boys being too afraid to approach me and me being afraid to let someone in, I had never dated before. With me being a senior, I was ready to explore and see what was out there.
“I feel the same way. I think you’re a really great guy, and I’m interested in learning more about you.”
“Alright then. I’ll text you tomorrow after church. My family and I do a lot of work in the church, so I don’t always have a lot of free time on the weekends, but I’m willing to make some adjustments so I can spend time with you.” His declaration made my palms sweaty. Outside of Keynauri, no other boy made me feel this vulnerable. Issac seemed sweet, but not in the pushover kind of way. I honestly felt like I could trust him, and that wasn’t easy for me.
“I understand, and I appreciate the effort. We have two classes together, so it’s not like we won’t see each other.”
“Yeah, but that’s not enough for me. Don’t worry, though. I’m gonna make it work.” I loved the confidence in his tone. It made me excited for what was to come.
“Do you want me to help you carry your things inside?” Issac inquired as he got out of the car to open my door. I had leftovers from the restaurant plus the bear and flowers he bought for me. I wasn’t expecting a gift, and the gesture warmed my heart.
“I think I can manage. Thank you for everything. I’ll see you on Monday.” We stood there awkwardly for a moment until he leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I loved how respectful and gentle he was with me. Most boys our age were horny assholes with no concept of romance or courting. I appreciated his maturity.
“Good night, Naiari. Thank you for coming tonight.”
“Good night, Issac.” I clutched my bear to my chest as I ascended the steps. The sound of a door slamming caused my head to shoot up. When I saw a stone-faced Keynauri, I giggled. His arms were crossed in front of his chest as his eyes followed Issac.
“What are you doing here so early? I thought y’all weren’t coming until later.” Keynauri usually didn’t make it to my house until after ten, but here it was a quarter to nine, and he stood in front of me shirtless in a pair of black lounge pants.
“I wanted to make sure you made it back safely.” Issac honked his horn as he pulled off. I didn’t even bother to look back, because I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking. I was sure it would be brought up later on, and I wasn’t sure how things would go.
“Why don’t you have a shirt on? It’s not that hot outside,” I fussed. Truthfully, I enjoyed the view, even though it wasn’t mine.
“I’m grown as fuck, that’s why. How was your little date with ol’ boy?” We walked into the house together, and my eyes traveled right to the bag of snacks on the couch.
“My little date went very well. Issac is a great guy, and he was the perfect gentleman. We went to a steakhouse and then played mini golf. I won, of course.”
