Dio shook his head as he moved closer. “Man, bring yo ass.”
“No!”
I opened my door, went inside, and tried to close it quickly when his foot stopped it. “Look, I’m not trying to rough yo ass up, but come on. It’s clear you don’t fuck with him, but tell his ass that. Why are you running?”
“He’s the Devil! I hate him!” I shouted behind the door.
“Okay. Then challenge the Devil. I don’t like the nigga either, but I don’t let him scare me. Face his ass. Is he a woman beater or some shit?”
Dio was right. I opened the door to see him calmly standing there. I could see he was tired and weary, but a tinge of evil sat in his eyes. A smirk eased on my face.
“I want to take his ass down, and I will go if you help me.”
He ran his hand over his head. “That’s Dean Big Brother God’s Gift. What would I look like?” he said before a sinister smirk eased on his face.
I caught what he was throwing. I fully exited the room, closing my door behind me, and walked down the hall until I left the building. Samara’s man was pretty smart, and if he was going to help me, I was going to take it.
When I got to Jesaiah, Dio walked past and went back to what he was doing.
“What do you want?” I hissed.
“Damn, it’s like that? That nigga Harlem got your head fucked up or what?”
The audacity. “Harlem has nothing to do with this. I saw the fucking video. Why would you do that?”
He glanced around, then back at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I tossed my hands up. “You’re a liar!” I shouted.
He gripped my arm, bringing his face closer to mine. “Stop that fucking yelling. I said I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
Jesaiah acting like he didn’t know what I was talking about bothered me. “What do you want, Jesaiah? You don’t want me, and I don’t want you. We have no chemistry, so what is there to talk about?”
I could see his eyes held just a tinge of sadness. “A nigga just wanted to make sure you’re good. Can I come see you later?”
My head flew back because I didn’t understand. “No, you cannot. You think you’re going to blow me off, and now I’m supposed to fold? Fuck you!”
I stormed off without giving him a chance to speak. He had already crossed the line, and there was no turning back. Jesaiah had no humanity in him, so why should I?
XAVIER
PRESS PLAY
I opened my eyes to see Phoebe standing over me, grilling me like a bull. I waved her off and turned over. She wanted a nigga to fold like a lawn chair and act as if that shit with Syior didn’t happen. I was already stuck with her for the rest of the week. All I wanted to do was whatever her daddy needed so I could get back in good graces with my coach. She had ruined any piece of hope I had for her and me when I found out she was still sleeping with another nigga. I could have been a sleaze ball and slept with other girls, but that wasn’t the case. Since she and I started fucking around, it had only been her, but I couldn’t get the same in return.
As I tried to doze back off, a pillow slammed against the side of my head. “Get up! We need to work the horses.”
“A nigga ain’t fucking with no horses or ponies or whatever you call them.”
The pillow crashed against the side of my head again, and I shot up. “Phoebe, your little ass better chill!” I barked.
She stood there with a smirk. “Fine. Let me tell my daddy you said you're not helping.”
“Let me tell my daddy,” I mocked her. “Oh, so now you’re about to be on some spoiled girl shit.”
“You don’t have to say a word to me, and I don’t have to say a word to you. But if you want my dad to say good things about you to your coach, I suggest you get your crippled ass up.”
I ran my hand down my face. This time, when I looked at her, I took her in. She looked the same yet different. There was a softness to her expression. Her hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, her nails were unpainted, and she wore light colors. Maybe she was like this yesterday, and I was too angry to notice, but at this moment, she looked pretty as hell. I turned to get out of bed.
