“He’s almost as tall as you too, so your height wouldn’t help you at all.”
I run my hand down my face. “Oh, you got jokes?”
“No, I have a big brother. And he loves me.”
So do I.
“Of course, you’re over here by the food!” A voice calls out.
I look away from Lily right at Porsche. Her smile fades. “Basketball player.”
“Hey, Porsche. You look nice.”
She cuts her eyes at me. “Don’t try to flatter me. I know I look nice.”
“P, take it down a notch.”
Zea walks over to us, holding a plate of ribs in one hand and a single, halfway eaten rib in the other. “We got a party now!” She turns to Porsche. “Heeey! Your man said I remind him of you.”
Porsche gives Zea a thorough once over. “You look like him.” She nods in my direction.
“My daddy was a hoe...our daddy was a hoe. Charge it to the game.”
Porsche laughs. “Ah, now I see it.”
Zea points to her plate. “You hungry?”
“I like you even more. Yes, I am.” They walk away to one of the tables set up, leaving me alone with Lily.
“We keep randomly running into each other,” she admits.
“Yeah...” I scratch the back of my neck. “I want to say something and then... I don’t.”
She looks at me. “Why not?”
I shrug. “Trying not to mess it up again.”
Her expression shifts, softer, but she doesn’t let me off easy.
“You might if you keep acting weird.”
I huff a small laugh.
“Noted.”
Chapter 20 Lily
Javonte’s acting like a nervous teenage boy around me. It’s almost cute. We get some food and sit at a table not too far from Porsche and Zea. They’re talking with their hands, high fiving and vibing with each other.
I watch them, and Javonte follows my line of sight. “That’s hella weird.”
I shake my head and look at him. “No, it’s not. Porsche’s missing teaching. She always vibed with the teenage girls. Boosted them up. Brought smiles to her face. She runs a free salon for girls to get their hair done if they can’t afford it. She’s a girl's girl.”
He stares at them. “I had no idea.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know,” I tell him, looking down at my plate.
“That’s on me.”
