Page 3 of Full Court Press

“You already know.”

“Nigga, stop lying!” I chuckled.

He laughed. “Nah. I’m lying, but I’m close.”

Sabrina Murphy was one of the popular chicks in school with the fattest ass. She was like a replica of Beyoncé, and everybody was trying to shoot their shot at her. The fact that she was on the dance squad was even worse because every time she danced, her ass was all we were focused on.

“This nigga. You know damn well you ain’t close to shit. That girl literally turns down every nigga that try to fuck with her. She likes girls, my guy.”

“How, when I was just with her last night? I ain’t fuck, but she let me suck her titties and play in her pussy.”

I side-eyed him, and we both burst out laughing. Lamar stayed lying about shit. I knew this because Sabrina had been throwing herself at me since we shared an Econ class together. I never took the bait, because one, I had too much going on dealing with Nia, and two, I didn’t want a chick every nigga was thirsting after. Sabrina was fine, but she was for everybody.

Girls included.

“Whatever, nigga. Coach bet not be on bullshit today. My fucking body still hurting from last practice,” I griped.

“I’m sure we’ll be sprinting today. If you come to the gym with me like I asked, you wouldn’t be so sore.”

“Man, having a baby ain’t no joke. I literally don’t have time to do shit. I be wanting to use the gym in my own damn house, but by the time I get Kiy down to sleep, my ass be right along with her. Slobbin’, snorin’, and all that shit.” We laughed as we entered the gym through the side door. The team was already warming up as I remembered to shoot my nana a text to ask her to drop Kiyanne off to Nia. I knew she wouldn’t want to, but she also knew that I was fighting for Nia to be a mother to our kid. I prayed for the sake of our daughter that she would come around and get the help that she needed.

I walked down the hall, heading to my dorm, already dreading being back at this shitty place. For three years, I was able to remain unseen to my fellow peers and get through college for the sake of my mother. She was all I had left in this world, and after almost losing her to breast cancer, I knew I had to show up and make her proud.

The popular students of True State were nothing but some stuck-up bullies. The jocks were a bunch of weirdos, the females were catty, and the nerds were lame. I was happy to be a team of me because not fitting in allowed me to get through the first three years here, and I prayed it’d be the same for my last.

Approaching my new dorm room, I could already hear loud music coming from inside. Since mama couldn’t afford to get me a private dorm anymore because she was still paying on her medical bills, I knew I would have to share this year, and it sucked. I rolled my eyes after using my key to get inside. I prayed this chick didn’t talk to me or touch any of my shit.

When I opened the door, all I saw was a hard back and a nice, brown ass pounding into who I assumed was my roommate.

On my fucking bed!

“Get the fuck out and close the door!” she had the audacity to scream at me. The guy, who was giving her what seemed to be death strokes, looked back at me with a smirk on his handsome face. “Bitch, are you deaf?” the girl screamed again, and I shook my head while exiting the room.

The first day of school, and this was what I’d come back to.

I walked down the hall and plopped down on the couch in the lounging area, pulling the hood of my hoodie over my head.

This shit is ridiculous.

If I were a snitch, I’d go right to the Dean and let her know exactly what was going on. I knew I was two days late getting enrolled, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t coming. Her trifling ass knew she had a roommate because my things were sent ahead before I got here. She could have taken that bullshit somewhere else.

The boys weren’t even supposed to be over here in our dorms, so either the security guards weren’t on their post, or they just didn’t care.

A few moments later, I could hear male laughter coming down the hall. I, once again, wondered how the hell they were able to get onto our compound. My eyes roved over to them as they walked down the hall in all of their high-priced attire and uppity demeanor. I watched as the leader of the pack led them right to our dorm room and knocked hard on the door.

“Yo, Mar, we gotta go!” he yelled.

Suddenly, he looked up from his phone, and I locked eyes with none other than Khalil Grey. Those piercing, dark eyes were captivating and mysterious. His smooth, brown skin was blemish-free, with full lips and thick, dark eyebrows. Whoever his parents were had to be beautiful because he was the perfect product of them. His long hair was braided in plaits that hung past his shoulders. His tall, six-four frame and muscular build filled out the heather-gray hoodie he wore. Crisp, black jeans fit loosely, a Versace belt to hold them up with space-gray Jordan 4s on his feet. His jewelry was subtle. One TAG Heuer watch, a small, platinum, diamond-encrusted Jesus piece, and two small diamonds in his ears.

I didn’t know much about Khalil, aside from him being a star basketball player, and his stepfather was Drew Stanford, who used to play for the Detroit Vipers. Other than his bourgeois attitude, whenever we were in close proximity to one another, that was all I needed to know I didn’t like him or his crew of wannabes.

I hurriedly diverted my gaze until I heard the sex demon that was pounding into my roommate open the door and step out while tossing his hoodie over his head, smiling wide like he won the lottery.

“You finally got that ass?” one of the stupid jocks asked.

“Took her ass straight through there,” the demon tried to whisper, but I’d heard him.

“Who is she?” Khalil asked.