by Nyomi Scott
James was sprinklin’ as we walked, all about the campus and events held here. He told us about the huge circular building we’d seen as we’d driven to the parking structure: the Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, a hexxa tight site, surrounded by water.
But we moved in the opposite direction, James soon spittin’ facts about Sun Devil Stadium and the athletics program that had recruited him from his Chicago high school for a football scholarship.
But football season being over, it didn’t take long before Maurice and James were talkin’ ’bout hoopin’, school stats and their fave pro teams and players. Ballin’ was Maurice’s thang, and I could feel his excitement and energy as he talked ’bout it seep through his hand.
Despite the surreal feelin’ that was pumpin’ through my body, it was all gravity being here. Things were chill for now, Kayla was safe, Maurice was by my side and I thought I’d made a little dent on my cousin about the dangers of our Web site.
With the warm sun beatin’ down on and my hair driftin’ on the gentle breeze, my thoughts turned away from worry, to just doin’ the do and bein’ in the moment. It was cool seeing Kayla’s smiles and hearin’ her laughter.
I listened silently as Maurice and Kayla filled James in on Frisco and livin’ in the Bay Area. Since Mac Dre had spread his hyphie movement all ’bout, James knew some of the smack we talked about, which had me grinnin’ when he said things in his Chicago accent.
But the same words had Kayla blushin’ and her bright blue eyes goin’ all shiny. Made me wonder what happened between the two of them during the time she’d been one upped on our chase behind her. When we got a sec alone, I’d ask her about it.
For now? I glanced around. To Kayla and James walkin’ holdin’ hands. To Maurice, who was connected to mine, too. And realized we looked as much like a couple as my cousin did with her fella. And I couldn’t help the knotted-up feelin’ in my gut that in addition to talkin’ to Kayla about her relationship, I was gonna need to take a right quick peep at my own.
What was up with Maurice and me? Was he playin’ me because we were alone on the road and I was convenient? Was there more? He hadn’t been down with Darian kissing me. But had that been the male ego thang, or somethin’ more?
My thoughts were interrupted by a tug on my hand. We’d changed directions, and I’d been all caught up and hadn’t noticed. When I looked up, Maurice was lookin’ at me all funny-like, his dark eyes questionin’ and his brows pulled together some.
“You cool?” he asked, his voice low and intended just for me. The concern laced in his tone stroked against somethin’ intimate inside me.
Warmth uncurled through my body, and my heart rate picked up some. “I’m good.” I squeezed my fingers, drawnin’ our contact closer, then leaned in his direction, seekin’ the comfort of bein’ at his side.
“You down with spendin’ a day or two here?”
My eyes widened. No doubt I’d been spacin’ when they’d been makin’ plans. He must have read alarm rather than surprise in my eyes, because his entire body reacted. He stopped walkin’ and turned me into him so we were standin’ face-to-face.
A dimple danced on his cheek, and he licked his lips before he spoke. “We can swoop up Kayla and bounce if you feel better ’bout that.”
I heard him, but couldn’t reply. I was straight up too busy starin’ at his lips, left shiny and wet from where his tongue had been, all swarmed into the memory of those lips on me.
His dimples deepened, as he musta known what I was thinkin’ ’cause he kissed me right quick. Not long or deep. Lawdy, just a little peck, but enough for me to know I wanted more.
When he lifted his head his dark eyes were shimmering with a smile. He stroked his thumb across my palm. “Anythang you want, shortie.”
What I wanted was another kiss. Another night in the hotel room. Another chance to go all the way. Another chance to show him I cared enough to be his girl.
To spend more time with him.
“We’ll stay.”
He grinned, then his gaze roamed over to James and Kayla, who were watchin’ us, but pretendin’ they weren’t. “Fo’ sheedo? I want ya to be sure.”
“Yeah, Maurice. I like marinatin’ with ya. We’ll stay.” Then I kissed him again, fast and shallow, like he kissed me a sec ago, ’cause I couldn’t help it. And I didn’t give a damn ’bout Kayla’s giggles or knowin’ looks.
I wanted Maurice as my man. Time to fess up publicly. Or at least to my cousin. My face flushed. I winked at her as I turned away from Maurice. “Let’s eat.” I touched my free hand to my stomach. “I’m dyin’.”
CHAPTER 19
I hella wanted to talk to Kayla alone, but the rest of the afternoon we never really got the chance. After walkin’ across campus, James found us this little burger joint where I wolfed down food hexa fast, but said little.
James and Maurice did most the talkin’, sprinklin’ facts ’bout the hoods they’d each grown up in, ’bout sports they played, ’bout clean rides and fly gold rims.
And it’d been sorta funny, too, like two couples who’d known each other forever, when really James was the newcomer to the crew. But you wouldn’t know it by the way he laughed and exchanged, and if anythin’ I was the one on the outs, kinda quiet as I watched my cousin oooh and aaaah over this boy.
Though he seemed aiight, I still couldn’t shake the feelin’ that Kayla had moved too fast with him, and there was gonna be drama when it was time to pull up and go home. All through dinner I kept my lips and questions in check, knowin’ I was hella quizzin’ her when I got her alone.
Maurice musta noticed my lack of participation in the conversation because more than once he’d stroke his thumb across my palm and give my hand a little reassuring squeeze. When his dark, rich gaze met mine, I could hella feel how much he understood ’bout me.
And I loved him for it. Knots tightened up in my belly. I loved this boy, in this deep, intense way I’d never felt before. I repressed a tremor right quick and just tried to enjoy bein’ there with him.
And I waited to get K alone. I needed to talk to her in this unexplainable crazy-ass way. We’d always shared so much—well, except my GettinHooked motives and my feelings for her neighbor—and I kinda feared right ’bout now she was keepin’ big-time secrets from me.
But we never really got the chance to talk in private. By the time we’d finished eatin’, the desert sun had started to fade all quick-like, and the warm air split, too, leavin’ me chilled.
It was a different kinda cold than The Bay, dry but nipping, and before I knew what was down, Maurice had me tucked all cozy against his warm, solid side, with an arm wrapped snug around my back. I could hella dig the way his hand felt restin’ on my hip, the way his fingers crept beneath my shirt to sweep along my skin.
And here and there he offered up the cutest little looks that had his amazing dark eyes sparklin’ and his dimples cuttin’ holes in his cheeks.
Since the sun had set, James skipped showin’ us more of the ’Zona State campus, and we headed back to his dorm instead. He’d already told Maurice and me that we could crash there tonight, if we wanted to share his roommate’s single bed. His roommate had gone home for spring break, so the room was his for the next week.
And during the walk back to Irish Hall, James had suggested going to this club he knew ’bout where his fella bounced the door.
“I don’t have a license,” I’d said, straight-up worried ’bout going clubbin’ where I didn’t know any of the peeps. Though, I had to admit, there was something exciting and grown ’bout it, too.
“Just show him some sort of ID so his boss thinks he’s checkin’ but we’re in regardless.” James laughed and nodded a “you know” at Maurice.
Kayla was all excited ’bout it, her wide blue eyes pleading with me to go along. She even did this little hair flip, titling her head to the side like she used to do when we were little and she wanted me to do somethin’ for her.
I glanced slowly
at Maurice. He dark gaze was gentle and understandin’, like he’d be chill with whatever I decided. His hand rested on my hip, his fingers strokin’ all soft-like against my skin beneath my shirt, and right quick my mind flashed to what we’d be doin’ tonight if we didn’t go clubbin’.
And all of a sudden clubbin’ felt less dangerous. Less adventurous. And fa sheezy, less thrillin’, ’cause if we were just gonna kick it, me and Maurice, I kinda knew in that moment we’d be gettin’ down to business.
“Whatever you wanna do, shortie.” Maurice’s voice was low, just meant for me and soothed and stirred like crazy. He lowered his voice, lickin’ his lips in the hella sexxi way. “Whatever you want.”
It straight up wasn’t easy, but I tugged my eyes from his and looked back at Kayla and James, standing just a few feet away still holdin’ hands.
“Aiight, we’ll go.”
I heard Maurice’s little disappointed breath, and I knew he must have been thinkin’ the same thang I’d been.
“Yay, girl, you won’t be sorry,” Kayla said, breakin’ free of James to give me a quick little hug.
“I didn’t really bring nothing to wear. Just sweats.”
“I packed tons of clean gear, Imani.” She was back by James’s side and we were walkin’ again, toward his dorm. “We’ll find you somethin’ hexa cute.”
It didn’t take long before we were back where he stayed, the dorm tucked all up in Irish Hall. And just a few minutes later Kayla and I were grabbin’ up towels, headed toward the community showers.
It was kinda weird at first, thinking ’bout sharing a bathroom with a bunch of strangers, but actually it was more private than the showers we took after PE back at Howard.
Each shower had its own stall and shower curtain, and Kayla had told me that the hot water lasted forever, since the dorms were close to deserted because so many had skipped out for spring break.
I’d been hopin’ that it would end up bein’ just me and my cousin in the shared bathrooms, that we’d finally get the chance to talk a little. Time to confess how I felt about Maurice—how deep it really was—and time for me to find out exactly what had gone down between my cousin and her man.
But we weren’t alone. There were a few other girls, all apparently getting ready to go out, too, and so they showered a few stalls down, with their curtains closed, but they talked and laughed, while I pretty much kept my quiet.
I kinda felt weird, and hella outta place, a junior in high school with these girls who were in college, even if they didn’t look a whole lot older, and by the way they were acting and giggling, they didn’t seem a whole older, either.
I didn’t have time to do my hair the way I wanted, ’cause pressing it straight would take hella long and I knew the boys would be waiting. So I tossed some curl definer in there instead and hoped that my wild curls wouldn’t frizz too bad since we were away from the dampness of The Bay.
I shaved my legs in the shower, then smoothed them with some sweet-smellin’ lotion from Bath & Body Works so they’d look hella tight for the tiny Baby Phat mini Kayla had found for me to borrow. I rubbed the same lotion across my lower stomach, left bare by the small halter top, and across my shoulders, too.
I was damn near naked; it was all gravy though, because just the thought of Maurice seeing me like this left me feelin’ hella warm inside.
Kayla was wearin’ just as few clothes, and just as she pulled on her skirt, I caught sight of the small purple marks dottin’ low on her hip and below her belly button. I knew what I was peepin’. Hickies.
My throat felt all tight as I pulled my gaze away from the love bites, wantin’ bad to ask her ’bout them, but knowin’ we couldn’t have this discussion in front of the other girls that were in the bathroom gettin’ fly.
So just like before, I bit the inside of my cheek as we quit the bathroom and headed back to James’s room. He’d stuck a shoe between the jam and the door to hold it open just a little for us to come back in without knockin’.
Maurice was sittin’ on the bed that’d be ours for the night, lacing up his Jordans. He glanced up as soon as we came in, his eyes lockin’ right on me, his smile small and a little tight. But even as his smile looked somewhat skeptical, I could read the appreciation dancing in the twinkle of his midnight stare.
“You look gooood.” If he’d said the words aloud, I hadn’t heard it, I just saw the way his full lips moved and knew I wanted him to kiss me again, the way he had this mornin’ in the bed.
His gaze was so strong that I hella forgot ’bout everythang else in the room. Kayla and James were talkin’ but I didn’t hear a single word, just the mumbled tones of their voices.
“Thanks,” I whispered.
He stood up, lifting his jacket from the bed next to him as he walked my way. He’d changed, too, I noticed for the first time, into some dark blue baggie jeans and a button shirt over a white tee.
“It’s gonna be cold,” he said, putting his Bape across my shoulders.
It smelled so hexa good, like washing powder and his cologne. I squeezed my lids closed right quick and inhaled as I surrounded myself in the warmth of his jacket, and I heard his low chuckle rumble low and rich at the back of his throat.
I knew it was goin’ to be cold outside, but that wasn’t the reason he’d given me his Bape. I knew why. To cover me up. I felt like laughin’ but kept my chill, because fo’ sheezy, I dug it. With the clothes Kayla had lent me, I was more naked than dressed and headed out in public.
And oh, lawdy, I hecka liked the little bit of protective possessiveness puttin’ his jacket over me proved.
“You two ready?” James moved toward us, interrupting our moment of peepin’ and appreciatin’.
“Yup, let’s bounce.” Maurice opened the door, then held it open for me. As soon as we were in the hallway, his hand caught mine up and he linked our fingers.
Kayla’s itty-bitty bit of clothing was covered by an oversize black ASU hoodie and, of course, James was hugged up close beside her as we ditched his buildin’ walkin’ back into the cool night air.
“You go here a lot?” Kayla asked, after we’d walked a few minutes.
“Yeah, I guess. Weekends mostly.”
“It’s fun?” It was the first time I’d heard the hitch of hesitation in Kayla’s voice. I know it sounds whack, but her slight nervousness actually helped ease mine. I thought I was hella trippin’ to be unsure, but since I wasn’t the only one it eased me off a little.
“Yeah, it’s good. You can meet some of my peeps.”
“Your boys hoop?” Maurice asked, turnin’ the conversation back to sports, stats and free throws.
So we walked across the campus, over this tight-ass bridge that led over the street and past the fields, then off campus. We weren’t alone in the briskness of the clear night. Groups of people roamed ’bout, headed one place or another.
Sometimes James would offer up a quick greetin’, and sometimes we just walked on by. It was kinda weird to see so many folks out, ’cause not even when there was a party going down back home did we ever just see people hangin’ outside like we did tonight. Not in our hood.
And then we were there. I heard the beats and bumps before I saw the gathering crowds or the lights. But the thump-a-thump of my pulse raged in time and it was enough to know we were gonna have a crazy-ass wild night.
CHAPTER 20
I’m not sure what I’d been expecting, but hell nah, it wasn’t this. After waiting in line with a couple dozen other folks, we were finally let inside the club. Gettin’ in went down just like James said it would. At the door we showed our IDs: Maurice his Cali driver’s license, Kayla and I our high school cards.
James’s boy peeped ’em out, then glanced at our faces, then let us through like he’d made sure were old enough to be inside a club that served alcohol.
I’d been to plenty of kickbacks and pallays, I knew the music would be loud and folks would be actin’ a fool. But I hadn’t anticipated the low lights thr
oughout; the only brightness was the brilliant neon slung up to backlight a row of booze behind a long bar.
Standing on my tippy-toes and grippin’ Maurice’s hand, I glanced ’bout, tryin’ to see over the tops of heads. A system had been set up in the back corner on a small stage and there was a dude workin’ the table hella hard, spinnin’ track after track and mixin’ them up.
The bump of bass vibrated along my skin, the boom-boom findin’ its place in my blood. Not exactly dancing, I moved with the beats, a roll of the head, a rotation of the shoulders. And the crowd moved in time, too, shiftin’ and swayin’ as one song scratched into the next.
Toward the center of the dance floor there was a few boys krumpin’ wild-like, hittin’ it and doing a battle. Kids at home had done this, too, but here, mixed with the flow of drinks and hyped sounds, each hard stomp, each wiggle and shuffle, seemed way more intense.
“I’ll get us something to drink,” James shouted to be heard over the tunes.
I could see Maurice nod, but I didn’t say crap, too focused on takin’ in all my surroundings, the movements, the tiny-ass pieces of clothing, the grillz, the frillz, all the feet covered with Jordans.
I’m not sure how long James was gone, but it only felt like a quick sec before he was back with drinks.
“Here.” He handed out glasses.
Accepting without really looking, I brought it to my lips and drank it, then screwed up my face at the bitterness. “It’s beer.”
“Yup.”
I’d had drinks before, but never did dig the taste. Glancin’ at my cousin, I could tell she didn’t really like it, either, even though she was fo’ shizzle sippin’.
Stretchin’ out my hand, I went to hand the glass back to James. “You drink it, I don’t really like it.”