Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

April 6, 1993

~Elijah's P.O.V~

"So tell me why I found out this nigga is married?" I frowned looking up at Tia.

"Murrred, you say?" She said sliding her glasses down her nose.

"Girl, yes! Like the fuck these niggas be on? He married to a WOMAN and got children, and tryna love on me; a whole ass man. I ain't give it up though. " I rolled my eyes and sat my pen down.

"One of my biggest fears." She said shaking her head.

"One of your biggest fears? What? Dating a married man?" I asked snatching off my reading glasses.

"Boy, the ONLY married man I'd date is my husband. What I mean is marrying a down low dude. I'd feel like I was a project for him to acknowledge his true self. That's foul than a mug. What'd you do though?"

"Bihhh, I lead him on and made him take me shopping. You know that I love a new gear. That's why I came back with all that shit the other day. Yep, he bought it." I chuckled.

"True. He ain't drop you off, did he?" She raised her eyebrow at me.

"Girl, no! You know I ain't showin' nobody where you live. I took a cab back." I shook my head.

"Good. Just moved here." She said pulling up her glasses and reading her textbook. We were studying for finals. We've been doing this for the past week, our faces in books and all.

"Uhn uhnn, I'm tired of this." I said closing my book. "We need a break. Finals ain't 'til after spring break, and we ain't even started spring break." I snatched her book.

"We need a head start. It's a lot, gimme back my book bruhh." She said standing up.

"No!" I stood up and ran down the stair. I had on socks, so I slid down the stairs. I fell to the bottom of the stairs on my ass. I screamed out.

Tia was on the second step to the top, holding her stomach laughing. She saw me look up and pretended to frown. "Awwww, are you okay?"

"I saw you! Zon't zo zat." I got up and dusted off. "I saw yo ass laughin'."

"I was! That's what yo funky butt get!" She pointed out laughing and walked down the steps.

"What we finna do for spring break? 'Cause stayin' here can't be a option. We both need a break and a vacation mami." I said looking in the tall mirror at my butt. I'm trying to make sure my didn't go flat, but it's still fat. I made it jump in the mirror. A bitch still got it.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked coming to the mirror looking at herself.

"Florida?" I asked twerking in the mirror.

"Get it! Get it!" She said hyping me up. "Ayyyyeee!" We continued for about a minute more then I got tired. "Florida? No, my cousins are coming here for spring break. Remember?"

"Dang, I forgot you told me that. Why you ask me, what I have in mind then?" Not to be rude, but sis family is homophobic as fuck. They don't like gay people and associate almost everything with being gay. It's ridiculous.

"I wanted to know your ideas. Ye know, everything you had in mind." She shrugged. "Plus, Florida is the birthplace of spring breakers, it'll be packed as crap. You know, being aroun all those folks are just..." She shuttered.

"I get it, but you need to get used to that. Look at your career. You have to be around a lot of people." I sat the textbook down on a table.

          That's where me and her are different. I like being around people and she... Well, she just gotta get used to it. I may say that I hate it but we both I secretly love it. I think she knows that already, so maybe the secret ain't that big.

"Yeah, but I still don't like it." Tia turned to me.

"Well, let's cut open that cheesecake you made. I'm tryna gain some mo' weight. Since the hospital you been droppin' pound like a crackhead." I laughed walking yo the kitchen.

"Boy, don't play with me. I have you know that I've gained weight since the hospital." I heard her snapping her fingers from behind me.

"I know, and you lOOk gOOdt sis." I said to her, from inside the refrigerator.

          She really does look good. She came a long way from when I met her. Sophomore year she was a big beautiful girl. Then when she walked in the school junior year she was looking like a whole new woman, AN EVEN BADDER BITCH! The loss of a stupid nigga made her boss the fuck up. One thing that he told the truth on is her pushing people away, she doesn't notices, but she does. One thing I know is that ELIJAH ain't going nowhere. Me and sis in it to win it TOGETHER.

          Tia was the only one who ain't laugh when they did laugh at me. She approached me and started a conversation, you would think that it was the other way around, but no. We were both new kids but she was there a few days longer than I was. It was fate, we been tight ever since then. One thing about her is that she will do anything that doesn't affect her morals to make people feel better. She is the goofy one, but I'm the life of the party.
   
          I came from a background of abuse. My mother is dead and the only way my dad knew how to deal with it was drinking. He can't control what he does when he drinks and he lashes out on me, so staying down here was even easier. When he found out I was gay it got worst, the hits and the drinking. He knew I was before I did. Well, before I acknowledged my sexuality. I always knew that I was different.

          I remember my dad saying, "My wife is dead and I'm stuck with a faggot for a sun!" That broke me, I love him and always will but those words hurt. Not to mention being messed with all throughout school about my sexuality and appearance. Sis, help me recognize that I'm one of the baddest bitch thus far. We helped each other out, mostly on the emotional and spiritual levels.

I sat the cheesecake on the large island. "You want a piece?" I asked her grabbing a knife from the marbled knife block.

"No, I'm fine. I'm feeling a little sick right now." She said sitting down in the island chair. She rested her hands flat on the counter and lied her head on top.

"Sick?" My head moved back.

"Mm-mhm." She mumbled. "I'm about to go and lie down." She said getting up slowly.

She was just chasing after me and hyping me up. "Okay. Hope you feel better." I told her as she walked out.

          I cut me a big slice of cheesecake. I plated it, put the covering back on the cheesecake and put it back in the refrigerator. Just as I was about to take a bite, the phone rang, and I grabbed it from the kitchen wall.

"Hello."

          It was that fine ass DeVanté Swing. If he and my best friend ain't like each other, and if he was gay, I would have been snatched him up. Him and Tia gon' be together in no time, I can feel it in my bones. I'm already planning their wedding.

"Hi," I spoke up.

"Tia home?" He asked.

"Yes." I nodded. I waited for him to speak and it was a few seconds before he did.

"Can you like, put her on the phone?" He asked me awkwardly.

"No." I held the phone between my shoulder, neck, and ear.

"Nigga, of you don't-" he raised his voice.

"My bad. I mean, I can't because she feelin' sick." I corrected. I was too focused on my cheesecake to even explain.

"Sick? Like what?"

"Ion know, she was good and we played around and then BOOM she said she sick. I'm sure it ain't nothing too serious." I shrugged.

"Oh, okay. Well tell her that I hope she feel betta." He said about to hang up.

"Wait. You can leave a message and I surely will pass it on to her." I suggested.

"Nahh, I was just wondering what was a good time to go down there. Her being in school and all." He said to me.

"Next week we on spring break, that will definitely be a good time." I told him. He then asked me for the address, knowing that she moved. I gave it to him and the last thing he said was: "Okay, imma be there then. Bye!" He yelled out and hung up.

"Sis said this nigga was nice to her. Now I know that she mean he rude as fuck to other people..." I said aloud to myself, sat down and ate my slice of cheesecake.

April 10, 1993

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

          I just made it to Atlanta, Georgia. It was a nighttime flight. The weather is warm here, up in New York it's still cold. I needed a break, them niggas been stressing me out in New York. I'm a workaholic and am just now acknowledging that. Elgin a.k.a Tornado is the one who took notice of it first, telling me that locking myself in the studio ain't healthy. That don't mean that I ain't gon' do it, because doing that makes me come up with some good shit when I had nothing in mind. JoJo, K-Ci, and Dalvin be mad at me for not partying with them as much as I used to.

          They don't understand that I got a lot of people to take care of. I had the cab driver drop me off at the Rent-A-Car place. After that I headed to the address that her friend gave me. My headlights came into view of the house and shined on the gates and inside the security booth. I saw that Jax and Bigg Redd was on duty. Tia real tight on her security these days.

"Wassup," I nodded to them.

"Sup man." Redd called out with a nod.

"Sup De. I gotta contact her even though y'all cool." Jax told me and picked up the phone.

"A'ight." I replied. And waited for a while.

"NIGGAHHHH!" A dramatic yet familiar voice called out to me. It was her best friend, well bedsides me. "You late as hell!" Elijah expressed rather loud. I can't stand how loud and dramatic this dude is. It's night time and he loud as fuck. I hate when people loud for no reason.

"Late? Nigga, I run on my time and my time say I'm early. Have them open up the damn gate." I said agitated.

"Y'all can open it up!" Elijah told the guards and it opened. I drove in a bit and I heard my door open. I turned my head and Elijah was in the passenger seat.

"Fuck is you doin' nigga?" I frowned at him.

"I'm too cute to walk that far at night." He said smacking his lips.

"It's right fuckin' there!" I motioned with my hand. "You walked over here didn't you?"

"Bad bitches take a ride." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Man, you be on straight bullshit. Where to park?" I asked him.

"Right here, rude ass nigga." He unfolded his arms.

          I put the car in park. As I opened my door, I heard Elijah clearing his throat. Fuck is he doin'? I snatched the key out and got out the car. He was still sitting in the car and I went to the trunk to get my suitcase. I slammed the trunk closed and grabbed my bags. Fuck he still sitting in the car for? The door then opened and he popped his head out.

"Oh, so you wasn't gon' open my door?" He stepped out of the car.

"Fuck no! You got two workin' hands and DeVanté Swing ain't opening up a door for no nigga. The fuck he think this is..." I said shaking my head and dragging my suitcase. I pressed the lock button to lock the car doors. "The do' unlocked?" I asked him.

"You got two hands. Check." He said with a attitude.

It was unlocked so I let myself in. I let the door do it's thing and it almost closed completely on that nigga Elijah. I chuckled lowly as he pushed the door open with a scoff. "I cannot stand you." He rolled his eyes.

I squinted my eyes. "Hah, the feelings mutual." I said and pushed the handle of my suitcase back in, sitting it by the door. "Where she at?"

"The kitchen." He shrugged, this nigga still mad but ion give a fuck.

"Like I know where the fuck that's at. I ain't never been here." I said and walked off.

          Imma find my own way. I walked around for a bit, you know being nosy, but I ain't go upstairs. I found a bathroom and washed my hands because I know how Tia is about that. I went to the kitchen and as soon as I opened the door I heard music playing, not no smooth music either. I can't be seeing what I think I'm seeing. I wiped my eyes amd shook my head. I'm in total disbelief.  She over here poppin' and lockin', and listening to Juvenile.

🎶Them titties sittin' nice, yeah, I want to bite, yeah
I could fuck you right, yeah, all night, yeah
Want to bring it to my house, yeah, on the couch, yeah
Knock the pussy out, yeah, get them out, yeah
I want to see these hoes, yeah, bend it low, yeah
Let me run it in the hole, yeah, and let me know, yeah

Girl, you looks good, won't you back that azz up
You'se a fine motherfucker, won't you back that azz up
Call me Big Daddy when you back that azz up🎶 (I didn't know he said all of this until I got older.🤣🤣💀)

          She was at the stove, mixing whatever it was she was cooking up. She put the wooden spoon on the spoon holder and bent down and opened the oven. She began bouncing up an down in a squatting position at a fast pace. Tia over here acting like she riding something. She then went slow with her head tilt to the side, then she sped up when the music did. Tia was really into it. She had on some black shorts that look like tights, a black tank top, and a bonnet on.

          I leaned over on the island and  watched while bobbing my head to the beat. I can't believe what I'm seeing and hearing. Misses "I don't really listen to NEW music" is over here doing what she said she don't do. Just as the music stopped she turned around, and I clapped, startling her. She let out a loud scream of horror and bobbed me in the head hard as hell with the wooden spoon she just finished stirring the pot with.

"Ahh girl!" I yelled holding my head. "That shit hurt!"

She looked at me with a surprised expression. "Oh my goodness. I AM SO SORRY!" She put her hand over her mouth.

"Hit me hard as hell..." I said still rubbing the spot she hit.

She hopped up from her feet, right onto me and hugged me tight. I hugged back of course. "Woahh." I stumbled from being caught off guard.

"How did you get here? When did you get here? Who let you in? Most importantly, how long have you been there?" She bombarded me with a whole bunch of questions that I didn't hear because she was talking so fast.

"Slow down, you goin' waaayyy too fast for comprehension." I sat her down on the counter and backed up. She turned off the music with the remote.

"How did you get here?" She started.

"A nigga got flewed out." I laughed.

"If you don't... When did you get here?" She asked me.

"Today, a couple of hours ago. I been at yo crib for like twenty minutes though."

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She raised her eyebrow.

"I was but... Next question."

"We're going to get back to that question. Who let you in?" She asked.

"Ya boy, right there." I pointed to that loud ass nigga who was peaking in here through the crack of the door.

I heard a loud lip smack and he entered. "Uggghhh! You a irritating ass nigga." Elijah expressed loudly.

"Damn nigga, do you always gotta be loud?" My eyebrows furrowed and face scrunched up in irritation.

"Yes, nigga!" He rolled his neck.

I sighed heavily and shook my head. "Aye, remember that you still a nigga. Don't get fucked up."

"Donald!" Tia frowned down at me.

"It ain't me. He got mad 'cause I ain't open his do'. He still is!" I pointed.

"That's because bad bitches don't touch knobs unless it's the ones it's a nig-"

"Elijah!" Tia's head snapped in his direction. What was this nigga finna say? I probably don't wanna know anyways.

"What, girl? I ain't say nothin'!" He moved his head back.

"Why y'all ain't tell me?" She asked us.

"I wanted to surprise you with yo man. Y'all probably was, in the words of JoDeCi: feenin' for each other. Y'all cute or whatever." He smirked.

"Cute is for kids, Elijah. This woman right here is-"

"A BADDIE, NEXT!" He cut her off.

Tia sighed and shook her head turning back to face me. She leaned on her hand and crossed her legs. "How long were you sitting there not too long ago?" She squinted at me.

"I-"

"He was there all along just watchin' you girl. You had this nigga mesmerized. In a fuckin' trance!" Elijah clapped out laughing.

She turned to me as if asking was he telling the truth. Her eyes looked around the kitchen in nervousness. "Were you really there a long time?"

"Yeah, I saw everything. So what?" I shrugged.

Tia scooted off of the island with her face flushed beet red. Even though she tried to hide it, but her skin tone  won't allow that. She went to the stove and and stirred the pot. When she finally had her back to me, she spoke. "Everything?" She asked, I knew the question was directed to me.

"Probably bot everything, but enough." I chuckled. Elijah looked over to Tia shaking his head in amusement. "I thought you ain't listen to new music?" I questioned.

"I really don't- well didn't. He put me onto this." She pointed to him, her back still facing me.

"I did, but don't you be complainin' either. You know that you ENJOYED the show my girl unintentionally gave you. Did you not?" Elijah turned away from Tia and turned to me.

"Did I what?" I asked confused.

"Enjoy the show!? Nigguhhh is slow..." He folded his arms while shaking his head.

"Show? What sho-" Then I realized what he meant. "Ahhh, hell yeah I did! I ain't know you did that."

"I do that on my own time or with my best friend. I did feel a presence behind me, but I thought it was just Elijah." She said getting whatever it was from the oven.

"I'm yo friend too. I'm feelin' all left out and shit." I frowned. "Why you don't do thay around me?"

"You are my friend, but I've known him longer, AND he's the one that brought it out of me." She finally turned around to face me.

"Damn, what I bring out of you?" I asked her. Her eyes shifted to the ceiling.

"That red ass face she always got when you around or when somebody say yo name." Elijah spoke up, breaking the silence. Tia shifted her head towards and him gave him a hard squint. "I'm being for real, so you can't be mad."

"Y'all hungry?" She changed the subject. "Well, are you hungry? I didn't make enough for Elijah." Tia batted her eyelashes.

"Girl, puhh- lease!" He said walking over to a cabinet, opened it and grabbed a plate.

"Starvin'." I licked my lips. "What you make?" I asked her.

"Shrimp and chicken curry, rice, and biscuits. Want some, yeah?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"Okay." She said and reached for the dishes. "Elijah, who do you always put it up so high?" Elijah just smiled at her deviously, continuing to fix his plate. "Can you get it for me?" She cheesed with her head tilted. "Please?"

"Thanks for the food sis." Elijah said and sat down. He sat at the other end of the island, away from me. THANK YOU!

I wanted to laugh at them so bad, but I got up instead to help her. "Back up, I got it." I grabbed it two plates while she grabbed the utensils. "Sit down, I got it." I told her.

"You washed your hands?" She asked me.

"Yes, I knew you was gon' ask that." I chuckled and she sat down at the island. "How much you want? A lil bit or a lot?" I asked her.

"Enough." She shrugged. She has gained weight from the last time I saw her. She was frail as hell in that hospital.

"A real man. Okay, sis got her a real one!" I heard Elijah say.

"Bite me." Tia said to him.

"Aww, sis you still mad?" He asked her.

"Nope!" She said popping the p. They both began laughing.

"Here." I said placing the plate in front of her. Damn, I saw her sit down, I just ain't notice it was in my seat. It's all good though. I took a seat beside her.

"Y'all thirsty?" She stood up and headed to the refrigerator.

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Duhh." Elijah said to her.

"Boy, if you don't stop. We have Kool-Aid, water, fruit punch, and... Orange juice? Elijah, this is an abomination. Why is this in my refrigerator?" She said jokingly.

"Orange juice is bomb, girl. Those words are an abomination. Let's get that straight." Elijah shot back at her.

"Yo ass be trippin'. Apple juice is cool and all, but ORANGE juice get the job done." I butted in.

"Yes, finally somebody in this house agree!" Elijah said loudly.

"Can you just tone it down some? It's late as hell and you loud for nothin'. That shit is uncalled for. But yeah, I agree witchu." I said to him.

"Since you asked half nice, I will talk lower. With yo rude ass." He rolled his eyes at me.

"Thank you. Imma take a orange juice though." I told Tia.

"Same," Elijah told her.

"I shouldn't get you anything." Tia said to Elijah, and close the fridge. "You didn't even get me a plate when I asked. You're the one who put it so high up." She said sitting his drink down in front of him. She made her way over to my side and handed me my drink.

"Thanks. Aye, where you learn to cook?" I asked eating my food.

"I could have sworn we had this conversation before." Tia squinted at me. She sat her water down and took a seat herself.

"Ion know. Maybe we did a while back."

"I learned from a few people. I took bits and pieces from my grandmother, well all that I could before she passed. I got it from my mother and aunt. Then I added my two cent, a sprinkle of Tia. I took out the things that I didn't like that they did, did it different, and made it to my liking." She shrugged.

"A sprinkle of Tia. I like that." I chuckled. "So does that mean that I can taste you in every dish?" I asked her with raised brows.

"Uhnn- uhnnn. Guuuurrrrrllll..." Elijah said side eying us both, while sipping on his drink.

"Pretty much." She said to me answering my question then ate some of her food.

"Girl, that was a double sided question. Yo nigga know what he doin'." Elijah laughed. "He want him a little licky licky. He do be licking his lips a lot at you sis."

"He does that all the time. Thinking he's LL Cool J or somebody." Tia laughed.

"Fuck a LL Cool J, I'm DeVanté Swing." I said cooly.

"Boy, your name is Donald Earle DeGrate Jr., and that is what I'll continue to call you." She stuck out her tongue.

"That's what you sayin' now until he puttin' in work in the bedroom. You gon' sangin' his alter ego name like you Whitney Houston. The neighbors gon' know who you bangin'. You 'a call him what he want then..." He trailed off.

I threw my head back laughing. "Nigga, you funny as hell!" I said holding my stomach. Tia had her forehead on the island, her body moving up and down from her laughter.

"It's the truth though. Look at her back arching, you need all the practice you can't get." He added on.

"Elijah!" She yelled out like a warning but was still laughing hard as hell. We all were laughing up a storm. Tia threw her head back and started choking.

"Look that demon. Look at that demon. Oral sex! Oral sex demon!" Elijah shouted out laughing. This nigga pretending to be Ed Citronnelli, that fake ass prophet that pretend to heal people.

I patted her back trying to relieve her. "Calm yo ass down!" I said laughing, still patting her back.

"Elijah, stop with the shenanigans." She managed to speak out clearly through laughs.

"You may be onto something." I said to Elijah. "This nigga probably a fortune teller 'cause I think he read yo palm." I laughed out and Tia playfully shoved me.

Author's Note: How are you all liking Elijah so far? Do y'all like the back and forth between Elijah and DeVanté? Also, it's the nearing the end of the semester, so updates may come slower than usual.

Word Count: 4,445

Please feel free to like and comment. Feedback gives motivation, and motivation urges me to continue to write.

Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to read another chapter of this story. Thank you for staying despite the slacking.💚🖤❤💜💙💛