The guy who was sitting at the small round table stood up to allow Brielle to have the seat next to Travis.

"It ain't shit to it forreal, but how you from the hood and can't play Spades?"

"I can play Tonk."

"Ian said shit about Tonk." He laughed as he blew smoke away from her, "My lil 4 year old cousin can play that."

After flipping off the other guy at the table, she looked at Travis, "You gone show me or what?"

When she realized Hakeem wasn't coming back, Brielle passed the time by going for a walk. During that walk, she decided to go visit Monica.

Travis had just left there, having gone to talk to his aunt after she got in touch with him. He saw Bri and didn't hesitate to stop:

"You want some fries with that shake?" A male voice yelled from a car window.

Brielle frowned and continued walking, knowing whoever it was saying that lame shit couldn't be talking to her.

"Damn you thicker than a bowl of oatmeal."

And he was a liar. Brielle wasn't that thick. She had a lil poke, but nothing crazy.

"Bri that's all I got." The voice laughed.

She finally looked towards the car, "You childish!"

Travis laughed again, "You out here walking? You must be going to see a nigga?"

He always brought up the point of her being with somebody and she'd never corrected him before.

"You so nosy."

"Real shit though, where you finna go?"

Brielle glanced up the street, deciding that she was only
going to Hakeem's mama's house because she was bored, "I'm just walking. Where you going?"

And that's how she ended up at a house full of hoodrats having the most fun she'd had in a while.

Her phone vibrated against the table, Hakeem asking her where she was. It was almost 1am, so his question was likely just one of concern. 

"Bri you not even listening." Travis complained as he watched her text back, "You finna make me lose and I hate losing."

"Chilllll." The guy whose chair Brielle took instigated, "She gotta tell her nigga where she at."

"Oh damn you right. Tell bruh he ain't gotta worry 'cause you with me."

Everyone in the room, including Brielle, laughed, "I'm very much single. I do what I want."

"That's a bet." Travis replied, "I gotchu'."

"Big bet. My boy said you ain't finna be single for long."

A girl who was sitting in the corner chose then to ask, "Aren't you like 17?"

She didn't laugh when Travis spoke of someone not having to worry about Brielle. She knew exactly who Brielle was, and didn't care for her.

The people who were listening to the conversation waited for her to answer, "Yeah. I'll be 18 in March."

"Well Trav is 22. Giving the girls cradle robber."

"And you're giving me jealousy. Never said I wanted Travis."

"Hollup now." Travis interrupted, "Don't let her come between what we got."

Since she'd already told Hakeem she was about to come back, she stood up from the table, "I'm about to leave anyway."

Travis sucked his teeth, "How that Akon song go? Nobody wanna see us togetherrrr but it don't matter nooooo."

"Take me home wodey."

He followed Brielle outside, putting the blunt he was smoking out before getting in the car.

"You like the only girl I met who don't smoke."

Yeah because I do coke, Brielle thought.

Well she used to do coke.

The reason she didn't smoke is because for Brielle, weed was truly a gateway drug. It only teased her, knowing that she could higher than that if she did her drug of choice.

"I just don't care for it." She explained.

"You ain't gotta explain it to me. Ya' lungs all healthy and shit. I think that's some sexy shit."

"Nigga just drive. You be saying anything,"

"Nah but forreal. I'm tryna see whatchu' on. I mean Ion really fuck with no young girls, but you said you'll be 18 in March and that ain't shit but." He stopped talking to start counting, "4 months."

Brielle liked Travis.

But she also like Hakeem, and the decision was clear to her.

"I'm not in a relationship." She began slowly, "But I talk to this dude."

"Talk" was a stretch, but she didn't know how else to word it.

Travis nodded, stopping the car in the middle of the street, "You gotta walk from here baby,"

"I know you lying."

"I am." He laughed, "Ian no trifling nigga like that."

"Turn right here." Brielle pointed.

The directions she was giving him weren't to Hakeem's house, but rather the other house she was staying in when she left Monica's house.

She wasn't about to take a nigga to another nigga house, So she planned on getting out there, and walking to Hakeem's house.

It was pointless though, since Travis knew no one lived in the house.

Figuring she wanted to be secretive, he didn't say anything other then, "Don't call me when that nigga dump you."

• • •

Hakeem had just gotten out of the shower and was eating cold chicken wings when Brielle walked in. He'd long since given her a key so she could come and go as she pleased.

Seeing the light on, Brielle made her way into the kitchen, stopping when she saw a low-eyed braid-less Hakeem sitting on the stool.

She wasn't actually expecting him to cut his hair, but she was happy she'd suggested it.

Hakeem sat quietly, continuing to eat his chicken until he thought of what he wanted to ask, "Where you been?"

"With somebody from my classes. Where you been?"

"Getting a haircut."

"You gotta get drunk to get a haircut?" Brielle asked while walking to sit beside him, "And this chicken cold as hell."

He sat sat the bone down, "You wasn't here to cook for me."

Not able to resist being petty, Brielle made a face like she was confused, "I thought your mama cooked for you?"

Instead of responding to that, Hakeem spun on the stool to face Brielle, bringing her attention to his lower body. She didn't want to sleep with him though, his words about him being able to get sex without being in a relationship
replaying in her head.

"I'm going to take a shower." Brielle stated. She thought by taking a shower and removing herself from the situation, she'd feel more in control of emotions.

So she was irritated when she still felt the same way while drying off.

Common sense would've told her to go to the room by herself, but she went into Hakeem's room, finding him already in the bed.

Unlike the other times, he didn't touch her, staying on his side of the bed.

Maybe it's the haircut, Brielle thought, It's not even that good of a haircut.

"Why you on that weirdo shit?" Hakeem mumbled, "You must was out there cheating?"

Brielle snorted, "Just like a nigga. We don't even go together."

Rolling on his side, Hakeem reached his arm out to wrap it around Brielle, pulling her to him, "So you was cheating then?"

She wasn't even listening to him, focused on the feeling of his length against her.

"Youn' hear me?"

"I'm deaf."

Hakeem's hand drifted down to her thigh, gripping the exposed flesh, "Since when? You hear everything else."

Forgetting the thoughts she had earlier, Brielle pushed her lower half against his, making Hakeem move his lips to her ear, "Chill."

She swallowed the excess saliva that had formed in her mouth, "Go back on your side of the bed. I'm trying to sleep."

Despite him being the one who told her to stop, the hand that was once on her leg went upward, his thumb lightly touching her nipple through the thin tank-top.

Brielle thought she was about to die.

Yes, she'd had sex before, but it was never with people who'd taken the time to do foreplay, or with anyone like Hakeem.

She thought she was about to, but she realized she was wrong when Hakeem did in fact go back to his side of the bed like she'd said a few minutes ago.

"Is this a joke?"

"What?"

"Why would you-" Brielle paused, taking a deep breath, "What was the point?"

"Ion even know Bri. We can't fuck right now anyway."

She thought he meant because she was 17 until he kept
talking, "They needa open a 24hour clinic."

Silence.

Hakeem sat up, looking at Brielle, "Ian mean it like that. I just found out some shit and Ian tryna take no chances."

"Found out some shit?"

"No not about you!" He backtracked loudly, "I'm tryna word this without fucking it up but I think I already did."

Brielle stared at him blankly, "Just say what you mean."

"Before we do some, I'd feel better if you got tested."

"Do you ask all the girls you have sex with to get tested?"

She felt like she had a right to be offended. How do you allow someone in your home, bed, life period, just to say, 'Never-mind you're dirty'.

Instead of lying, he told the truth, "I usually just use condoms."

Nodding, Brielle left the bed, ignoring Hakeem continuing to try to explain himself. To her, he'd basically said that he thought she wasn't even clean enough to have sex with a condom on.

Fuck him and his raggedy haircut.

• • •

i'm curious, how do y'all feel ab travy?

whew my sis offended. why he couldn't pick a better way to say it 😩

if you've read any of my books before, you know i stay doing some extra shit..... the tea is otw baybeeee

thanks for reading 💕