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THE DEEP ATTRACTION

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Put it down by Brandy and Chris Brown

"If you put it down right like the way I want it, Play your cards right, maybe we can fall in love."

KAMARIA WOODS
SEPTEMBER 25th, 2007
TUESDAY 4:02 pm

"WHY ARE WE here again, tayta." He questioned seriously while her face fell flat at the name, he really wasn't playing when he said it would stick.

The more she heard it the more cute it sounded, but she wouldn't admit that because it was basically him making fun of her for the way she pronounced something—something she loved at that.

"You really ain't gonna drop the nickname?" She frowned holding the orange Spaulding basketball to the side of her while he smiled softly shaking his head no. He really liked it.

She blew out a frustrated breath. What really puzzled her is he would only say it when they were alone, like some type of inside thing. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she didn't care at this point. It was what it was.

"So what we doin here?" He eyed her, "I mean ian against basketball but you do know that I'm paying you to teach me math right." He arched an eyebrow.

His eyes scanned her attire as she wore a hot pink sports bra showcasing her abdomen letting his eyes linger on her abs like they did all the time. With no sleeves he could see she was a little buff in the arms too, mostly from tumbling and cheer stunts. She paired it with some plain black leggings and a pair of old beat up white metallic retro jordan fives that her dad gifted her. Her braids were tied up into two low space buns as her Chanel earrings glistened under the sunlight.

When informing him they were going to the courts today, she told him to dress accordingly, so he wore black gym shorts that stopped at his knees with a white wife beater and an old pair of old black airforces and his hair pulled back.

With his hair pulled back she could see the diamond stud earrings sported in his ear lobe, and the black circle beauty mark right under his left ear on his neck as he licked over his plump lips.

"I'm finna tutor you." She answered easily dribbling the ball. Seeing the look of confusion pushed her to say more "yesterday it took us the full two hours to finish only one late assignment. I feel like it's a better easier way you learn that you haven't explored yet. So now, we gotta explore your options, and since you like basketball this is our perfect opportunity to cease the moment." She expressed.

"So you finna teach me math through...basketball? How." He said unconvinced feeling like now she was playing with him and his time. Yes he was struggling but he felt like yesterday was just a start, now he felt as if she was taking him for a joke.

"Not through basketball, with basketball. Like this." She stopped and held the ball to her chest. "The most efficient shot in basketball is a layup. The second as anything around the 3 point arc—what is an arc?" She paused questioning him.

He looked around the court at the worn out lines that were still visible, "it's that curve thing right there." He knew for a fact because—he liked basketball just like she said.

"Right." She gave him the ball via chest pass watching him catch it effortlessly and firmly.

"Now make a shot from the three point arc bound." She instructed walking around his body to push him into the bounds she was referring to.

Unsurely, he dribbled the ball twice standing in place before taking a chance watching the ball fall through the net with ease and minimum effort. "Niceeee." She dragged proudly getting the ball as it bounced.

"With basketball, I can get you to understand the shapes better for the topic we focusing on right now." She explained, "which is..." she trailed wondering if he remembered.

She knew it could be a little more confusing since he was in algebra 2 at the same time, taking an entire different lesson that he could easily mix up. "Surface areas and volumes right?" He said almost unsure, but the pearly white smile that took over her face said otherwise.

"Right. Like the ball for instance is the shape of a sphere." She started holding it out next to her, "and the formula to find the surface area of a sphere is..." she trailed.

He stayed quiet totally forgetting.

"Hmm take a shot." She passed the ball to him making him furrow his eyebrows. "For every time I ask you a question you don't know, you gotta take a shot after saying the answer, and do it five times over—after I tell you the answer of course. Then later on imma ask the same question and see if you can remember." She said.

"It sounds challenging but I know you can do it, you smart." She assured up using her pointed finger to push his head of the side playfully. He felt his heart skip a beat as cleared his throat straightening his face. "The formula of the surface area of a sphere is A equals, four times PI, times R squared" she said watching his face light up as he remembered.

"Oh yeahhhh." He dragged now remembering the formulas they practiced the day prior which was what took up most of their day.

"Now take a shot." She instructed watching him squint his eyes running his tongue over his bottom lip taking the shot and it rolled around the rim but didn't go in. He dropped his head jogging to get it, before going back to his spot. "Try again, you got it." She encouraged softly making him gulp.

He tried his luck watching the hall hit the back board falling into the net. He smiled catching it before facing her, "the sphere surface area formula is..." she trailed off.

"Uhh...four—wait no. A equals, four times PI, times R squared." He finished watching her smile letting him know he was right.

"Good job slim." She praised , not even knowing just by her words he felt better about this by the minute. "Now take another shot and say it over again—then we gone do it three more times." She laughed.

After a while they had went through all the formulas and he couldn't lie the process was extremely annoying and stressful, but basketball made it better, and it was actually helping him retain the information easier which was solely her main purpose for today.

Her plan was to just to get him to remember all the formulas today, so in their next session she could teach him how to solve problems using them. She had to take baby steps.

"Alright now imma finna ask formulas randomly okay?" She snapped him out of his thoughts. Watching him nod she cleared her throat "what's the surface area formula for a cylinder?" She questioned.

Samir went overtime trying to rack his brain as he almost spat out the wrong formula. "Uhm..." he chest raised then dropped "with the cylinder its kinda different cause you gotta add two equations so it would be, two times PI, times the radius squared, plus two times PI, times the radius, times the height." He stated confidently.

A gasp fell from her lips before she pretended to wipe tears. "Good job. what about the volume of a cylinder?" She crossed her arms breathing slightly hard since she worked up a sweat alternating the ball to make it fair. The sweat beads rolled down her smooth skin almost made him get off track before he refocused.

"Mmcht that's too easy. Pi times the radius squared, times the height." He patted his chest not knowing he was actually making her so proud feeling as if the two hours they had just spent on the court was paying off and wasn't a total waste.

She went through the rest, and he was able to recite each one without having to take a shot, and they were on the last one as she intently watched him think hardly trying to figure out the volume of a cone.

"Okay I think I got it" he finally spoke praying he was right. It was so hot out side and he had shredded from his tank top as the heat got worse and they moved around. "The volume of a cone is PI times the radius squared, times the height divided by ummm three?" He questioned.

Kamarias straight face told him he must've had gotten it wrong as he dropped his head shaking it slightly. He was on a streak so he was disappointed he got it wrong.

Stepping closer she placed her right hand on her hip using her left index finger to lift his chin. "Boy what the hell you lookin down for , you got that shit right." She cheesed making him smack his teeth as a goofy smile broke out on his face.

"And dats what the fuck I'm talking bout too. You really did that shit. You ain't get not one equation wrong. You dat nigga." she nodded putting her fist up for a fist bump and his large hand formed into a fist before he bumped his against hers, hearing her boost him up.

"I'm actually so proud, you catch on quick." She continued taking the ball from him starting to dribble. He shrugged trying not to show how her words affected him while he picked up the green Gatorade squeeze bottle that belonged to her, holding it above his mouth at a distance before squeezing it making the water shoot out into his mouth.

"Ian say touch my shit." She muttered since he laid his eyes back on her swallowing the water. She snatched it out of his hand repeating his actions since she was thirsty too, then used the back of her palm to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"We done fa the day?" Samir questioned curiously not knowing what time it was. It felt like the time had went by so fast since she had found a more active and fun way to learn things, so though the two hours had passed it didnt feel like it had really been that long for him.

"yep, we will pick this back up on thursday." She told him squinting her eyes as she looked towards where her home was down the street, letting the sun beam in her face. "You coming back to my house?" She questioned as they started walking off the court, her still with the basketball and her water occupying her hands.

"Of course, but I'm goin home first. I gotta shower." He muttered walking beside her holding his white tank top in his right hand still lacking a shirt. She nodded knowing they would be walking in the same direction, his home was just a little farther down the street.

They walked down the sidewalk past the tall black fence in silence for a little. Kamaria looked to her left since she was on the right coming face to face with the tattoo on his right arm. "What does this mean?" she touched his tattoo with her index finger making him look over and down at her.

She kept her eyes on the tattoo that wrote, 'Broken Crayons Still Color.'  in cursive with a small image of a crayon broken in half.

He licked his lips moving his arm around her shoulders pushing her on the inside of the side walk, just now realizing he was on the inside.

"What you mean, what does it mean. It mean what it say." He smiled playfully just to get on her nerves, which he was successful in doing because she smacked her teeth looking forward with a frown on her face.

He rubbed his lips together before speaking, "In life, we all got these defining moments, or experiences that makes us who we are today and can impact our future life negatively." he started, looking ahead to avoid her burning gaze that he could feel on him. "But that's only if we let it. I promised myself I wouldn't let what happens to me affect who I become in the future. It can be life altering but just because something is damaged doesn't mean its not capable of doing its job, like a broken crayon." He explained.

Kamaria felt her eyes burn at the explanation. She wouldn't admit out loud how sophisticated he sounded, but what he said did hit home. "So was your defining moment what happened that day?" She questioned with the feeling that she already knew the answer.

"Nah," He shook his head surprising her.

"That day set a lot of shit into perspective, but my moment was way before that, when I started getting into trouble in the first place. If we never would've been doing shit we wasn't supposed to be doing, we would've never even ran from 12 because we would've had nothing to even worry about being in trouble for." He spoke his truth. "Thats why i dont blame you, that shit was on me and nobody but me. They wasn't even trynna stop us for stealing like we thought, but because we had been doing so much shit we knew it couldve been anything, and back then i wasnt taking dat chance." He shrugged.

Hearing his take on things really opened her eyes about a lot of things concerning that day, things that she never even thought about. The silence that drowned them out this time was uncomfortable to samir since he had just opened up, so he decided to change the subject, wishing he didnt go that far.

"You ever wanna get a tattoo?" He asked curiously. She was at the age where parent permission could in fact be a green light for her. He knew that Kyaire had a few littered around his body too.

"Yeah i do, but i wouldnt know what." She shrugged feeling the energy lift.

"You dont even gotta know, all you gotta do is go in there and pick something out the book. Knowin you, you would get the smallest thing." He joked making her roll her eyes at his assumption.

"For your information, i want my first tattoo to mean something valuable to me, not nothing that i think looks pretty." She shook her head smiling. "Maybe my second one can be like that, but my first one gotta hold meaning."

"You know what i cant even be mad at that, cause mine do too." He nodded agreeing with her, "If you gone go through allat pain it might as well be worth it." He smirked watching fear flash across her face.

"Why would you tell me that." She punched him in the arm making him laugh at her, grabbing her wrist so that she couldnt do it again. Her eyes fell onto the clear bullet wound on his chest making him look too realizing what had caught her attention.

He shoved her hands away from him. "Why you gotta stare at it. " He refused to acknowledge the fact that it was a bullet wound hole.

"I already told you, " She shrugged making him arch a eyebrow not recalling her ever mentioning it. "At the water park. I told you i thought it was cool. Its like battle scar or sum." she told him honestly.

"Fuck outta here." He shook his head as they slowed down coming upon her house, kyaires car wasn't in the front, but her mothers car was so she at least knew her mom was home. "Aight ta—" he paused seeing she was glaring at him.

"Do not. Say it." She squinted her eyes daring him to go against what she was telling him which was not to say the nickname. The more he said it the more accustomed she got to it, but hearing it roll off his tongue made her flush.

"Aight tayta—chill!" He shrilled seeing her fist coming towards him as he bursted out into laughter. She was like a fire cracker waiting to go off. "I'm finna go home and shower." He said in between laughs watching her bite back her grin.

"Mhm, bye slim." She waved him off turning on her heels heading towards her porch.

"See you later." He told her waiting for her to get fully inside the house before he started walking again towards his own home.

Kamaria sighed closing the door behind her softly. "Why you look like you been crying." Her fathers voice caught her off guard making her look up, jumping out of fright.

"Can you make yourself known next time," she placed a hand over her beating heart noticing him sitting in their couch. He ignored her words scanning her attire.

"Where are you coming from dressed like that? And like I said, why it look like you was crying?" He bombarded her with questions making her refrain from rolling her eyes.

"I was at the basketball courts, and I wasn't crying." She frowned wiping her face though nothing was even on it. She could tell her father was just being nosey. "Now I was sweating a lot if that's what you mean."

"Who was you even at the courts with, Kourtney hate goin there and I know where Kyaire and kyree at." He continued to interrogate her, letting his protective side show.

She quickly became annoyed by his questions. "Actually, I was at the courts with slim. I don't see how that's a problem?" She shrugged.

"Slim is a boy, and y'all was by y'all self. Plus you don't even got a shirt on," he frowned, "what y'all doin hanging out without yo brother." He continued to question here as his mind filled with more suspicions than he started off with.

"We wasn't hanging, I was tutoring him. A big difference. It doesn't matter now." She shrugged choosing to just answer his questions so that he wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

He eyed her for a short moment before deciding to wave it off. "I got you them Dolce and Gabbana glasses, they on your bed" he muttered looking back at his phone.

Her face lit up rushing to her room knowing exactly what glasses he was talking about. She didn't think he would actually get them because they were expensive designer glasses so they weren't cheap.

Her birthday had passed and Christmas was in a few months so she was happy he just got them to get them. "Thanksss." She dragged already in the hall. She bursted in her room seeing the packaged glasses.

She picked them up opening them with a giant grin on her face. She opened them sliding them on her face before stepping in the mirrors view eyeing herself.

She felt so excited looking at herself with her the space buns her box braids were in with her attire. "I look so good," she boosted herself up. Which was true, she looked so good with the shades on.

After posing for a while, she took them off carefully placing them down before getting some clothes for when she got out the shower.

Once she took her shower she got dressed into a oversized Aaliyah shirt and with an old pair of black bloomers from cheer over her underwear so they were barely visible since her shirt covered them. She put her old clothes in the dirty clothes hamper before walking out of her room.

Hearing voices in the living room she came around the corner seeing Kyaire smoking a blunt while Samir had came back and was sitting in on the couch with his eyes trained on the tv watching wizards of waverly place which he was really starting to like.

"Watchall doin!" Kamaria jumped in front of the tv with her arms spread out blocking the view of the tv. Samir trailed his eyes up from her exposed thighs all the way up to her face.

He had showered and changed as well and now he was there with her brother. "Move im trynna see." Samir frowned trying to move and avert his gaze from her lack of clothes

"Your always here, you have two homes and you never at neither. You might as well get a bed here." Kamaria said not moving just to get on his nerves anymore, placing her hands on her hips.

"What's yo point lil girl, move." He tried to snake his head to see the tv.

"My point is why are you back here, dang." She moved over to the side to block the little view he had gotten and he groaned throwing his head back while Kyaire just laughed bringing the blunt back to his lips.

"You come here, you eat all our food, watch our tv, use our phone, and everything else. You worse then the overbearing friends on tv that do it." She listed on her fingers knowing she was getting under his skin. "How would you like if I did that." She stated rhetorically.

"Evidently you already do, laying in my bed and shit." He playfully spat making her jaw drop.

"That is so different, that's occasional, and it's been a while. You weren't even home." She waved him off walking by forgetting the conversation and he nodded in contempt since that got her too move.

"Talkin bout im worse then the overbearing friends on tv, you worse than the annoying ass lil sisters. You the real deal." He said loud enough for her to hear making her snicker lowly shaking her head.

One thing he could do was go tit for tat.

"So does that mean I'm the main character?" Kyaire asked turning his head to face Samir, "cause you the friend and she the sister." He pointed out and Samir raised his eyebrows because he technically had a point.

"I mean technically, but you ain't the main character in my book Nigga. This must be a spin off cause It's only room for me." Samir held up one finger before pointing at himself making Kyaire burst into laughter.

"Mannnn get the fuck outta here dawg." Kyaire said dying of laughter at how Samir was able to flip it to make himself the center. It was clever though.

"Get yo high ass on." Samir waved him off since he couldn't stop laughing, looking back at the table while kamaria carefully fixed her self tater tot's in the kitchen.

Kyree came out his room stretching with a plain black shirt and red and black plaid PJ pants, he had just finished his after school nap that he loved taking on days he didn't have football practice. "Wassup." He rasped coming the living room.

"Shit." Samir and Kyaire spoke in unison not sparing a glance at the boy in which he didn't care.

"Oh yeahhh lil bit I'm supposed to beat yo ass when I seen you." Kyree spotted her coming out the kitchen already starting with her. She rolled her eyes wiping her hands on her shirt.

"For what?"

"You ate my shortbread cookies knowing ma got you dem chips ahoy for a reason. We all get different cookies for a reason." He frowned inching towards her in the spacious living room.

"I was on my period and I wanted those so..." she shrugged like she didn't care catching Samirs attention looking at the two.

"You fucking annoying, imma beat yo ass."

Kamaria opened her arms widely and widened her eyes as if to challenge him, "we ain't got shit but space and opportunity baby, wassup?" She dared him to get closer.

He caught her off guard when he went low picking her up throwing her over his shoulder making her kick as Samir laughed at the two. Kyaire was too high to comprehend what was going on so he just stared at them with the blunt burning between his fingers.

Kyree slung her and she screeched feeling him let go as her body got slung to the couch landing on Samir.

She adjusted quickly on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck while sticking her tongue out at kyree, then she looked at Samir. "Awww look at you saving me again. Such a doll." She tapped his nose softly with her index finger sitting directly on top of him.

"Girl if youn get the hell offa—noooo!" She cut him off tightening her grip around his neck as he tried to pry her off of her.

"Noooooo Samir hes trynna kill me." She over exaggerated as she pulled him with her when ever her pushed her away. He could smell the signature scent of vanilla on her from how close he was.

"Let that man go." Kyaire chuckled at how babyish she was acting with them at the moment.

"Ugh fine since y'all want me to die." She let go and rolled onto the floor dramatically and wrapped her arms around her legs like a small ball on the floor. "Ohhh my neck! My back! My neck and my back!" She rolled side to side.

"How the fuck do we deal with this girl."

Thoughts and predictions? Tutor session? Her nickname given to her by him? His Tattoo and their talk? Anything else?

MYA OUT🫡