Plenty of niggas have done it. But something about Shaddy makes my heart skip, and my tummy feel funny.
“Ain’t nothing casual about you, shorty,” he croons.
Jeez. My thong’s gonna be ruined before we even leave.
“C’mon. We’re gonna be late.” He backs away, leaving me feeling cold without him, to grab his backpack off the bench.
But then he holds his hand out to me, and I don’t have to think twice before sliding mine into his, letting him lead the way.
“So where we going?” I ask as we cruise through the Kenton streets. The sun just went down, so the sky is the most beautiful shade of purple. I take out my phone, trying to capture the dusk’s beauty, but it’s not working.
“You said I don’t let you in, so I’m letting you in.”
“We going to rob someone? I saw the all black forces.”
He smirks at me, eyes never leaving the road. “You’d be down?”
“Sure. As long as you let me hold the gun.”
He pulls into the driveway of a two-story house and turns off the engine. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel a few times, I guess making up his mind about something.
Because then he just gets out, rounds the front, and opens the door for me. There’s a shy smile on his gorgeous face as he helps me out, and then he curves his bicep over my shoulder and leads me up the porch steps.
The purple-painted door swings open before we even get to it, revealing a girl who looks like she could be Annie all grown up. Pale skin covered in orange freckles, fire-engine red hair in big barrel curls. Her body is definitely one honed in the gym, her natural thin frame solid looking in her athletic set. She’s beaming at Shaddy, but when she shifts to me, surprise and pure joy take over her green eyes.
“Oh. My. God.Chase!” she squeals behind her. When she turns back toward me, her smile is infectious, and I find myself shaking her outstretched hand.
“I’m Nat.”
“Macy.”
She pulls me out of Shad’s arms into a hug. When she turns us around I bug my eyes at Shad, but he just hangs back, a full grin on his face.
A Hispanic looking dude dressed like a skater comes and daps up Shad, before turning to us and rolling his eyes. “Nat, let the poor girl go.”
She releases me immediately, pulling me more into the house. The walls are covered in graffiti and murals of skaters and what I’m guessing is different parts of the city. There’s three other guys sitting on bean bags. One is lighting a bong, while the other two are playing video games on a projection screen.
“Guys! Guyssss!” Nat goes and snatches the bong out of the guy’s hands. He cuts his eyes to her, pinching his brows.
Shad’s arm finds its way around my neck again. He whistles loudly, making everyone turn toward us.
“This is Mace. You’ve met Nat. That’s Chase, Jonesy, Wayne, and Cap.”
Chase pulls Nat into his lap before nodding at me. He takes off his skully and fluffs out his inky black hair. They look like an odd pair, but the love between them is evident.
Jonesy, Cap, and Wayne are all black. Jonesy adjusts his glasses and grins at me, a hint of dimple popping on his cheeks. “‘Sup?”
Wayne grabs his backpack off the couch, giving us both room. “You sure you want her to see you scream like a girl?” He smirks, cackling when Shad shoves him as we sit down.
Cap snatches his bong back from Nat, nodding at me before taking a rip. The gold stud in his nose reflects off the light as hepulls hard, coughing once before blowing it in Nat’s face, making her laugh.
“Nice to meet y’all.” I wave to the room.
“No, it’s nice to meetyou! Shad, why didn’t you bring Sadé?” Nat folds her arms.
“Nah, Cap has been pissed he can’t smoke at the stu anymore. Now you’re trying to ban the devil’s lettuce from our movie nights?” Jonesy clutches his imaginary pearls, making Chase snicker.
“Oh, Cap can goone nightwithout smoking.”
