Fallin' From The Tree (StemxStud)

24

{ Anaela }

"Pouty," I shook my friend gently awake.

"Mhm..yes?" she answered, eyes slowing peeling open. She had slept in her makeup.

"You ready to go to the mall?" I asked. "To get you a swimsuit and what not."

She slowly sat up, frowning at the brightness of the television. I clicked it off and waited for her answer. "Yeah," she stretched. "Give me a minute." She went through a variation of different stretches before she got out of bed. "Okay, gimme like an hour. Where'd I put my stuff?" I pointed to the other side of the room and she tiredly slumped over to her bags.

Pouty went into the restroom and I decided to take a quick nap as she readied herself.

Pouty woke me up when she was done and I quickly got dressed. I laid my pajama set next to hers so we could slip back into it when we got back. "Ready to shop?" I asked her.

"Shit yeah. Where I'm going is finna be cold as a whore," she commented.

I locked our door behind me and we headed back towards the elevators, past the pool and snack bar. "Can't wait til we can get in. Does it close at a certain time or anything?"

"Nope, somebody just has to supervise us while we're up here since they serve drinks at the bar. I think it's a mechanical bar, that's why," I told her. "Ohhh," Pouty nodded.

When we got to the mall Pouty's dad called. We started heading towards Foot Locker while she argued with him. Pouty hung up and turned towards me with a sad expression. I already prepared myself for what I thought she was going to say.

"He's just mad, but he understands. I thought he was gonna make me come back home," she told me. I sighed in relief, "Thank goodness."

Pouty gestured to a Burke's Outlet in the mall. "Hey, I gotta pick up my last pay check from then anyways. I told the manager I couldn't pick it up last Friday."

"That was your last time working with them?" I asked. "Yeah," she said. We entered the store and I looked at a few things as she chatted it up. "Gonna buy anything?" a random worker asked me. "No," I shrugged, now uninterested.

I walked out with Pouty and we headed to our next store to find the swimsuits. "Two-piece or one piece?" she asked me. "Hmm, you would look good in a one piece. Really in any piece," I blushed. "It just depends on how you feel in an outfit and how it's made," I reminded my friend. "I know, but I just feel so fat sometimes," she complained, looking through a rack of clothes.

"The only thing that's ever fat on somebody's body is the tissue," I quoted myself. "I swear you always said that in ninth grade after we learned about biomolecules," Pouty rolled her eyes. "But yeah..you're right," she sighed. "What about you, what are you wearing?" she asked me. "A sports bra-like swim suit top if I can find one and some swim trunks. Nothing new," I chuckled.

"I swear, you pick the wrong moments to be stud-ish. Show off that booty and them tits. I wanna see Tyesha in the waters, not Tyrone," she rolled her eyes. I laughed and started looking through the swim suits for something for myself.

"Anaela? That you?" somebody called out. I looked up and saw Valentine. Pouty's face instantly glowed when she saw Dom. She treated Dom like the baby of the group, because Reneah was far from the type that would allow it to happen to her.

"Hey Valentine," I approached her and we awkwardly hugged. Huh, that was unexpected. I looked over and saw Dominique and Siara adamantly chatting. I'm glad that Dom got some fresh air today and got to interact with people. I turned my attention back to Valentine. "It's nice of you to bring her out, especially since by tomorrow.." I trailed off.

"Yeah," Valentine smiled sheepishly.

We stood awkwardly for a moment. She glanced down at some swimsuits in my arms. "It's August, what are you buying swimsuits for?" she asked. "Oh, me and Pouty are going swimming. I rented us a hotel room and we've just been chillin all day," I smiled.

"Mm, skipping school, little one?" Valentine nudged me playfully. "I'm not little," I frowned and she pushed down on my eyebrows, turning my expression into a scowl. "Stop that," I laughed, moving away from her touch. "How long y'all been here?" I asked, seeing Dom and Pouty still at it.

"Maybe three hours," she said, cringing at my expression.

I frowned, folding my arms, "Valentine, you know that's too long. I still don't have all of Dom's information processed. It'll be done by tomorrow, what if her people were here or somebody recognized her?" I argued lowly.

"Look, the kid needed some outside time. She's always cooped up. She needs to be happy and a kid. She's still grieving. She- She witnessed a murder," she said even quieter.

"I know, Valentine, but shit," I shook my head.

Valentine randomly poked me. "Why do you do that?" I whined, pouting. Valentine chuckled and continued. I glanced over at Dom and Pouty and saw them look away from us. I marched over, already knowing what they were thinking.

"No," I said firmly, blushing.

"But it'd be so cute. You're more feminine and she's more masculine. You're more short and she's more tall. You're more gentle and she's more r-

"Sheesh, I get it y'all. But I'm good. I'm not tryna end up like Keris."

"You don't know the whole story behind that," Dom told me quietly. Pouty looked between us. We remained silent. "Well neither do I. How bout one of you tell me?" Pouty crossed her arms across her chest.

"Pouty, you know what I said in the car," I said seriously. "Okay, but I wanna make sure that my friends are okay," she said, frustrated.

"We are. You knowing too much is what will not make us okay." Pouty scoffed and started walking away. "Pouty," I started following her and Dom held my arm back. "Let her cool off. I'd rather her be mad at us than know the type of stuff we experience," my other friend said softly.

I watched Pouty throw her swimsuits down and storm across the way to Victoria Secret. I sighed and looked over at Valentine. "Where's Valentine?" I asked Dom. She wasn't where she had been standing last, and I couldn't see her anywhere in sight. She's supposed to be watching Dom and protecting her and now she's off and-

"What if somebody took her," my eyes widened. Dom walked behind me as I searched the store we were inside. Valentine would have been loud if she was being kidnapped, but then again, what if the person forced her to stay quiet and compliant.

"I'm scared, Anaela," my friend whispered.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I spun around. It was Valentine. "Jesus, Tino," Dom held her chest. I looked at Valentine shocked. She held two shopping bags out to me. "I bought these for you, for today," she told me meekly.

I blushed, taking the bags from her. "We thought you had been kidnapped or something?" I laughed, meaning it. A woman passing by smiled in our direction, overhearing me, probably thinking nothing too harsh of what I said. "Where's Pouty?" Valentine asked.

"She got mad at us and went across the way. We're letting her cool off," I sighed. I held up the bags, "Oh and thank you..Tino. You didn't have to do this."

"No problem," she said, awfully cheery.

I kept my face neutral but I really began to wonder what this was all about. I offered Valentine a position as the leader, basically a co-leader, and now she's all nice. Either she's showing her appreciation or she's planning something. Regardless, I always have to be prepared.

I glanced over at Dominique. Perhaps my friend could be more help than I had assumed.