Just a heads up, I'm introducing POVs
Ché
"I swear I left my bracelet in ya dorm!" I said frantically digging in my suit case that I hadn't unpacked since I came back from Cali. My parents allowed me to go with Shawn and his parents to send him off to school. "Bro, take me off pause. This is serious."
"You want me to check again?" He asked exhausted. He had just come back from his first official practice with the team. He was used to working hard in practice but this was something different.
I let out a out sigh. "Nah I know you're tired. I'll let you get some rest."
"But ion want you to hang up." He said pouting. I laughed at him.
"How you 6'8" and actin like such a baby." I rolled my eyes still looking. "You needa rest up."
"Imma be straight. Plus you owe me for losing that bracelet."
Shawn got matching bracelets for us right before we went on the trip. It was to seal in our friendship.
"Ughh, fine." I said zipping up my bag and tucking it away in my closet. "Tell me about your day." I said.
"Holdup." He put his AirPods in and went to his floor's bathroom to wash his face. I decided to join him since I hadn't done it yet.
"It was good. Coach and the teammates like me. He said he sees my potential. Obviously." He said patting himself on the chest.
"Annoying." I giggled. "But I'm glad your first practice went well. I know you gonna do great." I said smiling for him but looking at myself in the mirror as I put a charcoal face mask on.
"Thanks negro." He chuckled.
I scrunched my face up at him which prompted him to take a Live Photo of me.
"Shawn." I straight faced him.
"Wassup jiggaboo?" He asked jokingly.
"You better stop for one of dem white boys say something and I gotta drop they ass."
"Dramatic." He said rolling his eyes and wiping his face off admiring himself. I took a bunch of Live Photo's before he noticed.
"Haha, funny." He said sarcastically.
He walked back to his room, dapping up a couple people along the way.
"Shawn?" I asked.
"Wassup?"
"When you gon put me onto one of ya teammates." He looked at me almost disgusted.
"Whatttt?" I dragged back.
He sucked his teeth. "Don't get me mad tonight."
"Tryna say don't nobody wanna dunk they balls in my hoop?" I laughed but he was getting more upset.
"Ché-Marie shut the fuck up." He said in a low tone. I rarely heard Shawn mad at me, and even if he was he wouldn't curse at me.
Shawn
"Rashawn what is your problem?" She asked me. I could hear the obvious change in her voice from happy to annoyed. But I was annoyed too.
"Hellooooo?" She said again.
"Man what?" I shot back.
"Nigga don't 'wHaT' me," she mocked. "Why you so hostile? I always make these type of jokes. Since we damn met. So what's the issue now?"
She wasn't wrong. She was making them the whole time we knew each other. At first, I wasn't mad because we had just became friends. After a while of getting to know her, I caught feelings. I fell hard but I kept my emotions under control. I was focused on basketball and securing scholarships. Later on in our friendship, I learned what she looked for in a guy so those jokes didn't phase me at all. The boys on my team were childish, and not in a good way.
But these UCLA boys are something different. D1 athletes with futures. They're focused, mature, and can probably get any girl they want. Even though I was one of them, the fact that she didn't have, or at least show she felt that type of way towards me upset me. I didn't hate them, cause they didn't do shit to me. I just hated the joke. I knew I had to get my feelings under control because I would be playing with these men for a long time and I couldn't hold them back cause of some hypothetical situation where one of them was dating the girl of my dreams.
"Nothin." I replied plainly.
"Ugh, I hate that shit Shawn." She sighed. "You know how I feel about communication. Just talk to me."
"I'm good Ché. I promise. I'm sorry for snapping at you." I admired her as she rolled her eyes at, fighting the urge to lick my lips as she was looking straight at me.
"We good?" I asked desperately wanting this little argument to be over.
"Yeah whateva. Jus don't do that shit again." She said putting lipgloss on.
"What are you putting that shit on fa. You not goin no where." I joked.
"My hoes comin over tonight. Gotta look good for em." She retorted.
Ché
"I got mine comin over too, I should put some on huh?" He asked cheesing.
I wanted to pop his ass so bad. Actin out like he ain't my man. He made these types of jokes before but that was when he was surrounded by people from our school who weren't the best to be around. Now, he could easily have any college girl he wanted. I saw how the girls were gawking over him when I went with him to tour the campus and that shit didn't sit right with me.
"Yeah you should. You gon look real cute." I said with a fake smile. He picked up his Vaseline.
"This how you look." He said aggressively putting it on then puckering his lips and batting his eyes. This cause me to laugh hard as hell and he followed.
"I'm taking you with me to get my dinner." He stated before putting a hoodie on and making his way to the cafe.
"Fat ass," I joked.
