The ballad of Akir James

Nineteen |1|

      NERIL AND I finish cooking around after one. I turned to reach for more dishes on the top shelves when his father, Damion, and Torando walked into his apartment. The sound of my father's voice causes the dishes to fall from my hand.

"A," Neril grasped out, dropping the serving spoon in the pot. My entire body went still for a moment Neril and Jevel rushed to help. "It's okay, I'll get it." I hold my hand out to prevent them from touching the broken shards.

"What the hell you jumpy about son?" My father says as Tornado cuts across the living area straight into the refrigerator.

"Nothing," I say, taking the broom and scoop from Jevel. I quickly cleaned up the broken pieces and rewashed my hand.

"For your father?" Torando asked, holding out his hand.

"Olan give this to my father," I dodge him and hand the plate to Olan.

"Veyah," I called her name. Taking up the two plates I shared for her and Ronen.

"Yours and Ronen." I handed her the first plate and the second plate making sure she noticed the grated Pepper flakes. "Got it, babe." She took the plate and headed over to Ronen who was still reading despite all the noise around him.

"Velma," I hand her a plate.

"Fuck!" Torando cursed as he dashed to the pipe to wash out his mouth. "What kind of salad is that!" He gulps down his Juice.

"Serve you fucking right!" Jessica laughed as I reached for the covered salad bites and handed them to Jessica who took the bowl and handed it to Veyah who passed it to Ronen. Who took a huge couple of bites into the salad.

"Akir made side spicy dishes of everything so it's best to ask before tasting anything," Neril told him laughing under her breath at Tornado still fanning his mouth. I turn in the fridge, take out a tray of Mason Jars with Strawberry Lemonade, and set it in the center of the table. I went into the back of the fridge to get a beer for my father. I uncapped it and slid a straw into the beer and one into the Strawberry Lemonade. I walked into the living room, I set Ronen's glass down first and gave my father the red Stripe beer.

"Where's mine A?" Torando asked. Ronen glared at him, his hand tightening on the fork.

"Have mine," Jessica slid over Mason Jar to him. "Hey Akir," Venzi appears at the door.

"Mr. James," he saluted to my father.

"Venzi, Longtime no see wha gawn?" He smiled at me. "Nothing much." He says as he stood beside me.

"I smell spicy fruit," Venzi exclaims as he takes the fork from Ronen's bowl and takes a couple of bites. "Bomboclaat it tastes good," Venzi says ready to take up the bowl.

"Leave it, Yours in the fridge." I took the bowl from him and placed the bowl back on the table. "Sorry man," he covered his mouth looking at Ronen.

"It's cool," Ronen says as Venzi cuts the distance between him and the kitchen. I watch as Neril points out all the spicy dishes to him and he beams excitedly as he starts to dive into the dishes.

"Dish up some, you know your mom will break my neck if I show up without any of your food." He states. I nodded and headed back to the kitchen.

"Yo Neril when are you and Akir finally going to end up together?" My father asked.

"Sorry, I am already with his friend Olan," Neril answered smiling at Olan who avoided her gaze. Neril has been making him blush all day it was so funny to watch. My father frowned as I realized the tension between Torando and Ronen.