Still Waters

Chapter 8

"So read me something," Kenney said, flopping down and kicking his feet up on my bed.

It was nearing the end of our first semester and it was the first night that we were allowed to have visitation. Up until then, every time we got close to having it, some hot-tail hooker would mess it up for the rest of us.

Kenney and I had gotten to be pretty good friends over the semester and actually ended up learning a lot about one another. He had stopped trying to holla by then and had moved on to a couple of other girls on campus. None of them were in my dorm, though. We spent hours on the phone every night, me cracking on his taste in women and him cracking on the fact that I never seemed to have a man. I often wondered if any of his girls ever asked him why he spent so much time around me. Like that night. He had already been over there for like three hours.

"Read something like what?" I flopped down on the bed beside him.

"Anything. I just like the way you read."

"You're silly." I shook my head as I searched for a new or incredibly old piece that he hadn't already heard.

"For real!" He grinned and put his arm behind his head. "You always sound like you got attitude for no reason."

I gave him the stink-eye and picked up a notebook that I had just started. "I do always have attitude, and for plenty of reasons," I teased and began leafing through the colorful pages until I reached the last one with writing on it. "Ok. This is something I've been working on called..." I couldn't contain my grin. "Your kiss."

"Ooh-wee!" he rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Girl, whatchyou know 'bout kissin'?"

"More than you think." I sat up and faced him.

"Is that right?" When I looked down into his eyes, the intensity of his gaze was so magnetic that I had to practically tear my eyes away from his.

"Ok. You're going to have to stop looking at me like that if you want me to read this."

"Like what?" his gaze was steady.

I shook my head and took a deep breath. "Your kiss...is like the euphoric feeling of Billy Clint rolled tightly\ Into the perfect blunt..."

"Daaaamn!" Kenney tried to snatch the book away from me. "Lemme see that. That's not what it says."

"Kenney! Shut up and let me finish."

"'Scuse me..." He leaned back against the pillows, grinning and made a grand gesture with his hand. "Continue."

"...into the perfect blunt..." I paused, trying to find my place. "It burns slowly\ And leaves me addicted\ In the end...\ I can't even front."

He chuckled. "That was cute. I like that."

I sighed loudly. "Can I finish please?"

"Far be it from me to ever...keep you from finishing..."

I tried to avoid eye contact with him and moved on. "Your kiss...\ Like a pile of money\ Is long overdue." Involuntarily, I looked his way. To my surprise, Kenney's smile had faded. "I never want it to run out. \ This way everything will\ Always seem brand new. \ Your kiss...\ Is like a Lowrider\ Bumping down the street..."

"Whaaa..." Kenney interrupted again. "Whatchyou know 'bout Lowriders gul?"

"I know a little somethin' 'bout a little somethin'." We grinned ridiculously at each other until I continued. "Let's see...Lowrider...down the street...ok. Ok..." I found my place. "The bass fills my body\ My hips start to move\ And I can hardly keep my seat."