More Than Friends

I'm Fine

Odell POV –

My heart sank at the sight of K's mother. She was obviously worse off than what she led on.

She had lost so much weight, she looked like a bag of bones and she was constricted to her bed.

The reality is she was dying. If I ever was glad I made a decision to do what I did, was now.

Don't get it twisted my career was important. Getting national attention was important. Winning this game so we could qualify for the championship was important.

But I'm sorry, I'd forgo it all for K. Call me crazy. Call me whipped. Soft. Whatever. But she was my Bestfriend and my newfound lover.

She was the reason I was able to play freshmen year when I was failing. When no one else was in the stands she was there. On days when I'd be hurt from a loss, she'd remind me of my greatness. Our bond, even before we were in a relationship no one could break.

I had become as dependent on her and her support as water. But the truth is, K  put up this front since our beginning like she didn't need me in the same way. Like if I dropped out of her life she'd be okay. Like if I showed up to support her or not, I'd survive. Rarely, did she ever show me a weakness. She always had it. Whether it be school. Her mom. Period. She put up this front like she was cool on her own.

But I knew it was all a mask. K had nobody besides her mom. And if her mom left this earth, she would have no one.

I couldn't let that happen. I had to let her know that, that strong black woman shit was bullshit. That even superwoman needed superman sometimes. And this superman, regardless of her father, wasn't going to leave her alone.

I was sitting awkwardly in a chair opposite her mother's bed. She had sent Kenya out grocery shopping to get some items on her list. So it was just us here. Her uncle had taken her.

Even in her mother's condition, her resemblance to Kenya was uncanny. Same perfect dark golden skin. Big brown eyes. I could see where she got her beauty.

During our friendship, I met her mother and we became cool. She embraced me the same way, my mother embraced K. As one of the family.

"Why would you skip out on a game O?" Her mother turned her attention from Orange Is The New Black to me.

"Some things are more important than football. This was just one of em."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "You and Kenya are so dramatic. I told her I was alright. It's just the medicine making me lose all this weight."

She coughed heavily. I noticed blood was coming up and quickly got a tissue and put it to her mouth to clean her up.

"It just does that some times." She said between coughs, removing my hands. "I'm fine."

I didn't move.

"Sit down boy. I'm fine." She looked at me. "Gone now." She shooed her hand.

I reluctantly sat down. I guess she's where K, gets her stubbornness.

"I was wondering when you and Kenya were going to get together. I knew it was a matter of time. Kenya walking around here like ain't no man good enough for her. I said yeah ok. We'll see. You'll end up right with O. And she was like "aww ma, o not even my type and blah, blah, blah." She rolled her eyes.

I let out half a smile.

"Type my ass. Love don't have a type. Her daddy was my type and you see how that ended."