Forbidden Fruit (Urban)

two

Sai

The next week classes started, and things got busy. I found myself adjusting well to classes, though.

"Have you seen parking lot bae?" A asked as we exited the car. "Nah but if I see him again-" I was stopped when I bumped into what felt like a brick wall.

"My bad," the brick wall spoke. I looked up and there was Elijah. I stared as he stared back.

Ada cleared her throat. "Imma see you later ight?" she said walking off. "Okay..." I looked back up at him.

How ironic.

"Sai right?" I nodded.

"Where you headed?" I spoke back. He pointed to the direction he was going and I walked with him.

My class was a fifteen minute walk away, so I figured some company would be welcome. Also, I desperately wanted to see him again.

Like the first night we met, I felt so giddy while I was around him. I smiled so much my cheeks hurt and I probably looked like a goof. I didn't care though, because being around him felt natural.

I got to know the basics everyone always asked when meeting someone new: where you from, what you studying. But I didn't really care about all that; I found myself wanting to know more of who he was outside of our school.

I reached up and felt his fro. "Let me twist up your hair one day," I demanded. It was the easiest way I knew to get close to him. Guys never said no to that.

"You can do that if you come over Saturday?"

I pretended as if I didn't hear him. "I wonder what I'd do: a three strand twist or a braid out. Maybe even cornrows?"

He turned to me. "You coming or not? Imma have pancakes..."

I raised my hands up in objection. "Say no more. Imma see you Saturday."

My class stood directly in front of us. I walked to the door but stopped right before entering. "Wait how'd you know I liked-"

"Don't worry about how I know what I know," He smirked as I walked over to him.

"But you know I'm worried about how you know what you know," I replied slickly.

"I know you worried about how I know what I know. But what I know is that you know that I'm gonna have to get that number off you, right now."

It was so corny but I loved all of it, that big grin returning to my face. Elijah handed me his phone and I added my number. "Imma catch you later," I said making my way back to the door.

"Ight then."

I had lectures from 1-5 every other day, and while it was stressful, I had my goals set from the start. I was working to achieve a Bachelor of Science in Cosmetic Technology. A and I wanted to make our own makeup brand for Black skin specifically. She and I knew firsthand how hard it was to find the right products for our skin.

I thought back to the day in high school that started it all.

"You seen Tay today?" I asked A.

"Yesss bitch that highlight was popping. Her whole face was beat," I laughed at her remark.

"I wish I was her color. She so fine," I said. Taylor was a girl everyone wanted to be: yellowbone, long curly hair and hazel eyes. Niggas at school always said that if they girl don't look like her, they don't want her.

That's the only reason I wanted to be like her, so they'd look at me and think I was beautiful.

I was stark opposites with Tay: my skin and eyes were the same rich dark color like my father's. The strands in my hair were tightly coiled and shrunken. I looked like everyone else in my family, and being with them never made me feel different. They instilled into me a love for my features, for every woman in my lineage was beautiful and strong like me.