Forbidden Fruit (A Keith Powers Love Story)

Chapter 8

Keith

I don't know how I'm going to tell her. I wanted to let her know the moment I overhead that punk talking about her. The moment still stuck to my brain. Every word he said, I remember. It's almost as if it happened yesterday.

It was the last day of school before fall break and my eighth period class was doing whatever they pleased, as long as it wasn't being noisy or running around my class. There were only a few students who were working on their optional essay and that included Maliya. I tried my hardest to keep my eyes off of her but it was damn near impossible. She's beautiful. Her intellect and desire to learn turns me on like crazy as well. I broke my gaze from her before anyone noticed. My attention switched to a group of my male students who aren't as studious as everyone else. Khalil, Mark, Neil,Zayden, and why I'm guessing is Maliya's new male interest, Jayven.

"All I'm saying is, the girl is stuck up!" Khalil spoke, shaking his head that consisted of three-sixty waves.

"Right!" added Mark.

"To be honest, you'd deserve a plaque if you hit in less than three months." Neil said.

"Maliya ain't, stuck up. She cool people. She just keeps to herself a lot." Zayden defended.

It didn't take me long to realize they were talking to Jayven. He had yet to say a word in Maliya's defense.

"I bet y'all I can get in her pants before February," boasted Jayven.

The boys all shook their heads, doubting it would happen.

"Two hundred," Jayven had put it on the table. He was betting on Maliya's body. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"What man?" one of them said under their breath.

"What if she a virgin, bro?" Zayden sighed.

I looked up at the group again. Jayven shrugged and leaned back in a cocky manner. "That don't matter to me, if she is then when I'm done with her she won't be one no more. In fact, her ass gon' be a freak, then one of y'all can have her." Jayven laughed and all the guys followed him in a fit of laughter.

"Ayo, she looking at you bro." Mark tapped Jayven.

Jayven turned and waved at Maliya. "Hey Princess," he smiled at her.

Maliya, probably smitten that he called her that in front of his friends blushed and started writing.

"Bruh, princess?" Neil laughed.

After I witnessed that, I made it my business. I wanted to make sure she hadn't had sex with Jayven over break.

"Hello?" she rolled her eyes impatiently.

I tried to muster up the words I wanted to say to her but they wouldn't come out. It's hard to tell anyone that they are being deceived.

But after she told me to let her out, I told her.

"Jayven has ulterior motives," I blurted out.

"What?!" she exclaimed with an unreadable expression on her face. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I over heard him making a bet with his friends about him taking your virginity." I said, as I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, making a wide turn.

She furiously shook her head, repeating "no,no,no" to herself. "You're a liar!"

"I'm not lying! Why would I make this up?!" I yelled back.