***

"Draw 4 nigga" I slapped the card down on the table.

"Man fuck you" Sean rolls his eyes and takes a shot before drawing his cards.

"Y'all ass suck" I swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the song. My phone began to ring on my lap causing the music to stop. "Oop my bad y'all" I replied grabbing my phone to look at the caller i.d. It was Quincy calling me.

"Michelle here play my hand!" I hopped up from the floor and handed her my cards. I disconnected my phone from the Bluetooth and answering the call.

Quincy and I have been talking every night for the past couple of weeks. We've just been getting to know each other but our daily phone calls have become a part of my nightly routine.

"Hey" I smile walking into my bedroom closing the door behind me.

"You still with yo friends? I can call you back later" He says

"No, you're good. I was just whooping their asses at uno. You saved them" I laughed sitting down at my desk "Whatchu doing?"

"Nothing just got out the shower was finna hop on the game but I wanted to hear your voice. I miss you"

"Awwwn how sweet. We just talked last night though" I blushed.

"I meant like seeing you in person. Duh" He laughs "Whatchu doing tomorrow?" He asked me and I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing really just gonna chill in the house"

"Come spend the weekend with me"

"Excuse me?" I replied raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'll buy your ticket and scoop you from the airport when you land"

"Ummm stranger danger" I reply with a laugh "Ion think I'm comfortable with that."

"I gotchu baby you're in good hands. I'll make sure you're safe out here" He smiles at me revealing his perfect smile. Hearing him call me baby gave me butterflies. This was his first time referring to me as a cute pet name. "Tell somebody you're with me. Share your location with them if that makes you feel more comfortable"

"You sure you want me to come tomorrow? It's kinda last minute don't you think?"

Everything within me knew good and well I had no business flying out there to him. I've seen too many episodes of Criminal Minds and Law & Order SVU. I knew how these types of situations play out. Another part of me did want to see him again though.

"It don't matter to me when you come. I just figured since it's the weekend it won't interfere with your classes or nothing" Quincy replies back. I could hear the loud sound of his gaming system turning on.

"What time would the flight be?" I questioned propping my phone up on the desk.

"Hold up let me check real quick" He gets up from the bed and I could hear him going downstairs. Shortly after his face was being lit up by a computer screen.

I heard him typing away at the computer "There's a flight at 1 and then another at 4. Which one you wanna do?"

"Umm I can do 1" I reply with a head nod.

"Alright bet. The flight is like 2 hours. You wanna fly spirit?" Quincy asks glancing away from the computer and looking at the phone.

"Boy I'd rather walk" I laughed.

"You wanna come back Sunday evening?"

"We can do Monday afternoon, I don't have classes on Mondays"

He nods his head and continues typing away. I could hear a knock at my door. "Come in!" I said loud enough so they could hear me over the music playing in the living room.

"Let me guess you on the phone with that lil boy" Michelle said as she entered the room.

"Girl no" I chuckle rolling my eyes.

"Yeah I know she ain't talking bout me cause I'm a grown-ass man" Q scoffed with a slight laugh.

"Oop. He checked yo ass quick as hell"

"Right like I won't beat his ass or something" Michelle stands behind me and squares up "It could be whatever shorty"

"Keep that same energy for when I pull up"

"Shit it's whatever" She shrugs her shoulders "Hurry up Paris, Jacobi swears he can beat us at Michael Jackson the experience"

"K give me a minute" I replied. I waited until I heard my door close to continue our conversation.

"Paris Baldwin right?" Q questions and I nod my head yes.

"I just booked it and sent everything to your email"

"Okay cool."

"Imma let you get back to your friends, I'll talk to you in the morning

"Kk. Bye-bye" I ended the call and tossed my phone onto my bed. I walked out of my room and they were still sitting around the coffee table playing cards.

"Paris you done went and got a nigga on us?" Sean asks raising an eyebrow at me.

"Whaaaat? Of course not" I say drawing out my words. I widened my eyes and looked down at my cards.

"Who is he?" Jacobi questioned pouring some more Hennessy in everybody's red solo cups.

"It's that fine ass dude from Starbucks she met like last month" Michelle answered for me with a smirk, "He look better than ya last man so I'm all here for it"

"Anyways" I roll my eyes before changing the subject from Andre, "He's flying me out tomorrow," I said keeping my eyes glued to my cards. I knew they wouldn't be too approving of this.

"Excuse me?" Michelle quickly said.

"You getting flewed out?" Sean laughs.

"You don't even know him like that" Jacobi frowns.

"You done lost ya damn mind. I can help you find it, cause no." Michelle shakes her head.

"What's the worst that can happen?" I reply.

"Ummm he fucking kidnaps you, sell yo ass to some human traffickers then boom, we never see you again all because you wanna fly to New York for some dick. Girl dick is local!" Michelle exclaims.

"Bitch didn't you just say you were here for it?"

"Here for it bitch, not there" She replies and we both laughed.

"You told yo people you going to New York to see some nigga?" Sean questions raising an eyebrow at me.

I shake my head no "I didn't know I was going until two minutes ago, besides I'm grown. I don't need to check in with my parents"

"Somebody needs to know your whereabouts though just to be safe" Jacobi tells me.

"That's why I told y'all" I replied with a fake smile, "If I feel like something is off, I'll let y'all know immediately. I'm not gonna ignore anything, I'mma stay on my toes"

"You staying with him or a hotel?" Michelle continues on with the interrogation.

I shrugged my shoulders "We literally just planned this two seconds ago. I don't know all the plans yet"

"You staying in a hotel ion care if I gotta buy that shit myself," Michelle tells me.

"If she makes it through the whole day she'll be good. Once she has that sleep paralysis he gon send her ass right back home in the morning" Jacobi says and everybody laughs.

"Ahkikiki" I rolled my eyes.

For as long as I could remember I've always suffered from sleep paralysis. It happens whenever I sleep on my back. I don't naturally sleep on my back but some nights I find myself in that position and then the sleep paralysis hits me.

I know I'll be fine but when it's happening I instantly start having a panic attack. It feels like someone is laying on my chest choking the shit out of me. I try to scream to get out of it but physically can't, so it sounds muffled. For anybody witnessing me have it for the first time, it's scary as fuck.

I remember when Sean and Jacobi stayed the night a few years back and they thought Freddy Krueger was killing me in my dreams.

***

I woke up the next morning to my alarm ringing my ear. I ended it before pulling back my covers and dragging myself to the bathroom. I hopped in the shower before washing my face and brushing my teeth. I got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I was a little hungover and really didn't feel like trying to be cute. I grabbed my suitcase out of my closet and started to scan my closet for some outfits to bring.

I didn't know if we were just going to chill in the house, go to a party, a nice dinner, or anything, so I packed an outfit for every possibility.

"You really going to see that man?" Michelle questioned rubbing her eyes and plopping down on my bed.

"Yes ma'am" I replied tossing my skincare products into the suitcase.

"I'm calling you every single hour. If you miss one call I'm calling the police" Michelle states.

"Okay" I laugh "I have no problem with that"

I continued packing trying not to forget anything. I grabbed my phone to see they Q had sent me a text while I was getting ready. I decided that I should save his number. I would hate for him to see that he wasn't saved in my phone, let's just try to avoid awkward situations. I just saved his number as "😉"

You still coming? 👀

Yeah sorry, I was getting ready. About to head to the airport inna minute

"So you not telling your parents where you at? What if ya daddy decide to pop up again?" Michelle asks.

"Improvise, you're smart. I believe in you" I chuckle.

"You gon get us both killed"