i

"So this is a C chord, specifically middle C which should be right in the comfort of your vocal range. A lot of strong notes will come from this chord, a lot of popular songs, easy to sing. When you go up to D chord..." Devin's finger leave a triplet of piano keys and moves to the next.

"Of course you are not as comfortable and low as you are in C but after hearing you sing, I believe you should stay in D for most of your songs. It's a little higher but you get a better sound on top." His fingers shift to D# and I hum the note as I have been doing as he goes up.

"Sing 'I can't make you love me if you don't' real powerful." He says.

I do as told in the D# chord and piano keys follow. I didn't know he could even play until lessons started a few weeks ago.

He changes the chord and I am forced to go higher.

"Again, same words."

I do as told, not needing to switch to falsetto yet, but right on the brink.

He pulls back and looks at me.

"Wow, that was beautiful. Let's try the song in that key."

Devin plays the intro to a song I have always loved and I sing out bright and loud. Pushing my voice harder than normal but not too hard. We practiced breathing all of last week, so I've been getting better at extending my high notes and controlling my voice better.

"Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

Turn down these voices inside my head

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

Just hold me close, don't patronize"

I sing as his fingers glide over all the right keys.

"Big voice here, but soft. Big and soft." He warns as the chorus comes.

I take in a deep breath and flow into the chorus easy, giving it my emotion.

" Cause I can't make you love me if you don't

You can't make your heart feel something it won't

Here in the dark, these final hours

I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power

But you won't "

I stretch the last note out and riff it down into pretty adlybs and Devin closes his eyes.

I continue singing, but my focus is now on him. His strong hands so gentle when it touches the black and white keys. His head sways and at times when he is really feeling it, his shoulder twitches up and he shivers. I was witnessing someone who truly loved music, with every fiber of his being.

"This part is soft. Glide into it easy." He directs me as the bridge approaches. I follow his instructions and his eyes are still closed but he smiles.

"Good." He compliments.

He continues to play but for a moment I stop singing. I take in the moment in this large practice room with wide windows and this big wooden piano in the middle. We are the only ones in the room and chairs are pushed into a circle around us as if a class is taught here.

The piano hums along, he is so caught up that he doesn't realize I have stopped. I watch the broadness of his muscular shoulders, his jawline, the form of his perfect lips, the rise and fall of his chest. Before his eyes can open, I walk over to the piano and take his face into my hands then connect my lips to his as soft as the music once was. There is no music now.

My nose fills with his smell and his taste is on my lips. He pushes the piano chair away from the piano and firmly pulls me onto his lap so that he may kiss me better. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kisses, having him take the lead, his fingers playing in my hair.

I move my hands to his face and give him a dozen pecks before pulling my lips away from his.

He opens his brown eyes and behind his head, the sun is beginning to set.

I smile.

"Well look who's trying to get extra credit points with the teacher." He mumbles.

I giggle and he stares at me with an easy smile on his face, almost like I mean the world to him. I look away, shy now. I move my hair behind my ears.

"You get so caught up in the music." I say quietly. I look at him now and he isn't smiling anymore.

"If there was anything to ever be caught up on.." He shakes his head.

I kiss him again and he isn't expecting it but it puts another smile back on his face.

"Would you mind not loving what I love. It's turnin me on n I already type like you." I say, reverting back to the hood girl in me.

He chuckles and easily lifts me off of him and stands to his feet. "You did good today." He comments.

He stretches and yawns then takes out his phone.

"I have to go." He speaks after silently reading some text message.

I pout. " Why? Can't you stay a little longer?"

He looks at the text message again, contemplating. I get curious and walk over to peak.

He moves the phone away from me swiftly.

Immediately my mood changes.

"Who are you texting?" I ask calmly.

"Stop it." He laughs.

I feel my eyebrows point down in anger and though I repress it, I feel my attitude climbing.

"Whatever. Go see whoever you tryna see." I go sit by the piano. "Sorry for keeping you." I add.

I hear footsteps walking over to the piano and the in moments there is a phone in front of my face.

The top reads LB Sam.

"What is LB?" I ask confused.

"Line brother." He says tiresome of my attitude.

"What does th-"

"A line brother is someone who you pledge with when you join the Fraternity. I'm closer to him than I am with any actual family that I have. We pledged together and I learned to depend on him, its the only way I made it into the Alphas." The phone disappears and I feel like I overreacted.

"Welp." I say quietly.

He laughs and kisses my cheek.

"Somebody was getting jealous." He sings.

I roll my eyes and press random keys on the piano.

"I'll stay a few more minutes." He turns my head from the piano and kisses me slowly until I drop the attitude.

"Let me hear a poem." He pulls me to my feet. I stand in front of him staring at his beauty. The room was beginning to get dark but there was still a little bit of light entering through the windows.

The weeks upon weeks we have been hanging out, I never once performed my poems. A part of me felt like only Trev deserved private shows and new material. I felt like I was betraying him.

"Come on, let me hear something good." He knows what buttons to push. I snap at him with a smile.

"They're all good."

He smiles back. " I bet."

I decide to do an old one to stay true to Trev. I was low key saving all my new ones hoping I would get to say them to him at some point. Maybe if I ever picked up the phone and called him.

" Oh silly boy

Girls must squeeze their thighs every time you walk by

Bat their eyes, make sure they compromise.. their morals

Damn, you fine

A tall dark and handsome drink of wine

Sending shivers up her spine

Up her spine fingers trailing

Derailing any focus she ever had on not failing

Bra strap falls, walls fall,

Waterfalls between her thighs n you aint even touch her yet

Damn, you fine

Got her wondering who made you?

Ma nigga who made you and sculpted you into such beauty

Who raised you?

How you finessed your way into gettin some booty

She's like i'm not even like this

She don't even entertain boys, her thoughts be clean cause she usually tries to fight this

Oh silly boy

Got her wrapped around your finger like them silly toys

You know your sent lingers after you leave

You know it will turn her into a feen

How you can get so dirty but end up leaving so clean

You don't deserve no Queen

Not until you relax

Now she wondering, damn how ima cut back?

I'm addicted to what his dick did, how ima stop that?

He read me when I was encrypted and read it back to me like it was scripted

If he leaves I'd surely be vindictive

Oh silly boy

You just wanna give her the D

Then she falls in love, you like why me?

I ain't done nothing but connected our souls

I ain't do no wrong making her moan

Making her body ache, putting her up on that throne

What I did?

I ain't comfort her when she was sad

Stopped the tears when she talked about her Dad

I just bought her clothes n told her she look bad

What I did?

Oh silly boy

Let me start by laying it out for you

To a girl who has not been loved she will cling to every bit of attention you bring

She will stop being quiet and reserved once you've made her sing

To a girl who usually doesn't get complimented too often

Your compliments might actually meannnn something

If you ever looked into her eyes and synced your breathing with the stroke of her thighs

Understand that YOU are the reason for her demise

You cannot come into her temple, mess up her sheets

Eat her treats, share her home and then leave like you were never there

No

After you leave a mess, she is the only one left to clean and repair

So you don't get to question how you have affected her once you are no longer there

You silly boy "

Devin is speechless. I put my hands into my pocket and nod my head then rock back and forth on my heel waiting for him to speak.

"Am I the silly boy?" He asks finally.

I laugh, not expecting the question.

"No. It's just a poem." I say harmlessly.

"That was amazing. I really really loved it." He kisses me twice.

"Thank you. I have better ones but that one is light and easy to handle. The rest are.." I trail off.

"Real as fuck?" He finishes for me and I nod.

"I want those ones next time. I know you get deep, even 'Silly Boy' was deep. I got the glimpse of the depth. Thank you for that."

"Yea, yea. You're welcome. I know you still have to leave me." I say hugging on to his abdomen like a child.

"I do. I'm sorry. I can call you when I'm done and if you're awake I'll come over." He says against my lips. He kisses my nose lightly.

"Oh, silly boy." I say poking his nose.

I get my book bag and walk towards the door.

I look back as I open it.

He winks.