Can we talk?

I️ know you reading these

I'm serious, Liyah

Alright then, I️ guess you don't mind if I️ show my homeboys this

Aaliyah picked up her phone and almost screamed. "No! No, no, no!" She repeated to herself as she hurriedly typed back.

FUCK.

YOU.

Aht. Aht. Come say that to my face now

...where do you want to meet up?

Let me come over

Absolutely not. Nothing more than a Walmart parking lot.

Fine.

See you in twenty

Aaliyah hopped out of her comfortable place in bed to throw on some sweats, a crop too and throw her hair in a messy bun before covering herself in a hoodie. She rushes downstairs and yells out, "Mom, I️ have to go to Walmart!" As she takes the keys off the key ring.

"Why-"

"Tampons! My period started!" She lied as she hurried out the door. She had only one thought in her mind while driving.

She was gonna murder him.

She soon arrives to Walmart's parking lot, spotting Elijah familiar Nissan Altima near the back. She drives up next to him, and parks, angrily getting out to meet with him. Before he could even say a word, she uses all her weight to shove him back into his car. "Fuck you Elijah!" She shrieks. "Fuck-"

Her words were cut off, along with her breathing cause he wrapped both hands around her neck, now shoving her against his car. "Bitch, I'll kill you!" He threatens as she claws against his hold on her throat, tears streaming down her face. Once she was on the verge of passing out, he lets her go, making her fall to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. "You know, I️ was actually willing to talk to you before you pulled up with that mess," he scolded her as she cried.

"What do you want?" Her voice was hoarse as she reached up to gingerly touch her neck. "How...how did you get that video?" She cried.

Elijah kneels to her level now. "Well I️ thought it's be cute to film our first time together," he smiles wickedly. "Don't you?"

"You recorded us?!" She shrieks. "What the hell?"

"I️ knew it would come in clutch one day," was his only explanation. "But you just gotta do one thing for me, and I swear on my mama, I️ won't release it," he promised, making her glare at him as she stood up.

"What do you want?" She asked bitterly.

"I️ want you baby," he said, cupping either side's of her face. "And I️ want you to stop talking to that bitch ass cracker," he adds, making her smack his hands away from her. He retaliated by tugging on her hair, making her yell out in pain. "Yeah I saw you teasing me on your story about y'all's little baecation to the beach," he mentions her Snapchat posts from over the weekend. "And if I find out y'all fucked-"

"We-we didn't. We didn't," She stammers our nervously.

He grunts. "Stop talking to him," he orders. "If not," He holds his phone up in one hand while grasping her hair in his hands in the other, "we could always show this to...everyone we know. You know the internet is forever right?"

"Just leave me alone," she cries. "Please..."

"We been through too much together baby, he presses a kiss on her check. "He can take my spot on the team, my scholarships, and anything else. But what he's not gonna take from me, is you," he whispers. "The choice is yours," he says before releasing her from his painful grip.

* * * *

That Monday when Aaliyah went to school, she did everything in her power to avoid him. She just went to her classes and hung out with Carolina, who was oddly chipper. She must've had a good weekend that she forgot to ask about.

"....doing for winter break? Hello? Aaliyah?"

Aaliyah eyes look up to see Carolina looking at her with a concerned expression. "Are you okay? I️ feel like your head is somewhere else today," she points out.

"I'm just think about midterms," she excused. "I'm worried about...math."

"Oh girl, you got this," Carolina waved off, before catching the upset look on her face. "Wait..." She furrowed her brows, "is there something else going on?" She asked. The bell rang and before Aaliyah could answer, she gets up and rushes off to the nearest bathroom. She locks herself in a stall and lets out all the emotions she bottled up over the weekend. She felt hopeless. She felt...trapped. She heaved heavily as the sobs wracked her body, trying hard to be quiet, but losing it anyways.

"Liyah? Come out, please?" Carolina tried to coax out. Aaliyah eventually opened the stall and stood in front of her best friend, looking a complete mess. Carolina frowned and pulled her in for a hug.

"Do you wanna tell me what's wrong or do you just want me to hold you?" She offered.

"Just hold me please?" Her voice muffled.

And Carolina did just that.

After skipping fourth period and crying her eyes out in the bathroom, Aaliyah felt a bit better about herself. She went throughout the rest of the day with no issues. But when school ended, walked through the school parking lot, feeling intense dread.

And then he showed up.

"Hey," Jackson said cheerfully. "I️ didn't see you in class," he mentioned as he walked alongside her.

She looked down to purposefully avoid his gaze. "Yeah, I️ skipped," she tells him, continue to walk ahead.

Jackson raised his eyebrows at her in confusion. "Um...okay. Kinda doesn't sound like something you would do. But!" He emphasized the "but". "I️ do agree that teenagers cutting class at least four times during high school is healthy-"

"This dude bothering you?" Eli's voice catches them both off guard as they pass by his car.

Jackson inwardly rolls his eyebrows at the guy. "Leave us alone Elijah," he demanded, crossing his arms. But what happens next leaves him shocked.

Aaliyah moves from her spot next to him into Elijah's open arms. He presses a kiss on her temple and she smiles back at him, looking almost...content? "I'm just here to take my girl home," Elijah steps ups to him, using his surprise to his advantage. "I️ think you're the one that should leave her alone," he orders.

Jackson couldn't believe what he was seeing, what he was hearing. "Aaliyah...?" He called out to her, hoping she could clear up whatever the fuck was happening?

But she just avoided his eyes and hung her head low.

"Are you two back together?" He demanded to know. "And you didn't tell me? Did our date mean...anything to you?" He asked, sounding upset now.

Elijah simply laughed. "Dude, chill. We take breaks all the time. Everyone knows this," he fills him in. "So whatever happened between you two? It's over man. She was never into you in the first place. You were just a distraction to her during one of our usual rough patches," he wraps his arm around her. "We back and better than ever, right baby?" He looked down at her.

"Yep," She said a bit too quietly.

"No..." Jackson shook his head. "I️ don't believe that-"

"Jack look, what we had was fun but it's over now, okay?" Aaliyah finally spoke up. "I'm sorry."

Jackson looked between the two in complete bewilderment. "Aaliyah, what's really going on?" He asked her.

Elijah takes a step up and shoves him. "Yo, it's over home boy! She doesn't want you anymore!" He states aggressively. "Go find some other bitch to fuck with."

"So after all we've been through, you're just gonna throw it all away for some shitty guy?!" He yells, making her flinch. "You know what? Fuck this!" He shoves Elijah away from him. "And fuck you!" He points at her.

Aaliyah gasps, the first time she's shown emotion during the entire conversation. "Jack-"

"I'm over it Aaliyah!" He shouts. "Don't call me when you need saving again!" He snaps before storming off in the opposite direction. She broke him. She had completely broke his heart and in the process he broke hers too.

_______________________________

Double update cause I'm so...yeah.

But yikes! What's gonna happen now? Aaliyah's being blackmailed, Elijah's being a major asshole, Jackson's hurt and pissed off....what else could go wrong?

...hehehe.

That last present day chapter was only the calm before the storm.

Also, would anyone like a soundtrack or playlist or whatever to this book? Because I️ think music is truly timeless, and that we all connect through music (music's actually a really big part of this story), I️ got a couple of songs that I️ think match the vibe of this book. So if y'all wanna see the list for that, lemme know :)

Vote and comment! Your comments and guesses and stuff mean a lot to me!