"You hear from Hailey bro?" CJ said as Chris and him were walking to the locker room after basketball practice.

"Nah man. Me and Hailey haven't talked since the first week of school," Chris said as he put his gym bag down on the bench and started to strip. "Why?" He wondered.

CJ laughed as he started changing next to him. "Rumors going around bro. Nick Brewer's messing with your sister."

Chris stopped, not comprehending what he was hearing. "What the hell are you talking about CJ?"

"Your sister's a babysitter's right?" CJ asked, to which Chris nodded. "Well, according to Monica, who told Gia, who told Shayla, who told Hailey, Amaya's working for Nick's family. And they've been getting pretty close. Maybe too close-"

"Don't! Talk about my sister like that," Chris warned, pointing at him. "Just get to your point."

CJ put his arms up and backed off. "Dude, all I'm saying is, watch out. Look, Amaya's a really nice girl, okay? Don't want to see her getting her by Nick. I've heard he can get pretty violent. You saw that first day here," CJ warmed before shutting the locker right next to him, leaving him to his thoughts.

* * * *

Nick was shoving his books from his locker into his bag when his locker suddenly shut in front of him, making him jump back in surprise. Nick looks over to see Maya's older brother Chris standing there with his heavy hand on his locker, looking pissed. Nick simply sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, it's you," he sounded unimpressed.

"I'm only gonna ask you this one time," Chris said, getting straight to the point. "What's going on between you and my sister?"

Nick raised his eyebrow. He knew he shouldn't be at all surprised that Chris knew. Word traveled fast in their little town, especially in their school. "What are you talking about?" Nick asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't play with me white boy, you know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about," Chris points at him. "And let me tell you right now, I️ don't like it."

Nick balled his hands up before catching himself. This was Maya's brother. And he knew that if he did something against him, it would be like going against her too. So he took a second to relax before answering. "Listen man-"

"Chris?" Maya spoke up from behind them, making them both look at her. "What are you guys talking about?" She sounded genuinely confused.

"You actually," Nick spoke up, making her eyes widen in surprise. "Yeah, he wanted to know if anything was going on between us," he tells her.

"What'd you say?" Maya curiously asked.

"He didn't say anything," Chris interjects. "I️ was just finding out right now."

Both siblings looked at him now, waiting on his answer. "Of course not," Nick scoffed. "Now if you excuse me..." he turns the other way and makes his way down the hall to his next class.

Maya felt a pang of hurt when Nick answered, but quickly composed herself to face her brother. "What the hell are you doing?" She scolds him, punching his arm.

"Me?" Chris sounded confused. "You didn't tell me you were working for Nick's family. I️ thought you were working for the Chandlers."

"I️ am working for the Chandlers!" She yells at him. "His mom remarried and changed her last name! Mr. Chandler is is stepdad," she tells him, fabricating some parts of Nick's story. Her brother didn't know him like she did, and she was sure Nick would appreciate that she didn't spill his business to everyone else. "Why do you care about my life all of a sudden? I️ don't ask you about your business."

"I'm your brother! It's my job to protect you when dad isn't around!" He states, making her roll her eyes. "I'm not kidding Maya!"

"Yeah, from creeps and weirdos! Nick is barely someone you have to worry about," she argues.

Chris glares at her. "Really?" He gives her an incredulous look. "He almost ran you over and got into a fight with me twice in our first day! Not to mention all the other bad shit I've heard he's done over the years!"

Maya refused to stand here and listen to him. "What do you want me to do Chris?!" She asks him.

"Quit," Chris states seriously. "You can find another job anywhere else but I️ don't even want you alone with the guy, let alone babysit for him," Chris exclaims.

Maya runs a hair through her hand. "I️ can't just quit-"

"Do it or else I'll tell dad," he threatens, making her gasp.

Now they both know that their dad will take whatever Chris says and blow it completely out of proportion. Which is exactly what Chris was hoping for.

Maya scowled at him. "Fine," She stubbornly agreed. With that, Chris simply nodded before making his way to his next class. Maya sighed before heading to her next class, wondering about what she should do when suddenly, someone rigged her wrist, scaring her out of her thoughts as she lands into Nick's arms.

"What's up buttercup?" He smirks, making her almost swoon, until she remembered his answer to the question of whether they were together or not. Nick noticed this and asked, "What's wrong?"

Maya pulls away slightly. "It's just...my brother asked whether we were together and you said no," she brought up.

Nick's face lit up as he remember what he did earlier. "Oh Maya..." he takes his hand into hers. "Walk with me?" He asked, leading her out the door.

"But we still have class-"

"Forget class," he waved off. "Just this once," he winks before tugging her along. She reluctantly followed behind, hoping nobody significant would notice. They walk hand in hand off campus, quiet for a couple a minutes, just enjoying the scenery and the silence. "You know, I️ wanted to hit him," Nick reveals, making her look up at him, "but I️ didn't."

"He was being an ass. I️ would've understood if you did," she shrugged as they kept walking.

"I️ didn't want to upset you," he tells her. "It also wouldn't have helped things either."

"It only would've landed you back into the principal's office," she pointed out with a giggle. "But that doesn't explain-"

"Why I️ told him we weren't a thing?" He finished for her.

"I️ don't get it. Are we...not?" Maya hesitantly asked him.

Nick stopped, making him tug on her hand to stop her as well. He takes both hands into his, making the butterflies in her stomach flutter harder now. "Maya, I️ don't know what we are yet," he tells her truthfully, "but what I️ do know is that I'm in love with you," he admits. "You're literally the best thing that's happened to me in a long while and I️ don't want anything to mess that up," he says.

"I'm in love with you too," she says softly, his hands traveling up her cheek before pulling her in closer for a kiss.

Once he pulls away, he looks into her eyes. "Your brother wants me to stay away from you."

"And he wants me to quit," she tells him. "His threatening to tell my dad."

"Is that bad?" He asks.

"Very," she nods.

Nick sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "What do we do?" He asks.

Maya shrugs. "I️ have to," she tells him. "I️ don't want to but-"

"You have to," he repeats her words, making him drop her hands, his breathing getting heavy as his anger flared up.

Maya quickly scurries over to him as takes a hold of his arm, in hopes of calming him down. "Nick, please don't be mad," she pleads.

He leans against a nearby tree, trying to remain calm again. "You don't get it Maya, I️ need you," his voice sounds broken. "You-you make everything so much better, you don't understand," he shakes his head.

"I️ know Nick, I️ know," she coos soothingly. "But I'm sorry, I️ have to. I️ don't want to get in trouble," she explains.

That's when he snapped. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't be doing this!" He yells at her, making her jump back in fear.

"Nick-"

"But of course, you're leaving me like, like everyone else! For five seconds, I️ thought you were different!" He steps towards her, making her take a step back. "But you're just like everyone else!"

"Nick, that's not true-"

"Then stay!" He begs, throwing Maya in for a loop. "Maya please...don't leave me alone. Not again," he kneels in front of her and wraps his arms around her, laying his head against her body. She slowly reaches out and pets his hair slowly as he calms down, a confused look on her face. His mood swings were giving her whiplash, and she just couldn't keep up.

"Nick...I'm not leaving you. I'm just leaving the job," she tells him. "I'll still be with you," she assures him, kneeling down alongside with him. "I️ promise, I'll be by your side always," she whispers.

_______________________________

For those who read my stupid lil "Y'all Mind If I️ Spill Some Tea" I️ got an update for y'all...

I️ went to the club this weekend (finally for the first time) and ol boy said he was gonna be there...and then he didn't show up. Good thing I'm not a sad drunk or else I️ would've been quite literally crying in the club.

Man, I'm done though. I'll just wait till he's single again. 😔 White men don't cheat on they girls like they used to man FUCK.