im on a mf roll! 🦦

Soleil wrapped the last piece of hair around the curling wand, as she sat in front of her vanity mirror. She hummed along to the Beyonce song that loudly spilled through her speaker, slowly rocking back and forth as she was antsy to be done wit her hair.

She laid the curling iron down on the table, and grabbed one of her hair clips before pinning the curl up. "Let's go li'l kitty cat, he don't want you anymore, nooo." Lei sang, switching off the curling wand.

"Got diamonds on my neck, got diamonds on my records. Since 16, I was coming down ridin' Lexus'." Keia danced into the room, singing along. Lei laughed as she shook her head, grabbing her makeup bag. "Talk your shit, Bey!"

"Oh, what she say, Lei?" Keia cupped her ear, Lei continuing to laugh.

"You can call Tyrone, you ain't gots to lie Craig!" They both shouted along to the lyrics, pointing at each other.

The two girl were getting ready for a night of festivities, the semester had officially end and they were more than ready to enjoy their few weeks off until the new semester started. Unfortunately, their weekend trip they had planned to Miami was canceled since Joziah had to return back home earlier than expected due to a family emergency.

The girls didn't want to go to Miami without home and just decided that they would wait until spring break to plan another trip somewhere else instead altogether. Keia and Lei was content with spending the weekend home, until it was time for both girls to leave to their destinations.

While their plans had been canceled, Soleil mentioned to her sister that she would probably spend her break with their parents. That was until, Selah proposed that she fly out to New York to spend Christmas with her and her husband's family.

They would later return back to Florida during New Year's week to spend with their family, especially since it was tradition for their parents to throw a get together New Year's Eve night.

Soleil thought it was the perfect plan, she wouldn't have to find things to do to occupy herself while her parents worked — even though, Soleil had also planned to work at the daycare again.

She was excited that she would start working at the daycare officially in January. She had filled out the paperwork with her mom, so that she would be an official employee there and not just getting paid under the table.

Though Soleil had money now, and technically didn't have to work for awhile, she still wanted to pursue her dreams of working with children. Whether that was in the daycare business or becoming an elementary school teacher.

"Can you do a cut crease on me?" Soleil asked Keia, digging through her makeup bag to grab the stuff she needed. Keia nodded as she stood behind Soleil, running her hands through her straightened hair.

"Have you been practicing?" Keia looked at her through the mirror, Soleil shook her head, answering truthfully. "Practice makes perfect babe, that's how I learned."

"I know, I just don't care for eye makeup, man. That's your thing, you can do the hell out of some eye makeup. But me? It looked like someone child played on my eyelids." Soleil joked, as they both started laughing.

"Too bad that skill gonna go to waste, once I break into Tech." Keia sighed, grabbing the makeup brush from Soleil as she passed it to her. While Keia was talented and took pleasure in doing makeup, her parents wouldn't be so fond of her pursuing a career in cosmetics.

Back home in Arizona, her parents had their own successful business in cybersecurity. When Keia graduated from high school, and informed her parents that she wanted to attend an HBCU, they had their eyebrows raised.

Not because of the fact she would be around her own kind — they were for her attending a space that was created for their people. It was coming to terms that she chose to attend an HBCU on the other side of the country.

Keia was close with her parents, since she was the only child. They hoped when they retired that she'd take over the business. While Keia did learn a lot from shadowing her parents, and slightly enjoyed the complexity of it, she knew in the long run it wouldn't be something she'd do long term.

And although there were perks of being in that line of work, such as traveling countrywide and touching six figures, she found that she could still enjoy the same perks while being in the beauty field.

She had built herself quite a decent clientele since she moved to Florida. While her parents only believed that she was doing it as a side hustle to make money while on her own, they weren't aware of the passion she held for it.

She had hopes of breaking the news to them soon, wishing that they would understand that what they wanted her to do was simply their dream, and not hers.

"Are you going to talk to them?" Soleil questioned her, as she closed her eyes, Keia beginning to start on her makeup.

"I am, I just hope that they understand. I really hate to disappoint my parents, but it's not for me." Keia vented, grabbing the eyeshadow palette.

"Right, I think once you explain to them why this is so important to you, they'll understand. My parents always told me to do something that I love as a profession, if you can't have fun in what you do for a living or complain about having to do that job, then that means it's not for you to be pursuing." Soleil preached, Keia silently nodding in agreement.

"I know, and this is really my calling, Soleil. You know that," Keia stressed, dipping the makeup brush into the palette. "I like making people feel pretty, to see the looks on their faces when I'm done, it makes me feel all warm inside — especially when they post their pics and tag me in it."

"I know pooh," Soleil pouted, placing her hands on her side and giving her a light squeeze. "Don't rush into it though, ease them into it so you don't feel overwhelmed."

"I wanna tell the world about you, just so they can get jealous and if you see her fore' I do, tell her I wish that I've met her!" Soleil and Keia rapped along to Future's 'Turn On The Lights'.

"Turn on the lights!" Isidro sang in a raspy, old voice causing the girls to crack up. He grinned, bobbing his head to the beat.

Since they were spending their last night together before they leaving tomorrow morning for the airport, Keia invited her boo thang along as Soleil invited Isidro, not really wanting to be a third wheel.

Though she was friends with Ty, and had third wheel before with the couple, she knew that they would be up under each other to make up for the time that they would be away from each other. Despite not having a man of her own to be up under, Soleil was happy that at least one of them was getting a little loving.

"You not drinking tonight?" Isidro asked Soleil, noticing that she didn't have a drink of her own. Soleil shook her head, as she fixed her hair in the camera of her phone.

"Nah, I'm good off the liquor for awhile. The last time I drank, I ended up passed out in the middle of the street. I can hold my own liquor but I just to need to lay off of it for a bit." she explained, before posing and snapping a picture of her and Keia to post to her Instagram story.

"I feel you, I'm not usually a drinker but when I do, I try not to overdo it." Isidro replied, Soleil turning the camera onto him, smirking. He cheesed and threw up the middle finger as she softly laughed.

"It's a video," she cracked up, he sucked his teeth and playfully waved her off as she continued laughing at him. "Smile, Dro!"

"Man nah, gone somewhere." he grinned, sitting down in the sectional. Soleil turned the camera back onto Keia, Ty hugging her from behind as they both continued rapping along to the song. She saw Keia's eyes go wide and quickly glance over at her in panic.

She stopped recording and furrowed her brows, staring back at her with a confused look. Keia looked away and focused her attention back onto the crowd, Soleil followed her gaze and for a split second she could feel as her heart dropped into her ass.

Passing by them was Siraj and his friends, he slapped hands a few people as he made his way to the other side of the club, completely oblivious to the fact that he was in the same space as Soleil. The pair hadn't spoken to or seen each other in almost two weeks, after Siraj made another effort to fix their relationship but being shot down by her, he decided to fall back.

Despite how much he liked her, he wasn't going to beg her to talk to him. He figured that she was really done with him and wanted nothing else to do with him, and who was he to try and force her to talk to him if she didn't want to?

Although she was a little surprised to see him, she knew that it was bound to happen to see him out in public. Especially out in clubs, people paid him to capture moments at the club all the time — however, she wasn't even sure if he was working tonight or just simply out to have a good time.

Soleil turned around and walked over to the sectional where Isidro was, who was texting on his phone. She sat down next to him, crossing one leg over the other. She reached for the hookah that was on the table in front of them.

"You alright?" Isidro peeked over at her, watching as she took a hit. She hummed, blowing a cloud of smoke from her nose.

"Texting your boo?" Soleil teased him, slightly swaying her body to the rhythm of the beat. Isidro exhaled heavily, slipping his phone back into his pocket, shaking his head. Soleil lowered the arm, raising an arched brow. "What's up?"

"She got back wit' her ex," he confessed, Soleil's mouth dropping agape slightly.

"I thought...her ex cheated on her?" Soleil tilted her head, a little puzzled.

"Right, but she started to act a li'l funny towards me lately. Took hours to text me back, whenever I called her, she wouldn't answer anymore. Every time I tried linking wit' her, she found an excuse to not see me. I kinda figured it was someone else, just didn't know it would be her ex." he confided, taking the rest of his drink to the head.

"How'd you find out?"

"When I called her, he answered."

"Damn, that's fucked up. She could've told you that she was back wit' him, instead of stringing you alone." Soleil scoffed, taking another hit of the hookah. Isidro simply shrugged and grabbed the bottle of Don Julio, pouring him another drink. "You want me to beat her up? Cause I told you that I would if she fucked you over."

Isidro chuckled, leaning back into sectional, resting one arm on top. "Nah, it's all good. If that's what she wants to deal wit' then, who am I to be upset? Shit was never meant to be,"

"You think it's going to be awkward passing her in the lobby now?"

"Ain't nothing to be awkward about," he said, swirling his liquor around in his cup. He watched as Soleil quickly stood to her feet, beginning to throw one arm in the air as she heard the next song blasting throughout the club.

"Okay now ladies! If you know you bad! Don't need no man, got yo' own bands, put up yo' hands! If you a top notch bitch, lemme' hear you holla'!" Soleil shouted from the top of her lungs, bending over as she started to shake her ass to the beat as it dropped.

"Ooh, get it Lei Lei!" Keia hyped her.

Isidro watched her in amusement, drinking from his cup. Soleil grabbed his wrist, pulling him up as he groaned a little. "Nope! I don't wanna hear that, we out to have a good time and you not about to sit here all night!" she shouted over the music, pulling him away from the sectional. "Gone head and down the rest of that shit," she pushed the cup in his hand up to his mouth.

He tried holding back a smile, but failed as she rolled her neck playfully. He downed the rest of his drink and sat the cup down, letting her lead him over to Keia and Ty.

"Siraj!" Andre called to him, Siraj paused his conversation with Blue and turned around to face him. He saw as Andre nodded his head in a different direction. "Ain't that ya' girl over there?"

Siraj looked in the direction he was staring in and saw from across the room, as Soleil was dancing with Isidro, a huge smile on her face as they both rapped along to the lyrics. He turned around, resuming his conversation.

As he spoke, Blue eyed him suspiciously, waiting for a reaction from him but one never came. He seemed to be unbothered by the fact that the girl he had caught feelings for, was dancing and a little too close to a guy that he already suspicions over.

"You straight bruh?" Blue raised his eyebrows, interrupting him. Siraj licked over his lips and nodded. "You sure?"

"I'm good," he assured him.

Throughout the night, Soleil and Siraj enjoyed their time with their friends, not even seeming to mind that the other was on the other side of the building.

There wasn't anything Siraj could do or say to change Soleil's mind, it was up to her if she wanted to initiate the relationship between them again. But then again, she made herself perfectly clear that she wasn't dealing with the drama that came with having a baby mama.

However, Siraj couldn't help himself from ogling her. The dress that she wore was hugging her curves just right, her breasts almost spilling out of the cups of the dress. Her body wave hair falling loosely around her shoulders, flowing freely down her back.

The way that her body moved to the rhythm of the beat to each song, had him mesmerized. He took notice of how a few other guys surrounding them had their eyes peeled on her.

"See, aren't you glad you came out?" Soleil smiled, as he finished rapping along to Lil Baby's 'Heatin Up'. He returned the sly smile, throwing his arm around her.

He pulled her closer, whispering something in her ear. She slightly laughed, looking up at him with a confused expression. "What?" she asked him.

She felt as his arm swiftly moved down to her lower back, he gently grabbed her chin with his other hand and leaned in to kiss her.

Soleil quickly pulled away, taking a step back with widened eyes. "Isidro—" she tried to say, until she felt her arm being yanked and pulled in the opposite direction.

She turned to look, seeing it was Siraj.

"Soleil!" Keia watched with a panicked expression, starting to follow behind them. Soleil threw her hand up, shaking her head.

"It's okay!" she assured her, before disappearing into the crowd. Siraj pulled her to the back of the club where the bathrooms were so that there were less people around.

"What the fuck was that, Soleil?" Siraj frowned, trapping her against the wall.

"I don't—Siraj, you need to calm down—"

"Bruh don't tell me to calm down, that's why you ain't fuckin' wit' me? Cause of that nigga? Are you fuckin' serious?" he snapped, pointing his thumb behind him.

"No!" Soleil shook her head, "He kissed me, Siraj!"

"You literally watched that nigga lean in to kiss you!" he argued, shaking his hands in frustration. He stopped in his tracks, taking a deep breath. He turned towards her, still visibly upset. "Go tell Keia you leaving,"

"What?" she sized him.

"You heard me, go tell Keia you leaving."

"I'm not going anywhere wit' you, so you might as well—"

"I'm not gone tell you again, Soleil." he cut her off, authority dripping from his tone. Soleil's face softened as they stood there for a second, gazing into each other's eyes. She sucked her teeth and walked away back to their section, Isidro now sitting down along with Keia and Ty.

"Hey, you okay?" Keia got up, approaching her. Soleil nodded, pulling her to the side so that they had a little privacy. "Don't tell me you're leaving wit' him," she gave her a funny look, crossing her arms under her chest.

"I am," she sighed in defeat, running her fingers through her hair. "He's really pissed, and I don't need him causing more of scene than he just did. I'll be back in time to go to the airport, you gone be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Are you sure you want to go wit' him, Soleil? If you don't want to go, you don't have to." Keia stressed, a little worried about her friend safety.

"I know, I know." she said, tugging at the bottom of her dress a little. "It's not me, he's mad at. He's just upset Isidro did that shit, but really Keia, I'll be okay. Thanks for being concerned, I'll text you later on."

Keia stared at her with an uneasy look, hesitating a bit but finally nodded. "Okay, but if you need me or want me to send you an uber then let me know, Soleil." she reached in to give her a hug.

"I will, y'all be safe." Soleil gave her a weak smile, waving goodbye to Ty as she started to turn around. She locked eyes with Isidro, but didn't say a word as she walked away.

Soleil walked back to where Siraj stood, passing by him out of the building. She rolled her eyes, feeling the argument that was about to take place once again.

She slowed down a bit, letting him lead the way to where he had parked. Despite being pissed, he opened the door for her, catching her by surprise. Nonetheless, she got into the passenger seat and strapped herself in.

Once he got in and settled, he started the car and drove off. Neither spoke, instead kept to themselves and indulged in their own thoughts.

Though he was right about her being able to stop Isidro from kissing her, she panicked. She couldn't believe it as it was unfolding right before her eyes. Isidro was a sweet person but she just didn't see him in that way.

Once again, she had been naïve to the signs that presented itself to her. She wondered if Isidro had only been her friend this whole time just until she was single for him to make a move.

She had hoped that she found a genuine platonic relationship within him, because she really did enjoy his company.

However, in her generation, she found it to be a little difficult with guys as they didn't always see their friendships as platonic. The guy friends that she did have, she cherished them like no other, as they only saw her as a friend and nothing more.

The drive to Siraj's apartment was a little longer than expected, since they were downtown where most of the bars and clubs were, there was more traffic than usual. Since it was Saturday night, everyone were out to enjoy their festivities before the weekend ended.

Siraj pulled into the garage, parking in his usual parking spot. Soleil didn't waste anytime getting out, not bothering to wait for him.

She stopped at the door, unable to get in with his key fob. He finally approached, swiping his key fob in front of the keypad before opening the door. They got onto the elevator to his floor, Soleil could feel Siraj's piercing stare on her but she avoided looking in his direction.

As they stepped off the elevator, Soleil pulled out her phone to let Keia know she made it Siraj's apartment. In her text messages, she saw that Isidro texted her not long after she had left.

im sorry...