"What did he say to you?" I asked Kennedy while we were getting ready for bed. We had made it back from the club, showered and all. She drove to my house, but she was still pretty lit, so I wasn't letting her drive back home tonight, she brought extra clothes just in case this happened.

She smiled, "I think I have a crush on Chris now, he was just so charming, with his butter pecan complexion and his pretty ass curly hair. We talked about a lot of different shit. I gave him my number."

I rolled my eyes, she fell for the trap. "Plus," she added in, "I'm about a hundred percent sure that Landon wants you." This caused me to roll my eyes again, "no, Landon probably just wants to fuck me."

She fell back on the bed, "shit, I'd let him fuck me. Girl I heard his dick was big, and his sex game was amazing, head included. You know many niggas ain't mastered the art of eating pussy?"

I laughed, "regardless, I'm good on him." She leaned up and looked at me, "Aria, I heard that nigga don't even like girls darker than him, but he was all up in your face tonight."

She said that shit like I was supposed to feel special, that was another reason to add to my list of why I shouldn't and wouldn't fuck with him, he's shallow as hell. And the fact that she even brought that up like I should be impressed pissed me off. I understood preferences, but that sounded straight up ignorant. She continued, "like forreal, when we got to the club I spoke to that nigga and he was so caught up in looking at you that he barely even noticed. That nigga want you and you playing."

I tilted my head to the side and looked at her, "are you serious right now?" She tilted her head to the side, imitating me. "Uhh yeah bitch." I shook my head, "I'm sorry, but it takes more than a nigga meeting me in one day and deciding that he wants me for me to be like sure, have me!" I begin to pull the covers back to get in the bed.

"Aria, this isn't just anyone, it's Landon, Landon Powers. Girls drop panties for this nigga in a heartbeat, this nigga's daddy is paid in the music industry. Shit, he'll probably end up in the music industry, this nigga get like ten thousand likes on Instagram. Girl he could be a meal ticket."

I busted out laughing, half the shit she just said I was completely unaware of, and the other half made no sense. She began to pull back the other side of the bed, "well Kennedy," I started, "if the nigga is just trying to fuck me, I'm not sure how I would receive this meal ticket that you speak of. And I'm not sure how thousands of likes and a rich daddy equates to a meal ticket to begin with. Plus if I did give in, which I won't, I would just be like the rest of these girls out here, another girl fucked by Landon, and that's not really a title I'm trying to have."

She laid down, "See, you not like the rest of these girls. That's what makes you different. You ain't kissing his ass. You wouldn't just be another girl, cause all these girls got was hard dick, you can make sure you get more than that. I'm just saying, you could be using this shit to your advantage. To our advantage," she said with a laugh, "shit, get us on a come up, that nigga daddy paid, he known, he drive a G- Wagon. Shit we can at least fake stunt with him."

I laughed, I couldn't with her. "And on that note, cause you talking stupid, I'm going to bed."

---

The next week was a busy week, I had multiple test and some scholarship banquets to go to. I felt like I'd been on the go this whole week and never really had a second to myself. But I would finally be able to have a second to myself after this last scholarship banquet, I was definitely grateful. Because of my grades I'd been able to receive multiple scholarships to the point my full tuition was basically paid for, and that I could not complain about.

I was so happy to be leaving, as I was walking out I began to pull the neat bun I had on my head out, and I so badly wanted to take off my heels but I was not that chick, I would wait until I made it to my car. As I was walking out I saw the one person who I managed to avoid this whole week, Landon. Of course he was all up in some girl's face, he was turned to the side so I knew I could manage to pass by without him seeing me.

As I was making my way towards the doors to walk out I begin checking my messages, more so to avoid him in hopes that if he happened to turn, he wouldn't try and stop me or talk to me. As I was looking at my messages this guy was on his phone not paying attention, just like I wasn't, and bumped into me knocking my folders out my hand. This caused Landon and the girl he was conversing with to turn my way. Just great.

The guy stopped and apologized bending down to help me pick them up. I looked up at him to grab the folders out his hand and we both just stopped and starred for a second. The man was beautiful. He was chocolate with the most succulent looking lips, the corners of his mouth started to rise as he began to smile at me. I smiled back, and then looked down at the folders and grabbed it from him. We stood back up, and I tried to fluff my hair, remembering that I took the bun out of my head. He extended his hand out as if he was about to give an introduction, "once again, I'm sorry. Vinnie." At this point he was off the phone, I extended my hand back out, "Aria, and it's okay." Landon walked up beside me and put his hand on my back, "you good?" he asked. I looked at him and shook my head yes and I tried to stuff the folders in the bag I had.

"Wassup my man?" Landon asked as he dapped Vinnie up, of course they knew each other. This caused me to roll my eyes. "This you?" Vinnie asked with his eyes locked on me, Landon smirked and looked at me, "not yet."

I hadn't talked to this man since we went to the club and I felt like I made it clear I wasn't feeding into his bullshit, he needed to let it go. I cut in, answering the question more clearly,"not yet? not at all, not happening." Vinnie let out a slight laugh. Landon looked somewhat embarrassed, but quickly recovered his face. "Nice to meet you though," I said as I started walking towards the doors. I heard them dap each other up and then Landon called my name running behind me. I tried to pick up my pace, but that worked to no avail.

"What was that about?" he asked as he was finally in sync with my pace. I looked at him then went back to looking forward, "what?" He chuckled. "Aria, don't play me."

I smiled and shook my head, I felt like it was pure comedy every conversation we had. Like this couldn't be serious. "I'm not." He stopped walking to look at me, but I kept walking. I was trying to get to my car, it was now dark outside considering what time it was, these banquets always started when the sun was going down, leaving them to end when the moon was out.

He called out my name, I stopped and turned around, "What Landon?" he began to walk towards me again, we were face to face. "Why won't you give me a shot?" I rolled my eyes and laughed, I might as well keep it real, maybe he'll get the hint. "Because I know you have some fucked up motives. All you do is fuck girls; and I won't be another added to your list."

He smiled at me and crossed his arms with one hand rubbing his chin. He couldn't even deny that he was just trying to fuck me. "That's not all I'm about," he began, he dropped his arms and put his hands in his pocket as he looked me in the eyes, his jaw tightening. Fm He looked good as hell right now, I couldn't even lie.

"Like yeah, I'm sure you've heard some shit about me, yeah I like to fuck but there's more to me than me just trying to get my dick wet. Aria, all these fucking girls out here, and plenty that will willingly let me hit. Do you really think I'm just trying to come at you on some sex shit?"

Hell yeah, that's exactly what I thought. He had a point, but the shit was still shady. "Maybe your shallow ass wanted a challenge and thought I would be one, honestly I do think it's on just some sex shit. When have you ever been on some relationship shit? You didn't come to me looking to settle down, be real."

He lifted one of his eyebrows looking confused, "shallow?" I snickered, not even realizing that I called him shallow, niggas really only focused on one thing that you said and ran with that shit, I couldn't stand that. Always focusing on the most irrelevant thing you said, missing the whole point. They had to be doing that stupid shit on purpose.

I rolled my eyes, "yeah, shallow. Mr. 'I don't date girls darker than me," attitude laced in my voice, "news flash by the way, I'm darker than you." That was some shallow ass shit. I turned around to start walking again.

He walked up to me grabbing me by my elbow, "whoa, chill, chill let me explain," I tried to snatch my elbow from his grasp but this just caused him to grab me by my waist with both of his hands. The fact that I was trying to fight to get out of his grasp caused us to be closer than I'd like when I gave up trying to fight it. He looked me dead in my eyes, we were so close I could feel his body heat reflecting off of mine. I looked down, trying not to have my focus on him, "Aria, look at me."

I looked up and rolled my eyes, "for what? I don't have nothing to say to you, and there ain't shit you can say to me to change my mind. You shallow as fuck, how the fuck do you think that makes girls feel when you say some shit like that? It's niggas like you that have girls out here trying to change who they are, when they are perfectly fine to be with shallow motherfuckers like you."

I was really mad about that, I cussed, but this man brought it out of me a lot more than I normally would. But shit like this really bothered me, I was an advocate for women loving themselves just the way they are.

He sighed, he took his hands off of my waist and ran a hand over his face, "I don't know where the fuck you heard that from, and I'm sorry if that made you feel some type of way, but I ain't mean for it to be taken like that, and I ain't say I didn't date girls darker than me; those were words put into my mouth. I said I had preference, which most people do."

I rolled my eyes, "and that preference is girls who are lighter than me right?" He shook his head and chuckled, he stepped closer to me, causing me to step back. "I said I like my shawties bright or foreign, if someone took that as me saying I don't date shawties darker than me that was their choice but those words never came out of my mouth. Shit some plenty of foreigners are dark. They range in shades. I can't help it if someone took that shit, twisted it and ran with it. Clearly the shit ain't true if I'm steady trying to pursue you."

I chuckled and turned around to start walking again, there was no point in this conversation, I wasn't fucking with dude. He didn't try to chase after me this time, he just yelled, "Aria, I'm not giving up on your ass. I'ma get you." I yelled back, "You should! Cause you won't." I wasn't a fan, he just needed to let this go.