Stepping out of the shower, The Game's Dedicated blasted through my speakers. Putting on deodorant, I bobbed my head as I looked in the mirror and applied Shea butter on my curls. I started rappin along to the song.

"NOLA ain't the same! Where all these bitch niggas come from?" I mumbled while brushing my teeth. "Can't even take a fade or ride through the hood without niggas hands out like they want some, but where you at when I need you? See most of these niggas see through.. You throw up a P, I throw up a P too.. You pulling out heat, I draw the heat too!" I spit out the toothpaste, continuing the song. "NOLA made me like this, nigga. Fuck all these bitches, get money and die!"

My phone rung, interrupting the song. Looking at the caller ID, I noticed that it was Randy. Sliding the answer bar across the screen, I hit the speaker button and proceeded to wash my face. "Say rude ass.. I was ina middle of somethin'."

I heard him smack his lips. "Man.. I need someone to talk to."

"Wassup kid?" I leaned forward to get a closer look in the mirror. "Fucking pimples." I mumbled.

I heard him shuffling around as the line went silent for a minute. He sighed a little before beginning to speak. "You know Friday after the game, I wanted to talk to D and we did after we dropped you and Makayla off.." I picked up the phone and walked in my room to find some clothes.

"Okay, what she say?" I asked as I put on a pair of boxer briefs and slid on my ripped, Akoo jeans.

"She suggested a break bro.." His voice started to crack which caught me off guard. "Like, why the fuck she want a break? I ain't said she was a leech. Elgin said that shit."

I pulled my t-shirt over my head. "Well, you ain't ever deny it either. Be real.. Y'all probably need a break. She's been with you and only you. She probably just tryna experience some shit." I reasoned as I threw a hoodie on and a pair of Nike Air Force Ones. Randy smacked his lips.

"Experience what?! And with who?!" He basically screamed.

I shrugged my shoulders as if he could see me. "I don't know man. She probably just tryna date other people to see if y'all really meant for each other. If it's love like y'all claim it is, then it'll come back." I went into the front room, grabbing my backpack. He sighed loudly, mumbling something under his breath. "I'm on my way up there."

"Aight bro." He hung up causing me to place my phone in my pants pocket. Grabbing my keys off the counter, I headed out and locked up. It was snowing a little, but it wasn't sticking. I threw my hood over my head and walked out onto the sidewalk. I made the short walk to the campus and was immediately greeted by the student body.

One game would change how I was treated on campus. The game against Maryland had everyone feeling like they had to speak to me. The same sports analyst who criticized me last week were praising me. It was crazy how one game could make people forget.

"Good game, Friday!" One kid yelled.

I nodded my head in his direction as I continued to my History of Architecture class. Once inside, the building was quiet which was always. College of Architecture professors were serious about their jobs. I could respect it, though. I walked into the class which only had a few students present. Glancing at the clock at the wall, I noticed that were at least ten minutes early.

"Mr. Valentine?" I looked up to see Professor Smith looking in my direction. He motioned for me to come to him. Getting up out of my seat, I headed to his desk. "I'm just congratulating you and the Hoyas on the victory Friday. Great game. You're very talented."

"Thanks Professor Smith."

He waved me off. "No need to thank me." He reached into his bag, pulling out a paper. "Your paper on why you're so interested in Architecture is impressive. It seems so.. real. Is it true?" He looked at me with a lifted brow.

I nodded my head. "Yes sir it is."

He nodded his head, seemingly impressed. "I think you have a gift in writing. Have you've ever been interested in writing stories?"

"I can't say that I have.." I looked at him, confused as to where he was going with this.

He handed my paper back to me. I looked at the big read, A+ that was on top of the paper. "I believe you should minor in English or something. Well, at least consider it. I think your voice needs to be heard more. You have a way with words, Mr. Valentine."

Taking the paper, I glanced at him before looking back at the paper. I started to think about how much my mother would write in her journal. She'd write whatever was on her heart. Sometimes she would write stories days at a time. I believed that she was the one with the gift. I never thought I'd hear someone tell me that. Was he right?

~

"Here." I looked up at Danielle who was giving me a bottled water. I retrieved it from her, opened it, and downed it in seconds.

"Thanks D." I said as I burped. She looked at me with her nose turned up before she let out a chuckle. Danielle and I were hanging out at the National Place. Since we were done with classes, we decided to come here to eat at Five Guys. I watched as she ate her fat ass burger. She was so fat. I laughed to myself.

"So... How does it feel to be a local hero?" She chuckled.

I popped a fry into my mouth and looked at her with confusion on my face. "What you mean?"

She wiped her hands as she chewed her food. Just like the lady she was, she didn't speak until she was half way done chewing her food. "We haven't beaten Maryland in years. You're the hero who scored 39 points and delivered the game winning block." She said in a duh tone.

"Oh. Well, nothing I ain't used to." I shrugged my shoulders. That was light work compared to what I did in high school. I didn't take the moment for granted, though.

"True." She mumbled as she took another bite into her burger.

"You talk to Randy?" I asked, looking at her as I popped another fry into my mouth. I wanted to see where her head was at. Randy was in distraught so I had to help my boy out. She rolled her eyes at his name, but she wasn't fooling anyone. I knew she missed him just as much as he missed her.

"Yeah, we talked. I decided that we did need a break from each other. You know, to experiences new things." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Woah, y'all really agreed to do that?" I lifted my eyebrow, acting clueless.

"Randy wasn't cool with it, but it doesn't matter." She explained as she took a sip of her drink. I squinted my eyes at her trying to see what was really up. Danielle loved Randy and vice versa. Did they really need a break?

"I hope you're not doing this because you really think you're a leech." She started to play with her fingers which was something she did when she was a little nervous. Her eyes didn't meet mine and she remained quiet. "Danielle Angela Grey!" I basically shouted.

"Would you hush loud mouth?!" She gritted through her teeth. "Just tell the whole damn world my name, Khari."

I leaned forward. "You really gon listen to that piece of shit?!" She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face before folding her arms and leaning back in her chair. Finally, her eyes met mine which displayed a little hurt.

"Randy never said I wasn't a leech. We've been together since our freshman year in high school Khari." She played with the straw on her drink. "I just don't wanna be a bother. I don't want him to feel like he has to be with me. There's plenty of girls out here that I'm sure catches his attention."

"What about that love shit you was saying? Real love isn't a bother, right? Love don't die. You work through that shit." I reasoned.

She chuckled a little before it quickly died down. "Sometimes when you love a person, you put their happiness before yours. I love him too much to see him suffer in this relationship. I can't watch him put his happiness on the back burner for mine. That, my friend, isn't real love."

Running my hands through my curls, I looked at her for a minute attempting to process what she was saying. "You don't think he was happy with you? I saw differently."

"He had his days." She said simply before taking another sip of her drink.

I sat back in my seat, shocked from what I was hearing. The only couple that gave me hope for love was no longer. It made me wonder whether or not I was right or not. I thought love was supposed to be happy...together. Not without one another.

"Have you spoken to Malia?" She said, shifting the conversation.

I simply shook my head, not wanting to say something that I'd probably regret later. Malia had played me. She befriended me, and got me to open up about somethings I regret opening up about. It seems like after that, she'd been treating me a lot differently.

Danielle quickly replied to a text before looking back up at me. "I'm not sure why she's been that way towards you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I could give two shits about it. Fuck it." I looked at her as she formed a grin on her face. "What?" I asked as I scrunched up my face.

"You like her don't you?" She asked.

"No lie, I found her real attractive. Pretty girl foreal. I just thought she was different, but she proved me wrong." I said before finishing up the last of my food. "Ain't her and that Duane dude dating or something?"

She shook her head. "She claims that they're rebuilding their friendship." From the confused look on my face, she went on to explain. "Oh that's right. You don't know.. Well, her and Duane were in a relationship before they got to college. He cheated on her when he reported to campus in June. They broke up, but seems like they're trying to make things workout. I don't like the asshole, though." She shrugged her shoulders.

My mind went back to the night I'd met him. It seemed like him and Karmen were more than friends. It made me wonder if that was the girl he'd cheated on her with. I'd have to ask Karmen how well she knew Duane Guerra.

"I hope that she doesn't buy his bullshit." Danielle continued.

I didn't say anything. I was still trying to see why she had been treating me so differently. It bothered me a little even though I acted like it didn't. I shook off the thought, glancing around. DC was much faster than New Orleans. People here were a little rude too.

"Khari." Danielle called causing me to bring attention back to her. She stayed quiet for a minute seemingly trying to find the correct words. "Why didn't you tell me that your mother was killed?"

I instantly got annoyed at the question. My mother was a sensitive topic to discuss especially in public. It made me uncomfortable. I just wanted to avoid talking about her and what happened to her all together. "I just didn't ok? Does it matter?"

She looked a little taken aback like I'd offended her. "Ms. Sims played a valuable role in my life as well. When I moved here to DC before she passed away, it hurt to leave her and you. My parents decided to move back and I was hurt to find out that she passed away. You went through that alone. That's horrible for anyone to deal with."

I looked away causing her to grab my face, turning it back to her. "You didn't have to go through that alone. You still don't. I'm here. I've always been here and I'm never leaving you again, okay?"

"Okay." I fought to hold the my emotions in. She looked at me, knowing me very well.

"It's okay to cry. It's okay to release bottled up emotions. I even bet that you didn't cry at the funeral." She read me. She was right. I didn't cry at the funeral. I was still shocked, to say the least. Thirteen year old boy losing his mother was traumatizing. I still hadn't recovered.

I refused to let the tears fall, though. "Hey guys." I looked up to see Kaleigh and Malia standing before us. I fell speechless as I took in Malia's appearance. She wore an oatmeal colored oversized sweater with knee-high light brown boots. She no longer wore her natural hair, but now was sporting poetic justice braids. The light makeup she wore only enhanced her beauty. She looked at me causing me to look back at Kaleigh

"Hey babes!" Danielle squealed, getting up from her seat to give them both a hug. I hadn't seen Kaleigh much these days. Since the party, she's been more to herself. "How have you been?" Danielle asked Kaleigh as the three of them took a seat at the table. Kaleigh reached over to hug me. I gave her a hug and nodded my head in Malia's direction. She did the same.

"I've been... well. Just been trying to recover. Heartbreak is something serious." She mumbled.

"Heartbreak?" Danielle lifted up her eyebrow curiously.

Kaleigh nodded her head as she ran her fingers through her locs. "Elgin had been cheating on me this entire time." She let out a soft chuckle. "I just finally mustered up enough courage to leave him."

Danielle rubbed her back softly, clearly upset at the news. Danielle went hard for the people she genuinely cared about so I knew Elgin would hear a few words from her. "Fuck him. You're beautiful and there's someone out there better."

Kaleigh shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Oh well. So, how have you two been?" She looked at the both of us before stealing one of Danielle's fries.

"I've been ok." I said simply.

"And I could be better, but I'm not complaining." Danielle added.

Kaleigh nodded her head. "Look who I brought tho!" She exclaimed as she motioned towards Malia. "Hasn't she been acting really weird these days?"

Malia rolled her eyes playfully, before looking at us. "I have not. Just been busy that's all. School is kicking my derrière.." She sighed softly.

Danielle rolled her eyes slightly. "Or she's probably been with Duane." Kaleigh looked at Malia than back at Danielle with a shocked expression. Danielle nodded her head.

"Duane No Good Guerra??!!" Kaleigh exclaimed.

"Yep." Danielle answered, popping the p.

Malia sighed in frustration. "Duane is not like that anymore you guys." She tried to explain as she took a fry, popping it into her mouth. Kaleigh and Danielle looked at her as if she was talking outside of her neck. "What? He's not. These past two weeks have shown me different. He has gone back to the old Duane. The Duane I've know for eight years."

Kaleigh sighed loudly. "Ok?? Khari is right here! Way much better than Duane. He even blocked his shot." Danielle erupted in laughter causing Kaleigh to join in. I just looked at them. I could feel Malia's eyes on me causing me to look up. Everyone thought that Malia and I were feeling each other. She's cute, but I saw us nothing more than friends. However, it seems like she didn't even want that.

"Khari has a boo, too." Danielle smirked. Kaleigh's head snapped in my direction as she lifted up a brow. "Mhmmmm girl. Her name is Karmennnn." Danielle cooed. Malia broke eye contact after Danielle said her name. I didn't miss her trying to roll her eyes discreetly.

I looked at Danielle, shaking my head. "That girl ain't my 'boo.' Nothing more than sex." I shrugged my shoulders.

Kaleigh and Danielle scrunched up their noses. "Well, I hope you use protection. Can't be getting these... promiscuous women pregnant." Danielle said as she batted her eyelashes. I chuckled, throwing a fry at her.

"Ya boy always safe wit it." I smirked.

She waved me off, and looked at her phone. I assumed that she had a text. "Speaking of the devil, himself." Kaleigh mumbled as she looked past me. I turned around to expecting to see Duane, but it was Elgin. I heard Danielle and Malia gasp which caused Kaleigh and I to look at them.

"What?" Kaleigh asked.