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"Hey." I shook Kenz's sleeping body. "My laptop is right there on the dresser if you need it while I'm at school."

"Okay." She groaned. "Are you guys leaving?"

"Yea, we're heading out now."

"Call me at ten to make sure I'm awake please."

"Okay, I will. I love you, see you later."

"Okay, have a good day at school. Love you too."

I turned the light back off, making sure to close and lock the guest room door as I walked out.

My mom greeted me with a kiss on the forehead as I walked down the stairs. "Good morning, sweetie. Sorry I couldn't sit for breakfast with you this morning, I had to fill out some papers before work."

"It's okay. I had to eat quick anyway, I kind of overslept."

"Oh okay. Does Kenz plan on completing any homework today?"

"Yea, I already left her my laptop. She said she was going to do a majority of it today."

"Has she checked in with her mom?"

I sighed as I put on my seatbelt. "She's tried to call her a few times, but her mom hasn't answered."

"Ugh, that makes me so angry. It's been almost a week and she didn't bother to check in and even make sure she landed safely, but she's so gun-ho on not allowing her to move here. McKenzie is such an amazing young lady. I don't know why her mom treats her the way she does."

"Because she's a, God forgive me, b-i-t-c-h." I expected my mom to react, but when she didn't, I continued. "Unless Kenz is one of her many boyfriends, she couldn't care less about her well being. She told me the other night that she thinks her mom is on drugs again."

My mom shook her head. "That's horrible if she is. I pray to God that she isn't though. Kenz doesn't deserve that, at all."

"She said she's been acting off the wall again, and the only other times she could remember her ever acting like that was when she was on cocaine and shooting."

My mom sighed. I knew her heart genuinely heart for Kenz, as did mines. Kenz was the sister I never had, the second daughter my mom never had but always wanted.

"If she is..."

My mom glanced at me. "What?"

"Will you try again?"

"To adopt her?"

I nodded my head.

"I won't stop until she's old enough to make her own decisions. Recently, I haven't had a reason to try, but if she is back on drugs, of course I will try again. It has to be proof behind it though. We can't just walk in the court room and say something we can't prove. We tried that and it didn't work."

"Yea, I know." I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding in.

A silence came over us, but it wasn't long enough for it to become an awkward one. We were pulling in front of my school before I even knew it.

"I love you, sweetie. Have a good day. Are you sure your friend can bring you home today? I can pick you up if I need to."

"I'm sure, mom. If anything changes, I will let you know. I love you too, and drive safe."

Closing the door, I showed the security guard my student ID card before being able to walk into the building.

I met Dayna by my locker per usual.

"Good morning, Dri."

"Good morning, Day. Why the long face?"

"No reason. Just exhausted."

"Understandable. You spend all night tutoring hard-headed football players."

She chuckled. "If I wasn't getting paid for it, I would definitely not be doing it. Anyways, still need a ride after school?"

"Yes, if you can."

"I can, no problem."

The minute bell music began to go off, signaling us to get to first period unless we wanted to be in ISS all day.

"Meet you at lunch?"

"Yep."

"Alright. See ya, Dri. Text me."

"I will."

I placed my bag on my shoulder, heading to Mr. Tane's class.

"Sup, Audri?"

"Sup, Taney?"

"How's your morning been?"

I shrugged. "Eh, I'm alive so I guess all is well."

"Amen to that." Mr. Tane raised his hands to the sky, making me laugh.

I took my usual seat in the middle of the class, waiting for the rest of the students to scramble in.

A smile appeared on my face when Angel made his way in, sitting in the seat next to me.

"G'mornin', beautiful."

"Good morning, love."

"Oh, love? We gettin' somewhea'."

I laughed. "Okay, you ruined it."

"What you doin' afta' school? Ya friend still hea'?"

"I don't have anything planned, and yes she's here. Why are you asking about her?"

"Don't get defensive, I'on want ha'. I want you." He winked, making me unwillingly blush. "Let's go out to eat."

"I don't think I can. I don't want to leave her home."

"Ain't nobody tryna' take you on a date, girl." He joked, making me laugh more than I probably should have. "I'ma invite 'Mere. If you invite Day, I'a invite Jay."

"I'm not sure about Dayna because she does a lot of tutoring after school so we can talk to her in seventh period. As for Kenz and I, I know for sure we can go."

He nodded. "Aight coo'. What time work for y'all?"

I thought for a second, quickly replaying the conversation my mom and I had about her getting off later than usual today which was why Dayna was taking me home.

"Six?"

"Aight perfect."

Mr. Tane stood in front of the class, grasping everyone's attention. Everyone's except Angel's.

I could feel him burning holes into the side of my face, but I acted as if I was oblivious to it, keeping my eyes focused on Mr. Tane as he began to inform us what the agenda for today's class was.

"Oh wow, you guys do really favor each other." Kenz chuckled as I introduced her and Dayna to each other for the first time. "It's actually kind of creepy a little bit."

"You think so? I think she's so much prettier than me. I tell her all the time her smile is way more perfect than mine. See, look at it."

She pointed it out, and here I was smiling like a fool at the compliments.

Dayna was such a sweet soul.

In a split second, I managed to feel very awkward at them staring at me while I held a goofy grin on my face.

"Okay." I clapped my hands. "So did you decide if you want to come tonight or not? I mean, I think you should."

"I think you should too." Kenz suggested.

Day thought for a second. "I'll think about it. I have like four more hours to make up my mind. Let me go finish these few tutoring sessions and then I'll text you and let you know, deal?"

"I guess that'll work."

"It's going to have to." Day smiled. "It was nice meeting you, McKenzie. I hope you visit more often."

"You will. I'm moving in." She joked. "It was nice meeting you too. Hope to see you later."

"We'll see. Bye, Dri. I'll text you."

"Okay, bye. Drive safe, and thanks again for the ride."

"Girl, you don't have to thank me for that. If I can do it, you know I will."

I smiled, feeling nothing but truth from that statement. I knew that Dayna would be there for me when I needed her as if we've known each other for so much longer than a few weeks.

She's such a genuine person that's why I keep her around.

"Tell her she cant replace me." Kenz mentioned once Dayna left.

I laughed. "You're a mess."

"No, I'm serious." She straightened her face, seriousness dripping from her voice. "I'm kidding. Not really."

"Anywayssss." I drew out as we walked upstairs. "So as you know, Amere will be there too."

"I know. He's cute so it won't be that much of a problem, but if he tries to run game then I'm going to let him know I'm already taken."

I raised my left brow. "I don't think he'll take it to the point where you'll have to lie about dating somebody, but if he does, you know I'll have your back."

"I know you will, but I'm not lying. I didn't tell you? Your uncle and I made it official a few nights ago."

"You're fucking sick." We both busted out laughing.

McKenzie has always had this little school girl crush on my uncle. But as time goes on, I'm starting to believe it isn't a "little school girl" crush, but I try to ignore it.

She's a trip.

"We're best friends right?" Kenz asked me, sitting criss-crossed across from me on my bed.

"More like sisters, but yes."

"So you would never lie to me, right?"

"Right."

She smirked. "So tell me, do you feel a type of way about Angel? The way you guys were vibing the night of the party, you guys are always on the phone with each other, always trying to hang out, always laughing when you're talking to each other. You like him?"

"No, I don't like him." I said truthfully. "I think he's an amazing person. He's funny, the vibe between us is always good, he's so sweet and he's cute and all, but I don't like him in that way. I think of him more as a really good friend."

"But he doesn't think of you like that, does he? I saw the way he looks at you."

"I don't know, honestly. He jokes about making me his girlfriend and stuff like that, but he does that with every other girl that attends Miami Beach Senior. That's what he's known for, being a flirt and getting what he wants from every girl."

"Ew, so he fucks a lot?"

"A lot is an understatement, girl. I remember one day at lunch, it was him, Dayna, and I. We were all sitting at a table and a girl came up to him, they started talking and what not. Then another girl came over like 'really Angel? You said you wasn't fuckin' with this bitch' and girllllll.

They started going at it. Neither one of them hit each other, but they argued for a solid six to seven minutes and he just sat there continuing a conversation with Day and I as if they weren't even there. It was funny, but it was also a deal breaker for me. I couldn't see myself with him. Especially not after the things I hear and the things that Dayna tells me. It's sick."

"What do you hear and what does she tell you?"

"You want the summed up version or the details?"

"Bitch, I want all of the details."

Laughing, I got comfortable. "Okay, so look..."

"Hurry up, ma." Angel whined on the other end of the phone.

I giggled. "I'm coming, love. Relax. I know you miss me, but sheesh."

"I do miss yo' fine ass."

"I am pretty cute, aren't I?"

"Cute? Mane, that ain't even the word for you. You beyond beautiful, the most gorgeous thang I ever laid my eyes on."

"Aw stop it. You're making me blush. Make a left at the light." I instructed Kenz.

My mom seemed to trust Kenz with her car more than she ever trusted me with it which came in handy when I didn't feel like driving. Right now, I didn't feel like driving at all.

Dayna let us know that she wasn't able to make it to what was supposed to be dinner tonight. When I let Angel and Amere know, they both decided they'd rather go to the beach so that's where we were on the way to now.

South Beach.

"Wassup Dri." Amere greeted me, peeping in the camera.

"Hey, Mere!"

"You got Kenz driving again?"

"I do, I do." I laughed.

He laughed too. "Give her the phone."

"She's driving. You want us to make it safely don't you?"

"She can multi-task."

"You don't know Kenz enough to know she knows how to do everything but multi-task."

He chuckled. "Well turn the phone on her."

I did as he told.

"Wassup Kenz. You look good."

"Hi, Amere. Thank you, hun."

"Aight, y'all drive safe. We'll see y'all in a minute."

"Okay."

I heard Angel yelling to Amere "don't hang up" in the background, but I hung up anyways. We were literally around the corner from the beach so he'll see me in like 45 seconds.

I lied.

It was about a five minute drive due to traffic, but we finally made it.

"Goddamn!" Angel yelled once I stepped out of my mom's Mercedes. I had on a crop top with unbuttoned shorts over my bikini.

I felt myself blushing. "Angel, stop."

"Fuck. We shoulda picked somewhea' else to go cause I'ma be focusin' on you all night, but I guess that ain't a bad thang."

We laughed as he pulled me into a hug, holding me for a lot longer than I expected him to. He let his arm drape around my shoulder as we made our way onto the beach from the parking lot.

I greeted Amere and Angel greeted Kenz before we all went into an intense conversation about how Trump is the worst president that America could ever have.

"Who the fuck makes fun of a disabled person? He's a sick human being."

"Not only that." Kenz sarcastically laughed. "He basically made rape a joke. I wish someone would sodomize his stupid ass with a forty-foot pole. We'll see if it's a joke after that."

Amere's eyes got wide. "Damn, forty-feet? That's fuckin' crucial."

"He deserves it."

"My pops voted for him." Angel chimed in. "He regret it now, but it's too late to take ya vote back."

"True."

"Y'all tryna get in the water or y'all ain't tryna get y'all hair wet?"

I scoffed. "We're definitely getting in. We didn't come to watch y'all have fun."

"Coo."

In a split second, Angel had me over his shoulder, gripping my legs and running into the water.

"Put me down!" I laughed-yelled.

I already knew he was about to get salt all up my nose so I tried to hold it close as hard as possible as my body hit the water, his falling in on top of mine.

My first instinct, after plugging my nose, was to grip my free arm around his neck and that's what I did. I didn't realize,though, until we came above water and I was facing him with my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso.

I made sure to quickly jump down before it could get awkward.

"You'ca stay like that. I'on mind." He shrugged with a smirk.

"Of course you don't." I laughed.

Hearing Kenz scream to the right, I laughed as Amere held her over his shoulder. He was polite though. He didn't slam her in the water, he softly threw her into a wave.

"We'ca talk?" Angel asked, pulling my attention back to him

Oh Lord.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Want me to get straight to the point or beat around the bush for a lil' bit?"

"Getting straight to the point would be nice."

He chuckled. "Aight. Well, I really love ya company, like you a coo' ass girl. The vibe is always up wit' you and ya personality is fie. I'on know, you make me feel some type'a away and sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't."

"Should I take that last part as a compliment?"

"You should, you should. I just wanna know how you feel 'bout me? How you see me?"

I thought for a second.

I didn't want to hurt his feelings and tell him I didn't feel anything more than a friendship with him, but I also didn't want to lead him on to think we could be more than friends.

"I definitely like- no, I kind of love your company. You're so genuine, like you and Dayna are the best people I could have met here. I agree, the vibe between us is always good. We never have to force conversations, we never have to fake laughs so that's amazing. You're always making me laugh, you say the sweetest of things."

"So..."

I sighed. "But I don't see you as anything more than a friend. A best friend, maybe, but anything more than that is no."

"Aight."

I could feel the instant change in his attitude so I thought me explaining why I felt that way would help.

"Not because you're ugly or because you're not attractive because that's not true at all. I think you're a very attractive young man and you seem to take very good care of yourself. It's just, you and girls. You love the attention from girls, you love to flirt, you love having girls argue over you and I'm not that girl."

He stared off into the distance as if he wasn't listening, but I continued anyways.

"I'm not ever going to put myself in a position where I know I'm setting myself up for failure, you know? The things I hear about you are nuts and the things I've witnessed, it's definitely not my cup of tea."

"I hear ya'."

"It's nothing again-"

"I said I hear you."

I pursed my lips. "Okay. Are you mad at me?"

"Nah."

"If you are you can te-"

"I said nah." He chuckled. "But aye. I'm boutta head to the car for a second, I'a be back."

"Okay. Do you want me to come with-"

"Nope. I'm straight."

I nodded as if he hadn't already turned his back and began walking out of the water, leaving me by myself.

I looked over at Kenz and Amere, seeing them in what seemed to be a good conversation as they swayed with the waves in the water.

I didn't want to interrupt them so I trudged out of the water, laying my blanket out and getting comfortable on top of it.

I didn't plan on tanning today, but I guess I really have no choice right now.

Well. I didn't expect tonight to go like this.

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