These quiet thoughts of you been going on years now..
I saw you in the party soft lips soft spoken..
- J Cole
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I tugged at the hem of my dark brown dress that was strapless but had a cupped type of effect around my breast. Although I didn't have much up there I was still in shock of how the dress stayed up majority of the night. A little annoyed I thought about just excusing myself to the bathroom and dashing for the first door in sight. But I knew how much my girls wanted me to be here with them so I would just have to suck it up.

The club was somewhat popping with the exception of a few people who just stood in the corner. As I sipped on my water which I was very angry about it costing me a good four dollars for. I wondered how my friends had drugged me out on New Years Eve instead of at home popping fireworks with my family. Right now I could've been eating BBQ while my cousins ran and played in my mothers front yard.

But no, here I was having a drunk Billy dance all up against me. Nudging the drunken guy with no rhythm off me I stood over next to Brelynn. She wore a black tight dress that hugged her curves at the bottom with a daring slit on the side. Unlike me she wore black heels that were skinny like a pencil. I almost mistaken her shoe for one earlier when I asked her for something to write with. On the other hand Maria wore a blazing red dress that was off the shoulder on the top and a pencil skirt type at the bottom. It to had hugged her little hips that she had grown over the year.

Feeling my dress try to rise up once again, I tugged it back down. I wasn't the thickest thing in the world but I guess I had enough hips and thighs for this bodycon dress I slipped into. Making that my last time fighting with my dress I decided to look around at the nightclub we were currently in. I had been in here for a good hour and didn't even get to know my surroundings. Purple LED lights that were aligned with circular lights shinned through the whole club. Giving it this deep vibe to it that fitted with the whole place. Nude color couches were placed all along the club stretching for what seemed to be miles. In front of each one was a decent size wooden table that had different patterns and colors of rectangles. On top of those table were crystal clear wine glasses next to a silver ice bucket that held your choice of liquor.

Draped behind you were black walls with sparkly diamonds on them adding a new feel to the place. Right next to your drink was something new I had never seen. The club menus glowed like a night light. If you were somewhat blind you would have definitely needed someone to read it to you.

Taking a break from dancing I sat back down on the soft couch and placed my head back. The lights were giving me a headache. The few shots I took earlier seemed to kick in from time to time. The dress I wore was giving me a harder time than school. There were rapists around every corner waiting for you to dance with them. And out of all the problems I could have had tonight..my phone was dead. Leaving me to deal with only my thoughts. Something I hated.

Sensing something close or near me I opened one eye to find a man standing over me. Almost jumping to heaven I grabbed onto my chest trying to control myself.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked trying to shout over the music. This had been the dj's third time playing some of the same songs. I didn't know if everybody was trying to ignore it and just have a good time but it bothered me.

"I'm sorry. I seen you over here and I thought you had fell out or something." He answered giving me a small laugh before smiling revealing his dimple. If I wasn't on the verge of having an heart attack I would have talked to him. He stood a least around 5'10 with light skin that could have passed for white. His brown curly hair was cut into a nice fresh cut along with his trimmed eyebrows. Since the whole club was filled with purple lights tonight it was hard to make out his eyes. But his full pink lips was something I couldn't miss. He wore a nice olive green shirt that stop a lil bit before his belt. The light brown Gucci belt held his black jeans up that were tucked nicely into his clean olive green shoes. Two diamond earrings pierced his ears bringing out his face dimensions even more.

He was fine, I thought as I looked him up and down.

"I'm Josiah and you are?" He asked sticking out his hand for me to shake. I noticed that a lion and something else that I couldn't make out were tattooed on his hand leading up to his mid arm.

"M-Melani." I said stuttering which was something new that I had never experienced.

Was I nervous ?

"Maybe you are but it's cute so don't worry yourself to much about it." He said chuckling a bit.

How did he hear me ?

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to say that out loud." I said laughing as I tucked a strain of hair behind my ear. I finally shook his hand and brought my hands back to my side. There was a long silence before he broke it. I didn't even notice that he had took a seat by me.

"So Melanie are you here by yourself on New Years?" He questioned as he leaned back and opened his legs up a bit to be more comfortable. I had my legs crossed since this dress kept hiking up my thighs.

"Actually no. I think my friends are to drunk to even realize that I left them on the dance floor." I spoke truly as I looked back at the spot I was once at. Mariah and Bre were both dancing with some guys, but it was nothing more than the usual club dance everybody did.

"Crazy night I guess." He said looking over at me. I simply shrugged my shoulders agreeing as I took another sip on my water. It was turning warm now and I was starting not to want it. "Not a big drinker huh?"

"You sure do have a lot of questions. What somebody sent you over here or something?" I joked capping back up my water.

He quickly shook his head and threw his hands up in surrender. "No. I'm just trying to make conversation."

"You good." I reassured him at I push him a little. "Usually guys are aggressive when they try to talk to females. I guess somebody must have taught you right." I added.

"Well I guess you owe that to my mama." He said nodding his head up towards the ceiling. If I was slow I would have thought he was talking about her being upstairs at the overview the club had.

"I'm sorry for your lost." I stated shifting my position a little on the couch.

"No problem." He said dryly. I must have hit a soft spot in him because it took him a few seconds to regain hisself. "Are you from around here or just visiting for the holidays?" He asked taking his attention from off the dance floor and onto me.

His eyes were so light and beautiful that I caught myself drifting away a little but I quickly caught myself. I had opened my mouth to answer but I was cut off when I heard the familiar ringtone of someone's iPhone.

"I'm sorry I gotta' take this." He said a little annoyed as he swiped his finger across the screen. I watched as he placed one finger over his ear and repeatedly shouted some female name. The conversation seemed to get heated once I seen a tall piete women approach him.

Not wanting to get involved in the drama I decided to use the restroom before joining Mariah and Bre on the dance floor.
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"King?" Someone yelled but I was to busy focusing on something. From the time I had arrived here with my boys this one particular girl had caught my eyes. She wore a dark brown dress that I watched her fight with all night. Her long chocolate legs and thick thighs must was to much for the tight fitting dress. Her natural curly hair was in a nice fro with a slit on the side which enhance her beautiful face. I didn't know if it was the lights or the drinks but her dark chocolate skin looked so good as I watched her nudge some drunk white guy off her.

She didn't seem like she belonged here nor enjoyed herself which made me interested even more. I never liked fast girl. I wanted someone simple who would rather stay home and watch Netflix with me. Rather than go out clubbing all the time.

I took another sip from the small glass of Hennessy I had order a minute ago as my eyes traveled with her as she approached another girl. My head turnt to side as I noticed that the girl that she was talking to looked somewhat familiar but then again this was a nightclub. My drunk ass was probably seeing the same person from when I came in here and just thought I knew her. They said a few words to each other before another girl joined them who wore a red outfit. All three ladies were dressed nice which was something I had to give them.

I loved when women dressed classy no matter what the attire was. What disgusted me the most was a women who used her body as a way to get a mans attention. Well unlike half these females in this club the three ladies I seen talking looked decent. I swore I seen a girl earlier at the bar with a laundry basket on cause that how many lines she had going across her body. There was more holes in the dress than there was the actual dress.

Seeing the girl walk off and sit at a near by couch I started to make my move, but I quickly stopped in my tracks once another dude approached her. I had to respect the guy code and let him shoot his shot even though I knew he was going to miss.

Just make it quick I thought.

"King what the hell!" I heard a voice say snapping me from the trance I was in. Turning away from the mystery girl I was greeted with my two friends. Dray and Deezy. We all met around the middle of the beginning of our freshman year at ESU. Before that we had all been on the recruit team over the summer but never really noticed each other. That was until us three were the first chosen on ESU top ten recruits list. From there we all talked one night after practice and hit it off. I guess with all of us having the same vision of playing for ESU we were kind of meant to be friends.

Speaking of friends. Nah the past is the past King.

"We been talking to for the past fifteen minutes and you ain't been saying nothing." Deezy mentioned as he downed his third shot of Hennessy. To be honest I really didn't drink that much unless I was just in the hype of things. But these two motherfuckers would down heroine if you told them to.

I'm joking. Hopefully.

Okay I am.

"And for the past fifteen minutes I been hearing you talk. You don't think it's time to shut up." I suggested smartly as I finished the last bit of liquor in the glass and chewed a few ice cubes.

"I ain't lying you don't shut up Deezy." Dray added laughing as he ran his fingers over his waves. Dray waves were his pride and joy so of course he kept them maintained. Brushing and wrapping his head every night. I had to admit they had came a long way from when he had first chopped his hair off. He was making me consider cutting mines off.

"Yeah and I tell your girl the same thing." Deezy said raising one of his eyebrows as he gave Dray a smirk. Out of all three of us Dray was the only one committed in an actual relationship. Deezy on the other hand changed women like he changed his draws. Me, I was lowkey. I only had one relationship and once that situation happened I wasn't looking for cupid to come my way.

A friend was all I needed. Someone who wanted nothing more nothing less.

"Don't pay that clown no attention." I assured Dray as I seen his light skin turn to this bright shade of red meaning he was mad.

"Yeah it's all jokes bro." Deezy cooed giving Dray a pat on the back. Dray was the second biggest one other than me. He stood a least a good six feet tall with long arms that helped win us multiple games. Deezy was the shortest and also the smallest. He was also built but it wasn't to the extent of Drays and I's.

"So have you ever talk to Lani again after you just dropped her." Deezy asked as he secretly ordered another shot of Hennessy. It was something about that drink that he loved but I couldn't figure it out nor cared to. We had found a small spot near the bar with a great view of the entire club. To be honest we were just here to kill time until we all headed back to ESU. Well Dray and Deezy would return but I would be on the first flight back to Brooklyn tomorrow morning.

I stopped attending ESU the second semester of my junior year. I wanted to peruse a deeper learning in marketing and photography while still wanting to explore criminal justice . So I dropped from ESU and found a school in Brooklyn, New York and packed my things. I guess when I took everything I forgot to bring Melanie with me. She was my right hand man at ESU every since the first day I ruined her life. At least thats what she told me those first two days. From there she never left my side and I never left hers.

That was until I told her about my plans. She was excited for me to venture out and better my future. But at the same time didn't want to loose me. The transition went well until one day we just lost touch. The messages stopped rolling in. The calls didn't seem to come through. We didn't once click each others names in our phone which explain why her name still reads Till the end.

I guess we had finally reached the end.

"What I told you about mentioning her. And to answer your question no I haven't. To be honest I don't care no more. If somebody truly wanted to talk to you they'll make the time." I stated coldly causing a pain to shoot in my chest immediately. No matter how hard I tried to hold this grudge against Melanie I couldn't. We both were in the wrong. But all I wanted was to have my friend back.

Melanie back to be exact.

"And you could have did the same. Both of y'all had phones and not once did y'all decide to use them. So save that fake shit for another story." Dray commented causing me to look at him funny. When did this nigga become Dr.Phil? He never liked to discuss anyone problems or even get into them.

"Yeah bro he got a point." Deezy said shrugging his shoulders.

"Look we came to have a good time before I leave. Can we not discuss the past?" I asked angrily as I turned my attention back to the girl. She was now alone. I looked over at the guy who had approached her first to now see that a tall petitewomen had now did the same to him. And judging from the looks of it and the now empty glass she had and his drenched clothes. Things weren't so good with them. "While y'all play therapist I'm going do what we came here for."

"I'm right with you." Deezy said getting up from his seat as he looked into the crowd. I followed his eyes until they landed on the girl with the red dress. She was cute but way to cute for Deezy.

Every player gotta' shoot they shot though.

Dray waved us off since he knew he would end up like ole' dude if he tried to talk to any female in here. I guess he must have met the right one and now she had him whipped. I sat off to find the girl but noticed that the couch she sat on was now empty. Scanning over the crowded club I finally found her curly hair and brown dress heading towards a sign that read Restrooms.

Not wanting to seem like a stalker I waited by a near by table until she had finished her business and made her way to the bar. I followed after but she was walking like she was on a mission. Once she arrived at the bar she hopped into one of the stools holding her dress down until she fully sat in the seat. I took that as my chance.

Approaching behind her I slightly tapped her shoulder. I never believed in grabbing girls to get their attention or going over board like some of these guys did. She stopped briefly in her order and turned around.

"What the he-." My heart had completely stopped just like her words. Both of us wore a shocked expression on our faces as we starred into each other eyes. Her big brown eyes haven't changed one bit from when I bumped into her on that rainy day. And I see her smart mouth didn't change either. Her face softened as she too had realized who I was.

"King?" She asked if she didn't believe I was standing right in front of her. There was loud commotion in the background and a few screams but only the sound of her saying my name seemed to fill my eardrums.

"M-Mel?" I questioned the same although I knew for sure it was her. Yep that's my girl. I guess that unsure feeling of this moment being true had struck me to.

But soon her face turned into something I've never liked. The look of disgust like she did that night when I dropped her laptop.

"You got some nerve talking to me." She spat angrily as lines in her forehead started to form signaling me that she had scrunched her face up.

"I can say the same Mel. You never texted back." I resorted back as I noticed that my hand had never left her shoulder. Seeing it to she jerked it out of my touch.

"Melanie come on!" Someone yelled as they ran up on her. It was the girl in the red dress. It was Mariah. Now that I had seen her up close it had all made sense now. The other girl was her friend to, Brelynn.

Ten.

"Cause you were the one that stop texting me and calling. You started acting funny when you got up there to Brooklyn King. I never changed up." She said her voice crackling as Mariah continued to yank her out the chair.

"I guess I just got busy with school and all that. But that didn't change nothing between us." I said remembering how some days I didn't bother to call.

Nine.

"You really do suck with excuses. How could you do that? We were post to be best friends. You just don't give up on your friends." She said now pulling back at the drunken Mariah.

I knew if Mariah would have seen who Melanie was really talking to she would have dragged her away faster.

Eight.

"And that we were. I don't know Mel. I just got caught up in a few things but that still doesn't change the fact that you ain't bother to try either."

Seven.

"I did try! I left you voicemails and everything. You were the one who decided to drop me. So don't talk about what I didn't do. I actually gave a fuck unlike you." She was now half way through the crowd as I followed. I knew that from other people's eyes we looked completely stupid.

Six.

"So you gonna' sit up here and lie to me. You really dead ass right now?" I asked narrowing my eyes at her. She was pissing off me right now. "We both lost touch and you know that."

Five.

"I don't even feel like arguing with you right now." She was now almost to the big screen tv that showcased the ball that was dropping in a matter of seconds. Mariah had finally stopped dragging her and joined the crowd of people to watch it drop.

Four.

"You don't have to cause we not arguing. I'm simply asking you to own up to your mistake."

Three.

I must have struck a nerve cause she was only inches away from my face.

Two.

People had gathered around and started counting down. But despite the big crowd that gather around us it seemed like only me and her were in this room.

"I'm not owning up to a damn thing. Like I said you changed up when you got to Brooklyn. You dropped me like I wasn't there for you. Like you ain't even know me. Now I'm happy I stopped texting you back." She said smiling from ear to ear. But