•🌺 24 🌺•

Arnell was in the bathroom braiding her hair. It was already Thursday and she still hadn't gave Damitri an answer. Her phone vibrated on the counter. She already knew it was most likely him. He was the only person who she texted like that besides Maggie.

Meech🙅🖕: u comin ?

Idk

Meech🙅🖕: fuck u mean u don't know? Issa simple question.

Arnell didn't reply. When She finished braiding her hair, she went to go find an outfit to wear. Her phone lit up indicating that she had a call.

"Hello?" She answered.

"You so childish."

"Excuse me?" She said trying not to laugh.

"Fuck you leavin' me on read for?" Damitri asked.

"Because Meech," She sighed. "I don't know if I wanna come and you gettin' mad at me."

"I ain't mad at you, but issa yes or no question." He explained. "Don't do that 'I don't know' shit."

"What you want me to come over for anyway?" She questioned while throwing a pair of joggers onto her bed.

"So I can talk to you." He simply replied.

Arnell scrunched up her face. She didn't understand why she needed to come over for that.

"Nigga, we talkin' right now."

"Watch ya mouth." He warned. "And I don't wanna talk to you on the phone. I wanna see you in person."

"For... What?" She knew she was asking a million questions, but he wasn't even giving her straight answers.

"I wanna talk about what happened between us." He stated. "And some other shit I don't wanna get into at the moment."

He was referring to the incident with Anthony. He needed to do something about it fast because his crew were ready to act on it.

"Ain't no us." Arnell scoffed.

She said that just to piss him off.

"What?" Damitri questioned.

"Oh, it's okay for you to say I'm not yo girl but when I say ain't no us, you get mad?"

"It's not even like that. You be getting jealous for no reason."

Arnell rolled her eyes. "Bye Meech."

"Do not hang up on me." He warned her. It made her jump a little.

"I let that shit slide last time but if you do that shit again Ima really hurt you." He added.

Arnell smacked her lips. But she didn't hang up.

"Like I said, I like you Nells." He sighed. "I like chilling with you, you cool ass hell. But I ain't ready to be tied down."

"So, we're friends?" She asked. She didn't have a problem with it. She wasn't a hundred percent ready to be in a relationship anyway. Not after Shaydon.

"Yeah, friends." Damitri agreed. Arnell nodded even though he couldn't see her.

"So, you comin or not?" He asked for the umpteenth time.

"I'll ask August."

She was rummaging through her closet, looking for her black nikes.

"You eighteen. What the hell you asking him for?" He questioned.

"Cause eighteen ain't grown and I'm still living in his house so I have to ask." She shot back.

Arnell had so much respect for August, he was genuinely the only one she felt like she could trust. That's why she felt so guilty sometimes for lying to him.

"You telling him you coming wit me??" Damitri asked.

Arnell rolled his eyes at his stupid question. She wouldn't dare telling him that that's who she would be with.

"Of course not. I'll say I'm with Maggie or something." She responded.

"Aight, talking to you later." He said.

"Bye." She said getting ready to hang up.

"Why you say that?" He questioned.

Arnell furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't understand what he meant.

"Say what?"

"Bye. I don't like that word." He explained.

"I ain't saying bye forever." Arnell explained laughing. "I say bye all the time."

"I know. I just hate it."

"I didn't know it was that deep." Arnell shrugged. "Well, talk to you later."

She hung up the phone with a big goofy smile on her face. Arnell jogged downstairs to find August. She found him in the kitchen cooking dinner.

"Hey, can I go over to Maggie's tomorrow?" She asked lifting the top off of a pot. A cloud of steam filled the air.

"Why don't she come over here?" He asked taking the lid from her and putting it back onto the pot.

"She has to watch her cousin." Arnell lied quickly.

She opened the oven door to see what August had in there. She didn't get a good look because before she could open it all the way, August closed it.

"Oh, aight. That's fine." He agreed. "Now get out the kitchen."

*

Arnell and Maggie were in the cafeteria eating lunch. Maggie usually went of campus with Jay, but she decided to stay.

"Hey, I told August that I was coming over your house this weekend."

Maggie shot a glance at Arnell who tried to avoid eye contact.

"Where you really gonna be?" Maggie asked crossing her arms.

"With Meech." She hesitated.

"Ooo, shit. Get it bihh." Maggie said sticking out her tongue.

"It's not even like that." Arnell shook her head.

Maggie smacked her lips. "Then what's it like?" She bit her chicken nugget and shook her head. "Y'all needa stop playin' forreal."

"Don't tell anyone where I am." Arnell said. "I'm only telling you cause I used you to lie." She joked.

Maggie busted out laughing. "Okay. But you better tell me if you get some."

Arnell shook her head and headed to class. After school, Arnell headed to the front of the school. She spotted Damitri and walked towards him. He was on the phone but held his arm up for a hug.

"I'm busy right now." He told the person on the other side of the phone.

He squeezed Arnell. She took a whiff of his cologne. He smelled so good.

She got in the car so he could finish his phone call. When he hung up, he got in the car but he didn't start it up.

"What we waiting for?" Arnell asked.

"Sadie got her car taken so my Moms want me to give her a ride." He explained.

Mercedes was in the parking lot talking to Jacori. He was some ugly ass nigga on the football team. For some reason, girls were always on him. Arnell didn't know why, he was not even a little bit cute.

"Sadie!" he yelled. "Get in the damn car!"

She covered her face as if she was embarrassed. She said bye to Jacori and walked towards the car.

"Get in the back." He told her as she inched closer.

"Meech, you fucken kidding me right now?!" Mercedes asked when she noticed that Arnell was in the front seat.

"I don't have all day." He told her.

She got in the back seat and crossed her arms. Arnell didn't like it any more than Mercedes did.

Damitri turned on the car and left the school. Arnell took her phone out and scrolled through Instagram.

"Damn why y'all so quiet?" Damitri asked. He was trying not to laugh. Arnell could see that he was enjoying the shit.

Ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of his moms house.

"Tell Ma that I'm coming over next week." He said while Mercedes was gathering her things. She didn't reply. "Love you." He added. She still didn't reply.

"Damn, you play too much." Arnell told him once they were alone.

She rolled her eyes and looked out of the window. He placed his hand on her thigh. "Relax, I was just playin'."

He made his way downtown. The streets were always busy, she couldn't understand why anyone wanted to live there. He pulled up in front of a condo building. It took him a while but he finally found some where to park. Arnell was in complete awe. He opened the door and they walked into his place.

"Damn, this is nice." She complimented. "How often do you come out here?"

"Not a lot. You prolly the only one who knows about it." He told her.

Arnell nodded her head. She was still admiring how beautiful his place was.

"Nells..."

"Huh?" She replied while looking up at the living room's chandelier.

"I gotta tell you somethin', and you ain't gone like it."

Arnell looked down at Damitri. "What are you talking about?"

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