nineteen.

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

"Bro, please hurry up," Mekhi chuckled. "Aja gon be in this same bed when you come back,"

"Babe, go head," Aja giggled as Traveon said bye to her for the fifth time.

Today, Mekhi was going to the mall to try and finish shopping for Sakari's birthday gift. Her birthday was tomorrow—he had everything, mostly. He just wanted some small things to top it off. He was fine going alone, but Trae asked him to come so he could get her a present as well—but he was taking forever.

"Aight aight," Trae finally joined Khi at the door. "See you later, baby,"

"See you," she waved sleepily. "Bye, Khi!"

"Bye sis," he waved back, and they were off.

Once they got to the car, Khi immediately cut the heat on before driving off. North Carolina wasn't the coldest he'd ever experienced—Detroit winters were hell on earth to him, but it was still pretty cold and he hated the cold.

He didn't understand how Sakari could enjoy this kind of weather, it was so gloomy and the cold literally stung.

Maybe it was because she didn't have to go outside as much.

"She still mad at you?" Trae smirked, and Khi sucked his teeth.

"She not mad. She's irritated with me," he chuckled. "I told her I'd be fine! She worries too much, gon stress her lil ass out,"

"Nigga somebody need to stress! You reckless as hell in that gym that's why you hurt now!" Trae fussed.

Khi sighed loudly and dramatically, having heard this from Sakari yesterday. She was highly upset because he pulled something in his back again, but worse this time, and while it wasn't terrible it was enough that he was complaining of being in pain every other hour.

He was having some muscle cramps, it hurt to walk yesterday but he was a little bit better today, and he was just generally having bad back pain. She fussed him out pretty good the night before and Trae heard it all.

"She just worried about you, you did this last year with your damn hamstring. Just sit it out till you completely good," Trae reiterated his statement from the night prior.

"I am," he sighed. "I promised I would,"

"Good, I'd snitch if you wasn't going to,"

"Huh?! Nigga you my friend!" Khi exclaimed.

"And she's your girlfriend. What she say go," he teased and Khi chuckled, knowing he was absolutely right. Even if Kari didn't make him promise, the fact that she was even that upset would be enough to keep him out the weight room.
Once at the mall, he checked his phone, to see Sakari had finally texted him back—he knew she was asleep all morning.

luv🌹: goodmorning. i love you too 🙄
: aht take that fuckin emoji back before we gotta scrap.
luv🌹: no ☝🏾

He shook his head with a chuckle, knowing she was still annoyed. He would also not stop bothering her, as was in his nature. He apologized, so she'd be over it sooner than later. If he did not apologize, she wouldn't have texted him back.

luv🌹: are you still coming later?
: i thought you was sick of me
luv🌹: i very much am.
luv🌹: but i wanna see you 🙄
: lmao yes love im coming.

Khi, yet again, shook his head at her antics as they continued to peruse the mall. He didn't necessarily know what he was looking for, he just wanted a few more thing to top the gift off—and he was trying to help Trae pick something out.

"You think she'd lie this?" Trae asked, holding up an ugg slide he saw in the Nordstrom. "Girls like these,"

"She would," he nodded. "But, if she were to find out how much you spent on it she just might yell at you," he chuckled. He knew very well from experience that Sakari did not like when people spent too much money on her. If you asked her what too much is, she would tell you she could just tell when something was expensive.

He, personally, didn't care and would buy her nice gifts often for holidays or her birthday. Especially this year, as it was his first birthday as her boyfriend. He was going to make it one she remembered.

"Man I can take a lil yelling, I got hella sisters and a dramatic ass mama. Ima get em'," he chuckled. "What size she wear?"

"Nine in uggs. I would say eight but they be tight on her, and uggs don't do half sizes," he rattled off.

"You know her shoe size in different shoes?" Trae raised his eyebrows and Khi laughed with a nod.

"She wear an 8. 8 in women's shoes, 6 in men's unless its air maxes then she wears a 6.5, because they get tight. She usually never gotta go up a whole size but uggs different," he quickly explained.

"And why did you retain that? Why is that something you ain't forget, like how you forgot the number to our dorm room? "

"Because!" Khi continued to laugh. "When you go to the mall with the same girl for ten years straight you remember shit. Leave me alone, damn,"

"You real interesting," Trae chuckled.

"Now how did you end up getting this much shit?" Trae cut his eyes at Khi as they finally got into the car after leaving the mall. "If she gon yell for my lil gift she might beat yo' ass for real,"

"I honestly ain't mean to, Target just be real inviting. I won't give it to her all at once," he chuckled, knowing Trae was very right in his assumption that Kari would have a fit if she knew how much he spent on everything.

"She honestly gon have to get used to this shit because when I'm a nurse, and I make nurse money? I'm balling out on her," he shrugged. "She can't stop me,"

"I ain't never know a girl who don't like being spoiled," Trae chuckled.

"Not that she'on like it, she just genuinely not used to it. She got four siblings so she used to sharing, not really asking for much. She freak out when too money is spent because she know it could have gone somewhere more productive or towards something important. I on the other hand, pretty much get what I ask for within reason and I never seen my mama wait more than 24 hours before she got something she wanted and I want her to have that, she deserves that," he shrugged.

Trae glanced over at his friend and noticed that his expression was very serious. Trae really didn't understand how it took him this long—but he was glad he realized his feelings towards Sakari. It seemed like their future was already written.

"I'm sure if y'all get married she gon get used to that, if you keep doing what you doing. Either that or she gon learn to love it," he added.

"I hope so," Khi smiled slightly just at the thought of her.

"Good morning!" Kari sang. "It's my birthday!" she cheesed, sitting up in Mekhi's bed.

"It is your birthday," he chuckled, still laying down, eyes half open. "Happy birthday baby," he rasped out, rubbing his face.

"Thank you Bubba," she sang again, getting out of the bed to go wash up and get fresh. She had plans all day, after her classes of course—and she was very excited. Unbeknownst to her, Khi dragged himself out of bed too, shuffling behind her into the suite bathroom.

He really wasn't a morning person. She wasn't either, but it was her birthday, so it was a different kind of morning for her.

"Who told you to follow me sir?" she glanced behind her in the mirror while Khi tiredly reached for his toothbrush.

"This is my bathroom," he mumbled, wetting the toothpaste he had put on the brush. She just shook her head, starting to brush her teeth as well. "Watch out so I can spit," he spoke, words muffled since his mouth was full of toothpaste.

"Ew," she curled her lip up, turning her head.

"Whatever," he chuckled as he did just that and rinsed his mouth out.

Once they were fully done in the bathroom, they changed so they could both head to class for the morning. Kari had two and he only had this one class then he was free all day.

"Ow!" she whined as she slipped her pajama shirt off. "It snagged," she pouted.

"I keep forgetting you got them things," he chuckled. "Be careful please, I'on want your nipple coming off on my floor,"

"Mekhi please shut the hell up," she laughed.

After she was dressed and ready, Khi forced her to take pictures, and posted them on his instagram story. He was already seeing pictures from her family on his feed, he hadn't even posted his yet, but he was planning to.

Once he was done bothering her for pictures, they both grabbed their bags and he grabbed his keys before they left his dorm for their classes.

"You excited for your girls day?" Khi asked, slinging an arm over Kari's shoulder as they walked the campus. "What are you getting done again? I forgot,"

"Yes! I'm so excited, I haven't gotten super dolled up in forever. I'm getting my nails and feet done, and my eyebrows waxed, then I'm finally gonna try lashes, so that'll be the last thing till I do my hair," she explained.

"You're gonna look so pretty," he smiled big and it caused her to do the same, teeth and all.

"Thank you," she blushed. "Oop, this is me," she said, so caught up in his...everything, that she almost walked right past her class's building. "Ima see you tonight before that party, have a good day, Bubba,"

He leaned down to kiss her twice before letting her go. "Have a good day, Tootie. I'a see you soon," he told her and she nodded with a smile before turning to walk in. "Oh! Wait—take this," he called her, and handed his card over. 

"Khi! No, what are you doing?" she fussed. "You don't have to pay, I got hella Christmas money left," she chuckled.

"I want to, I'm tryna spoil you on your birthday, baby. Let me," he chuckled.

"You don't—" she tried to interject but he spoke again.

"I want to, Sakari. Get fine on my dime, please and thank you. Get them nails long, I like em like that," he winked, walking in the opposite direction, leaving her standing dumbfounded. She simply walked to class, staring at the card with his name on it, contemplating on if she should actually use it later or not.

She was greeted by Aja as soon as she entered the building, interrupting her thoughts.

"Is that the birthday girl?!" she asked dramatically, and Kari erupted in laughter.

"It's me!" she cheesed before walking up and hugging her friend.

"Happy birthday, pooh! I can't wait to go get cute later," she stuck her tongue out and Kari nodded in complete agreement. She was so ready to be a doll if at least for tonight and tomorrow night.

She was gonna enjoy her step out of being a teenager.

"Yeah, I'm a little bit sad because I miss my mama and them," she sighed as they sat in the nail salon. "I'm gonna call them once we get back to campus, because the kids are home from school now—but I miss my babies and my parents," she pouted.

This was her second birthday at school, and every time it was slightly upsetting. Her family always made her birthday special, and not having them there was something she was learning to get used to.

She appreciated having Khi there, he brought a little piece of Houston here to school with them and she loved it.

"I bet they gon sing happy birthday loud as hell, I know they miss you," Jeli smiled softly.

"They better! I'm their mom when mama ain't around, they need to miss me every day," she huffed, making the girls laugh.

She'd already got her lashes, and her eyebrows done. She had gotten her nails done, long—to Khi's request. She had them long once before, and he did compliment them a lot—that was before they were even dating.

She got a simple set, and white toes. She didn't want to be extra especially since her party look and her birthday dress for tomorrow were pretty simple. Her hair was done, she had some time after class so she just decided to do it before she had to take her pre-party nap.

Once her nails were done, she went up to pay, looking at Khi's card in her wallet. She was trying to decide whether or not she'd use it still. It wasn't like she spent his money all the time, so she didn't see why it would hurt today. But she wouldn't make this a habit.

"Is that—oh my bitch got the card," Jelani said dramatically.

"Jelani please," she giggled.

"Nah, you officially the wife. He said baby take my card," Aja continued the gas.

"Please!" she blushed as her nail tech handed the card back with a giggle, laughing at the girls antics. "Can we go? Y'all are embarrassing me," she joked.

On their walk back to their dorm, the girls saw Dontae—Khi and Trae's teammate at the door to Kari and Jeli's building.

"Uh—Dontae which one of your girlfriends you seeing in my dorm?" Kari snickered.

"She not home, for your information," he teased back. "I'm here to get you, you've been summoned," he smirked.

"By who? And where?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Your man, and nunya. Just come on, girl," he chuckled. "I gotta job to do,"

She squinted her eyes at him, and the girls nudged her to follow, letting her know they knew what was going on too. So, she followed. She tried to ask Tae questions on the way, but he refused to hear them.

"Okay! Lord, I delivered your ass, you ask so many questions. I wasn't gon ask him before but he owe me money now," Tae fussed making the girls laugh as they reached the yard. Nobody was really outside, except a small group of like three people, as they got closer—she recognized to be Mekhi, Traveon and Evan.

"What is—"

"There she go—Happy Birthday Sakari!" Trae tapped Khi and all three boys, Dontae and the girls called.

Upon inspection, she saw Khi holding a cupcake with a candle, and Trae had Khi's Macbook. When she got even closer, she saw it was her family on the laptop screen, and she immediately got emotional.

There were balloons, and Evan was holding those along with flowers she assumed that Mekhi bought for her. He handed them to her and the smile never faded from her face as she took in everything that was going on.

"You guys," she pouted, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "T-thank you,"

"This was all him," Jeli happily pointed to Khi.

"Happy birthday baby," he cheesed and try as she might, the tears spilled from her face when she walked over to give him a hug. "Don't cry Tootie," he chuckled, rubbing her back.

"You're making me cry!" she whined. "Thank you so much,"

"You're very welcome," he spoke softly to her.

Khi had noticed the few days leading up to her birthday, she was a little bit more down than usual. Not that Kari was a huge ball of energy, but he could tell she was off. He saw how she'd frown when she hung up the phone with her siblings or her parents—he knew she missed them, so before he had her in his face all weekend, he wanted to make sure to make her happy.

"Hi you guys! Thank you, thank you!" she cheesed, taking the laptop from Trae and beginning to talk to her family after they exaggeratedly sang happy birthday to her. She didn't stop smiling the whole mini birthday party they had for her, and that was his goal. That's all he wanted.

Now, the girls were pulling up to the party being held that night. Khi was the DD for the night, he really wasn't comfortable being under the influence at the moment anyway—especially of alcohol. So, he volunteered.

"Okay, I look cute still?," Kari asked, getting out of the car and smoothing her clothes down. The party, of course, was fairly casual but she still wanted to look nice considering it was her birthday and all.

"You look good, Tootie," Khi chuckled, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Good as fuck actually, I'm gon have to stand by you all night so nobody try me,"

"Whatever you say, sir," she giggled.

They entered the hot house—despite it being the middle of January, the bodies all around raised the heat of the place by ten. There were already people drunk, dancing in the middle of the floor to loud music pulsing through the speakers.

"Shots?" Jeli asked the girls—and their dates once they reached a neutral spot. They all nodded yes and she went off with Aja to find the drinks.

Kari leaned up against Khi's taller figure and he wrapped an arm lazily around her waist as he leaned up against a wall. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable in the big crowd, she knew he was kind of reverting back into his old self, his younger and shyer self, so she made sure to tell him repeatedly to let her know if he got uncomfortable.

"You okay, Bubba?" she turned her head slightly to look up at him.

"Mhm, I'm good," he smiled slightly, kissing her temple. "There go yo' girls

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net