Freshmen 53

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Hampton University

Saturday, 12/20
"Working Man"

{I'm Ready by AJR}

"Well, hello, there!" Niyah beamed soon as Shai entered the building. She wasn't expecting him to come in today because of the basketball game, but the sight of him was still nice.

Shai waved then spoke, "Wassup." He reached the desk, Niyah standing up since he was towering over her.

"Don't you have a game?" She asked, crossing her arms and raising her brow.

"Yup." He vaguely answered. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if I could start my training today?" he asked.

"Really?" Niyah replied in a surprised tone. "Are you not playing today or what?"

"I'm not on the team anymore. So, can I get trained today?" He asked again, shoving his hands in his pockets. All he wanted was one thing...to get started working, so he didn't have time for unnecessary questions.

Niyah squinted her eyes at him then nodded her head. "Okay, sure. You caught me off guard with that one, but yeah, no problem. Follow me." She responded, Shai smiling.

He watched as Niyah walked from behind the counter and headed down the hall. He followed behind her while also taking in the YMCA. He saw different spaces where all the programs were being held. He heard the laughter and excited screams of children as he walked by. He passed the entrance of the swimming pool where he saw a small group working out the water. It was called water aerobics and he only knew that because his mother was into it for a few days. She claimed it was the best way to keep her figure in tact for the runway. Only for her to drop it on the fourth day of having it.

"Alright, as you can these are all the programs we have. The basketball court is near the front which is where you'll be at a lot of the time. But, for the first few weeks, don't get too comfortable at the court. Everyone here change positions frequently before actually settling in." Niyah explained to him. Shai nodded his head and continued following after her.

They reached the back of the building, Niyah opened the door on the left and entered. Walking in behind her, Shai eyes widened a bit at the sight of the room. He put the pieces together and assumed it was the break room, however, the inside didn't look like anything he imagined. There were two vending machines serving drinks and popular snacks like Honeybuns, Chester Flamin' Hot fries, and his favorite snack of all time, Synder's sourdough nibbles. There was also a flat screen tv currently on Hulu and even a gaming system that was plugged up.

Niyah turned to face him and gave him a small smile. "So, this is the break room, as you can see. That right there is where everyone clocks in and out of." She pointed at the machine that was behind Shai. He look back then nodded his head.

"I'll help you out your fingerprint in after all of this. It's real easy to use. Our boss, Richard, brought in the rest of this stuff for us. You're free to watch whatever you please on the tv and even use the game. A lot of the boys have a gaming tournaments sometimes during their breaks. Don't be afraid to hop in whenever." She continued. Shai nodded his head again, keeping his excitement to a minimum.

He didn't want to overdue it, but he was happy as hell. He didn't expect his job to have a whole gaming system and tournaments taking place while at work. He knew he was going to be having fun here.

"Alright, moving on!" Niyah exclaimed. Shai turned on his heels and followed behind her out the room. They headed back down the hall as they made their way back to the front of the building.

Niyah greeted a few of the customers that was signing in. Shai doing the same out of politeness. Niyah continued on her way down another hall where all the action at the Y was always taking place.

"Okay, so this one out of two basketball courts." Niyah pointed to her left, Shai looking that way as well. "This is the eighteen and older gym. We have separate ones because it tends to get rowdy over here at times and we don't want the kids to be toppled over."

Shai peeked his head inside to see the court packed with people his age and older. It was exactly the sight he used to see when he was at Houston and all the boys and girls popped out at the court. There were maybe thirty to forty people hanging around. Loud screaming and chanting came from the gym as the men on the court played an aggressive game. Instead of the break room, Shai could see himself coming here during his break. Or his off days. Playing with a few folks he didn't know and didn't have to see ever would surely help him with his confidence.

"You're welcomed here at all times by the way, Shai." Niyah said, as if she could read his mind. Shai look down at her and gave her a thankful smile. He should've been coming here all along instead of joining the basketball team at school. A part of him though still wanted that opportunity. Maybe next time.

"Thanks. So, where will I be working?" He questioned. Niyah snapped her fingers, bringing herself back.

"Right. Come on."

Like before Shai followed Niyah further down the hall. They passed the fitness room before reaching a much smaller gymnasium. Instead of standing by the door and peeking in, they walked inside in order to see what was going on. Shai stood behind Niyah as she walked up to the staff member wearing a lime green shirt with the words Hampton Family Team Member on the back.

"Zack!" Niyah shouted, causing the dude to turn around. His face expressed regret and terror soon as he saw the woman.

"Hey." He nervously responded. Zack placed his attention on Shai getting a quick glance at him. Shai stood taller than him by three inches. His hair that feel right over his eyes made Zack look at him weirdly. With no form of questions, he placed his attention back on Niyah.

"What's going on?" He questioned with a small squint in his eyes.

Niyah placed her hand on Shai's arm then spoke, "This is Shai. He's our new team member." She answered. Zack pursed his lips together then seconds later started laughing.

"Right. The new team member. I heard." He continued laughing in between his talking. He scratched the back of his head, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, you thought I was coming to you about you messing with Miss Davis the other day. We'll talk about that later." Niyah mentioned, Zack tucking in his lips.

"You know we both are adults, so there's no need to talk about it." He mentioned, shrugging his shoulders.

"No. We have a no tolerance policy here, Zack. You cannot be messing with the students parents."

"I mean the lady is a damn milf for Christ sake. She's practically asking for it. Right?" Zack jokingly asked, winking at Shai. Shai scrunched up his face, not agreeing with Zack at all. He had a girl, not a milf, and was happy about that.

Niyah rolled her eyes then turned to Shai. "Anyway, this is the basketball camp. It's basically a class, there's a sign up every year for it. We normally don't go pass twelve kids in order to keep it easy for the team members to monitor everyone. You're going to typically get the same kids every year which is a plus since you'll be able to create relationships with them and their parents. Friendly relationships, not sexual." Niyah threw out there, sending Zack a glare.

He gave her a full teeth smile back, not caring what she had said. He wasn't going to stop messing around with Miss Davis. The woman was desperate for some type of attention and he was going to give it to her. Niyah rolled her eyes again. She didn't have time to deal with Zack at the moment. She'll handle him later when Shai wasn't here. For now, she had to continue her training.

"Since you are new, Shai, you're going to be shadowing Zack for right now. He's going to be showing you the basics and how to handle the kids, hopefully. If you need me for anything then I'll be walking around. Zack has a walkie-talkie, he'll show you how to call on it. Any questions?" Niyah asked. Shai shook his head quickly since he didn't have any. He was all good since everything was practically self-explanatory.

"Alright, we're all good. Zack, take care of him and we'll talk later." Niyah said in a warning tone while pointing at him. Zack hummed in a uncaring tone.

Niyah smiled at Shai before walking off. Zack kept his eyes on her as she left, his attention directly on her moving ass. Once she was gone, he placed his attention on Shai who was watching the kids. All they were doing was running around, throwing the ball anywhere with no type of form or proper hand placement. He wondered if this was a basketball camp or just a way for parents to get rid of their kids just for some alone time. Either way, he wasn't liking what he was seeing. If a camp was what this was then a camp is what it'll be.

"So, you and Niyah?" Zack asked, hitting Shai arm in order to get his attention.

"Me and Niyah?" Shai confusingly questioned the dude.

Zack nodded his head. "Yeah. Are you banging that or what?" He bluntly asked. Shai disgustingly scrunched up his face at his comment.

"What? No. No, I'm not." He defensively answered. "Why would you think that?" Zack started laughing, finding it funny that Shai was getting all worked up. That let him know that he was messing with Niyah.

"If it's not true then why you getting upset?" Zack continued laughing, hitting Shai's arm again.

"Because..." Shai paused as Zack laughter was taking over his speech. He smacked his lips and allowed the immature co-worker have his weird thoughts.

Shai turned his attention back to the kids and began thinking about how he was going to change everything. He already had thoughts of taking Zack's spot and forming this camp into something better. Something amazing. Something he knew would make himself and the kids better. A legacy, maybe? It was going to be something great, he knew that for sure.

🏀

{On & On by Erykah Badu}

Peppermint candles.

On & On by Erykah Badu playing.

Lights dimmed.

The lingering of physical touch.

Sexual aroma filling the air.

A special night just for the two of them.

Dess pulled at Shai's bottom lip before breaking their kiss completely. She caressed his cheek while they stared at each other. What was supposed to be a nap quickly turned into a make-out session between the couple. For the first time, Shai could say he was tired from working. He always dreamed of being able to say that and now he had the chance. Coming back to his room after shadowing a terrible guy was exhausting, but still fun.

He enjoyed himself at work though. He met a few other people too. Another Hampton University student by the name of Jeremy. Two girls, Lauren and Morgan, that attended Virginia State. And another dude, Oscar, who wasn't that into sports or any extracurricular activities at that matter. He was one of those dudes who smoke weed all day and always had conspiracy theories after each session. He could talk hours about how the government was using black folks as pawns. Shai found it interesting and found himself listening to that two-hour lecture.

Despite having fun at work, a man must always be ready to head home and be with his lady for the rest of the night. That's what Shai was doing right now. He called Dess over, they showered, ate, and was now kissing each others face off. A night just for them.

"Your eyes are fucking beautiful." Shai broke the silence, Dess giggled at his slightly aggressive compliment.

"You're so aggressive, but thank you." She responded.

"Sit on me." Shai demanded, fixing himself so he was laying on his back. Dess furrowed her brows about to decline but Shai already grabbed her hand. She gave in, bringing her leg up and straddling him.

"Better?" She asked, Shai happily nodding his head. It was much better for him. Nothing could ever top your girl sitting on you.

"Absolutely. Anyway, how was your day princess?" He started up a random conversation. He honestly didn't feel like talking but it was better for his cover up.

Dess shrugged, "It was fine. The usual, you know. Class gotten easier. Cheer is cheer. I'm mad as hell you wasn't at the game today though." She responded, crossing her arms to show her fake anger.

Shai hummed, completing forgetting about the game today. Soon as he touch foot back at school he heard a bunch of news. Bad news. The team got blown out. 23 to 82. A disrespectful wipeout in all of Hampton University basketball history. He heard that Danny Adams got ejected from the game because of his constant arguing with the referees. He believed they were being paid off by the other team which explained the ridiculous calls made against the team.

There was also a fight that broke out at the end of the game. The entire gym went into an uproar when students from both schools started to get disrespectful. Players went at it with the fans and vice versa. A huge fight broke out in the parking lot between players, students, and even parents. It was ridiculous. However, Shai, didn't care all that much. He wasn't on the team anymore, so it wasn't his problem. He just found it funny that shit was going downhill so early.

Oh well.

"That sounds like a pretty chill day besides the game." Shai responded. He wasn't paying much attention since his focus on other things. Like how he wanted to touch all over Dess body. Feeling on places only meant for him.

Dess rolled her eyes then asked, "Are you serious about not playing?"

"I want to play, but Danny Adams took me off the team. Whatchu expect me to do?" He rhetorically asked. He honestly didn't want to go back on the team. He knew if he went back nothing would change. He rather have peace then be miserable.

"I expect you to put your foot down and let that old hag know you're not one to play with." Dess answered, lifting Shai chin so he was looking at her. She knew his mind was elsewhere right now.

"I'm trying to have a serious talk and you're not listening." She told him.

"I'm not listening." He responded. "Also, I did put my foot down. I called him out on his bullshit and he kicked me off the team. Obviously, he doesn't want nor need me, and I don't need him either. I can't back down from that."

Dess rolled her eyes and scoffed. A man's ego was larger than her head. "Okay, so what are you going to do?" she questioned. "Work all the time?"

Shai shrugged. "I mean that doesn't sound so bad. I like my job too, so I don't mind working all the time. If tomorrow goes well, I might ask Niyah if she could put me on the schedule for the week. I'll be working everyday." He answered.

Dess frown, not wanting to hear that. She understood and respected why he wasn't playing now. She wanted him to stick his guns and stick up for himself. However, she knew deep down that Shai was trying to pretend that everything was alright when it wasn't. She assumed he wanted to play, but was holding back in order to prove a point. Whatever the point was, Dess wasn't liking it. Shai noticed how quiet she got and look up. Once again, he was busy in his thoughts, so he didn't understand the reason for the frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked, placing his hands on her thighs.

Dess sigh, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I-never mind." She shook her head, not bothering to go into it. She attempted to get up, but Shai grabbed her hand to stop her.

"No, seriously, what wrong?" He asked again. This time the tone of his voice showing concern for her feelings. He learned from his mistake and refused to make it again.

"It's stupid and not my place." Dess told him, shaking her head again. Shai smack his lips. He grabbed her hands, bringing them to his lips, and kissing them.

"Don't ever think you don't have a place to say your opinion. So, what's wrong?" He asked once more. Dess stared at him, contemplating if she should say it or not. Shai gave her a reassuring smile, making him sigh.

"Okay, fine." She gave in. "I feel as though you're trying to prove a point in not playing. I mean I get that you and Danny have your ongoing issues, and you told him off. But, do you really think you're going to just work all the time and not play ball? That seems impossible with you, Shai, seriously."

"Well, true." Shai agreed. "But, I'm over having to constantly argue with folks about me playing. And I'm not trying to keep sitting on the bench watching niggas who can't hoop get more play time than me."

"And I get it and I can understand you're frustration. But, wouldn't it be reasonable and even smarter if you took shit to the next level and exceed further than the line you're behind?" Dess questioned, raising her brow. Shai squinted his eyes since he knew she had something up her sleeve. She always did.

"And how will I do that?" He hesitatingly asked since he wasn't sure what to expect her to say. Hopefully, nothing bad.

Dess nearly cheered once asked. "Well, if you wanna know, I feel as though you should workout with that other coach. What's his name?" She paused, tapping her finger against her chin as she thought of the dude name.

"Demetrius?" Shai questioned. Dess snapped her fingers then nodded her head.

"Yes. Him."

Shai scoffed, "No offense, but Demetrius, doesn't have a say in anything when it comes to that damn team. He sits back and watch everything happen. I don't wanna be around that nigga either." Shai mentioned with a small shrug.

Dess rolled her eyes then got off him. She slid off the bed and walked to his desk. Shai sat up in order to watch her rummage in her purse. Once Dess found what she needed, she walked back to the bed and climbed on. She straddled Shai again then opened her notebook. She flipped through the pages while Shai read the front. Desdemona Thinks was on the cover. Shai chuckled while running his finger against the sparkly cover. Childish and girly. He loved it.

"Okay!" Dess exclaimed once she found the right page. She flipped the book, interrupting Shai's touching moment.

"Demetrius Howard, Hampton University assistant coach for the basketball team. Back in '84, when he was nineteen he played in the NBA G league for the Delaware Blue Coats. He was the highest scorer on his team and had the opportunity to go to the league. However, he didn't because he ended up having a life-threatening disease...cancer. Luckily enough they caught it early and began treatment immediately, but his career was still over. Demetrius spent his early twenties going to therapy in attempt to get his health better so he missed a huge opportunity."

Dess turned the page and continued reading, "When he turned twenty-five, Demetrius health sky-rocketed—in a good way—and the doctor announced that he was cancer free. Giving the fact that he spent the first half of his twenties getting better, Demetrius, went back to the G league and played for the Cleveland Charge and then the Stockton Kings. He played for four more years, his health fine. Until '93 when he had a heart failure during a game and stayed in the hospital for weeks straight. Only to find out that his cancer never left in the first place

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