─── SUMMER IN HARLEM,
▹season one, episode five. 👻
READ IN; WHITE MODE.

GIOVANNI S. AUSTIN.                      THE COOKOUT
❛❛ 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝘁. 𝟮 ❞     ‧₊˚ ┊                   JULY 18, 2024.

yas barely slowed down as she moved through the house, gripping vanni's wrist and weaving through the packed hallway like she had been here a hundred times before. the air inside was thick with warmth, the smell of barbecue and fried fish lingering in every corner, mixing with the faint scent of air freshener and somebody's cologne that was just strong enough to leave a trail.

conversations filled the space, overlapping and blending together—people catching up, cracking jokes, debating over music, the occasional burst of laughter cutting through it all. the walls were lined with framed photos, old school pictures of notti and dd as kids, family portraits with their mom, and baby pictures with that signature chubby-cheeked grin that most kids had at that age. vanni barely had time to take any of it in before yas made a sharp turn, pulling her toward a door at the end of the hall.

without knocking, yas pushed it open, stepping inside like she owned the place. the vibe in dd's room was completely different from the loud, chaotic energy outside. it was dimly lit, the blinds half-drawn, allowing only a little bit of light to spill through. the tv screen glowed, playing some old throwback music video on low volume, casting a soft blue hue over the space.

dd was sprawled across his bed, his back propped up against the pillows, completely locked into a game. his hands moved quickly over the controller, his eyes glued to the screen like nothing else in the world existed in that moment. kasai was on the floor next to him, head low as he rolled up.

dd barely glanced up when they walked in, though a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "well, well, well. look who decided to step foot in enemy territory." vanni sucked her teeth, dropping onto the edge of the bed like she had been here before. "y'all dramatic as hell."

yas threw herself down beside dd, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her chest as she pulled out her phone. "we not wrong, though. vanni act like she ain't been ducking notti for weeks." ddot, who had followed them in, perched himself on the dresser, sipping from a red cup before shaking his head with a grin. "nah, she definitely been ducking."

vanni rolled her eyes, stretching her legs out in front of her. "i just ain't seen him," she muttered. dd let out a low chuckle, finally tearing his gaze away from the game long enough to look at her. "oh, you gon' see him today."

vanni paused, but only for a second. she knew what he was doing, trying to get a reaction, trying to see if she was really as unbothered as she pretended to be. she wasn't about to give him that satisfaction. instead, she reached over and snatched the controller right out of his hands.

"don't care," she said, flipping it in her grip like she had just claimed something that belonged to her. "now move, you losing anyway." dd laughed, shoving her shoulder lightly. "aight, bet. but if you trash, imma talk shit forever." yas smirked, tilting her phone toward ddot like they were already texting about it. "this gon' be a long day." vanni ignored them, focusing on the game, her fingers tightening around the controller.

vanni was now sat at the edge of the bed, controller firm in her grip, eyes locked on the screen. the glow from the tv cast a soft blue hue over her face, reflecting off the sharp focus in her eyes. she barely blinked, fingers moving fast over the buttons, completely tuned in. the game was intense, the sound of gunfire and rapid footsteps filling the room, blending with the low music still playing from the tv.

dd sat back on the couch across from her, one arm stretched over the backrest, his gaze steady as he watched her. his expression was unreadable, but there was something in the way he studied her, quiet and calculating, like he was analyzing every little thing—the way she moved, the way her brows furrowed slightly in concentration, the way her lips parted just a bit when she was focused. he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees.

she took another shot—headshot. then another. clean. her kill streak was stacking up, and she could already tell from the shift in energy that dd had noticed. before, he had been slouched on the couch, one arm stretched over the backrest, barely paying attention, just letting the game play in the background while the rest of the room filled with quiet conversation and the low hum of music.

but now? she could feel him watching her, the way his focus had settled, like he wasn't expecting her to actually be nice at this. vanni didn't react, didn't even let it faze her. she wasn't playing to impress nobody. wasn't trying to prove shit. she was playing because she didn't like to lose.

the room carried the kind of lazy, effortless energy that came when people had been around each other for hours, long enough for the excitement of the cookout to fade into the background. the air was thick with the lingering scent of barbecue that had drifted in from outside, mixed with the faint sweetness of whatever kasai was rolling up on the floor.

the blinds were half-open, letting in just enough light to cast long shadows against the walls, the only real glow coming from the tv screen. yas was stretched out on the bed, half-paying attention, scrolling on her phone, while ddot was still perched on the dresser, sipping from his cup with a grin that said he was just waiting for the right moment to talk shit.

finally, dd spoke, his voice slow, teasing, cutting through the silence like he had just been waiting for the right moment. "man, you play like you tryna prove sum." vanni didn't even flinch, her eyes still locked on the game, fingers moving fast over the controller. "nah, i play like i don't lose."

"same shit." dd let out a low chuckle, rubbing his chin as he watched her. "nah," vanni shot back, dodging an attack effortlessly, her movements clean, precise. "one mean you doin' it for show. the other mean you just built like that."

dd shook his head slightly. "so you built like that, huh?" a small smirk tugged at the corner of vanni's lips, but she didn't break focus. didn't look at him, didn't acknowledge the shift in the conversation. just kept playing. "you tell me."

yas finally looked up from her phone, laughing. "oh, she talkin' big now." dd leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, his smirk deepening. "aight, bet. keep that same energy when you lose."

ddot grinned from the dresser, lifting his cup. "nah, this shit funny. i feel like i should be recordin' this." vanni didn't respond. she didn't need to. her hands stayed steady, her movements fluid. she could feel dd watching, waiting for her to slip up, probably thinking she was just talking, that all of this was just some front.

another kill. then another. headshot. clean.

dd sucked his teeth, shaking his head, that same smirk playing on his lips like he didn't want to admit he was impressed. "aight, okay. maybe you ain't as trash as i thought." yas nudged vanni's arm, laughing. "not you surprising him."

"not surprised," dd corrected, but there was something different in his tone now, something more curious than playful. "just unexpected." vanni finally turned her head slightly, just enough to glance at him. "same shit."

the room settled back into its usual rhythm—low music, soft conversation, the occasional sound of kasai tapping the blunt against the tray. vanni stayed locked into her game, her fingers moving automatically now, not even thinking.

vanni had been playing for a while now, her fingers never slipping, her focus never breaking. every shot was clean, every move was calculated. she wasn't just playing, she was winning. and that was starting to get to dd. she could feel it in the way he shifted on the couch, not as relaxed as before. the way he sucked his teeth every time she dodged an attack. the way he kept glancing at the screen like he was waiting for her to finally mess up.

yas had started paying attention too, side-eyeing the tv every time vanni landed another shot. ddot, who had been clowning the whole time, was leaning forward now, his cup resting on his knee, eyes flicking between the screen and dd's expression like he was just waiting for something to pop off. even kasai, still rolling up on the floor, had looked up once or twice, shaking his head slightly like he couldn't believe she was still going.

dd exhaled through his nose, shifting again, stretching his arm over the back of the couch like he was getting comfortable. but vanni knew better. she could feel the irritation rolling off him. he wasn't expecting this. wasn't expecting her to be this good, wasn't expecting her to actually beating him at his own shit. but instead of admitting it, he did the most childish shit imaginable.

without warning, dd reached out and smacked the controller clean out of her hands. the clatter of it hitting the floor was loud, the screen flashing red—GAME OVER.

the entire room erupted.

yas damn near screamed, throwing herself back against the pillows, clutching her stomach as she burst into laughter. ddot almost fell off the dresser, gripping his cup like he was witnessing the funniest shit he'd ever seen. kasai just shook his head, grinning as he sealed his blunt, not even surprised. and dd sat there looking smug as hell, leaning back into the couch with his arms stretched wide like he had just done something legendary.

vanni blinked at the screen, still processing what the hell just happened. her fingers curled into fists, her jaw tightening as she slowly turned her head toward dd. he was already looking at her, one eyebrow raised, his smirk only deepening when he saw the way she was staring him down.

"...you deadass?" her voice was calm, too calm. the kind of calm that came right before somebody lost it. dd shrugged like he ain't do shit. "shoulda died a long time ago." vanni didn't hesitate. didn't think twice. she launched herself at him, swinging.

dd let out a loud laugh, trying to dodge as she smacked his arm, shoving at his shoulder, but he was still laughing, barely blocking her attacks. "aye, chill! damn!"

"nah, fuck that!" vanni shouted, reaching for the closest pillow and beaming it at his head. yas screamed, kicking her feet against the bed as she tried to catch her breath. "yooo, she tight! she tight as fuck!"

"he a fucking sore loser!" vanni yelled, grabbing another pillow, but dd caught her wrist before she could swing. he was grinning now, still trying to act unbothered, even though she could see the way his shoulders were shaking with laughter. "aight, chill, chill, you got it," he said, still holding her wrist.

vanni yanked free and hit him again just because she could. "nah, 'cause you mad corny for that," she said, crossing her arms. "you know i was winning." dd smirked, leaning back against the couch, stretching his arms over the backrest like he was the most relaxed person in the world. "you talk too much. you needed to lose."

vanni reached for the closest thing near her, a hoodie sitting on the bed, and threw it at him. ddot was practically crying at this point, wiping his eyes as he gasped for breath. "nah, y'all dumb as hell."

yas was still giggling, shaking her head. "vanni, just let it go. he needed that lil ego boost."

"real shit," kasai mumbled, laughing under his breath as he sparked up.

dd tilted his chin up, smug as ever. "talk to her, yas." vanni rolled her eyes but couldn't fully fight off the smirk that tugged at her lips. she could not believe this man really had to cheat just to make himself feel better. it was pathetic. hilarious. annoying as hell. "yeah, whatever. you still know i was cookin' you."

dd stretched again, looking completely unbothered. "if you say so." the laughter started to die down, the energy shifting back to something chill again. yas grabbed her phone, kasai leaned back against the wall, ddot finally sipped his drink again. dd reached down, picking up the controller off the floor, flipping it in his hands before tossing it back onto the bed like nothing even happened.

her smirk faded slightly, but she shook it off, reaching for the controller again. dd might've cheated, but she wasn't about to let that be the last game she played. she still had something to prove. maybe not to them, but to herself. "run that shit back," she muttered, resetting the match.

yas groaned dramatically. "again?"vanni smirked, flipping the controller in her hands, leaning back like she had all the time in the world. "y'all not tired yet, right?" dd raised an eyebrow, watching her with amusement. "man, you different."

ddot just laughed, shaking his head. "nah, she really not tryna go outside." vanni ignored him. ignored the way her stomach twisted slightly at the reminder. she was good right here. at least for now.

ᥫ᭡ LEI SPEAKS    /   authors notes.
okay yeah this chapter so ass bro don't mind mistakes. i had writersblock and this was the best i could come up with so bare with me cause i'm lowkey giving up this book. next update will be on grapefruit or ifhy.

love yaaa, 🫧.

🎀🎀🎀.