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

GIOVANNI S. AUSTIN. THE AIRPORT.
❛❛ 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡,
𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙀𝙈, 𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙔𝙊𝙍𝙆. ❞ ‧₊˚ ┊ JULY 10, 2024.

the plane touched down smoothly at the airport, the hum of engines fading as the city spread out below. vanni sat by the window, her eyes glued to the familiar skyline, tall buildings, crowded streets, and the unmistakable hustle of new york.

it had been years since she last stepped foot in harlem, and though a part of her felt at home, another part felt like a stranger.

as soon as the plane doors opened, vanni stepped onto the jetway. the heat hit her like a wall, thick and humid, mixing with the sound of honking horns and chatter from the crowd. her eyes scanned the airport, looking for one person—yas. her cousin.

"vanni!" yas shouted from the railing, her voice cutting through the noise of the terminal. she was leaned back, beats headphones pushed up into her thick, curly hair.

"bout damn time you landed!" yas said, breaking into a grin as she stepped forward to hug vanni tightly. vanni hugged her back, the warmth of her cousin grounding her in the moment. "you know how i do," she said, pulling away with a smile.

yas laughed, putting her phone into her pocket as they made their way out. "word. always late, but we still love you."

ᥫ᭡

the ride from the airport was classic harlem—a rush of movement, cars cutting each other off, and people out on the streets with no care in the world.

yas drove confidently, weaving through traffic like she'd been doing it her whole life. the windows were down, and brent faiyaz blared from the aux.

"so, wassup for this summer?" yas asked, keeping her eyes on the road as they sped through the city.

vanni leaned back in the seat, letting the familiar buzz of harlem seep into her. "bro im gon be so fucking turnt."

yas glanced at her, a small smirk forming on her face. "real shit, i can't fucking wait." vanni laughed, a hint of confidence in her voice. "me too."

yas shook her head, chuckling under her breath. "i got somethin to tell when we get home vanni."

when they pulled up to yas's brownstone, the old building looked exactly how vanni remembered it. inside, the cool air hit them like a breath of fresh air after the summer heat. yas led vanni up the stairs to her room.

"your parents home?" vanni asked as they reached the top. yas nodded. "yeah. they in they room."

vanni followed yas down the narrow hall, her suitcase trailing behind her. at the end of the hall, yas stopped in front of a door and knocked lightly.

"who is it?" "it's me," yas called through the door, opening it slightly to peek inside. "oh, hey yas. you brought vanni?"

vanni stepped in as yas held the door open wider. an older woman, with a warm, gentle smile, stood near the window. beside her, a tall man sat in an armchair, his expression soft and welcoming.

"hey mrs. jenkins," vanni said, offering a smile. "it's been a minute. you look the same." mrs. jenkins laughed, pulling vanni into a hug. "we missed you, girl. come here."

mrs. jenkins let go of vanni, taking a step back to look her over. "you've grown so much. ain't no little girl no more."

"nah, i'm grown now, i know." vanni said, laughing softly. mr. jenkins chuckled along, patting her shoulder. "aight now, not too much."

yas leaned against the doorway, watching as vanni and her parents caught up. she could see the spark of familiarity in vanni's eyes, the way she absorbed the warmth of home once more.

ᥫ᭡

yas leaned back on her bed, propped up on her hands as she blew out a steady stream of smoke from the blunt she'd rolled earlier.

the room was filled with a lazy haze, the glow from her desk lamp casting long shadows across the walls. "so... how you feelin'?" she asked, her voice low and smooth.

vanni shrugged, setting her suitcase down gently in the corner of the room. the weight of her arrival was settling in, the familiar but distant memories of harlem pressing against her. "good," she said quietly, her tone soft. "just gettin' used to everything again."

yas nodded slowly, her gaze watching the smoke curl and drift in the air. the quiet between them lingered for a moment, the only sound being the distant hum of voices from outside drifting through the open window.

finally, yas broke the silence. "you know, there's a party tomorrow." vanni looked up, her curiosity piqued. "party?"

yas smirked, exhaling another puff of smoke before flicking the blunt lazily onto her desk. "yeah. beach party." vanni raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth twitching into a half-smile. "damn, that sound fun as fuck."

"mhm," yas said, her voice smooth and easy. "my friend hostin it."

vanni leaned back against the wall, her thoughts swirling. harlem parties were never ordinary, and this one sounded like no different. "who all gonna be there?"

"you don't gotta worry about that," yas said, blowing out a slow cloud of smoke. "just come through. trust, it's gonna be turnt as fuckk."

vanni nodded slowly, a soft smile forming. "aight. i'm down." yas grinned, her eyes bright with excitement. "aight, bet that."

vanni paused for a moment, her gaze drifting to the window as if the answer was written in the city's glowing lights. a soft chuckle escaped her lips, low and smooth. "but... ion even have a swimsuit, my heart."

yas tilted her head slightly, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "you aint pack any?"

vanni rolled her eyes, leaning back into the bed as if the question was the most obvious thing in the world. "duh. but i want a new one. sexy, feel me?"

yas let out a low laugh, the sound curling through the haze of the room. "aight, we gon hit the mall tomorrow. get you somethin' fresh."

vanni's lips curved into a soft smile, her shoulders relaxing as she sank deeper into the mattress. "you always know wassup."

"and do," yas replied confidently, the energy in her voice sharp and electric. "ou i cant waittttt."

ᥫ᭡
TIMESKIP, NEXT DAY.

vanni sat on the edge of yas's bed, gently shaking her cousin's shoulder. "yas," she whispered, her voice low but insistent. "yo, wake up. it's time to go to the mall."

yas groaned, her face buried deep into her pillow. "yo, what?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"c'mon, yas," vanni said, nudging her again. "it's almost 8:15. the party starts at 5, and i need a swimsuit."

yas let out a frustrated sigh, rolling onto her back with a scowl. "eight-fifteen? you couldn't wait 'til later?" vanni smirked, ignoring the groggy tone in her voice. "nah, girl. gotta get this done early."

yas rubbed her eyes, sitting up slowly, her hair a wild mess of curls. the sunlight barely touched the room, the early morning shadows still clinging to the corners. "you really tryna go shopping this early?"

"yup," vanni said with a grin. "now c'mon. let's get moving." yas swung her legs over the side of the bed, the floor cool against her feet.

she grabbed her phone from the nightstand, glancing at the time with a weary expression. "you so aggy, worda bro."

as yas stepped into the bathroom, vanni got up to stretch, glancing around the room. last night, she'd organized her suitcase a little while yas was in the shower.

nothing major—just folded a few things, put a couple of outfits away—but it helped clear her head. when yas emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, she looked fresh but still groggy.

her usual laid-back confidence was a bit muted this early in the morning. she threw on a graphic tee with black leggings and paired it up with black crocs.

"you ready?" vanni asked, already slipping into her sneakers. yas grabbed her keys from the nightstand, shooting her a look. "lets go bro."

with a laugh, vanni followed her out the door. the drive to the mall was quiet, as they cruised down the familiar streets of harlem, vanni leaned her head back against the seat, letting the calm settle in.

yas turned off the ignition, letting out a breath as she stretched her arms. "alright," she said, leaning back with a sigh. "we here. what kinda swimsuit you lookin' for?"

vanni smiled as they stepped out into the brisk air. "something sexy as fuck, ion know."

yas raised an eyebrow, giving her a sideways glance as they approached the mall entrance. "like what? you tryna turn heads or something?"

vanni rolled her eyes playfully. "duhhh, bro i missed the fine niggas over here." the mall was quiet at this hour, the usual hum of shoppers replaced by the sound of their footsteps echoing through the almost empty halls.

the scent of fresh pretzels and coffee lingered in the air, giving the place a slightly surreal feel. yas led the way through the racks, casually tossing items to vanni to try on.

"this one?" yas asked, holding up a sleek black bikini with silver accents. vanni nodded, giving a small hum of approval. "that's cute. but we need somethin' more..." she trailed off, scanning the racks again. "you know, something that stands out."

yas laughed softly. "you always want something that stands out. why not just go basic for once?"

"basic isn't me," vanni said with a smirk, slipping into a fitting room to try on another option. as she slipped out of her hoodie and into the bikini, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

her curves were sharp, her dark skin glowing in the soft light. it wasn't just about the swimsuit—it was about the confidence that came with it.

"so, what you think?" yas called from outside the fitting room. vanni stepped out, modeling the bikini slowly. "this one hits, but it's not it."

yas examined her, nodding thoughtfully. "you sure you need that much exposure? that shit barely leaves room for imagination."

vanni laughed, giving a little twirl. "imagination isn't really a problem for me." yas shook her head, grabbing a few more options for vanni to try.

they moved from rack to rack, laughing and talking about everything from past crushes to random memories they'd shared growing up. the early morning buzz was slowly fading as their shopping spree took over.

after a few more rounds of swimsuits, vanni finally found the one—a bold pink one-piece with intricate detailing along the sides, leaving just enough skin to tease but not too much to feel exposed.

"now that's it," yas said, giving a nod of approval. "you ready to pay and get outta here?" vanni beamed, slipping the swimsuit off and hanging it carefully back on the rack. "yesss, let's go."

yas grinned, leading the way to the register. as they made their way through the checkout, vanni couldn't help but feel a little more at ease. harlem had always been home, and with yas by her side, it felt a little more like she belonged once again.

ᥫ᭡ LEI SPEAKS    /   authors notes.
first chapter pookss, thoughtsss ??

second chapter gon be the partyyy atee

not y'all was tryna kill me over a damn chapter, i was giving yall a test to see if y'all was gon be patient... YALL FAILED BADLY AS FUCKKKK.

🎀🎀🎀.