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

GIOVANNI S. AUSTIN.           THE BEACH PARTY 2.
❛❛ 𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗨𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 ❞     ‧₊˚ ┊ JULY 11, 2024.

vanni sat on the curb, her elbows resting on her knees, her breathing heavy and uneven. she stared down at her scraped-up knuckles, her fingers trembling slightly from the adrenaline still running through her.

her chest burned, her heart still racing from the fight. even though it was over, her body didn't seem to know how to let go of the energy.

beside her, yas crouched down, brushing dirt off her knees like she didn't have a care in the world. her ponytail was half undone, strands of curls sticking to her forehead, but she didn't seem to notice—or care.

"yo, you good?" yas asked, nudging vanni gently. "yeah, i'm fine," vanni muttered, her voice low.

yas grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "cmon, vanni. cheer up. you beat that bitch up."

vanni didn't respond. she flexed her fingers, wincing at the sting shooting through her knuckles.

"yo, vanni's a beast!" ddot's voice cut through the air, loud and laughing. he strolled up, phone in hand, the screen glowing in the dark as he scrolled through his camera roll.

"i got the whole fight on video, and lemme tell you, shorty wasn't ready for you." yas laughed, shaking vanni lightly. "see? even ddot knows. you did yo thing."

"y'all done gassing her up?" notti's voice cut through the night like a blade, sharp and steady.

the group fell quiet, the tension creeping in instantly. yas, who had been laughing just a moment ago, shifted uneasily beside vanni.

ddot lowered his phone slightly, looking between notti and vanni like he was already bracing for whatever was about to happen.

vanni stood up slowly, turning to face him, her jaw tight and her chest still heaving from the fight earlier. she narrowed her eyes at him, irritation bubbling up fast.

"what's your problem?" she snapped, crossing her arms. notti tilted his head, his expression calm, but the smirk on his lips was taunting.

"my problem is you out here actin' crazy," he said, taking a step forward. "fighting random bitches for what?"

"for none of your damn business," vanni shot back, her voice sharp. "it is my business," notti said, shrugging. "you loud as fuck, making the whole crew look stupid."

yas frowned, glancing at vanni. "yo, notti, you don't gotta say it like that."

"nah, let him talk," vanni interrupted, her glare locked on notti. "he think he knows me. let's hear it."

notti took another step closer, and the way his dark eyes locked on hers made vanni's stomach twist with frustration.

"you new out here, right?" he asked, his tone mocking. "just landed, what, today? and you already out here swinging like  you know what's what. but you don't."

"and you do?" vanni snapped. "fuck yeah, i do," notti said, his voice rising slightly. "unlike you, i know how to stay cool instead of actin' crazy for no reason."

vanni scoffed, taking a step closer so they were almost chest to chest now. "you think you better than me or something?"

notti smirked, but there was no humor in it. "nah, i just don't move dumb. and right now? you moving dumb as hell."

the words hit harder than vanni expected, but she wasn't about to show it. instead, her fists balled at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as anger bubbled over.

"you don't know me, so keep my name out your mouth," she snapped, her voice louder now. "yeah aight," notti said, his tone dripping with condescension.  "stop actin like one of dem ghetto bitches and maybe i will."

"fuck you," vanni spat, her voice cutting through the air like a whip. notti let out a low laugh, his smirk deepening. "fuck you, the fuck?"

vanni's anger boiled over. without thinking, she raised her hand and slapped him, the sound echoing down the street. everything went silent.

notti's head snapped to the side, his jaw tightening as his entire body stiffened. the air grew heavy, the kind of silence that sucked the oxygen out of the block. everyone froze, their eyes wide.

yas gasped, covering her mouth. "vanni, what the fuck?!" ddot's phone was trembling in his hand as he whispered, "ohhh, shit."

vanni stayed where she was, her chest rising and falling as she glared at him. her hand stung, but she didn't care. she wasn't scared.

but then notti turned back to her, his hands curled into fists at his sides, and he stepped forward so fast it made her flinch.

he took another step forward, his arm twitching like he was ready to swing back, but before he could do anything, dd lunged forward and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"chill, notti! chill!" dd shouted, his voice strained as he yanked his brother back.

notti stopped his movements and suddenly looked calm, but his exterior gave off an angry feeling.

"yo, dd," he said, his voice eerily calm as he turned to his brother, not even looking at vanni anymore. "who this bitch think she hitting, bro?"

"it's cool, nigga. just chill." dd encouraged notti, but he wasn't going for none of that.

notti resisted, his muscles tense as his glare stayed locked on vanni. "nah, fuck that," he snapped, his voice rising. "who the fuck does she think she's hitting, nigga?!"

"she wild for that, yeah, but you need to calm the fuck down," dd said, tightening his grip on notti's shoulders. "you know how you get. just chill."

"nah, don't tell me that shit," notti growled, his breathing heavy as his fists stayed clenched.  yas was already moving, grabbing vanni by the arm and pulling her back. "vanni, let's go! now!"

"why? i'm not scared of him," vanni muttered, her voice sharp as she tried to shrug yas off. yas hissed, yanking her harder. "you don't know notti like that. just get in the damn car!"

vanni finally let herself be dragged toward the car, though her glare never left notti. his chest was still heaving, his body tense as dd kept holding him back.

yas practically shoved vanni into the passenger seat, slamming the door shut behind her before running around to the driver's side. she climbed in, slammed the door, and started the engine with shaking hands.

"you fucking crazy, vanni," yas muttered as she sped off, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel. "he was really about to kill yo ass."

vanni crossed her arms, staring out the window as the streetlights blurred past. her hand still stung from the slap, and her heart was still racing, but she refused to feel guilty.

back on the block, notti was still fuming, his body tense as he shrugged off dd's hands. "you calm now?" dd asked, his voice careful.

notti scoffed, shaking his head as he glared down the street where the car had disappeared. "nah. but it's whatever."

ddot finally broke the silence, laughing nervously as he held up his phone. "yo, notti, she slapped the shit outta you. you good?"

"ddot, shut the fuck up," dd snapped, shoving him lightly. notti didn't say anything. he stood there, his hands balled into fists, his chest rising and falling slowly. his gaze followed the car as it pulled away, his jaw still tight.

ᥫ᭡ LEI SPEAKS    /   authors notes.
give me a pat on the back the way i updated for y'all,🙂‍↔️.
anywho, thoughtsss ??

y'all still fw grapefruit? should i update?

love yaaa, 🫧.

🎀🎀🎀.