Chapter 21

SAME DAY, MID MARCH 2020

“Ion know how ta work no damn Zoom!” Malik, Jeremiah’s producer and sometimes, his mentor. “Why don’tchu jus’ come ta the stu’, luh cuz!”

“It’s jus’ with es whole pandemic shit—” Jeremiah started.

“Man, is you sick?” Malik asked through the FaceTime.

Jeremiah shook his head ‘no’.

“Okay, so whatchu worried about? Get up hur, n yo ass bet not be lyin’ about bein’ sick,” Malik threatened. “I got four kids, Jeremiah.”

“I swur, on my daddy, I ain’t!” Jeremiah quickly said, holding a hand up as an oath.

He then saw that the phone was taken from Malik’s hand. Entering the screen was a face Jeremiah faintly remembered.

Oh, that’s the husband—Tre’Sean or something.

“Jus’ come eat breakfast with us, youngin’. N let’s talk about that music video—” Trevon started.

“Nigga, I said, ain’t no promo in es mufucka.” Malik grabbed his phone back, and Trevon just laughed.

Jeremiah had a small smile, seeing the two.

“Anyways, Jeremiah, c’mon, luh nigga—I’m hangin’ up. Expectin’ ta see you soon.” Malik then hung up the phone, with Jeremiah sitting on the couch in thought.

He shook them off, then stood up and quickly put on his shoes and mask, grabbed his keys, and finally headed out of their dormitory.

Once he got into his car, he checked his phone.

my mufuckin baby ❤️

> im on the way ova there baby. Make sure u eat yo breakfast.

> i love you so much Jeremiah.

> have a better day than me 😂 ong

Jeremiah chuckled, reacting to all the messages.

*loved “im on the way ova there baby. Make sure u eat yo breakfast.”*

*loved “i love you so much Jeremiah.”*

*laughed at “have a better day than me 😂 ong”*

I love you to the moon n back <

n I’m CTFU. I will have a better day fa you baby <

He just smiled to himself, putting his phone away, then starting up his car, finally driving towards Taylor Made Music (Shop & Studio).

Once he arrived, he went inside, being greeted by the tall man, Trevon, who was also Malik’s husband.

He had two baby girls in each arm, kissing both of their cheeks.

He looked up, seeing Jeremiah. “Malik!” he yelled.

“Yes, baby?” Malik yelled back.

“Yo protege hur,” Trevon told him, watching as he walked out, grabbing one of the girls, giving Trevon one of the cans of baby food and a spoon that he held with both hands.

“Hey, Woody,” Malik chuckled, walking up to Jeremiah, dapping him up. “My bad, luh nigga. I got hella kids,” Malik laughed, making Trevon laugh too. “N they all gurls–can you imagine my hell?” Malik scoffed. “My oldest,” Malik took a deep breath. “We not even rey talk about ha.” He turned around, looking at Trevon. “Imma need ha mama ta whispa in ha mufuckin’ ear or sum, fa I tweak out on et gurl, Tre,” Malik told him, and Jermiah just looked at them in confusion.

“Wait, so you not gay?” He accidentally blurted, covering his mouth quickly with his hands.

Malik slowly turned around, hearing babbling in his ear, feeling the baby trying to reach for her food.

Trevon just busted out laughing. “You jus’ gon’ letcho pupil call you a f–” he got cut off when Malik reached up and put his hand over his mouth, making Trevon laugh some more.

“Wa-wait, Ian mean it like et–Mr. Malik. I-I-I’m sorry. I would n-neva,” Jeremiah stuttered, looking down at him, waving his hands.

“Tre, you makin’ my young nigga feel bad–leave the kids alone,” Malik scolded him.

“Okay, I quit.” Trevon raised his hands in defense. “You hungry, youngin’?”

Jeremiah was hesitant on joining, seeing how eclectic they were, but… he nodded. “Yes, sir,” he answered, and Trevon smiled, waving Jeremiah over.

He followed the two fathers and their twin daughters into the back of the building, where Malik’s office and kitchen were.

Jeremiah’s eyes went wide when he saw a chef in there, preparing breakfast, including eggs, bacon, cheesy grits, waffles, French toast, hash browns, sausages, breakfast sandwiches, and a large tray of fruit.

The chef was lastly hand-squeezing fresh orange juice to wash the delicious meal down with.

“It’s smell FAH in hur, Patty!” Malik damn near yelled, making Jeremiah chuckle at his loudness, seeing the baby laugh at him too. “You eatin’ with us?”

Patty shook her head, “Hell, nah. I got my own kids to feed.”

Malik smacked his lips, while Trevon put one of the twins in a high chair, grabbing the other twin from Malik and repeating. “Well, stay safe,” Malik added as she started cleaning up.

“Fa real,” Trevon spoke up, grabbing some fruit, eggs, and bacon, cutting them up for the babies.

“Please don’t get sick, Pats. We deadass need you. We niggas, we can’t cook, n mufuckas got four girls.” Malik pleaded, making Patty laugh.

“I’ll do my best,” she smiled, washing her hands after wiping off the counters, then walking over to the twins. “I gotta make sure my favorite babies stay full, huh? Y’all don’t want no damn fake-ass baby food, huh?” She spoke in a baby voice, shaking her head as he looked at the twins, making them laugh.

Jeremiah just sat back with a slight smirk on his face, watching the oddly comforting but different family dynamic.

It made his mind start wondering what could be… just a little.

“You da best, Patty.” Trevon held his arms out to hug her. “Imma zelle you.”

She gave Trevon a hug, then Malik, kissing both girls on the cheek before waving Jeremiah bye, finally making her exit.

Then there was a bit of silence, and Jeremiah was just sitting in one of the chairs, waiting to be told what to do next.

“Jeremiah, eat, cuz,” Malik chuckled, shoving a plate into his hands.

“I-I was jus’ waiting on y’all…” Jeremiah awkwardly spoke.

“Jeremiah, I only got girls, meanin’ you ain’t my son, grown ass nigga–eat!” Malik laughed.

Jeremiah just smacked his lips as he stood up to get his food. “Nigga’s hella aggressive ta be et little…” he mumbled under his breath, and Trevon busted out laughing.

“Yo, I been sayin’ et since I met him!” Trevon joked, and Malkk just ran up to him and jumped on his back like a monkey.

“You really been tryna hoe me in front of my luh pupil.” Malik huffed.

The babies just laughed while stuffing food in their faces, and Jeremiah couldn’t help but smile at the good vibes.

He felt his vision blur for a second, seeing himself and Micah… just for a second.

He blinked, and his sight returned to normal, watching the two wrestle, then laugh, then kiss, then he watched as Trevon pulled out his chair, sitting down, and Malik climbed onto his lap, sliding both of their plates next to them.

“You look like you wan’ say sum,” Malik said aloud, now looking at Jeremiah. “Don’t be pussy, ask yo question.”

Jeremiah just smacked his lips. “Man, Ian pussy. I jus’ ain’t tryna disrespect you either. You my mentor. You feel me?” He told Malik, pleading his case.

“I feel you, but I find it more disrespectful when you jus’ lookin’ at me n my nigga, like we monkeys inna zoo, instead od jus’ sayin’ wuss on yo mind,” Malik replied as he started eating from his plate. He then paused to continue speaking. “We murried, Jeremiah. You thank we ain’t hurd everything by now? Plus, I know you. You ain’t no disrespectful nigga. You a good young man, I know et for a fact. You like my luh bro at this point, jus’ ask…” Malik finished, looking at Trevon to see his face.

He would know by Trevon’s face if he had said something wrong or not, and Trevon just had a small smirk on his face, admiring his husband.

“Numba five tanight?” Trevon whispered in his ear.

Malik felt his face heat up as he rolled his eyes. “Anyways.”

“I mean… well… I jus’ wanna know how–” Jermiah paused, trying to figure out how he would word his question.

Although Malik had said what he did, Jeremiah was still conscious of people whom he respected, especially his elders.

“Um, so like, how you so like thugged out, but gay?” Jeremiah asked his first question.

“He talk jus’ like yo ass,” Trevon added on.

Malik just closed his eyes, rubbing his temples, then laughing at Jeremiah’s words.

“Well… could you be more… specific then thugged out gay?” Malik asked with a bit of hesitation and stress in his tone.

Trevon just chuckled again, gaining an eye roll from Malik.

Jeremiah cleared his throat, adjusting in his chair a bit. “I mean like… how… like…” he paused, feeling stuck in his words. He was starting to blank out and get overstimulated from not knowing what to say exactly.

“Iss’ aight, Jeremiah. I jus’ need sum more details.” Malik nodded towards him.

“Well… how did you realize you like men… n did you always know? I was jus’ tryna say, it seem like you from the hood, so Ian expect someone like you ta have a husband, if I’m bein’ completely honest…” Jeremiah finishes with a sigh.

Malik nodded again. “Well, no. Ian always know. He made me realize,” he said, looking at Jeremiah while pointing backwards to Trevon.

Trevon smirked. “Mind you, Ian even the first nigga Malik fucked, so how I make you realize?” he scoffed.

Malik just smacked his lips. “You still won’t let that shit go, huh?. I thought we moved pasted allet, Papa?” Malik spoke with worry in his voice.

Trevon then changed his expression, grabbing Malik’s face gently. “We did. I was jus’ messin’ witchu. I’m sorry, my lovebug,” he told him, then kissed him a few times.

Malik pur his hand up towards Jeremiah, trying to block his view, pulling away. “Otha people’s kids inna room, Trevon,” he told him, adjusting himself into his lap.

“This luh nigga grown as fuck.” Trevon waves him off. “Anyways, continue. What I make you realize, baby?” Trevon smiled, staring at the side of his face.

Jeremiah just smirked, shaking his head. “Y’all entertainin’ as hell,” he laughed, thinking of himself and Micah.

“Well, after spendin’ a lot of time with him, I started feelin’… weird as fuck, like… I remember us hangin’ out on some real coo’ shit, like dead ass just friends, but I remember… sometimes I’d stare at this nigga’s face.” Malik paused to laugh. “Like intensely, n I’m thinkin’ in my head, mad as fuck, ‘why the fuck am I starin’ at a nigga face like es?’ Man, nigga-Jeremiah, Ian even stur at nigga’s faces when I was in prison. I actually stayed away from niggas, like, ew, don’t fuckin’ touch me, or I’m beating yo fuckin’ brain outcome head.” Malik stood up, hype as he recounted his past.

Jeremiah found it interesting how he went from just submissive and soft to Trevon to aggressive as hell the next second.

“Man, I was fucked up inna head, Jeremiah,” Malik continues, sitting back down on Trevon’s lap, feeling him wrap his arms around his smaller body. “Nigga, I’m from the mufuckin’ trenches. We don’t fuck wit no gay shit. We callin’ gay niggas dirty f*gs ta they faces–yeah, fucked up. I know.” Malik nodded. “Looked who turned out ta be the dirty f*g?” He pointed towards himself. “God humbled the fuck outta a nigga, on my kids, but sometimes you need to be humbled,” Malik told him.

“I needed ta be sat down. I needed ta confront myself, fully. I was twenty-five, twenty-six, witta whole seven-year-old, n one onna way when me n Tre started fuckin’ around. Nigga es a long time not knowin’ you like niggas, building a perception, a misconception around gay people, queer people, whateva you wanna call it, but then fallin’ in love witta man. I was mad. I was angry, angry at myself fa just havin’ feelings. That’s when I realized es shit ain’t a choice.” Malik shook his head. “When I was with Tre, I remember gettin’ giddy n butterflies like I did when I was with my baby mama. I just wanted ta be around him, n I remember I felt the most comfortable around him. I could be my full self.” Malik continued. ” Es shit rey make a nigga emotional fareal.” He shook his head.

He took a deep breath. “I felt free. N I had someone by my side who loved everything about me, unconditionally, ta the point whur my second daughter you met… She think me and Tre really had her. I be tellin’ her about her mama, but she kinda think I’m her mama. She really jus’ now wrappin’ her head around shit,” Malik rolled his eyes, causing Trevon and Jeremiah to burst out laughing.

“You da mama?” Jeremiah asked, blinking. “So, you be gettin’ fuc–” He quickly covered his mouth, looking at Trevon and Malik, whose mouths were agape. “Yo, I swur I meant ta keep et in my head.”

“I—” Trevon started.

“Well… uhh,” Malik blinked, then slowly nodded. “I think if a dick is goin’ in me or not is besides the point, Jeremiah.”

“I know, it jus’ slipped out. C’mon, bruh. Who wouldn’t think et question, seein’ y’all?” Jeremiah replied, holding his hands out, gesturing towards the two.

Malik just laughed, “I’m jus’ fuckin’ witchu, boi, calm down. N if you really wanna know, my nigga top ten best dick in the world.” He nodded. “Yes, sir,” he chuckled, and Trevon just chuckled, shrugging his shoulders in agreement.

“Well, I’m hur,” Jeremiah added on, and Malik scrunched his face up.

“Aye, you deadass like my luh brotha, Ion wanna know how good yo dick game is, nossuh.” Malik shook his head ‘no’.

“But you jus’!” Jeremiah started, but Malik kept shaking his head. “Aight, bruh. WHateva.” He smacked his lips.

“Anyways, do you have any more questions?” Malik asked with a chuckle. He thought Jeremiah was adorable, all riled up. It really reminded him of the sibling bond he and his older sister had.

Instinctively, Jeremiah shook his head, but then he paused when a thought blinked into the existence of his consciousness, “H-How did you accept yourself, fully?” he asked, and Malik’s eyes slightly widened.

“Good question,” Trevon said low, wondering what Malik would say as well.

“Well–” as Malik started to answer, Jeremiah’s phone began to ring.

Malik paused, and Jeremiah looked down at his phone to see who was calling, reading the screen name ‘My Brudda’; it was Lamar.

He probably thought he wanted nothing, and he let it ring, looking back up at Malik. “My bad.”

“Es yo boyfriend callin’?” Malik asked him, and Jeremiah’s eyes went wide.

“What?” Jeremiah blinked. “What make you think et?” He raised a brow.

“I mean, c’mon, my nigga. You askin’ these deep ass questions–” Malik got cut off as Jeremiah’s ringtone filled the room again.

Damn, ‘Mar calling again? It must be serious.

He looked down, hearing a ding, and seeing he also had texted him. He stood up. “One second.” He told Malik and Trevon.

They nodded, turning their attention back to their food that was now cold, from ranting as Jeremiah left the room.

Jeremiah went to the main lobby of the small building, answering the FaceTime call.

“Hello–”

“Did you see what I sent you yet?” Lamar asked him, and Jeremiah shook his head no.

Lamar flipped the camera, zooming in and showing Micah’s car, and through the windshield, seeing Micah and Kelia together… and their lips were still touching, although of you zoomed in even closer… you would see Micah would wide eyes, frozen, almost like he was paralyzed.

His brain was almost in an immediate vegetative state.

Jeremiah just blinked, hanging up the phone, forgetting about the conversation he was just having, the great mood he was in as he slammed open the front door, leaving a dent.

Malik stood up, hearing the noise. “What the fuck?” He asked himself, reaching at his waistband, heading towards the noise.

Meanwhile, after Micah got over his moment of paralysis, he pulled back, pushing her shoulders. “What the fuck are you doin’?” He asked her, immediately feeling guilty.

Just as we were on a good path. He thought to himself.

He let out a deep sigh, starting the car up, not even waiting for her to respond.

“So, you don’t wanna fuck? Since when, Micah?” Kelia asked him as he started backing out of the parking lot.

He just ignored her question, facing forward as he gripped the wheel with annoyance.

Bro, Jeremiah is going to be so fucking mad.

Should I tell him?

I mean it’s the right thing to do.

“Micah!” She damn near yelled, making Micah quickly glance at her.

“What?” He emphasized the T sound, indicating his frustration.

“Soooo,” she started off. “You’re telling me, a bitch has you so up under her ass that you don’t even want to have sex?” She scoffed. “Why did I never get that treatment? So you’re telling me that someone you just fucking met has you not even wanting to touch me, even though–” she looked down at her stomach.

“Aye, we not rey do this, today. Not today.” Micah shook his head.

“No, fuck you, Micah!” Kelia yelled.

“How the fuck are you mad at me cuz Ion wanna fuck? What typa shit is et? If it was the otha way around–”

“If IT WAS THE OTHER WAY, THEN WHAT?” She yelled. “So, the times I didn’t want to fuck, n you did, you chose to fuck other bitches. That’s the fuckin’ other way around, nigga.” Kelia scoffed.

Micah gasped a bit. “Now, a mufucka turnin’ it on me?” Micah yelled, pulling the car over. “Bitch, fuck you.” He spoke, then groaned in immediate regret. “Ian mean–”

“ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME?’ She yelled, and Micah just sighed deeply.

“I said Ian mean ta say et. You just be pissin’ me the fuck off!” Micah snapped back.

“Fuck YOU, Micah!” Kelia yelled. “I’ll go to the fuckin’ hospital myself!” She hopped out of the car.

Micah facepalmed himself. “Kelia, bruh!” He smacked his lips, exiting the car. “Get back inna car, girl.” He told her, going around the car and grabbing her wrist as she ‘attempted’ to walk off.

“Get the FUCK OFFA ME!” She shook out of his grasp, turning towards him to yell at him.

“GET INNA FUCKIK’ CAR, KELIA!” Micah yelled, grabbing her again. He then looked around, “Bruh, let’s not do this,” he told her, shaking his head. “Let me take you ta the fuckin’ hospital, Kelia.”

She stubbornly let him take her hand and walk her back to the car. “It’s just like why would you call me a bitch, Micah?” she started crying. “I just don’t understand how y-you are already so gone off another bitch that you’re even callin’ me out my name. When have you ever called me a bitch, Micah? That’s not right. I’m the mother of your child.” She sniffled.

Micah just ignored her, buckling her into the car. “You just emotional—”

“Emotional? You just called me a bitch, Micah!” she yelled in his face.

Micah sighed, standing up.

He wanted to just scream and run away, to be honest.

“I said, Ian mean to! N if you wanna keep it a buck, I was angry! Angry you tryna dictate any fucking thang about what I got goin’ on when we was just askin’ WHO DA FUCKIN’ DADDY OF MY FUCKIN’ BABY WAS!” Micah yelled back, and she just kept quiet, silently sniffling.

“Since you wanna bring up old shit, let’s fuckin’ do it!” Micah clapped his hands, slamming the car door, making Kelia jump as he walked around to the other side.

“You don’t have to fucking remind me!” Kelia sniffled. “I told you I didn’t want it that way.”

“Ion care how you wanted it, Kelia. You did it, and I felt like you was avoiding accountability! This started witchu tryna make me fuck you! You fuckin’ pregnant, and maybe, I don’t wanna be the same nigga I was ta you, ta hi—whoo, lemme calm down before I drive,” Micah breathed, stepping outside of the car.

He looked off into the distance, feeling his heart racing, for he almost exposed his relationship was not in fact with a woman, but a man… Jeremiah.

He facepalmed himself, feeling his emotions overpowering him. He thought about the text he sent Jeremiah earlier.

It just led him to thinking about Jeremiah, and how he wanted to change for him, and he wants to be honest with him, but with his past, how will Jeremiah react?

Micah just cried, knowing that it wouldn’t end well, and at this point, he pretty much knew his feelings for Jeremiah. He was at the point where he felt deeply for him, but he knew him.

He sighed, hoping that his intuition was wrong as he re-entered the car.

“So, you’d rather star over with someone you just met than the mother of your child—Got it,” Kelia told him.

“Let’s just make sure my child is okay, so we can go our separate ways, please. I got enough on my plate as it is. Ion need no extra bullshit you spittin’ ta add to it! So if you would please shit the fuck up, n let me drive.” Micah spoke without even looking at her.

She just shrank up in her seat, resting her hand on her stomach as Micah started to drive.

Kelia felt as if Micah was changing, and she didn’t like it. It would mean she wouldn’t get the outcome she had hoped for them.

The thousands of dreams she had in middle school, high school, falsely prophesying the reality of her and Micah, dreaming of marriage and multiple babies.

She dreamed of following in the footsteps and foundation her family made for her. Although she experienced many problems with them, she thought they knew best for her future.

Kelia wished for a future without considering who she was having a future with.

Micah was a constantly changing variable in the equation…

•••

later on that day

Pulling up outside of his dorm, Micah felt like he would almost have an anxiety attack.

He didn’t want to face Jeremiah.

Micah knew he was fucking up too much, and it was only so much a person could take.

As much as he fought them, tears welled up in his eyes, and he gripped the wheel, staring down into the dark abyss at his feet.

He felt tears run down his nose, obeying the laws of gravity as they impacted with his shoes. He didn’t want to go inside.

But I need to tell him the truth, because he already doesn’t trust me.

Micah sighed, getting outside of the car, heading up to his dorm room.

Once he arrived on his floor, the sound of the elevator bell ringing caused him to jump out of his skin. He refocused, passing a couple of his teammates on the way.

“Micah, you know we might not even be havin’ the championship?” One of them asked.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hurd about that,” he gave him a dressed-up reaction.

He didn’t care about anything else at the moment except the man he wanted to avoid the most. “I-I gotta head in tho,” Micah told his teammate, then walked to dorm room 303.

He opened the door, looking around, seeing that it was dark.

Micah stepped in fully.

He raised a brow, noticing every light was off, and there was a lack of any sound, indicating Jeremiah was not there.

Where the fuck is he at? Micah thought as he started checking both of their rooms, starting with his first, seeing Jeremiah wasn’t there, then going across the dorm, opening Jeremiah’s door.

He wasn’t there.

Micah pulled out his phone.

He went to Jeremiah’s contact, and his finger hovered over the call button, for his anxiety told him to just wait…

But he decided to be brave. He called him.

It rang… and rang some more… and some more… and one final time until Micah heard. “Please leave a message for: ‘Jeremiah’,” Micah heard his voicemail.

“What the fuck?” Micah scoffed, redialing him.

“Please–” Micah hung up, hearing Jeremiah’s phone go to voicemail.

He checked their messages, trying to see if Jeremiah had texted him; Jeremiah hadn’t texted him since the early afternoon, after he woke up.

This made Micah feel a way. He knew his reasoning for not being as communicative, but Jeremiah couldn’t send a check-in text? Now, he’s not answering the phone?

Along with Micah’s burning feelings of Jeremiah’s impending bad reaction, he also felt confused… because he didn’t know about the kiss… right?

There’s no way.

Micah started blowing up Jeremiah’s phone, and it would go to voicemail every time.

He sighed deeply, flopping down onto their couch. “Whur da fuck is es nigga at?!” He yelled out loud to himself.

Micah knew that he went to the studio.

That was where he was the last time he lost his phone.

“Fuck, it,” Micah said to himself, grabbing his keys from the coffee table and heading back out the door.

He looked up the studio’s address from the small memory of the name of it, which Jeremiah told him a while ago.

It took about twenty minutes before he arrived.

He was a bit nervous as he stepped out of his car, assuming Jeremiah was inside.

However, when he walked inside, he was met with people who were not Jeremiah.

“We closed. I was just rey lock up.” Micah looked towards Malik, who had an annoyed look on his face. “Bro, I get bein’ mad, but destroyin’ my shit tho!” He spoke to himself, looking at the slight hole imprinted in the wall. He then noticed Micah wasn’t moving. “I thought I said we closed,” Malik repeated, walking towards him.

“Look, Ion want no smoke. I just wanna know if Jeremiah was still here or just had left…” Micah raised his hands in defense, seeing the look on Malik’s face.

“Baby, calm down. I’ll pay ta get it fixed,” Trevon came from the back, holding the twins.

Malik turned to him, “Fuck, et. I can pay for it! Es not the point!”

“Jeremiah did what?” Micah asked Malik.

“Aye, yo boyfren pissed me off. He not hur, or you two niggas would be tryna jump me. On my kids, but Imma better nigga in 2020, so by tomorrow Imma be cool. It’s really not that deep, he ain’t mean it.” Malik nodded, rambling to himself.

“Boyfriend?” Micah gasped.

“Frend, boyfriend, Ion really cur. Not tryna be a dick, but can you leave? He not hur, n I gotta take my babies home.” Malik told Micah, slightly pushing him through the door, then locking up behind him.

“What the fuck?” Micah scoffed, smacking his lips. “That nigga just manhandled the fuck outta me? This the nigga Jeremiah go to?” Micah asked himself, frustrated that he even gone there in the first place.

Micah got back into his car, heading back to the dorms, sighing, and feeling even worse.

“I can neva have no fuckin’ peace,” Micah scoffed to himself, exiting his car.

He arrived back at their dormitory, opening the door.

Still darkness and silence.

Micah started getting angry, pulling out his phone once again, dialing Jeremiah’s phone, and slamming the door behind him.

After a few calls, with no answers, Micah then got on Instagram, attempting to find Lamar and Dreya’s pages, so he could contact them.

They never exchanged numbers. Micah didn’t even know if the two really liked him, truly.

He didn’t care in the moment, though.

As he was about to direct message Dreya, Micah swore his soul almost evaporated when he heard the door start opening behind him.

He quickly turned around, seeing Jeremiah…

Jeremiah was covered in sweat, and he had his practice clothes on.

Micah looked at his face, which seemed neutral, but Micah knew it was not. “Whur the fuck you been at? Why ain’tchu answerin’ yo phone?” He asked Jeremiah, walking up to him, trying to grab his hands.

Jeremiah just backed up away from Micah, chuckling, attempting to go around him, and head to his room. “Leave me alone.”

“What is your issue, bruh?” Micah started to raise his voice, going after him, grabbing his arm.

“YOU MY FUCKIN’ ISSUE, NIGGA!” Jeremiah yelled.

Micah jumped a bit, feeling small as Jeremiah slightly hovered over him, yelling almost to where the whole dorm could hear.

“You pressin’ me, tell me whur the FUCK YOU WAS AT, HUH?” He yelled. “Got nerve callin’ mufuckas hoes n sluts all the time like you ain’t the nufuckin’ biggest whore I met in my fuckin’ life, bitch. Fuck, you, Micah.” Jeremiah seethed at him, getting in his face

“What the fuck you ain’t rey do is talk ta me like I’m one of es bitches, Jeremiah. How many times I gotta tell you that? Ion know what the fuck you fuckin’ issue is, but you ain’t rey keep calling me out my FUCKIN’ NAME!” Micah yelled back. “Ian even DO SHIT FA YOU TA BE TALKIN’ TA ME LIKE ES!” He felt his voice starting to shake, pushing Jeremiah away from him a little bit.

“You ain’t do shit? So you ain’t do shit? Okay, Micah. Essa bet.” Jeremiah nodded, turning towards the door this time.

“Fuck, no, nigga.” Micah grabbed Jeremiah’s arm a bit more roughly this time, making Jeremiah turn around and push him to the floor.

“Quit fuckin touchin me, nigga!” Jeremiah told him. “You KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU DID!” He yelled down at Micah, who was just stunned. “DON’T SIT HUR N TRY TA PLAY ME LIKE I’M FUCKIN’ DUMB! I’M NOT DUMB!” Jeremiah yelled at him, almost out of breath. His eyes were also watering. “YOU A FUCKIN’ HOE AS NIGGA, N IMMA KEEP CALLIN’ YOU OUTCHO FUCKIN’ NAME CUZ ES WHAT THE FUCK YOU IS, NIGGA! I KNOW ABOUT YOU N YO BITCH! I SAW IT. I SAW YOU WIT HA, NIGGA!”

“B-but how?” Micah spoke his first thought. His mind was now spiraling, wondering where did Jeremih get this information.

When did he see them together? Who told him?

Jeremiah scoffed. He couldn’t believe Micah’s words. “But how?” he asked as Micah stood to his feet. “Are you fuckin’ wit me, nigga? You askin’ me how I found out that you was fuckin’ around? So, that is whatchu concerned about?”

“Jeremiah, you not even givin’ me a chance ta say nun–”

“WHAT THE FUCK IS THUR TA SAY BESIDES YOU A HOE ASS BITCH?!” Jeremiah yelled, feeling even angrier as tears streamed down his face. “WHAT IS THERE TO SAY?”

Micah saw the tears coming from his eyes, and his heart broke. “If you would just listen, Ian kiss her, she kissed me!”

Jeremiah furrowed his brows, scoffing. “Why the fuck would I cur who kissed who first? I saw you kissin’ the bitch who gotcho baby!” He snapped, getting close to him again. “I’m fuckin’ tired!” Jeremiah told him. “I’m fuckin’ tired of you. I’m tired of you makin’ me feel like shit, like you love me then you hate me, like you want me then you don’t, like all I’m good for is a fuck, like I’m fuckin’–ugh, I can’t even think straight.” He groaned, taking a deep breath.

“Jeremiah, she kissed me, you not undastandin’.” Micah shook his head, trying to grab his hands. “I love you, Jeremiah. Don’t do es, bruh. Don’t.”

“Get the fuck offa me! You don’t love me.” Jeremiah shook his head. “You can’t love me. I know what bein’ loved feels like! My daddy loves me! Dreya loves me! Lamar loves me! This shit feels like fuckin’ hell, n Ion wanna do it no more.” Jeremiah cried, shaking his head.

“I do love you, Jeremiah,” Micah told him, not caring, and grabbed his shoulders. “What are you sayin’ you wanna do it no more? I love you. What happened ta stayin’ together until we can’t, until we gotta face the world,” Micah cried, looking into his eyes.

Jeremiah shook his head, looking away from Micah’s eyes. “We just don’t work, I gotta keep my head up. I can’t lose myself in you no more.”

“No,” Micah told him, shaking his head. “We do work, y-you just need to hur me out. Ian kiss ha, Jeremiah, please,” Micah cried, holding onto him. “I-Ian do nun this time, why ain’tchu believing me?” he asked.

“Because I believed in you too long, Micah,” Jeremiah told him, nodding his eyes. “I believed even when it hurt me to my core, I believed. I’m tired of believing in a fantasy. We don’t work. N the truth of the matter is that I wouldn’t mind f-facin’ the world witchu if I believed.’ Jeremiah cried, poking Micah’s shoulder. “Because even in this moment, I fuckin’ love everythang aboutchu. I can’t help what my heart feels, but I can’t drown either, Micah. I done made it too fah.” He said, looking into his eyes. “N you ain’t rey fuck nun up.”

Micah just sat there crying, but they failed to reach Jeremiah, for his eyes were blurry with tears, too…

Micah was speechless; what could he say?

It felt as if Jeremiah was continuously stabbing him in the heart with his words, and he couldn’t refute them.

He knows that he hasn’t been the best to Jeremiah, and that this is probably what he deserves.

All Micah wants is for Jeremiah to be happy, and his heart was breaking because he realized that he didn’t make Jeremiah happy.

“I’m sorry,” was all the words Micah could muster as he put his head down, almost as if he was bowing in repentance, afraid of looking in Jeremiah’s eyes.

“I know,” Jeremiah replied low, grabbing Micah’s head, pulling him in for a hug. “I’m sorry too,” he told him, then lifted his face, almost going back on his words when he saw how red Micah’s green eyes were, and how heartbroken he looked. “N I thank you fa showin’ me what it’s like ta be in love.” He told him, then kissed his forehead, grabbing his phone, and leaving back out of the dorm.

Micah was left standing there, and the door shutting sounded like a bomb, causing Micah to jump.

He felt like screaming to the top of his lungs, but all he could do was stare at the door, with all the memories of them two flashing through his mind.

Before, Jeremiah doesn’t feel like a reality to Micah anymore. When was he ever not in love with him?

Although it’s been a short amount of time, Micah feels like he can’t imagine life without Jeremiah by his side.

But then again, maybe, this is for the best. Micah thought that although his heart ached, almost more painful than he felt after waking up from taking his life.

After what seemed like forever, Micah did what he always did when the future looked bleak, hopeless, and full of nothingness: he crawled into his bed, in the deep darkness of his room, locking himself away.

Life for him seemed like it was… meaningless, again.

•••

a couple days later

For the past two days, Jeremiah has been sleeping on the futon in Taylor’s one-bedroom apartment, which is about the minutes away from campus.

He hasn’t told him why, even though Taylor was smart enough to guess it had something to do with him and Micah.

Currently, Taylor was in the kitchen deciding what they should eat, while Jeremiah was on his couch, playing 2K20 on Taylor’s PlayStation 4.

“Yo, whatchu want ta eat? I’m jus’ rey order fuck it. I can’t be a housewife like Micah,” Taylor joked to lighten up the mood.

He heard some laughter escape Jeremiah as he stood up to go into the kitchen with Taylor. “I mean, you could if you put ya mind to it.” He laughed, going through the cabinets.

Taylor smacked his lips, hopping on the counter as he got on his phone and opened his food delivery app. “When you think es lock down shit gonna be over?” Taylor asked him.

He had been going crazy in the house by himself. Taylor was actually thankful Jeremiah wanted to stay over; he was bored out of his mind, and he wanted to play basketball!

Jeremiah sighed and shrugged. “Hopefully soon, I’m ready to get back on the fuckin’ court, like I deadass can’t take es shit. I feel like this shit ain’t fair. Nigga,” he turned to him, starting to talk with his hands. “It’s our fuckin’ senior yur!” Jeremiah grabbed his shoulders. “We supposed ta be in havin’ championship games! Gettin’ recruited!” He emphasized. “Niggas like us done made it too fah ta be inna fuckin’ house.”

“I know,” Taylor groaned as Jeremiah let him go. “But Coach sed we rey start practicin’ again in case we do have the championship. Apparently, they tryna reschedule everythang, n Coach wanna be prepared.”

“As long as shit ain’t changin’ our trajectory of bein’ inna league,” Jeremiah replied.

“Niggas actin’ like they not whole rappers. Fuck is you talmbout, boi? Go spit sum, n post et shit on TikTok,” Taylor told him. “Niggas ain’t rey sulk all today today. You rey rap, nigga!” He yelled, hopping off the counter.

Jeremiah scoffed. “Sulkin’ is fuckin’ crazy.” He shook his head.

Taylor just deadpanned him. “So, we both gon’ act like you ain’t been lookin’ like a lost puppy, lookin’ for his owner the past couple days?” Taylor asked a rhetorical question. “The owner in question a light skin nigga wit green eyes.”

Jeremiah just blinked.

“Uhh, I mean–” Jeremiah started.

“Nigga!” Taylor exclaimed.

“Okaaaaaaaaay,” Jeremiah huffed. “Yes! Fuck! It’s about that nigga, damn!”

“So, y’all broke up or sum? That quick?” Taylor asked.

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “Ion even know if we was really together fareal. I mean, it felt like it, but,” Jeremiah shook his head. “I just… Micah has his mind everywhere, n I can’t deal with et. Eitha you want me, or you don’t. I tried ta deal with it, but that shit makes me so fuckin’ sad, like… sadness I neva felt before in my life, n I experienced way worse shit than es, Tay.” Jeremiah explained.

Taylor just sighed, putting a hand on Jeremiah’s shoulder. “Whatchu mean everywhere, like Kelia?” He asked, and Jeremiah nodded. “Well, my nigga, Ian even tryna be funny, but Micah been wit the girl since middle school. Thur’s history thur, plus niggas is still down low. I feel like he just choosin’ the easier option.” Taylor told him.

“N et was supposed ta make me feel better?” Jeremiah scoffed.

“I neva said I was rey do et inna first place. Jeremiah, look,” Taylor spoke as he grabbed Jeremiah’s shoulders. “Ion know everything about y’all’s relationship, but I do know my friend. I know you been off yo game, not necessarily when it comes ta basketball, but just in general. You ain’t the same nigga from last yur. I know that this nigga gotchu so in yo feelins that you moved out, mind you, everyone knows how unpredictable Micah is. When he moved out afta you niggas fought!” Taylor exclaimed. “Who the fuck fights a nigga they fuckin’?”

“Et was before,” Jeremiah corrected.

“Es not the point,” Taylor shook his head. “Y’all started off on bullshit, so… look where you ended up in… bullshit,” Taylor told him. “I’m not sayin’ don’t be happy, don’t follow yo heart, but y’all niggas ain’t been fuckin’ around et long n look.” Taylor shrugged. “I just want the best fa my nigga at the end of the day, Micah too, but from whatchu told me, he chose his mufuckin’ side. Let him be with et goofy ass bitch. He the dumb nigga fa still fuckin’ with shorty anyways.”

Jeremiah remained silent, thinking of Taylor’s words before he spoke again. “So, you sayin’ I made the right choice. Even though es shit hurtin’ me bad as fuck?” he asked, grabbing his chest.

Taylor shrugged. “Ion know, but all I can ask back is was you sadder than you are now when you made the decision to leave?”

Jeremiah just sighed, facepalming himself. “Bro,” he huffed low, leaning his elbows on the counter, grabbing his head. “Fuck bein’ in love, on my daddy!”

“Aww, my nigga had his first luh love,” Taylor chuckled, trying to brighten the mood. “Aye, if it’s meant ta be, it will, bro. Don’t let nobody getchu off yo game. You feel me?”

Jeremiah fully stood up, looking at Taylor and nodding. “I feel you, bruh, n I appreciate you, Tay.” He dapped him up. “I’m rey go make a heartbreak song or sum.” He laughed, and Taylor laughed too.

“I can spit sum shit too?” he asked, and Jeremiah nodded.

“Hell, yeah—Lockdown Tape comin’ ta the people soon!” Jeremiah shouted, then he and Taylor went to his room with his laptop to start creating.

•••

back at the dorms

In dorm room 303, Micah was still in his bed for the third day in a row. His room was starting to become a mess, and he just stared blankly at his wall, thinking of the conversation he and Jeremuah had over and over.

Sometimes he’d cry, sometimes he’d feel angry, sometimes he would feel like there was a weight off his shoulders.

Being with a man was hard, the last thing on Earth he was prepared for.

“Micah!” Meilie damn near shouted from outside his room. “Micah! Micah!” she repeated. “I know you fuckin’ hur me!” she spoke, and Micah jumped a bit at the sound of her voice. “Micaaaah!” he heard as his ears focused on the present sound, and not the remnants of Jeremiah’s voice lingering around the somewhat desolate dormitory.

“Micah!” Meilie’s voice sounded clearer.

“Fuck is she doin’?” Micah popped up from his bed, going to his front door.

He opened it, looking down at his friend, who had her arms crossed. “Why aintchu been answerin’? N why the fuck you look disheveled?” she asked. “Don’t tell me you n Jeremiah just fucked—”

“No!” Micah scoffed. “Fuck, him.” He told her, and she raised a brow, going around him.

“Y’all kill the fuck outta me,” Meilie smacked her lips. “The hell happened now?” She asked, heading towards Micah’s room, while Micah closed the door.

She flicked the lights on. “Micah…” she looked at him. “You depressed? It’s a mess in hur, n now I realize you prolly ain’t bathed in a minute… Oh, y’all into it-into it?” Meilie asked.

Micah smacked his lips and rolled his eyes, sitting back down on his bed, looking down at his hands. “Et nigga basically told me he hated me.” Micah shrugged.

“How do you… basically tell somebody that you hate them?” Meilie asked, blinking.

Micah smacked his lips. “Well, es nigga was callin’ me all types of hoe-ass-bitches n sluts, n whores, n sayin’ how–” he paused, feeling his voice crack. “How he don’t wanna be wit me, n he ain’t rey fuck up by bein’ wit me, over a fuckin’ mistake, Mei!’

There were tears falling from his eyes at this point. “Like, if I actually did sum, then okay, but Ian do nun, so why the fuck did I deserve allet? Like, he wanted ta hurt my feelins or sum.” He sniffled, and Meilie just sat beside him, pulling Micah into her chest.

“I-I see you upset, but I still ain’t followin’, babe. I need you ta tell me what went down,” Meilie said as best as she could. She could see Micah was genuinely hurt, n usually Micah will tell his wrongs, but he’s saying he didn’t do anything to cause their rift.

“Bruh, nigga seen Kelia kiss me. Ion know how, but he did. Me n Kelia was in the mufuckin’ car, on the way ta the hospital. She asked me cuz her n her parents into it, n Ian no dog ass nigga, so Imma take the mother of my child ta the hospital. We in the car, she start sayin’ she horny n shit, then she kissed me!” Micah emphasized. “I did not kiss her, n Jeremiah hollin’ he don’t give a fuck, but et ain’t fair!” Micah almost yelled, and Meilie hugged him tighter.

“It’s okay, Micah,” Meilie tried to console him.

“No! I get all types of bitches n hoes, n whores, n Ian even do shit! N then his bitch ass wanna leave! Callin’ me a hoe when he prolly out ova some bitch house as we speak!” Micah sat up.

“Micah, calm down,” Meilie told him.

Micah stood up. “No, I’m rey go fuck him up, bruh. He playin’ wit my feelins!” He punched his palm.

“Micah, please!” Meilie stood up, grabbing his arms. “You cannot crash the fuck out like this, n Ion wanna defend him, but I have ta be honest, you need ta think about how he feels, Micah–you were just telling me the other day how you n him got into it, n you were contemplatin’… You think he can’t feel that? N I know you were startin’ ta change, n I saw that, but I’m also not in a relationship with you.” Meilie explained. “He prolly felt allet wishy-washy energy, n seein’ y’all two together made him snap. Ian sayin’ him callin’ you outcho name was right, n I will slap him if you need me to, but I’m sayin’ is think about how he feels, n stop just thinking about you.” Meilie told him. “If you want him, you need to start bein’ more considerate, n you need to set some hard boundaries witcho baby mama. I’m just tellin’ you the truth, Micah.” She grabbed his arms.

Micah just sighed. “I-Ian kiss her tho, Mei,” Micah almost pleaded with her.

Meilie just shook her head. “It don’t matter ta him.” She shrugged. “N sometimes, just sometimes when you really want a mufucka, only what matters to them is what’s important in the moment, so move thinkin’ like et… If you want him.”

“I do,” Micah admitted with a saddened sigh. “I love him a lot…”

Meilie shook her head again. “For a nigga that was hollin’ he jus’ wanna be a family man, n stay inna closet, Ian neva see you this sad ova no Kelia… Dick must be lethal, huh?”

“Meilie, fuck you too, bruh. Get out, actually,” Micah scoffed, fake pushing her.

“I’m not leavin’ until your room looks livable… speakin’ of, why ain’tchu been stayin’ in the room I took my precious time ta decorate?” Meilie scoffed.

“Well… me n my nigga fuck too much. I can’t stay at my grandparents’ house, Mei. C’mon.” He smacked his lips as he began to pick up some of his clothes.

Meilie just made a disgusted face. “Yeah… you right, actually.”

“Yeah… you think Jeremiah wit a bitch right now?” Micah asked her randomly.

“Micah, don’t even go thur,” Meilie told him.

“I’m just thinkin’… I’d be so fuckin’ sick,” Micah sighed. “Ooo, I’m rey get mad, bro,” he scoffed.

“You don’t have his location?” Meilie asked.

Micah shook his head. “No, me n the nigga was always together, it seemed like.” He sighed. “I swur if he witta bitch, Imma kill him. Breakup or not, nigga.”

Meanwhile, at Taylor’s apartment, Jeremiah was on the phone with a known female rapper in their city by the name of Baby Kay.

After getting inspired by Taylor, he decided to focus on some music, returning to his collab with Baby Kay. “So… what typa song we doin’?” he asked her.

“I think we should do a freaky typa song… Fine ass nigga.” Baby Kay giggled.

Jeremiah just chuckled at the compliment. I’m not ready to be in the field again… Not just yet. You bad though, mama. “Thank you, n es coo’. You got sum beats you been wantin’ ta try out?” He asked.

“Yes, what’s yo email? Imma send them over, so we can see which one we think is the best,” Baby Kay replied.

After Jeremiah told her his email, she sent over a few beats for him to listen to.

“Aye, shorty fah,” Taylor said low to him, chuckling a bit.

“Ian even onnat typa timin’, Tay. I’m grievin’, nigga.” Jeremiah chuckled, making Taylor laugh too.

“Dramatic.” He told Jeremiah, sitting down next to him.

•••

a while later

“Aight, lemme hur whatchu wrote up,” Jeremiah told Baby Kay, watching as she pulled out her phone to recite the lyrics.

“Okay,” she smiled nervously. “Iss nasty tho’. I might get a luh nervous, so don’t judge.” She smirked.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

“Freak boy, I needa freaky boy.

Freaky boy, I needa freaky boy.

Typa nigga fuck the pussy witta toy.

Make me squirt, make my cry tear of joy.

I needa a freaky boy,

Hey, my name is baby kay,

I’m Wit woody, wit da woody,

Sipping on sum grand marnier.

Shit gon get real freaky if he keep lookin my way,

Imma put this pussy on him, might make him my luh bae.

N the way I suck dick, it’s so crazy

Have a nigga gone, have him feeling real lazy.

He say “damn slow down.” A nigga thinkin im his lady,

N im screaming, “Daddy, you fuckin me so crazy.”

Daddy, you fuckin me so crazy.

This pussy feenin fa the dick,

If it’s good, I’ll have yo baby, maybe…

If it’s good I’ll have yo baby

Fill me up.

Make me your luh slut.

I’m freaky,

While you inna pussy, thumb in my butt.

I know it feel good, gon head n nutt

I know you feel it gripping,

Cuz I feel it throbbin in my gut. ♪“

Jeremiah just blinked, feeling his face run hot from the lyrics. “Whoaaa, how I’m supposed ta follow up afta et, luh mama?” he asked, chuckling, making her giggle a bit, covering her mouth.

“Boy, please, you are Woody Kent.” She rolled her eyes. “I hurd et first tape you put out, with et one song, Ocean Diver. It’s one of my favorites.”

“Oh, you a fan for real, for real?” Jeremiah chuckled. “I fuck with et. Aight den, Baby Kay. You defly a freaky girl.” He laughed, making her laugh too.

Taylor had walked in, seeing the interaction, eyeing the way Jeremiah was smiling at his phone.

He smirked, patting Jeremiah on the shoulder, leaning down to whisper something in his ear. “Hit that; she bad,” he told him, chuckling, causing Jeremiah to laugh and shake his head.

He ignored him, continuing to talk to Baby Kay. “Aight, shawty. Imma hitcho line when I got my verse, we gon do another luh session. You can meet me at my studio. Please just don’t have the virus, you feel me?” He told her.

“Yes, siiirrrr.” She spoke dramatically. “N you betta not forget my feature, Mista Woody,” she spoke in a flirtatious tone.

Jeremiah just chuckled, “Aye, Ian rey run off witcho money, baby girl. You all good with the kid. Imma have a fye ass verse fa you inna few days. You know a nigga play ball too, so I’m a luh busy.” He smiled at her, and you could see her visibly blushing.

“I undastand, Mr Louisville famous. Puttin’ the city on. I know es right!” Baby Kay told him.

“You too, luh mama.” He nodded, and she just smiled, looking away.

“Thank you,”

“You welcome. Aight, Imma hitchu later, luh mama.” He told her.

“Stop callin’ me that, fa you end up witta prollum,” she winked at him before hanging up the phone quickly, leaving Jeremiah just sitting there.

He looked back at Taylor, who looked down at him with a smirk. “Micah who?” He laughed. “I’m just playin’, I know you mad at the nigga, but I still fuck wit ’em,” he patted Jeremiah’s shoulder.

“Ian mad. I’m sad as fuck.” Jeremiah stood up, sighing. “I jus’–” he shook his head. “How the first time I fall in love, it’s witta nigga, n I fall so hard fa him, a fine mufucka that clearly wanna fuck in my face, n I’m jus’ like nah,” he confessed to Taylor.

“Bro, we needa getchu back inna field. Heal fa a couple more days, but then niggas is rey invite a few bad bitches ova hur. You still like pussy right?” Taylor asked in all seriousness.

Jeremiah smacked his lips, “Nigga, c’mon, bruh!”

“I just gotta ask! Damn! A nigga tryna be politically correct!” Taylor scoffed, making Jeremiah laugh.

“Bruh, you are stupid, fareal,” Jeremiah joked, and then the two decided to sneak to the gym to get a late training session, in case they did have practice in the next couple of days.

They would be prepared and not look like a fool on the court.

•••

later on that night

Jeremiah was alone this time. It was after he and Taylor had gotten home from practice, and he opted to stay outside for a second.

He just listened to his playlist, sad songs repeated in his ears until he felt and visualized every lyric.

Eventually, he was overcome with emotion, and he even started to sing, feeling the words flow through his body as if he wrote them himself.

Jeremiah pulled out his phone, pointed his camera to the sky, and pressed record as he started to sing the lyrics to the song that resonated with him so much in the moment.

“I had to set you free,

Away from me

To see clearly

the way that love can be

When you,

are not with me

I had to leave,

I have to live.

I had to lead, I had to live♪“

He couldn’t even finish. He stopped recording, meaning to press cancel, but quickly pressed upload to his Instagram story, not realizing as he put his phone in his pocket.

Ten minutes away, Meilie was not back in her dorm, with Micah…

She and Junie were making dinner for the three of them.

Well… Junie was mostly cooking while Meilie was on her phone, puffing her Marijuana vape, ordering art supplies, and scrolling down Instagram.

Micah had brought his game console over, so he played GTA5 while the women cooked for him…

While Meilie was clicking through stories on Instagram, she came across Jeremiah’s.

She tried to turn the volume down so Micah couldn’t hear, but she was a fan, and usually he only made posts concerning his music or about basketball.

Then there was singing. She blinked, turning it up, thinking Jeremiah had reposted someone singing, since she couldn’t see his face in the video.

“Bitch, who’s singin’ like dat?!” Junie asked, looking back from boiling some spaghetti.

“Girl, Ion know–” Meilie spoke, then felt her phone get taken from her hand.

Micah looked at it, replaying the story. “So, you want me ta call n make up with es nigga, n he on bullshit, singin’ Maxwell about me on his fuckin’ Instagram story? Es nigga barely post!” he almost shouted.

Meilie’s eyes went wide, and she looked over at Junie, who had her hand over her mouth.

“Fuck, me,” Micah groaned, facepalming himself, realizing he had just accidentally outted himself to another person. “Junie, look–”

“Wait, Jeremiah was talkin’ boutchu? That means y’all–” Junie gasped.

“Junelle.” Meilie stopped her in her tracks, shaking her head.

“So, that’s why youn wanna fuck me,” Junie blurted, and Meilie’s mouth dropped open, and Micah chuckled at her comment.

“Well, no. I’d still fuck you, but I want my nigga,” Micah confessed, feeling down again. “This nigga was singin’ fuckin’ Maxwell, Mei!” He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her, and Meilie just blinked.

“So, you don’t give a fuck that Ju know you like niggas?” She asked.

Junie put her hands up. “Look, I’m bi. Ion judge, nor do I cur.” She laughed. “I’d actually like ta see it.” She giggled. “Y’all both fine as a bitch.” She fanned herself.

“Fuck that bitch ass nigga.” Micah spat. “He neva fuckin’ me again in life.”

“Micah, I thought you wanted ta make up?” Meilie questioned.

“Bruh, you jus’ hurd a nigga talkin’ bout I had ta set you free,” Micah sang in a shaky voice, almost like he was singing-crying.

Junie put her hands over her mouth and turned a bit, so she wouldn’t laugh.

Meilie, however, did laugh. Micah flicked her off. “Bruh, you know a nigga in disarray over bein’ gay, n havin’ a nigga breakup with me!” Micah yelled.

Meilie grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. “Calm down, Micah!” She told him. “If the nigga wanna be dramatic n sing on Instagram, let him. Does that mean y’all really done?” she asked. “How many times have y’all be done, Micah? Just calm down, n go talk ta him.” She nodded, and Micah breathed over and over again.

He also felt a second pair of hands, Junie’s as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. “It’s gonna be okay, Micah. I know what it feels like ta be in love with a man, n everything go wrong, but it’s gonna be okay.” She nodded her head in his back.

Meilie smiled up at him, nodding.

“Okay,” Micah told them, but as he sighed, he just felt tears coming down his face. “I just want him so bad, n I was really startin’ ta try,” he told them in a softer voice.

Meilie felt so bad for Micah. She couldn’t even muster words. She just squeezed him tight, rubbing and soothing him through his tears.

•••

a couple days later

“Why don’tchu jus’ getcho own place, J. You can afford it?” Taylor asked Jeremiah as the two both started preparing to head to basketball practice.

Jeremiah put on his muscle shirt, and he put his dreadlocks into a bun, showing off the cut he had gotten a couple of days ago.

It was hard getting a haircut, since a lot of barbers were scared to work because of the pandemic, so he paid one to come to him.

Was he trying to look his best after not seeing Micah in almost a week? Maybe he was, but he wouldn’t admit it to himself.

Taylor peeped.

Who pays a nigga to come to to get a mufucking haircut?

Nigga tryna look good for Micah’s ass.

The two’s attention was captured by Jeremiah’s phone blaring the FaceTime sound, with his father’s contact scrolling across the page.

A smile instantly appeared on his face, and Jeremiah felt as if his father always knew when he really needed him. “Hey, daddy.” He smiled at the screen, seeing his father prop his phone up in his car that Jeremiah bought him.

“Hey, son. You ain’t called me in a minute, Jeremiah. I almost started ta worry aboutchu, but I’m tryna trust you. You good? Plus, alles pandemic shit goin’ on, you ain’t got that shit, do you, boy?” Jeremy asked.

“No, daddy. Ion got that shit.” Jeremiah laughed, and Taylor laughed in the background, covering his mouth.

Jeremy smacked his lips. “Okay, but are you good tho?” He asked. “Mentally? You in love?” He asked, and Jeremiah raised a brow. “That nigga ain’t trying ta contact yoy did he?”

Jeremiah froze up at all his questions. He was lucky that his father’s eyes were focused on the road, and not at him, because his father knew him the best, maybe even more than Jeremiah knew himself.

“Uhh, no he ain’t.” Jeremiah answered first, and then took a deep breath after the lie. “And… I’m mentally… okay. I can’t lie, es pandemic shit got me a luh scared as fuck, but I’m pushin’ thru.” He answered, and then paused. He avoided the question about being in love.

I am, but it’s complicated, and it’s with a man.

He already didn’t like lying at all, so he just avoided it altogether.

“Well, keep ya head up, son. We gonna make it thru this virus shit, n Imma choose ta believe whatchu tellin’ me about that nigga–don’t let me find out nothin’, Jeremiah. I’m not playin’ around this time. You hur me, son?”

Jeremiah nodded. “Yes, sir.” He responded, seeing his father peek down at the camera.

“Whur you at? Ion recognize this background.” Jeremy asked.

Taylor thought it was appropriate to pop into the camera. “He’s at my house, Mr Jeremy. We haven’t spoke in a while.” Taylor greeted Jeremiah’s father.

“Oh, wassup, luh Taylor. The best on the court afta my son, of course.” Jeremy laughed, causing the two boys to laugh as well.

“Yo son trash, Mr Jeremy,” Taylor joked, and Jeremiah smacked his lips, snatching the phone from his hands.

“Enough of es nigga.” Jeremiah smacked his lips as Taylor laughed and went into his room to grab his duffel bag, leaving Jeremiah alone to talk with his father. “So, how are you, daddy?” He asked.

“Well… I was hopin’ ta see you. Last time I saw you was at a game, son. I miss you. I know es pandemic shit goin’ on, but when you got sum time–”

“Imma come see you soon, daddy. I miss you too,” Jeremiah sighed.

Jeremy smiled in the camera, making Jermiah smile too, and he unconsciously tapped his feet a little. “N ya aunty pregnant,” Jeremy shook his head.

“Again?” Jeremiah asked in disbelief.

“Man, my sister is a damn foo’–Nigga, we is old as hell–you hur me, Jeremiah?” Jeremy asked, and Jeremiah started laughing. “I’m talkin’ ’bout my nut come out as baby powda–”

“Daddy, c’mon now!” Jeremiah scoffed, and Jeremy just started cracking up laughing.

“Anyways, I told ya aunty that ha favorite nephew would perform at the baby shower?” Jeremy kind of asked him, although he already told his sister yes.

“Of course, daddy. Tell my ainty I love ha, n my cousins,” Jeremiah told him.

“Aight, good. Now, Ion gotta get no gift. I helped create you, good enough.” Jeremy laughed, and Jeremiah just shook his head.

My daddy so damn cheap.

“Anyways, how are you and Micah?” Jeremy slipped up and asked, catching Jeremiah off guard.

“Whatchu mean?” Jeremiah asked.

“I mean–” He paused, “Look, Jeremiah, I know, nigga!” Jeremy yelled through the phone.

“Know what?” Jeremiah asked as his mind started to race.

“That you n Micah are datin’!” Jeremy exclaimed. “N I told you, Ion cur ’bout nun of et typa shit, Jeremiah. I love you, son. Ion cur you like ass–You not gettin’ bent right?”

“Daddy, c’mon, bruh!” Jeremiah cut him off.

We both was bending each other…

“My bad. I was jus’ tryna be supportive! How are y’all?” Jeremy asked.

Jeremiah smiled at his father’s gesture. Truthfully, he was terrified of his father knowing and their relationship changing.

“Why you cryin’, Jeremiah?” Jeremy asked after he had caught a quick glimpse of his phone screen.

Jeremiah just shook his head. “I’m just grateful for you. That’s all, daddy.” Jeremiah nodded. “I woulda neva told you, so I’m glad you figured it out.” He laughed, wiping his face. “N me n Micah ain’t… It’s just too complicated to explain.”

Jeremy nodded his head. “My child’s first love… What is too complicated?” Jeremy questioned further.

Sighing, Jeremiah had to think on his answer. “Ion know.” Jeremiah shrugged. “I… Ian know it would be this hard. I just-I want him, bad as fuck, but I just–it’s so hard bein’ wit him tho.” Jeremiah shook his head. “I neva had a mufucka I was datin’ fuckin, or whateva… make me feel so insecure. Like… I doubt everything… even myself… Nigga had me thinkin’ am I attractive? All types of shit, n Ion like it.” Jeremiah shook his head. “N he can’t even choose between me n his woman, n I know ion got no real chance wit dat, so… I feel like it’s pointless,” Jeremiah confessed.

Jeremy sighed through the phone. “Look, I can’t speak on Micah n his ex girl, but I can say your insecurities aren’t his issue. They yours, n it don’t matter if you wit Micah or whateva woman, man, whatever–yo relationship will fail. Trust me, my insecurities has ruined many things with amazin’ women I’ve encountered.” He gave his son advice.

“I hur you, daddy.” Jeremiah sighed, feeling his eyes become a bit moist. “W-what should I do? You think I should talk to ’em?”

“I don’t know, son. I can’t make that decision for you, but if you feel like it’s worth fightin’ for, fight for it.” Jeremy sighed. “Anyways, I’m rey pull up at my job. I love you, Jeremiah. Have a good day, son. Come see me soon.”

“I love you too, daddy, n Imma be ova thur soon. N imma send you my new songs, n tell me how you like em, okay?” Jeremiah smiled, and Jeremiah smiled and nodded.

“Okay, son. Love you, bye, n we’ll talk more about this later.” Jeremy finally spoke.

“Bye, daddy.” Jeremiah pressed to end the call.

Jeremiah sighed as he leaned on the counter, grabbing his head. He groaned aloud. “Why is life so mufuckin’ confusin’?” He asked himself.

He was still unclear how he felt about his father knowing he liked men.

Jeremiah knew in his heart his father wouldn’t care, but Jeremiah had his own perception of what he wanted his father to see him as, and liking men felt like another strike against his wants.

He felt less than a man.

“You ready pahtna?” Taylor asked, and Jeremiah popped his head up, nodding.

“Yeah, let’s go. I miss the court real bad.” Jeremiah chuckled a bit.

Taylor smiled. “You good, bruh?”

Jeremiah nodded. “Yeah, I’m coo’, I jus’ wanna play sum mufuckin’ ball right now.”

Nodding, Taylor just turned towards the door. “It’s therapeutic.”

“Yeah…”

•••

Micah was currently on Meilie’s couch. He had been staring at Jeremiah’s Instagram page, refreshing every ten minutes or so.

Ever since Jeremiah posted the story of him singing, Micah had been checking his page.

He didn’t know what he was expecting to see next.

He didn’t know how to feel.

Micah bit his thumb nail as he scrolled down his page, looking at all his photos.

He clicked one of the times they won a championship game in high school.

They were both in the middle, hugging each other, both the same height at the time, smiling, and cheesing as they held up the trophy for their team.

Micah doesn’t know why, but he felt a couple of tears fall from his eyes as he looked at the photo.

He’s starting to wish they just stayed in the place they were before they moved in together.

Why does this shit hurt so much? He thought to himself, feeling his leg bounce up and down. He looked at the time, realizing that it was almost time for practice.

Coach had called him personally to tell him. Micah was both happy, nervous, and anxious.

Basketball was his comfort. Not that he necessarily liked it, but almost as if he needed it.

However, it was becoming tied to a person that was making it harder to play.

His whole basketball career has been with Jeremiah, and now that their relationship has changed, it was going to be hard to walk in there and play like they weren’t on bad terms.

How am I going to do it?

I can’t be weak in front of all those niggas though. Fuck no.

Micah then refreshed Jeremiah’s Instagram page, seeing a new story post pop up.

He clicked on it, seeing that he had reposted a story from another rapper.

Micah saw that it was a girl… and then he saw the image of her and Micah on FaceTime as the cover of the song…

Micah didn’t like that too much.

He then clicked the link to the song they had just released.

He listened to it in his wireless earbuds as he started walking to his car to drive across campus to the gym.

He still wanted to support him, and he was curious.

“Freak boy, I needa freaky boy

Freaky boy, I needa freaky boy.” Micah hears the start of the song, with Baby Kay opening.

His eyebrows raised. His heart quickened, thinking that he might hear some lyrics that applied to them, hearing the content of the song.

Then… she rapped her first verse, “Hey, my name is baby kay,

I’m Wit woody wit da woody,

Sipping on sum grand marnier.

Shit gon get real freaky if he keep lookin my way,

Imma put this pussy on him, might make him my luh bae.”

Micah paused in his tracks.

He blinked, rewinding the song. “What this luh hoe say?”

“Shit gon get real freaky if he keep lookin my way,

Imma put this pussy on him, might make him my luh bae.”

“Bitch, he rey be who’s bae?” Micah said out loud, scoffing and looking at the picture again, seeing how she had grabbed a screenshot of Jeremiah smiling off guard.

It just made Micah even more furious.

He wanted to confront him. He then continued listening to the song, sliding to Jeremiah’s verse, he didn’t even want to finish hers.

“Freaky girl, I needa freaky girl.

Freaky girl, I needa freaky girl.

Typa bitch that eat dick n rock my world.

I need a freaky girl.

Hey, my name is Jeremiah.

I slurp n spit, n suck the clit,

tongue in ha vagina.

I suck the clit again

Just ta give a reminda,

That she gotta dick demon by the name of Jeremiah

I think imma make baby kay squirt,

Fuck that pussy raw, fuck ha til my dick hurt.

I gotta cult dick, make a bitch drop ta knees,

Make a bitch call me yezus, make a bitch convert.

N ion give a fuck about no otha nigga

I got nigga that ain’t afraid ta pull the trigga.

Have a bitch eating dick, while I’m aimin’ at civilians.

My name is woody, n Imma pro, not just at ball,

But pussy killing, nigga!♪“

Micah chuckled to himself as he got into his car. “What the actual fuck?” he spoke to himself as he grabbed the wheel. “So es why niggas wanted ta break up so bad, cuz-cuz niggas is fuckin’ they rap buddies–got it.” Micah chuckled to himself, but at the same time, he felt heartbroken. “Fuck ha til yo dick hurt, my nigga?” he chuckled very unamused.

Maybe this is my karma. He thought to himself as his mind started drifting off into his past. He thought about being in Kelia’s shoes.

How she must’ve felt when she continuously found out about Micah being with other women.

The deep and utter betrayal, the sadness, the feeling that you aren’t enough, that you aren’t attractive enough.

Micah even started thinking that maybe if he were a woman, shit would be better…

He felt like Jeremiah was a hypocrite and felt like he was projecting during their argument.

Micah didn’t even want to look at him in the moment, let alone be forced to play basketball with him for who knows how long.

He just wanted to go back to his own room and get into bed.

Micah felt like his entire world this school year was being dismantled, and he didn’t know how much he could take.

Next time won’t be a fucking fail.

He had a fleeting thought, but he shook it out of his head.

I need to see my therapist was the next thought, and he pulled out his phone to email him to make an appointment for the end of the week.

“Let’s try not ta kill es nigga.” Micah sniffled as he started up this car.

He thought he was finished crying, but more tears fell from his eyes as he drove.

I’m getting drunk tonight.

He thought. He was so tired of being sad lately.

Micah arrived at practice, feeling his heart rate increase the closer he got to the gym doors.

“Bruh, es nigga got me not even wantin’ ta be anywhur whur could possibly be.” Micah scoffed.

“Wassup, big MIKE!” Micah turned around, seeing Chase and Jordan.

“Bruh, I feel like it’s been a million yurs since I seen you niggas.” Jordan spoke dramatically.

Micha smirked, dapping both of them up. “I swur. Do I even know how ta play ball any more?” Micah chuckled, and Jordan noticed Micah’s eyes were red as hell.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, and Micah just stared at him.

He then shook his head.

“Okay…” Jordan nodded. He figured… Actually, he had no clue where the source could be from. Micah had a lot going on. “Well, should we getta warmup in fa allem niggas arrive?”

Micah nooded, and Chase ran inside the gym, picking up the nearest ball, and doing a failed dunk-shot.

“Oh, yeah, you niggas defly needa warmup!” Micah laughed. He foundit a bit comforting to be in this space where nobody wanted to know anything about you except if you were good at playing basketball.

•••

Micah, Chose, and Jordan were having a 2v1. Micah versus Chase and Jordan.

Currently, Micah has the ball. He traveled down the court, making a split decision to shoot from half-court, seeing the ball bounce off the rim.

He smacked his lips, “I be back, bruh!” Micah groaned, walking out of gym, not paying attention. “My bad–” he bumped into someone as he was walking to his car to get his water bottle. He looked up, seeing it was Taylor. “Oh, hey Tay. My bad–” he then looked to the left of Taylor, getting a glimpse of Jeremiah out of the corner of his eyes.

He didn’t fully look at him, but Jeremiah did.

It pissed him off that Micah wouldn’t even look his way, and he felt like Micah was in the wrong.

This nigga mad when he the one who was with his fucking baby mama.

Shit is ridiculous.

Jeremiah scoffed, walking forward.

“C’mon, y’all.” Taylor butted in.

“Boy, fuck et nigga. Tell’em go fuck bitches raw ’til his dick hurt,” Micah said to Taylor, and Jeremiah stopped in his tracks, turning around.

Jeremiah went up to Micah, getting in his face. “Fuck you jus’ say. Iss’ fuck me?” He asked, feeling anger start to rip through his body.

“Whatchu want me ta say it again, nigga?” Micah asked, peering into Jeremiah’s eyes, unwavering. “Nigga, fuck you. Hypocrite–dirty dick ass nigga-wait, I just rhymed I’m just like you! Fake ass rappin’ ass nigga!” Micah spat.

Jeremiah was in disbelief. “Fuck you just say nigga? Imma what?” He yelled in his face.

“C’mon, y’all. Coach rey call us in any minute,” Taylor said, trying to calm the two down.

“Nigga, Ian stutter,” Micah spoke back. “You hurd what the fuck I sed, bitch! Fuck out my fuckin’ face, hoe ass nigga. You not even worth my energy, goofy. Fuck you.” He spoke as he walked to his car, and Jeremiah followed after him.

He grabbed him by the arms, “Es how you really feel, Micah? You gon’ disrespect me like es?” Jeremiah asked him, close to his face.

“Es how I really feel, nigga. Now, get the fuck out my face.” Micah pushed him back hard as hell, almost making him stumble before grabbing his water, then walking off. “Nigga made at me fa some shit Ian do, but rappin’ ’bout fuckin’ bitches raw. You can’t make es shit up, on my life,” he muttered to himself.

Jeremiah was just standing there, speechless and mad as fuck. So mad that he had his fist balled up, and his eyes were squeezed shut. He had to before he thought about putting his hands on Micah.

Taylor was in disbelief as he watched the two, but he also wasn’t that shocked… They always had a back-and-forth relationship, even when they weren’t fucking.

“Jeremiah, take a breather in my cah. Don’t do no shit you gonna regret, aight?” Taylor told him, and Jeremiah continued to take deep breaths until he wasn’t shaking as much.

He nodded, grabbed Taylor’s keys, and got into the car while Taylor walked back to the gym, catching up to Micah.

“You good?” He asked.

Micah side-eyed him. “Taylor, Ian tryna talk ta you wreck, so please leave me alone. I know you more coo’ wit Jeremiah, but Ian tryna hur no mufuckin’ bullshit. Et nigga on bullshit. I’m ready ta play sum mufuckin’ basketball. That’s it!” Micah huffed, and Taylor just sighed, nodding his head.

“Aight, bruh. I think–” he started to give his thoughts, but then he looked at Micah’s face. “Nevamind.” He shook his head. “All imma say is my nigga really love you, n he ain’t fuck shorty,” Taylor told Micah.

Micah just listened, but he didn’t know if he believed Taylor or not.

He just stayed silent, walking into the gym.

Coach was already there, and some of the other players had arrived, everyone with masks on, and some athletic assistants were bringing out carts with viral tests to make sure no one was sick.

Micah saw James with his half-covered face in the line to get tested.

He was so angry, he wanted to run over and beat him the fuck up again.

James peeped Micah’s stare, looking over at him.

He rolled his eyes, looking back and forth.

Micah scoffed, heading over to the line.

“Aight, boys. Nice ta see you here! First, as you can see, you will be tested every practice until this whole pandemic thing is over! It is very important that you do not get sick! Understand?!” Coach yelled out.

“Yes, sir!” The team yelled back.

Jeremiah walked in with a few other players, and Coach shot his head towards them. “I hate late people.” He shouted sternly. “You boys need every damn second if you want ta still have a chance!” Carter yelled out, and Jeremiah, with the others, jogged towards the line.

Coach then gave more instructions as everyone started to get tested.

“Once your tests is clear, you can take your mask off. Then, I want Jeremiah and Micah as captains, pick your four players, and we’re going to do some warm-up exercises, then run a couple games ta getchu boys back in the groove! Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Everyone yelled.

Although Micah and Jeremiah were annoyed.

Of course, we captains. I don’t even want to breathe next to this nigga. Micah thought, and Jeremiah deadass had nothing to say for the rest of the day.

After everyone had gotten tested, the boys took their masks off, and Micah and Jeremiah started to choose their teams.

Jeremiah and Micah stood at the front of the gym, on both sides of Coach. “Jeremiah, you first.”

“James,” Jeremiah called him over with his finger.

Micah almost laughed out loud.

Oh, he just wants to piss me off.

James raised a brow, slowly walking towards Jeremiah.

He thought he was being weird, but he also knew he was one of the best on the team.

“Wassup witchu?” he asked Jeremiah quietly.

“Nun, we jus’ choosin’ our teams,” Jeremiah responded.

James then peeked over Coach’s shoulder, seeing Micah side-eyeing them.

“I think niggas want me ta fight today, on God,” Micah said to himself. “Taylor!” He shouted, and Taylor just made the yikes face.

I do NOT want to be in the middle of they shit, bruh. Taylor thought to himself as he walked towards Micah.

“Now, niggas pickin’ each othas best friends. Y’all petty as hell.” Taylor joked, tryna lighten up the mood.

Micah just smirked. “Nah, Jeremiah pickin’ his hoes.” He laughed to himself, shaking his head. “I’m pickin’ a nigga who rey win the game, like we ‘pose ta do.” Micah scoffed.

Taylor just remained silent. He figured there wasn’t shit he could do to help the situation.

Jeremiah and Micah then picked their teams back and forth until they both had teams of five.

“Alright, just to give you boys some updates. Y’all know March Madness was supposed to kick off, and we were supposed to have our first game this Wednesday, but due to this pandemic shit, we got held up. We are workin’ relentlessly behind the scenes to still have this tournament, but as you all know there’s only so much I can do. Currently, our region is attempting to host private games, meanin’ a limited audience, masks, and just you all focused on the court,” Coach explained, then let out a sigh. “I pray every night that you boys get what you all deserve. We didn’t work this hard.” He spoke, and everyone in the room felt the slight melancholy in his voice.

Damn, I never heard Coach this down before. Micah thought. This pandemic shit must be worse than we think.

“Until then, I will continue trainin’ you boys ta be the best!” Coach yelled out, gaining some yells and claps from his boys. “Aight, let’s get this warm-up game goin’! LET OUR STAR PLAYERS SHOW THE REST OF THE DAMN COUNTRY HOW TA PLAY BALL!” He got the boys riled up to the point where even Jeremiah and Micah forgot about their own issues for a second.

They both still loved the game, and they both loved their team, which they have grown with over the past four years.

“Words from Captain Taylor!” Coach Carter spoke, and then everyone looked at Taylor, making him feel a bit nervous.

“Aye, we got this shit, y’all. Teamwork makes the dream work, stay focused, and do not get sick! Think aboutcho brothas fa you do some dumb shit, n fuck it up fa everybody! Now let’s play some BALL!” He yelled, clapping hard as hell, gaining an even louder roar from everyone.

Afterwards, Taylor led everyone in a ten-minute stretching session before ten of the boys went to the locker room to change into their faux team’s color, while the other five sat on the bench and watched.

Once everyone was changed, Micah and Jeremiah’s teams split up, putting on opposite colored jerseys. Jeremiah’s team was in red and white, Micah’s team was in white and red.

The two boys were then called to the center, with Coach standing in the center of them, in the middle of the court.

Micah didn’t even want to look at Jeremiah.

Jeremiah felt the same.

They both looked in opposite directions until their eardrums were almost burst by Coach Carter’s loud whistle, signifying the start of the practice match.

Jeremiah and Micah both looked at Coach, who had thrown the ball into the air, holding his stopwatch to count down twenty-four seconds when the first player got the ball.

“Red team’s ball!” Coach yelled as Jeremiah smacked the orange basketball towards his team, with Jordan catching it first. He began to dribble the ball for a few seconds, heading towards the mid-line as the other four players, Jeremiah, James, and their other teammates, Cory and Mark, guarded him, waiting for a pass.

Micah groaned to himself, but he shook it off, preparing to be defensive. He looked towards the ball, watching as Jordan passed it, when Jeremiah started running towards their basket.

Bad thoughts entered Micah’s head every time he saw Jeremiah. It was already hard to focus on the game.

He gazed at Jeremiah, watching him fake a shot, taking a couple of steps, also unintentionally avoiding looking at Micah, which caused him to not pay attention and step outside of bounds.

Coach blew his whistle, and Jeremiah groaned, passing the ball to Coach, who passed the ball to the white team.

Jordan and James both looked at Jeremiah with a weird look.

“Nigga, how you–” Jordan started, and James already could tell it had something to do with Micah.

But the game continued.

Taylor now had the ball, and he spared none as he quickly dribbled the ball down the court.

Cory tried to block Taylor’s shot, but he passed it behind his back, bouncing it on the floor, handing it off to Chase, who caught the ball and immediately took the shot, scoring the first two points for the white team.

Micah daps Taylor up as they head back towards their own basket to defend it, and at the same time, Jeremiah catches the ball, dribbling it down the court.

He wanted to score this time, attempting a three-point shot, but Micah caught his eye right as he was taking the shot, jumping up in front of him, which made his shot weak, and the ball hit the backboard.

Jeremiah facepalmed himself, and a sensation of anger that was already there started to come back.

He glared at Micah, pissed that he was throwing off his game.

“Getcho head in es shit, Jay!” Jordan yelled at him, and he nodded, jogging towards the ball.

The clock read four minutes and eleven seconds left, for Coach made the total game ten minutes with two halves.

Taylor had the ball again, heading towards the red team’s goal. He attempted a shot closer to the basket, surrounded by his team and the defending players, feeling hands all over him, but he wasn’t fazed. He twisted and turned his body as he dribbled, spinning right, then left, creating an opening which allowed him to throw his ball towards the goal, but James caught the ball mid-air.

“YEAH!” Jeremiah yelled as he ran towards the other team’s goal.

James just smiled a bit. He couldn’t help but smile when Jeremiah smiled at him.

He passes the ball to Jordan, who passes it to Mark, who throws the ball back to Jeremiah, who was inside the three-point arc with the ball.

Micah was currently in his head, seeing the small interaction Jeremiah and James just had.

He felt like crying and beating them both up.

“Micah, what the hell are you doin’, cuz?” Chased yelled at him as he bumped into him because he stopped moving for a moment.

“I’m back in,” Micah told him, refocusing on the game.

Jeremiah had shot the ball from outside the three-point line, feeling Chase accidentally foul him, because he was hungry for the ball.

The ball made it inside the goal, which gained the red team three points, plus Jeremiah earned a free shot from the foul.

He made it inside, and the scores were now four to four.

The game went back and forth for a couple of minutes, but Micah and Jeremiah weren’t doing as well as they normally have… and the entire team, plus Coach noticed it.

Every time either one of them got close to each other, and they had the ball in hand, it’s like they could barely focus on taking the open shot.

They both made fouls on each other, being overly aggressive in contact, and their plays were sloppy.

“Aye, timeout, Coach!” Jordan made a T shape with his hands, allowing them to call timeouts during their practice matches. “Ion know what the fucks goin’ on, but boffa y’all niggas needa be switched out.” Jordan looked at Micah and Jeremiah.

“Huh?” They both said at the same time.

Jeremiah was in disbelief. “Fuck you mean switched out?” He asked, stepping closer towards him.

“Nigga, Ion know what you n et nigga’s problem is? Ion know how nigga stopped being good at basketball in a few days, but you killin’ the team!” Jordan yelled.

“Nigga, I’m killin’ the team?” Jeremiah yelled, stepping close to him. “Nigga, do you know who the fuck I am? Bitch, I’m betta than all you nigga, fuck is you talkin’ ’bout!” Jeremiah yelled in his face.

Truthfully, he was angrier at the situation with him and Micah, and he knew his game was being thrown off.

Usually, Micah was the firecracker, but Jeremiah had been taken out of his element.

“KENTWOOD, BENCH! WILLIAMS, YOU’RE IN!” Coach yelled, and Jeremiah’s eyes went wide.

“WHAT?” Jeremiah yelled. “Ian gettin’ on no fuckin’ bench. Ian been onna bench since–”

“If I have to repeat myself, you won’t play in the next game. Is that CLEAR?” Coach Carter yelled.

Jeremiah was so enraged that he wanted to literally smash his head against the wall to stop the ire.

He was shaking.

He took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes. “Yes, sir.” Jeremiah gritted his teeth, then walked over slowly to sit down on the bench, watching as his teammate replaced him.

Micah kind of felt bad. He saw how mad Jeremiah was, but at the same time, Fuck that nigga.

He thought.

“Parks, you’re gonna sit your ass on the bench if you don’t get your mind right!” Coach told him, and Micah nodded, trying to refocus on the game.

“Yes, sir.”

•••

after practice

By the end of practice, all the boys were sweating intensely, sitting on the floor, bench, or standing up, wiping their faces, and drinking from their water bottles.

“Aye, Jordy, c’mere,” Jeremiah called out to him as he stood by the locker room.

Jordan side-eyes him.

He was pissed, but he also rarely seen Jeremiah get out of character like that.

“What, nigga?” He asked aggressively as he approached him.

“I apologize,” Jeremiah told him. “I was defly off my shit, n Ian a perfect nigga. I gotta luh ego, n some otha shit goin’ on too that had me hot, n I unintentionally took it out on you,” Jeremiah confessed. “You my nigga, Ion wanna beef, n Ion think I’m shit without y’all for real, n es outside of ball.” Jeremiah nodded, feeling overstimulated.

He felt a plethora of emotions, and he couldn’t sort them out.

Jordan was about to speak, but he noticed Jeremiah’s eyes becoming red and watery. “Bro, I get it. Youn gotta cry,” he chuckled, grabbing Jeremiah’s arms. “Just keep that ego off the court, n also Jeremiah, I’m yo fuckin’ French. Talk to a nigga about the bullshit, instead of tweakin’ you feel me?”

Jeremiah smirked, nodding. “Yeah, my bad. A nigga just overwhelmed as a bitch.” He shook his head, wiping his eyes. “Thank you for acceptin’ apology,” he smiled at him, and Jordan smiled back.

“You good, bruh. Can I go now?” Jordan asked, and Jeremiah chuckled and nodded.

After he was gone, Jeremiah stayed a bit longer to regain himself and not look like he was just crying.

He jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Jeremiah looked up to see that it was James. “What the fuck was up witchu out there today?” He asked.

They hadn’t really seen one another since hefought Micah.

Jeremiah raised a brow. “Why you checkin’ up on me? Didn’t you just fight Micah over me? Ian worth allet, James,” He told him genuinely, also not understanding how James was so into him.

“What if I said you was worth fightin’ for and more?” James told Jeremiah, who was stunned by his words. He walked closer towards Jeremiah. “I’m the typa nigga whur if I like sum, Imma get it, plus, it’s clear that you n Micah ain’t supposed ta be.” James shrugged, looking Jeremiah in the eyes. “What that nigga got better than me? It’s not looks.”

“James–”

“I know et nigga don’t eatchu up like I do. Right or wrong?” James asked.

Jeremiah just blinked.

Meanwhile, Micah could see the two talking as he made his way into the locker room.

He paused behind one of them. “I’m just sayin’,” James spoke.

“Fuck is you sayin’?” Jeremiah questions him.

“I’m sayin’ I know I can treat you betta too. You won’t be frownin’ all the time, like I see you do. N I can take a wild guess, knowin’ who yo problem is,” James answered his question, looking him deeply into the eyes. “I missed the few times whur we would talk n shit, n I feel like we ain’t really have the opportunity ta get to know–” he paused, seeing a couple of his teammates walk in, Micah acting as if he also had just walked in, eyeing the two as he walked past.

Jeremiah’s focus was immediately captured. He looked away before Micah noticed.

Anger started to surge back within him, especially remembering how Micah had spoken to him before practice.

A nigga mad at a bitch I didn’t fuck when he’s actually kissing his baby mama.

Then he gone disrespect my career?

So, he was just supportive because we was fucking, not because he truly believed in me?

“We will talk later. Coo’?” James asked, loud enough that Micah could also hear.

Jeremiah thought about his question for a second, then he nodded. “Yeah,” he told him, and Micah visualized smacking both of their heads against each other’s.

“You wan’ play et game, Jeremiah?” Micah asked in his ear as he walked past him.

Jeremiah just ignored him. “My fake-rappin’ ass rey go make anotha hit, you hur me?’ He laughed in Micah’s face.

Micah couldn’t help but push Jeremiah again, and Jeremiah got up. “So you wan’ fight?” He asked. “You wanna go thur?” Jeremiah questioned, seeing if Micah would take it that far, indicating the real end of them, in his eyes.

“Nigga, fuck you.” Micah snapped, feeling Chase grab him, pulling him towards the entrance.

“C’mon, y’all. Not this yur. Let’s be coo’, bruh,” Chase told them. “It’s too much goin’ on, n we need ta be thur fa each otha. We a team, y’all. Leave ya egos at home.”

Micah just shook his head. “Fuck et nigga.” He scoffed, then brushed past them both, leaving the locker room.

Chase just sighed. “I just don’t undastand.” He shook his head, thinking of why Micah and Jeremiah always seemed to get into it. They would be fine, then they would end up back as enemies…

“You don’t want to, cuz,” Jeremiah told him, leaving the locker room afterwards.

•••

later on that night

“Let’s get drunk, bitches!” Junie waltzed into Meilie’s dorm with a bottle.

Micah had gone back to his dorm room to get some clothes, and he ended up in his bed again, angry and crying.

Meilie looked up from her iPad, sketching something for the new art competition that was being hosted by the school. It was a prestigious competition in the whole state, and the first-place prize was ten thousand dollars.

“What time is it?” she asked, and Junie raised a brow, looking at her phone. Meilie had lost track of time while drawing.

“Iss… 9:47, why?” Junie asked.

Meilie just got up, heading towards the door. “Whur you goin’?” Junie asked and started following Meilie.

Meilie put her shoes and jacket on. “We missin’ a person,” she said as the two exited their dorm.

“Should we invite Kari over?” Junie asked.

Meilie smirked at her, nodding.

“We should invite Drey too, huh?” Junie nudged Melie. “She’s your girlfriend yet?”

Meilie rolled her eyes. “No n hell nah.” She laughed. “Dreya wanna be my girl, but she’s a dog, n Imma dog eater,” she laughed, and Junie laughed too, dapping her up. “But she’s also the best friend of my best friend’s on again, off again, boyfren, so… no.” Meilie blinked.

“I neva would imagine you besties witta fuckin’ jock, Mei.” Junie laughed, and Meilie laughed too.

“Yeah, they usually wanna hunch and munch on my luh box… Micah did too, but he was actually pretty respectful after—damn, I was about ta lie. Micah’s a fuckin’ horny heathen. I actually don’t know how we besties.” Meilie shrugged. “Oh, well.”

The two continued to talk as they exited their building, heading to the boy’s athletic dorms.

They had to make sure their masks were always on their faces, and then they had to sneak past the RA in the athletic dorms because the boys, especially, were on lockdown.

Coach especially made it clear to everyone around the team that they were not to get sick.

Louisville University’s basketball team was the pride of their school and brought in a lot of money.

The two girls made it to the third floor, bumping into a few other athletes, getting stares, but they just quickly went to dorm 303.

Meilie sighed, calling Micah’s phone.

She put her hand on her hip, waiting for him to answer.

He didn’t answer on the first call, but she was true to his behavior, not new to it, so she called again.

“Micah, mufuckin’ Parks, if you don’t answer es fuckin’ doo-oh, hey, babes,” Meilie switched her tone, seeing the door swing open.

“You a crazy ass bitch, you know et?” Micah scoffed, pulling her and Junie inside.

“Why the hell do I have ta get yanked n shit. I’m still a girl.” Junie complained.

Meilie just rolled her eyes. “I see you still wallowin’… I thought you was startin’ ta be coo’… What happened ta talkin’ to the nigga?”

Micah just groaned, flicking on the light. “Ion wanna do shit with et nigga.” Micah shook his head. “Nope. Nada.” He continued to shake his head, grabbing the bottle out of Junie’s hand, going to his kitchen, and pouring himself a shot. “You know, mufuckas like ta always make me out ta be the bad guy, but don’t wanna look at they own behavior.” Micah started, then downed his shot, pouring himself another one.

“Have you hurd his new song, Mei?” Micah asked her, and Meilie shook her head.

“I been drawin’ all day,” she replied, going in the kitchen to grab two more cups, pouring her and Junie shots of the tequila.

Micah went to his room, quickly grabbed his phone, and jogged back out to the two girls.

“Mind you, I told you what happened, n es what this nigga releases immediately after, you deadass can’t make shit up,” Micah scoffed to himself, holding the phone down in front of the two shorter girls.

He bent down, leaning on Meilie’s shoulders since she was taller, as she grabbed the phone from him.

“Freakyboy. Baby Kay, featuring Woody Kent.” Junie read aloud, then Meilie pressed play.

The song started to play, and the two girls listened. Junie raised a brow. “Not a freak song witta bitch right afta y’all broke up.”

Micah just shook his head on Meilie’s shoulder.

“Shit gon get real freaky if he keep lookin my way,

Imma put this pussy on him, might make him my luh bae.

N the way I suck dick, it’s so crazy

Have a nigga gone, have him feeling real lazy.”

Meilie’s mouth was slightly agape. “N the cover of the song is a FaceTime from them two…” She looked at Micah.

“I thought I was crazy,” Micah told her. “So, I should beat his ass, right?” Micah stood up fully, looking down at her.

“Wait, let me hur what he sed,” Meilie told him, playing the song.

“Hey, my name is Jeremiah

I slurp n spit, n suck the clit,

tongue in ha vagina.

I suck the clit again,

Just ta give a reminda

That she gotta dick demon by the name of Jeremiah.

I think imma make baby kay squirt,

Fuck that pussy raw, fuck ha til my dick hurt.♪“

“Oh, my,” Junie gasped. “Is this his ex or somethin’?”

“Ion know what the fuck she is, but I know that I will smack et hypocrite ass nigga!” Micah clapped the back of his hand on his palm. “I even called him a fake ass, rappin’ ass nigga.”

“Micah.” Meilie gasped and chuckled a bit.

“Nigga was so mufuckin’ mad, n Ian give a fuck. He looked like he wanted ta hit me. I was waitin’. I wanna fight, bitch. You got me fuck up, thinkin’ I’m one of yo bitches like Baby Kay!” Micah snapped, and Meilie backed up a bit.

“Look, Ian Jeremiah, nigga. Please, take another one of these.” She laughed, pouring him a shot.

“My bad, Mei, but it just gets worse. Then the nigga was slick flirtin’ wit James in my face, just ta piss me off, like. I wanna fuckin’ fight, bro.” Micah banged his fist on the counter.

“I’m not gonna lie, I would wanna box too.” Junie shrugged.

Micah nodded. “You get me,” he told her.

“You not rey fight him, Micah. You gonna regret that. Y’all both mad n petty as hell right now… but I can’t lie. He ain’t shit. I wanna smack him up too, a little.”

“Exactly, Mei, so lemme do it!”

“No! We not even gonna think about ea nigga tonight. We gon’pour up. Imma invite Kari over, n you are gonna chill with some coo’ guys, aight?” She told him.

Micah just sighed, rolling his eyes. “Whatever, bruh,” Micah already slurred a bit, feeling the two shots already starting to take effect.

“My thing is, you think he sitting up cryin’ ova you?” Junie asked him.

Micah shrugged. “Ion know, my nigga is emotional, too.” He spoke truthfully.

Junie just looked at Meilie. “No more talkin’ about Jeremiah–It’s shot o’clock.”

Micah scoffed. “Do what y’all wanna.” He shrugged, pouring himself one more shot, then flopping down onto his couch.

Meilie rolled her eyes, pulled out her phone, and texted Kari, telling him to pull up to her dorm.

After she got a quick reply, she giddily clapped her hands, then she made Junie sit with her next to Micah.

It was time to have a bit of fun.

She wanted the last thing on Micah’s mind tonight to be Jeremiah, although she knew there wasn’t much she could do to get him to stop thinking about one of her favorite rappers.

•••

“Churs!” Micah slurred as he, Meilie, Kari, and Junie blinked together shots. They all piled into Micah and Jeremiah’s living room, with Kari and Junie on the couch, and Micah and Meilie sitting on the floor.

“Y’all know I’m still a nigga, right? Why all y’all got on skimpy ass outfits n shit, n I’m drunk.” Micah laughed, standing up and sitting between Kari and Junie. “Us three, in Jeremiah’s bed?” He smirked.

“You are actually crazy,” Junie cracked up laughing.

“That’s some petty ass shit I’d do.” Kari shrugged, high-fiving Micah.

Meilie shook her head. “I mean they are both niggas.” She laughed, and Kari smacked his lips.

“Touche.” Kari waves her off. “Might end up bein’ me n you in the bed, luh daddy.” Kari winked at Micah.

Micah raised a brow. “Fuck it.” He shrugged, laughing. “Fuck that nigga.” He stood up, picking Kari up by the thighs, wrapping them around his waist.

“Wait, me firrsttt!” Junie whined, and Meilie just blinked.

“Y’all are whore. I swur.” She told everyone.

“Boy, you betta put me down fa you get inta sum that you don’t need.” Kari laughed, drunkenly. He was turned on at how easily Micah could pick him up.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Junie chanted, looked at the two.

“How yo pretty ass gon’ tell me what I need ta get into?” Micah asked close to his face.

“Back up, fa I really kiss you.” Kari giggled.

Micah shrugged. “I’m single as fuck… apparently.” He told Kari, then placed a soft peck on his lips, feeling the lip gloss transfer to his own lips.

“Micah, you playin’,” Kari told him.

“I’m drunk, n my dick hard. You gon’ let me feel them pretty ass lips on it?” Micah asked him, and Kari just blinked at him.

He then looked towards Meilie and Junie, getting down from Micah’s arms, and grabbing his hand. “Which is his room?” Kari asked. “We can record to make him even madder.” Kari giggled.

“You messy, bitch,” Junie told him, standing up and high-fiving him.

“I’m just… helpin’ out a friend…” Kari shrugged, looking up at Micah, who was about five inches taller than he was, and bit down on his lip.

Meiliw blinked. “You know what? I support all the hoe shit.” She shrugged. “I rey take pussy pics, n send em ta Dreya.”

Micah scoffed, hearing the name. “Fuck ha too.”

Meilie rolled her eyes again, heading towards Micah’s room, so she could drunkenly call Dreya, with Junie following behind her to be nosy.

Kari pulled Micah in the direction of Jeremiah’s room, which he left unlocked after he stormed out when they ‘broke up’.

Micah was feeling every drop of alcohol he consumed.

He and Kari started making out, and he picked Kari up, throwing him onto Jeremiah’s bed.

They both laughed and giggled, and Kari pushed Micah onto his back, kissing down his neck, then back to his lips.

Kari grabbed his face with his manicured hands as he straddled him, pressing his ass down onto Micah’s dick-print, feeling it get harder the more he pressed down.

Micah sucked and kissed Kari’s lips, and their eyes met each other’s every so often.

He was feeling it… and to his surprise, he didn’t give a fuck that Kari was a boy.

Kari started kissing his neck again, then his chest. He then started moving until his head was hovering over Micah’s crotch.

Micah put his hands behind his bed, biting down on his lip, looking at Kari as he fiddled with his pants to pull out his dick.

Micah closed his eyes for just a second…

And in that second, Jeremiah popped up in his head.

His mind then jumped from one thing to another, then another, all concerning Jeremiah.

He started thinking about their interaction earlier. How they spoke to each other.

He didn’t like it.

Micah felt his chest start to get heavy, and his dick… went limp in Kari’s hand.

“What I did?” Kari blinked, and Micah opened his eyes. “Ian even ate the dick yet.” He pouted.

Micah just facepalmed himself, sighing. “Bro, I hate niggas.” He spoke to himself. “Can’t even get no head.”

Kari just watched Micah, then in his drunken state, put two and two together, figuring it had less to do with him personally and more to do with Micah’s feelings for Jeremiah.

“Aww, stink,” Kari cooed as he climbed next to Micah, forcibly pulling his head into his chest, rubbing his face. “You love him?” Kari asked as Micah wrapped his arms around Kari’s torso.

Micah nodded against Kari’s chest. “Clurly, so much that I can’t even get no head from a baddie.”

Kari chuckled. “Thank you,” he told him. “I think you’re sweet, Micah.”

Micah smirked. “My nigga don’t think so. He hate me; it feels like.”

“I doubt it. He probably feelin’ the same way you are. Y’all both two big athlete ass niggas, who probably neva been told no. Got as many bitches as y’all could ever want, n now y’all buttin’ head, cuz you realize that bullshit ain’t rey work when you wit another nigga, or y’all gonna probably fight…’ Kari spoke. “Am I wrong?”

Micah smacked his lips. “Ian have that many girls.”

“Have y’all ever fought?” Kari asked..

“Before we got together… I tried ta beat him up one time after we had sex cuz he made he feel like a whore…”

“EXACTLY!” Kari chuckled. “Can I ask another question?”

“I mean, I feel like you was gonna ask anyway.” Micah shrugged.

“You right.” Kari laughed, patting Micah’s shoulder. “So… do you plan on comin’ out, or are you gonna forever live your life down low?” Kari asked. “I peep a lot of shit, and baby, I know that the whole city woulda known if y’all was out, okay…” Kari spoke. “But… as an experienced gay… It’s also probably a reason why y’all not workin’. It so much harder ta keep shit under wraps, while a mufucka got a baby mama, kids, a whole other world, n then a big ass secret on the side. You have ta constantly put on a front, n act like the man the world told you you need ta be,” Kari explained.

“So, you sayin’ me n Jeremiah bein’ public would solve all of our problems, n not create even more bullshit? I think it’s the latter,” Micah asked back.

“Of course, I don’t think it will solve all your problems. However, I know that it will give you an undiscovered freedom n sense of self.” Kari then lifted Micah’s chin so he could look him in the eyes. “Ion got all the answers, but I know that the biggest battle and problem you will have is you. Before I came out,” Kari moved his hand. “I remember hearing so much shit.”

“My grandmother… her favorite sayin’ was ‘ain’t no Adam n Eve, boy!'” N I’m a child at this point. I was damned ta hell as a child, not by my parents or anything cuz I wasn’t out yet, but by me. I internalized all that hate…” Kari squeezed Micah a bit, starting to get emotional. “I hated myself. I hated puttin’ on boys’ clothes, n playin’ sports. I tried, but… shit, the boys always clocked my T anyway. It was so obvious I was gay. I hated bein’ a disappointment ta my family. I hated that I was born as the thing that the world seemed to… condemn… I hated that I didn’t look manly enough, even tho I couldn’t help what the fuck I looked like. I hated everything about me because all I was ta the world, includin’ some of the people who loved me, was a fuckin’ f*ggot. That’s it.” He felt tears start to pour down his face.

“I wanted ta die. I questioned my existence. I even tried to date girls in school, but none of it ever worked, and I asked myself why. I constantly asked myself why. ‘Why did God ever make me, if I am wrong?‘, ‘Why can’t I just force myself?’, and all of that led ta me in the fuckin’ hospital after swallowing a bottle of pills, my senior year of high school.”

By the time, Micah was also crying. He felt bad for Kari, and he felt sad that he related to a lot of the feelings.

“I’m sorry.” Micah squeezed Kari a bit.

Kari looked down into Micah’s eyes. “You don’t have ta be sorry. I’m tellin’ you this because my point in all of that is I never stopped bein’ gay thru all of that. You can’t change how people perceive you, but you can change how you perceive yourself. You’re perception of yourself is what matters the most, n nobody can take that away from you, no matter how many times a mufucka damns you. Ain’t nobody on this Earth God, therefore, Imma live as I want, and yes, I struggled after comin’ out, but looks whur I am now… n I’m happy, n I set boundaries because I knew my worth. My family don’t get ta do that shit no more, nobody does, unless they want a problem. Live for you, Micah. Until then, you always gonna be tippin’ near the line of life and death because depression, all of that shit is a constant state of survival, not livin’… My gay mama, and my real one, told me to always live.” Kari finished, kissing Micah on the forehead.

Micah didn’t have any words. He felt Kari wiping his tears from his face, then pulled him into their final cuddling position before he rested his head on the pillows underneath them and closed his eyes.

“You got this shit,” Kari whispered. “You got us, too.”

Micah just stared out of the window, and memories of Jeremiah came into his head again.

This time, memories from all the times they smiled together… memories of Jeremiah always trying to protect him, even from his parents, like when they first moved in together, and he told off Michael Sr.

He smiled to himself, hugging Kari tighter. “I miss my nigga.” He muttered.

Kari just laughed. “I know the feelin’, trust… I miss my soon-to-be nigga too… Just… talk to him. Let that ego go. You not witta female no more, Micah. You gotta relearn some shit. We know everything that we was taught ain’t right.”

“Yeah…” Micah sighed, feeling his body start to pull him into a slumber.

Soon, the two were silent.

Kari fell asleep first, then Micah.

Before they could even get good sleep, the door flew open, banging against the wall.

Junie drunkenly waltzed inside, jumping onto Jeremiah’s bed with them. “I’m ready ta join!” She laughed, but then stopped realized they both still had on clothes.

“Fuck is you doin’, Junelle?” Micah scoffed, pissed she woke him from his great drunken sleep.

Junie just ignored him. “Mei, these niggas in hur sleep, bitch! They ain’t even hunchin’!”

“I told you Micah too in his feelins! Whur my money at, hoe?!” Meilie yelled back.

Micah just raised up, furrowing his brows. “You bitches bet on me?”

“Wuss da prolum?” Meilie asked, now standing in Jeremiah’s doorway.

Micah just stared at her for a while.

Everyone got quiet. Kari stayed lying down, Junie was confused ,looking between the two.

“Imma kill you.” Micah said quick and jumped up even quicker.

Meilie immediately ran as she laughed, and Junie pulled out her phone, going to her Instagram story to record the two.

Tonight, dorm room 303 was filled with laughter and fun… and snores.

•••

a couple days later

“I’m outside, daddy, damn!” Jeremiah smacked his lips as he pulled into Jeremy’s driveway. He had a duffel bag full of clothes, since he planned on staying there for a couple of days until his next practice.

He was also searching for an apartment, hoping he could get into one soon, offering to pay up to three months’ rent just to get the hell out of his dorms.

Jeremiah hoped the rent incentive would override the pandemic situation that had everyone stuck.

“Nigga, you still need rememba I’m yo father!” Jeremy scoffed over the phone.

Jeremiah rolled his eyes. “Okay, daddy. I’m outside.” He re-spoke his sentence in a calmer voice, then hung up the phone.

Truth be told, he was happy to see his father.

He missed him immensely. Jeremiah just found it hard to be near him when he was dealing with so much.

Jeremiah already felt like a burden, and he didn’t want to add to it.

He got out of the car, seeing that the front door of his father’s home swung open.

“My boi!” He yelled. “Aye, yo ainty n granny hur, too. C’mon, they wanna see you, my famous only child.” Jeremy told him as he walked up the steps with his, moving his headphones completely from his ears, so he could hear better.

“Granny hur?” Jeremiah cheesed, and Jeremy nodded. “N my mama brought sum of her fah ass pound cake. Don’t get a piece, or we fasho boxin’, nigga.” Jeremy chuckled.

“Whateva, pops. My granny’a make me one if I asked?” Jeremiah retorted.

Jeremy smacked his lips. “Why yo granny love you more than she love me?”

Jeremiah just laughed and clapped his hands together, seeing his grandmother walk into the room.

“Is that my first grandboy?” she asked, smiling as soon as she saw him. “Damn, boy. I swur you get taller every time I see you.”

Jeremiah just bit down on his lip to prevent his eyes from watering as he walked over to his grandmother, bending down to squeeze her tightly.

“How have you been?” She asked with a smile, reaching up to caress his face. “My grandboy handsome as hell. You gotta girlfriend?”

“Mama, leave him be.” Jeremy stepped in, especially knowing that his special someone was definitely the opposite of a lady.

Jeremiah just smiled. “You know I’m just teasin’ him. Jeremy es my damn grandson. I can ask him what I please!” She snapped, and Jeremy just smacked his lips.

She then turned back to Jeremiah, interlocking their arms. “You’re aunty cooked. Let’s eat, n catch me up on what you been doin’, boo.” She called him by the nickname that she has been calling him since he was a child.

“Yes, ma’am,” Jeremiah chuckled as he was guided into the kitchen, inhaling the amazing aroma of a home-cooked meal.

For an instant, his mind flashed to Micah in the kitchen…

He sighed, shaking off his thoughts, returning to be in the present with his family.

•••

It was nighttime.

Jeremiah was sitting on his father’s front porch, with his headphones on, staring at the night sky, trying to see if he could spot any planets with just his eyesight alone.

He jumped a bit when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Jeremiah looked over to see his father, sitting next to him on the steps, with his joint lit. “You wanna hit?” He asked.

For a moment, Jeremiah thought about it. “Coach gonna kill me,” he replied, grabbing the joint anyway.

“YOLO,” Jeremy chuckled.

“You are so corny, daddy.” Jeremiah started cracking up laughing as he fully removed his headphones.

“Man, whatever.” Jeremy put Jeremiah in a headlock, gently and quickly hitting the top of his head. “Mink, mink, mink.” He made fighting sounds.

Jeremiah just continued laughing at his father’s silliness, not even trying to get out of the headlock.

He eventually rested his head on his shoulder, and Jeremy held Jeremiah’s shoulder tightly as if Jeremiah would fly away if he let him go.

…That was his fear.

Jeremiah would fly too far away from him.

He felt like he was the only one who could really protect him, and it was hard coming to the realization that Jeremiah was his own man, who needed to make his own decisions and his own fuck ups.

Jeremy wished he could shield him from the world, but… he couldn’t, so what he would do is just love him unconditionally.

“I can feel you starin’ at me, daddy. Speak yo peace,” Jeremiah said low.

Jeremy smirked. “Stop knowin’ me, nigga.”

Jeremiah just chuckled, sitting up. “Impossible.”

Jeremy forcefully pulled him back down until Jeremiah was resting on his shoulder again. “Let me be like es for a second.”

Jeremiah smiled, “Okay.”

The two then sat there in silence.

Jeremiah heard his father’s every breath. He heard every heartbeat.

It only calmed him, making him feel like he was twelve again, and five-feet even instead of six-four.

“Can I ask you sum, daddy?” Jeremiah broke the silence.

“Of course,” Jeremy replied.

Jeremiah paused, now stuck with the question at the tip of his tongue.

“Take yo time,” Jeremy reassured him, and Jeremiah nodded in his arms.

He took a deep breath, sorting out all his thoughts, placing them into boxes, filing each one, until he grabbed the thought that had the question he wanted to ask, but was terrified at the same time.

“Do-do you really not cur?” He asked.

“About?”

“Umm…” Jeremiah paused. “Mmmmm,” he hummed. He started bouncing his knee to and down.

“You okay, Jeremiah?” Jeremy told him. “What do I not cur about?”

“Mmm-me-me n Micah.” Jeremiah finally got out. “Us bein’ t-together.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes.

He understood that his son was emotional and sometimes had trouble regulating his emotions, but he also thought Jeremiah was dramatic as hell.

Jeremy had just told him he didn’t care.

“Boy, I told you–”

“I know, daddy, but you gotta understand!” Jeremiah popped his head up, looking Jeremy into the eyes, for they were around the same height; Jeremiah only towered over him by an inch or two.

Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t undastand. You gotta help me out, too, son. I can’t guess everythang.”

Jeremiah groaned. He stayed silent for a moment.

“You know how mufuckas is. N it ain’t like Ian neva hurd you saw crazy shit about gay people n shit!” Jeremiah exclaimed.

Jeremy sighed. “Man, I undastand how you feel, n I take ownership fa et. Nigga, I grew up ina time whur et shit wasn’t coo’.” He shook his head, and Jeremiah felt his heart was racing as his father spoke. “But, I also was fucked up back then. Everythang I was taught wasn’t right. When I gotchu, I realized alotta shit wasn’t right. It was a lot of shit I realized that I couldn’t bring myself ta do as a parent cuz I loved you, regardless of whatchu is, boy–you don’t get that by now, Jeremiah?” He asked. “No, I don’t give a fuck that you head ova heel fa Micah. I don’t. Ion get inta allet shit, Jeremiah. It ain’t my place.” Jeremy shook his head. “My only task is ta love and take cur of you. You didn’t ask ta be in es world, so Ian gon treatchu like you owe me sum when you don’t. The only thing you owe me is bein’ you,” Jeremy poked his finger into his shoulder.

Jeremiah sighed. “I jus’ neva felt like es before, daddy, n Ian know what ta do,” he confessed. “He makes my fuckin’ brain hurt.” Jeremiah groaned, grabbing his head. “I jus’–” he shook his head. “I love him, but it’s so hard bein’ wit him at the same time.”

“Love ain’t easy, son,” Jeremy told him. “At all.” He put a hand on his shoulder. “You think me n ya mama just had a grand ole time? Nigga, I got her pregnant, then went ta prison,” he shook his head. “Then… the next time I saw ha was… a picture at her gravesite–eleven yurs afta her death,” he scoffed, looking off into the distance at the stars.

He then looked back at Jeremiah. “It ain’t easy. It’s hard as fuck, n thur’s many times you wanna quit, give up, be single, n fuck hella bitches, but I realized, especially afta she was gone, that Ian give a fuck about nun of these hoe,” Jeremy chuckled, feeling his eyes get wet. “I would do anything except give you up ta get ha back, too…”

Jeremiah just watched as his father spoke. He spoke about Jeremiah’s mother sometimes, but not often, because it was difficult.

“Ian even get ta see her take her last breath, son. Imagine that. The best and worst moments of my life, n I was fuckin’ locked up ta get ta expierence it. The birth of my son and the death of the love of my life.” He continued. “I had ta–I have to carry that weight wit me every day, n I’m sayin’ alles ta say… don’t have no regrets when you leave es Earth.” He told Jeremiah. “Fuck what everybody think aboutchu. Is Micah what you want, and if you love him et bad, then fuck you sittin’ wit me cryin’ fa. He alive, livin’, n breathin’, fa y’all ta make up.” Jeremy told him.

Jeremiah just stayed silent. He took in everything his father told him.

He even thought about Micah’s suicide attempt, thinking of the feeling he experienced, thinking he may have lost Micah forever… and they weren’t even as in love as they were now.

Jeremiah sighed, grabbing his knees, and lying on them.

Jeremy just pulled his son close, holding him tight. “You gon’ be aight, son.” He kissed the side of his face, and then he also went silent, and relit his joint, he took from Jeremiah’s hand.

The two then sat under the moonlight until Jeremy heard soft snores from Jeremiah falling asleep.

He chuckled, being brought back to when Jeremiah would just fall asleep on me when he was too overstimulated.

Jeremy knew this was another one of these times. He was waiting for Jeremy to tell him he was in love.

He was afraid his son would be a player his whole life.

Jeremy laughed out loud at the thought, then he tapped Jeremiah until his eyes slowly peeled open.

He groaned as he was woken up, and Jeremy just smiled, thinking that some habits don’t break.

He appreciated Jeremiah’s vulnerability with him. “C’mon, kid. You sleep, bruh.” Jeremy told him, and Jeremiah smacked his lips as he groggily stood up.

“Whateva, pops,” Jeremiah groaned, then stretched his arms wide as Jeremy threw his arm on Jeremiah’s shoulder, and they walked back inside of his house.

•••

a few days later

Micah had woken up.

He was back in the dorms and sleeping in Jeremiah’s bed.

He got depressed when he was in his room, so he stayed in Jeremiah’s.

He got up, heading to Jeremiah’s bathroom to quickly brush his teeth with his toothbrush that he left in there.

Once he was finished, he went back to Jeremiah’s bed, looking at his phone.

A wave of sadness flowed through his body, seeing another day had gone by with no calls, texts, or anything from Jeremiah…

His eyes perked up when he saw he had a text from Kelia.

Kelia

> Hey, call me back when you wake. Its important.

Micah sighed, deciding if he should return her call.

He groaned, seeing that she said it was important. “Fuck, bruh!” He yelled to himself.

Micah didn’t want to be bothered. They just had practice, and Coach worked them so hard the previous day, Micah took an ice bath afterwards.

He was tired, and he would much rather be in bed all day.

Reluctantly, he called her back, listening to the dreadful dial tone until she answered. “Hello?” Kelia answered.

“Wassup, Kelia,” Micah spoke. “What’s important?” he asked immediately.

“Well… I was wondering if you could come over today, and we talk about the baby. We still need to plan the baby shower, discuss birth plans… you know.” Kelia told him, smirking on the other side of the phone.

Micah raised a brow. “We can talk about et shit ova the phone? I’m tired,” he told her. “It sound like you just want me ta come ta yo parents’ house,” he smacked his lips as he started to strip his clothes to change into a new outfit.

“Please,” Kelia said softly, in almost a pleading tone. “And I need your help setting up some of the baby stuff. I’m getting too fat.” She laughed.

Micah thought about his answer for a second before letting out a deep sigh. “Ian rey be ova all day. I got shit ta do.” He agreed. “I’ll be ova in a minute.”

“Okay. See you soon.” Kelia told him, then hung up.

Micah quickly got dressed, hearing his phone ding again.

He saw Kelia had sent him her location, telling him to meet her there.

He raised a brow, deciding not to question it as he put on his clothes and headed towards his car. “Fuck it. My nigga broke up wimme. Ion got nun else ta do, so lemme be a good baby daddy.” He laughed to himself. “I did call et nigga a fake ass, rappin’ ass nigga tho… I feel bad, but I don’t…” Micah continued his ramble to himself as he clicked on her location, starting up the GPS.

“Whur the fuck she got me headin’ to?” Micah asked himself as he drove.

About twenty minutes later, Micah’s anxiety crept up on him as he pulled into a parking lot… of a luxury-looking apartment building.

He texted her, letting her know that he was here, and she sent back the apartment number.

Once he got to the fifth floor, he walked to apartment 509.

He called Kelia. “Before I do anything, whur the fuck you got me at?” Micah asked.

Kelia just laughed over the phone. “You are–silly.” She laughed as she opened the door.

She was sporting some pajamas, showing off her pregnant belly. A tight-fitting crop top with no bra, paired with some spandex shorts. “C’mon.”

“Bruh, whur are we at?” He asked as she pulled him inside.

He looked all around him. “Es the air bnb?”

Kelia shook her head as he looked down at her. “It’s my new place,” she told him, and his eyes went wide.

“You moved out?” He asked in complete shock.

Kelia was so spoiled by her parents. She even had a small guest house built on their land.

Unlike his overbearing parents, hers actually loved and wanted the best for her… albeit suffocating.

“Yes! Finally!” Kelia giggled, grabbing Micah’s hands, pulling him towards the master bedroom. “I literally had to cry, so they would agree, but… they end up getting me this nice place.” She led him fully inside. “And there’s enough room…” she looked up at Micah.

Micah just stared at her. “Ion know about allet.” He shook his head. “Campus is more convenient, too.”

Kelia scoffed, flopping down onto her bed.

Micah couldn’t deny that he was looking at her body.

“You piss me off,” she told him.

Micah groaned, sitting down on a fluffy chair she had placed parallel to the bed. “What the fuck I do? I just got hur!”

“I just don’t understand. We literally used to always talk about how much we wanted to move out and be in our own place–”

“But iss’ different now, Kay, n you know et!” Micah told her.

“How is it any different than back then? You were cheating on me!” Kelia snapped back.

“Nigga, Ian fuck yo silbins!” Micah spat.

“Nigga, I don’t have any!” Kelia scoffed, and Micah almost laughed because he wasn’t used to Kelia saying nigga. “What the fuck is funny?”

Micah shook his head. “I just know you mad when you call me a nigga.” He laughed.

“Boy, fuck you.” Kelia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “So, what are you gonna do?”

“Kelia, you can’t pressure me inta movin’ witchu. I needa do me.” Micah scoffed. “You fucked up, so you gotta deal with it. If I do decide ta come hur, it’s gonna be because of our fuckin’ baby!”

“I fuckin’ dealt with you FUCKIN’ UP ALL THE TIME! It’s not FAIR!” She stood up and screamed. “It’s not! I dealt with it. I forgave you when I didn’t want to. I let you break my heart countless times.” She began crying, and Micah just wanted to rip his hair out.

He felt awful that he made her feel like this, ultimately, but at the same time, is he not entitled to his feelings about the situation with MJ?

“Do you not love me?” Kelia asked him as he stood up.

“Kelia, please. You gonna stress out the baby.” He told her to sit down, grabbing her, trying to make her sit.

“Micah.”

“Kelia, stop–”

“Do you love me?” Kelia asked him again.

“Kelia, I’m not about to do this–”

“ANSWER MY QUESTION!”

“I DON’T FUCKIN’ KNOW!” Micah held her arms tightly, yelling in her face. “I don’t fuckin’ know.” He shook his head, feeling his own eyes get wet. “Is es whatchu wanted, huh?” He asked. “I don’t know, Kelia. I don’t know. I don’t know shit. I’m confused, n everybody expects me ta know everything, but I don’t even know myself!” Micah told her as he looked into her eyes. “I’m trying my fuckin’ best. I am,” he dropped his head low as he began to sob.

“I’m sorry,” he cried, not even wanting to look her in the face. “I’m sorry I made you feel et way. I’m sorry I made you feel so fuckin‘ bad that you fucked my brother. I’m sorry that I don’t know how ta feel aboutchu.” He finally looked up at her. “You ask me do I love you. Of course, I don’t. I won’t ever stop. We got too much history, too much time, n you having my baby, but us?” He asked. “I… can see a future whur we have the life you want, but…” he stopped, making Kelia’s heart race.

He paused, thinking about Jeremiah.

“I’m… I’m not ready,” he shook his head, looking her in the eyes. “I swur on my life Imma be thur fa you n our child, but I need a minute ta figure out what the fuck I gotta do.” Micah told her.

She was crying at that point. “I just want to know if doing you involves fucking other people?” She asked. “Because I wonder how you would feel if I went and started fucking other men.”

Micah scoffed at the thought. “Why would you-I’m outta hur, bruh. You deadass just like ta irritate the fuck outta me, bro. So, while you damn nur rey have a baby, you wanna just fuck niggas?”

“See, that’s the hypocrisy I’m talking about. You get to do what you please, but if I want to do the same, I get punished, talked to crazy, treated like I’m a whore.” Kelia cried, wiping her face and holding her stomach. “Just leave if that’s what you want.” She cried. “I’ll put the crib and shit up myself.”

Micah sighed, feeling even more horrible now. “Kelia.”

“No, just leave. Fuck, you.” Kelia flicked him off.

He just rolled his eyes, going to sit down next to her. “You don’t need ta be doin’ all of es, bruh.” He told her, putting his arms around her, rubbing her, so he could try to calm her down.

“I’m not tryin’ to!” Kelia continued to cry, and Micah sighed, pulling her in for a hug.

“Just take deep breaths.” He held her hand, coaching her through her breathing until she calmed down.

She was now lying against his chest as he held the side of her belly, slightly rubbing it.

“Can you at least help me put up the crib?” She asked.

Micah chuckled. “Yeah, crazy ass girl.”

“I’m crazy?” Kelia perked her head up. “The pot calling the kettle black.”

“Yo white ass can’t say nun like et,” Micah joked.

“Micah, you’re literally just as light as me… and yo mama seventy-five percent white…” Kelia raised a brow.

“Man, whateva. Let’s go do my luh baby’s room.” He stood up, helping her up.

“Yay!” She clapped her hands. “And can you paint it, too?” Kelia asked as they walked down the hallway, their voices becoming more distant.

•••

It was late in the day.

Micah had literally spent hours trying to figure out how to build baby furniture. Kelia had overspent, getting a crib, dresser, rocking chair, and more things that Micah had attempted to put together.

He at least got the crib and the dresser.

He got stuck on the rocking chair, giving up on it. Micah was the type who didn’t like reading instructions, and by the time he did, Kelia was fast asleep on the couch.

Sighing, he decided to carry her to her bed, princess style.

She woke up in the middle of him carrying her, and she smiled. “Thank you,” she spoke softly, holding onto him.

Micah laid her down. “You welcome. I’m outta hur. We gon’ talk about everythang soon, but Imma be thur fa you, but I gotta figure out how. Set some boundaries, n discuss what we our final plans are after graduation.”

Kelia nodded as her eyes fluttered. “Mhm,” she hummed, then fell back to sleep.

“Did she even hur anything I sed?” Micah rolled his eyes, stood up, and left her apartment.

Micah drove back to campus, but heading to Meilie’s dorm building.

He knocked when he got to Meilie and Junie’s door, hoping she was there, since he just popped up. “You in’er, Mei?” he asked loudly.

A few seconds later, the door swung open. “WUSSAAAAAAP!” Junie had her tongue out, shaking it, like Ghost Face in Scary Movie.

Micah busted out laughing, “Bruh, move,” he slightly pushed Junie to the side.

Junie fake fell to the ground. “Help me, Mei. The jock pushed me down!” she yelled, and Micah rolled his eyes, closing the door before he helped Junie’s dramatic ass to her feet.

“So damn dramatic,” Micah laughed, bending down to hug her. “You missed me?” He asked.

“Boy, get the hell out my face, fa Jeremiah beat my ass.” Junie pushed his face back, and Micah laughed.

“That nigga don’t dictate shit ova hur,” Micah smacked his lips, grabbing the bottle from the counter. “I see y’all havin’ fun without me.” He shook his head, pouring himself a shot.

“Oh, I find et real hard ta believe, Micah. It’s okay, when you get good dick, you go a luh insane.” Junie shrugged.

Micah just chuckled, “You are a fool, bruh. Ain’t no dick make me crazy…” He widened his eyes, to which Junie saw as he downed his shot.

“Nigga lyin’ like a bitch!” Junie told him, making Micah bust out laughing. “Didn’t you fight James over it?” She asked.

Micah raised a brow. “How the hell you figure et?”

“Micah, I peeped n put together a lot of shit after the last week,” Junie told him.

Micah just sighed, then shrugged, taking another shot. “Fuck it. Nigga dick so good, I would go beat that nigga up again, fa no reason.”

“Micah, you so real. I fucks witchu.” She dapped him up, and Micah just laughed as Meilie walked out of her room, running up to Micah.

“Micah, I just remembered!” Meilie gasped.

“What?” Micah asked her, confused.

“You need ta submit in the LU art competition. I know you don’t need the money, but the recognition…” Meilie told him.

Micah shook his head. “Ian a artist fareal.”

“Yes, you are.” Meilie and Junie spoke at the same time.

Junie looked at Meilie, “jinx.”

“Shut up, Ju,” Mielie smacked her lips.

“Meilie is right tho. Even if you don’t win, it’s an opportunity ta have your art recognized… You are an artist, Micah.” Junie patted his shoulder.

Micah sighed, shrugging. “Pick out sum fa me, n I’ll do it. Fuck it.” Micah told Meilie, and she jumped up and clapped.

“You gon’ let me be yo art manager?” She asked.

Micah shrugged again. “At this point in my life, I’m just ridin’ the wave.” He laughed. “Now, we gettin’ fucked up tanight or what?” He asked the two of them. “I’m already two shots in front of you hoes!”

“Boy, we both three ahead of you,” Junie corrected him. “We gotta catch you up.” She giggled, heading to the counter, getting two more shot glasses, and pouring all three of them shots.

•••

“Niggas ain’t shit, come up in your crib

All up in your fridge, can’t pay rent!♪

Junie and Meilie sang the popular Doja Cat song.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

All three of them were bopping their head at this point. Micah was definitely feeling the song.

“Said that’s not cheating if I wasn’t with your ass, yo.” The song continued.

“Yo, she spittin’!” Micah slurred a bit as he stood up. “Bruh, niggas ain’t shit!”

Meilie and Junie chuckled at Micah’s reaction.

“You feelin’ it, best?” Meilie asked, and Micah started singing the chorus, excepthe didn’t know it, so he kept repeating:

“Niggas ain’t shit, niggas ain’t shit. Niggas ain’t shiiit!♪ He sang to the melody.

“I guess he only feelin’ et part.” Junie cackled as she lit up her joint.

They had their windows open and a towel tucked underneath.

The song went off, then Monica’s Love All Over Me started playing.

“Oh, bitch we inna 2010s!” Junie shouted.

“Dun, dun, dun,” Meilie shook her shoulders to the beat. “C’mon, Junie. You know you can sing, bitch!”

“Must not have been paying attention♪

“I stepped right on it, didn’t even notice how deeeeeep, I was♪

Junie sang, and Micah was shocked at how good she was, but also in his drunken state, it was like every word from the music flowed into him, and as she sang, memories only poured into his brain.

“Wait, run et back,” Micah told Junie, and then sat down next to Meilie.

“Oh, you feelin’ Miss Monica.” Meilie laughed, replaying the song. “C’mon, JUNIE!” she clapped.

“Y’all gon’ make me nervous. Close ya eyes.” Junie chuckled.

“Girl,” Meilie shook her head, then covered Micah’s eyes. She knew he was the real problem…

“Thank you,” Junie mouthed to Meilie.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

“Must not have been paying attention,♪

“I stepped right on it, didn’t even notice how deeeep–I was,♪

I went from the ground to the top of the cloud♪

And now as I look down, I see where I fell into your arms♪

Now I got loooove,

All over me.”

It was like Monica and Junie were singing how Micah felt about Jeremiah from the beginning.

He didn’t know how much he’d fall for him. He was surprised, and the times when they were good, it felt as if he was almost on drugs… that how good Jeremiah made him feel.

Now, he felt himself getting emotional.

He was drunk…

“Okay, next song,” Micah spoke, and both Junie and Meilie were caught off guard.

“Uh… okay,” Junie said.

The next song started playing, starting with: “If I could, could forget him,

I would, please believe me♪“

In Love With Another Man by Jazmine Sullivan.

“Oo, lemme skip–”

“No,” Micah told her. “I neva hurd es song before…”

“And if I was sane, there’d be no competition.♪

But, I’m in looooovvve… with someone else.

And I’m so sorry, hey.

I’m in love with another man

And I know it ain’t right, hey♪

Micah’s eyes went wide, but he kept his hand on Meilie’s, so she wouldn’t change the song.

He felt tears start to well up as Jazmine Sullivan told his story.

Keila was the person he was apologizing to, and Jeremiah was the man he couldn’t explain.

“You should go and find someone else.

Who could treat you right,

Give you the world♪“

Micah just blinked as the piano chords and soulful singing filled his ears. The words seemed to go directly to his heart.

I know I ain’t right, no, no, no, no, no, no.

For what I did to you, baby.

Micah unconsciously shook his head. It was like he was Jazmine himself. He swore he just said these same words to Kelia earlier.

“I can’t explain why it’s him and not you

(No, no, no, no, no)

But at the end of the day, baby, I just don’t want to.

Cause he ain’t no doctor

And we always seem to fight, he got the perfect body, And sometimes he don’t even treat me right.

Oh, but when I’m with him, but when I’m with him.

When I’m with him, ain’t nobody else like it.

I’m so sorry, baby, that I have to do this to you. But I can’t go on pretending

Cause I love him, I love him.

And I’m so sorry, do you hear me?

I’m so sorry, but I love that man

I love that man.♪

He ain’t always right, but he’s just right for me♪“

By this time, Micah was fully in tears.

The song continued as Micah couldn’t help but cry. “I miss my nigga.” He cried, and Meilie grabbed his shoulders. “I just want him. Ion want nobody.” Micah slurred a bit as he spoke.

“So, go tell him that you miss him? Why are you cryin’ when you can’t just tell him? Let your pride go.” Meilie shook him.

“I should call him?” Micah asked, and both Meilie and Junie nodded.

Micah sniffled, grabbing his phone.

He stood up, heading to Meilie’s room.

“Girl, I’m glad Ian in love,” Junie shook her head.

“These two niggas raise my blood pressure two infinity. I need another blunt.” Meilie immediately started rolling up.

Once Micah was alone, he sat down on Meilie’s chair in her room, going to Jeremiah’s contact.

He hovered his hand over the FaceTime button, accidentally tapping it when he was about to just exit out of his contacts.

“Oh, shit,” he was about to hang up after a few rings, but then…

“Hello?” Jeremiah answered.

Micah felt his heart start pounding. “Uh, um, hey.”

“Wassup, Micah?” Jeremiah asked.

Micah looked into the camera, reluctantly, seeing that Jeremiah wasn’t even in his, noticing his background.

On the other side of the phone, Jeremiah questioned why he picked up so fast.

“Can you at least put yo face inna camera, bruh?” Micah smacked his lips.

Jeremiah sighed, turning it to his face.

He was currently sitting on the couch, watching an old Lakers game with his father; however, Jeremy stepped out to use the bathroom.

“Wassup, Parks?” Jeremiah asked again.

“Don’t eva Parks me again in yo life, nigga.” Micah furrowed his brows.

“Are you drunk, Micah?” Jeremiah asked.

“Just a luh tipsy.” Micah giggled, nodding his head.

“Why you callin’ me?” Jeremiah finally asked. “I thought you ain’t fuck wit me? Disrespected me, my music, all types of shit. I thought you was done wimme.”

Micah shook his head. “I miss you, daddy.”

Jeremiah was caught off guard. He knew Micah was drunk, but still…

“N I’m sorry fa what I sed. You know Ion think you a fake rappa. I listen ta you every day inna gym–I wanna cuddle, daddy. Come back ta me,” Micah told him.

Jeremiah unconsciously bit down on his lip.

“You miss me, or you just miss havin’ sex?” Jeremiah continued his line of questioning.

“Both,” Micah answered honestly, making Jeremiah bust out laughing.

“At least you honest, baby,” Jeremiah smiled, making Micah smile, causing a leftover tear to fall from his eyes. “You been cryin’?”

Micah nodded.

“Why?”

“Cuz you mean as fuck,” Micah slurred a bit. “You broke up wit me, n I miss you, n then niggas wanna slick flirt wit whores in my face? Jeremiah, you gotta undastand, I was mad, n then et fuckin’ song. The fuckin’ cover art, like you wouldn’t be pissed too. You know et,” Micah told him.

Jeremiah sighed, listening to Micah’s explanation, thinking how Micah peeped everything. My baby crazy as hell. Not he mad over the damn cover art.

“How you sayin’ I’m doin’ too much. What aboutchu n Lia?” Jeremiah asked.

“Baby, I told you Ian kiss ha!” Micah exclaimed, sliding down to the floor. “Jeremiah, I did not kiss ha. I swur. I even slick pushed her offa me because Ian wanna do et ta you,” Micah told him. “I don’t wanna be the same nigga I was ta Kelia that I am ta you.” He felt a few tears fall from his eyes. “I love you, Jeremiah.”

Jeremiah just felt his heart start racing as Micah spoke. Why am I feeling so… I can’t even explain it.

“I love you too, Micah.” Jeremiahreplied. “I just… have a hard time believin’ you love me sometimes.”

“N et hurts my feelins because I love you so much,” Micah wiped his eyes. “It’s hurts that you think I’m just playin’ witchu when I deadass beat niggas up aboutchu, boi. You crazy,” Micah told him.

Jeremiah smiled. “Crazy as fuck ova you tho.” He admitted, making Micah’s cheek flush. “I miss you too, baby,” Jeremiah said, sitting up and heading up to his old room. He shut the door, climbing into his bed, forgetting about the game. “I miss yo crazy ass every day. I can’t even fuck nun than you. My dick’a get soft.”

Micah just giggled. “You are dirty, bruh… but come ta me, daddy,” he spoke in a softer tone, and Jeremiah was entranced by him, especially his eyes. It was like they were emeralds enchanted by the Wizard of Oz, for they cast a spell on him. “I need you.”

Jeremiah felt his dixk get hard at Micah’s words as his heart also pumped quickly, and he had butterflies in his stomach.

“I-I’m at my daddy house, baby. I-Imma come home toma. I swur, n Imma make love ta you, n we gonna have a luh date. Allet typa shit.”

“I wantchu ta make love ta me now.” Micah lay on his back, on the pallet he made for himself beside Meilie’s bed.

Jeremiah sighed, biting down on his lip. He reached inside his pants to grab his dick before it burst, pulling down his pants to release it from the prison of fabric.

“Just wait fa me, baby,” Jeremiah breathed, flipping the camera to show Micah how hard he was. “Es how you got me… you gon’ take cur of et fa me toma?”

Micah bit down on his lip as his hands also unconsciously pulled down his basketball shorts.

Jeremiah had gotten him horny now…

He propped his phone up against the chair, so that Jeremiah had a perfect fish-eyed view of Micah, who put his two fingers in my mouth. “Lemme see you beat it, daddy.”

Jeremiah started to move his hand up and down his entire length over and over again until he started releasing small pants. “You gon’ lemme see you fuck yoself.” Jeremiah breathed, flipping the camera back to his face.

Micah nodded, reaching down, spreading his legs, and pushing his fingers between his asscheeks until he reached his throbbing hole. “I miss that fat ass, boi.” Jeremiah huffed, then released a moan as he started focusing his hand on the tip of his dick.

“N I miss you makin’ it fatter,” Micah breathed as he pushed his two fingers inside of himself. “Fuck, Jeremiah.” He panted as he pushed them all the way inside.

His being drunk only aided in the pleasure as he started to slowly finger himself.

Jeremiah’s eyes were glued to the screen as he focused on the way Micah’s pretty, pink hole gripped his own fingers, and he got flashbacks to all the times he felt it gripping his dick. “Ooo, Imma fuck the shit outchu, boi,” he grunted, feeling his orgasm building.

“I-I can’t wait,” Micah moaned, moving his fingers in and out of him, inching them inside further and further. “Ahh, ahh,” he moaned, closing his eyes and imagining Jeremiah was on top of him.

“Es right, baby,” Jeremiah coached him. “Put ’em all the way in, lemme see how much you can take,” Jeremiah instructed through a pant.

“Fuck, daddy,” Micah moaned when he started to speed up, grabbing his dick, wanting to nut. “Oh, shit,” he felt his legs shake a bit when his fingertips grazed against his spot. “I need it in my stomach.” Micah threw his head back, completely forgetting where he was.

“N I need ta feel how wet you is,” Jeremiah hissed. “Ooh, baby. You gonna cum with me?”

“Yeah, daddy,” Micah moaned, wiggling his fingers around inside of himself until he found his spot, rubbing over it again and again. “Sh-shit,” he shuddered, and his legs shook.

“Let daddy see you cum, Micah,” Jeremiah huffed as he was near his own. “Fuck.” He grunted, feeling as his hands got covered in nut.

“I-I-I’m cummin’, daddy,” Micah stuttered, and his hips bucked a bit.

He felt his hole throbbing on his fingers while his dick squirted out transparent white ropes of cum. “Mmmm,” Micah hummed as he stroked his dick until he came down from his nut.

“Jeremiah!” Jeremiah heard his name being called.

“Imma call you back, baby,” Jeremiah spoke breathlessly. “N you betta pick up yo phone.”

“What if I’m sleep?” Micah slurred, barely able to answer.

“Imma fuck you ta sleep toma, bye, Micah.” Jeremiah hung up, and Micah just giggled.

He started daydreaming about the next day, thinking of every position Jeremiah would have him in.

Micah also just thought about being in his arms.

He smiled, looking at Meilie’s dark ceiling with his dick still out and a wet ass.

As he stared off into space, his phone started ringing again.

He thought it was Jeremiah again, since he said he would call him back. “Hey,” he answered.

However, his eyes went wide, and it was almost like all the alcohol evaporated in his body when he heard a gut-wrenching scream, coming from Kelia…

To be continued…

•••

Thoughts on the chapter? Predictions?

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