Chapter 1
Lenell (Nell for short)
“Can someone please explain to me why these fellas play so many games?” Monique asked.
She shook her head, frowning as she opened Montell’s Snapchat story. Her long black wavy weave twisted with her body, framing her round brown face.
Monique rolled her eyes, showing us a video that Montell posted with two girls twerking on him at a party. We all shook our heads, sucking our teeth.
“Girl, I feel you,” I said, getting up from the couch.
It seemed like every guy at this school was playing games. Either he was dating someone and acting brand new like he was single, pretending he wanted to be friends, but really wanting to sleep with you. Or the all-time favorite game they liked playing, barely talking to you but saying y’all “talking” cause he didn’t want another brother to show their interest for you.
Out of my first two years in college, I hadn’t met a single guy who proved me wrong. It had me wondering if this love thing was even real. My parents had a love for each other that I admired dearly and wanted in my own life. But it was hard out in these streets... I guess I had to wait on God to send that perfect guy, but in the meantime, I was going to work hard and secure my degree to go to medical school.
I pulled my backpack onto my back and grabbed my Bio textbook from the floor. We were chilling in Tasia’s dorm room on a Saturday evening, but I had to study.
Tasia had a nice-sized dorm with a good bath area. Her roommate, Chelle, hardly stayed at their dorm because her parents lived close to campus; Tasia basically had the whole room to herself.
“I’m about to go study for this exam on Monday,” I told the girls and headed for the door.
“Love you, Nell!”
“Love y’all too.” I smiled hard. “Oh, and don’t forget about that Alpha party coming up next week. You know we have to be there!”
One of the Alpha’s, Kevin, invited me, and I wasn’t going alone; the girls would accompany me.
“Girl, who are you kidding!” Simone clapped. She then stood up and started twerking. “I’m about to throw that ass in a circle. Especially since Kevin’s showing you googly eyes.”
All the girls laughed, and I giggled, rolling my eyes.
“Please, I’m sure I wasn’t the only girl he invited.” I sucked my teeth and folded my arms. “He just knows how to run game.”
“Girl, whatever, he’s cute,” Tasia said, standing. “He can run game, walk game, hop game, and jog game. He can score with me any day if you don’t want him.”
We all busted out in an uproar of laughter. My friends played too much.
I said my goodbyes to the girls, then walked out of Tasia’s dorm room with a deep sigh. I was about to be in the library for six hours studying all this mess for Monday. Taking a deep breath, I kept walking to the elevator.
“It’ll all be worth it. It’ll all be worth it,” I whispered to myself.
I walked down to the dorm lobby when I saw a good-looking guy staring at me from the corner of my eyes. My body froze for a moment, taking him all in. He had light brown skin with temple faded curly black hair.
When I looked at him, he turned away with a swift turn smiling. I had never seen him before, but he was cute. I pushed the door open and headed over to the library just across the street from the dorm building, thinking about the cute stranger.
Y’all pray for me on this exam.
“That will be $4.50,” I said, ringing up the guy’s snacks.
Just when I had finished handing him the receipt, no other than Marquis came walking into my line. I rolled my eyes, seeing him.
“Dang, so that’s how we greet each other now?” he said, handing me a bottle of whole milk and cookies.
He wore a pair of checkered PJs and a white wife-beater.
“I didn’t know we even greeted each other before,” I said dryly, scanning his items. “We’re strangers remember?”
“Ha. Why you say that? We were best friends, remember?” Marquis asked, raising his arms beside him, which gave me an eerie feeling.
He leaned in closer to my personal space, causing me to smell his old man cologne that he bathed himself with. His hand reached over to touch my face, but I pulled away in time.
“You only know how to speak to me when you want something.” I snapped, handing him his receipt. “Goodbye.”
“Aight, bye.” He scuffed, leaving the dorm market.
Good. I closed my cash register, clocked out, and left work to go up to my room. I was glad that I was done for today. I was starting to get tired, and my legs were killing me from standing all day.
While I walked to my room, I spotted the same guy I saw earlier standing in the lobby. He was about 5′10 with a good built.
I took a deep breath and kept walking to my room. He looked over at me with a handsome smirk, but I turned away with droopy eyelids. I was way too tired to think right now.
When I got up to my room, my roommate, Kelly, was yelling on her phone at her boyfriend, Connor. They were in a long-distance relationship since Freshman year, but he wasn’t taking it seriously. He had been up to a truck full of crazy activities lately, sleeping with different women and lying nonstop.
“I’m done, Connor! I’m done!” she yelled.
Poor Kelly.
I walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. The hot water from the showerhead poured down on me; it was my way of letting go of all the stress accumulated in my body over the week. I fitted my hair into my shower cap, then lathered my slim thick brown body with Dove body wash.
It seemed like it was hard to find a good guy in our generation. Either they were already taken, or they were hiding somewhere. Wherever my guy was, I hoped he was doing well cause his girl was gonna need some kisses and back rubs in the future.
I turned off the shower then finished getting ready for bed; I had church in the morning.
When I got out of the shower, Kelly was sobbing loudly on her bed. I sat next to her and caressed her long blonde hair with the back of my hand.
“He didn’t deserve you,” I said, pouting. My heart tugged. “You’ll find someone better.”
Damon
I walked back to my dorm, smiling from ear to ear as I thought about the beautiful girl I saw today. She was about 5′2 with long mid-back box braids and brown skin. She had a tiny waist and a good set of hips to accompany it. Toned legs and all, it looked like she worked out—just my type.
I hadn’t seen her before at school, but maybe she was new. I unlocked my bedroom door and jumped onto my bed.
My roommate, Charles, was tapping away at his laptop keys.
“Ay, Wanda came by wondering where you were.” Was the first thing he said to me as I flipped through the channels on TV.
“Uh, okay.” I rolled my eyes.
“Wait, what was that?” Charles asked me; then he walked over to me from his desk.
He finished playing a game of GTA (Grand Theft Auto).
“I don’t know. I don’t like Wanda like that, and she keeps hitting me up.” I shrugged.
“Bro, a girl could be annoying times two. She still gonna have a booty and all those women features that make her a woman.”
Charles laughed, giving me a weird look. I shook my head at his nonsense.
I turned the TV off because there was nothing good on tonight. I then flipped over onto my back, looking up at him. My arms laid on top of my chest.
“Well, maybe I want more than that, Charles. I know I said I didn’t want a girlfriend anytime soon, but I saw someone cute today who I might want to talk to.”
“Okay, we see cute girls all the time. What’s your point?”
“Nah, this time was different for me....”
His eyes shot open; then, he leaned in to hear more.
“Maybe I want someone to have that real type of love with. Like someone who’s gonna be there with me through thick and thin. That type of love.”
Charles rolled his eyes and shook his head at me.
“You’re twenty, though, D. You got time to find that wifey. You should be worried about getting some play. You’ve been slacking on that lady love for a month now; girls be throwin’ themselves at you left and right. What’s wrong with you?” he asked, looking at me like I was ungrateful.
I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling.
“Nothing’s wrong with m-... And yeah, I know I have time, but sometimes I want that now instead of all those girls. Instead of hanging out with y’all, I wanna be able to hang out with someone I love.” I admitted with a huff.
He looked at me, offended.
“No offense.”
Charles grabbed a bag of Doritos and threw a pack at my head.
“Whatever, man. The OKC game is coming on tonight. Get that shit up. I’m betting on OKC with Montell for $20.”
I cracked up, turning on the TV not taking Charles’ response to heart. It was hard to talk to your fellas about love because it was the least of a player’s worries at this point in our lives.
“Well, you about to lose that money to the Warriors cause they have been the best.”
Charles shoved my head. I smiled deviously, bussing open my pack of Doritos. He played too much.
It was nighttime now, and Charles was knocked out snoring on his bed. I had my earphones in as I stared out of my window at the stars in the night sky. My eyes began to close slowly. A bright stream of light caught my attention, awakening me, a shooting star. I didn’t believe in wishes, but I had nothing to lose.
“I wish she would be mine.”
