Already Yours

Eight

Liyah scribbled down the notes from the board, trying to make sure she had everything before the teacher handed out the syllabus for their next project.

The class laughed and gossiped as the teacher stood in the hall with the principal.

She felt the desk across from her shift and looked up to see the boy with braids that greeted her in the hall the other day.

She scrunched her eyebrows at him, about to ask him what he was doing when the teacher walked in.

"Alright class." He typed on his computer and the notes disappeared from the screen, causing the class to groan.

"The copies of the syllabus for this project should be finished printing now."

Liyah turned back to the boy in front of her who had a goofy smile on his face. She didn't bother asking him what he was smiling about because he was almost always smiling. Every time she saw him, there was that smile. Liyah tapped her pencil against her desk. "So..."

"Dee," he said. The grin widened.

"Dee. Do you need the notes or something?"

"Nah, I have them."

Liyah's eyebrows rose. That certainly came as a shock to her. "Oh. Okay, then.... No offense but why are you sitting here? You never sit here."

"I actually need a partner for the project. My usual partner Amber? She caught Ashley in the hallway and hit her with that fade."

"She what?"

"They brawled out. Went to war. Squared up. Fought-"

"I know what it means. They fought over Drew?"

Dee scoffed. "That's crazy right." He leaned back in the chair and rubbed his chin. "I could see if it was a young fine brotha such as myself, I mean-"

Liyah's mouth curled upwards, and she put a hand over it on an attempt to not laugh.

"Ion know what you laughing for," he said with amusement in his eyes. "I got all these girls under my arm."

"Sure you do," Liyah said.

Dee sucked his teeth and looked over to the back of the classroom. "Molly."

"What Dee?" Molly Lee rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't these girls call me big pimpin?"

Liyah's mouth dropped at Dee's openness.

Molly smirked. "I don't know Dee. I heard these girls ain't calling you too much of anything anymore."

Dee's smile quickly vanished. "Girl please. I got game."

"Not too much of it anymore, from what I've heard."

"Well tell your little gossip squad that they don't know nothing. Dee got game. Dee be pimping all day. Dee don't settle down."

"Who you tryna convince, Dee?"

Liyah smirked. Molly sure did know how to clap back. Growing up as a small biracial kid, she had to know how to clap back and fight back.

"Man whatever," Dee mumbled as he turned back to Liyah. His phone buzzed and he looked at it and grimaced, before sending a glare to Molly.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah I'm good. I ain't sweating nothing."

Liyah frowned. "Okay. I'll go get the syllabus then."

As Liyah walked to the front of the class, she sent a quick look over her shoulder at Dee. He was typing on his phone, still looking annoyed from what Molly said.