"And it doesn't matter how much time passed or how much time will pass-it's him. It always has been him and it always will be him...I just don't know how to tell him,"
When it's more than a like, and they're more than a friend. When they know you b...
"Right. If he respects you, he'll respect those too," Jeli added.
Aja nodded, taking in everything they were saying, but of course she was still understandably hesitant. "Ima...Ima give it a lil bit, but I'll accept the date invitation," she smiled slightly and the girls squealed in excitement, shocked.
"When did he ask you out?!" Sakari asked.
"Um...thirty minutes ago," she giggled. "I left him on read—I feel like a bitch but I panicked!"
"Just tell him in person, I'm sure he'd love that," Jeli continued. "Not my bitch going on a date, we gotta get her dolled up," she looked over at Kari and she nodded in agreement.
"Wait wait! We don't even know where I'm going!" Aja laughed.
"And?! Baby you can be a bad bitch anywhere," Jeli waved her off, causing the other two to laugh as well.
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"No! Move," Kari swatted Mekhi's hand from her Starbucks drink. She treated herself to one as they shopped around, Amber now joining. He was trying so hard to get a sip, and it was not working. "You don't even like coffee Ahmad. Move," she bucked.
"You don't know that," he pointed. "I could have changed my mind,"
"You're just greedy. Here and get out my face," she handed it to him, and he grinned, taking it from her, popping the top to taste whatever it was she was drinking and made a face once it hit his tongue. "See! Gimme my shit!" she snatched it back.
"It was...it was good! It just—"
"Liars go to hell, Mekhi," she straight faced him, making him nearly weak from laughing. There was a teacher they had in middle school who said that to students—she subsequently got fired for scaring the children, but the saying stuck with them, and he clearly found it hilarious still.
They moved on to the dairy, and Khi grabbed the oat milk for her—since she was violently lactose intolerant. She even had almond milk in whatever drink this was. She had pills for it and everything, it was pretty bad.
Today, they were having a competition to see who could spend the least. It was Mekhi and Kari, Trae and Aja, and Amber with Jelani.
"Mekhi—not that expensive ass milk! Do you wanna win or not!" she fussed, reaching for the one that was a whole two dollars less. She had to keep reminding him that he was far too boujee for this and let her shop because she was used to doing so frugally—thanks to her living with six other people.
"My fault OG," he chuckled and she choked on her coffee, making him laugh harder.
"Fuck you," she laughed, pushing the cart farther.
They met up a few minutes later, carts all full of various things, and just by glancing, Kari knew who'd be dead last. They all went through the lines, meeting up at the Starbucks again to share receipts.
