𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑌𝑜𝑢

twenty three

He takes a deep breath and finally steps back. "I ever see you inna streets you gon get ya ass handed to you. I done it before I can do it again. Fuck outta my face nigga" Jah says. And with that, the bell rings.

"Go to class, Sapphire" Jah turns back to me and gives me a hug. "Are you okay? For real" I ask and he shrugs.

"Yeah. Imma see you in chem" he lets go of me and goes into his classroom. "Des you good?" I ask. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nigga's a goofy" Destiny shrugs.

"Aye ain't yo name uhhh Sophie?" Reece says, coming up to me while I'm walking. "Sapphire" I correct him and keep walking.

"Aye shorty you Jah's girl" he asks, jogging to catch up to me. "Yeah" I nod, still walking to my class.

"Oh ight. Say, we should chill" he nods and I shrug. "I don't know. I don't entertain any niggas. I'm cuffed. Anyways this me" I say, pointing to my classroom door.

"Fasho shorty. I'll see you 'round" he waves and I walk into class.

After school, I go with Jah to go talk to his coach. He's wanting to go to the summer sports program so he can get into the varsity team next year.

"Bae whatchu get on ya math test" Jah asks, holding my hand while we walk to the gym. "Eighty nineee" I smile and he smiles back.

"Ayeee good job Sapphire" he shows his teeth with his smile and I blush. "You gon get yo lil reward when we go home ight?" he kisses my cheek and I look down.

"You needa stop" I laugh, going into the gym and sitting on the bleachers. "I'a be right back. Don't go no where" he says, walking off to the coach who was watching the players practice.

I see Reece playing and he looks over at me and smiles. I wave discreetly and open my notebook, finishing my chemistry notes.

"Aye y'all can take ten" Coach says and Reece comes walking over to me. "Wassup" I nod and him. "Hey" he sits next to me. "That's chem?" he asks and I nod.

"Yeah. It's hard as fuck" I shake my head. "It's easy, really. It's just asking you to find the molarity so just divide the moles of solute by the volume and there's your answer" Reece shrugs. wiping the sweat off his face with his shirt.

"Oh. Thanks Reece. I was gonna bomb this final" I laugh and he laughs back. Reece nods.

"...And I heard about what happened today with your best friend and Zion. He just gets mad and doesn't know how to act" he shrugs and I wave my hand in dismissal.

"You don't have to be sorry. You can't control other people" I shrug. "Aye lemme getcho number. Not on no flirt shit you just cool" he hands me his phone and I put my number in it.

"Aight let's get back to it" Coach claps. "I'll text you" Reece says, waving to me. "Bet" I respond and he jogs back to the court.

Jah comes back over to me and sits next to me. "Since when you fuck with Reece?" he asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"I don't know. He cool though" I shrug. "Mm. Ight" he says and gets up, taking me with him.

"What did Coach say" I ask wobbling because his entire weight is on me.

"He said that if I finish this year strong academically, work hard in the summer program, and not break my parole he'll give me an automatic varsity" Jah smiles again and I look up at him.

"Why you lookin like that" he asks and I shake my head. "I'm not lookin like nun. You wanna get food orrr" I say, nervously.

"Mhm. Whatchu wanna eat ma" he looks up and down my body. "Uhhh-" I stutter. "I could tell you what I'm tryna eat" he looks up at me.