Loving You

chapter one.

: can i come over?

didi👯‍♀️❣️: the door's open pooh

didi👯‍♀️❣️: and hurry up! your friend is driving me insane

: coming 😭

"I'm going to Didi's!" She yelled once she opened the front door and her parents yelled back, telling her okay. She began the short walk to India's house, putting in her AirPods as she walked. India only lived 5 houses down from her, so it didn't take her long to arrive. She wiped her forehead, already sweating from being in the Maryland heat. It was nearing the end of August but still scorching hot, so Imani was wearing as few clothes as possible. She wore a cropped white tank top, with some denim shorts and crocs on her feet. Her curly hair was out and air drying, since she'd washed it a couple of hours ago and she had on her usual evil eye necklace, along with some other necklaces she always wore.

Once she approached India's house, she noticed the rest of their friend group's cars in her driveway and smiled. India's house was usually where they hung out since her parents were the most chill and they could smoke without getting caught. The front door was open, but the screen door was closed so she could see inside of the house. She didn't bother knocking, instead stepping inside and taking her crocs off, placing them by the door where the rest of her friends' shoes were. She entered the living room, where India's mother was sitting on the couch, watching a movie on the T.V.

"Hi Titi Ana," She waved and Tiana looked up, smiling at Imani.

"Hi baby. They downstairs being loud as I don't know what! Tell them to shush when you go down there, okay?" She told her and Imani giggled, nodding.

"I will," She assured her, making her way to the basement stairs. She heard loud laughing and some music playing, so she followed the noise down to India's room. India's room was in the basement, so she had the entire floor to herself. She had 3 younger siblings, Devon who was 16, Bryson who was 12, and a younger sister, Camille who was 2, while Imani was an only child. Sometimes she was jealous of Didi's big family, but other times she was grateful that her parents decided to stop with her. She'd witnessed firsthand the arguments, fights, and crying that came with siblings and she was glad she didn't have to deal with that. Plus, whenever she felt lonely, she could just make the 2 minute walk to the Banks' house and pretend she had siblings.

"Keon! Give me my damn charger!" She heard Didi yell over the music.

"What percentage you at?" Keon responded and she could faintly make out Didi telling him she would pop him if he didn't hand it over. She entered the room to see all of her friends either sitting on the floor or Didi's bed, passing around a blunt as a Drake song played lowly through the room's speakers.

"Finally you're here! That boy been getting on my damn nerves," India said dramatically, breathing a sigh of relief when she noticed Imani.

"That 'boy' is yo' man big head," Keon scoffed from behind them, making the group laugh at their bickering.

"Shut up giraffe looking ass! I'm gon' pop you one day, I swear!" India shot back.

"Here they go," Prince murmured under his breath while the group watched them begin to go back and forth like they always did.

Keon and India had been dating since their junior year of high school, still going strong almost 3 years later. While Imani and India had been friends since diapers, they hadn't found the rest of their friends until middle school. They clicked when they met in the 8th grade and had been hanging out since.

"Prince, yo' heavy breathing ass been hogging that shit for the past 5 minutes, hand it the fuck over!" Heaven snapped, reaching over to snatch the blunt away from him.