Black Love Short Stories

In the Eye of the Beholder

What's up y'all! June is here. Can you believe we're halfway through 2021? God has certainly been good to me- so I pray He's been good to you.

**

        Janessa Long  sat with her friends as they watched some of the boys from the local rec center basketball team shoot hoops. They sat at the outdoor basketball courts and the sun was high.
        The early June air was cool and Janessa thought it felt great against her skin. Deciding to frame this memory, she grabbed her camera and quickly took a picture of the blooms that were swaying in the trees.
        Feeling someone nudge her, she met the warm eyes of her friend Kaylee.
        "J, why are you taking photos? If you're gonna take anything- it should be of Tyson fine self." Kaylee responded biting her lip.
        Janessa rolled her eyes. "I'd rather work on my craft."
        "Of course you would." Tyeisha said. "We came here for a break, remember?"
        Before Janessa could reply, she heard Kaylee squeal.
        "Y'all! They're coming over!" Kaylee squealed and smoothed her edges on her high puff.
        Janessa rolled her eyes at her friends actions. It was times like these that she couldn't believe that they were friends.
        They'd all grown up together and were very different: Kaylee being the cute extrovert and the friendliest, while Tyeisha was the "mean one". Janessa knew she really wasn't mean, but if you crossed her you'd feel her wrath, which had often kept Janessa safe from bullies as they grew up.  Janessa was quiet, and her friends respected that- never pushing her to do anything she didn't want to do.
        All three ended up going to the same college and their friendship seemed to grow each year. Somedays Janessa was surprised they'd lasted as long as they did- but she didn't question God's choice to bring them into her life.
        "Aye whats up ladies?" One of the boys said. Janessa took in his features and couldn't deny his attractiveness. With light brown skin, he had his hair cut in a fade with his coily top defined shown in the light. His muscles strained against his shirt and he smiled warmly at each of the girls.
        "Hi Daniel." Kaylee waved at him. Daniel smiled at her and gave her a head nod.
        "Hey Kaylee. So, I hope y'all are doing good today. But what I wanted to know you'd take some photos of us?" He said finally settling his eyes on the dark skinned beauty that had captivated his attention from the moment she'd entered the gym.
       Janessa looked at Daniel as he waited for her response. She cleared her throat before responding.
        "Me?" She asked timidly.
        Daniel's smile grew even wider. "Yeah. I mean you're the only one with the camera." He said as he pointed to the device that hung around her neck.
        Janessa felt her cheeks burn. "I guess you're right." She said as she tucked  her hair behind her ear. "What would you like a photo of?"
        "Us." He pointed to his friends. "I want a few of us shooting ball."
        Janessa nodded and moved to get off of the bleachers. Daniel held his hand out for her and watched as she timidly grabbed his hand. After helping her down, he looked at her short frame.
        "Y'all just do your thing." She nodded to him. "I'll get what I need."
        Daniel nodded at her and dribbled the ball as he and his boys got ready to play on the court.
        Janessa watched the three boys as they played a game. She watched as they laughed and joked with one another easily and she wanted to photograph that.
        Daniel went flying down the court and he leaped up to dunk the ball. Janessa captured the moment his hand let go of the ball and she watched as it slipped easily into the net.
        She took a few more photos and when they boys were done the immediately crowded her short body.
        "How'd they turn out?" Tyson asked.
        "I think they turned out well. But you guys let me know your thoughts." Janessa said as she allowed them to look at her camera.
       As she flipped through the camera. The boys exclaimed the excitement by dapping each other up.
        "Yo, these are lit." Daniel said as he eyed the one with him dunking the ball. "How much do you want for them?"
        Janessa furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Daniel I don't want your money. I'll let you have them for free."
        Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You serious?"
        Janessa nodded. "Yeah. I don't do this for money. I do it because I want to. Plus I think I can use these for a project I'm working on- if you don't mind."
        The guys shrugged. "Do what you want. But if you need anything- we gotchu." Daniel said and Janessa watched as the guys nodded their heads in agreement.
        She smiled at them and thanked them, promising to have their photos to them next weekend.
       As she walked back to her spot, she saw Tyeisha and Kaylee grinning at her from ear to ear.
        "So what did they say?" Tyeisha asked.
       "Did Tyson say anything about me?" Kaylee said bouncing her leg up and down.
        Janessa shook her head with a smile. "No Tyson didn't ask about you. And they just liked the photos I took."
        "Ooo look at you. Seems like you got the hook up." Tyeisha winked at her.
        Janessa rolled her eyes. "I don't think so. I don't even think they know my name." Janessa exclaimed as she climbed up on the bleacher. As soon as she sat down, she heard her name being called and turned to see Daniel running towards her.
        "Janessa, hold up." He said and Janessa's heart skipped a beat. He knows my name, she thought as she stuffed her hands into her pocket.
        "Look- I'm having a kickback next weekend. And I wanna invite you and your girls to chill with us."
        Janessa studied him. She couldn't believe he had asked her instead of her friends. She looked at her teal painted toes before looking back up to meet Daniel's patient gaze.
         "S-sure." She managed to say. Daniel's wide smile caused one to spread across her own face.
        "Bet. Look, I'll text you the addy and you can slide through." Daniel said and held out his phone for Janessa to put her number in. After she did, he nodded to her and her friends before walked my back to the court to begin another game with his friends.
        Before Janessa could sit down, Kaylee grabbed her hand, pulling her down the bleachers.
       "Kaylee- what are you doing?" Janessa said as she tried to keep up with a determined Kaylee.
        "To the store- we gotta get some fits for this kickback." She said and Janessa looked back at Tyeisha, who was following behind them with a smile on her face.