MAKEOUTHILL

28%

April 2014

Jahseh and I have been dating for a few weeks now.

I don't know if it's because we're in our "honeymoon" stage, or if this is how we're gonna be forever. But I'm enjoying it.

We haven't argued or had a single disagreement yet.

It's like we're the same as we were before, just with different titles now.

We're sitting in my living room, cuddled against each other while my mother is at work.

Everything's great with us except Jahseh's on his phone, which he's been doing a lot lately.

Not in a secretive way, he just looks addicted and smiling at whoever he's texting.

I want to ask him about it, but I don't want him to think I'm insecure and don't trust our relationship from the start.

He chuckles under his breath, kisses my forehead, then goes back to typing.

I sigh and pause the movie we were supposed to be watching to see if he'd notice.

He doesn't.

"Jah."

"Yes, beautiful?"

"I don't want to sound rude or insecure or anything, but can I know who you're texting?" I ask as a turn my body to face his.

His eyes meet mine with a confused look that quickly softens into a smile. "Oh," he laughs. "I just been texting my nigga, Stokes. That's all."

"Stokes?" I say repeating the name.

"Stokeley," He clarifies. "He's my—" He laughs more and shakes his head. "I forgot to tell you about him. He's the coolest nigga I meant when I was locked up."

He pulls me back into his chest and places his phone in front of me so that we can both skim through the messages.

"Took me forever to find this nigga socials, but we were just planning on meeting up for the first time tomorrow. Trynna come?"

It puts me at ease knowing Jahseh's comfortable with showing me and telling me who he's texting, but in all honestly, I don't want to meet anyone new.

My circle's been small for as long as I can remember. I don't know how I'd feel about adding anyone else into my life.

But then again, I did ask who he's talking to, so the least I can do is be willing to meet them. "Yeah."

"Aye, that's what's up! Imma tell him. I know he'd probably be geeked as fuck knowing you're coming."

"He knows who I am?"

"I may have mentioned my baby once or twice."

I laugh as he wraps his arms around me and repeatedly kisses my cheek.

𓆩♡𓆪

I squeeze Jahseh's hand as he knocks on the door of—I'm guessing—Stokeley's home.

After waiting a few seconds, we hear the locks clicking. A tall, dark skin man opens the door for us.

"Ahhh," Jahseh and Stokeley say at the same time.

They dap each other up and pull each other into a hug.

He looks around and his eyes widen as if he's finally noticing me. "And you must be the lovely Charisma." He holds his hand out for me to shake, but I just look at it.

I don't know why I don't shake it. I don't think I trust his hands yet.

"Well, uh. Okay." He laughs a nervous laugh but fakes a bow instead. "Anyways, come on it guys. Mi casa no es tu casa."

"Uh, I don't think that's how it goes—"

I snicker lowly as I walk in behind them.

When we first come into the house it looks dark. It's nothing extravagant, but nothing too deep in the trenches either.

I stand awkwardly as Jahseh seems to have already made himself at home. He's slouched against the couch with his legs splayed onto the coffee table.

"Be right back. Imma go grab us some goods," Stokeley says as he walks down a hallway.

I look at Jahseh who frowns. "You don't fuck with him?"

"I do," I say coming to sit next to him. "He seems really cool. Just give me some time to warm up to him."

"Understandable." He turns my cheek with his hand and kisses my lips. "Don't want you getting too comfortable with any other nigga anyway."

We peck at each other's lips back and forth until Stokeley comes back. "Ewww," he says. "I was gonna share some of my wood with y'all, but never mind."

He makes a face and pulls his ashtray and grinder toward him. "You two probably have couple cooties or some shit ewwww."

He lays out an ashtray of freshly rinsed leaves and a ziplock of weed. I lift up a leaf and examine it. "This White Owl?"

"Ding ding ding." He sits down on the recliner across from us. "You smoke?"

"Something like that."

"Don't let her innocent look fool you," Jahseh starts. "She'll hit two wholes if you let her."

"Damn," he laughs. "Rotations with her must be crazy, huh?"

"Hell yeah. Gotta wait til she start hallucinating—"

"Okay," I interrupt. "We get it."

I multitask as I listen to Jah and Stokes catch up and roll at the same time.

I inhale the rolled blunt and pass it to Jah. "Tell her about the rapping shit."

"Aw yeah. We wanna become Soundcloud rappers."

My eyebrows raise. "I remember Jah telling me about it, but I didn't think he was serious."

"Damn. It's like that?" He says passing it to Stokeley. I just shrug.

"We're working on a few songs. Some together and some individually."

"Cool, where the lyrics at?" I say looking around.

"Somewhere you'll never find them."

"Is this it?" I say grabbing a piece of paper that looks like it was lazily thrown under the couch.

Jahseh takes it from me and buries it in his pocket. "Is what it?"

"Okay."

"We'll show you the finished product when we're done—If you're still interested that is," Stokeley says.

"I'm interested," I say inhaling the grape-flavored leaf. "Wanna see where this goes."

Jahseh throws his arm over my shoulders, "When we blow up, you're getting all free backstage passes."

"I look forward to it."