𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚖 - 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬. 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑂𝑛𝑒

ՏI᙭

🌸ڿڰۣ-P̠O̠V̠ P̠a̠t̠r̠i̠c̠e̠

I stared at my phone as it lit up and my ring tone filled the room with Ella Mai's Naked. It took me a few seconds to pry my feet from the spot where I stood staring at it.

I leaned over and peered at it as if it held a message of doom. I sighed and reached for it when I discovered that this time it was my friend Nicole's number.

From seeing those all too familiar eyes in Clarkey's rareview mirror I was plagued with a plethora of unforgotten feelings and it caused me to craved for more than just a chance encounter and more so now that he had called.

"Gyal get dress mi a come pick yuh up," her voice echoed in my ear as I answered.

I sighed ready to turn her down when I heard another voice chime in. "You owe wi fi guh a Can'D Bring Yuh Own Bar dance an yuh know wi nuh chat to ar."

"Like seriously Debs", I said and laughed as I began to relax.

"Yes, put on something short and tempting wi a guh Simone's Round Robin," Nicole cut in as Debs was now chatting away in the background.

"Guys mi not in the mood," I told them sitting down on my bed and reaching for the happy face emoji cushion that Deenie had left there.

A chorus of protest escalated to a fevered pitch as the two began to loudly shout their annoyance on the phone letting me know they had me on speaker.

"We jus a guh buil a vibes an cut. Yuh know Simone a mi one time sister-in-law, an wi affi support wi one anahda," Nicole said in her final argument.

I rolled my eyes and stared down at the cushion. Simone was quite a few people sisters-in-law and she has no siblings.

The drive up to Belgrove would do some good, it could offer some much-needed distraction from the voice that still rang in my ear. It had caused my body to tingle in a way that should by no means result from such a basic greeting as 'Hi'.

My face burned red as I thought how I had practically croaked in surprise before promptly ending the call.

As much as I secretly hoped for something to transpire to make our lives materialize into many of the fantasies and desires that plagued my thoughts so many times to count, his call was not expected.

Who would have thought wishful thinking would manifest itself in such a way. This day was just full of surprises.

Maybe Nikki and Debs were onto something. What was the use of hiding myself away from life because OD was back?

No fucking use! It was summer, school was out and with it more time to get my social life back on track. Whatever was happening I knew Odean was by no means locking himself away in his room, moping over what was and never had a chance to truly be.

"Mi naah stay long," I told them and their excited screams filling my ear had me wishing I had put my phone on speaker.

"Ok we a pick yuh up in an hour," Nicole said after they quiet down.

It so happen that their hour turned out to be almost two hours of me ready and waiting. I was about to undress as my patience had reached its end when I heard my phone beeped. I look to see that it was a message from Nicole telling me to come out to the gate.

It was now minutes after ten and it was no use waking up Mama to tell her that I was leaving so I just slip out the back door and ran around the side of the house and rushed to the gate.

I was there for a second when a familiar dark blue Honda Civic Hatchback pulled up and the driver's window rolled down. Familiar eyes gazed at me and a boisterous voice wailed.