𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑

𝟢𝟩 | 𝖡𝖠𝖣 𝖡𝖮𝖸𝖲 𝟦 𝖫𝖨𝖥𝖤

"We want that too." Nas spoke up referring to him and Youngboy.

Sage didn't say anything, not having the appetite to eat. It was times like this where he hated himself. Not being able to eat, not being able to sleep, the shit made him feel unbalanced.

"Sage doesn't want anything?" Cici's small voice could be heard from the FaceTime call.

"Tell her I'm straight."

CiCi and Jelly arrived with the boys food after ten minutes. By then, Sage had gravitated off the porch and into his black 2023 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody. He was tired of sitting out in the heat and wasn't trying to smell like outside.

He watched Cici and Jelly pull up in her Benz, biting his bottom lip when she stepped out the car. When he seen her at school, she had on a sweatsuit and her hair was styled in braids. CiCi now had on a white Cotton Rib Skims Set, Kurt Geiger Mini Kensington rainbow colored purse with the matching Kensington T-Bar sandals, and he peeped the way the Kurt Geiger London Heart Tennis Bracelet blinged in the sun. Her real hair was out also, pulled back into a low ponytail.

"She fye." Sage said to himself, watching her look around before her eyes landed on his car. She tried to look through the tint causing him to chuckle, that 5% came in clutch. A couple words were exchange between her and Nas before she started walking to his car.

"What it do, CiCi?" Sage greeted her as he rolled down his window.

"I got you some food even though you said you didn't want any." CiCi says as she placed the bag of McDonalds on his lap. "I didn't know what you would like so I got you a BigMac meal. Your drink is in my car."

"You ain't have to do that Ci, I appreciate it."

"You can keep that. Rod already reimbursed me." CiCi shook her head with a small smile, declining his attempt to give her a twenty dollar bill.

"That's cool but this from me. Take it." He demanded causing her to sigh before taking the bill out his hand.

"Thank you." CiCi tucked the bill into her purse, looking back up to see Sage staring at her.  "What?" She blushed.

"Just admiring God's creation, you fine as fuck CiCi." Sage compliment made CiCi's smile widen, liking the way her name rolled off his tongue.

"Gracias, te ves bien tú mismo." CiCi spoke in her first language, smiling down at the brown skin boy.

"Sabes, podrías haberme dicho eso en inglés." He had to learn Spanish himself when dealing with connects.

"You know Spanish." CiCi spoke in realization, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't expect him to not know Spanish at all being that everyone had to learn their cognates in ninth but he was speaking fluently. Basing off of the impression he'd given her, she thought he was more on the complicated learner side like Trey or Rod— no shade. However based on the fact he had a college class and spoke fluent Spanish, CiCi wouldn't underestimate the boy anymore.

"Like the back of my hand. Whatchu thought I was slow?"

"No, I just— my friends aren't exactly the smartest and you hang around them so— you know what, that's wrong. I'm sorry." She shook her head, hearing how bad she sounded. It wasn't good to judge a person based off who they hung with.

Birds may flock together but they won't always have the same feathers.

"I know how it looks Ci, I ain't pressed bout it. Just know I'm not exactly like them niggas or any other niggas matter fact." The look on Sage's face told her that his words had a deeper meaning.

"What are you like then Sage?" CiCi shifted her weight to her right leg, feeding into his words.

"You can find out tomorrow, on our date." He smirked.

"A friendly date, I assume?" She wasn't trying to get involved with anyone romantically knowing what she came with. A bipolar mother, a sister who was dealing with Lupus, an overprotective brother. She had a lot of "baggage" from her past as well, putting all that on someone so young was basically road kill.

"If that's what you want it to be."

"Mmh, I have to work tomorrow but I'll text you when I'm free." CiCi sold and dyed wigs, dyed lashes, and often did sponsorships.

And she work? Oh yeah, she fye fye. Sage thought to himself.

"Text me but you barely even text back. C'mon Ci, why you tryna stand me up?" He chuckled.

"I come with a lot Sage," She sighed. She wasn't finna go into detail about her life but she would give him a warning. "I'm not about to drag you into that."

"Maybe I wanna be in your life, in your mess." Sage shrugged, pulling out his phone. He wasn't about to let CiCi slip through his fingers. She came with a lot but so did he. Sage was willing to work with her as long as she stayed open minded with him.

"The question is, are you gone let me?"

—