𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭.

𝑰𝑿

I stared down at that last sentence, rereading until the door of the secluded room came opening. My head raised from the journal to trail up the long brown legs of the body who came strutting in with an entitlement only she knew to keep up. 

"We missed you." She leant down, pressing a small peck against my lips before sitting down on the bench right across. My face twisted up at her tacky lip gloss that stuck to my lips.

"Don't kiss me with that shit on." I mumbled, using my thumb to wipe it off just as Xyden came around the table to give me a hug. "Wassup lil man?"

"Hey pops." He smiled, before sitting down next to me with his tablet he set on the table.

My eyes lingered on him for a minute, watching how quiet he got so fast. Him and Malani were complete opposites. Xyden was a lot more reserved, barely talked, barely played with his cousins despite being around their age. Malani was the youngest out of everyone by some years, and she was the most talkative and out there child I ever met.

Shaking my head, I turned my focus back towards his mother whose low eyes read one thing. Lust.

Cheyanna, turned herself into a wannabe hood princess but had to settle for being a hood hoe.  Common shit for a girl who came straight from Beverly Hills thinking she was rebelling against her parents by running around with boys she wasn't supposed to be with.

"Nigga you hogging the fucking ball, come on!" I jumped at Leon who smacked his teeth.

"Man I'm done, need a break." He sighed, bouncing the ball back to go towards the bench. Smacking my lips, I stepped over the ball to follow him and the rest of 'em towards the area that was crowded with nothing but girls all around.

It was the usual, every Saturday afternoon everyone was outside. The shorties came to watch us play, and niggas came to make plays or hoop. I came to do both.

My eyes scanned around the girls who stared unapologetically. I took in each one with a small smile until landing on the one who stood off to the side with another group of girls. Her eyes were the ones that caught my attention.

"Yo, who that shorty right there?" I tapped Leon quickly, nudging my head in her direction once he turned his head.

He looked until locking in on the petite brow skin girl who stood with biker shorts and a graphic tee. Pink dunks covered her feet, matching the pink bow in her hair that kept her curly ponytail tight in the middle of her head.

"Man Harmony gon beat yo ass." Leon chuckled, making my eyebrows knit together.

"For? She the one who said she don't want no relationship. I'm single nigga." I laughed, choosing not to wait on him to make my way towards her.

She watched me, and with the closer I got, she broke away from her friends to meet me halfway. She walked with a certain strut of confidence, like she was the only girl there. She didn't look to either side of her, paying no mind to anyone else until she stood directly in front of me.

"You a bold one huh, ain't even let a nigga get to you." I raised an eyebrow, tilting my head at her lightly.

I watched her lips turn up into a smile before a small giggle left her lips. "No point making you walk when I know what you want." She shrugged, bringing amusement to me.

"What's yo name, Ian ever seen gou round hea." Everyone in our area of Compton knew each other in some sort of way. It was the run down parts.

"Cheyanna, and I'm not from here. I'm from the Hills, but my parents sent me down here with my aunt for the Summer." She smiled, and I slowly nodded just hearing that preppy proper talk. Knowing she wasn't from round here.