𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘿𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦

                       MARIAH JACKSON

Moving to Houston was supposed to be a fresh start. New energy. New apartment. New everything.
But the moment I stepped out into that thick ass heat and felt my thighs stick together, I wanted to fight everybody.

Me and Kennedy had just pulled up to The Lennox, this decent apartment complex with tan bricks, big ass windows, and three flights of stairs, no elevator. I was tired, sweaty, and starving. And this move in situation was not it.

I had just dropped a heavy ass box in the hallway and was heading back downstairs to grab more out the U-Haul when I saw Kennedy standing by the truck... cheesin real hard. She was mid-convo with some dude like she forgot we was on a time crunch.

I squinted and walked up. "Who this?"

Kennedy turned with that innocent "don't be mad" look. "Oh! This is Tyreek. He and his roommate live here. They saw us pull up and offered to help."

I side eyed both of them. "Help? With our stuff?"

Tyreek grinned like he knew he was fine. "Yeah, we just moved in two months ago. Figured y'all could use a hand."
He was brownskinned, tall, kinda built, white tee, and some Forces. Definitely the type to flirt with the mama and the daughter.

I was about to decline with a quick "Nah, we good" until I saw this quiet, curly-haired white boy walk out the building with my art supplies in his hands. I mean, my good stuff. The stuff I bubble wrapped twice and packed myself.

"Uh excuse me?!" I rushed over. "Why do you have my things?!"

He blinked like I was speaking too fast. "I was just helping. I've been carrying it carefully, I promise."

"Oh, carefully?" I folded my arms. "You don't even know what's in there. What if it's something expensive?"

He tilted his head a little, dead serious. "Then I've been treating it exactly how it deserves."

Kennedy looked between us like she was watching a live episode of something. "Okay... well, this is Elijah," she said, motioning to him. "Tyreek's roommate. And Mariah, chill. He was being helpful."

Elijah just stood there, quiet, eyes soft but focused. Kinda cute in a scruffy, mysterious way. Curly brown hair, gray hoodie halfway zipped, jeans low on his hips. Not doing too much but still looked like a painting himself.

Still. I wasn't impressed. We just got here. I don't know these men. And I'm tired.

Tyreek was still tryin' to joke. "Man, she actin' like I dropped the box."

"You almost did," Elijah said under his breath.

I raised an eyebrow. "So y'all just help every girl that move in?"

Tyreek smirked. "Only the fine ones."

Kennedy laughed. I didn't. But I was too drained to argue. We needed to get the rest of the boxes up, and if they were offering, fine.

"Just... be careful with that one," I muttered, pointing at another tote.

"Always," Elijah said, already grabbing it.

They helped us bring everything up. Kennedy was in full "I love new people" mode, still giggling and talking to Tyreek like she'd known him for years. I stayed quiet, focused on settin' our space up.

Then Kennedy had asked "Hey, can you take the U-Haul back? I was gonna go grab groceries."

I blinked. "Now?"

Tyreek immediately jumped in. "I can show her what's around. There's a grocery spot, this lil taco truck, Target—"

Of course she was feeling him.

I sighed, already annoyed but too tired to fight it. "Fine."

Then Elijah slid up beside me, calm as ever. "It's an hour drive. You look exhausted. I can take you."

I looked at him sideways. "You tryna drive me somewhere and I don't even know you?"

He smirked, that slow, subtle kind of smirk that made it hard to read. "If I was gonna kill you, I probably would've already done it."

"Wow. Comforting," I said dryly.

He shrugged. "Just sayin'. You can knock out. I'll drive. Simple."

I bit the inside of my cheek. He didn't seem like a weirdo... just weirdly chill.

"...Fine," I mumbled. "But if you turn off on some weird road, I'm jumping out."

"I'd expect nothing less," he said, walking toward the truck.

And just like that, I was in a U-Haul with a random quiet white boy I met thirty minutes ago, ready to take a nap and question every life choice that led me here.

Houston already had jokes.