Still Waters

Chapter 9! Bonus Chapter!

My voice trailed off. Kenney was busy grinning at some chick across the room. He wasn't even listening to me!

Unacceptable.

"Bud!"

"What?!" It was funny how, by then, I had him answering to that name, just like Rudy Huxtable and the real Bud.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Of course," he answered easily and put his arm around my shoulder. "Don't I always?"

I crinkled my nose at him and thought about it. "You know...half the time, I really can't tell."

"That's because I'm effortless in my ways, Tashi. I hear you even when I don't want to."

"You're stupid." I laughed and pushed him away.

"Oh wait. I knew I forgot something." He patted his pockets and pulled out some Malcolm X smarty glasses. "Better?"

He looked over at me as he pushed the round black frames up his nose and flashed his everything you have belongs to me now smile.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you serious with those things?" I exclaimed and squinted, moving in for a closer look. "Are they even real?"

He only flashed me another smile and looked the other way when the cashier called, "Sir, you're next."

"See that?" he asked me, whipping out a financial aid letter. "Works every time. What you need to do is get you a pair of these. You'd be surprised..."

I shook my head in disbelief. He really did think those ridiculous looking things were magic! Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Collin watching us. My smile immediately faded and I looked away abruptly.

"Ma'am, you're next," the cashier said, waving me up.

"...and I saw that," Kenney said as he stepped out of the way. "Excellent peripherals, babe. Excellent peripherals."

"Give me a break Kenney."

"Not until you give me one," he answered matter-of-factly. "Bet you end up wit' that fool before you end up with me."

"What?" I whipped around to face him as the woman handed me my receipt. "Where did that come from?"

"Just an observation," he said nonchalantly. "I can see it in your eyes Tashi. You still love him."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do. What was all that muggin' his girl about then?"

"She was trying to stare me down first!"

"Yes, but had she been with any other man, you would have said something about it."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yes! Tell me, if one of my...many...very beautiful ...upperclassman... women..."

"Whatever Kenney." I rolled my eyes and started to walk away. He caught my hand.

"...had tried to pull that," he continued like he didn't even hear me, "tell me you wouldn't have said something about it."

"Of course I would. Who the hell are they? I knew you before every one a them hoes."

"Ok," Kenney began. "First of all, you're gonna have to stop calling all other women bitches and hoes."

"I don't..."

"Yes you do." He chuckled briefly. "Worse than Snoop. And second of all, you would have said something to them because you know where you stand with me. But dude still got you on a string after I don't know how long, working your every move. I could tell it by the way he looked at me. I don't know what kind of relationship y'all had back in the day, but he knows he still got you, babe. The question is...what are you going to do about that?"

"Nothing. Because he doesn't have me."

"Ok." He nodded and hid his expression.

"He doesn't!"

"Ok. But back to my original point, you didn't say anything to her because you don't know where you stand with him and don't know if you have the right to say anything at all about anyone he's around. But with me, even as my friend, you'll always know where you stand, and you'll always know that you have the right to speak your mind."

"Aw, Kenney!" I piled on the sugar and wrapped my arms around him, but he wasn't having it.

"You can sweet talk me all you want, suga, but I see what I see and I know what I know. With me you'll always feel important. With him you'll always feel like a second stringer."

Who did this kid think he was? He just met Collin and knew absolutely nothing about what Collin and I had...before I ever even knew Kenney existed.

"What a hater!" I laughed and gave him a friendly nudge.

Kenney laughed, too. "I'm just sayin'." He shrugged. "Mark my words. You'll end up with him first." Then he gave me a devilish grin. "But I'll be your forever and last, Tashi. Bet."

"Anyway..." I copped a fake attitude and started walking towards the door.

He followed me. "Bet. Word is bond, son. Na-mean ked?"

I turned around and scrunched up my nose at him. "Uh-uh! That's New York. People do not talk like that in Baltimore."

"Yes y'all do talk like that up top...son" he chuckled, knowing that I hated when he tried to sound like he was from up north. "I been to Baltimore, son. And that's how you's guys talk, son."

"Shut up," I laughed. "You always think you know everything!"

"I do know...more than you think, darlin'." He looked over at me. "You'll learn." He gave my shoulders a squeeze. "Stick wit' me kid. One day, you'll learn..."