The Girl Next Door

~22~

"I see Nicki. Always hanging with the kid. Ain't got no time to come visit little ole me anymore."

I laugh at her reference to me as "the kid."

"So, wassup between ya an' Roman?" I ask, glancing at Zen.

She looks concentrated as she chooses her team, occasionally clenching her jaw.

"I don't know. She told me that we used to go out-"

"Wha? Really?" I ask, surprised.

"Yea. And apparently I had a thing for Nicki while Roman liked me. She said that I talked to Nicki and just about every other girl after Roman and I had..."

My jaw drops as she drifts off,"yall..."

"Yea. Apparently so," she says as her basketball player travels up the court with the ball. I slide my player in and steal the ball from her players hands, causing her to smack her lips.

"What bout you and Nika. I see something going on."

"Nothin' goin' on. We just enjoying each others comp'ny."

I glance at Zen for her reaction and see her raising her head up and looking down at me with her lips poked out.

"Wha?"

"Son, if you don't quit muhfucking lyin'..."

"I'm nah!" I protest, shrugging my shoulders.

"So you telling me that you ain't got any since she been here?"

I smirk,"I got...a little the other day. But tha's cause she been teasin' me, man."

"Teasing you?" Zen asks, raising an eyebrow.

I motion to the living room,"ya see 'ow's she dressin'? She been doin' that since day one."

"Sounds like she need some act right," Zen says, swiping underneath her nose and popping her imaginary collar with her good hand.

"Wha?" I ask, confused to the fullest,"ya betta nah touch Onika o-"

Zen rolls her eyes,"no. You dumbass. You need to strap her."

I squint my eyes,"str- wha' are ya sayin?"

Zen's eyes pop out of her head,"you never used a strap on?"

I throw my controller on the bed and throw my hands into the air,"well, nah shit! I confused as fuck, what ya tink?"

Zen slaps her thigh, looking around the room,"let's go to the store right quick."

"St-wha' fa?" I ask, sliding into my Puma slides.

"To get you a strap," Zen says, heading towards the window.

"Why ya takin' the window?" I whisper, following after her.

"So Onika won't see you, idiot. Get your wallet." Zen whisper-yells.

I look back and pick up my phone and wallet before I follow Zen out of the window.

10 minutes later...

"Spencer's?" I ask, glancing back at Zen, who's engulfed in her phone.

Zen looks up and nods,"yep. It's a toy shop," she says, opening the car door and getting out.

"Toy shop?" I ask, following her.

"Yep," she says, walking through the parking lot.

Confused, I follow after her to the entrance of the store. Why would she take me to a toy store? I'm almost 17. This is unnecessary.