HAZEL 2 ➝ D.SWING x AALIYAH.

Chapter 22 { invitation }

"What do you mean?" I ask her

"You haven't been showing it lately." She says

"Look, I know I've been acting like a wre-"

"You've been acting like this since we first got together. You just evolved." Nyla says

I kiss my teeth annoyed at her statement.

People handle problems differently than others. Nyla reads the Bible and sleeps it away. On the other hand, I drink it away, I smoke it away, I argue it away, and I write it away.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask

"Stop acting like DeVante. I always loved you as Donald but as the days go by, you're becoming more and more like DeVante and it's scary." Nyla says

"Since when you became a psychologist?" I ask her and she laughs.

"I'm serious De, stop it." She says while touching my hands.

"And if I don't?" I ask trying to tease.

"You're gonna lose me, for good." She says and the words pierce into my soul. Her sincerity scared the daylight out of me.

"Girl why you Tripp-"

"I'm so deadass, I'm gonna leave you alone." Nyla says while warning me.

"Okay, Okay." I say giving up.

"So about this party... who you gonna be dressed up as?" She asked me.

"Myself." I say

"You don't wanna be Frankenstein or something?" She asks me and I shake my head no.

"You're wack." She says and the words make me chuckle.

"What you gonna be? A vampire or some shit?" I ask her and she shakes her head no.

"Actually, Ima wear my basketball outfit." She says and I shake my head.

"You can't wear a body suit or something?" I ask her

"Why do I have to? Are you wearing my clothes? No. So don't tell me what to do." She says with attitude and I smack my lips.

"You and this fucking attitude." I say and she rolls her eyes.

"Who's gonna fucking check me? Not you." She says and her words left my mouth agape.

"You getting bold huh." I say grabbing her wrist.

"I am always bold donnie." She says while looking me in my eye.

"See you just ruined the damn moment with that donnie shit. I swore I told you to stop calling me that." I say letting go of her and cringing.

"You didn't tell me anything dumbo." She says

"I'm not doing this with you right now." I say going upstairs.

"Shut up Donnie." She yells from the downstairs couch and I shake my head while entering the room. I decided to call the boys.

"Yo JoJo?" I say into the phone.

"Wassup Mayne?" JoJo says

"Y'all got invited to some Word Up! Halloween party?" I ask him.

"Yeah, we got invited." JoJo says while clapping his mouth into the phone.

"Nigga, you eating right now?" I ask him

"Yup." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Where's Dalvin & K-Ci?" I ask

"Dalvin is sleeping, and K-Ci is at some girl's house." He says and I shake my head.

"Cool, Cool." I say

"That's all you called me for?" JoJo asks

"Yeah man, y'all going?" I ask him.

"Yes De! We gotta go! Are you going?" He asks me

"Yeah I might tap in." I say scratching my head.

"Alrighty, call me later though, K-Ci just came in." JoJo says

"That roach is so annoying." I say laughing

"Tell me about it De. Later." JoJo says while hanging up the phone.

Was this party really what we wanted right now?