PRIDE.

CHAPTER TWO

"I can't believe she told you no!" Tisha exclaimed while we sorted through clothes, we decided to hit up the mall Friday, instead of just going straight home. Her parents were on a business trip so I promised to keep her company over the weekend.

"She was going on about the boys being bad influences." I chuckled thinking of how ridiculous my mother sounded in my head.

"Girl." Before she could finish her statement we heard loud screams coming from outside the store, and it was getting louder.

"What the hell?!" Next thing I know we're being shoved out the store by a bunch of huge men into the crowd of screaming girls, I yanked away and looked up.

"ITS JODECI!!!" One girl screamed, I was frozen, there he was, walking around the store, tooth pick in his mouth tossing clothes around on the racks occasionally throwing a shirt or two at k-ci. Tisha and I along with the other girls watched in awe.

"He's beautiful."
"Omg DeVantaé is so cute!"
"Awww look at jojo."

"STEP BACK!" The guards were coming out letting the boys come behind him, as they walked my hand was grabbed, I looked up at the man from my poster and blushed as he held my hand. He took the tooth pick out and tossed it.

"Name?"
"Trinity."
"You coming see me tonight?"
"I can't."

He turned to his guard and spoke to him for a minute before returning back and handing me two tickets.

"Front row. I wanna see you there trinity." He kissed my hand, his lips were so soft.

"I'll be there." I softly spoke as he walked away, Tisha screaming in my ear as the crowd cleared out.

"Girl! We going see jodeci tonight!!!!"
That day couldn't go by any faster, we spent the evening getting primped and pampered to go to a concert I wasn't even supposed to be at. We told my mother that we were going to my friend Hannah's birthday party, of course letting Hannah in on the lie, once the night fell we were ready and willing.

We ended up taking a taxi to the venue, it was packed! Every seat was filled with excited women except two at the front. We got settled and about twenty to thirty minutes later the show had started. It went on for about half an hour and before it ended DeVantae came over to the edge of the stage and reached his hand out to me, pulling me on stage, whispering in my ear.

"Go in my dressing room." He looked me in the eyes, I nodded and rushed back stage looking for the door, here.

"Swing." I twisted the knob and went in to the room, looking around and taking a seat, it was a bit messy, but it smelled like his cologne. Only one thing caught my mind in the room, the big box of condoms sitting on his dresser.

My mind was wandering, is this what my mother was talking about? Did he only bring me here to have sex? At this point I was ready to go home. I grabbed my purse and got up to head out until he walked in with his head tilted.

"Leavin' so soon? Damn girl." He closed the door and sat in his chair, I stayed standing.

"I'm sorry."
"Come sit." He messed with the tooth pick in his mouth, eyeballing me, I sat back on the couch staring back at him.
"You one uh then I'm too good to be out type uh girls huh?" He grabbed a blunt from his pocket and lit it.

"Excuse me?" Clearly offended by what he said I raised an eyebrow, he just laughed.

"You look boring." He blew the smoke in my face and licked his thick lips still staring at me with those dainty hazel eyes of his.

"If I'm so boring why you invite me here?"
He paused after my question blowing out more of that stank ass smoke in my face with a tilted head.

"You a fine ass bitch to be completely honest, just, wack." He shrugged and instantly I got up but not before being pulled back and thrown onto the floor.

"The fuck?"
"I ain't dismiss you girl."
I got up in his face but he didn't budge just squinted and tugged on his bottom lip.
"You ain't my damn daddy and you don't dismiss me."
He chuckled deeply before stepping closer, to where we were damn near face to face.
"I will be, and I do." He took another hit and blew the last puff out before tossing it all together.

"Sit."
Who does this nigga think he is? Demanding me around? Acting like he run- my body fell against the couch again snapping me out my thoughts, this light skinned mother fucker just pushed me AGAIN!

"What you do?"
"I'm in high school, I'm graduating in May."
I heard him mumbling to himself as he poured two drinks over in the corner.

"I don't drink." He still handed me the cup and sat next to me as his fingers rubbed the rim of his cup.

"Just take a sip." He urged, I took a sip and choked, that shit was strong as hell, where as he gulped his all the way down.

"Keep goin' you'll get use to it." DeVanté sat the empty cup next to him as I forced myself to take down the rest of mine.
"Trinity huh?"
"You remembered?"
"I never forget, names wack as fuck though."
"Okay now this your third time calling me out my name, I can go."
"It was the fourth and you ain't going no fucking where until I tell you to go."
"Excuse me? And who the hell are you?"

His eyes got dark all of a sudden, without a word he just rose up, grabbed the cups and filled them up again.
"Drink."

The night went on pretty much us getting to know each other, his mood changed once he was a little tipsy...it was backwards.. he was sweet, more gentle, we left the venue and rode around for hours those hours into the night turned into daylight and I'd completely forgot about the recital early the next morning.