𝟹𝟶𝟶𝟻

"Best, we came over here to smoke, not help with this damn room" Tech complained as all the boys were helping Ariyah had all the boys upstairs putting a chandelier up.

She would have had the girls help but they're all downstairs cooking dinner.

"I was helping y'all out, I know y'all didn't want to be down there with Kassy's boyfriend" She chuckled, watching them struggle.

"She dead ass wrong fa' bring that white man here" Lu shook his head.

Ari covered her mouth from laughing. Everyone was very shocked to find out that Devin was white. Everyone just assumed he was black because they didn't see Kassy as the type.

"Dawg, you kno' how they say white people ain' got no lips? He dead ass don't" Tech shook his head, and everyone started laughing.

"Leave him alone, he seems nice" Ari shrugged.

"Wigga think he got a whole bunch of slaves around him" ManMan joked.

"Dawg did y'all hear when she asked if he wanted something to drink and he said he wanted water with cucumber and lemon? Nigga would've been lucky if he got tap water from me" Tech scoffed.

"Okay that was a bit much but he's alright," Ari said, she didn't want to judge a book by its cover.

"He beatin' her ass," Jae said, putting the trash in the bag.

Ari's jaw dropped "Don't say that, that's not okay" She frowned.

"Nigga stay saying someone getting they ass beat" Lu chuckled, Jae, shrugged his shoulders "It's the truth, you can tell the way she jumpy and shit."

Ari thought about it for a second. Kassy was very jumpy at times but she was always so tough. Ari didn't think someone that would cuss anyone out like Kassy does would be getting abused.

"I d— Suga, I put your clothes in the dryer" Makai said walking into the room, cutting her off.

"Oh you didn't have to but thank you" She smiled as he nodded and sat next to her on the floor.

"Who the fuck is Suga?" Jae scrunched his face up.

Ari chuckled "Me, that's what he calls me" She shrugged, standing up to fix her rug that Lu just messed up.

It's been 4 days since she has been staying with Makai and it was nice. He decided to give her his own nickname since he said he didn't want to call her what everyone else called her anymore.

He came up with suga yesterday because he said she's really sweet like sugar. It was corny but she loved it, he was so adorable at times.

"Well honey, why don't you ever put my clothes in the washer and dryer" Tech fake pouted.

Makai frowned "Your gay" He mumbled. Tech mugged him "Stop playin' wit' me"

"Ari if this shit falls on ya, I'on kno' what ta' tell ya," ManMan said after he finished with the chandelier up.

"Thank youu, your the best brother ever" She smiled, fixing her bed.

"She just be lyin'. She told me the same thing yesterday when I brought her food" Lu mugged her.

"Well, we all know who isn't the best brother" Everyone looked at Jae. He flicked her off "Who put dem mirrors up tho? Betta' gon' sumwhea' Ari" He mushed her head while walking past to leave the room.

"Aye, you 'bout ta' roll up?" Tech asked, "Yes bum ass nigga" Jae shouted out the room.

"Nigga fuck you" Tech grumbled walking out the room along with ManMan and Lu who were taking the trash.

"Thank y'all" She called out "Go ta' hell," They all said making her chuckle.

"You like it, friend?" She turned to ask Makai since he was still sitting in the room.

"It feels like home?" He asked, She smiled and nodded. She was just going to leave the room how it was but He told her to get comfortable and make it her own.

He really was putting in the effort to make sure she was comfortable and knew this was her new home as well.

"Then I love it," He said lowly.

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"Why do you always double cup stuff?" Ari frowned, walking into the kitchen to throw her plate away and Makai was sitting on the counter with lower, red eyes.

He just looked at her and continued to sip out his cup.

She noticed that he doubled the cup a lot, that's why she asked. She had seen him drink before but it wasn't a double cup-like now.

"What is it?" She asked, walking closer to him. "Lean," He mumbled, grabbing the more jolly ranchers.

Ari looked at him crazily "W-what? you know that can kill you?"

"Kinda obvious why I drink it," He said lowly.

Ari just stared at him. She was never one to tell people what to do or how to do their life but she didn't think this was okay.

She didn't say anything back, she just walked out of the kitchen, it was much she could say. He was a grown man and wasn't going to listen to her.

She also wasn't finna sit there and watch him slowly kill himself. Ari never cared about anyone but she has grown to care about everyone since she met them.

"I'm tried so Ima head up ta' bed. Night y'all and it was nice meetin' you Devin " She slightly smiled before about to walk upstairs.

"Babycakes, you okay?" Mo eyed her, she nodded "Yes, you should go check on your brother though" She gave a tight lip smile and walked upstairs.

Ari did feel some type of way, she felt like someone who she cared about was purposely trying to kill themselves. She knew Mo would be some type of help to him since he is her brother.

Ari walked into her room, closing and locking the door. She was very happy that everything came out in such a short time.

She connected her phone to the speaker she just brought before going into her bathroom to take a shower.

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Charlotte, NC
July 17th
Saturday

🎶Pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird, pretty bird
You're so pretty, but why I never see you fly?🎶

Pretty bird by Jhene Aiko played through Ari's Airpods as she took her clothes out of the dryer. She threw the dryer sheets that were on the floor.

She made sure all the clothes were in the basket before picking the basket up. When she stood up straight, she jumped a little seeing Makai standing in the doorway looking at her.

She blankly looked at him before about to walk past him. "You mad at me?" He asked but she didn't hear him.

She held the basket in her left arm and used her right hand to tap her right Airpod to pause the music. "What did you say?" She asked, blankly looking at him.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked lowly.

"No, I don't have a reason to be mad. Why you ask?" She asked blandly while walking past him to her room.

"You haven't said a word ta' me all day so I was jus' asking" He followed behind her.

"We're jus' roommates Bullet. We'on needa talk all the time" She shrugged, pouring the clothes onto her bed. Ari came to the decision she no longer needed to get close to him if he didn't care for his life.

She didn't need anyone to leave out her life. She's been alone for too long to let herself get close to someone just for them to die or they leave.

"Jus' roommates? Bullet?" He asked, slightly mugging her.

"Yes," She replied.

"Aight," He said before walking out of her room. She sighed and continued to fold her clothes.

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"Girl I swear if one mo' drunk bitch disrespectfully bumps into me, I'm a scream." Kassy huffed, coming back to the back of the bar.

Ari chuckled "Exactly why I stay behind the bar only. They are so rude like they weren't the ones bumping into you" Ari shook her head.

The club wasn't packed packed like it usually was but it was still a good amount of people. Of course, it was a good amount of drunk people, she didn't understand why come out if you knew you couldn't hold your liquor.

It was very embarrassing.

"Well I'ma stay witchu' befo' I lose my damn job" Kassy put the tray under the bar. "There she goes again, your friend gonna cuss her out one day" She chuckled.

Ari looked over to see what she was talking about. She shook her head seeing Keke giving Bullet a dance but he was on his phone the whole time not even paying attention.

"That's not my friend" Ari shrugged, grabbing herself a water out of the mini-fridge.

Kassy furrowed her eyebrows "Huh? You were just callin' him, friend, yesterday. What happened?" She asked confused. "Nothing, that's just not my friend. He's jus' my roommate" She said nonchalantly.

Ari couldn't lie, she was honestly getting closer to Makai the more they talked when she moved in. It was always a nice conversation and she enjoyed his company.

That was gone now.

"But— Excuse me?" Ari looked over at the tall brown skin man with waves. "Yes? What can I get you" She asked, leaving Kassy just standing there.

He smiled showing his beautiful white set of teeth "My bad, what do you recommend?" He looked down at the menu and then back up at her.

"Oh, I don't drink so I can't really recommend anything," She said. Ari wasn't a drinker, never had one a day in her life. She was scared to drink after witnessing her foster father drink so much.

He nodded "What are people's personal favorites?" He asked, She leaned over to look at the option seeing the customer's favorite "This one. It's more of a fruity drink but everyone loves it. They say you can't taste the alcohol" She told him and lightly smiled because he was staring at her face.

"I'll take it then" He chuckled, she nodded, grabbing the napkin and putting it in front of him. She turned around, grabbed a mixer cup, and began to the different juice and alcohol before shaking it up.

"Don't forget ta' put a little love in it" The man joked, she giggled turning back around to face him. "I did, I promise"

After she was done, she poured it into his cup. "Thank you...Ari" He smiled again after looking at her name tag. She blushed a little at the way he said her name.

"Your welcome"

He placed a $50 down "Keep the change" He smirked, and her eyes grew wide "Are you sure? It was only a $10" She said.

"I'm sure," He winked at her making her blush "T-thank you" She smiled and he walked away.

Ari looked back at Kassy who was already smirking "Puurrr" Ari stuck her tongue out a little. She hoped to see him again tonight just to appreciate his good looks.

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HEEEEEYYYYY

Thoughts?

Roommates only 😀

Ari not wanting to get close to Makai any more😕?

100 votes for update!!!

BYEEEE UNTIL MY NEXT UPDATEEE🦋