" 'I don't get sick.' She says. Look at you."JR responded as he handed me a cup of ginger tea, I let out a sneeze in my tissue before tossing it into the bin and taking the warm mug.
"I don't..."I paused before I let out another sneeze into my tissue and tossed it into my bin.
"I don't understand where I got this flu."I grogily continueded as I sipped the tea that had a sharp ginger and cinnamon taste that made sure to parade around my tongue making me gag.
"Yeah, that's what you get. How was dinner with Simone?"JR asked making me kiss my teeth as I swatted him away.
"You are a terrible nurse and my dinner was good. We got some stuff cleared up."I replied as I looked down at the tea and saw the tea bag taunting me as it floated to the surface along with bits of the seeds from the tea bag that managed to come out and float to the top as well, making me push it down with my teaspoon.
"I hate this flu and this tea. You're supposed to have better solutions."I whined as I rolled my eyes at my tea.
"I'm sorry baby. Maybe you need a little bit of sun."he replied whilst chuckling making me nod my head as blew the pieces of tea leaves off my tongue.
"When your match is coming up for sure."I muttered before I sneezed once again before I could ask him the time of his match I heard a knock on my door making JR rush to my door to open it revealing my dad who looked like he was panicking.
"Mr James."JR respectfully greeted as he stuck his hand out making my dad nod and shake his hand in response.
"Son, how you doing?"my dad asked as he gave JR a small smile.
"I can't complain. Mani, I will see you after alright? I will bring you more tea."JR politely said making me nod my head as I blew him a kiss in response making him chuckle before he acted as if he caught it and left.
"You sick baby?"my dad asked as he placed his hand on my forehead.
"Yeah, the rain caught up to me yesterday. Don't tell mom please."I pleaded placing the empty mug on my night stand.
"I'm sorry baby."he responded as he kissed my forehead.
"You look panicked."I responded making him nod his head.
"You got my email?"he asked making me shake my head explaining that my phone was in my nightstand.
"Willis Cobb pulling out of the deal with HBCU. Since there's no merger, it will be sold unless enough money is raised by the end of homecoming week. Malcolm found HBCUs that have already accepted you like Golden Angeles University, Hamptons University and Howard baby."my dad explained making me look at him confusingly as my heart sank.
"Daddy. I'm not leaving Bringston, isn't there a way we could do something? Donate?"I asked looking up at him making him frown.
"4 million baby?"he asked making me look down but he placed his hand under my chin.
"Think about those other Universities baby. Think about your gymnastics career."he muttered as he kissed my forehead making me nod my head slowly.
"Good. I will give Malcolm a call as soon as you have chosen a school."he replied making me nod my head once again.
"You need anything?"he asked but I shook my head on response making him kiss my forehead before leaving.
I groaned as I grabbed my phone and left my dorm room. When I got to the busy quad I immediately spotted Nate and Keisha making me jog to them.
"I just heard about the no merger. How can I help?"I asked as I gave them both hugs.
"Sit your pretty sick self in your dorm room for starters."Nate joked as she placed her hand over my forehead making me swat her hand away.
"I will be fine."I muttered after I grabbed my tissue from my pocket and sneezed into it a couple of times and tossed it into the bin before sanitizing my hands.
"You can advertise the fundraiser since you have a large following."Keisha offered making me nod my head as I saved the digital posted she had sent me and I posted it on my IG story.
"I need to manage this. You need to go take care of yourself."Keisha joked making me nod my head as I made my way to the gym since I knew the boys were stick practicing.
I got JR a bottle of water and a protein bar before I waited out at the gym. I sat on a nearby bench whilst scrolling through my phone look at the gymnastics facilities Golden Angeles University had, I sigh heavily as I rolled my eyes and logged out their website.
"Hey, you need me to call JR for you? I think he's practicing for the show tonight."
I looked up to see Damon looking down at me nervously making me sit up and shake my head.
"No, but thank you. I'll wait for him here, he must be busy with his dad."I replied as I gave him a small smile.
"You thinking of transferring?"he suddenly asked making me shake my head before I hesitantly nodded my head.
"Golden Angeles University already accepted me and they had 2 spots left but I don't want to leave Bringston. Everything and Everyone I know is right here but I have to think about my gymnastics career."I muttered as I gave him a small frown making him sit down next to me.
"I was also thinking of transferring to Hawkins. Coach Marcus is no longer our coach, Jesse is our coach now."he explained making me look at him n concern.
"Damn and how are you holding up?"I sympathetically asked as I looked up at him.
"I was talking to him just now and he explained to me how I basically got my scar. He said that I was hanging onto the side of the couch, learning to stand and J.R. got sick with a bad nosebleed. He knocked me over trying to get to JR and with both me and JR'S blood all over his shirt in the ER he knew he couldn't do it. He said that J.R. was always sick. It was the whole reason he got a vasectomy because he knew that bringing another child into that broken chaos. Celine had the affair and I was another man's child. That night in the ER, he went to Celine and told her what they should do."Damon explained making me look up at him in shock as he explained the story.
"How do you feel, D?"I asked as I placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Angry. I'm glad I faced him. I just hope tomorrow we win. I need that win."he explained making me nod my head.
"You will win, I will be there."I joked making him chuckle and nod his head slowly.
"Imani, I am really sorry for what I had done to you. You didn't deserve the way I was treating you because you are a beautiful and loving person that needed her feelings reciprocated and I'm sorry I couldn't give that to you."He explained making me nod my head slowly.
"Thank you for the apology, Damon."I replied giving him a smile which made him stand and hold out his arms making me laugh before I stood up amd hugged him back.
"Let me take you to JR, He's taking too long."he replied making me laugh as I nodded my head and followed him.
Damon eventually led me to the dance studio where JR was there with his KEK brothers doing a dance routine like they were auditioning for Stomp The Yard. I silently greeted the boys as I watched them do the steps whilst sitting down on a nearest chair.
"Alright, let's take a break."JR announced making the boys breathe out in relief and JR made his was towards me.
"You guys are working hard."I teased as I handed him his water and protein bar.
"Its getting better. What do you think?"he asked as he opened his bottle of water and gulped half of it down.
"You want my honest opinion?"I asked as I kissed my teeth and looked up at him groan in response.
"It was bad?"he asked making me shake my head whilst giggling.
"No, it was good. I was just looking at it with my dancer eyes."I replied shrugging my shoulders.
"Give me your dancing advice then baby."he pleaded as he looked down at me with a frown.
"Well baby. When you do dances like that you need to shake the floor making the audience feel your steps, the furthest audience member should feel your steps. This originated from South African gumboot dancing, baby and as soon as those gumboots hit the floor you feel it vibrate thoughout your body."I explained giving JR a small smile I didnt even notice that his boys were now looking at us.
"Teach us then, Imani."Lyle pleaded as he looked down at me with a small smile.
"Really?"I asked looking at JR making him nod his head as he pointed towards his boys.
"Alright. Prepare to be sick of me."I joked as stood up and stood next to JR in front of the boys.
I practised with the boys for a quite some time and I made sure that everything was uniformed once I realised that they had everything on check the boys left and I left the dance studio.
"JR, I have to tell you something."I muttered as I looked up at him as we walked together.
"You're finally going to admit that you're sick?"he joked making me giggle as I rolled my eyes.
"I am not sick. I have a rare case of the sniffles."I responded with attitude making him chuckle as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"What's wrong baby?"he asked as he kissed my temple and looked down at me.
"My dad is transferring me to another school."I blurted out making him look down at me in disbelief.
"What?"
"I know but we could make it work. We always make things work baby. We can video call everyday."I spoke trying to light up the mood but his frown didn't change.
"I'll see you after the performance, Imani."he muttered as he slowly looked to the side before walking off.
I sighed heavily as I watched him walk away from me. I grabbed my phone and called my dad.
"Hey baby. You got a university in mind yet?"he asked cheerfully.
"No, I want to stay here. I can't leave."I replied.
"Is this Imani's decision or is it someone else's decision."he asked making me sit down on the nearest bench and sigh heavily once again.
"I don't know anymore."
"When your mom was in Bringston and my football career was taking off I had to move to LA. She didn't like it but I had to see if this was going to work out for me and it did, now we are married and happy."He explained making me look down at my feet.
"How you know I was thinking of JR?"I asked making him chuckle.
"I thought about your mom first when I had to make that life changing decision."he replied making me nod my head.
"Thank you, dad."
"I love you baby."he replied making me smile as I made my way towards the show case.
"I love you too."I replied before I hung up and placed my phone in my pocket.
I met up with Nathaniel back stage and I saw JR, before he went up on stage he actually hugged me and went up to stage but I could tell he was still abit mad.
"I think its so cute that he still hugs you when you are both mad at each other."Nate commented making me giggle before I rolled my eyes.
"How you know we mad at each other?"I asked making her look back at her tablet.
"The side eyes? The shock in your eyes when he hugged you. Girl I have been in a relationship before and I know you both are petty as hell."she replied making me roll my eyes at her as I looked down at the tablet.
"We're still a million short."I said in shock as I looked at the amount.
"Yeah. Lets hope the KEK boys and Keisha give us the money we need."Nate muttered making me sigh heavily as I looked down at the tablet nervously.
After the KEK performance JR came back stage and kissed my forehead making me smile as I looked up at him.
"I'm sorry ba--"
"No, don't worry about it."I muttered making him smile and pull me into another hug.
We watched Keisha perform with Cam and looked at the donation numbers to see that we were still a million short.
"Oh. That means Bringston is over."Keisha muttered obviously disheartened but then her tablet brightened up.
"Oh my God."She excitedly making us all circle around the tablet.
"Imani, your dad made the last minute Donation."Keisha announced as she showed me the notification making us squeal excitedly.
"Hold on, let me call him to thank him."I muttered excitedly as I stepped away from them and called him once again.
"I was just waiting to make a dramatic entrance."I heard making me look up to see my dad.
"Dad, this means alot."I said as I jogged towards him and pulled him into a hug making him chuckle.
"Anything for you babygirl."