Rue
My alarm goes off for classes. I get up and get ready for the day. At some point while brushing my teeth I remember Shuri came over drunk last night, she's gone this morning per usual.
I have to leave out early this morning to meet with India for coffee. I text Shuri to make sure she made it home safe but I hear her phone ding from my nightstand. I'll drop it off to her on my way to meet India.
I walked to her dorm and knocked on the door. A pretty brown skin girl a tad bit tall but taller than me answers the door wearing a huge t-shirt and no bottoms from the looks of it. She's eating bacon and is just as shocked as I am.
"Hi, is Shuri here? I wanted to return her phone." I force a smile.
"Yeah, she's in bed eating breakfast. Come in." She steps to the side.
"No, I have to get going. Could you give this to her please?" I hand her the phone.
"Of course." She smiles widely.
I walk away from the door and I can feel her eyes on the back of my head. So clearly she's there for Shuri and they're eating breakfast in bed together.
"This is what you wanted Rue, This is what you wanted." I repeat to myself as I head to my destination.
♾️
Shuri
My head is still on fire from last night. I opted to not go to classes.
"Hey, I think I just met Rue." Riri comes into my room and hands me my phone. I must've left it at her place last night.
"You answered the door like that?" I look at her outfit with disgust, which consists of almost nothing.
"Yeah, she might be a little pissed. It was all over her face. I take it she didn't know I'd be here."
"No, she doesn't even know who you are. Besides, I told you we aren't together."
"Tell her that, she was fuming." She plops on my bed.
"I'll talk to her later. I just want to eat and go to bed right now."
"Where did you go after Simon dropped us off?"
"Why?" I look at her out the side of my eye.
"Just curious." She picks at her waffle.
"I went to Rue's dorm. I don't know why? I know one minute we were driving to campus and the next I was at her dorm, bodies tangled on her bed."
"I'd probably be pissed if I cuddled with the love of my life all night and woke up to her missing only for a strange half-naked girl to open her door. Just saying." she shrugs her shoulders.
"Go home already." I joke.
"You wish. What are we doing tonight?"
"Sitting inside." I try to get comfortable.
"We need to go out, you promised me a good time." She smiles.
"Fine, Alexis is throwing a small get-together at her dorm. It doesn't start until later. Tomorrow Simons frat is having a party, the theme is Santa."
"Santa?"
"That's all the flyer says. Argue with him." I chuckle.
"Fine, then Sunday we can rest before I head out for my flight. And I actually will talk to Simon. He's slowly stealing my best friend."
"Can I go back to sleep now Miss Williams?"
"Yeah, after you talk to Rue."
"No, it can wait until after a nap. I didn't go to class for this reason."
"So what am I going to do in the meantime?"
"Maybe sleep? I don't know, leave me alone." I turn around and close my eyes.
"Fine, I'll explore on my own." I feel the bed shift.
"After you put some clothes on!" I yell.
"Oh shut up." She tosses a pillow at me.
♾️
Rue
"And that concludes today's session. Remember, you still have to study even when we don't have sessions." I tell Lyla, a girl I'm tutoring. I've been tutoring her since last year. She's sort of a friend to me, not like the group though.
"Rue we go through this every time. You tell me to study and I say-"
"That's what I pay you for." I finish her sentence playfully.
"Exactly, are you going to the Santa party tomorrow?" She pinches my cheek.
"Yeah, I don't go to many but I try to make it to one a month."
"What are you going to wear?" She asks.
"Probably a Santa hat, nothing special."
"You're no help." She pouts.
"Did I not just help you get smarter?"
"I guess, I'll see you tomorrow." She gets up waving.
On my way out I get a small coffee with a double shot of expresso. While I wait I get a tap on my shoulder.
"Hi, we didn't officially meet earlier. I'm Riri." The girl from earlier holds out her hand.
"Rue." I shake it confused. This is THEE Riri, I've been dying to put a name with a face. I never got my answers about her.
"I know who you are." she smiles. "You look confused, I'm Shuri's best friend."
Now that I'm thinking about it, this girl looks oddly familiar. "I never knew she had a girl best friend, it's good to meet you."
"Yeah, we don't normally tell people we know each other. Especially since the world thought Wakanda kidnapped me. That's a long story, I probably shouldn't have brought that up." she brings her balled up fist to her mouth.
Now I remember. A little while ago Wakanda was accused of abducting a college student, it was everywhere. It was like a national uproar. Turns out she was being recruited to help them. I heard this girl is hella smart. I never thought about it again until now. "It makes sense." I smile grabbing my coffee. "It was lovely meeting you but I have to get going, I need to help my roommate set up for her gathering later. Are you coming?"
"Yes I am actually. I'll see you there, hopefully, we can chat more." She smiles.
"Yeah, see you there." I walk out of the door. That was a little awkward and for no reason. She was cool though.
I check my phone and still no text from Shuri today. I've been trying to look up what she was saying last night but I can't seem to find anything. More like I can't spell anything.
She wasn't in class and I haven't seen her on campus, not to mention she's not answering her phone. Normally I'd think something was wrong but I think she's just getting used to the friends-with-benefits thing. She's not obligated to pick up for me.
"How was school today?" Alexis asks me as soon as I hit the door.
"It was good, I had a test that almost kicked my ass but it was fine. You?" I place my bags on the couch.
"It was cool. I only had two classes today." She puts some snacks on the table.
"What do you need my help with?"
"You can start by putting your things away and getting cute. I invited India."
"I told you I not to do that."
"I did anyway, just go get presentable." She shoos me away as someone knocks on the door.
I went into my room and picked out an outfit. I laid it out on my bed and then showered. After I styled my hair I got dressed and put on the slightest bit of makeup. While sitting in the mirror I look at my gold infinity set, it just doesn't go with the theme of the outfit. I replaced it with a silver set I got from my father a while back.
I sat in my room for a bit, and when it started getting noisy I entered her "small get-together" which lead all the way out to the hallway. The RA is even here. I can't help but laugh. I look around for India but I can't find her, I get a drink in the meantime.
"Looking for me I presume?" Shuri's voice sends chills down my spine.
"Actually no, but since you're here I'll just talk to you instead."
"Ouch Angel, I thought this was supposed to be just a few people."
"I thought so too." I put the cup to my lips.
"What are you drinking?"
"Some type of mixed drink Alexis made. It's pretty good."
"Go slow on it, you know you're a lightweight." She looks down at me while I bring the cup to my lips again.
"You're one to talk."
"I'm sorry about last night, I was drunk and not thinking clearly."
"It's fine, I'm glad you came to me. Now I get a favor in return." I playfully smirk.
"And what might that be?" She grins.
"I'll know when the time comes princess. You still owe me a date." I raise my eyebrows.
"Technically you owe me a date."
"Ahh, no. I agreed to let you take me to all our favorite spots. That was how long ago?"
"I'm waiting for the right time. It seems as if we only link up at the late hours of the night." She comes closer to me.
"It's because I'm always busy."
"With India." She quips.
"Are you jealous Shuri?" I take another swig of my drink, leaving traces of clear gloss on my cup.
"Of course not, I'm just petitioning for more time. Plus you and I are long overdue for a talk."
"Fine, meet me at the grove Sunday."
"Why can't I just pick you up?"
"What if I don't agree with what we talk about? Then I'd have to call someone to pick me up when we inevitably fall out."
"Good point." She chuckles.
"Last night you were saying something in Xhosa, what was it?" I ask.
She picks up both of her shoulders bringing them to her ear. "I have not a clue. One minute I was in the car with Riri and Simon, the next I was waking up in your bed. What was the context, maybe I could tell you."
Now that I think about it, it really isn't party talk. "We can talk about it Sunday. Where have you been hiding this mysterious Riri?"
"I haven't been hiding her. She goes to school in Boston so she and I don't see each other as much as we'd like to. That's why you never knew about her."
"Oh, I knew about her." I chuckle.
She interlocks our index fingers, leads me to the bathroom, and locks the door. "Explain." She lightly smirks.
"We had to come to the bathroom to talk?" I sit on the toilet lid.
"It's loud, I've always hated that part about parties. Now, explain Angel."
"She called you once. It was before we even acknowledged we had feelings for each other. Then right before Simon's accident, I heard you two talking about the incident that happened on the beach with those stupid guys. You were scared that I was going to figure out about you being a superhuman."
"I'm not a superhuman." She hops onto the counter gracefully.
"You are though. Shuri, you can lift a car like it's nothing." I giggle.
"I'm still not a superhuman."
"Anyway, I thought you were seeing her behind my back. So earlier when she answered the door I jumped to conclusions."
"You were jealous?"
"Yes but I can admit when I'm jealous, it's you that can't."
We sit in silence for a little bit singing the lyrics to the song blaring through the halls.
"Where is your necklace?" her tone is a bit sad.
"It didn't go with my outfit, I'm wearing the set my father got me just for tonight."
"Good choice, you look beautiful tonight Angel. You always know how to make my heart speed up a little."
"Awe, thank you, princess. You look beautiful as well. Even though you only ever dress in high fashion. I rarely see you in regular clothes."
"Hey, it's not my fault you like only wearing shorts and T-shirts." She teases.
"There you go, the mood is ruined princess." I say causing us to laugh.
"It's true, but you wear it so well I hate to see you in anything else sometimes. Unless you wear nothing of course." She swipes her fingers across her bottom lip smoothly.
"Stop it freak." I pinch off some toilet paper and fling it over at her while laughing.
It gets quiet again, The Hills by The Weeknd is playing. I sing along to the old party bop and Shuri just nods her head along. She's been looking like she's been trying to say something. "What's on your mind?"
She tilts her head slightly and raises her eyebrow. "I'm trying to form the words to tell you something."
"Just tell me, it can't be that bad." I give her a soft closed smile.
She huffs before speaking. "After graduation in May, I'm getting married." She looks down, dragging her finger around the rim of her cup.
"Oh um, okay." I look at my lap.
"I wanted to tell you sooner, there just has never been a right time."
"W- who are you marrying?" I move the stray hairs stuck to my lipgloss.
"A childhood friend. I just found out around Thanksgiving break." She hops off of the counter.
"You've been moving fast huh?" I weakly laugh never looking up, fighting my crybaby urges to shed tears coming on.
"I promised M'Baku I'd get married when I get back. Either to the lady of his choice or mine. He doesn't care, he just wants me married."
"Your childhood friend's a good choice, if I could marry Lottie I would." I laugh again, this time tears fall.
"It wasn't my choice, it's M'Baku's choice. It just so happens the girl I would've chosen isn't feeling me as of right now." She kneels in front of me, picking up my chin and wiping my tears. "I know we're on the outs right now. I don't know what the future holds for us but if I had to marry anyone, I'd hate for it to be anyone but you." She places her hand on my face.
Marriage? "I'm only 21 Shuri. That's a big ask. I can see if we were talking about getting back together but marriage is a stretch."
"You don't have to marry me so soon. Just some sort of promise that we'll get married someday. I know it's a lot and it's selfish of me but I don't want to think about a life without you."
"We don't work well. Every time we try being together someone gets hurt."
"That's how relationships work. Couples fight, that's what makes the bond so strong. What's a relationship without its test?" She asks.
"What about school and my family? Wouldn't I have to leave it all behind?"
"It's ideal for you to move to Wakanda but we can make it work with you still living here. I'm willing to do whatever Rue."
She's asking me something so huge, something beyond us. Marriage wasn't in my cards for years from now. Hell, I don't even know if it ran across my mind yet.
"I need time to think about it." I look at her in her dark orbs.