"Okay, so. . ." I squint at the basketball game playing on the screen, trying to understand the rules and plays. "That was a foul, right?"
"Not quite." Will chuckles, I can feel the vibrations of his laugh against my back. We're still sitting on the floor, his back against the couch while I sit between his legs, my back against his chest. He rests his chin on my shoulder as he wraps his arms around my waist, folding his hands together on my stomach. "It was a good attempt, though. Foul happens when there's an illegal physical contact."
"What about that move?" I lean back into his embrace, my eyes trained on the game as if I really knew what was even happening on the screen. Should have paid more attention to the game when Chloe and Dad use to watch it's together. "It's a slam dunk?"
"Almost. That's a layup. Dunks are a bit more. . . Flashy." Will informs, he smothers his face into my neck as he moves his arms to wrap around me completely, squeezing me tight against him. "You smells so good!"
"Thank you for the 5th time." I laugh as he inhales deeply, somewhat dramatically. "Stop it! I'm trying to learn! You're distracting me!"
Will suddenly flips us around, and before I knew it, I'm laying on my back looking up at Will as he hovers over me. "Then let me distract you all the way."
He shifts around until he's resting his forearms on either side of my head, he rest some of his body weight on me when he leans down. It wasn't enough weight to ruin the moment, but enough that an odd thrill rush through me. Whatever was happening on the screen, learning these rules, trying to remember if a touchdown was for basketball or football didn't matter anymore when he captures my lips with a tender kiss. My eyelids fluttered closed when one of his hands curled around the nape of my neck, bringing me closer, deepening the kiss.
The move was sweet and the kiss would look completely innocent from with the hand on the back of my neck, it felt anything but sweet and innocent. My arms went around his neck, pulling him even closer to me, putting more of his weight on top of me. My legs part and he fits perfectly between them, I could feel that familiar pain in my lungs the longer this kissed last. But neither of us made an attempt to end it; the kiss felt like being drawn to a flame. He was flame, and I, the willing moth.
Will breaks the kiss first, resting all his weight against me as he smothers his face in the nook of my neck, breathing heavily. I laugh, equally as breathless. "You're a horrible teacher."
Will chuckles, his warm breath on my neck sending shivers down your spine. "Maybe I'm just saving the best lessons for later."
Since Will's basketball game, our relationship has clearly envolved in the most obvious way, that it would almost comedic if nobody noticed. From subtle flirting to heart-stopping kisses. What more, Will has developed this habit of making sure he's always touching me when we're together. Whether it's holding hands, his arms around my shoulder, playing in my hair, or just little random moments where he taps my hand as if it's his own personal drum set, and then stops like he just do that.
The school already had rumors swirling around about Will and me since we first kissed at Connor's pool party, that was understandable because there were a lot of eyes there. But there were eyes on us again when we kissed after the basketball game, I woke up the next morning with dozens of messages from my friends — more specifically Kennedy and Alanna. Nobody was even in the hallway with us for people to know about it, like Hilary said nothing stays a secret in Bel-Air.
They already noticed that we come to school everyday, so they were bound to notice all Will's newly developed habits. And they did, as well as The Banks; they didn't say anything but it's evident in their changed behavior that they were aware. If neither of us are in immediately visible, a search ensues through the house until they locate one of us to make sure we're together alone.
Vivian and Phillip made it their mission to keep us downstairs, in direct eye sight but most importantly away from beds. As soon as two teenagers are alone, the first thing parents think about is sex. Understandable. But they never caught Will and I in a compromising position or situation since they found out about us, better safe than sorry I guess.
The moment is shattered into a trillion tiny pieces when I hear a car door slam shut and the car alarm, it's too close to be confused with my neighbors car. And it couldn't be my dad because he almost never home around this time, or at all really, which is why we came here to begin with. So, we could just be without feeling eyes on us anytime one of moved an inch. But I was wrong when I hear the familiar around of keys jingling in front of the door.
Though we weren't doing anything, well anything too bad considering what most teens would be doing if they were alone together, that didn't the shot of adrenaline running through my veins. "Hide!" I whisper urgently as I push myself up off the floor, he wouldn't make it upstairs before my dad walks in — he wouldn't even make it to the stairs. "Get in the closet!"
I grab his arm and guide him towards the closet, the closet is small and empty; we never knew what to do with it so we just left it alone. "Is this the rendition to R.Kelly Trapped in the Closet?" He questions, he would be trying to make jokes as if my dad isn't seconds from coming into the house.
"Just get in." He steps into the closet but he pulls me into the closet with him, closing the door behind us just as I hear the front door open. "Why would you pull me in here with you?"
"I thought we were both hiding." He didn't believe that and he wasn't going to convince me to believe that.
"I live here, why would I need to hide?" I question. "Especially when my car's in the driveway."
"Maybe they think you're hanging out with Hilary." The closet already tight fitted with both of us in here, but that didn't stop him from passing his body against mine. Stealing the little space between us we did have. "Well, it's too late to go out there now."
I could feel the warmth of Will's breath gently grazing my forehead, I don't dare look up so I keep my eyes straight. But as the seconds ticked by in this confined space, his breath slowly tracing the side of my face. His proximity was impossible to ignore and I made the mistake of looking up at him, his lips are back on mine instantly.
His hands circling around my waist, I break the kiss and place my hand on his chest. "Nice try, but that's not happening." And I could feel exactly how excited this whole thing was for him. "So you calm down and calm your friend down there as well."
This is why parents don't want teens alone together.
"Um, I just can't tell myself to calm down."
"Pull yourself together!" I hiss. "This was your plan the whole time, wasn't it?" Will just smiles, shaking my head I turn around so that my back is facing him.
I place my ear to the door to see if it's smart to come out, maybe he went upstairs. I kind of overreacted, I know my dad wouldn't have went in overprotective mode since Will is Phillip nephew and he would approve that we decided to be downstairs instead of upstairs. I only ever brought one boy home, Trevor, and that didn't go over so well, and we were literally doing homework. But I did overreact when I heard my dad come home. And now that we're hiding in the closet, it'll definitely feel like we were doing something we had no business doing if I come out now.
Too late to turn back now.
"Halle. That's so much worst."
I slap a hand over my mouth to stop myself from laughing, I hiss out, "No, you're the worst!"
"You're only saying that because you can't see things from my point of view, but if you could. . ." He leans forward, his lips grazing the shell of my ear as he speaks. ". . . You would react the exact same way."
Suddenly the door opens and my dad stands in front of us with an eyebrow raised. "I wonder how she would react if she could see things from my point of view." He crosses his arms, standing over us at an intimidating height. "So, tell me, what are you doing hiding in a closet with some boy?"
"Making a rendition of R. Kelly Trapped in the Closet." I smile to try and lighten the mood. "Probably wasn't the best song to say. But this isn't what it looks like, I had—"
Dad readjust his stance as he cuts me off to say, "It looks like you were trying to hide a boy from me."
"Okay, maybe it is what it looks like." Will says which earns him an elbow to his side.
"I know how this looks but he was just teaching me the rules of basketball." I tell him. "I had panicked when I heard you come home, it caught me by surprise. And I would have came out earlier but then it would have looked even more suspicious."
Dad eyes slide over to Will, he extends his hand. "Hello, young man. I'm James Sterling, Halle's father in case you didn't get that."
Will smiles brightly as he steps forward to shake his hand. "Hello, sir. I'm—"
"Will Smith. I know. Phillip has told me a lot about you." Dad says. "Like how if it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have gotten the support he needed from his sorority."
Will smirks, "Well, I guess I'm just here to assist both on and off the court, sir."
The corner of Dad's mouth tugs up. "Also, it made no sense to hide when your car's in the driveway, you left the television on, and leaving those big shoes by the door that I know didn't belong to you or me."
Will laughs as he nudges me and ask, "You know what they say about big feet?"
"No, what they say?" Dad questions, urging Will to continue.
The laughter was removed from his throat as he looks at me with wide eyes, I mentally face-palming myself. "Uh, um, they be like dang you got some big feet." Will says. "I'm sorry, sir."
This was like watching a train wreck happening from start to finish, I had to put an end to it before it got even worse. "Well, I actually have to drop Bigfoot off at home, it's getting late and we still have school tomorrow morning."
Dad nods his head. "It was nice meeting you, hopefully we meet again under better circumstances."
"Same, sir." Will nods his head, I watch as my dad walks away from us and into the kitchen. Neither Will nor I said anything until we leave the house. "Your dad seems cool. He didn't react how every other Dad would have reacted."
I shake my head as I unlock my door, Trevor first time over here was completely different. "Phillip being your uncle just saved your life." I tell him. "And you didn't even know it."
"There goes Miss In Love." Alanna drags out, her and Kennedy posted outside my last class of the day.
"Love?" I raise an eyebrow, it was way too early to be throwing that word around. "I don't think so.
"Should we say infatuated?" Kennedy questions, wrapping her arm around mine and leading me down the hallway.
Infatuated: an intense but often short-lived passion.
Definitely not.
"Oh." Alanna shows her visible disappointment, wrapping her other arm around mine, putting me in the middle of her and Kennedy. "It's just a fling?"
"Does it have to be love or infatuation?" I ask. "Can't it be just that we enjoy each other company? Figuring things out without having to slap a label on it? It's something as simple as that."
Why is everyone so obsessed about whether or not Will and I are dating? It's different when it's my friends because they're likely to find out before anybody else, expect the kiss after the basketball game — somebody beat me to it. In Bel-Air, you have to tell your story immediately before somebody tells it. This is the most I've been heavily talked about in school, including the initial rumors from Connor's pool party.
So, it was annoying being the center of everybody's gossip but Will didn't care about it all. He was all for PDA, kisses before class, after class, probably between classes if we had any classes together. If he wasn't holding my hand then he had this arm thrown over my shoulder, always somehow touching me when we're together — not that I minded. He was on the stance that people already knew about us, and if they didn't, he wasn't going to act like he didn't like me.
Green flag to me.
"And it's simple to just label the relationship. Labeling now means no confusion later." Kennedy says. "Imagine he's thinking that this is long-term and you're thinking it's a just for now situation, I can hear his heart breaking now."
"Stop being such a downer. Love is suppose to be fun, especially at this age." Alanna sighs dreamily. "And I think letting things play out naturally is beautiful. If it doesn't work out then it just doesn't work out, but if it does — imagine how beautiful this story will be when you tell it at the wedding! Can I be a bridesmaid?"
"Like what are you even talking about? What wedding?" Kennedy questions. "This is why you don't take love advice from her, she'll have you engaged to a man who paid for your meal in the McDonald's drive thru, and all he was doing was paying it forward. Labeling is important to establish a relationship, and not labeling is important to establish avoiding a relationship."
Even I know taking too many advices from too many people with different perspectives wasn't a good idea, but I was siding with Alanna on this one — minus the wedding. "I don't need anybody love advice." I state. "I appreciate y'all for expressing concern and interest, but I'm good."
"As long as he makes you happy and doesn't break your heart then I'm team Will, especially over Trevor." Kennedy says, rolling her eyes at Trevor's name. "But I'm actually surprise that you and Will aren't with each other right now."
"I think it's so so sweet how he walks you to all your classes, eat lunch together, and how y'all come to school together." Alana squeals. "Y'all are too cute!"
"Luckily, she isn't one of those girls who get into a relationship and forget about her friends." Kennedy chimes. "Those girls are the worst. Like you can take a couple hours away from him."
"Heh." Alanna shrugs. "I understand, sometimes you just want to always be around your boo. What Beyoncé say?" She snaps her fingers, swaying her body side to side. "I'm happy, I'm happy to see my husband!"
"Wow." I nudge Kennedy. "We see how she's going to treat us when she gets into a relationship."
"Actually, I'm not surprise." Kennedy states, looking completely unfazed by Alanna comment. Stepping outside, we head to the student parking lot. "Skating rink, tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, it's going to be so much fun." I sigh happily, this is the only fun fundraiser that Phillip has had since starting his campaign.
"I can't wait!" Alanna squeals. "Wait until the lights dim down, they start playing those love songs, all the couples hit the floor and start skating. It's like a real-life romance movie unfolding right before your eyes. I'm talking about slow dances, sweet whispers, and maybe even a few stolen kisses. Ooh, you and Will are going to look so cute out there!"
"Is love all you think about?" Kennedy questions, shaking her head before hugging me then Alanna. "There's only so much I can listen to of this. I'll talk you guys later, I'm going to crash out as soon as I get home."
Kennedy hikes her bag up on her shoulder as she rounds the corner, heading to where her car is parked. "I need to go home and find me an outfit for tomorrow, I also need to refreshen my hair, and maybe get my nails done. I have so much to do before tomorrow. The love of my life might there tomorrow and I look like this, big no!" Alanna says as she hugs me. "See you later, Hal!"
I chuckle as I watch Alanna walk away from me, as long as I've known her, she has always been like that. It makes me actually wonder what she would be like in a relationship? The same way? Would she tone it down? Or would tone it up? I might have to do a background check on the guy she ends up with, she'll end up marrying a man who lies about the little thing to the point she doesn't even know who the fuck she married?
Turning to head to my car, I suddenly crash into someone, the impact almost sending me stumbling backwards. But a pair of hands caught my arms, preventing me from embarrassing in front of everybody, but not preventing my phone from dropping.
"I'm so sorry!" I apologize, bending down to pick up my now cracked phone. "I should have been paying more attention."
"No need to apologize." The stranger says. "I should be the one apologizing, I wasn't paying attention either, and now your phone is cracked."
I stand back up. "It's just a phone, don't worry about it."
The stranger couldn't be mistaken as a student here, if going by how much older he looked — he couldn't even pass as a Senior. Probably a parent, cousin, brother, or even uncle coming to pick up somebody, but I've never seen him before. Not that I know every student family in Bel-Air, but I definitely would have remembered his face if he was from around here. He's has a dark chocolate complexion, a medium size beard, wearing three to four chains around his neck, pair of stud earrings in both ears.
But what stuck out was the hat on his head, Philadelphia 76.
He insist, "I can't just not worry about it. I'll pay to get it fixed."
"Really, it's not that big of deal." I assure, I'll have a brand new phone in the hour or two. "These things happen."
He shook his head with a deep sigh, "It wouldn't feel right not paying for something I broke."
"Well, you caught me from falling in front of everybody." I point out. "Thank you for that. Even?"
"All right, I won't force you to let me fix your phone." He smiles as he holds his hands up. "At least tell me your name."
"Halle."
"Oh, like Halle Berry?" He chuckles, nodding his head as if he was approving of my name. "I'm Rashed."
I couldn't stop myself from asking, "are you here for Will?"
Confusion wash over his face. "Who?"
"Uh, sorry, forget it." I shake my head. "It was nice meeting you."
"It was nice meeting you too." He nods, his expression becoming much more serious. "I'll see you around, Halle."
Giving one last smile I walk around him, I made sure to not run into anybody else on the way to my car. Why would I ask him if he knew Will? Just because Will's from Philly doesn't mean he knows who everyone from there is? And that man probably isn't even from Philly, he could just like that hat. That's like Will asking some other girl who lives in Bel-Air if they know me because we have the same Bel-Air energy? Just pure stupidity.
"There you go Halle Berry." An arm drape around my neck, I didn't have to look to know it was Will. "I was looking for you. I started to think somebody had kidnapped you."
"Basically." I chuckle, nodding my head. "Kennedy and Alanna beat you to my last class."
Will kiss his teeth and snaps his finger. "All because my art history teacher pulled the "the bell does not dismiss you, I dismiss you," speech. Like what's the bell for?"
"I hate the "I already got my degree," like ma'am I don't care." I laugh. "Then they get mad and sit there with the "I'll wait" face."
"Ayo, be so mad!" Will laughs, when we approach my car he opens the passenger door and he closes it when I get inside. Our routine is I pick him up and he drives us to and from school, which I'm totally fine with. If I never drive again in life, I'll be okay with that. "Speaking of art history, I can really use your help on my essay. We can have a little study session at your house."
"Oh, like the "study session" we was suppose to have when I was trying to learn about basketball?"
"I'm done for that too." He grins, I smile but roll my eyes at him as I secure the seatbelt around me. "It was fun until your dad caught us in the closet, but that was kind of fun too."
"Thrill seeker I see." I noted. "But we're going to have to take a rain check on that study session, I'm helping Hilary look for influencer houses for her to apply to."
Will nods his head as he secure the seatbelt around him. "But you're still coming to the fundraiser tomorrow."
"There's no way I'm missing the funniest fundraiser. I haven't been skating in such a long time, hopefully I try not to embarrass you or myself too much."
"Please, you could never embarrass yourself, let alone me." Will secures the seatbelt around him and started the car. His words has a smile dancing its way onto my lips, I place a kiss to his cheek. "Unless you not trying to help Hilary today, you shouldn't do that again." He grins. "All right, let's go before Hilary turns in Light and write my name in her death notebook."