[LaShontae Heckard as Geneva Tilden]
I.
9 Years Ago...
All I could hear was chattering from my fellow classmates on this bus. The sound was driving me insane. I gave Keema a pass, because I had became accustomed to her loud mouth. These other kids? So fucking annoying yo.
One more year, Neva, I thought to myself as I shut my book and reached for my headphones and my MP3 player. I connected the two and let my music shuffle. Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" blared loudly in my ears and I nodded my head in content as I reopened my book, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. I couldn't wait to read the book; I was so glad that my best friend Keema got my the book for my birthday last June. It was yet another book on my desired reading list.
I was engulfed in the Southern vernaculars written across a page of the book when I felt eyes piercing my side intensely. I lifted my eyes from the book slightly to look from my peripherals. The burning stare was coming from him...
Mathew.
Mathew Lucania. Yes, you guessed it. A descendant of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, one of America's most notorious Italian mobsters. But instead of adopting Lucky as his nickname, he went by Easy. You would never think he was Italian by his smooth chocolate skin. Bad boy was in his blood, and girls loved it. Including me. I had been feenin' for boy since I could remember. He looked GOOD. It wasn't even his pimple-free dark skin, dark brown eyes, nice build, and straight white teeth that made him Lincoln High's sex God; it was his swag, his Harlem slang, and his mysterious vibe that had bitches will to drop their panties left and right for him.
But what was he staring at me and Keema for? Not saying I was ugly; I was far from it. Besides these glasses and braces, I had chinky brown eyes, high cheekbones, luscious dark hair, and full lips. I never wore make up, differentiating me from Keema and the rest of the girls in Lincoln.
I could tell he couldn't tell that I was staring right back at him, for my thick glasses was obstructing his view of my eyes and he was half listening to his boys in his ears talking about the new girls they just scooped. I had broken free from my stare when Keema, who was sitting beside me chatting on her phone with her "boyfriend", put her phone away and snatched my headphones out of my ear.
"What the hell?!" I snapped at her.
"Yo, keep those out your ears and listen to what they're saying. Mathew checking you out right now, Neva." Keema said lowly. She was looking back in his direction, making it quite obvious to him that she was talking about him.
I chuckled, shaking my head. "He probably looking at you. Look at what you wearing," I pointed at her extra tight Bebe belly tee, her tight black jeans, and her white uptowns. It was obvious why Mathew would most likely be looking at her rather than me, just like any other dude would. Keema didn't leave anything to the imagination. But I had to give it to my bitch though, she loved the skin she was in and she wasn't afraid to show what her momma gave her. Her waist was as thin as a needle, but her ass and titties complemented her shape in anything she wore. It could've been the piercings too that had niggas feenin' for her. She had her belly button, nipples, and her tongue pierced. And I could only imagine the thoughts that could pass through niggas' heads every time she would pull out a cherry Blow Pop or laugh with her tongue out when the conversation was really funny.
She frowned, rolling her eyes.
"Besides Keemie," I continued. "That was your nigga at one point. He might want a second chance."
Keemie scoffed, laughing. "I don't recall him EVER being my man. You buggin'. That was freshman year, one, and two, that was one time and we were drunk. Dick wasn't even good anyway."
"Not what you said."
"Fuck you."
I laughed and went back to reading my book. I still felt Mathew's eyes. What if Keema was right? What if he was really staring at me? Finally giving me the time of day without me throwing myself at him? It would be great if he did. I definitely had way more to offer him than the bitches he always found himself around. I could treat him right.
I abruptly looked up and at the bus window only to see that me and Keemie's stop was about to be skipped. Then I reached over to push the stop button. Keemie grabbed my hand.
"I already got it, you was so busy in that damn book."
I sat back down and waited for the bus to come to a full stop. "Foster Avenue. Ocean Avenue." The bus operator said over the intercom as the bus stopped. I gathered my book and my bag and got up to walk to the exit. I turned around as I began to exit the bus, only to see Mathew and his boys still staring at me and Keemie. The only difference between him and his friends is that they were staring at Keemie's ass, while he...was staring at me.
He winked and I felt my heart flutter. This boy is so fine, fuck. Keemie didn't notice me in a staring match with Mathew because she was so busy screaming, "Back door!" at the driver so he can let us off. When the doors were opened, we got off and began walking towards our block on Newkirk Avenue.
Keemie pulled out her phone, flipping it upwards to read a message. She kissed her teeth. "Yo, this nigga really buggin' the fuck out on my phone son."
"Brandon?"
"Yeah, man. The nigga act like he don't know the definition of kickin' it, feel me?"
"I mean, you do have him under the impression that you only talk to him though." I replied.
"I mean yeah, even though I was lying. But damn! Son really clocking my every move. Let a bitch breathe, like." Keemie rolled her eyes. "But anyways, I need to hook you up with somebody. I be feeling all bad 'cause you lonely and I be venting to you about this crazy boy."
I scoffed. "Um, I'm not lonely!"
Keemie laughed in disbelief. "Girl bye. Books cannot finger you, fuck you, and make you cum."
"Keemie, why you always gotta bring sex up into something in relation to me finding a boyfriend?" I scrunched my face up.
"Because you need dick." Keemie answered. It was crazy because she was serious. "Who sits around and reads books on their free time when they could be with their man?"
"Well that's your problem. Maybe if you wasn't so worried about being with a man, you'd be passing your classes. 'Cause you ain't dumb."
"Anyways." Keemie said. "You need to find yourself a man. You not ugly for a fact, and you got a nice, fat-"
She raised her hand up to grab my ass, and I grabbed it quickly. We both started laughing. "I don't have shit. Stop being gay!"
Keemie was laughing, looking back. Her laugh quieted suddenly. She smirked. "Woooooow." My eyes followed hers, and my jaw dropped.
"Well, somebody come look at this!" Keemie laughed as we came to a stop. Mathew was rushing toward us. When he finally got close she said, "Wassup Easy?"
Mathew gave her dap. "Ain't shit. I'm tryna see wassup with ya shawty." He looked at me, licking his lips. "What's ya name, ma?"
At this point, my heart was beating all types of crazy. This couldn't be real. What would he want with me? After all this time?
"It's-"
"Geneva!" Keemie chimed in excitedly. I glared at her, slightly embarrassed. I looked back at Mathew, who did not once take his eyes off of me. His eyes scanned my whole body, and I felt like crawling into a hole and dying.
"Geneva...Sexy name for a sexy girl." Mathew responded. Keemie nodded her head. He looked at her. "I'm pretty sure she can speak for herself though, right?"
"Yeah." I said quietly.
"I wanna get to know you, G. I been peeping you 'round Lincoln, all quiet and shit," Mathew smiled. "You gonna give me the chance?"
I smiled slightly. I could see Keemie beaming beside me from peripheral vision . "Yeah."
"What you doing Saturday? Wanna go to the movies with me to see John Tucker Must Die?"
I nodded eagerly. "Yeah, what time?"
"Your choice. I'll call you on it, ma. What's your number?"
We exchanged numbers and ended the conversation in a way I never knew was possible: a tight hug, and him kissing me on the cheek. It was a feeling I hadn't felt before from any guy. It wasn't even in my heart, it was in between my legs. A tingling, wet feeling. Desire. Lust. And maybe it was Keemie was warning me about all this time.
I couldn't explain what I was feeling as me and Keemie ran down the block talking loudly after Mathew left. All I could think about was how Saturday was gonna be; it could make or break the future with Mathew. I really hoped there could be one. I knew I could do him better than any bitch in Lincoln.
And if I was feeling these things as a first, Lord knew what else I'd feel with him.