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𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬
𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮:𝟮𝟬 𝗽.𝗺
𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀, 🅽🅴🆆 🆈🅾︎🆁🅺
~𝙼𝚢 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚎~
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-edited 9/19/20-
Kel walked into the room and towards the seat he and everyone else in class assigned themselves. He slapped his bag on the table infront of him and rested his head on his bag, trying to soak up the next 10 minutes until the professor came in.
Ezekiel Queen was a Junior at Columbia University, with a full ride academic scholarship, majoring in Business and Marketing while also running for his schools Track and Field. He'd been a runner since the day he could use his own two legs, but he had dreams of owning his own business in basically anything he set his mind to.
It wasn't easy getting to where he was when he was a black men striving for greatness. There were so many times where he thought it was best to give up but he had someone to guide him in the right direction. Of course he made bad decisions but he'd owned up to them and made something out of them. Lessons that taught him that the future had more in stock for him.
Ready to take the world on, he invested his mind into books instead of the streets and landed himself a scholarship.
Of course there were times where people looked down on him. Saying he was a hypocrite, but he learned that how others view you doesn't matter when you're the only one living the life you received.
Screw them was his motto.
Just when his eyes were getting heavy, the door to the classroom bust open and in came professor Liam.
"Good Morning my Business Management class." He spoke in a very chipper voice making Kel groan. "I'm sorry, did I wake you Mr. Queen?" He didn't wait for a reply before replying with a "good."
"Ok, today we're gonna—" The door being knocked on cut Professor Liam off. He excused himself and went to the door. Kel took out his phone as it beeped and seen he had a few messages from his brother.
"Ok, you can take a seat by James Ohan. James, raise your hand." Liam said coming back in the class with someone following behind him. Kel looked up and squinted his eyes at who was coming into the classroom. He then looked at James who had his hand up with a smirk.
The girl then proceeded to walk towards the seat available and put her head down when she felt eyes on her. Kel just stared at her wondering what she was doing in his class.
"Well, I guess we're all wondering who is this? Three months after the new semester started. Everyone, this is Zuri Okani. Some of you may know her as the amazing Bolt on our track and field team, bringing in a gold medal in last years sports Olympics . Only being a sophomore here at Columbia, you're very talented." Liam boasted Zuri and she lightly smiling giving him a head nod as to say "thank you."
(( ✋🏽a/n: I only know how to speak volleyball and a lil basketball lmaoo. I did a bit of research tho.))
Kel stole a few glances here and there as Liam continued to teach the class. She was listening intently while also taking in her surrounding, trying to get a feel of who she might be sharing a few classes with for the remainder of the semester. It wasn't until her eyes landed on Kel who wasn't paying attention to her anymore, when she squinted her eyes a little.
She looked away seeing as he looked familiar but didn't want to stare.
Class was finally over and everyone rushed out of the class, filling the halls. Kel was taking his sweet time. His body was moving slow today thanks to him being out late last night. He just wanted to go to work then head home and sleep.
The sound of her voice had woken him up a little bit.
"To be honest, I chose Business randomly. It seems easy enough." Zuri spoke.
"I love the honesty and I'll be the first to say, it isn't easy." And Kel knew she was talking with Liam. This is the most he'd heard talk. She only gave one word responses or she was quiet. He came the shop every two weeks to get his hair cut and sometimes she'd cut it sometimes she wouldn't since it was always packed, but everytime she was the same way. Quiet and focused. He found himself wanting to know if there was more to her than being reserved.
It wasn't until Zuri said 'bye' is when Kel finally left the room. He waited outside the door for Zuri to finally walk out.
She walked out the room and blew out a breath as she looked around the hallway filled with college students.
"Wassup." Kel spoke beside Zuri, causing her to jump and turn to see Kel with a smirk on his face. She squinted her eyes at him.
"Hi." She replied blandly remembering his face and voice precisely now.
"Either you always gotta attitude or you'on know how to make conva'sation." Zuri shrugged and began to walk away. Kel thought against following her knowing it'd seem creepy and made his way to the Art and Science building for his Constructions class, with the girl on his mind.
"Wassup youngin'." Tone greeted as Kel walked through the door of their house. Noted, Ezekiel Queen was Antonio Queens younger brother. They were 7 years apart, same parents and same fucked up life story.
Antonio practically raised Kel as his own. He taught his brother everything he knows to this day. Although Antonio didn't make all the right decisions he always taught Kel to do better knowing Kel would do everything his older brother did. Like the fact Antonio was in the streets, a "major streets pharmacists" at that. Kel used to want to do the same thing until Antonio realized his brother was destined for greatness and didn't want him to end up like another statistic in this cruel world, so he guided him away from the same path he went down.
"How was school?" Tone asked him the same question he asked after Kel walked through the door after coming from his classes.
"It was school. I'm ti'ed." Kel blew out a breath. "I got work in a few hours."
Kel worked as a fill-in coach at the high school he graduated from, Townsend Harris. He thought he was more than just a coach. He was someone who was there to empathize with the kids, letting them know there was someone out there who could understand the problems and struggles of high school students since most adults didn't believe there were any.
Kel walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Looking over at Tone every so often.
"What nigga? You keep lookin' at me." Tone chuckled finally giving Kel his attention.
"Nothin'."
"Bruh, wassup. You need ta' talk about somethin'." Tone never gave Kel that "men don't need to express themselves" mentality. He wanted Kel to vent to him whenever he need to so he didn't bottle up all the pain that he knew he kept buried deep inside. Tone assured Kel that it was okay to come to him whenever there was a problem, whether that be internal or external forces.
Kel shook his head and rubbed his hand over his waves. "Nah, nun like dat'. I wanted to ask you about one of yo' employees though."
Tone side eyed Kel and smirked. "You interested in one of em'. Bet not be one of them hood rat females. You hea' what they be talkin' about in that shop."
Kel just out laughing. Tone was always talking about how he didn't like some of the people he worked with. Mostly the women.
"Nah, it's uh— Zuri?" He said as more of a question. Kel witnessed how overprotective Tone was of Zuri whenever he visited the shop.
"Quiet Zuri?" Tone furrowed his eyebrows and Kel smacked his lips.
"Ain't it only one Zuri in yo' shop? Dumbass." Kel mumbled causing Tone to chuckle.
"I'm playin' man, but wassup? You like ha' or some?"
"Nah, just curious. How long she been workin' thea'?"
Tone thought about his brothers intentions and couldn't think of anything negative. He raised Kel to be respectful and polite towards women, despite how you viewed them internally.
"Bout 5 years na', she'on really talk though. I've prolly only heard her say maybe 20 words since she been working thea'." Tone exaggerated truthfully.
Kel nodded his head finding it to be true. She was real quiet, but when she was talking to Liam she was saying full sentences.
Maybe her demeanor changes up when she's around certain people. Kel thought.
"You sho' you'on like ha'? I mean, I doubt she'a take yo' ass. You one ugly muhfucka'." Tone chuckled at his own joke and Kel flicked him off.
"I just realized y'all both do track. How you ain't know ha' befo'e?"
Kel shrugged his shoulders and yawned feeling his body drained. "I noticed ha' but ain't neva' paid attention, ya' feel me? We ain't neva' runnin' together during meets, too. And I ain't een know she worked at yo' shop."
"Cause yo' ass always want me ta' be yo' personal barber. Got me fucked up."
Kel smacked his lips and stood up from the couch, stretching his body. "Ion trust them niggas in my head."
"Mm, but luh Zee been cuttin' yo shit." Tone doubled his lips trying to fight his smirk and Kel waved him off.
"I'm bouta' take a nap befo'e work." Kel started to walk away.
"I'm bouta' head to the trap. Lock up, nigga." Tone hollered after him and Kel waved him off and made his way up the stairs. After hearing the front door close and his brothers car start, he started to strip from his outside clothes and belly flopped down on his bed and sighed in contentment. Finally his eyes began to get heavy.
"Coach Queen!" Kel heard his name being called as he made his way to the gym of the high school. He turned around and mentally rolled his eyes.
"Hi Mrs. Vander." He emphasized "Mrs." to remind her she's married. Although she was 10 years older than Kel, she made passes at him since his days of coaching at the school. He found it disgusting and annoying how she knew she was married and went around flirty with men, younger men at that, like it was okay. It was weird and rubbed him the wrong way.
He also didn't like men or women who stepped out on the person they promised the rest of their love, life and future with. He could never see himself doing anything of the sort.
"How modest, just call me Vera." She sent a flirtatious smirk his way and he shivered in disgust. She was a good looking woman, but not his type. Or age.
"I gotta get to these kids." He tried to dismiss himself.
"Oh, you're good with kids. You plan on having any of your own?" She asked with a smile on her face. Kel looked at with a confused face and shook his head.
"Bye Mrs. Vander." She frowned at him choosing not to call her Vera. Kel noticed the sad look on her face but just walked away. He wanted to say something that would completely ruin her entire self esteem but knew better. He was taught better.
"Wassuh youngins'." Kel announced himself as he walked into the gym to see the boys basketball team sitting around waiting. They all looked at him and rushed over to their favorite coach.
"Aye, it's coach Queen." One of the students, Brandon, announced.
"Nah, run dem laps. I'an fa'get what happened last practice." He told the team and a series of groans went around.
"Coach, we ain't know she was gone go home cryin'." Another student, Joey, asked and the team errupted in laughter and gained a chuckle from Kel. "And you laughin, you know that shit was funny."
Last practice, Kel was holding tryouts for the boys basketball team. Just to bring in new faces. He wanted to expand the diversity and social on the team since they all knew each other in one circle. A girl had came to tryouts and Kel didn't see a problem with it since the girls didn't have a team.
Let's just say she failed miserably, and one of the boys recorded it and put it on the schools page. The girl went home crying and had a growing bitterness towards the boys basketball team.
"I ain't laughin' because of what y'all did, I'm laughin' cause y'all think shit like dat funny. Y'all basically bullied that girl and y'all might not unda'stand the issue with self-confidence but y'all decreased hers. Na' she gotta walk around with pointed fingers at her. That ain't coo' and since y'all think it is, laps."
He was here to coach them in every aspect of life. Not just sports, but in everything thing that involved their future. If that just be sports, then so be it, but he was trying to teach them more than what all the other teachers wanted to teach them. He was trying to change how they viewed certain things, teach them right from wrong. That's why he chose the position he did.
They were black men in America and if no one was going to look out for them, he was. His brother did the same for him, why couldn't he do that for others?
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{A/N}
Ehh, iono bout this chapter. I'm taking it slow....trying to anyways
6/9/20– 2:33 a.m. WTF😭