Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Pearl Essence McClay Jacksonville, Florida
"He disappears for a whole month and then turns up looking half dead, then this nigga goes and acts like he doesn't know me." Pearl rants as Kirari does her extra studies during lunchtime.
They were currently in the cafeteria, which was packed. Pearl was shocked to see Reese and was even more shocked to feel her heart stop, she knew that she liked him. His absence just made the lies that she told herself easier. It seemed like they were back to being strangers though.
"I love you, friend, but Reese isn't your problem anymore. Him not acknowledging you shouldn't affect you because you have a whole boyfriend." Kirari stopped writing and stared at her frustrated friend, "Reese isn't your problem, Marquis is."
Pearl sighed, she'd forgotten about Marquis. He'd asked her to be his girlfriend two weeks ago and she'd accepted. Looking back, Pearl wondered if she'd accepted because she was overwhelmed with gifts or because she genuinely liked him. From the fireworks, to the flowers and the lake, Marquis had spent a lot of time and money on her, she couldn't say no.
"You're right, girl. I need to get my shit together." She admitted before staring at Marquis who was sitting at a nearby table with the rest of the basketball team.
As she continued to stare, Pearl failed to notice Reese and Leighton walk up to their table. The smell of his cologne tingled her nose causing her to turn and face him, her eyes twinkling with interest. She wondered what he was doing here.
"Reese, I just wanted to say-" Pearl began, but was quickly cut off by him, "Ion care, that shit don't matter to me no mo." Reese said harshly before turning to face Kirari.
"Yo, I was wondering if you could tutor me till the end of the year?" He asked, his voice was a lot softer when he spoke to Kirari and his eyes had softened too. Pearl watched in jealousy, her face carving into a small frown.
Shocked, Kirari nodded, "Yeah I can, you just gotta make sure you don't waste my time."
Chuckling, Reese shook his head, "I won't. Let me have your insta." He said as he pulled out his phone to type in her insta. Pearl watched as his smile stayed on his face, you could tell it was genuine too.
"Imma text you the schedule. Don't play." Kirari said seriously before Reese and Leighton walked away, not before Leighton winked at Kirari.
Pearl sat there silently, watching Reese walk away. She could understand one thing for sure, that wasn't the Reese that she'd met on her first day here. He'd changed and possibly for the better.
Jealousy coursed through her veins, she knew that Kirari didn't see him like that but she also didn't want to see him with anyone else. Something about Reese studying alone with another girl did things to her that she didn't know she could feel.
Insecurity and hurt.
-XX-
Running her hand through her long, black hair, Pearl watched as Marquis trained. She watched him absentmindedly, if she was being honest with herself, she didn't want to be here. At all.
Things with Marquis were safe. He made her feel loved and safe, there was no shyness, no playful arguing and there hadn't been a time where he'd fully made her laugh. She didn't even find him sexually attractive.
What exactly was she doing with him?
Sighing, Pearl grabbed her phone and played games on it for the whole duration of the practise. Boredom and disinterest oozed out of her as she walked home with Marquis, all he talked about was basketball and how beautiful she was. There was nothing about him that made interesting and yet so many girls wanted him.
"And he passed the shot to me so I scored, that nigga stay passing, he don't ever do nun else." Marquis continued talking, he didn't even need a reply, all he did was talk nonstop.
"Thanks for walking me home." Pearl said quickly before hurrying inside the house, not even kissing him. Marquis watched her confusedly before he walked home.
Shutting the door behind her, Pearl opened the curtain to watch him walk away before sighing. She turned around and jumped when she saw her granny watching her weirdly.
"See, as soon as you start watching yo boyfriend like that, that's how you know the relationship over." Mama G said as she sat down and began painting her toe nails white.
"Ain't nun over, granny." Pearl shrugged as she sat on the sofa opposite her grandma and helped her paint her other toes.
"Ion know why you still entertain him, you be yawning every time you're on call with him." Mama G said shaking her head, she didn't understand why her granddaughter did this to herself.
"He's just very passionate about basketball." Pearl defended, she was indeed always yawning but that wasn't no one's business but hers.
"Any man that passionate about any balls, throw him in the bin." Mama G shrugged before she pulled out a mini fan and placed it on the floor, drying her toenails.
"Why you don't like Marquis?" Pearl questioned, she genuinely didn't know why her granny had never taken a liking to him.
"Because you don't."
-XX-
Pearl had her music playing as she took a drive around the neighbourhood, listening to Kali Uchis, she enjoyed the chill vibe that the artist gave her.
Her granny's words filled her mind as she drove around but she didn't want to overthink everything. She found herself in the hood, but she didn't mind. Her drive was giving her time to really think about everything that was going on.
Did she actually like Marquis?
Pearl continued to drive until she drove past the basketball courts and saw a figure they she recognised. Reese was playing basketball with a whole group of boys, Marquis being one of them.
Pulling over the car, Pearl leaned on it as she watched the game from afar. Despite Marquis being taller, Reese's speed and agility seemed to prove him the better player. Soon Reese's team won and they cheered, Pearl decided that she should go before was noticed watching the game intensely.
While watching Reese, she found herself not yawning, instead she was wide awake and on the verge of cheering whenever he'd shoot.
