Pride

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ketara Greene

"All of the times you wasn't chosen, well I'll make it up to you..."

-Yebba's Heartbreak; Yebba

Summertime hit and I couldn't have been happier. My grades were high, and my mother was loosening the reigns on me bit by bit. I couldn't be full blown out in the streets, but I didn't have to drag myself home by sundown either and it was a good look. My life to me at the time wasn't that popping anyway since I'd only be one of three places. It was either Shakyra's, Lichelle's or Louis' house. The bonus points came in if I were hanging with either party at the park. While I enjoyed being around my friends though, most of the time it was Louis I was waiting on.

Our relationship was still going well, shocking to say in the least. We hadn't made a year yet but something about us being together made me feel like we'd been together for the longest. I felt my feelings changing over and while I didn't speak on it very much, I knew in time I might be confessing in a short time. Once we got into our groove it was pretty much like kismet to me.

Louis kind of put me in a state of tunnel vision and I knew it was the same for him. If we saw each other, time would literally stop. Eight times out of ten my friends would raise up and find something else to do. In the beginning I would try to stop them from leaving but a side eye too many from both Lichelle and Shakyra stopped me from putting on a front. Eventually Shakyra would chide me and tell me not to be guilty about being with my man. Lichelle would say the same in her own way but I could tell her respect for Louis grew in time. I knew her only concern was that he would treat me right. Once she was satisfied, her resistance of Louis stopped. I was pleasantly surprised but didn't make too much noise about it. I loved my friends and I loved my man. I wanted us all to be happy together.

Quiet as kept though, I wasn't a fan of John for Lichelle. I wasn't sure why but I just wasn't. But as she was happy, I didn't say anything about it. Besides, while they were dating I couldn't even get a boy to claim me so my opinion pretty much amounted to nothing.

"I don't know though...something about this one is off."

Lichelle, Shakyra and I were on the stoop, enjoying the hot summer day. We had just finished chasing down Mr. Softee and enjoying our cones. As we walked down the block, we watched Tracy walking down the block. She slowed down a little as she edged towards Louis' house. I rose a brow, waiting for her to make her next move. That was when she looked across the street and saw the three of us. She waved sheepishly at us and kept walking. I rose a brow as I continued to lick my ice cream.

"Nothing's wrong with her except she's trying to fuck Louis." I said, with a shoulder shrug, "If we weren't here she would've tried it."

"Shut up, Kiki." Shakyra said, "Give my nigga some credit. You had him buggin' this whole year. The last thing he's worried about is Tracy's corny ass."

"Granted but it's not stopping her from trying. What she hopes to gain, I don't know."

Shakyra opened up her mouth to answer me when we both spied a BMW seven series pulled up in front of his house. Again I was left in suspense to wonder who was stopping at my boyfriend's house for the second time that afternoon.

I rose a brow as I watched Bianca Landau step out of her car and skip lightly up the stairs. I rolled my eyes hard but felt my heart start to pound in my chest. Bianca had been Louis' ex that had graduated and left for Howard in the past fall. I hadn't known they'd broken up until I saw him looking despondent one day. That was shortly before Tinashe put herself in his face and thought she could take her spot. Our last interaction before that, Louis' insults had been weak and I hadn't even bothered getting upset with him at all. That was when I had started to focus on myself rather.