Brother's Keeper✔️

35. One Brother's Keeper

Manny POV

He was going to do better because he did love Laila.

He would not look at another girl, no matter how many approached him, and he was definitely done with Shamiya.

"So what are you guys' first topics for your new activity?" Taj asked them while they were having their monthly chapter meeting.

While on line, he and Jordan came up with the idea to have something similar to what the ladies of Mu Alpha Chi were doing, monthly meetings focusing on the men on campus dealing with issues, especially the Black male student. While MAX's Sister Circle meetings were for all the female population at ISU, he and Jordan wanted to focus solely on the Black males because they were often overlooked.

Except for joining a Black fraternity, there was nothing else solely for Black male students to just sit back and chill. They were calling their meetings Brother's Keeper meetings, as they each had to look after each other while there on campus.

And they could not have it at Taj and Brian's place. Sure, it was a nice-sized house, but unlike the MAX house, it was not an on-campus residence. Thus they would be responsible for liabilities. So they reserved a private meeting space at the Student Union, where they could get loud and speak freely.

"Let's just talk about how to study, keep our grades right, and the importance of-"

"Boring!" Brian shouted out to him.

Why did his bro have to do him like that? What was wrong with talking about something they were in school for?

"Okay, then how about we do something like a career fair, discussing jobs in related fields of major and-"

"Boy, you're trying to bore them and not bring them back," Brian said. "They don't need to come to us for that type of talk, there are older, wiser adults on campus that can help with that, now am I right, Taj?"

"True. We have to offer them something more so we can help facilitate the discussion, without bringing in outside help."

"Then I don't know. Maybe we should ask the ladies of MAX how they get a full house every meeting."

Brian scoffed at him. "And I can't believe you're my special little brother thinking like this. Do you think we picked you two because you can't think for yourselves? Run to someone else to do the work you're supposed to do?"

"We're still new," Jordan said. "Maybe the two of your can come up with something better, we came up with the idea of the meetings."

"Correct. You came up with the idea! You come up with the topics, plain and simple," Taj said to him.

He looked at his friend, and Jordan looked at him. If they couldn't talk about school, grades, or careers, what else was pressing in the minds of the young guys on campus?

"Sex!" he blurted out.

Brian jumped up. "Oh yeah! Now we're getting somewhere!"

Taj nodded in agreeance. "But make it more specific. What about sex? Safe sex? Random sex? Hookup sex? Multiple partners?"

"Why must guys cheat!" Jordan gave Manny a knowing look, but he was not going to give his homeboy the satisfaction of outing him like that.

"Oh neo, you going to be stepping on some toes with that one," Brian said.

Taj laughed. "I think he just broke your toes."

So with that as the topic, they pushed out the details and invites to the meeting that would be later that week. He did not think many of the "brothers" on campus would willingly meet up in a room and talk about why they cheat.