Meant To Be(?)

Chapter 7

"But I don't want you to buy it for me!"

I was currently standing in the middle of Footlocker getting more frustrated with Ice by the second. The entire situation honestly feels a bit ridiculous because never in my life had I been genuinely upset with someone because they were too nice. And I don't mean an overbearing nice like someone who wants to impress me, or maybe a guy who would be trying to woo me into a date someday. It was just Izzy being an honestly nice person but it was starting to get on my nerves. 

That might sound bad, but over the last year I had learned that Ice was always the type to look out for whoever he considered "his people". If you were out and about with him he never spent a dollar on himself without putting a dollar towards covering you. That would be fine, except Ice didn't spend his money on small or minor purchases. See, unlike most teenagers, myself included, Ice didn't spend his summer bullshitting around waiting for school to pick back up. Instead, he did everything within his power to make himself known for being a handyman for hire. He cut lawns, washed cars, cleaned houses, and babysat. On top of this, he sold candy out of his house. By the end of the summer not only did everyone in my entire neighborhood know of Ice, but as always they'd all come to adore him as well. He had all but turned himself into the busiest body younger than eighteen which means he had a lot of incoming "revenue". So when Ice spent money, he could spend big. This brings us to our current impasse, where he feels like because he bought himself a new pair of shoes, he just had to buy me some as well.

"Icy stop being stuck up," Ice tells me "you know I can't buy me shoes and not buy you any>"

"You can absolutely do that!" I protest. 

"Well, I'm not about to."

"Izzy I am not trying to mooch off of you today. Please stop."

Ice smacks his teeth as his face shoots me an evil expression.

"FIrst of all, can't nobody mooch off me! I really only be out here buyin' shit for two people. You and Joseph. That's it. Because I know y'all real. This ain't mooching. If you had it wouldn't you take care of me too?"

"Of course bu-"

"Nope! Shut up and then tell me what shoes you want!"

I force my disapproval out in the form of an aggressive sigh. I silently hate him for putting me in this position, but either way, I was going to have to turn down free shoes of my choice, or swallow my pride and let Ice buy them for me. I already know going to regret whichever choice I make so I might as well regret it with some fresh kicks on my feet.

"The Jordan six rings," I mumble just above a defeated whisper.

"Yo, my mans!" Ice calls to the nearest footlocker employee.

A striped-shirt man quickly makes his way to our location. He honestly looks as if he was standing close by just to see what would become of our snippy debate, and I suppose if a sale was on the line I would lend a close ear too..

"What can I do for you?" He asks.

"Box up them Jordan Six Rings size six please."

"What if I wanted to try them on and see if I like 'em'?!" I interject aimlessly.

Ice turns his eyes to me.

"Well.. Do you?"

I had already tried them on when Harmony and I went shopping last week so I already knew they fit. There wasn't really a question as to whether I wanted them or not.

"No, but I'm just say-"

"Box 'em up bro" Ice says cutting me off.

"I'm getting sick of you just cutting me off Izzy!"