Trust

Chapter Two

Shakyra Smalls

I walked through campus by myself, trying to get a feel for the place. I took in the city and all of its movements and felt a world away although home was a quick train ride away. It was amazing what one borough offered that the others didn't, and Manhattan was truly a metropolis that every other city tried to be.

Thoughts of the orientation we'd just all sat through crossed my mind and I was left trying not to be too anxious about what I was going to get when I started classes. I was taking on a business major and I hoped I did well. My anxiety was accounting because I wasn't the greatest with numbers, but I felt like Ketara or Lichelle could help me.

I had made it to the quad area of one of the buildings, letting me know I was close to being back at the apartment. I was thinking about what I would eat when I bumped into someone. I felt the wind knocked out of me and looked up to see what exactly I'd bumped into. I shook my head with a smirk when DeMarcus and I made eye contact. He chuckled lightly, asking if I were okay.

"Funny I should bump into you." He said, "You good?"

"I'm good. I was about to grab something to eat when you appeared out of nowhere."

He chuckled again and we fell into a comfortable silence.

The road to forgiveness hadn't been easy but I was walking down it daily. One of the rewards of it had been becoming friendly with DeMarcus. Getting to know him outside of the realm of romance was so much better and I wasn't upset at it. I had a moment or two where I wished we'd become better friends first; perhaps if things had turned romantic it might've been real. I didn't stew there too long, however. DeMarcus had finally started growing up himself so I think even in a different circumstance he would have hurt me. He might not had done it as horribly as the other time but all the same, DeMarcus Cousins wasn't my endgame. He was just a lesson.

"So, what's up? You chilling?" I questioned,

"Yeah. I'm a little anxious if I'm honest. I thought I would've gone to Kentucky with this basketball shit but deciding to take a whole other road...my comfort zone is being tested."

I nodded. I was surprised when I found out that he'd be coming to NYU instead of going away. NYU wasn't a sports college, and the NBA wasn't one of the rewards that might make a person stay. I was shocked but I was happy to see that he didn't want to fall under the regular stereotype of becoming a baller because it was...easy.

"I get it. I'm not too keen on what's coming but it's coming."

"We'll be alright. We made it out of Boys and Girls." He said, laughing, "It can't be much worse than that."

"True. So, what else is new?"

"Kimbella hit my line the other night. I was confused because she told me she wasn't a meanwhile type of bitch. Meanwhile..."

"Block her. That's what I do." I shrugged, laughing, "If it's not worth the stress, don't worry about it."

I remembered DeMarcus and Kimberly dating or whatever they had going on. I never liked her because of how she did Lichelle dirty in trying to get with John years ago. It was obvious that she felt like she was in competition with her. I wondered if her reaching out to DeMarcus was her knee jerk reaction to hearing about John proposing. It wouldn't shock me if I'm honest. Kimberly ended up switching schools down the line, but she was still around the neighborhood. I always found it flaky that she started talking to DeMarcus when my memory served, Lichelle had liked him first.