#3 Lost in You (fan fic - in progress)

Chapter Eighteen

Six months earlier....

Lo sat next to Kev with his laptop open, supposedly studying. He had a knack for remembering things. Odd bits and pieces of trivia that no one else would ever remember. His dad jokingly called him a savant when he was little. Then they found out about his illness and it was no longer so funny.

Most of the time he pretended to study to fit in with his friends. And just took the easier classes that all the other football players took. He was bored to death.  So whenever a challenge presented itself, it tended to wake him up. Whether good or bad.

Kev was arguing on the phone with his annoying little sister again. For the most part, Lo considered Tika another annoying little sister too, though he was quite aware she had a crush on him. It was hard not to notice. But lately he had found this very useful since she was all but joined at the hip with Jay.

Janae Patterson was her name. His girl.  He got all nervous every time she came around. His palms got sweaty. His mind went blank and he could never think of anything interesting to say. He masked it by pulling into himself and getting quiet. He was very good at this too. Most people took it as he didn't like them. But really it was just his way of not making a complete fool of himself. And nothing between them had been easy. In fact, much to Lo's disappointment, it had been the exact opposite of easy.

In the meantime he had been dating Ashley. It had been a nice distraction. She was cool. And despite what people expected of him (namely his friends) he had always felt more comfortable being in a relationship with one girl.

With Janae, however, it was more than just wanting the comfort of a relationship. She was more than just cool.  He was attracted to her energy. It was like magnetic pull. And he didn't want to resist. Though he wasn't sure at all how she felt about him. The mystery made him want to be in her sphere even more. Any way possible.

"You cuffed already?" Hakim chuckled. "She locked you in real quick bro. I don't see how you don't get tired of one chick hanging around all the time."

"Maybe because I actually like women." Lo narrowed his eyes at Hakim. " I always knew you was sus."

"Whatever." Hakim twisted up his mouth and looked back down at his home work. Lo was pretty sure Hakim was still working out the joke in his head. He had tutored the poor kid before. Lo was good, but Hakim needed professional help.

"See. I knew she was your type." Kev smirked nudging him with his elbow. Then he said into the phone. "No. Tika! You ain't havin a birthday party at our apartment. I don't even know that girl..."

Lo's ears perked up. Ashley told Jay happy birthday just earlier this morning. Bet. This was his in. "Birthday party? Whose birthday is it?"

Kev shrugged at Lo. "One of Tikas little friends."

"Oh. Which one?" Lo asked trying to act casual.

"Jay." Kev looked nonplussed.

"Aww yea. The shawty you kept dogging out at that summer kick back in the village a few weeks back. The girl with the Afro."

"I didn't dog her out. Fro-yo is funny." Kev chuckled.

Lo grunted and shrugged. "Aight."

"Fine. Look. You can have the party but don't invite a whole lot of people because I'm inviting some of my people too." Kev barked into the phone.

Lo smirked slightly as Kev walked away to yell at Tika some more. He knew that comment was going to get under his best friends skin. Kev hated not being the nice guy. Hakim was the dumb one. And Lo was supposed to be the ass.
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The day of the party didn't start out well.