In the middle of it all

June 6th '56

Today we're three weeks away from the end of Grade 8, which meant we would finally attend N.G.S.H. Aneesa, Asad, Quann were 14 and I was still 13. Ever since Asad and Aneesa's birthday in May, Quannell and Aneesa have gotten super weirdly close. They're constantly talking to each other. Why does it bother me ? It bothers me because Quann has been my closest friend since forever and I don't want to see someone take him from me. I'm not saying he's mine but he's not hers.

"Don't you think Quann and Neesa have been getting awfully close these days ?" I ask Tanisha as Quann, Tyrell, Tanisha and I enter the house. Quann walked away in his room, probably to talk to Neesa on the phone, so I could talk about him without him hearing.

"He talks the same amount with her as he does with you, Asad and whoever is around him." replies Tanisha unbothered. It's like she doesn't see it. How could she not see it ?

An hour later, Quannell comes out of his room and walks to the living room, where Tyrell and I are. "Denzel called." he says as he gets in front of us and blocks the Tv.

"What he say ?" I ask, lowkey ignoring him and signaling to move away.

"He's on his way." He replies.

"And now he's in front of the house, waiting for us. Let's go." informs Tanisha, walking out of her room to the entrance door. Ty and I get up and we all walk out of the house. 

We arrive at the crib and Tanisha, Tyrell, Quann and I direct ourselves inside of the house, where the A/C is. Denzel goes to the other side of the house, where he meets up with Cix, Wave, Rayan and JJ. "Y'all also prefer the A/C, huh ?" asks Jordan, sitting on a couch with a drink in his hand. Izzy and Nate were also sitting on the couch. "Yo, Sha I gotta show you sum' " adds Jordan getting up. 

As they direct themselves to one of the rooms, Blu enters the house. "Can't stand this heat, my balls are sweating !" We all stare at him in surprise. Aneesa and Asad enter the house as well.

"At this point, same." comments Aneesa.

"You don't have balls, you dumbass-" says Asad before getting interrupted by Blu.

"Yo where y'all goin' !" asks Diego as he sees Tanisha behind Jordan whose hand is on a room door handle. "Nah nah back away from that door. I wanted to do sum' with all of you, children. Everyone against the wall, I'll measure you." he declares. And so we did. All 9 of us went against a wall waiting to get measured.

"Who's the oldest here ?" he asks.

"Me." responds Tanisha.

"By two months.." mumbles Jordan.

"Ight. Tanisha... 1,7m (5'7). Short ass. JJ number two....1.79m (5'10ft). Damn. Quann...also 1.79m, dang Jordan you got competition. Who wants to go next ?"

"Me." replies Aneesa. This was too suspicious. Why after Quann but not after your brother ? I quietly inspected as she placed herself next to Quannell.

"Neesa...exactly 1,64m (5'4)..."

"I grew a little bit, right Titi ?"

"Yeah !" I swear, forcing myself to smile.

"Your turn Tamika, then Asad, Baby Iz, Nate and then Ty." announced Diego, while pointing.

"Okay." I replied.

"1,70m. I see you growin'. Asad...1 meter 81 ! Asad, my man ! How old are you again ?"

"14." answers Asad proudly.

"And you're still not done growing. Iz, come here. 1,60m, okay...You're as tall as Lala-" He freezes and slowly his eyes meet those of Isabel. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have." he confesses.

"It's fine..." replies Izzy.

"Nate, you're 1,2m. Tyrell, you're 1,19m." continued Diego.

"I remember when I was your height Ty..." jokes Nate.

"You're basically my height." Argues Tyrell.

"But not exactly your height." adds Nate, smirking. Jordan and Sha disappear in a room, Blu , Asad Tyrell, Nate and Izzy sit on the couches, Quann and Aneesa sit at the kitchen counter and start talking as if there was really something important to discuss. They smile, laugh and are so close to each other that their knees almost touch. I walk out of the house and sit on the entrance stairs. I would rather stay in this heat than see any more of "Quaneesa".

"Why are you sitting alone outside ?" Quannell asks, coming out of the house 15 minutes later. Took him fifthteen minutes to notice I was gone ? I shook my head. "What ?" he adds, sitting down next to me.

"I'm not alone. What do you want ? Does Denzel want to leave ?"

"What's bothering you ?"

"Currently ? You."

"Why are you like this ?"

"Am I not allowed to be alone for more than an hour ? You didn't notice I was gone until now anyway..." I look away as I mumble.

"I did notice. You're on my mind always." He says quietly.

"Exactly.." I turn my head back to him. "Hold up, what ?"

"Nothing." He says avoiding my eyes. 

I stare at him confused for a few seconds before getting up. "I'm going back inside-"I sighed, patting the dust away from my butt before getting my wrist grabbed by Quann.

"Stay and tell me why you're acting like that." He orders. I hate taking commands from him but I knew I had to say something or else he wouldn't let me go.

"We barely spend time any more, man." I confess.

"I'm always with you, what do you mean ?" he replies. I try to pull away my wrists from his emprise but he pulls it back towards him, making me stumble.

"You're always with Aneesa !"

"That's cap, plus why would you care ?"

"I just care, aight ?" I manage to pull out my wrists from his hand and I walk into the house, ignoring him for the rest of our time at the crib.

***

"Tamika !" Quannell sighs, following me in my room as we get back home, two hours later. I stop inside the room, arms crossed waiting for him to enter. "So we not talking no more, huh ?" He asks, closing the door behind him. I roll my eyes and sit on the bed behind me. "Don't roll your eyes at me."

"Make me." I reply slightly ticked off by his attempt to order me.

"You're not jealous of me and Neesa, are you ?" He gets closer, trying to close the gap between my body and his.

Neesa ? Call her Aneesa !

"I'm not." I quickly stand up so I don't give him the opportunity to tower over me with his height. He gets even closer. 

Get away from me! 

My feet and his feet are now touching. I lean backwards to distance myself from his face but fall back on the bed making Quannell fall on me. My eyes shut tightly, and my body freezes. I can feel him breathing on top of me. 

"You have pretty lips." He says. I slowly open one eye but feeling his lips press gently on mine, it closes back itself. "I don't like Aneesa. I like you." he says. He gets off of me and sits besides me.

"Your lips are warm." I murmur, still closing my eyes.

"Are you hinting that you want to kiss me ?"

I open my eyes and sit back up. "I'm hinting that I want to be your girlfriend." I blurt out.

"Oh..."

My smile slips off my lips. "No ! I mean yes ! You don't want that...?" I ask as the sound of my voice turns thick.

"How do you want to spend our first day in a relationship, girlfriend ?" He grinned. His eyes sparkled with mischief and my body was itching with excitement knowing he was now mine.