Try Me

Chapter fourteen

AKIA

"Soooo, you're basically saying you're not coming over to see me anymore?" Tyra asked me with annoyance evident in her voice. I have to somehow distance myself from Khalan, and if I continue to go over to their house, it's more than likely that I'll run into him. As much as I liked him—as a friend—I can no longer continue to mess around behind Tyra's back. I have nothing to do with their sibling rivalry.

It's sad because Khalan is a good man. Despite his bad habits, it's fun and calming to be around him. A kind of calm I can't seem to get with while I'm alone with Tyra.

"I'm not saying that at all, Tyra. I'll explain it more during our date, okay?" I didn't want to make her more upset than she already was. "Yeah, whatever, Akia. I'll see you later." She hung up the phone before I could even reply.

Tyra is a very beautiful girl. That's why I was so confused when she first talked to me after my basketball game. She chose me out of all of the other players. At first, I thought she was just going to play with my feelings and then leave. Some of the other players and her friends got in my ear, saying Tyra was crazy...and a hoe. I didn't believe it—I still don't believe it.

She hasn't done me wrong. She's been faithful to me, and that's why I have to distance myself from Khalan. It's not like he likes me anyway; he just tolerates me. Which I appreciate because I'm able to get things off my chest when I'm with him.

"Hi, Akia!" I heard somebody yell from behind me, and then an arm swung around my shoulders. I immediately smiled, knowing it was my school friend—a friend I never talk to outside of school. We don't know much about each other, but we're still close. It doesn't make much sense. We've been in the same classes since freshman year, but this year we sat next to each other, and since then, we just started to talk.

"Why are you being so loud today?"

"We're about to go on Christmas break; life is great, so I'm happy, and this is the way I'm showing it!" She smiled some more.

Aria is a very pretty girl. And she's very tall too; well, she's my height. She doesn't smoke, drink, or party, which is something we have in common.

"I'm not happy for a break. I'll be home doing nothing." I mumbled, showing how jealous I am of everyone who claims they are going on vacation for this three-week break. My whole break is going to consist of me staying at home with my parents. We probably won't even do much as a family, so it's going to be boring. Now, Tyra hates coming to my house, and I can't bring myself to go over to their house, so I don't know what I'm going to do.

"That's the point! I'm not going to be doing anything either; my brother is probably going to be out drinking with his friends every day; my mama is going to be working; I'll just be home enjoying some alone time, unless you want to give me your phone number so we can hang out." A smile creeped up onto her face.

Oh? I thought we were never going to. But I don't mind, though; it's not like we can only get along during school. "Oh, sure. If you want to."

"If I didn't want to, why would I ask?" She raised a playful eyebrow. I shrugged my shoulders and handed her my phone so she could put her number in, then she texted herself so she could receive mine. I looked at what she placed her name under, and it said, Aria😜.

"You have to give me emojis too, then."

"Everyone I like has emojis in my phone. Like my brother, Khalan, my mom, my dad—that's really it, but you cool, so I'll add you to it." She joked.

But all I heard was Khalan.

"Khalan?" I raised an eyebrow.

She looked up from her phone and nodded. "He's my brother's friend. He's like a brother to me, though. He does a lot for me."