Just like Ziyah and I promised we did see eachother in French. Each period before Wednesday I couldn't stop stealing glances at him across the room, and when Madame called on him to answer a question I felt like she by extension was calling on me. I found him looking at me too, when I was doing notes or exchanging vocab with Harper. I loved those moments when we would both look up and find eachother and focus on one another amongst everyone elses chaos. Before Wednesday's class we just offered one another nervous looks and smiles and one syllable phrases almost forgetting that we were locking lips days before. This changed on Wednesday when I was leaving French beside Harper who was rambling about BoyGenius's new genius-verified video that she had watched 10 times already. I saw Ziyah ahead of me slipping books into his locker and the noise of the loud passing period seemed to mute. Other students rushed past me to their classes or to vape in the bathrooms but I just watched Ziyah exchange his french book for his US history one with awe. The second Harper waved goodbye and headed in the direction of one of her many AP classes I walked over to Ziyah fiddling with the ends of my braids.
I didn't know if I should tap him or say his name, but my problem was solved when he grabbed a mechanical pencil from the corner of his locker and turned around smashing into me. If I was Sadie he would've knocked my slim limbs right over, but I had a bit of extra coushin in my pushin and was still standing now inches away from Ziyah and his lips.
"Shit sorry I didn't know you were right behind me."
"Sorry for me being right behind you."
He smiled and for the first time he pulled my flustered move and stopped looking at me and looked down at his shoes before returning our eye contact.
"Hi," I said looking up at his eyes. There wasn't a huge height difference with my boots between us but it was sttill enjoyable to look right into his eyes that were pouring into me.
"Hi," he repeated.
"Umm we kissed," I said regretting my instant word vomit. I had so much I wanted to say to him, but every sentence and compliment got jumbled together.
Ziyah nodded. "We did, indeed."
"I liked it." Enough with the three word statements, I thought to myself. I thought about all of my thoughts I had about him from the ones that came when he followed me on Instagram to the snippets of thoughts that came after we made out. I looked down at my doc marteens and then right back up at him. "I think... since we kissed I should have your number, just in case anything happens to you you know I have your number and can call you if anything happens to you."
"So let me get this straight, if something happens to me, you'll call me?" he asked, his voice calm, chill, and a bit teasing.
I nodded. "Yeah if anything happens to you I'll just know and have your number and call you."
Ziyah took his phone out of his pocket and the rings that wrapped around his fingers caught my attention. They were four silver rings and if I squinted my eyes I could see little engravements and details on the metal. I took my eyes off of them and looked at his phone which was open to his key pad. Quickly I typed my number in, just like whenever I talked to him, my nerves took over and I ended up typing the wrong number. But eventually there it was in his phone.
Seconds later my phone buzzed and there on my Solange homescreen was a text messege from an unknown number. Can I kiss you again? I pocketed my phone and looked back up at Ziyah knowing damn well my smile was taking over my whole face.
I nodded, and he leaned in and met my lips with a soft peck that satisfied every nerve and fluster in my body.
"That was nice," I whispered.
