"I will call you when I'm done," I said as I stepped out of my car. I looked left, then right into the busy street to find an opening to cross.
"I'm serious, Indica, if you don't call me in two hours I'm coming to look for you."
"She's not a serial killer, Nas, I can handle this."
"You just been spending a lot of time with her lately. We don't know what her intentions are."
"Well, thank you for looking out for me but she is technically still my step-sister. If I don't call you in two hours I give you permission to look for me. But I gotta go, I see her."
I heard Nas sigh through the phone, "I'm starting my timer right now."
"Bye, dork," I smiled to myself, "See you later."
He was right, though. It's only been a week since Charlie decided to put space between us, but I've seen Fallon almost every day following that. I had to sit with myself and my feelings to gauge whether I was using Fallon as a replacement, or if I actually saw a potential friendship in her. Right now, I was split down the middle.
On the surface, we didn't have much in common. Our schooling was different, our interests were different, our taste in men was vastly different, but we still created time to hang out with one another and talk about everything under the sun, no matter how insignificant. Our banter felt very...sisterly. I enjoyed her company and I believe she enjoyed mine.
I felt like Nas was being overprotective of me, and rightfully so. He was the type that only gave one chance, and he viewed Fallon taking the stand against me in the first place as her first and only strike.
I adjusted the strap on my tote bag that fell down as I ran across the street and approached Fallon. She and her son were sitting on a park bench sharing a blue popscicle that was dripping down his white t-shirt.
"How you don't know how to eat a popsicle, Jalen," she asked him as she aggressivly wiped the front of his shirt with a napkin, "Now you look like who did it and why."
"Do I look like who did it and why, TT?" he asked me as I snickered silently. Fallon's head snapped around toward me and I released my laugh, bending over to throw my arm around her shoulder in a hug.
"Yeah, TT, tell him how crazy he looks like this," Fallon said toward me, shaking her head in disappointment.
"I think you look as cute as ever, Jalen."
"You two are gonna get enough of double-teaming me!"
When Fallon turned to her purse to grab more napkins, I slyly fist bumped her son, making him burst into a fit of laughter.
"We ready to start walking?" I asked them.
One of the things we did have in common was an appreciation for the outside, so many of our hangouts were held in the park, walking around the oval shaped trail over and over again as we talked.
They stood, and Jalen immediately grabbed my hand, holding his dripping popsicle in the other.
"How you been adjusting to life in the spotlight?" Fallon asked me. She was referring to how I redownloaded Instagram and posted my first selfie, gaining 27,000 likes and 629 comments, mostly from Nas' fans telling me how 'beautiful' they thought I was. It was a great ego boost, I can't lie.
"It's kinda exciting, I'm not gonna lie. Ya girl might need a social media manager if I keep it up," I teased.
"Well, if you hiring, let me know," she half-joked, "My money is disappearing into thin air."
