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"Location" by Khalid.
Y/n's Pov
"Imma break my foot in your ass one day," I rolled my eyes at the empty threat. "Yea, right, mane," I replied dryly as the man on the other end of the line continued to berate me.
"You think just 'cause you went to that fancy-ass school you the shit, Y/n? Remember you came out of my balls, nigga—I made you!" I shuddered slightly at the thought.
"Why the fuck do you care so much about what I do, hm? You ain't care when I was around," I shot back, only to be met with silence. "Now get off my phone, Davis, before I break my foot up YOUR ass!" Feeling bolder than usual, I hung up the phone.
I stared at it for a moment, half-expecting him to call back, to pick up where we'd left off. But the silence was almost deafening, and I knew he wouldn't.
The rooftop of Hollywood Arts gave me a view I'd never see in Cherry Hill. We didn't have big buildings and fancy lights. It was past 10 PM, but the view seemed more awake, more alive than anything I'd known.
I leaned against the cool metal railing, letting the breeze hit my face as I watched the skyline sparkle like a thousand stars had fallen and decided to settle on the ground. It was beautiful in a way I hadn't expected, almost surreal.
This shit makes a nigga feel like a poet.
"Hey," a soft voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. I glanced to the side, spotting Cat's familiar figure. She settled down next to me, her silhouette outlined against the city lights. Her red hair was loose, a wild contrast against the dark sky, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at me.
I nodded, acknowledging her presence but didn't say anything.
"Why are you out here?" she questioned, her head tilting slightly as she studied me.
I shrugged, turning my gaze back to the horizon where the last traces of sunlight had disappeared. "I wanted to watch the sunset," I admitted, feeling a little silly saying it out loud.
Cat giggled softly, the sound like a tiny bell in the quiet night. "The sun set hours ago," she pointed out, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Yea, but it's nice out." She slowly nodded, her gaze moving from me to the stars that lit up the sky.
"My brother once told me that stars are just the eyes of giant space creatures watching us," she said, giggling again. "He said they stare down at us all the time, judging everything we do. And when a star blinks out, it's because one of them closed their eyes for a second. But they're always watching, even when you think you're alone."
She turned to me, her expression still oddly cheerful despite the unsettling story. "He said that's why you should always be on your best behavior, 'cause you never know when one of them might decide to reach down and... I dunno, grab you or something." She laughed, the sound light and carefree, like she'd just told me something completely normal. "Isn't that kinda crazy?"
"You believe that?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.
Cat shook her head slowly, almost as if she was arguing with herself. "No, it's just... interesting, you know?" The shift in her expression caught my attention, her eyes losing their doe-like innocence, giving way to something deeper.
"What do you think?" I asked, genuinely curious, wanting to understand this side of Cat a little more.
She looked down at her hands, playing with her fingers as if gathering her thoughts. "I think that stars are loved ones who've passed on," she said quietly, her voice softer, more sincere. "They all get their little place in the sky to shine a light, letting their loved ones know they made it home." She glanced up at me, a small, almost shy smile tugging at her lips. "It's like... they're watching over us, but in a good way. Like they're proud of us."
I nodded, feeling something warm spread through my chest. "That's a nice thought," I murmured, leaning back against the ledge.
Cat shrugged, her smile widening just a bit. "Yeah, it is," she agreed. "It makes me feel... safe, I guess. Like no matter what happens, someone up there is looking out for me."
"You seem less like Cat," I said, watching her expression shift again. She nodded slowly, looking a little unsure.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, crossing her legs into a pretzel.
"Don't apologize; I'm just curious," I said, tapping her knee in reassurance.
"It's hard to explain," she started. "Sometimes I'm not happy and want to cry, and other times I'm angry, but I never have a reason to be; it just happens. My Nona says it's from being happy 'blonde' all the time." She made air quotes around the word "blonde."
"Which I don't get because my hair is red," she added, her voice becoming airy and almost whimsical. It was strange to see the shift from serious to ditsy in her demeanor.
I wanted to keep her on track with the conversation, but she seemed more relaxed when she was unaware of the world, so I decided against it.
A breeze swept by, causing her to shiver slightly. I unzipped my jacket, leaving me in my sweater, and passed it to her.
"Won't you get cold?" she asked, looking concerned.
I shook my head. "Nah, I have a sweater; I'm cool."
Her smile widened as she pulled the jacket tight around her. "It's so comfy!" she squealed slightly, burying herself deeper into my jacket. "Thanks," I said, returning her smile.
For a brief minute, the noise of the city at night was the only sound surrounding us—the distant hum of traffic, the faint music drifting from a nearby club, and the occasional laughter of people wandering the streets created a backdrop that felt alive and vibrant.
"It's so pretty," she said, her words sounding lost in the wind. I nodded, but my phone buzzing in my pocket ruined the peaceful atmosphere we'd created.
"Hello?" I asked, not looking at the caller ID. "What's the word, bird?" I smacked my lips, already knowing who was on the phone.
"Fuck you want Dwayne?" I questioned Cat giggled at the annoyance that laced my voice
A groan came from the other side. "I told you 'bout that shit! It's D-money, nigga; you gon' get me caught up."
"Nigga, your name is D-wayne. Fuck I look like calling you D-money when you ask ME for money?" I heard him smack his lips in annoyance.
"You too loud, nigga; what if my shorty heard?"
"Don't she pay for everything already?" I was met with silence. "Oh, okay."
"Anyways, Big D said his phone died, but he gon' break his foot up your ass or whatever that means." I rolled my eyes.
"Tell that man to worry about them Aids he gon' catch from fucking on them Conner boys." I hung up the phone, not giving him the chance to say anything back.
"Family?" Cat questioned, making me nod. "Yeah, can't live with 'em, but can't kill 'em either," I said, rubbing my chin.
She giggled again, this one harder than the last. "It's getting late; maybe we should call it a night." She seemed hesitant, like she wanted to stay but agreed nonetheless.
Once we got to her dorm, we stood awkwardly in front of it.
"Here's your jacket back," she said as she began taking it off.
"Nah, it's cool; I got thousands of them anyway." She paused, slipping back into the jacket.
"Goodnight, Y/n," she said, opening her door. Before I could say anything, I was interrupted by a "Bye, loser!" as Jade popped her head out, pulling Cat inside, causing me to groan slightly
