When the Summer Comes

::Chapter 1

I'm coming home again...

Do you think about me now and then?...

   | Cherie |

"Yo can you believe the semester is over? We're freaking juniors." 

I looked over my things just to make sure that I had everything. It all seemed to be packed and ready to go. 

"Yo, I'm going to miss you and your New York slang beloved," my roommate Lola responded while putting some clothes in her suitcase. 

She was honestly the best roommate that I could ever have. She always kept everything clean because she had a slight case of OCD, was the best wing woman at parties, funny as f***, cool to talk to, and was extremely considerate. 

Lola reminded me of my friends back at home. I'm not sure if it was because she was Dominican. It could've been that she was weird like me. I mean everyone in our program was kind of weird since we were all artistic and creative. But our weird wasn't too weird, if you get what I'm saying. The only difference was that she was from the Bay Area and had the accent to match.  

"Aww I'm gonna miss you too. You have to come visit New York!" 

My crew would honestly love her.

"That's only if you come to Cali Cherie! I mean we have so many cool places there. I could find you a boo thang, if you ain't tryna see Slade of course."

Slade was this basketball player in my school that I kind of had a thing with. Lola liked him. She just wasn't sure if he was for me. For one he's a starter, a Kappa, and all the girls seemed to flock at him. To be honest I've dealt with his type and when ever I ask myself why. Especially since I've been through a lot. But there's just something about him. 

"I don't know. Maybe I'll visit him in Cali too. But yo New York really has everything and you could even bring your boyfriend. Trust, I would make sure we would have something to do everyday," I promised.

We would always little playful arguments on which state was better. Personally I think NY was the more poppin' state. Not even trying to be bias. 

"Omg speaking of him. I need to call his ass. i'm trying to get d***ed down as soon as I land," she retorted and giggled as I gave her a grossed out facial expression.

Boy did this girl love her man. Lola talked about him nonstop and from the pictures she showed I could see why. They were high school sweethearts and she was convinced that he was her soulmate. 

"Well let me leave before I throw up," I joked and she pushed me a bit. "Did you say bye to Solana and Yeka," she questioned with a bit a frown. They were two friends of ours that we were planning to share a suite with next semester. 

I nodded and pulled her in for a hug. We did our stupid handshake that we made up and laughed. "You better text and call me everyday. Es mejor que no juegue ! Te voy a matar," she yelled with the thickest Spanish accent. Luckily I understood a bit of Spanish.

                                                                                          ****

"Baby you summer time fine I let you get on top, I be the underline I'm," I recited J. Cole's In the Morning with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on my lap over my phone. 

This had always been my jam. Especially because I thought Drake sounded so grown and sexy on it. 

Lucikly the drive from Boston to New York wasn't too bad. It felt peculiar being back in town. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it. Even though I'd been away at school for about seven months, nothing had changed; though I had. 

But being back here made me feel as if my old self was slowly creeping back into my skin. Shaking it off would be my best bet. The vibration of my phone startled me and immediately knocked me out of my thoughts. Thinking too much made me over think and over analyze everything so I was glad that it had. 

I didn't even have to go to the text since the words came across the top of my screen, "everybody is finally back! Turn up time." And so it begins. The loudest honk made me aware of my surroundings again. "Watch where the f-ck you're going," someone called out. Yup I was back home again. "Shut the f-ck up," I yelled while flipping them off and laughing to myself. Home Sweet Home.

I don't know why I was smiling so hard. I mean I knew, but it wasn't like I hadn't seen her recently. Like always she took forever to answer the door and suddenly I didn't even miss her like that anymore. Once she did I was greeted by her with the same smile that I had on. 

"Ewww why are you here." She always played around too much. I wouldn't have been surprised if she was behind the door snickering and grinning like a child, all while that I was waiting. 

"Shut up and let me in Aviva." She opened the door and I walked over to the couch with my bag in hand. I flopped on the couch and sighed. It was so hot and humid out.

 Funny how when it was winter I'd pray that it would be spring and when it was spring I'd pray that it to be summer.  Honestly I was begging that God would give us an early fall. Cause I might f-ck around and catch a heat stroke in this mess. God be acting like I don't have asthma. 

 "So what's new," Aviva asked while sitting down next to me. She was definitely one my closest friends. It's weird because we didn't even like each other in our first two years of high school. Let me rephrase that, I just didn't really care for the girl. She had a strong personality and was never afraid to give her opinion on something. I loved it, but disliked it at the same time. Crazy how she grew on me. 

"I was talking to you last night," I slightly turned my head to give her a dumb look, "ain't s*** change."

"Well I got some news for you. You know O's back in town?" 

 This summer I planned on not even really seeing him, let alone speaking to him. It's not because we left off on a bad note or that I'm bitter. I just know that if I hang around him I'll probably end up liking him too much again. 

O has that kind of charm that'll make any girl swoon. What guy wouldn't take that and run with it? Placing my bag on the coffee table, I put my legs up on it and uttered, "That's nice Why are you telling me this?." 

Aviva knew me all too well though. "Please you were practically in love with the n****." She shooed my feet off of the table as she got up to go in the kitchen, "I swear you haven't changed Cherie." It was funny how I had, but people here just didn't see it yet. 

"Are you going tonight" I raised my voice so she could hear me clearly. Then I felt stupid when she was already back in the room with drinks in her hand. 

"Hell yeah! You know I gotta get ratchet! I'm not trying to be locked up all summer." Typical. Whatever I wasn't necessarily interested in, she was. "And you better not come up with some lame excuse as to why you can't go Cherie." 

I wasn't running away from O. I wasn't running away from anyone or anything. Interest just wasn't there. "Excuses. When the hell have I made excuses? I don't have one anyway. I'm just not going."  

Cherie - Left 

Aviva - Top Right

Lola - Bottom Right

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