ASHLEY

13

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!
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After pulling my hair up in a bun I slip on the fan sweater Isaiah gave me and dark jeans that I roll up a little. A couple weeks ago Isaiah had this red sweater made for me. On the front it has a cartoon painting of him kneeling down in his uniform, ball in hand, and on the back it has his number 15. He says his mom and sisters are going to have one on as well. To say I'm nervous about meeting his family is an understatement but it's too late to back out now. They have been begging to meet me for weeks now.

Tonight Isaiah has a home game and I promised him I would go to it since its not out of the way. Angela and the girls are coming with me to support. I patched things up with Kayla so we're back on track. We couldn't really stay mad at each other forever. Its just not possible.

I plunder through my closet looking for some shoes. I was going to just wear a pair of sandals but I decided against it. My low-top white Converse will look better. When I find them I take them out the box and slip on my footies and then my shoes. I slip a gold watch around my tiny wrist.

"Bria let me borrow your silver thongs." Rolling my eyes I reach in my closet and pull out the sandals. Angela thanks me and rush off to the living room. After looking under all the scattered clothes I find my purse and take my phone off the charger.

We wait around in the living room on our phones until the girls pull up. Lira's dad decided to let her borrow the truck so we all can fit without having to squeeze in. I spray myself down with some perfume before turning all the lights out and locking the door.

"Mmm I see you supporting your man. Yes girl," Lira says when she sets eyes on my sweater.

"Yep. They better win tonight too. Oh you don't have to worry about me and Angela after the game. Isaiah wanna go grab something to eat."

"What he gone eat? You?" Kayla wiggle her eyebrows suggestively.

I nudge her playfully before saying, "maybe if Angela didn't have to come." I'm clearly joking. Isaiah and I have not had sex and we certainly haven't been giving the other head. I do have respect for myself to not let a dude smash this early. Isaiah is perfectly okay with this.

"Bitch he fine. I need to find me a man so I can take him home and-" Lira begins but stop when I give her a funny look.

"Why do we even hang out with this crazy Asian chick?" Erica ask jokingly, purposefully getting her race wrong.

"I'm not Asian I'm Filipino. Y'all so racist," Lira feigns hurt. Flipping her long black hair behind her shoulder, she turns the music up on the radio and starts dancing in her seat. We all quickly put our seatbelts on. Lira tends to be a little reckless sometimes when she drives. She thinks it's funny while the rest of us are clinging to our seat.

We make it to the game early so we don't have to worry about seats. I spot Isaiah surrounded by some teammates. I sneak up behind him and wrap my arms around his tall frame. He jumps a little but tries to play it off with a dashing smile. "Hey babe." I give him a quick peck, not wanting to give the players around us a show. I ignore the lust filled looks some of them give me, clearly having no respect for their homeboys relastionship.

Looking over Isaiah I smile. He looks so sexy in his uniform. Red and black looks good on him.

"Hey beautiful." He turns to his teammates, "guys this my girl Bria. Bria this is Chase, Rodney, Mike, Michael, Devonte, and Luca." he says as he points to them.

I offer a small smile. I then introduce them to my friends.

"Y'all just got here?" Isaiah ask.

I nod. "Yeah. Is your mom here?"

"Yeah. She always here early. Come on I'll introduce y'all. You nervous?"

"Just a little."

"Don't be. My family mad cool. They might try to steal you from me."

I let out a nervous giggle as we break away from the others and walk towards the bleachers to meet his family. We stop when he spots his mom. All his sisters and his mom are dressed in a similar sweater. People complement Isaiah on his "fan club." I don't mind them calling us that. I am suppose to be his biggest fan aside from his family of course.

His mom is about the same height as me. She's a little on the chunky side. The deep brown highlights in her curls fit her light skin perfectly. His sisters are just as light as well. My eyes widen slightly when I realize two of them are identical twins, the youngest ones he points out. They smile up at me when Isaiah introduce me, their missing teeth grabbing my attention. They are so adorable with their colorful beads and chubby cheeks.

"Hi Mrs. Cooper."

"Oh no girl dont call me that. You making me feel old. Call me Mama or Jessica." She stands up to give me a warm hug which I gladly return.

"I told you she was pretty," one of the twins, Kira or Kandice, attempt to whisper. I laugh at their comment and go to hug them.

His older sister, Veronica, stands up to give me a hug too. Judy and Ivy are a year and two behind Isaiah. They seem a little shy so I do my best to make them feel comfortable by asking them questions about how their brother plays. I laugh at their playful reponses.

"Stop talking 'bout me." He barks at his sisters.

I slap him in the chest. "Don't talk to them like that."

"So you on they side now?"

"Yep," his sisters say in unison.

"Whatever. I'll see y'all after the game I have to go warm up." He pecks me on the cheek before turning and running towards the field. I take a seat next to Jessica. We spark up a conversation about what I plan on doing after high school and I tell her how I haven't really decided yet. I only know that I want to go to college.

Veronica fills me in on a couple of stories about being in college. She went on a scholarship running track. She shows me some videos and I must say she is really good. Really fast too.

When more people start piling in the girls and Angela come running up the bleachers to get a seat next to me. I introduce them to Isaiah's sisters and they give them the same loving treatment they have me. I guess I had no reason to be nervous after all.