Playing With Fire

t h i r t y - n i n e

•🌺 39 🌺•

"What you doing?" Maggie asked. She plopped down on the couch next to Arnell.

Arnell sighed. "Workin' on this English credit." She was almost done, but she could've finished a lot sooner if she didn't procrastinate.

"Lucky." Maggie said. Arnell laughed.

"Nell, I lowkey just blew up yo bathroom." Jay said while coming from the back.

She scrunched up her face. "Did you at least spray?"

"You got spray?" He asked. Arnell rolled her eyes.

"Baby, you are so nasty." Maggie told him. "You don't go over to someone house and stank it up."

"She'll be aight." He shrugged. "We about to go to the movies, you wanna go?"

"Nah, I gotta finish this online work." She replied.

"You can literally do that whenever." Maggie said.

Even if that was true, Arnell was trying to hurry up and graduate. "I'm not trynna be a third wheel, either." She added.

"Well, when can I come over again?" Maggie asked while putting her shoes on.

"Anytime, really."

"So, tomorrow?"

"Nah, I have to work all day."

"...Nigga, you just said..."

"You can come over the day after tomorrow, I'm off." Arnell chuckled.

"Kay, we about to bounce. I Love you." Maggie said while  hugging Arnell. She walked over to the door and opened it.

"Love you, be safe." Jay added before walking out after Maggie.

"Love you guys! Bye." She closed the door behind her friends.

Arnell went back to her laptop. She was determined to finish her work that night. She stayed up until two in the morning just to get it done. She was so tired, but felt accomplished. She took a quick shower before getting in bed.

Arnell tossed and turned. She couldn't seem to get comfortable. When she managed to fall asleep, she didn't stay sleep for too long. She sighed as her phone vibrated her nightstand. Without looking, she answered it. "Hmm?"

"Arnell?"

Fuck... She thought.

It was August. Arnell soon regretted not looking at the caller ID.

"I've been trynna get at you for weeks." He told her.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanna know how have you been?" He said. "You can't just run off like that when you got people who care about you."

"Why?" She laughed. "You did." The line went silent for a while.

"Nell, I didn't call you to argue."

"Then get to the point." She said.