The One You Love

Playing Hard To Get (maybe)

I live in a crappy neighborhood, there's gangs everywhere, and no one takes any shit from anyone.

I had met Tay back in High School. It was our Junior year but the day I saw him in the library with his boys, he had never stopped trying to get with me.

"Aye yo ma!" He yelled.

I rolled my eyes and found a table not to far from where he was sitting. I had opened my math textbook and started doing the homework problems I was assigned when I heard footsteps come towards me. I loved sitting at a table near a window to get all the melanin sunlight but when the figure came over to me, and covered the sun on my textbook. I glared up at him, he was so tall, and kinda cute.

"Can I help you?" I snapped

I knew the boys here weren't anyone I needed to be messing with, but it was fun to watch them try.

"Baby girl, I just wanted to ask for your number. You are to beautiful to slip away from me." He thought he was smooth.

"No."

"Watchu mean. I came over here respectfully and you wanna play games? I know you like me" He said

"I dont even know your ass and you wanna stroll over here with tims on in 89 degree weather and try and holla at me? I am not a toy, nor am I a prize you win for making a bet with your boys, so you can get gone." I snapped.

Instead of calling me out of my name, or being disrespectful, he just stood, smiled at me and walked back to his table.

I could feel him staring at me from where he was sitting, until they left the library.

A week later I walked into the cafeteria. I got to the table I sit at everyday with my girls. Roni was sitting at the table with a bouquet of cheap looking roses. She was grinning from ear to ear and looking at me. Why?

"Someone bought you these Tonya."

Who the fuck bought me roses?

"Who are these from. Stop playin with me Roni"

"I think there's a card. They were here when I got to the table and I saw your name on them."

I looked through the roses avoiding the thorns to find a pink  card on a stick. The card read "Tonya. Stop playing. I clearly like your ass and I figured you like that cute shit like in movies so I got you flowers. Can I have your number?" and below this were two boxes to check 'yes' or 'no'.

"Who is it?" Roni asked as Jay and Trina came and sat down.

"No  one i am interested in." I replied

"AWWWW shit Who bought you flowers?" Jay yelled

"Youre one lucky bitch." Trina rolled her eyes "Daddy I want flowers too." She whined to Jay

"Both of you shut that shit up." I rolled my eyes.

I glanced back at the flowers, let out a little smile for a split second then looked around to see if he was in the cafeteria. I saw his boys, but he wasn't there. I opened the card and wrote "HELL NO, I don't like cheap roses or corny gestures",  folded the card back up and looked for him again. He was standing at the vending machine. I got up, walked over to him and put it in his hand.

I grabbed my things, said bye to my girls and headed to the library.

I sat down and pulled out my Chick fil A i had gotten before I walked in the caf. Who the fuck buys someone roses?

I put my headphones in and listened to music while I ate and watched people from the window.

Two weeks later.

I walked out the library and toward the bus stop. I was over everyone and everything and I was ready to take my ass home.

I had my headphones in when a car stopped right in front of me. I looked up as the person in the driver's seat honked the horn once.

"Need a ride?" The boy who gave me the roses two weeks prior asked.

"NO! Goddamn. How many times do you have to hear no before you get the hint?"

"I just didnt want you to stand out in the..."

I felt something fall onto my face. It was rain.

"Listen its gonna pour in a second and you can either take this dry ride to your place or get wet and ruin your pretty little dress."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll ruin my dress."

"Girl, are serious right now?"

"Yup" I said turning my music up.

He put the car in park, huffed and got out the car.

I paused my music.

"Listen you give me no other choice..." He said

The rain picked up and I just stared at him tryna figure out what he was talking about.

Before I could say anything, he picked me up, slung me over his shoulder, grabbed my backpack and put me in the car. I screamed, but he ignored me and shut the door behind me. His car was warm, and so were the seats. Hmm, seat warmers.

He got in the drivers seat and shut the door. He looked over at me and smiled crookedly. It was kinda cute.

I rolled my eyes again and looked forward.

"I can report you for kidnapping."

"Not if it was for your own safety and warmth."

"Whatever"

He stared at me and I snarled at him.

"Are you gonna tell me where you live or you just wanna sit here and stare at nothing?" He said.

"I am not telling you where I live so you can stalk my ass and leave more cheap flowers on my door step."

"Wow. You really didn't like the flowers."

"Nope. I didn't." I sucked my teeth.

"Why are you so bitter. Cant a brother just be nice?"
"Im not bitter maybe youre just to eager to holla." I snapped back

He laughed

"Whats your name so I can at least leave a note for the police after you kill my ass." I spoke.

He laughed again "Tayjaun Johnson. But everyone just calls me Tay. Nice to meet you."

"Not really" I snapped again.

He looked at me and our eyes met for a split second. I snatched my glance back to the window and rested my chin in my hand. I sat in silence.

"Well since you wont tell me where you live..." He put the car in drive and didn't say anything else.

~~~
Picture: Tay