Loved By You

Three

Maja

I walked into class the next day and took my seat. I was scrolling on my phone when professor Day walked in. "So before we start class an extra credit opportunity." We all kind of perked up at the sound of extra credit. "Maja? Angelo?" Professor Day said. I looked at her curiously. "Yes," I said. "I have a.... social experiment that I want both of you to do." She said with a smile. "Go on," Angelo said. "You two would be a couple for the next four or five months. Then at the end of the experiment, you two will tell us what you learned." She finished with a clap.

"Why?" I asked confused. "Your interaction with one another last class gave me the idea. You two are very opinionated and strong-minded and I think it would be interesting see if either of you could sway each other's opinion." She said. "It sounds... interesting." Angelo said making me roll my eyes. "What is the extra credit perks?" I asked. "Open notes on the midterm. 50 points added to assignments throughout the semester." Professor Day said. "Damn that's good. Girl, you better take the offer." Nikita said.

"What about the final?" I asked. Professor Day looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What were you thinking?" She asked. "Can the final be an option?" I asked. "School policy says there has to be a final." I nodded my head. "Open notes and a review. Maybe you could throw in a curve." I said with a shrug.

"I'll tell you what I'll give you the notes and review and I'll think about the curve if you think about the social experiment. Deal?" She asked. "I guess that's fair," I said. "But you both have to agree." She said nodding at both of us before she began her lecture.

--

After class let out I was heading back to my apartment with Haseem. "So what are you thinking?" He asked. "I don't know." I shrugged causing him to smack his lips. "What?" I asked. "Stop acting like you're not going to do it. Open notes on the midterm and final and 50 points towards assignments and you're telling me you don't If you're going to do it. You know if you turn it down the whole class is going to be on your ass." Haseem said. I looked at him annoyed. "You know I'm right." He said slinging his arm around my neck as we walked into my building.

Angelo

I was sitting in my room doing homework thinking about what to do about my ethics class. "So, are you going to do it?" I looked up to see J.J. standing at my door. "I mean I'm all for it but just because I am that doesn't mean she will be," I said with a shrug. "Maybe you should ask her. She's downstairs." My head snapped to him. "What?" I asked just as he started walking away. I got up and walked down the stairs to see Maja and her sister sitting on the couch talking with the guys.

Maja glanced at me taking in some of my tattoos before her eyes met mine and she quickly looked away. I smiled. "You couldn't have put a shirt on. Don't nobody want to see your bird chest." Omar said making the girls laugh. "Fuck you," I said shaking my head.

"So what's up?" I asked looking at Maja. "They want us to talk about Professor Day's assignment," Maja said gesturing towards Haseem and Nadia. I chuckled. "What's so funny?" Maja asked. "I mean what's the point in discussing it. It's not you're going to do it." I shrug. Everyone looked from me to Maja who was staring at me with a harsh glare, but it didn't faze me. "Excuse me." She said. I opened my mouth to speak but she continued. "You don't know me and the fact that you're acting like you do shows that you're a bigger dick than I thought." She said. I smiled. "But I do know you. I know if you really don't want to do something you won't. And this no matter how many perks professor Day offers you're not going to do it, so why entertain it?" I spoke as I leaned against the wall looking at her.

She stood rolling her eyes before she walked off making sure to slam the door shut. "Nigga, what the hell was that?" J.J. asked. "Shhh. I know what I'm doing." I said making them look at me confused before I walked back towards the stairs.

--

Two days later

I walked into class and took my usual seat. "Yo Nadia, have you talked to your sister? Is she going to do it?" Nikita asked. "Nope." She said with a shrug. "But that doesn't matter anyway because Angelo pissed her off," Nadia said as she turned and looked at me. I shook my head.

Professor Day walked in with a bright smile before she looked at us. "Where's Maja?" She asked. "We don't know," Rocky said. Before he could say anything else the door opened and in walked Maja. She looked at everyone to see them staring her down. She quietly made her way to her seat. She looked at the professor waiting for her to continue. "Well seeing eager the class is Maja, Angelo?" She called. I looked down at Maja waiting for her to go first but I knew she wasn't. "I'll do it," I said.

"Maja?" The professor asked. "Okay." She said waving her hand. I could feel J.J and Rocky look at but I was looking straight ahead. "Perfect! Let's go over the rules." Professor Day said cheerfully.

Maja

"You two will essentially be a couple for the next 4 ½ months. That means dates and all the things couples do." I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Of course, you only have to do things you're comfortable with." She said nodding her head at me. "I want both of you to journal your thoughts during this time. Write your initial thoughts about how you feel about this assignment. Also what you expect will happen." She said. "I think Angelo is going to catch feelings for Maja," Tyson said.

"Me too." Dru chimed in. "Nah Maja is going to be all sprung over my boy," Rocky said. I turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, word," I said. "I think they both are going to fall for each other but knowing my baby sister she'll find a reason to push him away," Nadia said looking at her phone. I turned and looked at her until she looked up at me. "Maja relationships scare you and when you really like someone you always find something, so you can run." She said sincerely.

"Well, on that note professor Day you can continue," I said turning to look ahead. "I really want both of you to take this serious and but a good amount of effort in." She said eyeing me. "I said I would do it," I mumbled as I sat back crossing my arms.

"So, let's start with me asking you two some questions." She smiled. "Just to be clear what are your takes on interracial dating?" I sat quietly as I gathered my thoughts. "I'm all for it. As Long as your dating for the right reasons." Angelo said. "What about you Maja?" Professor Day asked. "Yeah, it's cool or whatever," I said uninterested. "I just don't think it's for me." I continued. "Why?" Angelo asked. "Because there are certain things a white man can't relate to me about no matter how much he tries to learn or understand. There are things he won't be able to teach my future kids he's never experienced it and won't ever experience it. There's too much that as a white person you could never understand for me to even think about getting into a relationship with." I said turning to look at him. He nodded his head. "You sound like you're speaking from experience." He said. I scoffed and turned back around in my chair.

"What do you two think you will learn from this experience?" Professor Day asked. I shrugged as we both sat quietly. "I think they'll be shocked at how much they have in common," Haseem said. I looked over at him. "Because they really do they just don't it yet." He continued. "Maja? Angelo?"

"I think I'm going to learn why she's so closed off." I narrowed my eyes as I listened to him talk. "And I agree with Haseem. I think she's going to realize we have some stuff in common and that's I'm not as bad as she may think." He said sincerely. "Maja?"

"I don't know. I think we may end up being friends at the end of this, I guess." I said. Professor Day looked at the time before she went ahead and dismissed us. "Oh, class I want you all to tell me if you see either of them not participating in this project." She said as everyone glanced at me. "Wow," I said I gathered my things and left.

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