The Deep End

Chapter 5

-Now a nigga signed to Hov, took a power trip... Power Trip by J. Cole (Miguel)

Chapter 5

Wyatt sighed, wiping a hand across his face. Oh, hell nah. He didn't have time for this. "Ay, listen, sweetheart, before you even get started..."

Her face twisted up at his words, her hands rising to land on her hips. "Excuse me?"

He opened his mouth to continue but she stopped him before he began. She took large steps toward him, walking up on him. "Well, you know what? Let me stop you before you get started. You may not care about your grades. Or the fact that student loans happen to exist or, hell, you may not even care that your parents are paying thousands of dollars for you to be here. You can party and skip class and not give a fuck about your grades but you could at least have some consideration for others. This is a group assignment, so you know what that means? It means I can't do it on my own. I refuse to fail this class because of you. You can do me a favor and either drop the class or cooperate."

He stared at her for a moment. Sweat from his run descending every pore of his body, his heart hammering against his chest from the remaining adrenaline. Was he really standing here right now, being scolded for not being in class...by some random? The smirk that formed on his lips was one he couldn't contain. This whole situation was kind of funny.

"Is this funny to you?" Tia said evenly, though the glint in her eyes said something entirely different.

He raised his hands, his smirk turning into a full-blown smile. Oh, she's interesting. "Nah, sweetie. Don't let me sky rocket your blood pressure. I'm just not used to females getting mad at me for... this."

Tia arched an eyebrow, "Females?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, females. Girls. Women. The opposite sex."

She tsked, scoffing in disbelief. "You're an asshole. You really do think this is funny, huh?"

"No. I promise, being yelled at in front of my room, in the middle of the hallway, about not attending class is far from hilarious."

"I'm trying to be mature about this. But you don't even care."

He wiped his forehead once before turning to unlock his dorm door. He stuck his key in and turned it, nudging his door open. "Listen, this hasn't been a very good day, alright? Just talk to the professor about doing the assignment alone. Easy."

He made a move as if to step inside his room but she stuck out an arm, blocking his entrance. "You don't think I tried that? I have literally never seen you in class, I had no idea who you were until I was forced to ask around for you. This is serious to me; my grades are important to me. I work my ass off to maintain what I have academically."

"Hold on, you didn't...you don't know who I am?" He asked, suddenly dumbfounded. He knew who she was. Granted, he only knew of her because he wanted to have sex with her at some point...but still. He was a running-back, the best one Central State University had had in a long time. His face was plastered on posters and banners across campus. And she didn't know him? She had to be joking.

He wiped his face again, suddenly feeling offended, irritation began to settle on the forefront of his mind.

"Am I supposed to know you?" She snapped.

"Yeah, you should." He snapped back.

She huffed in indignation. "Oh, this can't be happening. You can't be this immature."

"Immature? You came asking me for help, not the other way around."

"You know what? Fuck you, I don't need your help. I'll do both parts of the assignment, it'll be easier that way. You don't seem too bright anyway." She said through tight lips before brushing past him, her back rigid. Wyatt scoffed, the irritation buzzing through his body suddenly heightened. He slammed his door shut, locked it again, stuffed his key in his pocket and headed for the exit. He needed another run.

Tia slammed her door shut. Her heart was pounding. Oh, she was pissed. She had never met anybody as pompous as Wyatt Anderson. Who did he think he was? Why was he so important that reality didn't affect him? Tia stormed toward her desk, falling into the chair with a huff. She ran her hand over the picture of her grandma that sat on her desk. The picture was old and slightly indented from being bent in half. Her grandma smiled lovingly in the picture, her face adorned with smile lines and glistening brown skin. She missed her.

Suddenly all the irritation she felt just melted away and was replaced with a melancholy that was all too familiar. She flipped the picture over and sighed shakily. "I can do this." She mumbled to herself.

As she reached for her book bag her phone vibrated. She pulled out her cell phone, a small smile gracing her lips as she read her best friend's name across the screen.

Bestie: Stop doing work for a little while. Kick back tonight. You're coming, not taking no for an answer you workaholic.

Tia laughed before glancing at her book bag. She nibbled on her bottom lip before standing, her seat scraping the tiled floor. Her body was stiff with tension and she replayed the conversation with her arrogant assignment partner again in her head. She grit her teeth before sighing. Fuck it.

She dialed her best friend. "I'm down."