Across the Street

First Day

Today was the first day of school, and yesterday, on the way back from training, my mom talked me into asking Jailyn if she needed a ride to school. She offered to get me a new pair of shoes and a car wash. I had just gotten a new car over the summer after taking home the AAU National Championship and leading my team with 29.7 points per game and 9.7 assists per game. It was a 2018 Jeep Wrangler all matte black with black rims. I had to pay for the paint job and rims with saved-up allowance and money from training kids in the neighborhood which I wasn't complaining about. I quickly walked across the street.

When I knocked on the door, Jailyn opened the door seemingly in a rush. She suddenly stopped when she realized it was me. "Oh uh... hey," she said quietly.

"Hey. I was wondering if you um... wanted a ride to school?" I said awkwardly, scratching the back of my neck.

Before she could respond Kaia, her older sister, shouted, "YES! She do!"

I chuckled and told her I was leaving in about ten minutes and turned away.

Ten minutes later, I got in my car, and in my review mirror, I saw Jailyn running across the street, so I unlocked my trunk. She put her book bag in and got in the front seat.

"Who said you could sit up here?" I said.

She just looked at me and rolled her eyes before chuckling.

"To be #1 in track, you sure are out of breath," I joked.

"To be number whatever, you sure are ass"

I just looked at her and drove off.  The drive was only about 10 minutes or so to the school, so it was quiet.

"You gonna need a ride after school?" I asked.

"I mean if you offering, I'll take it"

"Alright, but I got softball until 5:30"

"That's a bet," she winked before quickly getting out of the car and walking into the building after she got her stuff out the back.

I took my phone off the AUX and got out. Immediately, I was greeted by my best friends, Jada and Quinten. They just stared at me before Jada said, "I see you best friend! Pullin 'em!" while sticking her tongue out.

I just rolled my eyes and kept walking into the school.

The school day went by quickly until lunch. I sat down with some of my teammates along with Jada, who cheers, and Quinten, who plays basketball with Keyon. Keyon sat diagonal from me, with Jada in front of me, and Quinten on my left.

We were in the middle of arguing if LeBron was really the GOAT when all of a sudden someone sat to my right. I realized it was the one and only Jailyn Jakobson. She didn't say anything to me, so I didn't say anything to her.

I looked back in front of me and saw Jada looking between me and Jailyn. "Mmhmm," she dragged out.

"Don't," I said.

Jada just smirked, and we continued our conversation before Jada changed the subject.

"So what do you think the softball team is gonna do this year?" Jada asked.

"We winning state! The fuck you think this is?!" Addison, one of my softball teammates yelled.

"What about basketball?" said Keyon smirking.

"All da way baby!" I yelled and dapped my brother up while we laughed.

"Track?" questioned Quinten.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and Jailyn yelled, "We going further than basketball!"

I side-eyed her "You done gettin' on my team? Or I gotta beat your ass?"

"You ain't gonna do shii," she laughed.

"I'm finna leave your ass here after school. Enjoy the walk," I said.

She smacked her lips and kept looking at me. We held eye contact trying to see who was gonna make the next jab until someone cleared their throat.

"You better be glad your face look the way it do cause that's the only thing you got going for you, and I don't want to mess that up for you," she said rolling her neck and turning around.

"You trying to say I'm cute?" I smirked.

"Nope," she said popping the p. Just then the bell rang. "Byyyee," she said getting up and leaving.

Jada just kept looking at me, smirking. Then everybody got up and went to class.

After school, I quickly got ready for practice. Once I got onto the field, Addison started looking at me crazy. "What, hoe?" I asked confused.

"What's going on with you and Jailyn?"

"What you mean?"

"Y'all acting like y'all dating or something," Addison said skeptically.

Now, it was time for me to look at her crazy.

"Well first, I saw her get out your car this morning. Then, lunch. Now, she sitting over there staring at you," Addison said.

"What?" I said turning around, and surely enough Jailyn was sitting there in her own world staring at me. She quickly looked away when she realized I caught her. "I'm taking her home. My mom bribed me with some shoes and a car wash. Nothing is going on."

Thankfully, practice was quick and easy today. I quickly changed and headed out to see Jailyn already waiting by my car. I put my stuff in the truck and walked over to Jailyn's side before unlocking the doors.

"You good?" I asked her standing in front of her.

"Yeah. Why?" Jailyn said still typing on her phone.

"You got people thinking we together or something."

She didn't respond and kept typing on her phone.

"Jailyn... Jailyn... Jailyn!" I said grabbing her phone out her hand.

"What the hell?!"

"I'm trying to talk to you," I said annoyed.

"Fine. What's so important?" she said with an attitude.

I just chuckled and gave her her phone before getting in the car. The whole ride was silent until we got to my house. I got out and started to get my stuff out the back without saying anything.

"So you not gonna say bye?" Jailyn spoke for the first time since she got an attitude.

"Bye," I said walking towards my door.

When I walked in my mom instantly greeted me with a smile, "How was it?"

I sighed and said, "Fine, I guess."

"Ok... Well, go freshen up. Dinner will be ready in 10."

With that, I went upstairs and put my bags down. Before I got the chance to go into the bathroom, I got two texts from an unknown number,

"sorry."

"my boyfriend was being an asshole🙄"

I sent back "who this?"

"Jai"

"oh ok. night" I sent back and continued with what I was doing.