Let's Play Pretend ~+*

Chapter 3

"What the hell was that." I say running to catch up with Vincent after leaving the cafeteria. "Oh, my bad, It's just I don't like my girl touching all up on dude's neck." I step back. "That is not true because I do that to everyone, I do that to you, Jamal, I even do it to Zavier." "Exactly." He says narrowing his eyes. "Why you so touchy on people? I should be the only one you touching like that." He says facing me. "And as for Zavier, I'm not worried about dude cause he hung up on yo girl Destiny, but Jamal, I don't trust his ass being around you."

I look Vincent up and down. "Really Vincent, you know Jamal is my boy, we've known each other since the womb."  I change my stance. "Do you not trust me?" Vincent throws up his hands in frustration. "What do you want me to do? I just don't like you touching other guys." I cross my arms. "Like how you be touching other girls?"

He falls silent. "What I do is not meant to be sexual but you think I don't see you all up on these other girls in the hallway?" He comes closer to me. "It doesn't mean anything to me." "Then why are you doing it?" The question lingers. "Look Liv, I don't want to fight." He says. "I don't either." I put my head down not meeting his eyes. 

He lifts my chin with his finger slowly and gently. "I'm sorry." He says. The bell rings. He kisses me and I kiss him back. After a while we pull back. Second bell. "I'll see you after school." He says and walks to his class. I take a deep breath and walk into my own.

I listen to the teacher drone and drone but my mind is somewhere else. This isn't the first time Vincent and I had a fight like this. About the same topic. His problem is always with Jamal. He swears something's going on but I promise him it's not.

I need to stop thinking about this and pay attention to the lesson. These straight A's don't make themselves.

After 45 minutes the bell rings and I'm off to my last class of the day. Integrated Studies. Which is basically a class about life, setting goals for yourself, talking about what you want to be when you grow up, your dreams for college, stuff like that. I have that class with Jamal and we're partners on this project.

In this project you had to pick a partner and choose a topic. College, 24+, or Married Life. Then, you and your partner had to write your own essays on what you're going to do and your plans when you get to that topic in your life. Jamal and I chose 24+ because we both already know what we're gonna do for college. Go to USC together. Jamal would graduate with a engineering  degree and I would graduate with a shiny law degree.

We didn't choose Married Life because honestly we both wouldn't even know what to say. I walk into class and Jamal is sitting there with two computers and a notebook ready for us. "Hey Liv." He says and pulls the chair out for me not looking away from the computer.

After I don't answer he looks at me. "What's wrong?" He says. "Nothing." I say and scoot my chair in. "Alright." Jamal says. We work on our assignment. I constantly stare at the clock. Time goes by really slow. Jamal and I get little progress done because we keep goofing off laughing until our sides hurt.

"J okay cut it out I have a 94% in this class it can't drop." "Oh I forgot  wouldn't want to mess with your 4.0 GPA." He says sarcastically. "Shut up!" I say laughing and push into him a little bit.

More time goes by and the bell rings and we grab our stuff. "I'm gonna come over today to work on this some more." "That's a good idea, we still have to write our essays and this is due in 2 days." "I didn't ask your opinion." Jamal says smiling at me and I roll my eyes.

We walk out of class and start to walk towards my locker. Vincent is already there waiting on me. "Hey." I say turning my combination. "Hey." He says looking at his feet. Jamal stands there awkwardly. "I think I got it man." Vincent says. "Got what?" "Liv doesn't need another body at her locker." Vincent says hinting Jamal to leave. I roll my eyes and close my locker and swing my bookbag over my right shoulder. "We just talked about this." I whisper.

"Actually I'm over here, because Liv is walking to my locker, because then I'm going to her house." Jamal says those last 5 words slowly as if to get into Vincent's head. Vincent cuts his eyes at me. "Why?" "We have a project to work on." I say. "It won't take us long, you can even come over if you..." Vincent doesn't let me finish. 

"I'm good." He says and walks away. That's it....just like that. I look at him walk away and tears begin to form into my eyes. Jamal looks at me as if he understands. He wraps his arm around my shoulder. "Let's go." He says and we walk to his locker.

Whole time his arm is still on my shoulder.