I stood in the hallway of the stadium with my father taking pictures. I had graduated a few minutes ago and my father had me decorated in leis and money.
"Aww Mr. Brent don't make me cry." Ashley snapped a few more pictures as I looked up at my dad who was crying.
"Aww dad don't cry."
"Your mother would be so proud." Tears sprung from my eyes at the mention of my mother making my father hug me tightly. "You're not a baby anymore."
"Dad I'm 24." We both laughed but continued to hug for a while longer. I was an only child and the joy of my fathers life so he was a little emotional.
"24 years old and forever daddy's little girl."
"Forever."
My father had a meeting a few hours after the service so I walked him to his car and let him go. I told him I would call in the morning but now I was getting ready to head out with Ash.
"The jean jacket would go perfect with that Tor. What shoes are you wearing?" I held up my sneaker before sliding it on then applied lip gloss. "Bitch! You're hot!"
"Am I really?" I teased
We took pictures before heading out into traffic to get down the hill again.
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"Is everyone going to this damn party?"
"Just about, I've been advertising it for weeks. You know what that means right?"
"Traffic?"
"It could get shot up but just stay with me and we'll be fine."
"Huh?"
"Tori it's okay. As long as we stay in the back of the party we're good. Shooters usually just pull up and spray the front so we won't be out there."
I gripped my steering wheel tighter before relaxing. Hopefully the party doesn't get shot up but if it does hopefully Ash and I aren't in the line of fire.
"Are you nervous?"
"Yes. I can't dance."
"Girl, you're black you can dance."
"Blackness only gives you rhythm not dance moves. I have rhythm but I can't dance."
"Can you shake your ass?"
"A little bit." Ashley began laughing. "Don't laugh at me." I smacked her thigh
"I should've asked you earlier but just work with what you got. And make sure you make that shit look sexy, don't be all stiff and weird."
"Am I stiff and weird?"
"When you get uncomfortable you can stiffen up a little but just try to have fun and that won't happen."
I nodded at this last minute advice. We parked a little bit down from the house where we could find parking before walking up. We were already getting catcalled as we made the short walk up the block.
We met Ash's cousin at the driveway. He was outside collecting the entry fee.
"Go I'm in. Don't drink out the the punch bowl, Ashley get the other shit."
"What's wrong with the punch bowl?" I asked Ashley once we left her cousin
"People put shit in that. We never drink that, we always have our own turn up."
I didn't drink so I just followed Ashley to grab her drink and headed to the backyard. The house was mainly empty because the backyard was where the party was at.
After a while I had to pee so I left Ash to find the bathroom. Once I was finished I started to head outside.
"Aye." I turned around quickly to not see anyone an open door and smoke coming from it. The door was just closed when I went into the bathroom and the smoke was so thick I couldn't see 5 feet past the threshold.
The light in the room cut off and someone walked out the smoke. "Heard you were looking for me." I frowned up my face as he got closer to me. The smoke he smelled like was strong and I didn't like it.
Once he made it all the way to me I looked up at him, he was wearing his glasses this time and I could see him clearly. I stared at him for a while, I couldn't speak. I had nothing planned to say when I saw him again.
"Rakim?" He cocked his head back before coming back and staring at my face. "Rakim, it's me. Toralei."
His eyebrows shot up before he started laughing. "Nah, can't be." He opened his arms to me allowing me to hug him. We rocked back in forth for a second before pulling away.
He waved me into the room he was just in and ushered me to a chair. He went and opened the window causing the smoke to leave the room. "What you doing here?"
"I'm here for the party. You?"
"I live around here and Devon is my nigga."
I sighed heavily with a smile "How long has it been?"
"6 years." It kind of shocked me how he knew right off the top of his head.
"Your appearance has changed but what else? Tell me about this new and improved Rakim."
He reached down in his pocket and pulled out a stack of money before doing the same with the other pocket then put it all back.
"The new and improved Rakim is rich. How is the new and improved Toralei?"
"Nothing really new. I graduated today but same old same old."
"Shame."
Seeing Rakim now and not having any closure all those years ago is allowing old interests to perk up.
"Are you dating anyone?" His head was back and his eyes were closed but he turned his head and looked at me.
I felt kind of embarrassed to ask but I was so curious to know. He began laughing before speaking.
"No, I'm not 'dating anyone'." He mocked my voice making the both of us laugh "Why?"
"Just curious."
"Just curious? Don't forget who you're talking to, I know you." He shut his eyes and turned his head back towards the ceiling. I wanted to climb into his lap and kiss his lips. Back at my dads house we never kissed because we were scared of getting caught but we were grown now.
But I couldn't force my old/current feelings on this new person. I could tell that Rakim had changed a lot so I had to get to know him all over again.
