Deceit

3 - Amusement

Yamaris:

I awoke hours later to flickers of sunlight dancing around my bedroom. I sat up and looked around confused, still naked with my clothes folded neatly on a chair near my bathroom door. Rolling onto my side, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and checked my phone. I had one missed call and two texts from my best friend, Bunny.

Bunny: Are we still on for the amusement park at 10?

Bunny: I'm getting dressed, I'll be at your place in an hour.

The last message was received 15 minutes earlier. That left me with minimal time to get everyone up and ready for the day's festivities. My time in the shower was relaxing yet difficult as my legs still hadn't recovered from the night's sexcapades. I decided to leave my curls alone for the day when styling, opting for a simple bun and leave in conditioner. There was no sense in overdoing it when I'd be on rides and sweating the entire day.

My attire was very simple: a white t-shirt and jean shorts. White vans set my look off along with some shades and a black cross-body bag. To my surprise, everyone was awake and dressed in the kitchen and den areas. They were all waiting on me. My eyes locked with Harlem's, who quickly looked away, before moving on to Logan and Biyanca.

"Sleeping beauty is finally awake!" Logan exclaimed and gave me a hug. I giggled and went over to Biyanca, rubbing her belly. She was only four months pregnant and had a barely visible pudge. She'd find out if it was a little boy or girl once she got back to Seattle.

"Yes, yes, the princess is finally ready to explore. My best friend Bunny also wanted to tag along today, she'll be here soon and then we can head out." I poured myself a bowl of cereal and did my best to ignore the stare down I was receiving from Harlem.

My body got hot just thinking about him but I wouldn't give in twice. There was no way it would work. Having a man would interfere with my school, not to mention my money. I barely had time for Charles and was not going to allow him to ruin what I was beginning to build for myself. "I know you only hang with baddies, mami, but I'ma let you know right now: I only got my eyes on you." Julio winked and we all burst out laughing. Who did this guy think he was?

"While I appreciate your honesty, Julio, you're just not tall enough for this ride. You must be this many inches for me." I winked and motioned my hand upwards, similar to the signs for roller coasters. I could clown and learned from the best there was. It was easy to see why Logan had each one of them in his little family. They all brought something different to the table and were pretty chill.

I could barely hear Bunny's knock over the eruption of laughter that followed my joke. Knowing that my booty would be in full view of Harlem as I walked to the door, I put a little more pep in my step. Teasing was a specialty of mine and even more so when I had something to prove. Although Harlem was quiet for the most part, he seemed to have this underlying cockiness and a bit of a bad attitude.

Bunny stood before me in all of her natural glory. She was 5'10 with deep brown skin, glossy brown eyes, and thick lips. Think "Megan The Stallion" but with thick black and purple curls. She was never afraid of color, nor did she feel out of place as a tall woman. If anything, the confidence she exuded was enough to fuel the entire city.

Not only was she a natural beauty, she had a huge upbeat personality. In fact, that's how I came up with the nickname "Bunny." When I met her in my Pilates class 4 years ago, it was like watching a commercial for Energizer. A thought that was constantly on my mind was, "How the fuck does she have all of this energy at 8am?"

"Hello, my darling! How are you?" Bunny exclaimed and jumped into my arms.

So dramatic, I thought to myself.