Thy Neighbor II: Lovin' The Crew

Chapter Nine

"You didn't have to send that text, Mahalia. You dead-ass wrong for that."

Mahalia has no regrets firing off that text to Ciara, the brown liquor racing throughout her body faster than she can keep up with it.

"Yes, I did. He's trash."

"Well, that trash is coming right now to my side of the bar, so watch it..."

"How you gonna tell a North Philly girl to watch it, bitch...?" Mahalia gulps down the rest of her Hennessy with force.

Trevante walks up to Ashley in hopes to close his tabs and send the kids on their way towards their next destination where he won't be present. He feels Mahalia's eyes slicing him up as he navigates the crowd to get close to Ashley's side of the bar.

"Hey, Ashley. Can I get one more round of tequila shots for my table and close me out. Oh and something for Mahalia. She's empty."

"I'm a grown ass woman, Trevante. I don't need you buying me drinks."

"I'm being nice, damn." Trevante couldn't believe Mahalia's behavior in this moment yet he could. He would notice her slick jabs and feisty comments when he and Ciara would be together at Ngosi. He knew Ashley couldn't stand him either but she always kept it civil. Civility is not in Mahalia's repertoire.

Ashley has had enough. "Mahalia, here. Stop." She places Mahalia's drink in front of her. "This is your last one too." Mahalia's face screams 'over it'.

Ciara's face screams tired as the large clock inside of the library hits one a.m. As she packs up her belongings, Winston lifts up his blurring eyes from his laptop for one more conversation with Ciara before she vanishes back into his dreams.

"How are you getting home?" Winston asks.

Realizing that Trevante wasn't going to be her knight in shining armor, she starts to order an Uber. "Oh, I'm just going to Uber home."

"Wait? Where do you live?" Winston wondering where Ciara's "boyfriend" must be.

"Mount Airy."

Winston finds his other chance.

"I live in Germantown. I'll take you home."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. You're close enough." Winston isn't sure how close Mount Airy is to his house. He just knows he wants more time around Ciara even if he couldn't have her. Ciara giggles on the inside of herself at Winston's boldness. She knows he has no idea either.

"Are you hungry? We can grab a slice at Archie's before we head out North." Ciara could no longer ignore her hunger pains. In this moment, a piece of the greasiest pizza would solve all of her problems and her growing anger that Trevante would leave her to her own devices to get home. Trevante told her to not drive into school since he' would be around to take her home tonight. Looks like he forgot.

"Ahh, man. Like some New York greasy sh—stuff?"

"Yes, like that. It's super close. We can walk there." Ciara throws her tote bag over her arm and turns off the lights to the study room.

Ciara and Winston walk into Archie's, tables crowded with drunk college kids taking an alcoholic break from midterms. As they navigate the drunkards to get in line, a girl stumbles onto the back of Ciara's legs, her body overpowered by whatever she's been drinking. Ciara turns around to instantly grab her falling body.

"Hey, it's okay. Are you friends here?" The girl strains to even say yes as she points over to a table full of girls just as pretty as her. "Meganne, oh my Goddddddddddd! I'm so sorry." Meganne's soror grabs her from Ciara's clutches.

"It's cool. She's cool."

Ciara adjusts her sweatshirt, grabbing an unfortunate whiff of liquor plus drool Meganne left on her shoulder.

"Can I have two slices of cheese, please!" Winston yells over the counter.

"And for your lady...??!" Ciara looks at Winston as if to reaffirm the pizza shop owner's question.

Winston looks back at Ciara, the lack of words showing evidence of his shock to this moment.

"Oh, she's not...uhh...."

"Three slices of sausage, stacked!" Ciara yells her order as she grabs a Tahitian Treat from the cooler.

"You got it, sweetheart!"