Whirlwind

42

[Lamarr]

"Oh, oh...yeah, nigga! Did you see that shit?" I belted out arrogantly, aiming at the 3-0 score highlighted across the top of the television screen I had been blocking Ib's view to. "Did you see how the ball just flew effortlessly to the corner of the net? That means I just scored on your bitch ass!"

"Yeah, whatever." he dismissed as he did toward my usual gaming theatrics and for the last three hours to be exact.

I missed these kind of brotherly moments. Those where the two of us had our asses glued to a couch and hands to my Xbox One controllers as we played 2K for an hour, then switched the style up with a round of Madden and now my favorite game of them all. This entire year put a halt on extracurricular activities due to the album, tour and other plans or they were simply cut short when whenever we did fit time in. Now after countless months and a weekend of us all working hard with set adjustments, rehearsals and an abundance of other shit that needed to be resolved, we were finally able to wind down and play video games out of all things. Like a bunch of kids we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves and I was getting a kick out of the ass whoopings I was giving this nigga.

"You know this means you gotta cough up that 2K16, right? It comes out the twenty-ninth, remember that."

"Nah, fuck that. You cheated." Ib argued with a smug smirk on his face. "You were blocking the screen for the last five minutes of the game! You always do this."

"And you always sound mad."

"I sound right." he corrected with the same expression and in return I had to laugh at this typical jealousy. All these dudes were like this, constantly trying to conceal their frustration while finding an excuse to explain whenever I handed them their ass on a platter. I was just untouchable at all these games, plain and simple. 

"Man, you got legs and eyes. You could've got up and walked over here to look around me." I continued to taunt as I turned around to plop down into the opposite side of my sectional couch, then tossed the controller aside. "But you chose not to. That's why I'm still the king of FIFA, mad?"

"Not as much as she is." Ib said, nodding toward the spacious wood floor boarded area aside the living room that was meant to be furnished with a dining table and chairs. Instead it was left barren since the day I moved into this loft back in January and was now the designated space for Riley to teach Mike how to step earlier and Mike to teach Riley how to use a hoverboard. 

My tunnel vision was so strong for the last couple of hours that I almost forgot they were here with Ib and I, and I forgot the shuffle on my iPod was running in the background behind all Riley's erratic spells of threats and frightened yelling toward Mike. Her latest shriek broke my fixation and now had Ib and I looking over our shoulders at the action we had been missing out on.

"Mike, this isn't funny. Hold me, got dammit!" she urged as her eyes remained shut tightly and her forearms strained the more she clutched on to Mike's. "I swear if I fall you're coming down with me, and then I'll kill you."

"Ry, we've been in this same spot for like twenty minutes and every time I try to let you go so you can actually roll around, you seize up and pull me back. How could you possibly fall if you keep doing shit like that?"

"I-I don't know." she stuttered out. "Just... just shut up and keep me safe!"

"I am girl!"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"You stop yelling at me!" Mike shot back and I was no longer able to tolerate their little back and forth spat anymore. It was entertaining to watch, the agitation painted on his face and how Riley resembled a child trying to ride a bike without training wheels for the first time with how frantic she was. Their loudness however wasn't.