ONE ON ONE || D.SWING

14. Scandalous.

Katrina

7:21pm

"Do you really think he bleached his skin?" Karmen questioned.

"Of course not. Mike's too down to even do that, he probably got a skin condition or wears lighter make up or something. I don't know." defended Kendall.

"So there's a skin condition that makes you look like Casper The Friendly Ghost in a two year span? He still had his brown skin during the Victory tour and barely two years later when Captain EO dropped, he was light skin, damn near looked mixed. I call bullshit." Huey countered while the five of us walked across the carpeted floor of the theater lobby getting in the snack line.

While the three continued to argue about if Michael Jackson bleached his skin or not, I stayed silent until I ordered my snacks and walked towards the slushee station.

After mixing the blue raspberry and cherry flavor together, I stood near the butter station waiting on Karmen.

"You're mighty quiet tonight. Is there something on your mind?"

I turned my head to the side to see Elijah beside me pumping a profuse amount of butter onto his popcorn.

"Just thinking about a few things."

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered

"No," I said a bit too quickly, he gave me a confused look, "I mean it's nothing too major that I can't handle. Thanks though." I smiled awkwardly.

I've been acting like this towards him ever since I spotted Journey and that guy sucking face last week. I haven't had enough nerve to break it to him, well, I've been mainly contemplating on if I should drop the news or not. I haven't told anyone else about my dilemma.

"How's your cousin Donny doing? I heard he's running track at Morgan State." Elijah sipped on his large Pepsi.

"Not anymore. He got his scholarship stripped from him and he dropped out. You didn't hear that from me though." I ate a few of my nachos.

"Damn that sucks, school isn't for everybody I guess. I want to go to college but I don't know what I want to do, I'll probably get a baseball scholarship or something, scouts have been checking me out since Junior year. I don't want that as a career though." Elijah elaborated.

"I didn't know you played baseball. What positions?"

"Pitcher, outfielder and shortstop."

"Well excuse me Babe Ruth," we laughed, "you must be the captain I assume."

"Something like that," he grinned, "I wonder why PK hadn't told you I'm that guy on the field ya dig."

"No, I don't. Kendall plays center field and catcher right?"

"Yeah. You must watch baseball I assume."

"I had to. Growing up in a Italian household it's almost like a duty. My dad got me to play once but it wasn't for me, dancing was more up my alley."

"Funny how things work out huh?" his eyes staring into mine made me uncomfortable, in a good way.

"Y-Yeah I guess." I replied, pulling on my earlobe.

"Bleached skin or not, Mike is the finest brotha' alive, with Melvin Riley right under him of course." Karmen said to Huey and Kendall before standing next to me.

After everyone got situated, we stood in the ticket check line.

"This better be a good movie Kat, if this doesn't live up to the hype it's gonna be me and you." Kendall warned before taking a gulp of his lime slushee.