A BEST FRIEND'S LOVE

MAKING IT OFFICIAL

(Alex, 18 *Alia's girlfriend*)

~Chanel's POV~
The dinner is going great so far. For the most part, everybody is done eating. Now, we're all playing a game of Uno. Let me tell you, my mom and Aunt Kim are sooooooo competitive.

"It clearly says draw 4 Michelle," Aunt Kim says and my mom drops down a draw 2.

"Now you draw 6 Kim ha, how bout that?" This is why they don't need to be sitting next to each other during this game.

"UNO," Alex says and Alia rolls her eyes. "How you get uno so fast bae?," she asks and eyes Alex. We just finished a round and Aunt Kim won; again.

"Three rounds I've won so far," she says. "And I won two, so what? I'll beat you in this next one," my mom says. You see what I'm saying.

"Umm Jasmine can I talk to you?," I ask and she gets up. We walk upstairs to my room.

~DeVonte's POV~
I see Nel take off with Jasmine and I say to Chris, "let's go in the dining room."

"We'll excuse ourselves from this round," I say to the adults. "Mhm," my mom says as she carefully watches Aunt Chelle deal the cards.

"Don't be cheating now Michelle," she says. When we get to the dining room Chris says, "Man I miss the old crew. Why does it always take girls longer to resolve sum?"

"I don't even know. I just know that Jasmine won't let up on that grudge," I say and run my hand over my face.

Chris sighs, "So what's going on with you and Chanel?," he asks.

"Always tryna be nosey I swear but nothing yet we still talking," I say. "Man it's time for you to make that yours," he replies and I pull a box out of my pocket.

"Oh s***, it's an engagement ring," he acts surprised.

"N**** shut up. You know good and well this is not no damn engagement ring. Stupid a**," I say and pull a necklace out of the box. "It says my name on it and I'm gonna give it to Nel and ask her to be mines tonight," I explain to him.

He daps me up, "my man."

"I don't know what's taking them so long though. Let's go snoop," he says and we get up to go upstairs. "... I just miss my homegirl. I miss having to call you up for problems and stuff," we hear Nel say from outside her door.

~Jasmine's POV~
"I know and I'm sorry. I just miss my homegirl. I miss having to call you up for problems and stuff," Chanel says and apologizes. I really do miss her but I've been putting up a front. We hear a creak outside the door and we know it's Chris and DeVonte. Chanel pulls up a note on her phone and types, "Them n***** is stupid. They don't know the floor under the carpet outside my door creaks when somebody steps on it."

I type on mines, "I bet it was Chris stupid a**," and we silently laugh.

"You know you did some f***** up s***," I say out loud and then I hug her and silently mouth, "I forgive you but we gotta build this relationship again. I miss you."

She hugs me back and then types on her phone, "Let's make a scene since these n***** wanna snoop." I smile and scream, "WELL B****, it's done with. Stop f****** apologizing." I clap to make it seem like I just slapped Chanel.

She silently laughs and I wink at her. "Love ya b****," I mouth and pretend storm out of her room. "Bae, I know you did not just slap her, Chris says as he follows me down the hall. "I did and what?," I say and he doesn't say anything. "What I thought," I say and walk back downstairs. It's in for these n*****. Thinking they can snoop on us; not today.

~Devonte's POV~
I walk into Nel's bedroom and see her face in her hands. "Nel, did she just slap you?," I ask her.

She nods yes but keeps her face in her hands. "Lemme see," I say and move her hands. "Well the good thing is that it didn't leave a mark," I tell her and she smiles.

"I don't even know why I keep trying to apologize to her. She's gonna keep holding that grudge," she says, "It's fine I can't stand that b**** anyways."

I sit next to her and hug her. She lays her head on my shoulder. "Thank you. I love you," she says. "I love you too. I always have," I say. It's time for me to make it official.

"What?," she questions and lifts her head off my shoulder to face me. "I've loved you as a best friend for the longest but I fell in love with you in 8th grade. Nel, I've always thought you were the finest girl of them all and I've always wanted you and only you; no matter how many other girls I've dated," I rant.

I give her the box and she opens it. Her face lights up when she sees the necklace. "Is this for me?," she questions as she holds it up. "Yeah." "M

"Okay bestie I see you with the drippy necklace," I say as I put it on her neck. She lightly shoves my chest and laughs, "Whatever."

"So if I was to ask you to be my girl right now, would you say yes?," I ask.

"Well Mr. Brown that's a tough question. You see my heart lies with somebody else and---," she puts on her best accent and starts saying but I kiss her.

I pull away and say, "Girl don't play with me. You know you want this."

"Oh DeVonte Brown, what are they ever going to do with you. And yes bae, you know I want you," she smiles and kisses me again.

"Bae? Ayyyyy I like the sound of that bestie," I joke and she nudges me.

"It's baby or bae or babygirl to you now," she says.

"FINALLY, TOOK Y'ALL THAT LONG TO REALIZE," Aunty Chelle, walks in the room saying, with my mom behind her.

"Maaa, when did you get there?," Nel asks.

"When he was too busy giving his speech. You was too caught up I bet you ain't hear the floor creak huh," she goes on.

"YES, years I been waiting for this day," my mom says. "I told you it was going to happen in high school and you was talking bout college. I swear you be so off at times Kim," Aunt Chelle says to her.

"Really Ma?," Nel says and we all laugh. "Okay okay now bring y'all happy asses on downstairs so we could toast and have cake before everybody leaves," Aunt Chelle says and they walk out of the room.

"Shall we Mrs. Brown?," I say in my best accent holding out my arm for Nel to grab. "We shall Mr. Brown," she says back and we walk out of the room. Finally, the girl of my dreams!