Too Young: A ChriLiyah Story

Chapter 1

"We're about to be having hella parties boy!" exclaimed Shad.

"Yea man, you already know" Chris said, excited about the prospects of living with his best friend. It was a sunny afternoon in L.A. in late August, and Shad and Chris were moving Chris's stuff into Shad's apartment. Chris was going to attend school in the city, and Shad offered him a place to stay so that during the semester, he could avoid the hefty room and board fees.

They placed the last box on the kitchen counter. "Wooh, we're finally done." Chris wiped his hand across his forehead and looked at Shad.

"Yeah finally. I don't know why you decided to bring so much shit." Shad leaned against the counter.

"Well I'm gonna be living here so I gotta make it feel like home," Chris flashed his Kool-Aid smile.

"Whatever nigga, just don't mess up the flow of my bachelor pad." Shad got up and walked towards the fridge.

Chris stood for a moment, pondering, then said playfully, "Bachelor pad? You know your short ass ain't picking up any chicks."

"You just got here; you have no idea how many chicks I get on a daily," Shad pulled a bottle of Gatorade out the fridge and popped it open. "You know the shower fits eight people? I KNOW this for a fact nigga, me and seven girls" Shad gave a cocky grin and took a sip of his drink.

"Seven girls? Why would you have so many?" Chris asked, anxious for his answer.

"One for everyday of the week!" Shad and Chris bust out laughing. After recovering from laughter, Shad told Chris "you can unpack in that room across from the bathroom, alright?"

"Alright man cool." Chris began taking his belongings into his new bedroom and arranging it.

Meanwhile, Shad headed to the front door to check and make sure they didn't leave anything outside. When he glanced out the door, he saw his neighbor, Aaliyah, coming down the hall. He stood in his doorway and greeted her.

"Hey, how you doing?" He gave her a hug. Aaliyah smiled.

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Good, just finished helping my homie move in." Shad leaned against his doorsill.

"Oh?" Aaliyah peeked past Shad's shoulder into his apartment. Shad chuckled.

"Yes, nosy. You wanna meet him?" As Aaliyah nodded, Shad moved out of the doorway and ushered her inside. "He's unpacking right now, but I'll get him." He faced towards the apartment. "Yo Chris, come here right quick!"

"What you want nigga?" Chris asked as he shuffled out his room into the living room. He then stopped dead in his tracks, stunned by the beauty of the girl he saw in front of him.

"I wanted to introduce you to my good friend and neighbor. She lives across the hall." Shad looked at Chris and motioned him to come forward.

"Hi, my name is Aaliyah, and yours?" Aaliyah smiled and stretched out her arm for a handshake. Chris just stood there and stared at her, transfixed by her beauty. Aaliyah glanced at Shad, beginning to feel uneasy.

"You gonna say something?" Shad asked Chris. Chris looked at Shad then back at Aaliyah.

"My name's uh Chris, yeah Chru-Chru Chris Brown," Chris stuttered. He shook Aaliyah's hand. He smiled nervously and gulped.

"Smooth..." Shad muttered sarcastically, and Chris shot him a dirty look, though he didn't catch it. Shad tapped Aaliyah on the side of her arm. "Yeah so he's moving in with me while he goes to school."

"Oh okay," Aaliyah said as she ran her hands along the sides of her jeans. She nodded and then looked at Chris, who had just been following the path of her hands with his eyes.

"He's usually much cooler than this, but, I don't know, I guess he gets shy around cute girls." Shad smirked, and Aaliyah giggled, prompting Chris's face to turn red. He lowered his head.

"Well I have to go get going, so I'll see you guys later." Aaliyah said as she headed for the door. She looked back. "Oh, and Chris?" He lifted his head and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You can pick your jaw up off the floor now." She winked and then went to her apartment.

Shad started laughing extra hard, so hard that his eyes began to water. "Haaaaaa! She clowned you nigga, oh shit..." Shad clutched his stomach, doubling over with laughter.

"Nah man, whatever." Chris slammed the door closed. "It's not funny."

"Oh, but it was though." Shad chuckled again and then rubbed his eyes. Chris gave Shad a blank stare. Shad chuckled one more time, and then regained his composure. "My fault for laughing at you like that, but yo you alright?"

"What's up with her?" Chris asked, scratching his head.

"Whatchu mean?" Shad and Chris sat on the couches in the living room.

"I mean, is that yours?"

"Oh nahhhh, we're just friends."

"So you never smashed?"

"Nah, can't lie though, I would. Well shit when I first met her, I went smack but she wasn't feeling it."

"Cause your ass look like a damn toddler next to her thats why. You try to take her on a date, you'd have to sit in a booster seat just to see over the steering wheel."

"Oh, you got jokes? Well At least I can talk to her without stuh-stuh- stuttering, you acting like you back in preschool again." Shad cracked a smile and put his feet up on the coffee table. "But nah man, she's cool peoples. Real cool. And don't even think about tryna get at her cuz she got a dude," Chris's eyes widened.

"What? I wasn't even thinking that."

"Yeah right nigga, I know you. And if she turned me down, ain't no way you'll get a chance with her." Chris shook his head and smiled, and Shad turned on the tv.