Chapter 1
Kenna completely tuned out the world around her as she focused on the screen in front of her. Today, she worked at her computer instead of the TV. She loved that her job allowed her to do something different every day.
She worked for a company that designed video games, and it had become her entire life.
As a child, she and Rashad always loved playing video games together.
Before he died, she wanted to be an emergency physician, working in an ER.
After he died, there was no way she could find the heart to do that.
Without even trying, she knew her brother’s lifeless eyes would haunt her every single day through her injured patients.
Instead, she chose to do something low key that honored Rashad.
Without a doubt in her mind, he would be her biggest hype man if he was still there, and he would definitely think she had the coolest job on the planet.
She would have to agree. Not only was it fun, but it itched the side of her brain that needed to problem solve, and it kept her safe in her bubble, right inside her home.
“Too cute,” she muttered as she smiled at the sim she created on the game.
Currently, she was testing the build option for a new game that would rival The Sims. This one was more in depth, though, like a role play game where users could interact online.
The game was expansive and had taken up her time over the last two years.
They were finally in the fun phase and able to test everything out, so she basically spent her days playing the game and searching for bugs.
“I know you fuckin’ lyin’.”
Startled, Kenna whirled around in the pink gaming chair she sat in and found her best friend standing in the doorway of her gaming room. “Cam! You have to stop doing that. I almost peed my pants.”
“We all know you’re good for that.” He rolled his eyes and sauntered into the room.
Kenna grabbed a pen off her desk and threw it at him. It hit him square in the forehead as he sat down on the comfortable tan love seat.
“Ouch!” he yelped and rubbed his forehead, nearly taking an eye out with his long red nails. “Now why the hell did you go and do that?”
“You know I hate when you joke about that day,” Kenna muttered.
Cam shrugged and picked at his nails. She knew that he joked about the school shooting to cope.
He needed to get his ass in therapy like Kenna had done, but Cam was pretty closed off when it came to his feelings.
She knew that although it happened over a decade ago, it still affected him.
He would never admit it though. He liked to pretend like everything was sunshine and daisies, and Kenna had long ago stopped trying to get him to deal with the trauma.
Hell, she had done all she needed to do to cope and was still a mess, so she couldn’t judge.
She shook her head at him before turning back to her computer screen. She logged out of the program, already knowing she wouldn’t get any work done while Cam was there.
“Why you still working at seven at night, anyway?”
“Why you still walking into my home like you own the shit?”
“Why did you give me a key if I couldn’t use it?”
Kenna laughed incredulously. “For emergencies, Cam. Emergencies.”
He scoffed before planting his hands on his narrow hips.
Since high school, Cam had thinned out. He still didn’t work out, but somehow he shed all that baby fat.
Every day he complained about the loss of his booty, but Kenna thought he looked good.
He’d grown out his hair, so it touched the middle of his back in loose ringlets.
His Dominican side gave him a whole lot of hair and caramel colored skin.
Today, he wore shorts too tight and too short, but she couldn’t expect anything less from him.
The oversized blue crop top was cute and fell off the shoulder.
It wasn’t uncommon for Cam to look better than her, even on his worst day.
It wasn’t even that she was ugly. Kenna knew she was far from that, but she never put any effort into her appearance.
She didn’t see the point if all she did was stay home.
When she did go out, it was to the grocery store or to visit her parents.
Occasionally, Cam would convince her to grab drinks or lunch somewhere, but that was rare.
Kenna’s black hoodie paired perfectly with her favorite black leggings that had a hole in the inner thigh.
Her jet black curls were pulled back into a low pony, and that was pretty much all there was to her get up for the day.
Don’t be fooled, though, her face card never declined.
Ever. She had the prettiest toffee colored skin and green eyes with a light splatter of freckles right across her nose.
If she ever had the chance to get done up, it would be game over for anyone sharing space with her.
“How do you know this isn’t an emergency?” he asked, placing a dainty hand over his heart.
“What’s the emergency then, Cam?” Kenna’s brow arched as she pierced him with her eyes.
Cam fidgeted in his seat under her gaze before he finally broke. After sucking his teeth loudly, he threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, it isn’t an emergency. I do have a question for you, though, and before you say no, just remember you owe me.”
“Owe you for what?” Kenna’s face scrunched up in confusion.
“Lots of things.” Cam waved his hand in the air as if that wasn’t important, causing Kenna to snort in amusement. “Look, I won tickets to The Infernos game, and I want you to come with me.”
“Basketball?”
“Yup.” Cam grinned at her so widely, all his pearly whites showed.
“Cam, we don’t know nothing about no damn basketball. Why would you ask me to go with you?”
“Because I don’t want to go with anyone else.
” He pouted, causing her to sigh loudly.
The truth was, neither of them had any other friends.
Cam’s love life was way more active than hers, so at least he had that going for him, but they didn’t have any other friends.
That meant whenever Cam got a bug up his ass to do something, Kenna was typically dragged along.
“How did you win basketball tickets, anyway?”
Cam shrugged. “At work. Some kind of appreciation thing or whatever. I was the lucky winner.”
As a public school teacher, Cam didn’t get paid all that much, so the school he worked at did giveaways like this often to show appreciation.
Most of the teachers hated it and wished for more pay.
Cam, on the other hand, genuinely loved his job.
Kenna thought it was good for him. It healed him every day to work with children and feed their minds while keeping them safe, something he took very seriously.
Kenna told him how proud she was of him often because it damn sure could never be her.
She had yet to step foot back into another school.
A groan fell from Kenna’s lips as she leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Why? Why, God? Why did You have to choose him ?”
“Girl, stop being dramatic and say you’ll go. It’s tomorrow night. The seats are great too. Practically courtside. I know you’re kind of blind, so I figure we can have fun looking at all the fine ass basketball players on the big screen thingy.”
“It’s called a jumbotron,” Kenna said, still looking up at the ceiling.
“See? You already know more than me. Now you have to come.”
Kenna peeked over at him. “Because I know the name of the big screen?”
“Exactly. The game is even an early one. Starts at three.” Kenna shook her head, preparing to give some excuse, but Cam interrupted her. “Burger King.”
Kenna’s eyes widened as she sat up straight, looking at him like he lost his mind. “I can’t believe you’re using that on me right now.”
It was something they, well, mostly he , said to remind themselves of so many things.
All those years ago, if they had decided to skip school and go to Burger King, they would have missed the school shooting by mere minutes.
Of course, it wouldn’t have stopped Kenna’s world from tipping on its axis.
She still would have lost her brother that day, but it would have saved her from seeing everything firsthand with her own eyes.
Burger King reminded Kenna to sometimes make a decision that went against the norm in order to enjoy herself.
It reminded her to take chances on the little things that brought her joy because life was so short.
It reminded her to have fun from time to time.
If only she had chosen Burger King that day…
With a long sigh, she finally mumbled, “Fine.”
Cam clapped excitedly. “Let’s figure out what you’re going to wear. Oh, and I’m definitely doing your hair. You’re going to be so cute.”
He got up and walked out of her game room, which was really just the second bedroom in her townhome. Down the hall was the master bedroom and attached to that was her bathroom and her closet, which was filled with nothing but comfortable clothes to wear at home.
Kenna knew exactly what was about to happen in the next few minutes.
Cam wouldn’t find anything suitable for her to wear to the game tomorrow.
He would try convincing her to go to the mall with him, and now, she needed to think of an excuse quickly.
She already agreed to go to the game with him.
There was no way Kenna would be subjected to go to the mall tonight too.