Chapter 39 #2
Tasha’s whole body went stiff, her heart beating out of her chest. Her head turned slowly… real slow… until her eyes landed on Juelz, who was eyeing her constantly.
“WHAT THAT SPELL?” the cheerleader yelled.
The crowd got louder.
“JUELZ!”
Tasha blinked. “Oh my God…”
Before she could even process it, the chant switched up.
“Take him back!”
Clap clap.
“Take him back!”
Clap clap.
“Take him back!”
Clap clap.
Tasha’s mouth dropped open. She looked at Miracle and Tiffany, who were chanting along with the cheerleaders, as if they had been waiting for this moment. The two had already been engaged, but it was a spur-of-the-moment proposal and nothing like this. Tasha was really taken aback by all this.
“Did you really?” she whispered, turning to him.
Juelz rubbed his head back and forth, smiling.
“I did,” he said, shrugging.
“Juelz…” she warned.
But he wasn’t done. On the visitor side, a group of boys stood up at the same time, holding up poster boards.
One by one.
WILL YOU MARRY ME? The gym went crazy. Kids yelling, people laughing, phones out recording.
Tasha slapped her hand over her face. Her brain was not catching up fast enough. “Nahhhh… ain’t no way.”
Her heart started beating crazy in her chest as she turned, looking at Juelz, who was already on bended knee.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
Everything faded behind her. The noise, the crowd, the cheering.
Her eyes drifted toward the gym door and noticed Niyah, Sintonio, Kane, and Mar had arrived just in time.
“What the? Jue…” her voice came out barely above a whisper.
Juelz took her hand in the palm of his. “T, I know things been rough for us. When you left me? It was like my oxygen went witchu, Stank. I was losing my fuckin’ mind. Shit got dark for me, and I was doin’ shit that I knew was wrong. While in rehab… I had time to think.”
Tasha's hand flew to her mouth in shock. “Rehab—”
“I ain’t perfect,” he cut in, interrupting her. “But I swear I’ma different Juelz.” He slid the ring on her finger as the crowd went into a loud Aww. “Ion wanna keep living without chu, Tasha. I want you… I need you… Ain’t no version of my life that makes sense without you in it.”
Her hand trembled in his.
“When you was with that other nigga? I damn near lost it, T. You fucked me up with that one, on the real.” He took a deep breath, looking out at his crew below. “Tasha? What I’m tryna say is… I need my peace back, girl, and you the only place I get that from.”
He paused for a beat, kissing the back of her hand. “Just say you will marry a nigga.”
A tear slipped down Tasha’s cheek, and he wiped it away, looking dead in her eyes. The gym started reacting now. Murmurs, gasps, phones coming out, but Tasha was stuck. Frozen in time. Seconds passed. Then another. And another. Her heart was fighting her mind all over again.
Juelz looked up at her, and a small, nervous smile finally crept in.
“…Aye, woman. You gon’ make my hand fall off,” he said, holding the ring on her finger.
Tiffany and others burst out laughing, but his eyes never left hers.
Tasha let out a shaky breath, her shoulders dropping as she came back to reality at once.
“Yesss, Jueee… I’ll marry yo crazy ass.”
Juelz stood up, reaching out to hug her. “Hell yeah! And don’t just be wearin’ the ring this time. We going to get married ASAP.” He kissed her lips.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Shut up, Jue.”
“You want your chaos back?” Juelz asked, in between kisses.
“Yes! I want my chaos back,” she cried into his arms. The crowd went crazy around them, but neither of them cared.
She kissed him passionately, embracing the moment, and they continued to tongue each other as if they were the only person in the room.
Tasha pulled back just enough to look at him, her hands still on his face. “I can’t believe you did all this that quickly…” she said, shaking her head, smiling through the tears.
Juelz smirked, wiping under her eye with his thumb. “Believe it, bae. You know I had to outdo Sintonio ass.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, really.”
Sintonio shoved him in the back, laughing as he held onto Niyah, who was smiling ear to ear. “Congratulations, you two. Don’t mess this one up.”
Juelz hugged Tasha tighter. “Oh, I ain’t messin’ up no more. Fuck that.” He kissed Tasha again.
“AHT AHT! Save that for later! We got kids here watching,” Tiffany yelled beside them. Miracle was jumping and clapping, still cheering them on. “TT’s getting married! TT’s getting married!”
Down the court, the game had started back up, and Ant was staring up at them, then Tasha flashed him her ring. He immediately got happy. Ant was crazy about his uncle Jue. He wanted them back together more than anything.
As the game went on, Ant’s team was up by six points, and everybody was cheering loud as hell. “PASS IT! PASS IT!” Tiffany yelled, halfway standing up.
He didn’t. Ant crossed his defender instead. The boy stumbled. The whole gym reacted.
“OOOHHHH!”
Juelz jumped up instantly. “THAT’S WHAT I’M ‘TALMBOUT! COOK THAT NIGGA!”
Tasha grabbed his shirt again. “Jue, sit down!”
“I’m sitting, I’m sitting!” he laughed, dropping back down, but his leg was bouncing, energy too high to stay still. Basketball was Juelz's game. Ant drove to the basket—
Dribble. Left. Right. Defense tight.
“Move your feet! Move your feet!” the coach yelled. “Let’s go, Anthony.”
Pass. Back to Ant. He caught it. Drive. Layup. Missed. Rebound. Up again. Good. Score.
“Let’s go, nephew!” Tasha yelled before she could even stop herself.
Juelz turned his head, grinning at her. “See? You couldn’t help yourself.”
She sucked her teeth, trying to play it off. “Boy…”
But she was smiling. Time started running down. Score tight. It was a two-point game with thirty seconds left. The gym got loud again, everybody on edge, stomping, cursing, and clapping.
“Defense!” somebody yelled.
“Lock in. Lock in!” another voice followed.
Ant’s team forced a turnover. Ball back in their hands.
“Hold it! Hold it!” the coach screamed.
Clock ticking.
Ten seconds.
Nine.
Eight.
Ant got the ball again.
Juelz stood up without even realizing it. “Take the shot, Ant! Put it up! Put it up!”
Tasha was right next to him, biting her nails. “Shoot!”
Five seconds left in the game. Ant stepped back.
Shot up.
The ball flew through the air—
Everything slowed down.
Then—
SWISH.
The net snapped.
The buzzer went off.
Game over, the gym went crazy. Kids ran onto the court. Teammates tackled Ant in a pile.
“LET’S MUTHAFUCKIN’ GOOOO!” Juelz yelled, throwing his fist in the air.
He turned around and dapped up his crew.
Sintonio, Mar, and Kane. They were all cheering and proud of this moment.
Juelz and Tasha's engagement. Again. Ant’s team winning the final game of the season. It was a great day in the D.
Tasha laughed, clapping, her heart still racing.
“He did that,” she said, shaking her head. “He really did that.”
Juelz looked at her, pride all over his face.
“That’s my li’l nigga right there,” he said.
Ant broke free from the team and looked up at the bleachers. Right at them.
He pointed, tapping his chest, then pointed at Juelz. A silent… I see you, Unc.
Juelz nodded back, serious for once.
“I got you,” he mouthed.
Tasha watched that exchange, her chest tightening all over again—but this time it wasn’t fear.
It was something warmer. Something steadier. She looked down at her hand at the ring. Then back at Juelz.
“I love you, Jue!”
He reached for her, lifting her off her feet. “I love ya ass too, girl.”
She looked down at him, locking eyes, her voice dropping just a little. “Don’t fuck it up this time.”
Juelz smiled, spinning her once before setting her back down. “I won’t.”