6. Piper
“It’s only the beginning of the school year, and already, I’m overwhelmed.
Like, these professors just came freaking strapped this year with all these damn assignments and homework.
I’m so over it already.” Braelyn prattled off every detail of her disdain for having a mountain of schoolwork.
We were sitting outside of the cafeteria after getting our lunch.
Since it was a nice day, we decided to eat outside and away from the people we didn’t fuck with.
I understood her plight, though.
It was only my third day on campus, and already, I had homework and assignments that I’d missed since I returned late.
“I feel you.”
“Yeah, . . . I saw your face the other day when you had to be grouped with your enemies. I didn’t get a chance to ask, but why’d you walk out of class? Did them hoes say something to you?”
I smirked. “I thought you were trying to limit your curse words?”
“That was my first one for the day.”
“You said damn.”
She giggled. “Damn is not a curse word. That’s in the Bible.”
“So is ass and whore.”
“Well, did those whores say something to you?”
I smirked and shook my head before my smile faltered. “Of course, Sabrina had something to say out of her mouth. I honestly don’t want to deal with any of them. They think that just because they have money, that they don’t have secrets and problems like the rest of us.”
“Oooh, tell me the tea! I know you know something.”
A sly smile crossed my face. “What makes you think that?”
“Oh, please. This is your fourth year at this school and only my first. I know you know something.”
I shook my head and sighed. “Sabrina and I go way back. She’s from Detroit like me, and while we were never friends, I would see her around from time to time, and we’d hang out with the same people.
She never acted like she does now. It wasn’t until her dad passed away, and her mom got his insurance money, did she inherit this bougie, ugly attitude.
I guess she feels as if I’ll expose how her mom used to be a bottom bitch and how she came from humble beginnings. ”
Braelyn gasped lightly as her eyes blew up in surprise. “Really?” I nodded. “I would have never been able to tell. She’s a walking Barbie.”
“Yeah . . . A blow-up Barbie.” Braelyn almost choked on her milkshake, and I tapped her back to help her out.
She laughed and waved me off. “Oh my goodness, Piper. You darn near killed me.”
“I’m just saying.” I shrugged. “I’m not one to judge people for what they do, but when you come for me, just be prepared to get the same energy you give me.”
Braelyn nodded. “I feel you.”
“Hey, Brae!” We looked up to see one of our classmates, Gennel and two other girls walking up.
“Hey, girl! This is my roommate, Piper. Piper, you know Gennel, and these two are Robyn and Jessica. They’re in my psych class.”
“Heyyy,” they all chimed in as I waved. I didn’t want to be too friendly with these chicks, because again, I had trust issues with meeting new people. But I would try to be nice unless they showed me different.
“You mind if we sit with y’all cool girls?” Robyn asked.
“I don’t. You mind, Piper?” Braelyn asked.
I shook my head. “Be our guests.”
They all took a seat.
“So where are you from?” Jessica asked me.
“Michigan.”
“Really? I have family that lives there. Which part?”
“Detroit. Born and raised.”
“That’s what’s up. I love Detroit. I went down to visit my aunt, and she took me to see Chris Brown’s concert at the DTE Energy Music Theatre. Mannn, it was so hype!” Jessica exclaimed in excitement.
Braelyn laughed. “Oh, Piper loves Chris Brown.”
I side-eyed her as she laughed.
“Shit, who doesn’t? He’s fine and can sing and dance. And from that dick pic a long time ago, he definitely got the package to go along with that slick mouth,” Gennel said, fanning herself.
“You’re not lying,” I agreed as we slapped palms and laughed. “But he ain’t messing with us brown chicks. He has a preference now since that Rihanna scandal.”
Braelyn pointed at me. “You know, I did notice that. All the chicks he’s dated after her are foreign and light-skinned.”
We all nodded in confirmation before Braelyn’s boyfriend, Xander, walked up to our table. I could definitely see why Braelyn was smitten by him. He was tall, dark, and beautiful, and he was the star of the football team. His cocky build and the way he towered over Braelyn was a sight to see.
“Sorry to intrude on you ladies. How y’all doing?”
“Good,” we all replied.
“That’s what’s up. Baby, you got those notes I let you borrow?” he asked Braelyn.
“Oh! Yeah.” Braelyn reached inside her satchel and handed him a folder. “Thank you, babe. Those notes definitely came in a clutch.”
“You know I got you.” When he picked her up by her underarms and kissed her lips, I thought it was the cutest thing. “And fuck that nigga Chris Brown. I’d beat his dancing ass if you ever cheat on me with him.”
We all laughed as he kissed her again then said his goodbyes.
“Y’all are too cute, Brae. I wish I had a man who can pick me up like that.
Jerome’s weak ass can’t even lift my damn leg,” Gennel said, rolling her eyes.
That prompted us to laugh again. Before I knew it, it was time for us to go our separate ways.
I didn’t have class this afternoon, so I had agreed to meet with Khalil to start our paper.
I was so not looking forward to being around him.
“See you later, Piper. I’ll probably be spending the night with Xander tonight, so you’ll have the room all to yourself,” Braelyn said.
“Oh, joy!” I exclaimed sarcastically and laughed. She laughed and gave me a hug before she and the other ladies walked off after saying their goodbyes. I actually liked them. Their energy seemed genuine, and they actually made me laugh today, which felt good to my soul.
My phone chimed, alerting me of a text.
I opened it and frowned in confusion at the message I saw.
734-554-1224:
Meet me in front of the library in ten minutes.
Me:
Excuse me? Who the hell is this?
734-554-1224:
My bad. It’s Khalil. I should have started off with a greeting first, so please forgive me. Hi, how you doing today, beautiful?
My stomach felt queasy, and I could feel my cheeks heating a little.
No! Don’t you dare blush over this nigga. It ain’t even that type of party. I scolded myself.
Me:
How the hell did you get my number?
734-554-1224:
Come on na, shorty. I always get what I need and what I want.
Me:
Is that so?
734-554-1224:
Indeed. I’ll be waiting for you.
I put my phone back in my pocket and continued to sit and people watch. I had no idea what Khalil was up to, but I didn’t think I liked it too much.
Okay. Maybe just a little.
I made my way across the compound toward the library to meet with my arch nemesis and start on our assignment.
I was late on purpose because I didn’t trust him being nice to me all of a sudden. The way he kept looking at me and smiling that gorgeous smile did things to me, and I hated that for me.
Being around him wasn’t going to be good for me. I was already attracted to him—well, that was before he opened his mouth for the first time, and I realized I didn’t like him. Now, with what happened yesterday and him texting me today, I wasn’t sure if being in his presence was a good idea.
But the assignment had to get done. I was tempted to just do the paper on my own, then give it to them. That way, I didn’t have to collaborate with the crew of assholes at all.
Instead of meeting him in the ten minutes he asked me to meet him, I added on an additional ten minutes before I saw him in the parking lot, leaning on a black Benz truck with black rims and tinted windows. He was talking on his cell and looking every bit of an educated thug.
When I finally approached, he wrapped up his phone call.
“A’ight, beautiful. I’ll see you in a minute. I love you, too. Bye.” He hung up, and his eyes came to me.
I wonder if his girlfriend knows he just called me beautiful? So much for thinking I was special.
“I guess you can’t tell time, huh?” he queried.
“Don’t start your shit,” I said, cutting my eyes at him.
Dare I say I was a little jealous of him calling someone else beautiful?
Get your shit together, Piper. You do not even like him!
“I’m saying, though, shorty. I’m on a time schedule.”
“Well, I had to walk from the back of the compound. Surely, you know it takes a minute by foot,” I lied. I could have made it in five minutes, but I wanted to be stubborn because I wasn’t on his damn time.
“I could have come to pick you up.”
“I’m good. Let’s just go in here and get this started.”
“We’re not going in. We gotta do this at a new location.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hop in,” he said, opening his passenger-side door.
“Um, no thanks. I don’t get into cars with strange men.”
He chuckled. “You know me well enough to where I’m not a stranger anymore. Come on. I really have to go, and we have to start on this paper.”
“Where are we going?” I asked, moving closer to the luxury ride.
“You’ll find out when we get there.” When I just stood there, gazing inside the open door, he moved closer to me and whispered, “You’re safe with me, Pipe. Always.” The way his breath tickled my ear had me closing my eyes and clenching my vaginal walls tightly.
He then pushed his pelvis into my buttocks to urge me forward.
Please, Jesus!
I hurriedly moved and got inside the car, clutching my bag to my chest to hide my hardened nipples.
This wasn’t good.
I was not supposed to be attracted to the captain of the asshole gang. Yet I found myself envisioning his tongue circling my clit like the men did in the pornos I used to watch.
When he got inside, he looked over at me and smiled before starting the engine, turning up the volume on the Wayne track, and peeling out of the parking lot.
Neither one of us spoke the entire ride to wherever the hell he was taking me, but I welcomed the silence. Occasionally, he’d glance over at me, but I’d pretend to ignore him while playing Tetris on my phone.
It wasn’t until we entered a gated community that I paid attention to my surroundings. Every house on the block was huge in size with well-manicured lawns and pretty flowers.
I was intrigued but didn’t show it.
I just know he doesn’t live over here. No way, I thought just as we pulled into the driveway of a two-story home that looked too good to be true.
Finally finding my voice, I asked, “Where are we?”
“My home,” he said simply before getting out, grabbing his bag from the back seat, then coming around and opening my door. I sat still for a moment, wondering why the hell he would bring me to his home.
“Chop, chop, shorty. We got shit to do.”
“Why would you bring me here?” I asked.
“Piper, it’s not what you think, a’ight? For once, stop asking so many questions, and just follow my lead. I didn’t bring you here to harm you. Trust me. If I had that intention, I definitely wouldn’t bring you to where I lay my head.”
I sighed deeply, then got out of the car, following him up to the door.
He scanned a key fob, and the door unlocked to more luxury than I’d ever seen in real time.
Everything was white, tan, and dark blue.
The granite flooring in the foyer looked glossy and super clean.
I stood tensely by the door, still clutching my bag tightly, not wanting to touch anything in the pristine palace.
He was living like he’d already signed a contract with the NBA. But then I thought about his stepfather being Drew Stanford and understood how he was able to live like this.
“Kick ya shoes off, and put them on the rack for me,” he said, interrupting my thoughts. I did as he asked then resumed my position by the door.
He chuckled just as an older woman came down the hall with a baby strapped to her chest.
“Khalil, I told you we were fine. You didn’t have to leave school, boy!” she fussed at him.
“You said she was being fussy. I don’t want to put too much stress on you, Nana. Whenever you call with a problem, I’m coming.”
“I didn’t say it was a problem, Lilo. You’re doing too much. You see she’s quiet now. You don’t have to overcompensate for her. She’s still a baby!”
He has a baby! Oh my!
My thoughts were going haywire as I watched him take the precious little baby from his nana’s arms. Never in a million years did I think he would have a baby. Nevertheless, I didn’t think about him at all until recently.
I wonder which one of those floozies at school he impregnated. I’m wondering too damn much about him these days.
“I’m sorry, dear. I see my grandson has a one-track mind. I’m Khalil’s grandmother, Persia, but you can call me Nana,” she said, approaching me.
“My bad. Nana, this is Piper Sawyer. Piper, this is the best nana in the world.”
“Pretty name for a pretty girl,” Nana said, smiling at me.
I smiled back. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, Nana.”
“Nah, we ain’t having that. She ain’t get jumped in, so she can’t call you Nana yet,” Khalil said.
Nana swatted at him. “Boy, hush.”
My left eyebrow lifted as I looked at him. “Right. Before we jump you.”
“Oh! I think I like you already.” Nana smiled, wrapping her arms around me. My body loosened as the smell of lavender wafted up my nose. She smelled like fresh flowers and Bundt cake, if that combination even made sense.
“Anyway,” Khalil dismissed. “This is my world, Kiyanne,” he said, turning her toward me so I could get a good look at her. She was literally the spitting image of him but with softer features and had to have some of her mother in her.
Just a pinch.
“Hi, Kiyanne. You’re so precious. How old is she?” I asked him.
“Three months,” he answered.
“Aww. She’s gorgeous. I’m sure she gets it from her mom, though,” I jested.
“Aren’t you quite the jokester today, when five minutes ago, you thought I was going to chop you up in my basement.”
“What? That is not true!” I exclaimed as Nana laughed.
“Hand her here, Lilo. Gone and do whatever you brought her here to do,” she said, taking Kiyanne out of his arms. “And don’t worry, baby.
If there’ll be any chopping going on, it’ll be your voice.
But hopefully you’ll have some decorum unlike them other Jezebels.
” She winked at me as Khalil shook his head and laughed.
“You out cold for that, Nana.” She laughed and walked back toward the kitchen. “Where Ma and them go?”
“Took Kyani to the fair before they head back tomorrow!” she yelled behind her.
Khalil looked at me. “Come on. I know you’re about to ask me a thousand questions, so let’s get a snack and go to the basement.” My body tensed again as he laughed at me. “Girl, bring ya ass.” He took my hand and dragged me toward the kitchen.
For some reason, I knew this would be one visit I wouldn’t forget.