16. Piper #2
“Don’t worry. After two more shots, you’re not going to give one fuck. Here.” She handed me another shot.
“I see all that trying not to curse isn’t working tonight.” I smirked.
“I’ve been drinking. I’ll repent tomorrow.”
“Girl!” We both laughed and tossed back the shots. After twenty minutes, I started to feel the effects of the liquor and felt nice and buzzed. I pulled my cell from my clutch and went to our text thread.
Me:
We’re headed out now. Are you on the way?
My Forever:
Almost there. Can’t wait to see my bad-ass Betty wifey.
I giggled.
Me:
Can’t wait to see my sexy ass Barney Boo!
“Alright, ladies! Let’s roll!” Gennel yelled.
I slipped my phone back in my clutch, then followed the ladies out of the house.
Since the frat house was only three blocks down, we decided to walk.
The whole way, we laughed, and some of the ladies flirted with the men on the block who were either passing out candy or heading to the party as well.
When we finally made it to the block, it was packed with students from TSU. Since I took those shots, my anxiety had been almost nonexistent. I was still skeptical about being at this party, but Braelyn, Gennel, Robyn, and Jessica made it more tolerable.
“Damn, I hope they don’t call the cops. There are way too many people up in here,” Sasha said once we made it through the front gate.
“Girl, the cops would be in here partying with us. This is Coby Jacob’s house. You know his uncle got them on the payroll,” Anna, another sorority sister of Jessica’s, said.
“You know what? You’re right,” Gennel said, then they all laughed.
I looked around for Khalil’s truck but didn’t see it.
I pulled out my cell to call him, but his phone went to voicemail.
I followed the ladies inside and was impressed with the decorations around the huge home.
Spider webs, smoke machines, creepy statues, and Halloween decor lined the walls of the mini mansion-type home.
Red lights glowed, and the music blasted through the deejay’s speakers.
It was kind of difficult to see until the lights switched from red to normal. People danced in the center of the living room with red cups in their hands and blunts between their fingers.
The ladies and I formed a train, heading toward the open kitchen, where there was food, drinks, and brighter lighting.
Inside the kitchen, my arch-nemesis and her friends were there, along with Jalen, Lamar, and the rest of their basketball crew.
Jalen stood, leaning against the wall, while Davina leaned into him, smiling and running her finger down the length of his jawline while smiling flirtatiously.
I looked over at Jess, and her eyes were already locked in on them. I could see the hurt in her eyes and shook my head. I hated that she allowed him to play her out like that. Jalen was a ho, and he did nothing to hide that fact either.
“Hey. You okay?” I asked her, placing my hand on her shoulder. She blinked a few times before she gave me a fake smile and waved it off.
“Of course, girl. It’s too many fish in the sea to be worried about one funky one.”
“I know that’s right, pooh. You’re too pretty to be played like you ain’t that bitch,” Robyn countered a little too loud, which prompted the goon squad and Davina to look over at us.
“Let’s get some spooky punch and go shake our asses!” Gennel exclaimed. I could see Jalen looking guilty and shook my head at him.
Niggas ain’t shit.
We got us a drink then headed back into the living room area. I checked my phone to see if Khalil called or texted me, but there was nothing. My eyes scanned the area until I saw Keith standing by the deejay booth, and I decided to ask him if he’d seen Khalil since they were together earlier.
“I’ll be right back,” I told the ladies, then made my way through the crowd, stopping where Keith stood.
“Hey, Keith. Have you seen Khalil?” I asked.
“Nah, not since earlier. He said he was headed to the crib to get changed.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
I walked away, pulling out my phone and calling him again. This time, the phone just rang out until his voicemail picked up. I decided to just enjoy the party until he arrived.
“Get Low” by Lil John and The Eastside Boyz queued, and we all gathered on the dance floor.
Gennel and Braelyn sandwiched me, and we danced on each other.
I didn’t like attention, but apparently, our dancing drew the crowd toward us.
Since I’d been drinking, I didn’t care too much about who watched.
“Ayyyee! You better do that shit, friend!” I heard Braelyn yell as I bent over in a full twerk. After a few minutes, I felt a hard body press against me. Thinking it was Khalil finally gracing me with his presence, I put a little extra twist in my hips and ground my ass against him.
“Damn, Piper. I didn’t know you could move like that.”
That voice instantly snapped me into place as I swiftly turned, seeing Jaylin Griggs standing there, cheesing at me.
“Jaylin, . . . boy! I thought you were my man.”
“Who’s your man?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “You know who he is.”
“Can’t be too much of your man if he got you out here alone, looking like you should be mine.”
I smirked a little, head tilting, and eyes squinted at him.
Smooth.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend?”
“Had. We broke up weeks ago.”
“Oh, well, that’s too bad. You be good, though.” I attempted to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist lightly.
“I need to holla at you about something.”
“What?”
“Can we go somewhere private and talk?”
“I can hear you just fine, Jaylin.”
He leaned down in my ear and whispered, “I ain’t trying to step on homie’s toes, but you know I been feeling you since our study session. Homie is on his way to the league, and I don’t think he’s planning on taking nobody with him, if you know what I mean.”
I stepped back some and glared at him. He wasn’t the first person to say that to me, and it was honestly becoming annoying. The way Khalil was with me didn’t give me the vibe that he had plans of ghosting me. I was never dumb, and I knew this shit was some kind of setup.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” I turned to see Nia standing behind me with a light smirk on her face, looking between Jaylin and me. “Looks a little cozy over here, wouldn’t you agree, Piper?”
I frowned. “No, I don’t agree at all. Aren’t you supposed to be with your daughter?”
I could see her eyes darken as she sneered at me. “Keep my business out of your mouth, you home-wrecking ho.”
“Home wrecker? You would technically have to be married for me to be considered a home wrecker. You only have his baby, not his last name.”
“You really think you’re hot shit, don’t you?
” She chuckled menacingly. “That’s what he does.
He befriends you, fucks you, then spoils you right before he disses you for the next bitch.
You’re not special, sweetheart. If a bad bitch like me gave him a baby and couldn’t keep him, what makes you think you have a chance? And I’m killing you on my worst day.”