sixteen
Aaliyah's POV
The gym smells like sweat, rubber, and faint trauma from suicides and conditioning drills.
Zaria and I are perched on the bleachers like two VIP aunties at a middle school talent show.
Coach Evans spots us immediately and waves.
"MY FAVORITE GIRLS!" he booms.
"Hey coach!" we yell back.
He grins. "Take your seats. I'll tell Caleb to behave."
"He never does," Zaria shouts.
Caleb-doing free throws-turns, sees us, and gives a little salute.
Zaria wiggles her eyebrows. "Look at my man."
I roll my eyes but smile.
She leans closer. "Okay. Spill."
"What?"
"Don't play dumb with me." She pokes my thigh. "Leo. Café. Tension. Growling. Chest puffing. Protectiveness off the charts. DETAILS. NOW."
I take a sip of my water, pretending I'm calm.
I am not calm.
"Okay," I say, trying not to blush. "So Malik came up to me-"
"Oh HELL no." Zaria's entire body tenses like a lioness. "Did you tell Caleb? I'll tell him right now."
"No, wait-please don't-"
"BABE!" she yells toward the court.
"ZARIA DON'T-"
Too late.
Caleb jogs over, bouncing the ball. Sweat glistening. Muscles shimmering. All-American boyfriend energy.
"What's wrong?" he asks, already in protective mode.
"Nothing!" I blurt.
Zaria elbows me. "Tell him."
I groan. "Malik tried to talk to me."
Caleb's face goes FLAT.
"What?"
Coach blows the whistle. "Ramirez! Take over drills!"
Caleb crosses his arms. "What did he say?"
"Just hi," I mumble.
"And-?"
"And Leo shut it down."
Zaria SNORTS.
Caleb's jaw drops. "Leo??"
"Yeah," I whisper.
"Ramirez??" Caleb repeats, pointing to the floor like the name is printed there.
"Yes, Caleb."
Caleb shakes his head, stunned.
"Since when do YOU and RAMIREZ talk??"
"We don't," I lie.
"WE DO," Zaria corrects loudly.
I groan.
Caleb's face shifts into big-brother rage.
"I swear if Malik comes near you again-"
"He won't," I say quickly. "Trust me."
Zaria smirks. "You should've seen Leo's face."
Caleb looks horrified and impressed.
"Is he into you??"
"CALEB."
"What? I need to know if I have to kill him or not!"
"She's not dating Leo," Zaria says. "Yet."
"ZARIA."
She ignores me. "Anyway, Liya, tell him what Leo said."
"I'm not telling him that!"
Caleb's eyes widen. "WHAT DID HE SAY??"
"Nothing!"
"Liar," Zaria sings. "Leo basically told Malik that if he said ONE more word to Liya, he was going to send him back to freshman year."
Caleb's mouth drops open.
He looks... impressed??
Appalled??
Protective??
All three??
"Good," he decides. "That bastard needed someone else to humble him."
I blink. "Cal..."
He squeezes my shoulder. "I'm glad someone stepped in. Even if it was Ramirez the Reaper."
Zaria bursts out laughing. "RAMIREZ THE REAPER IS CRAZY HAHAHA-"
Caleb jogs back to practice, muttering, "If he hurts you I'm folding him like laundry."
Zaria grabs my arm the second he's gone.
"GIRL."
"What?"
"Leo LIKE-likes you."
"He does not."
"He DOES," she insists. "He's obsessed. OBSESSED, Aaliyah."
I try to hide my smile.
"Zaria-"
"No. Listen." She pulls her legs onto the bleacher like she's delivering a TED talk. "Men like Leo do not defend girls they don't care about. They don't show up to your apartment. They don't walk you home. They don't buy your coffee. They don't glare at Malik like that."
I pick at my straw nervously. "We're just... talking."
Zaria laughs in my face. "Girl. I've SEEN him look at you."
I blink. "What do you mean?"
"You really don't know?"
"Know what??"
She grabs my shoulders, eyes wide.
"Aaliyah. He looks at you like you're the first girl he's ever liked."
My stomach flips.
Hard.
"I- I don't know what he feels," I say softly.
"Okay then," Zaria says.
"We're gonna break this down like a crime scene."
She holds up a finger.
"Exhibit A: He saved you a seat."
I blush.
"Exhibit B: He bought you your exact coffee order."
My blush gets worse.
"Exhibit C: He body-blocked Malik like a WALL."
My ears burn.
"Exhibit D..."
She grins slowly.
"He only looks that stressed when he's trying not to kiss you."
I CHOKE.
"ZARIA-"
"No no no, don't hide from the truth," she says dramatically. "He wants you. You want him. I want popcorn."
I cover my face, squeaking. "Stop it."
She giggles and bumps my shoulder.
"You deserve someone who worships you. And he looks like he's halfway there already."
Before I can respond, the gym door swings open-
And Leo walks in.
Sweat on his shirt.
Jaw set.
Hair messy.
Eyes scanning the bleachers-
Stopping on me.
Zaria gasps.
"OH MY GOD HE'S COMING OVER."
"No he's not-"
"YES HE IS."
He walks toward us.
Slow.
Purposeful.
Focused.
People literally move out of his way.
My heart slams against my ribs.
He reaches the bleachers.
Stops in front of me.
"Hey," he says quietly.
My entire body lights up.
"H-hey."
His eyes soften the second he hears my voice.
"You good?" he asks.
I nod.
He looks at Zaria.
Then back at me.
"I can wait until practice ends," he says.
"If you want to walk back together."
Zaria's mouth falls open.
I swallow.
"Yeah," I manage. "I... want that."
A slow, subtle breath leaves him-like he was hoping I'd say yes.
"...Okay," he murmurs.
"I'll be right there."
He walks off toward the weight room-
And Zaria SLAPS my arm so hard I almost fall.
"AAAAAAAAAAH LIYAAAAAAH-"
"OW-"
"HE WALKED ACROSS THE WHOLE GYM FOR YOU-"
"ZARIA PLEASE-"
"YOU'RE IN. YOU'RE SO IN. HE'S GONE. HE'S FINISHED. HE'S IN LOVE."
I want to deny it.
I try.
But my heart?
My heart knows exactly where all of this is going.
And it scares me.
And excites me.
And feels dangerously, impossibly right.