CHAPTER 13

MORGAN

I walked to the lift and joined two other people who were also going to my floor.

“Hmm!” I sighed quietly and after a few minutes, I walked out going straight to my door.

“Oh, great. Just great.” I yelled particularly at no one when the two bags of groceries got torn and I had to pick them up. Shortly after I was done, I unlocked the door.

“It's a good day, isn't it?”

“Whoah! Jerry, you scared me.” I put my hand on my chest for extra drama.

Jeremy stood at the window side, arms folded. He seemed composed but I felt something off about how calm he was. Jeremy only does this when he is super upset about something and does not want to talk about it.

Then my memory went back to our high school days, one time when I had pissed him off so badly.

Back in high school, Fred, Jerome's friend, wanted to make a move on me but Jerome was clearly against it. He had told me time without number how Fred had the wrongest intentions for me. But well, what else could I have done to rile him up when he had started talking to Norman, the leader of the basketball cheerleaders? She was every definition of annoying, mean, and rude.

Jerome had come from his house to wait for me at mine.

“How long will it take to get yourself together? Girls.” He groaned. “I'll be in the car.” He said and walked out of my room.

“Mm... all done.” I walked out shortly after him, locking the doors since my dad was not yet home. Off, we drove to Bryan's house. Bryan was known for his crazy parties and they always had themes. This party's theme was the end-of-year party, because we had finished the academic year, and we were going to be seniors when we went back to school the next semester.

“Aren't you going to tell me how good I look?” I asked with an eye roll and a scoff.

“Nope... you in this very hot dress, not at all. You gon' get all the guys to be looking at you.”

“You're impossible. If it were to be Norman, I have no doubt you will be blessing her with compliments.” I kissed my teeth after I poured out my heart. He said nothing but smiled as we both got down from the car and walked to the entrance of the house.

“Tonight's party will be one to remember, I can feel it,” I said in excitement.

“Definitely. You never told me who your date is for tonight.” Jerry said.

“You will see the person once we’re in there. Don't you love surprises?”I smiled innocently at him.

“God, how I hate it when you talk like this.” We both giggled. The party was to start at 8 pm but thanks to me, we were 30 minutes late. I still remember it like it was today.

People held red cups filled with alcohol, no doubt. One or two of the people seemed drunk already.

At the door was Fred, in his simple but nice outfit. Damn, he was hot.

“Hey, man.” Jerome greeted him with a handshake and a quick hug.

“Who's your date?” Fred asked Jerome.

“Isn't it obvious? Norman.” I rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time.

“Who's your date?” Now, Jerome asked Fred.

“You're looking at her,” and then he extended his arm to me, which I took. I could see the shock on Jerry's face.

“Is this your surprise?” He asked me and I nodded. Tapping him lightly on the shoulder, Fred and I excused ourselves.

Everything was fine. The music was good.

“You look amazing, Morgan.”

“Thank you, so do you. You look good.”

“Thank you, Milady. It would have been a big shame on me if you had another guy as your partner instead.” I just smiled at him and immediately when he pulled me by my waist closer to him, there was a change of music from cool to hip-hop.

Maybe I felt thankful to the DJ because it felt very weird dancing with him. He was good though, but he had his eyes fixed dangerously on me that made me feel like shrinking.

“Do you want a drink?” He asked me and I hesitantly said yes.

“I'll be right back.”

“Sure,” I nodded with a smile.

At the far end, I saw Jerry and Norman looking cute and happy, ugh how I hated her. Seconds, he caught my eye, and I saw him whisper into her ear before making his way to me.

“Why didn't you tell me?” He asked, glaring at me.

“Don't go there with me, Jerry. You're with Norman when you know I don't like her, so do not lecture me.” I crossed my arms.

“It’s not the same, Morgan. I like Norman but you don't like Fred. Now where's he?”

“Getting us drinks.”

“Do not over drink, and do not leave my sight, you understand?” I nodded before he went back to Norman, while Fred came back to me shortly after.

“Sorry I kept you waiting,” he apologized.

“It's fine. Don't worry.”

“We're good then,” he looked at the drink in my hand. “Drink up, it's really good. You'll love it.”

“Mm,” I didn't say much and brought the cup to my mouth. With a little sip, I crunched my nose at how strong it was. Fred giggled behind me.

“Take it slowly. Try again.” So I did.

“It's good, huh?” He asked and I nodded.

“Come here,” he opened his arms and I moved closer into his arms, he circled his arms around me, sniffing my hair lightly.

I felt weak abruptly, I wanted to sleep.

“Fred,” my voice came in as a whisper.

“Shhh! I'm here.”

“I think I want to sleep,” I spoke again.

“You can't sleep now, honey. But I can take you somewhere quiet.” He pulled me back a little and cupped my face in his palms.

“What are you doing?” I asked with my slurry voice.

“Nothing that should bother you too much. Just enjoy it.” He closed the gap between us. I knew he had put something in my drink that was making me feel the way I was feeling, but I still had some energy to see what was going on around me.

Fred's lips came crashing down on mine.

“Fred, what was that for?” I asked, irritated when I pulled myself away. “Why did you do that?” I asked again.

“Don't tell me you didn't like it.” He pulled me to him again, and the next thing came too quickly. Jerome, from nowhere, launched a punch to his face.

“How many times have I warned you not to put her on your list? You're my friend but I won't tolerate such disrespect from you.” He was seething.

“Jerry, it's fine.”

“Are you okay?” He asked me.

“Yeah, er, I don't feel too well.” He held my hand and led me away from Fred and the crowd that had formed around us, straight to his car.

“Jerry, I don't feel fine.” I rushed to the nearby bush and threw up whatever I had drunk.

When we got home, he had allowed me to take a bath, my dad hadn't come home, so he decided to stay home with me. He kept folding his arms and then released them every second, he refused to talk. Jerome was my brother even though we had different parents, and we were always seen together, making people think we were a couple.

“Please say something.”

“I should keep quiet, I can't promise you what I will say if I start talking now.”

I was pulled out of my trance when I heard him ask if I was okay.

“Oh, yes, yes,” I smiled.

“What's up with you?” I asked. I hadn't seen him for three days after he went out with his boys.

“I just came to see you.” He hugged me. Sometimes, trust me, he could be weird.

“Are you sure everything is okay?” I asked, worried.

“Yes, baby girl. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. I thought you've now chosen your boys over me.” I pouted after we broke the hug.

“Of course not. Why would I do that? You're my best friend, and even though we won't live together forever, I'm not leaving you now or ever.” He kissed my forehead before helping me arrange the items I had brought.

“What's happened to you, you're being too sweet?” I asked but he said nothing.

“You will never believe what happened to me the day you were going out with your boys,” I screamed from the kitchen, I had started making us something to eat.

“You told me nothing was wrong with you. I'm all ears.” He replied, coming to stand by the kitchen door.

I started, “Kyle asked me to go to Aphrodite, but I didn't have to work that night. Jabari wanted to talk to me…” I told him everything, not missing any detail, and he listened carefully, only asking questions when I finished.

“You mean, he was here today?”

“Yes.”

“And he drove you to the grocery shop?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, interesting.”

“And,”

“And?” He asked, raising his brows.

“He said he'll have his driver come for me this evening, he wants to tell me something. I have no idea about what he wants to say. And he said black is his favorite color.”

Jerome chuckled. “One bad man, eh!” He laughed.

“Hey, before I forget, I met George.”

“George... George, your ex?”

“Yes. I've met him twice. Today was the second time we met, and he said he wanted us to talk but Jabari beat him to it.” I chuckled when I thought of it. “He called me Baby in front of George.”

“Interesting. This thing with you and Jabari keeps getting interesting all the time.”

“Oh, stop. So how did your night out with the boys go? You didn't talk about it.”

“It was fun, as usual.”

“Different girls, I guess?” I asked.

“You bet”' He came to the fridge, took out a carrot, and kept staring at me while he chewed the carrot.

“What?”

“Nothing, I'm just really famished, you know.” Then we started laughing.

_____

In the evening, after Jerry and I had watched a movie together and slept half of the day, I got ready for Jabari.

“How do I look?” I asked Jerome when I barged into his room.

“Damn!” Immediately, he got up from his bed and took his mobile phone. “You've got to let me take a picture. You look good, and Jabari's jaw is going to drop when he sees you.”

I laughed. I struggled while searching for something to wear, before I settled on this black, tassel split, sleeveless, body-con dress.

“Thank you, Jay.”

“Smile.”

“Jay,” I don't even know the last time I took a picture.

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