5 5

"I'm telling you, J. If you want to see if he really cares about you then let me help you. I'm tired of the back and forth between you two. One minute your the happiest girl around and the next your moping." Issac was leaning against the locker next to Janaya's. "You have got to be tired."

"Don't you think its a bit much? If he really wanted to work on our relationship, he wouldn't be flirting with these females. In front of my face at that. At this point, I'm just tired."

"I know that fool too well. He's not used to receiving love, so when he does feel even the slightest bit of it, he runs. He wants love but is terrified to receive it. Its what makes him a coward. Sit back and let me handle this one." Issac smirked and walked off to his next class.

As long as he could remember, Elliott was an abandoned child. Elliott was raised by his foster family since he was five. A mother. A father and an older sister. Although they called him their family member, THEIR home never truly felt like his. He would often imagine having a huge family that loved him dearly. As the young boy aged, he was determined to make a family of his own. That he did. Issac, who was his brother. Kyla, who was the annoying sister-in-law. He wasn't sure who Janaya would be, but he was certain that he didn't want to lose her. He just didn't know how to express his feelings.

As the day went on, Elliott noticed that Issac seemed preoccupied with his phone throughout the class. The problem was, Kyla only checked her phone once. So who was he texting in the middle of independent study?

"Over there cheesing like some bitch at a B2K concert. Who are you texting?" Elliott questioned.

Issac beamed. "This fine chick. Cute in the face with a thick waist. I'm about to make her my queen."

"How? You still seeing Kyla. It's not like you can have both of them and they be okay with it."

Issac shrugged. "Kyla and I broke up two weeks ago, man. Where have you been?"

"Stop bullshitting me." Elliott rudely called for Kyla who was across the room. He watched as Issac continued to type away on his phone.

Kyla questioned. "What you want?"

"Ya'll broke up?" Elliott gave her a look of disbelief.

"Yeah."

"But I just saw ya'll buddy, buddy the other day."

"What's your point? We agreed to remain, friends, even though we broke up. Plus he's after my good sis." Kyla shrugged and walked back to her seat.

It wasn't even April fools and these people were playing jokes on him. He shrugged it off and texted Janaya. Hoping he could come to her house after school. However, she never read his message.

Since Elliott was off from work, he wanted to chill with his brother-Issac. Issac, on the other hand, told him he had a date and refused to tell him who the female was. After he got in his two-door car, he spent time at the mall. Janaya's eighteenth birthday was coming up and he wanted to buy something nice for her.

So he purchased a diamond bracelet she had been eying for a while. As he walked, a brown-eyed beauty caught his attention. She smiled shyly, walking past him. He turned around to speak but stopped when he heard a familiar laugh. He followed the sound and frowned.

Issac had his arm wrapped around Janaya's waist. He pulled her closer to his body as he whispered something in her ear. She leaned away while giggling. Her hand flirtatiously rubbed up and down his arm.

Elliott ignored the girl that was trying to get his attention. He marched over to where Issac and Janaya was.

"What the hell is this?!" Eliott demanded.

Issac side-eyed him. "Oh wassup, brother." He turned to Janaya. "Babe, do you want to see a movie or just chill at my place?"

"We can chill at your place. There's this movie I've been dying to see. We can rent it on the way."

Janaya ignored Elliott's ranting and began to walk off with Issac. However, Issac was yanked back by his shoulder. He leaned towards Janaya and kissed her plumped her lips. Almost as if he was savoring her taste. He pulled back and lightly bit her bottom lip. Unaware that Elliott was rushing over to them.

"You trying to push up on my girl? I thought we were cool." Said Elliott.

"What does me being cool with you have to do with treating a queen right? Last time I checked, you were slanging dick to the next. So why do you care? Mane, this wack. Let's go."

Elliott pulled him back and punched him. That led to Issac constantly throwing punches. Even Janaya begging couldn't stop the best friends from fighting. It took three security guards to break up the fight. Because of their age, the two boys spent the night in jail with a clean record upon release.

Issac and Janaya continued there charade until Elliott confronted him. He vowed to fight for Janaya by any means necessary. At every date, Elliott was there. At every car ride home from school, Elliott was there. At first, Issac wanted Elliott to realize exactly what he had. Soon after he just wanted to taunt his good friend.

When he saw Elliott break down and finally confess his feelings, Issac told him the truth. That he was, in fact, still with Kyla. They wanted him to wake up from the world in which he thinks Janaya would still be around no matter how bad he hurts her.

Janaya twirled the diamond bracelet around her wrist. She was nervous. The same feeling she felt when Elliott first asked her out. But it wasn't a date at all. She was just out with her two best friends. As the night went on, she began to relax her nerves.

There was just a certain feeling she couldn't ignore. Yet she didn't know what that feeling was. She couldn't explain it.