Sneaking into Surfside, after hours? Fuck yeah. No crowd? No waiting on rides? No crying ass kids? That was the life. And as far as Koi was
concerned, he was going to play like that shit was on purpose? Having to sneak in was definitely his fault though. How was he supposed to know that
the park closed early during off season? Yeah, he'd lived in KR for almost three years, but shit like that didn't really stick to memory. It was more
than a bitch walking up to the ticket windows and seeing signs posted with some shit about the earlier nights because school was back in session and
blah, blah, blah... The only thing the park closing early did was put a serious hitch in he and Dev night, which was on some "cut loose" shit after
two hours of straight studying...okay, one hour of chiefin' and bullshittin' followed by an hour of straight studying. So what, the deserved a break.
And they were about to get it, regardless what those dumbass signs, which Koi aptly ignored, said. Instead of taking them seriously, he did the next
best thing...jumped the turnstile and kept it moving. With a bag of kush and his chick homie by his side, the night was about to be live.
"Shit..." He muttered, crouched on the ground beside the control panel of the brightly colored carousel, the knife he usually used to freak his blunts
wedged in the metal door of the panel. He was going to pop the bitch open if it was the last thing he did...especially since Devyn thought he
couldn't. Hot wiring a carousel. He didn't care what she said! It was possible and he was going to prove it to her. He should've bet
something on it. But proving it and seeing the look on her face when he did would be enough. The carousel was old enough, the faded colors of years of
repaints showing through on some of the animals on the ride. And if it was old enough, then the wiring wouldn't be that sophisticated. That was all
Koi needed to know. Sure, this was bound to be different from jumping a car, which just happened to be on the list of "shit I've done", but knowing
that it was old was good enough. The older, the easier.
"You know, I'm getting tired of you doubtin' my game, Hips..." He said, speaking louder so that his voice could reach Devyn's ears. His knife
finally popped the door on the metal casing open. He looked inside, his eyes narrowing with doubt as he surveyed the wires inside. This shit was
definitely going to be harder than he thought.
What were they doing here? Surfside was closed. Closed meant no rides, or games, or food. Damn she had the munchies. They’d been smacked since they
got together that day, having smoked a little before attempting to study before deciding to come here. Sadly, neither of them had bothered to look up
the hours for the park because, it was indeed deserted. Was being the operative word as Koi took the closed signs as a challenge rather than
a reason to turn back. Hopping the turnstile, the two of them moved through the park in the quickly settling dark. His plan was to hotwire the
carousel at the far end of Tiny Man’s Turf. Ha. Now that was something she’d never seen...had never thought to see. Hotwiring cars sure, even a
riding lawnmower once, but a children’s carnival ride? This was going to be different.
But it always was with Koi. They’d been hanging out quite a bit in the last few weeks, most of her free time spent “studying” with him, which
could mean anything from getting high to just riding around in the Impala. He was cool people, contrary to what her cousin wanted her to believe. Koi
was a good enough guy and Devyn couldn’t deny they fun they had together...as friends. Neither of them had really pushed for anything more after
that party and she was becoming okay with the fact that maybe...neither of them ever would. She giggled a little watching him pop open the control box
to the carousel, his brow furrowing as he took a look inside.
“It’s not your game I doubt here kid-,” she said with a giggle, leaning over a little to look over his shoulder. All she could make out was a
mass of wires. She couldn’t make sense of it but, if Koi could...more power to him. Walking past him, she took a seat on the stool next to the
control stand a sigh leaving her lips as she pulled a ‘rello from her front pocket. “Pass me the bag. I’ll roll one so we’ll be high enough to
ignore the disappointment of your failure.” She laughed a little. She was going in but, it was all in good fun.
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Sucking his teeth at Devyn's words, his eyes left the mass of wires in the casing and looked at her as she leaned over his shoulder. Doubting his game
was exactly what was going down at the moment. Or maybe his game was just a bit more "amped" than it should've been because of the quickly waning
awesomeness in his system at the moment. A devilish smirk broke the playful stare as she leaned in closer, looking at the same "problem" that he'd
seen. Wires for days. Fuck them. There wasn't a problem that he couldn't solve on Lady MJ. There was one thing that no one EVER needed to question him
about. And that was the reason behind his eternal elevation. Intoxication made him invincible. A feat that his life hadn't been able to achieve on its
on. Real life made him the son of two parents that didn't give a damn about anyone but themselves and a past, present and future fuck up. Ascended
life meant all of that went away. He was "Koi" when he was high. He was someone else when he wasn't. Not the other way around.
"Oh, you made a funny..." Koi said, a pretend chuckle on his unamused lips, his eyes still watching as she walked to the carousel operator's stool.
Damn. Friendship or not, he still couldn't resist watching Devyn walk. Speaking of friendship, things between he and Devyn were going swimmingly. She
was definitely living up to the title "chick homie". They had been Siamese-ing it up for the past couple of weeks and Koi had to admit, he kind of dug
it. She was cool people, like real talk. She talked basketball and video games with him, rolled a fierce ass blunt and even tutored his illiterate ass
in the history class that they now shared. His boys needed to watch their asses because she easily trumped them all. "Whatever, lil' nigga. We'll
spark after my triumphant defeat of this motherfucker." With a genuine laugh, he pulled the bag from his pants pocket and handed it to her, turning back to his work. One thing that set her apart? He didn't have to watch her with his weed. She knew
what she was doing, probably better than some of the dudes he smoked with on the regular. And even if he didn't have to watch her...he liked to.
"You talking serious shit over there. It's going to kill your ego when I get this thing working..." IF he got it working. Jacking cars was different
from jacking a big ass carousel with a motor, not an engine. But he was doing his best, finding the wires that luckily hooked up to the old engine in
the control panel. All he had to do was find his positive wires and the shit that started this big ass contraption and he'd be good. Finding one of
the wires that he was hoping was the right one, he cut rubber on the outside and began searching for the next one.
She laughed a little as he told her he was going to kill her ego by getting the carousel to work. Doubtful. It wasn’t like he had to anyway. She was
enjoying his company all the same. Which had been the usual. They had been kind of inseparable in the past couple weeks; it was odd though, as they
fought about something, no matter how small at least once when they were together. Like their study session for instance. She wanted to smoke after,
not before, so they could focus. Koi didn’t agree and they went at it for a good 15 minutes before she caved. What with him yelling at her and her
throwing low blows at his study habits, she needed a smoke to even her out. But it was never anything big, as Koi had been...decent to her, since they
made up after his party.
Pulling a blade from her back pocket, Devyn split the ‘rello, letting the guts fall where they may as she adjusted her posture so that her thighs could act as a base. She smiled a little her, eyes falling on Koi as her hands still freaked the blunt. Really, why was this so important
to him. Besides the fact that she’d told him he couldn’t do it, was it really that big of a deal that they ride the carousel? Could they even stay
long? Didn’t any kind of security work the place?
“You know we’re trespassing, right?” she asked, her tongue wetting the paper as she rolled up, “Carter told me you’d end up getting me
arrested-,” she giggled a little. That wasn’t something she’d never done before. Life back home was a series of run-ins with the boys. It was
nothing new to her; it was the life her family lived. She finished, pretty darn satisfied with the way this baby had turned out...now all she had to
do was dry it. “Got a lighter? I think I left mine in the Impala.”
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Trespassing? That was the least of Koi's concerns at the moment. Not that crossing the law was ever a concern considering he'd done it enough
times to probably have his own shelf in the records department in police department in Detroit. Staying out of the way of the law couldn't have been
lower on the list of things he gave a shit about. Mostly because his Pops took care of anything that had a chance of making its way to his personal
record. And that was the one and only thing his father was good for, come to think of it...even if his reasons behind keeping Koi "in the clear" were
selfish as hell. It was ten times harder to get a kid with a rap sheet as long a Tolstoy novel into a school with a top NCAA team. And it was even
harder to make said kid a first-round pick and an NBA rookie superstar. And if there wasn't fame for the son, there wasn't continued fame for the
father. And nobody was happier knowing that "like father, like son...", even if it meant that his Pops had to keep pockets heavy to keep
their...Koi's future secure.
Sucking in air, Koi drew back his hand, a droplet of blood pooling at the side of his finger, the tip of his nice pricking his skin. Shit. Wasn't he
supposed cutting wires? "Oh shit. Trespassing? Damn...you think we might...get arrested for that?" With a sneer, he rolled his eyes at Devyn, sticking
his punctured finger into his mouth. For a completely bad ass bitch, she was worried about trespassing? That was new. Then again, it wasn't. When Koi
thought about it, things were a bit interesting with her, like her insides were doing a tug of war with her. Like underneath that bad body and that
devious smile, there was a good girl lurking beneath. And the good girl was the one that he couldn't seem to stop fighting with because she said
stupid shit about trespassing.
"I'm really not worried about some flashlight cop shining me to death and..." Koi's voice slipped into silence as soon as he heard a name slip from
Devyn's mouth. That name. Carter. Carter fucking Nixon. What the hell was he doing in their conversation? That pansy ass, motherfucking, stick up
the...he hated that dude. Not only was he a smart ass, boring as fuck "Dudley Do-Good", he was on King's basketball team too, which was just another
venue for him to be everybody's fucking golden boy. The kid had no swag on the court and he definitely had none off of it. And maybe, just maybe if he
wasn't staring the skin off Koi, judging HIS life, the jealous bitch could've had one of his own. Was it any wonder why "Boring as Paint Drying"s name
being Devyn's tongue was such a surprise? That cat wasn't her style...or so Koi thought. Which was why seeing her get out of the guy's car on occasion
hadn't really bothered Koi too much. Now that she was quoting the nigga like law? Yeah, shit was getting interesting.
"Carter said? Carter Nixon?" With a look in her direction, his brow furrowing, he reached in his pocket and pulled out his lighter, tossing it in her
direction. "Nigga's got my name in his mouth again, I see..." He muttered more to himself than to Devyn. Fiddling with the wires that weren't making
any more sense now than they did minutes ago when he started, he let a short silence fall between he and Devyn.
"You've been talking about me with Carter? So...that's how Devyn likes them? Tall, dark and boring as fuck? Please tell me you're using that kid for
his car...please."
Yeah, trespassing. Unlike Koi, she no longer had anyone to fall back on should she get herself into trouble. Her father’s pocket cops were long gone
and part of her felt like her aunt didn’t have pull like that. She had charges on her record and they would stay there until she hit 18. Daddy
wasn’t changing shit for her, especially not now that she had disappeared with something very important to him...hell, probably not even
after that. Devyn was playing games with his money and that mean she was playing games with her life. Fuck what she needed. If he found her, he would
give her what she was sure she didn’t want. But that was a far away worry. A headache she wouldn’t let herself care about until the time came...if
it ever did.
Now she would listen to Koi shit talk about how much of a lame she was for even bringing the shit up. Well ex-fucking-cuse her for worrying
about her future. Not evenone was set up to play for the pros out of college. Devyn actually had to stay on something like the straight and narrow if
she was trying to make it...lest she turn out like her father...or worse; her mother. She shook her head a little, tuning back into what Koi
was--woah. What? Was he...was he mad right now? Her face conveyed a soft confusion as he tossed the lighter to her a little harder than he really had
to. “What?”
Yeah, Carter. What was the big deal? She talked to him about stuff, sometimes stuff included Koi...although she was never really the one to bring him
into things. Carter didn’t very much care for Koi and the more Devyn chilled with him, the more annoyed with him Carter became...it seemed the
feeling was mutual with the way Koi was getting all worked up. A short silence fell between them in which they just kind of stared, each of them
waiting on the other to explain. Devyn didn’t, so Koi asked.
“First off, I haven’t been talking about you with Carter. Carter has been talking to me about you. Secondly, what are you even talking about? Why
are you so heated right now?” She fired up the lighter, running the blunt through the flame a little as she dried it. Seemed they would need this J
sooner rather than later. He was about to start another fight. “I’m not using him for anything. Carter is cool peoples.”
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Question still existed: why the raw fuck was Carter Nixon's name in their mouths right now? Koi couldn't figure it out as he watched the look
of confusion settle on Devyn's face. His stubborn gaze was just as confused as hers, waiting for something that would explain why she was even wasting
breath talking about someone like Carter. Scratch that, why was she even wasting breath talking to someone like Carter? That dude represented
everything that they weren't. He didn't smoke, he didn't party...and as far as Koi knew, he was Jesus's first cousin or some shit. Dude didn't even
get his dick wet. That equation equaled out to a whole bunch of boring. Yet, Devyn felt the need to bring that dude up and quote him like his words
were gold. Well, he was the golden boy, right? Everyone smelled his shit and called it "roses". The faculty, the other students...their coach. The
only people that saw him for the judgmental ass he was was Koi. And his boys. Guess they just had a knack for sniffing out bullshit. Especially when
it called he and his boys "slackers" and ratted them out whenever it got the chance. Bull...shit.
"Wording." He muttered snidely at Devyn, his voice going dark as she talked about Carter, correcting Koi about how his name really came up in
a conversation that he was still trying to figure out. Wording didn't matter. Point was, his name had come up. And probably not for a good reason.
Damn, he hated Carter. There was a whole ass load of hate for that dude and Koi didn't feel too bad about it. Maybe if the kid hadn't been such a
snitch about things that didn't really involve him, he would've felt different. It'd happened once before. Carter's tattlin' ass getting Koi into
deeper shit than he could dig himself out of by himself, leaving him to ask his father for help...something that burned him so bad from the inside
that his goddamn stomach hurt. And now it was happening again. Just what had Carter said?
"Yeah he's real cool..." With a scoff of disgust, he snapped his pocket knife closed and leaned back, falling off of his crouched legs to the ground,
he looked up at Devyn, watching her burn the blunt. With all the thoughts about that nigga Carter and the inability to make a carousel move, he was in
need of a good toke. "...so, you gonna tell me what dude said about me...you know, besides the fact that I'd get you arrested." THAT was some shit.
Ugh. She rolled her eyes as this conversation continued. She hadn’t meant for this to happen. She’d said his name in passing, expecting that it
would be overlooked, not scrutinized. Jesus. Was all this really necessary? She got enough of it from Carter every time she came home from a
chill session with Koi; now she had to hear it from the other side? Ugh! Boys! Couldn’t they fucking fight and get it over with? Apparently not. No,
instead they would throw shots at each other through Devyn and get her a nice, cozy seat in the middle of their shit. Great. If she’d have known it
was going to come to this she wouldn’t have even brought it up. She had to learn to think about the shit she said before she said it. She might have
guessed that mentioning Carter to Koi would have the same effect mentioning Koi to Carter did...Now she was fucking stuck...with this....bullshit.
Watching him give up on getting the carousel started, he responded, coming for her cousin the same way Carter did him. She was going to end up telling
them both the same thing. To mind their goddamn business. Neither of them had any say about the people in her life and if they liked being in it
themselves, they’d shut the fuck up. Ugh, she hated this! Was it time to spark up yet? Koi was running on a nerve that was threatening to snap with
every second this conversation went on...so you gonna tell me what dude said about me?
“No-,” she said simply, her eyes narrowing as she watched him. Her conversations with her cousin were just that. Her fucking conversations. That
wasn’t any of Koi’s business. “Are you going to tell me what’s got you panties in a twist about this? Why are we even talking about Carter
right now?”
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Getting rid of one annoyance just wasn't an option as another one was about to take its place. If Koi wanted to be irritated out of his damn mind that
night, he would've kept fooling with a carousel that wasn't anywhere near moving. Mostly he'd just gutted the thing, leaving a hell of a lot of
repairing for the person that found the control box in the morning. Nevermind the fucking carousel. Better yet, he would've ditched spending time with
Devyn and stayed at home that night as his mother had just gotten back from yet another "Kidd's Kids" Foundation event in Detroit and was on a damn
rampage since news about his father had met her as soon as she'd stepped off the plane. Money had gone missing (yet, again) from his parent's joint
account. It wasn't accounted for and it had his Pops' name written all over it. Great, another mistress. But Koi had missed that too as he'd met up
with his chick homie for some studying and de-stressing. But Devyn was giving him a completely new object of annoyance to focus on. Goddamn Carter
Nixon.
"Wait..." A smile that didn't display the humor in the irony of the moment falling on his lips. What the hell? Where the hell did they do that at?
Devyn literally brought this guy up into their conversation, mentioned that both of them had been talking about Koi and then told him, in the same
fucking breath, that she wasn't going to repeat what they'd talked about? The fuck game was she playing? She was on some ridiculous shit right now and
honestly, if she hadn't rolled the immaculate blunt that she was drying at the moment, Koi might not have thought about his words before he came at
her.
"Why are we talk-...you brought him up, Dev. Not me..." His voice was exasperated, confused, for lack of a better word. If she didn't want to have
this conversation about her boy, then maybe she shouldn't have been so excited about bringing him up. "And my boxers are in a bind because I don't
like his goody two-shoes ass, plain and simple...does there need to be more to that answer or does that suffice?" Watching her the same way she peered
at him, he waited for her response, ready for the challenge that those narrowed eyes were telling him he was about to get as he looked up at her.
"Y'know, I love how biased your ass is. You won't answer SHIT for me but you're demanding something back? Nah, it doesn't work that way. Quid pro
quo, Hips..."
Why was he doing this? Dwelling on something that didn’t matter. She didn’t care what her cousin thought about him, she was still here wasn’t
she? She still chilled with him on the regular and they were still fucking thicker than thieves. What was the goddamn problem? The mere mention of
Carter brought up feelings that Devyn hadn’t even imagined would surface. What happed to the Koi that didn’t give two fucks what anyone said about
him? Carter seemed to change that and if Devyn didn’t know any better...She’d say Koi was a little jealous. Of what, she was left to wonder.
Carter wasn’t really one that could be judged on Koi’s level. They were just...different. Neither better or worse than the other
just...different.
Of course, she would never even think of expressing these thoughts to Koi. Telling him he was jealous and then explaining that Carter was on another
level? Nah, it didn’t even sound good in her head. She just wanted to dead this whole conversation. She got enough of the shit at home with Carter
and if Koi was about to start talking shit, she was about to do him the same way she did her cousin. She rolled her eyes again, a sigh leaving her as
Koi told her that she was the one to bring him up.
“I really didn’t think you’d make a big deal about the shit. I didn’t even think about it before I fucking said it-,” she wished she had
now. Sticking the J between her lips, she raised the lighter. Whether he was ready or not, she was sparking. He was a fucking trip in a half and if
she didn’t do something she was going to flip on him...Hell, she still might. Devyn exhaled as the kid kept talking; something about not liking her
cousin and how fucking biased she was and some other shit. Ugh! Couldn’t he just shut the fuck up?!
“Koi, look. All of this shit is unnecessary. The reason I’m not telling you shit is parttly because I don’t fucking have to, but mostly
because there’s nothing to tell. I’m gonna tell you like I tell Carter at the crib; I know you don’t like the kid but, I don’t want to hear
about it.” She paused, extending the hand that held the blunt.
“Can we squash this shit please?”
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
It was a big damn deal and Koi couldn't have agreed more. Maybe Devyn should've thought it through before she started mentioning random niggas in
their conversation. Especially since Carter Nixon didn't have shit to do with shit. Seemed like Devyn had a different opinion of him though as she sat
on the control box stool, running the blunt along the flame of his lighter. Koi didn't miss the roll of her eyes, the annoyance on her face that she
probably thought he couldn't see. Or didn't care to see. Well he could see everything and the fact that it was there irked him even more. How the fuck
could she be mad about something that she'd started? She was new to KPA, he understood that. She didn't know about the hate that had been brewing the
entire time he and Carter had known each other...even though it'd only taken a couple of minutes in each other's presence to form. He'd never had to
look for a reason to hate that guy. All of the judgment that he'd placed on Koi and the people he'd hung around with was enough. And that Devyn didn't
understand that and she actually found something inside of Carter to like? It pissed him off. So damn much. And what pissed him off even more was the
fact that he cared.
"I'm not making a big deal out of nothing, though. You came at me with a comment and you can't explain it?" His features scrunched, producing a scowl
that he didn't even try to hide from her. "That ass basically called me a fucking menace and you don't get why I'm pissed?" No, she didn't get it.
Because in some ways, he didn't get it. He'd always known that Carter hated him because the dude didn't hide it. Yeah, he was too bitch to say
anything, face-on, to Koi or come at him on the court, but he didn't hide the expression that told him that he'd rather give up a ticket to a pussy
ass Drake concert than give Koi two seconds of conversation. The "high and mighty" act was unavoidable. Koi saw it. He wasn't stupid enough to not see
it. But all of that was water, man. It rolled straight off his back and into a pool of "who gives a fuck". But not now. Not when Devyn was in the
equation, soaking up the golden ray's out of Carter's ass like every other nigga at KPA that was blinded by what looked like the sun.
Rolling his eyes as Devyn answered his annoyance, he licked his lips, smirking sourly, the sweet smoke from the blunt she'd just rolled not even
distracting him. She didn't have to tell him what was said between she and Carter? Fine. Fucking fine. But she didn't have to bring the shit up
either. Whoa...say what?
"Hold up." With an amused laugh, Koi's face lit with fake amusement. "Oh. So you chill with the nigga like that? At his crib? Oh shit..." Laughing a
little, he shifted, pushing himself to his feet as he dusted off his pants, his hands going to his pockets. Well damn. The puzzle pieces were kind of
coming together. So she kicked it with this nigga like that? Over his house?! Koi's anger was quickly going from "hot" to just plan confused. "Why"
was the only thing he could think. Why would Devyn even waste her time hanging with this dude? He was lame as fuck, boring as hell and...not anywhere
near being Koi. Not saying that she should chill with him on the regular...he was just sayin'! What was the damn appeal?
"You actually go over this dude's house and...what do you even do over there? Braid each other's hair? Paint each other's nails? Have tickle parties
in that motherfucker?"
Not making a big deal out of this shit her ass! Koi was going in on this crap, practically demanding that she tell him what Carter had said
about him and getting pissier and pissier by the minute. She didn’t fucking get it. How had mentioning Carter turned into this? Yet another war
between the two of them that was bound to leave them both frustrated and irritated with one another. She didn’t get why he was blowing the mess out
of proportion and all she wanted to do was squash it. But he wasn’t letting it go. Not until she heard what Carter had said about him...Well too
goddamn bad because he wasn’t getting shit out of her. Mostly because there was nothing to fucking get. She told him, she didn’t like listening to
the shit Carter talked about Koi. She shut that shit down before it even got started and if she would have to do the same thing with Koi, she would.
No Problem. She tried to end it, even passing him the blunt to get him high enough to hopefully forget she ever said anything...but no. He wasn’t
having it, his ears picking up on something else that didn’t matter.
At his crib? Well fucking duh! She lived there. Couldn’t help but chill with him at his fucking crib...Why was that shit important? He was fucking
losing it over what? Her being at home with...Oh...Did he not know? Did he think that she and Carter were...And that they...Ooohhhh...She smiled as
she allowed his tangent to continue. She tried to hide it, pulling her lips in as he kept going asking what they even did at the house. She got it
now. This didn’t have shit to do with what Carter said. She had been right. He was jealous, because he thought she was dating Carter.
“Actually, I do quite a bit at Carter’s. Sleep, shower, eat...his mother is my aunt-,” She giggled a little, shaking her head as she watched the
annoyance slip from his face to be replaced with confusion. “Carter’s my cousin, Koi. He’s family-,” she let the information sink in as she
took another pull, holding the smoke as she tried to pass him the J again. She spoke as she exhaled, that all-knowing smirk covering her lips.
“You wanna tell me why you’re really mad at all this?”
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
And Devyn was smiling? Shit was funny? What part of Koi implying that her new best friend for-ev-urrrr was gay was humorous because he kind
of missed it in the middle of his rant about dude. And even though she tried to hide the amused curve of her lips and the laugh that sat behind them,
Koi still saw them...and they only made him angrier. And if that was what she was trying to do, she was fucking succeeding. He was glad that somebody
thought that shit was a joke, because Koi was not amused...in the least. He already had WWIII going on in his mind because of the anger he'd
already felt in the first place. Why the hell was he so angry? Yeah, it was Carter Nixon...but the dude never lit him up like he was doing at the
present moment. And yeah, there was a possibility that Devyn could've been, maybe...okay was kicking it with this dude on the
regular. Her catching rides with him should've been hint #1, but Koi was trying to play it cool...stay out of her business...like he WASN'T doing
right now. Why the hell was he so hot about this shit? Even if Devyn was with Carter...she had the right to be. They weren't together...far from it,
actually. What was the big damn deal?
"And you're laughing...okay, nigga. I'm glad your ass is getting a chuckle out of this..." He muttered, turning his back on her as he leaned against
the metal casing of the control box. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he heard her start to speak, actually admitting that he was right! That she
was at Carter's house on the regular? Oh, for real? Sleeping, showering...eating...what? Turning as he looked at her out of the side of his
eye, the pissy expression he was wearing slipped into...almost a bit of embarrassed confusion. Was Devyn saying...that this nigga was her
cousin? That was exactly what she was saying. A dry chuckle escaped him as he reached over his shoulder, refusing to turn and face her, and
took the blunt she was offering. Puffing it, he let himself smile. He couldn't even be pissed about that shit.
"That's wrong as hell, Dev." He said quietly, smoke curling from his lips as he looked over his shoulder at her again. "You could've just said that
shit to begin with." She could've TOLD him that Carter was her cousin and saved him all the time and breath and fucking energy he'd wasted going in on
that dude. He still hated his ass, but the hate was ten times more serious when...when he thought he was more of a threat than he really was. He could
admit that part...but the other parts that were still bombing thoughts and shooting scenarios in his mind? He wouldn't even admit that shit to
himself. Taking another pull from the J he held between his fingers, he heard Devyn speak again, asking him to tell her what all that attitude had
been about.
"No. Fuck you." His answer. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled at her, biting his lip a bit as he passed the smoke back to her.
Wow. So this kid was so heated because he thought she was with Carter. He was...jealous. Jealous because Carter potentially had something he
wanted. Hmmm...well that was interesting. She and Koi hadn’t really been talking like that since they made up. Outside of their hugs of greeting,
they’d barely touched one another, keeping a distance that...well now that she thought about it was kind of odd. There did always seem to be
something between them. Like an invisible barrier that kept the two of them from getting too close. Maybe she had been doing it. Maybe she
was still subconsciously upset about what had happened the last time she allowed Koi to get...more than friendly with her...but that was different
right? They had basically just met and both of them were in a different place and everything had moved so fast and now...Now things were different.
She knew him a little better, and he kind of knew her. They were...friends.
Most of the time anyway. Mere minutes ago they had become enemies again, a fight over what he thought was between she and her cousin. Completely
unnecessary. She honestly hadn’t known Koi didn’t know Carter was her cousin. She guessed she could see that though. Her friends on the team were
pretty interested to know whether she’d bagged Carter Nixon before she set the record straight. Apparently the guy was pretty hot shit around
KPA...which was probably another reason for Koi to be upset, but she wouldn’t go with it. She would just tell him like she’d told the others.
Carter was her cousin. By blood, for real. They were not dating. Ew. But the response she got back was a lot more interesting than the
conversation had been and now she was more into figuring out if Koi was trying to be more than what they were. Sure, seemed like it with the way
he’d reacted a few minutes ago.
No. Fuck you. Whatever. That shit was not going to fly. Devyn was curious now and...she would admit, kind of excited about the idea of Koi
digging her a little bit. “Fuck you too, kid-,” she said as he finally took the blunt from her quelling a laugh at his expense, “You like me
don’t you, Koi?” She was teasing him, a little giggle falling from her lips as she slid from the stool she’d been sitting on, coming to stand in
front of him, her arms falling playfully around his neck as they got closer than they had been in weeks.
“Do you want me, Koi Kidd?” She was playing, kind of. Teasing him for his insane over reaction...right? She wasn’t serious...completely. Uh oh.
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Fuck you too, kid... Her rebuttal made Koi smile behind the front of annoyance he tried to put up at her question. But he was serious about
that shit. He wasn't even trying to get into some deep conversation about why he responded the way he did when it came to her. Everything about the
way he responded to Devyn was new to him. It wasn't just this...the anger when he'd thought that she was with Carter instead of related to him. The
jealousy that he'd never really admit to. It was everything. It was his interest in her. The curiosity that he couldn't remember ever feeling
for another girl as he didn't really...care that much. Correction. He didn't give a shit period. Girls were part of the scene, nothing more. He
chilled with them, partied with them, fucked a few. But it was nothing beyond that. He didn't need to know their interest or their middle names.
Nothing with females was ever permanent...nothing worth anything real. Not like he was thinking about Devyn that way. Not even. He wasn't picking out
curtains or naming babies...no shit like that. He was just...he wanted to know her. Be around her. Shoot the shit with her. And pretend like reasons
why she was different didn't low key leave his mind shouting at him to turn, run the other way and fuck the idea of ever looking back. And the teasing
that she was doing? All it did was make that voice yell a little louder, push a little harder.
"Ha. Whatever Dev." Ignoring her, Koi closed his eyes against the high, letting it set in so that the teasing that he heard in her voice, that he was
sure was about to start on his account, would roll off his back a bit more smoothly. Leaning back a little more against the control box, he heard
Devyn move behind him, her footsteps drawing closer to him, stopping in front of him, her arms coming to circle around his shoulders. He opened his
eyes slowly, staring her in her eye as she smiled at him. For the first time in awhile, she was touching him. Don't get him wrong, they touched. A hug
here when they met up or saw each other in the hallway. A nudge there, when they joked around, his hand softly shoving her playfully, her elbow
digging at his side at a joke they shared. But not this, her arms around his neck, her eyes staring into his, words like "want" and "me" pushed
together in a sentence that was way too suggestive for him to see "play" in the description of what she was doing right now. She hadn't looked at him
like that since his house party, her eyes undressing him like his had done her the moment she'd walked into the room. They hadn't been like this with
each other since that night...but it felt like there hadn't been weeks between then and now. Laughing a bit as he licked his lips again, he smiled at
her, his hand falling on her hip.
"Yeah I want you. That ain't changed..." He spoke softly, pulling at her hip before he let his hand fall to his side again. He told her what was on
his mind. Not because he thought it was a smart move to make to end up in her shorts. But because it was true. He did want her. That part was obvious.
He hadn't done the shit that he'd done in his living room because he was only interested in her. She was fly, shaped like a fucking dream. He wanted
her. He still did. But that was all. His dick wanted what it wanted and just like a fucking elephant, it remembered everything. It still wanted to try
her on for size. But that was ll. His emotions were still dead and silent. Quiet. His heart didn't want shit because it talked a different game from
his dick. One that said that it was closed for business and it wasn't opening for anyone.
"But..." He said, his broad smile growing smaller as he got serious. "...I kinda like this friend thing we're doing. You're good too, right?"
They didn’t have to get into why he’d responded that way. She understood what was happening and it was...weird. Strange because she and Koi were
nowhere near the point in caring what one did without the other. Who she was dating shouldn’t have bothered him in the slightest, just like who he
was dating didn’t bother her. It was odd for Koi to care so much but, at the same time it was...cute. Almost puppy like, and she liked that. Ha. Who
would have thought Koi Kidd had a soft spot for females. Yes, she’d heard the rumors. Koi wasn’t exactly celibate and he sure wasn’t too
choosy; he’d proven that to her at his party, but what she’d also figured to be true was that he didn’t really chill with the girls he slept
with. Use ‘em and lose ‘em...like someone else she knew. But right now wasn’t about her father, it was about the kid in front of her.
The boy who might be a little more interested in her than she thought he was. And would that really be so bad? The two of them...together? Meh. It
probably would be with the way they fought. Ha. But she would ask. Not asking could lead to awkward moments that she wouldn’t want to deal with
later. But curing her curiosity didn’t mean she had to go out like a lovesick little girl.
So she turned on the charm, her voice keeping its playful air as her arms fell around his neck and she teased him a little, her words speaking
directly to the elephant in the room, so to speak. Her smile became a smirk as his gaze fell on her and she pulled her bottom lip in. God she loved
when he looked at her like that. The look that said he more than wanted her. The look that said in his mind he had already claimed her and it was a
matter of time. The look he’d given at his party. He wanted her...physically. She knew that though. That wasn’t what she meant and he knew
that...but as his hand fell to her hip, she didn’t really care about him wanting her any other way. She didn’t know what it was about the kid but,
there was something in that damn look he gave that always had her stuck. Stuck without a damn clue what to do.
Lucky for her Koi wasn’t giving her time to think about it, his hand quickly falling away from her as his words came back into focus...The friend
thing? Hm. well that was...hm. That was right...everything was everything with them just being friends but...Devyn wasn’t sure; hearing him say it
made her feel...hm. But she wasn’t about to weird him out with feelings, her smirk never faltering as she completely ignored his former
question speaking to his first statement. He wanted her.
“Maybe for your birthday-,” she said with a giggle, finally releasing him as she took a few steps back, coming to lean on the iron gate that
separated the carousel from what would be the line if the park were open. “If I keep you around that long, that is.” She smiled then, her eyes
falling away from his before she had the chance to find herself stuck again.
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Ignoring the question like Koi hadn't even asked it, Devyn stepped away from him, her arms falling from his shoulders, a cute ass little grin playing
on her lips. She was redirecting their conversation back to the one thing that was on her mind. Him wanting her. The answer to how she felt
about them just chillin' for the moment would have to wait, he guessed. Though the answer really didn't make too much of a difference in the way he
felt about what was going on between them. They were friends...they were good that way. Anyone in their right mind would be good just being cool with
Koi as he had the emotional capacity of a fucking wooden plank. He was hard. Hard head, hard dick...hard heart. And none of that shit added up to
anything worth the trouble. If Devyn had a brain, which Koi was positive she did, Koi hoped it would probably steer her the right way. That the
synapses would receive the message to "run" while she still had a chance. But brain or no brain, she was a female. All that brain and the flutter in
her pussy was still talking louder than her smarts. Koi "wanting her" was screaming louder than any inkling of "sense" did. And it would've been easy
for him to say that he would be the sensible one in this exchange. That he'd warn her of his ways and send her walking for her own good. But he wasn't
that strong either. He wasn't Superman. And even if he did come with a cleft in his chin, a red cape and blue tights, he still couldn't deny Devyn.
Everything about her was beginning to look more and more like glowing green kryptonite.
"Really..." Koi watched her lean against the iron gate that directed the line when there were people besides he and Devyn in the park. Had she just
offered herself to him for his birthday? And was she serious about it? He couldn't tell as he watched her smile, her eyes turning from her before he
could see the seriousness or comedy there. She had to be playing. Even though the "want" was mutual, he knew that she was just fucking with him. They
were friends. Homies. Right? Right. Devyn was just being crazy and on his birthday, they'd laugh that shit off, flirt a little bit more and
smoke an L to celebrate. Yeah...that was how it would go down. And even though he knew how it was supposed to play out on his birthday, he still
couldn't deny that seeing himself in between her thighs didn't flash across his mind.
"Watch what you promise me. Birthday's only a couple weeks away and you know I'll hold you to it." With a laugh, he walked to the entrance of the ride
that was still dark and unmoving, passing Devyn on the way. Smiling, he took the blunt from her. "Don't bullshit yourself. You'll keep me around."
Without pausing for too long, he walked past the iron rails, jumping the bar that separated the line from the ride and did a short step up onto the
platform. Winding between the bars that mounted the sea animals to the ride. His hands wrapped around them like Tarzan, going bar to bar like he was
riding vines. So maybe he didn't get the ride working. Devyn was right, he'd failed. But even as it stood still and dark, it was still good enough to
sit on and finish their J.
"Get up here..." He called out to Devyn, his steps thudding on the hard, wooden platform. "Shoot the shit with me Hips..."
She was perfectly okay with being nothing more than his friend. Had she pushed him for anything more than that since they started hanging out? No,
because she wasn’t pressed. She wasn’t pressed and she didn’t chase. Koi was great, sure they had their disagreements or whatever but, she liked
him for the most part. But that didn’t really matter if he wasn’t interested. She had no problem letting people know what she wanted, she’d
proven that to him at his party; but what she didn’t do was throw herself at anyone. Koi was great and if he wanted, she was willing to
give them a shot but, if he didn’t, that was cool too...So what was it that wasn’t sitting right with her after hearing him say it. She completely
agreed with them being friends, so why was there something in her that was put off by the idea? She didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want
to think about it, much less talk about it with him. So she didn’t. Taking the conversation back to his original statement before trying to end it
completely by suggesting that maybe he’d get what he wanted for his birthday. She wasn’t serious of course, but a boy could dream.And he had
already started, a curious ‘really’ on his lips as he watched her, checking for signs of seriousness. She wasn’t giving him any. She would leave
him to wonder until the new year what she would be getting him for his birthday...for now they would keep doing what they had been. Chilling.
Devyn laughed as Koi warned her to watch what she promised. Ha. She wasn’t promising him anything, “That’s why I said ‘maybe’, sugar. And
like I said, you might not be around-,” she winked a bit, as he walked past her, heading toward the carousel he hadn’t gotten started. She laughed
softly at the thought, her eyes following him as he got on the unmoving ride. She told him it wasn’t going to happen. He would learn that she was
mostly always right.
Devyn allowed the silence that settled between them, listening to the soft thud of his steps against the platform of the ride. She shouldn’t have
though. That only made her think more. About them. The them that didn’t even exist and that she was pretty sure she didn’t even want to.
Not...like that anyway. She liked him...most of the time. And physically, she was into him; she couldn’t even fake like she wasn’t but, Koi
was...uninterested. It didn’t happen to her often, but every now and again, she wanted something she couldn’t have. Koi was that something. But if
she could keep him as a friend, she guessed she was fine with that too...
She was pulled from her thoughts as his voice called out to her. Get up here...Shoot the shit with me Hips. She could do that. That’s what
friends were for. She smiled, softly pushing off of the barricade before hopping onto the carousel, weaving in and out of the metal sea animals to
catch up to her friend. She stopped just in front of him, straddling a multi-colored seahorse as she looked back at Koi. She had to say somehting.
Anything other than the things on her mind.
“So what’s it looking like for Christmas? Break’s coming, are you guys going back home?” She knew he wasn’t from Hawaii. Was anyone really?
It’d come up in one of their many high conversations how much he missed home. Maybe this would be the break he went back...Devyn didn’t too much
know what she’d be doing, since she could never go home again.
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
Leaning against a massive goldfish, Koi watched Devyn walk between the mounts and stop at the seahorse in front of him. He smiled, laughing softly as
she climbed onto its back like a fucking kid, settling into its saddle as she turned and looked at him. And just like so many times before, their eyes
connected, a lot of "unspoken" airing in that silence. It was like that sometimes. Like there were millions of words, but nothing to really say.
Sometimes it felt like watching her was like waiting for something unexpected. Like there were a lot of things trapped behind her lips, roaming around
in her mind, that she held onto. And just when he thought she was going to speak them, something else came out...something that wasn't what she was
holding onto. He could tell...because the same burning that she wore in her eyes stayed there, even after she said what she had to say. Nothing really
bothered him about the unspoken. He asked her about it sometimes, thinking that she'd surprise him and let him in on what her mind was saying to her,
but she always gave him that same look. The one that said "I'll never tell" and that was the end of it. And avoidance? That was okay...because Koi did
it too. Especially if those words would eventually end up changing shit that wasn't meant for changing in the first place.
Christmas? They were talking about holidays now? Yeah, that definitely wasn't what had been on her mind. Because the burning was still there.
But Koi would go with it, no harm in that. And the holidays would be a simple question to answer, but not a simple thing to explain. Detroit wasn't an
option. Not because there wasn't a reason to go. Pops' entire side was still in Detroit. His Gigi Kidd, his aunts, uncles and cousins were all there,
but there were no place settings at the table for Koi and his family as they hadn't showed up for a holiday dinner since Koi was ten. That was when
all of the fake bullshit about his family went on pause because there was no reason to pretend in front of his father's family anymore. Everybody knew
their business and what was fucked up was that they'd know for awhile. Koi's mom wasn't looking to make herself and her kids a spectacle any longer,
so that meant the end of family dinners...the end of family everything, really. But to avoid discussion, Koi would give the short answer.
"Nah, no Detroit this year..." He said, taking the blunt from her hand and taking a short toke, nearly closing his eyes at the quick hit. With all of
the thoughts of family...and lack thereof, he kind of needed it...and it was so much sweeter when he got it. It was avoidance, rolled up in "fuck it
all" for him at the moment, especially with the mention of another holiday rolling around. Koi couldn't even ignore the relief that he'd felt when
Thanksgiving was done and over, but Christmas? A completely different story. He and his sister didn't really expect shit from Thanksgiving. The
holiday was kinda simple. Some food, some football and a whole lot of the 'itis. That was all. But Christmas? There were presents...good
feelings...holiday cheer and shit. All of which skipped the hell over the Kidd residence every year. All of which Koi was left to force...put on a
show full of bells and goddamn whistles just so Eri didn't notice that her family was a complete mess.
"Actually, we haven't been back to Detroit since we got here." With another short pull, he handed the J back to Devyn, exhaling as he looked at his
feet. "Christmas is always...crazy busy for my parents. Mom is off doing the "volunteer" thing and Pops is...gone too. So..." End of explanation.
Because even those skimpy ass details were too much as far as he was concerned. His family wasn't something he was trying to hide. Their bullshit
wasn't his responsibility anymore and the only one worth protecting was Eri. But it sure as hell wasn't something he wanted to talk about.
"...so, we don't make it back too often and Christmas is usually just me and Eri. What about you?"
Christmas? Why had she brought that up? That was the complete and total wrong place to take this thing. She hated Christmas! Hated it.
Nothing had ever gone right for her during the holiday season. All those Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movies about finding love and learning the
importance of family? Bullshit. None of that shit was real. Hilton made sure of that...Her mother tried, she did. But pulling Hilton and Kareem away
from what they were doing was like pulling teeth. There were always more important things going on with them. Things they wanted to do came way before
anything her mom talked about doing as a family. And it wasn’t as if she asked them for things often. A couple hours on holidays; Christmas,
Thanksgiving, Easter, their birthdays. All she ever wanted from them was a little time. Time that no one but Devyn was willing to give. And that was
never enough...
Ugghhh. No, no, no, no ,no. Why were they talking about this?! This was the second time speaking before thinking had gotten her into trouble. And she
could tell it was making Koi uncomfortable too. He took the J from her after telling her that going home wasn’t in his future anytime soon. He
didn’t bother to explain much but...his parents wouldn’t be there? Hm. They were a lot more alike than she thought. Koi’s parents had more
important things to do too. She glanced at him as he passed the blunt back, her lips immediately taking it as she took a pull to quell her emotions. A
simple question ended up running a lot deeper than she’d meant it to and now she was working on fighting the emotion her family situation brought
up. Shit. She should’ve just stuck to how she felt about Koi. At least she could end that without tearing up. Fuck. Devyn coughed,
creating a cover as she passed the blunt back to him. She’d claim a choke and that would explain the watery eyes and the crack that would probably
be in her voice when she spoke.
“Damn-,” she said, forcing another cough, as she cleared her throat, “well, if it makes you feel better that’s pretty much par for the course
with my Christmases too. It’s usually just me and my mom, but without her this year, I guess I’ll just be chilling around my aunt’s house...”
Yeah, that was enough. Athena had been hinting at making this Christmas special for her but, Devyn had been telling her not to. Why? Christmas was
just another day.
One that she’d actually much rather skip.
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
All this talk about family and empty, pointless holidays was really killing his buzz. And the one thing that Koi valued about smokin' was definitely
the "buzz" part. But he wasn't going to leave Devyn without an answer to a question that was supposed to be easier to answer than it really was. It
wasn't her damn fault that a question that should've been replied to with a "we're going to Detroit for Christmas and we're going to act like a normal
ass family" just...wasn't. There were no "good" replies for what his family was now. Maybe in the beginning, when Koi was too young to really remember
the good times. All he could recall was his mother...and how she use to actually smile. Not just at his Pops. Period. She smiled, she joked,
she acted like it wasn't draining the energy out of her to open her eyes to a new day. Koi barely remembered those times and the sad part was that Eri
didn't remember them at all. The mother she knew now was the mother she'd always know. Cold, hard...stone-faced and distant. Eri didn't deserve that
and Koi knew it. Which was why it made making Christmas something that she wouldn't have to grimace when she remembered so important. Shit wasn't for
him. He was beyond having good memories when it came to his family. He was tainted enough. It was only for her...
Devyn's coughing broke his train of thought, his hand reaching out as she offered him the smoke. He smirked at her as he watched blink away the tears
in her eyes, guessing that she got a little greedy with her toke. He could understand, though. What they were chiefin' was not to be played with as
Koi only smoked the "good shit". He was about to tell her to take it easy (which would've probably pissed her clear off), instead he listened to her
as she answered his question about her Christmas plans...or lack there of. So, they were both doing nothing, huh? Her plans were shitty too as...her
mother wasn't around? Yeah, he knew she was living with her aunt...oh, and that pussybitch of a cousin, but he didn't know that her moms was out the
picture. And just as quick as the question hit his face, a resolution hit there too. If she wanted him to know about her mother, she would've TOLD
HIM. Just like he didn't add unnecessary details, she wasn't going to either.
"Looks like everybody is havin' a shit Christmas..." With a chuckle, he looked at her, a soft smile hitting his lips before put the J between his
lips. Now, that wasn't entirely true. A shit Christmas for him? And nor was the fact that he wouldn't be doing anything as he and Eri would be
together. And through the years full of parent-less Christmases, they kind of started a tradition of their own. Scratch that, Eri started it. A
Christmas Eve, drinking egg nog (his with rum), watching "It's A Wonderful Life" and then Christmas morning, eating the dinner that the family cook
left for them and opening the presents their parents had their assistants leave for them underneath the tree. The only Christmas Eri knew was the
tradition she started herself. How fucked up was that? She said it never bothered her...called it the "best Christmas anybody could ever have..." The
best Christmas...
"Shit...best idea. Fuckin' ever." With an exhale, he passed the J again, coming to lean on the seahorse where Devyn was perched, his arm looping
around the seahorse's neck...the other resting on Devyn's leg. "You should do the holiday with us. Me and Eri. Eri...could use the company on
Christmas. And having my chick homie there might actually make shit tolerable. What do you think?"
She was desperately clinging to the high she had left. All this talk of Christmas and family (or lack there of) was beginning to kill her high and she
wanted nothing more than to end this conversation and move on to something else. Anything else. Of course her desperation to get past something was
the reason she was dealing with Christmas feelings now. Gah she fucking hated this holiday. Christmas had always been the lowest point in her year and
it was looking like this Christmas was trying to take the cake. What with her mother not being here and home being but a distant memory, all she had
was...nothing. What the hell was there to celebrate? Not that she ever had family around for Christmas but, at least she used to have her
mother...What was she supposed to do now? It was the one question she’d been avoiding since coming to Kapuhai Reef and here it was. Popping up in
the middle of a conversation with Koi.
His voice brought her back to a reality she could handle. Shit Christmas. She’d honestly planned on sleeping through most of it. Waking up to eat
something, kicking her cousin’s ass in a little CoD and going back to sleep. Her aunt hadn’t mentioned any other plans and Carter had already told
her he was probably going to disappear for most of the day. Nothing special, so why bother with it? She nodded her agreement, to his comment,
resituating herself atop the seahorse as she avoided his eyes, silently praying he’d change the subject soon enough.
And as if he heard her thoughts that’s just what he did, a new excitement finding his voice as he had the best idea ever. Ha. His stoner ideas were
usually pretty legendary. This one was bound to be...still about Christmas. But he was...he was asking her to come to his place for Christmas? Hm.
That was...a first. She had never been formally invited to anyone else’s house for Christmas. Sure, she always ended up somewhere, but there
wasn’t much of the Christmas spirit floating around there either...Her eyes traveled up, from the hand that rested on her leg to his eyes. Eyes that
said he was completely serious and might be a little disappointed if she said no...but why would she?
“Yeah-,” she replied, a small smile coming back to her lips, a new response replacing her usual maybe. “Yeah, why not? Sounds like...fun.”
I'm taking my time.
I'm doing it right.
Self-Love. Self-Care. Selfish.
![[*]](images/davis/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
