No one said a word. “Is that understood?”
“Yeah coach”. A few of the team mumbled.
“And with that being said here’s how I feel about that, I don’t care who stay in your rooms, when they stay, how long they stay just be smart enough not to piss anyone else off so that the dean doesn’t feel the need to make me have his meeting with you dumb asses again. Understood?”
“Yeah coach, that’s what’s up.”
“Now for part two of this waste of time.” Coach stepped towards the bench that he was standing in front of, reached forward and unzipped the two duffel bags that were sitting on it. He reached inside and removed a box of condoms and tossed it to Davis.
“Dean Stewart had family planning supply you guys with the tools necessary to prevent any mishaps that would misrepresent what we stand for here at UNC.”
“What the heck Coach.” Ty yelled and the rest of us laughed. “I hope you got more than just what is in those bags Coach. That’s on night for me.”
“Here’s the crash course. Sex makes babies, babies are expensive and make the alumni really uneasy about funding are program so don’t have any. Any questions?”
“Yeah coach do you have any double XL in that bag. I’m not a light weight like the rest of these fools.” Trey said.
Coach shook his head. “Everybody sign this form before you leave.” He pointed to a clipboard that was sitting next to the duffle bags and then walked out. Seriously, did this just happen, WTF
Chapter 23
Kya Renee
“Well that was fast.” I said when Xavier opened his bedroom door. “So what was the meeting about?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Xavier said with a huge grin and then tossed me a box of condoms.
“Um okay, what’s this?”
“My parting gift.”
“So your coach had a meeting to hand out condoms?”
“Something like that. It was kind of about overnight guest but ended with don’t get anybody pregnant.”
He sat on the bed on the bed next to me.
“What about overnight guest?” I asked totally ignoring the pregnant thing.
“Don’t worry about that, it’s not important.”
“It must be if you had a meeting about it.”
“It’s not trust me, you hungry?”
“A little not really?”
“You feel like going out?”
“I guess?”
“Come on lets go, I’m starving.”
We left and headed to Chipotle followed by chick-fil-A for me and then right to campus. When Xavier pulled into the parking lot he parked but kept checking is rear view mirror.
“Don’t open your door.”
“Why not?” I asked feeling worried.
A car pulled in right behind us and parked two spots away from and he pulled out his phone to make a call.
“Aye, what’s up?”
“You on campus?”
“Where you at bruh?”
“I need you to come handle something for me.”
“Zay what’s going on?” I asked. I could tell that something wasn’t’ right.
He held up his hand to stop me from talking which made me feel even more uneasy.
“How long?”
“I’m outside in the parking lot. My park lights are on and they’re in a gray mustang two spots away.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it a few times, the same one and I know it’s him.”
“Alright, bet”
“Zay, what’s going on?”
“Just chill for a min Ky. Please.” He wasn’t yelling but his voice was raised and I knew that he was irritated.
I nervously started looking around and Xavier could tell that I was worried because he grabbed my hand and then leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Everything’s fine, Okay.”
“Why are we just sitting here and who’s in that car? Do you know who’s in that car?”
“Two guys got out of the mustang that followed us into the parking lot and began moving towards Xavier’s Jeep.
“Lock the doors and do not get out until you see me or Link come get you out.” Xavier said calmly and then opened his door. “Ky did you hear me?”
“Yes but…”
“Just do what I said. Do not open the door unless it’s for me, Link or somebody you know I trust.”
“Okay.”
Now I was more than just worried. I was scared as hell. Lincoln Taylor or rather Link and Xavier had been friends since they were kids but Link was a little more rough around the edges than Xavier was. He lived by street logic and didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. Anytime Xavier had an issue that required extra help Link took care of it for him.
“I’m serious, Ky, just us.”
“Okay.”
Xavier got out and started moving in the direction of the two guys that were heading towards his Jeep. He threw his hands up in the air and yelled something but he was too far away from me and I couldn’t hear him. One of the guys that was moving towards him held something in the air and then pointed it at Xavier, it looked like a baseball bat. Thank god it's not a gun. They were clearly arguing but I couldn’t understand anything that they were saying. Just before they reached each other guy Link’s F150 rushed into the parking lot and stopped next to them and four guys jumped out leaving the doors wide open. I could tell that one of them was Link. What the hell is going on, it has to be serious if Xavier called Link.
Xavier pointed towards me and one of the three guys who had arrived with Link started jogging towards Xavier’s Jeep but before he got to me I saw Xavier punch the guy in front of him and when he did other guy who got out of the mustang with him swung something that landed on Xavier’s back and caused him to fall forward. I threw my hands over my mouth and began to cry. Link reached behind his back and pulled out what I assumed was a gun and held it in the air above the guy’s head. The other two guys with Link followed his lead and did exactly the same thing.
“Ky, open the door.” I was frozen sitting there with my hands over my mouth, tears violently falling. Travis tapped on the glass and yelled my name. “Kya, open the door.” He pointed toward the door and yelled again before he looked over his shoulder to see what was going on with the situation that he had just left. He looked back at me and yelled again, “Right now Ky open the door, Zay wants you to go inside, open the door.”
I pulled the handle to open the door, Travis snatched it open and then yanked me out.
“Let’s go.” He yelled and began dragging me towards the front door of Xavier’s dorm.
“Travis, what’s going on?” The words barely made it out of my mouth because I was crying so hard. I turned and tried to pull away to head towards Xavier and Link but Travis grabbed me around the waist to turn me towards the building and then forcefully grabbed my arm before he started pulling me towards the door again. “Let me go Travis.” I yelled.
I looked back over my shoulder and Xavier was up again. I could hear Link yelling.
“I'm not going to ask you again, do we have a problem?” Link yelled.
The guy who Xavier hit yelled back. “I don’t have a problem with you but ya boy here, that’s a different story.”
“Any problems you have with him you have with me so it looks like you have a problem with me and I'm currently not feeling this situation.”
“Ky I’m not going to tell you again, let’s go, now!” Travis yelled at me. “Zay wants you inside and you’re going inside.”
“I stopped fighting and let Travis drag me to the dorms. We took the elevator to Xavier’s dorm room and then inside.
“I was still crying, and my body was tense and shaking.”
“Ky, calm do okay. Everything's fine.”
“It’s not fine, don’t say its fine. Link has a gun, it’s not fine, stop saying everything is fine. I'm not stupid!”
Travis rubbed his forehead and then stepped towards me but I backed away and threw myself down
into the corner of the sofa. I crossed my arms, placed them onto my knees and lowered my head onto them. My mind was spinning out of control. How could he say everything was fine? Everything is not fine. I jumped up but Travis stepped in front of me like he read my mind.
“You’re not leaving this room.”
“I need to go back out there.” I yelled.
“And do what Ky?”
“You wanna help Zay, then stay here where he knows you’re safe. If anything happens to you…Just sit down and try to calm down. You’re not leaving.”
Travis wasn’t yelling this time but I still knew that he meant business. He had his marching orders and there wasn’t anything that I could say to change his mind. I sat down on the sofa again, pulled my knees into my chest, secured my arms around them and lowered my head. All I could do was wait so I closed my eyes and began to sway back and forth. I rocked and I waited. It was all I could do.
Xavier Lee
“I’m going to ask you one more time, do we have a problem?” Link had the gun pointed at dudes head and I knew that he wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger.
“Nah we’re good, it’s all good.” He was afraid I could tell.
“You sure bout that ‘cause if not we can handle this right now.”
“Nah bruh, we’re good.”
“Just remember, I’m always around. Always!”
“I said we’re good bruh.” He looked at me and held his hands in the air. “We’re good.”
I guess there’s something about staring down the barrel of a gun that can squash any beef. I could tell this dude wasn’t hard. Something’s you can just tell and he might have been good for a fight or two or even jumping me like he had planned on doing tonight but after having to face Link and his glock, I knew that I wouldn’t have any more issues with him. He wasn’t hard, I could see the fear in his eyes, the same fear that I knew that I would have had if I had been on the other end of that gun the way that he was. Link on the other hand, had a death wish. He would have likely told you to pull the trigger if he had been on the receiving end of a barrel.
Link was born of the streets and raised in the streets. It was in his blood and there wasn’t much that he feared. That’s why he was the first call I made when I kept seeing this punk creeping around my dorm, following, me watching me. I knew that he was trying to figure me out, trying to decide how to get back at me for beating him down, embarrassing him, taking his manhood away from him the night he fronted me in my dorm. Tonight was his chance or so he thought. I’m sure he expected to catch me slipping and take me down in front of Ky to try to gain back some kind of respect but he under estimated me and he damn sure wasn’t expecting my boy Link to be on deck ready for whatever.
“Yo, you good bruh?” Link asked after dude got in his car with his home boy and left.
“I’m good.” I closed my fist and held it towards Link and he met it with his. Once again Link had pulled me out of a situation that could have cost me a lot if not everything. That was the kind of friendship we always had. It wasn’t that I couldn’t handle my own but Link and I made a pack years ago that anytime I had a situation where the price was more than I was willing to pay, he would be there to handle it for me. Link felt like I had too much to lose while he on the other hand was as he always called it, “just getting by.” He had me, always had I knew he always would. Not even blood could have made us any closer than we already were.
I could feel pain in my back from where old boy clocked me with that metal baseball bat but other than that I was straight and grateful that things hadn’t gotten any worse. Travis had Ky so she was good.
“I don’t think you’ll have any more problems out of him but if you do you know I got you.”
“Preciate it fam.”
“Always, let’s go find Ky. I know she’s freaking out.” Link said.
Damn, I do not wanna have this conversation
As soon as we walked into my dorm room I knew that that this was going to be a long night. Ky was balled up sitting in the corner of the sofa. Travis was standing by the door waiting. “Everything straight?” He asked when we stepped inside. I nodded but kept going until I got to Ky. I sat down next to her while Link filled Travis in on what happened after he left.
I put my arm around her, pulled her to me and she lifted her head eyes flaming red and filled with tears.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked.
“Are you?” She mumbled barely getting the words out.
“If you're okay, I'm okay.” I said.
She lifted her hand and wiped her face with the back of it. “What was that about?”
“Not now, I just need to know you're okay?” I said ignoring her question.
“Whatcha you crying for Kya Renee? You know I would never let anything happen to my boy.” Link always called her by her full name or shortened it to Ky-Re just to aggravate her so I knew that he was trying to lighten the mood sensing that she wasn’t in a good place with everything going on. Link had a huge grin on his face not fazed by any of what had just gone down.
She looked up at him clearly not ready to accept his good mood. Link and Ky were about as close as we were so he wasn't going to let her write him off that easily. He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet before he closed her into his arms. She had her arms by her sides with her forehead on his chest since he was about a foot taller than she was.
“You better hug me back.” He said and then laughed which she did so he lifted her slightly off the ground and the twisted his body from side to side causing her body to fall in line before he let her go and then looked at her with a grin.
“You good?”
“I guess so.” She looked back at me before she smiled and hugged Link again as if thanking him for being there for me.
I struggled to stand because of the pain in my back and then pulled my key out of my pocket and handed it to her. “I'll be right back.” I said.
“Where are you going?” She asked looking concerned.
“Just in the hallway. I'm not leaving.” I could tell that she was still afraid. I kissed her on the forehead before I stepped into the hallway with Travis and Link. I pulled the door closed behind me just in case Ky stayed in the living room.
“She'll be alright.” Link said.
“You know how it is, she doesn’t live in that world but yeah she’s straight.” I said.
“We’re gonna hang around here for a while but old boy would have to be extra stupid to try anything else so I think you’re good.”
“Yeah, I think so too. Preciate it.” I gave him another pound.
“You know I got you fam. We know where dude lives so I might just pay him a visit to make sure we understand each other. Just hit me up if you need anything. Now go take care of my little sister and we’re out.”
I laughed. “Pray for me because I’m about to catch it bruh.”
“And you know this.” Link said and then laughed before he and Travis disappeared into the stairwell.
I opened the door and didn’t see Ky so I figured that she was already in my room and when I pushed the door open, I could hear the shower running in my bathroom. I turned the knob on the door but it was locked. Really? I knocked on the door “Ky, unlock the door.” Nothing. I knocked again and then heard the lock so I turned the door knob, walked in and leaned on the counter. She was already in the shower.
“Why’d you lock the door?”
“I don’t know, I just did.” I couldn’t tell if she was still upset or just flat out mad.
“We’ll talk when you get out.” I said and then left the bathroom. I sat down in my computer chair running through everything that had just happened. I knew that Ky wasn’t use to stuff like happening and it’s not like it was my everyday life but being around Link all my life had put me in situations like that more times than I care to remember. Street life wasn’t really my thing but I could hold my own if I needed to whereas Ky on the other hand had only seen things like the situation that went do
wn tonight on TV and movies.
I heard the bathroom door open so I held my head back to look for Ky and when she stepped around the corner I asked, “So you ready to talk to me now?”
She had on pink and green boxers with a pink tank top. She walked past me and dropped her clothes on the floor next to her bag and then sat down on the edge of my bed.
“Come here?” She didn’t move she just looked at me. “Ky?” She stood up and walked over to me and then fell into my lap with her back angled against half of my chest and my right arm so I locked my hands and rested them in her lap.
“What’s up?” I asked.
She laid her head back against my shoulder but still didn’t say a word. “You’re not gonna talk to me?” I asked.
“What do you want me to say?” She said softly.
“Whatever you need to say?” I let my hand rest on her thigh.
“Was all this about that fight?” She asked.
“Yeah.”
“Is it over?”
“Yeah.”
“How do you know that?” She lifted her head and looked up at me.
“I just know.”
“But you don’t really know that?”
“I know I can’t make you not worry, but just trust me okay?” I pulled her closer to me.
“What did you do to him?”
“I didn’t do anything to him?”
“What did Link do to him?”
“Ky he’s fine, but he also knows to stay away from me so don’t worry about it.”
She didn’t say anything. “Ky.” I slid my finger down her nose and she swatted my hand away.
“Don’t ever do that again.” She said.
“I can’t promise that. I will always do whatever I need to do for me and especially for you.”
“I know.” She laid her head on my chest.
“Let me change.” I said and sat up so she stood up and sat on my bed but it took me a minute before I could stand. I could feel the pain in my back. I struggled to pull my sweatshirt and t-shirt over my head and then tossed them into my computer chair.
“Let me see.” Ky crawled to the edge of my bed on her knees and waited for me, so I walked over to her and turned my back to her so that she could inspect my injury. When I felt her hand on my skin I flinched from the pain.
Kya & Xavier: It's Always Been You (Life As We Know It Book 1) Page 29
