Chapter One
2002
“What’s up, shorty. Why you looking like that? All scared and shit,” he said, tucking in his lower lip briefly. When he did, he showed his almost perfect white teeth. “It’s just sweat.”
Speechless, Iyana stared at him in awe, caught up in his large 6’2” presence towering over her small frame. His wet, golden skin, covering his toned arms, chest and firm abs looked like it had been gently kissed by the sun. His low cut, wavy fade, neatly trimmed, cascaded down into soft sideburns that somewhat softened the smirk he had on his face. As her eyes traveled down, she quickly took notice of his long basketball shorts that hung loosely around his hips, drawing Iyana’s eyes to a slight bulge and chiseled bowed legs.
Damn, he’s fine, she thought to herself.
Iyana, at thirteen, saw a few boys she thought were cute, but they were nothing like Keyz. After being held back twice in elementary for fighting, Keyz, at sixteen, was much older than the boys in middle school.
She had heard of him, but never thought he would see her, let alone speak to her. Not when most days she walked around feeling invisible, that was until someone reminded her she wasn’t. Either she was “darky,” “black bitch” or “that lil’ black motherfucker” since she was petite with dark chocolate skin.
Then if it wasn’t about her skin complexion, it was about the sheltered life she somewhat lived being raised by her devout Christian grandparents who closely monitored her everyday life.
Bouncing the basketball, the Kaizer Paul, AKA Keyz, stood cockily with a few of his boys who had gotten together to play basketball that morning before the first day of school. Iyana could hear them yelling as he held on to the ball, as their eyes were locked in on each other rendering her almost unmovable. She shifted just a little but not enough to cease her gawking stance that seemed to take over.
“Naw, she ain’t scared. She’s deaf as fuck, Keyz. Look at shorty all drooling and shit. Where are those teachers that escort them dumb motherfuckers to class? The fuck she back here for anyway?” one of his friends asked, causing them all to laugh.
Keyz just smiled, now holding the ball underneath his toned, tanned arm. It took Iyana a second or two before she even realized she was the butt of someone’s joke before she scurried off to get to class in a daze, never uttering a word to any of them. Once she made it to class, Iyana quickly found a seat near the back as the bell rang.
The room seemed to seat about 50 students, which was much more than she was used to coming from elementary school. Each seat, complete with its own rack for their book bags, were neatly lined up until a few close friends began to slide them closer to each other. She silently thanked God that she remembered the shortcut her sister, Myriah, told her about, given the size of her new school.
“Now quiet, everyone. I know today is the first day of school, but I’m sure being quiet is not a new expectation. I mean, you all did successfully complete elementary school or you wouldn’t be here. I am Ms. Gomez, your homeroom teacher. This is the class where your attendance is taken each day. If you are late or absent, it does not matter if you attend the rest of your classes because this class is the one that tracks your overall attendance for the school year.
Now, I see a few of you are moving around to find your friends, but let’s be clear. Friend time is once you leave my classroom, so kindly place your desks back where they were before you arrived. Am I making myself clear?” Ms. Gomez stood up and asked in a snide manner, looking over her glasses that barely sat on her nose.
A few of them nodded while others said “yes, ma’am” in combination with a few groans and laughs. Ms. Gomez’s eyes scanned the room before taking her seat, setting the stage as to who was in charge of her classroom.
Iyana sighed with relief having made it just in time. She didn’t want detention although Myriah, her fifteen year old sister, seemed to end up there quite often for being late. She took note of her classmates pushing their desks back to where they were, but caught a few murmurs where Ms. Gomez was now “that bitch” followed by a few laughs.
As she sat there not knowing anyone, Iyana felt a smile forming as her morning encounter danced around in her head. His bold presence made her very uncomfortable, but in an intriguing way, to the point that she was a little sad she didn’t respond.
He must think I’m an idiot, she surmised, knowing she couldn’t be his type gently rubbing her chocolate thighs underneath the desk.
Shaking it off, she quickly sat straight up, casting away the thought of being on the arm of Keyz in any shape or form.
“Now, I need for you all to complete the emergency contact form that—” Ms. Gomez started before Keyz barged in the classroom like he knew he was already late.
“Mr. Paul. You’re late,” she said looking annoyed with his presence as she pointed to the clock.
“Ooooo, he late, y’all!” one boy yelled, getting Keyz’s attention as he mouthed “fuck you” before responding to Ms. Gomez.
“Naw, Ms. Gomez. You’re still just here. I mean, shouldn’t you be retired or something? Like wasn’t Moses in your graduating class?” he cracked, lightly brushing his knuckle underneath his nose as he winked at Iyana.
His comeback evoked a few more laughs, further irritating Ms. Gomez as he stood long enough for her to see he hadn’t changed. Well, not his attitude which coupled with his school uniform, emitted a big dose of swag. She frowned at the way his beige khaki shorts thung loosely off his hips, but the girls didn’t. They grinned, seeing how he finished it off with red Polo top, and red and black Air Jordans looked like they were made just for him.
A warm feeling came over Iyana as she desperately tried to peel her eyes off of him until she was caught staring. Embarrassed, she quickly looked away, lightly scratching the back of her neck where her freshly permed hair fell over her hand and past her shoulders.
“Still mute, huh? I can fix that for you,” he whispered as he sat down closely behind her, ignoring the ruckus he caused. Feeling sort of bold which was unusual for her, Iyana decided to respond.
“I didn’t think anything was broken,” she whispered, her head slightly leaning back as she took in his pretty, white teeth and full lips, unknowingly biting her own lip.
Damn, she’s gorgeous, he thought before Ms. Gomez got both of their attention, clearing her throat.
“Mr. Paul, please go to the principal’s office!” she yelled. “I think Miss…uh, young lady in front of him. What’s your name?”
“Me?” Iyana asked, sinking down in her chair, not used to all of this attention she had just gotten.
“Yes, you. What’s your name, young lady?” Ms. Gomez repeated with a slight look of agitation on her face.
Iyana wasn’t too sure if Ms. Gomez saw her talking, but she was already second guessing herself once she responded to him.
“I—I—Iyana,” she stuttered, looking back down while her fingers dragged up and down her neck.
It was something she did to soothe herself whenever she felt nervous or uncomfortable. She smiled as she could hear her grandmother saying, “Iyana Wilkers! Now if you don’t pick yo’ head up like you lookin’ for cockroaches behind that neck of yours, I’ma hurt you!”
Her grandmother always seemed to have a way with words that would make sense even when they shouldn’t have.
“Iyana Wilkers,” she repeated adding her last name, feeling his breath on her neck causing her to squirm.
“Humph, I see,” Mrs. Gomez replied, looking at Keyz who was even closer to her than he was when he first sat down.
Once he realized she could be easily unnerved, he took pleasure in getting under her skin. It also didn’t hurt that he felt she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Especially with her dark, smooth complexion against the peach nail polish she had on her fingernails. Pulling his dick that was starting to swell, Keyz sat back thinking of all the things he wanted to do her, but knew she probably wouldn’t let him.
I bet lil ma a straight ass virgin. Damn, he thought to himself.
“I don’t think Miss Wilkers appreciates you interrupting her school year on the first day of class. Why don’t you go and join Moses wherever he may be since you seem to know what’s going on with him,” she replied sternly, pointing to the door.
“Ahhhh haaaa,” one of boys said, laughing and clapping his hands. “Man, it’s the first day and you already getting kicked out.”
“You, sir, can go with him,” she said, obviously short on patience. “Mr. Paul, take your little comrade with you.”
“Man! Ms. Gomez, I didn’t even—”
“Enough! Now go before I call security,” she yelled at his friend, snatching her glasses off her face.
“Oh, and Miss Wilkers? Run, my dear. There is nothing he can offer you except trouble,” she warned her, putting her glasses back on.
Instead of leaving right away, Keyz decided to have his own parting words with her while leaning closely to her ear. Although he was sweating a few moments ago, Iyana smiled as his spicy cologne found its way to her nose. Papa B, her grandfather, loved Old Spice which was clearly a throwback aftershave cologne. Still, whatever he wore captivated her nasal senses, causing her to feel things she’d never felt before when it came to the opposite sex.
“Meet me during lunch time at the basketball court. Don’t fuck with me, Iyana,” he demanded in a flirtatious way, tucking his lip like he had done that morning.
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