he classes I had not dropped. I had even come out of my shell a little bit. Naia was having an end-finals card party in her dorm

of the apartments were already empty, and the only remaining one that was occupied belonged to some girls who were almost never h

my type. Jaylen stood at about 5 feet 10 inches with bronze skin. He always looked like the sun had kissed him personally when he woke up in the morning. Jaylen wore his hair in shoulder-length dreads that were dyed blond

in for a hug. I caught a whiff of his Arma

aid, pulling aw

run to the store to get some jui

I'm g

I'll b

in the same building as Naia and Tish, her roommate. I had come home from getting my hair done and pulled a chair out onto the cement porch area that we shared. Naia spotted me outsid

ee any sign of Naia or Marcelle. I did notice three dudes that I had never seen before. I tried to go into Naia's

ooked a lot like Jaylen, except he was lighter and wore his hair short and curly. He was also covered in tattoos and I could see that he had a tongue ring becaus

," I heard one of the guy

to talk to me because I did not want to talk to either one of them. Homeboy across from me smirked when he saw me put the phone up to my ear. I guess he pee

back yet?" she asked m

o?" I asked, keeping an eye on t

go pick up To

O

ng the guy sitting at the table in the back of the hea

g me a smirk. He was too fucking sexy. He had the prettiest ey

call him Rio. Rio, this is my best friend, L

looked away because I w

ma," Rio said, extending

t as Rio was holding his hand out.

with her stuck up

unching him the arm.

me. His stare made me nervou

keys, Jay," Rio said, t

r. I wanted to ask where he was going

Naia asked me, pulli

I answered blindly. I saw tha

rule because we knew ways around it. Cars that did not have parking decals for campus would be towed. I was okay because I was parked at the CLC and had the permit to be

't be caught parked on campus or he will ge

ng out of the window. "Wh

He and his friend rushed out of the door. Marcelle and Toy wer

o y'all so long?"

heir ass to leave,"

eeting them niggas off of POF. They w

ugly," Marcelle said a

the driver was in a good mood because he let their SUV down. Th

en finally asked. I took that as my cu

he girls up," I spoke up. "We'll ride somewhere an

with him when he com

id not say much and he paid me no attention, so I had to have him. I knew it sounded backward, b

gray with chrome rims. Rio got out of the car with a worried expression on his face. I sprang into action. I did

er this place. What y'all g

alk back down the stairs. "We're gonna go for a ride. Once t

r for me and let me in. I smiled at him as he shut the door and jogged around to his side of the

we going?"

n Circle," I instructed. "We can

," Ri

the side and killed the engine, leaving the power on for the radio. We

aia?" Rio asked, b

't get along really well with my

ver brought you to

rtanburg. I did not know much about Gaffney, except where their high s

s. I do tutor up there on Tuesday

ome see me the next

I want to see you

the car w

ng; maybe I just wanted t

wanted me when you

asked with a raised eyebrow as

ke I see it," he said,

in a brickyard and had three sisters. He lived with them and his mother. His father had died of a heart attack a few years earlier. By all accounts, Rio seemed like a normal guy. He