“Whoa, is that Yasir? He looks like a whole different person.”
“And he’s not wearing that God-awful cologne anymore. It’s a good look on him.”
“And he’s changed his hair, too. He trying to get fine, fine.”
I can’t stop chuckling as I make my way through the halls this morning. Everywhere I go, all eyes are on me, with a few of the girls turning into insta-groupies when I swear to the gods they didn’t know I existed. Last night while I was FaceTiming with Z, some clothes and oils I ordered finally arrived. No disrespect to my nana, but the things she cosigned on were not it. My fit game was in desperate need of an upgrade, and I’m low-key grateful that all it took was an interest in a girl to get her to loosen up.
By the time I stop at my locker, the halls are buzzing. Whether I want the attention or not, the spotlight is focused on me and bright as hell.
While the attention is both appreciated and anxiety-inducing at the same time, I don’t care about the newfound crowds who did what they could to find out what the fuss is about. Only one matters, and as long as she approves of the new look and the subtle changes I made to my “signature” scent, it’s worth all the trouble.
I soon find out what the price of instant fame after being shunned looks like, as Amber Waters, one of the girls on the cheerleading squad with Kendyl, and a couple of her friends, Tori and Jenna, all descend on my locker. I don’t see them while I pull my books to prepare for my first classes of the day, but the moment I turn around, they enclose in a circle around me.
“Well, damn, Yasir, we’d heard that you’d leveled up a bit, but I didn’t know it was like this, though.” Amber licks her lips as she does the head-to-toe check. The look in her eyes lets me know I need to get out of there before she gets the wrong idea. “If this is how you’re gonna rock your fits from now on, a girl might have to see about you.”
I search for anyone or any opening that can get me out of this situation. She’s been eyeing me since I got on campus but never said two words to me until today. Like my nana loves to say, “Something in the milk ain’t clean.”
“Um, Amber, I appreciate the compliment, but I need to get to class.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can spare a few minutes for me, cutie,” Amber retorts as she moves closer into my personal space. “I mean, you can’t be smelling all delicious like this and not expect someone to want to get a taste of it, right?”
“Okay, Amber, I get that you appreciate the fit and the new look and all but…” I lean against the lockers, resigning myself to the fact that the only way I’m gonna get out of this mess would be to ask the question I don’t want the answer to. “Why are you applying pressure now? I’m not understanding how you and your girls are all up on me when I wasn’t the flavor of the week last week, anyway.”
Amber looks at her girls, getting the nod from Tori and a smirk from Jenna, before she moves even closer, placing a palm on the locker above my shoulder. “Okay, so I know the buzz is that you’re trying to get with Zahra, and I’m feeling that, so do you. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a situation of our own, though. Y’all ain’t together yet.”
I shake my head, sliding away from Amber to create some distance between us. “All right, ease back a bit. I’m not feeling this sudden change of heart, deadass. The only reason you’re getting this bold is simple: the buzz is hot on campus, and you’re chasing the heat.”
“What’s past is past, pretty boy, and the only thing that’s important right now is that I see you, and I like what I see.”
“That’s cap. Look elsewhere, shawty. I ain’t going for it.”
I can’t decide whether I’m relieved or worried as I notice Zahra and Kendyl standing behind Tori and Jenna, grabbing everyone’s attention in the hallway. I play it calm for a few moments, but inside I want to freak out over what happens next. Girls are wildcards in situations like this, and while Z and I aren’t together, together, this ain’t the type of drama I want to deal with first thing in the morning.
And then Zahra winks at me. When I say the relief that comes over me when I see her do that? I need the bailout, please and thank you.
I smirk as Amber turns around, caught off guard by Zahra being in her personal space. I stifle a chuckle, surprised over being involved in something out of Riverdale. The only thing missing…well, I don’t want to think about that.
“Z, hey girl… I was just having a conversation with Yasir. What are you doing here?”
Zahra’s answer to Amber’s question shocks me to the point of wondering if I’m hallucinating. Things start happening in slow motion, and I’m powerless to stop it. Zahra slides Amber out of the way, then steps in front of me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down for a kiss that makes me forget anyone is in the immediate area.
What. The. Hell. Is. Happening?
Instinct takes over from there, and I straighten up to my full six-foot-three-inch height, taking Zahra a few inches off the ground as we create a spectacle with the unexpected PDA. While we kiss, my senses heighten, and I hear Kendyl being, well, not so polite in her “request” that Amber, Tori, and Jenna leave the area before something bad happens to them.
Well, damn, if I’d known it would be that easy, I’d have said something sooner.
I finally feel her break from our embrace, then gently set her down on the ground. I don’t want to be rude to her bestie, so I make sure to acknowledge her first. “Hi, Kenni. At the risk of sounding cliché as hell, that wasn’t what it looked like.”
Zahra keeps her hands around my face, placing small kisses across my lips. “Don’t worry, Kenni sort of saw this coming once word got out. I guess I need to worry about your expanding fan club now, huh?”
I blush, causing a giggle out of both girls. I shrug, truly at a loss over all the fuss, but I have a twinge of anxiety creeping up my spine, too. “I didn’t do much of anything to get all this attention, Z. I mean, the outfit is a bit outside of what I normally wear, but I felt like it was time for a change.”
Kendyl scoffs, tapping me on my shoulder. “Yeah, about that…whatever you decided to do, I’m gonna need you to keep that same energy. People were legit trying to find out who was wearing the new scent, and when they found out it was you—”
Zahra chimes in, almost finishing Kendyl’s sentence, “Let’s just say, we had to get to ground zero quick, because it was only a matter of time before someone would act on it.” She leans in, then closes her eyes and lays her forehead against my chest. “I can sense the change in your oils and lotions, too, Yasir. You increased the sandalwood scent, didn’t you?”
I’m grinning like I won the lottery, impressed that she noticed the difference. “Actually, I increased the sandalwood and the coriander, and it seemed to do the trick.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna need you to keep that mixture from now on, okay?” Zahra bats her eyes, tapping her index finger against my lips. “And as for this fit…what are you doing after school, sir?”
Kendyl laughs out loud, checking the clock. “Chica, we need to get to it, and so does he. Love you, mean it.”
I steal one last kiss and wave to Zahra as Kendyl pulls her around the corner. “Um, we’re gonna need to talk about what just happened, Z. I thought we were, you know?”
“Um, friends can kiss, right?” she teases before she disappears.
I smile, wondering if things are starting to shift the way she mentioned the other day. I recover and make my way to class before the resource officers start making their sweeps of the halls.
I slip into English class and get to my seat, but I’m already causing a distraction the moment I sit down. By the time I figure out what’s happening, the girls in the class, who had taken great pains to be in other areas of the room, all but encircle my seat, much to the chagrin of the other boys observing the situation.
Oh, boy, today’s gonna be tough sledding.
I resolve to just get through the day, including the classes I have with Zahra, and figure out a way to, as my uncle loves to say, “govern myself accordingly.”