Okay, Kyle’s true to his word, and the way he’s coming through in the clutch is impressive. That’s all I can say about that right now.
Before I have a chance to even get out of the school parking lot, he literally pulls me into this crowd of kids and starts making the introductions before he turns them loose on me. For real, I feel like I’m in an impromptu initiation into a secret society with the way they are coming at me with all these questions. I don’t remember the last time I went through something like this, but I’m not about to let them smell any type of weakness on me, either.
It’s a rare extrovert energy burn for me. Normally, I’d have shied away from the rush of personalities, but after the quick convo Kyle and I had after I thought he was betraying the precarious trust between us, I feel like it’s time to show them who I am.
Once I realize who they are, the walls disappear, and the flood gates are wide open.
And I’m not the only one who notices, either. “You’re cooler than I thought you were, Yasir. It was fun chopping it up with you,” Taylor Ricks, one of the boys Kyle told me about yesterday, mentions as I keep managing all the different chats happening around me. He’s not as physically imposing as Kyle, but not many boys our age are, either. Taylor’s maybe a couple of inches shorter than I am at six foot one, and considering he’s the starting running back, he’s well put together. I couldn’t help noticing the girls gawking at him, but it’s hard for them not to. His tawny skin, arresting light brown eyes, and wavy brown hair—I mean, it’s giving runway model looks, for real. “It’s too bad you’re not on the squad. I think you’d be nice on the field.”
Marco Grant, one of the basketball players in the group who looks like he’s Kevin Durant’s younger brother, height and all, jumps into the chat. “Nah, yo, he’d be nice on the court. We might need to run a pickup game, see if you got something.”
Man, listen, the way the conversation is flowing while I’m chatting with most of the members of the football and basketball teams…well, the football players that aren’t in Ian’s circles, anyway. While I realize that there might be some on campus who associate on a limited basis when it comes to him, I’m not convinced that they would be a part of the same circles. Maybe I’ve been going about this the wrong way all this time.
Everyone in the group isn’t an athlete, though. A few of the boys, and all the girls, are STEM kids who are very familiar with Zahra. The girls consider her the queen bee when it comes to that world, which shouldn’t have surprised me. I got that vibe after a couple of the engineering club meetings I attended. It’s cool to know that the larger world inside the school doesn’t revolve around one group of kids, and it puts me at ease, at least a little bit, anyway.
Funny that the weather is as warm as it is for early October. The sun beaming down on us while we’re vibing feels like this is supposed to happen. Even the breeze came through easy and low-key, adding to my good mood.
I can’t resist peeking over at the girls as they observe the situation for themselves. I smirk as I zero in on Zahra, her grin giving me a boost of confidence to stay in the thick of the chatter happening around me. I ignore the anxiety—at least, I’m trying to—of being in larger groups where possible, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m not being shunned, and things are working out well, for real.
I shoot a text, asking Zahra to meet me where Storm is parked. While I had seen her in class earlier in the day, I hadn’t seen her seen her.
I jog toward the parking lot with Kyle, beaming as I notice the girls making their way in our direction. I elbow Kyle to give the heads up, watching him light up the minute Kendyl gets close enough for him to reach out and embrace her. I notice Zahra hesitate when we get close to each other, almost like she’s not sure what to do.
That makes two of us. Especially after that kiss? Sheesh. This “just friends” thing is legit stressing me out.
“You look like you’re in a good mood,” Zahra remarks as she stands in my personal space with this slick grin on her face like she conspired with Kyle. “You looked comfortable hanging with the boys. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were starting to get acclimated to your new element.”
“Don’t get it twisted. I’m still trying to feel them out, but so far so good. I guess the real test is this weekend.”
“Well, you know I have no issues figuring out how to calm things down,” she coos in my ear. “Besides, it shouldn’t be too busy in certain areas of the house. Kyle’s parents have a pretty expansive estate, so it should keep drama to a minimum.”
“And what makes you think I want you to calm things down?” I tease, leaning away when she tries to touch me. “Maybe there might be some other girls at the party who might wanna see about the kid.”
The look she gives me could’ve pierced through steel, and I burst out laughing. She slaps my shoulder hard, crossing her arms over her chest. “And maybe a few of the fellas that will be coming with Kyle’s cousin might wanna holla, too. I mean, they all play with him, you know.”
I feign a heart attack like someone had just shot an arrow, which makes her giggle. “You ain’t have to do me like that, though. I was just kidding.”
“I don’t know, pretty boy. We’re just hanging out as friends. Why would I want to keep another girl from seeing about you?” She winks at me, biting her bottom lip. “Maybe it might make me want you more.”
Kyle cracks up laughing as he wraps his hands around Kendyl’s waist. “You two are funny as hell, for real. I’ll bring the popcorn to see how this plays out, if you two are serious about this, of course.”
“I guess we’ll see.” I brush off the gauntlet she’s laid down, determined to not let her get to me. “So, according to the fellas, this party is gonna be huge?”
Kyle rubs the back of his neck, staring off in the distance for a few seconds before he lets out an annoyed sigh. “Despite what we might be able to do, you know Ian and that bunch may want to come through. They take the air out of any room they’re in, and that’s not gonna happen, not when I’m supposed to be front and center. I tried to tap dance around the subject all day today, but one of the other kids opened her mouth about seeing me at the birthday party, and the flood gates took over from there.”
“So what’s the backup plan, in case they do show up?” Zahra leans against me as they all continue to muse about what to expect. I try to act like the traces of her perfume aren’t making me weak. “I mean, your parents usually contract security with these big parties. I’m sure this one will be no different, right?”
Kyle nods, but then he snaps his fingers, pointing his index finger against his temple. “Yeah, and that might calm some of it down, but Ian’s pops and mine are… Well, they’re cordial. My dad is on the city council, and there’s some tension. There’s a lot of other moving parts that make things complicated. They might not have a choice but to let him in.”
“So we deal with him by icing him out,” I say. Yeah, easier said than done, but I have an idea or two of how to pull that off. I’ve dealt with kids like him before, and some solutions are universal. “Look, you said it yourself: he loves the spotlight. The more we take it away from him, the more he will loathe it. Once he realizes it’s all about the birthday boy, then they’ll roll out on their own.”
“Yo, that’s not a bad plan.” Kyle takes Kendyl by her hand to head toward his car, tapping fists with me as they walk. “Let’s roll with that. I’ll check up with y’all later. Kenni and I have some shopping to do, or so she keeps telling me.”
I nod, tapping fists with him again before opening the passenger door for Zahra to hop inside. Once I ease into the driver’s seat, I turn to Zahra… Wait a minute, what’s this look on her face? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? “What is it? Was it something I said?”
“I’m literally trying to figure out where this version of Yasir Salah has been this entire time,” she muses, caressing my face like she hadn’t ever seen me before in her life. “It’s a good look on you.”
“Well, you’re the one who’s helped create this version. I guess you kinda have a say in how long I can stick around, huh? The question is, do you want to be a friend of this version, or do you want to be my girl?” I flash a grin that makes her blush. I’m not exactly being subtle, though. Blame it on the good mood I’m in. “You can’t be all flirty and everything and then act like we’re supposed to not be…you know…together.”
Zahra pauses for a few moments as she ponders her response. “And if I want to be your girl? Not saying that I’m ready yet, but what if I do?”
“So I think the others had a pretty good idea. We might need to get the outfits together for the weekend. We can at least do that, until we figure out what this will finally be.”
“I like the way you think. Pick me up in a couple of hours?” Zahra asks as she slides out of Storm and skips to her car. “I have a few spots we can go to get what we need, and there are a few things I wouldn’t mind showing off just for you. You know, since we’re figuring things out and all that?”
“Say less, pretty girl. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
…
“Yo, Unk, can I holla at you for a minute? It’s kinda important.”
The minute I get home, finding Unk tops the to-do list for the afternoon. I need to have “that” talk about girls, and he’s the nearest source to use as a sounding board. I have questions—man, do I have questions—and this happens to be one of those times where I need the uncut version.
We head out to the back deck and sit in the wicker chairs, enjoying the cooler weather. He pops open a Modelo, his usual wind-down beverage of choice, while I sip on a ginger ale. He leans back in his chair. “Okay, kiddo, what’s on your mind?”
I rub my hands together while I figure out how to start things off. My nerves are on edge, which only seems to happen whenever Zahra is the topic. “How do you know when you’re treating a girl right?”
Unk turns up the bottle, taking a gulp and drumming his fingers against his thigh. “Let’s see. It might be as simple as seeing a smile on her face after you’ve done something for her. Sometimes, it’s a matter of being consistent in your words and actions. Women are hard to figure out like that.”
“Well, that’s not much help at all.” I laugh as he cuts his eyes at me, taking another sip of my drink. “Like, is there a way to not feel like you’re messing up at every turn?”
“You know, if I had that figured out, I’d be on a Ted Talk tour right now, making millions.” He chuckles at his joke before he glances over and realizes I’m serious about my follow-up question. “All right, here’s the real, young’un. If you’re comfortable with yourself, and you do the things that make her grin, keep that in your memory and repeat when necessary. Do you know what she likes?”
“Kinda.”
“Then you’re gonna need to find those things out through the times you just sit and talk.”
I think about that for a minute, and I’m still drawing blanks. “I guess I really don’t know, for real. All I know is I like seeing her smile when we’re together.”
“That’s the new energy swirling around you. When that calms down, that’s when the things you’ve found out become more important.” He nods a few times, rubbing his goatee a few times. “Case in point: I know that Lennox enjoys when I cook for her at the shop after hours sometimes. When her birthday comes around, and that’s soon, I’ll put something together and we can lounge around in the back of the truck while she enjoys what I’ve created.”
“But isn’t that boring, though?” I’m starting to regret asking these questions. They aren’t getting me anywhere. “I mean, I’m trying to impress her when we do go on a date.”
“I can dig it, but it doesn’t always have to be something big for a first date,” he tells me as he studies my reaction. “If you really want to impress her, you can find somewhere that she hasn’t been before, show her something new.”
I sigh heavily, remembering some of the #couplegoals I’d been noticing on social media, both around Oakwood and back in the A…including one I shouldn’t have checked up on. “But I can’t get caught up doing something weak. The pressure is real, and if it don’t give what it’s supposed to give, I’m already starting out digging myself out of a hole.”
Unk can’t stop laughing, and I’m sitting there trying to figure out what the hell is so funny. “Man, where do y’all come up with these sayings? Look, nephew, if and when you and Zahra get together, just stick to the four simple words that have helped me.”
“And what words are those?”
“Listen to your woman.”
“Come on, Unk. For real?”
“It kept your parents together, and so far, it’s keeping Lennox smiling, so yeah, I’m serious.”
The thing I always love about my uncle is that, despite his methods sounding completely foreign to me, he’s been spot-on almost my whole life. He was right about boxing. He was right about learning about computers. Why would he be off the mark when it comes to dealing with girls?
Never mind all of that, though. He gave me the perfect chance to switch subjects. “Speaking of keeping Ms. Lennox smiling, I think you need to keep doing what you’re doing. I like her a lot. She fits you.”
“And you’d be better off making sure you learn what makes Zahra smile. I’m just saying.”
“Nope, not putting this back on me, that’s not how this works.”
He takes another sip of his beer, furrowing his brow. Yep, that’s my cue to stay in my place. “I’m glad you like her, because I’m trying to see where that goes. She puts a smile on my face, too.”
“Yeah, I’ve been noticing. You’ve had a lot more energy around the house and at the shop.” I finish my ginger ale, getting up from the chair to grab another one. I come back with another beer while I’m up, sitting down to finish my thoughts. “Not gonna lie, she’s a baddie, too. I didn’t know you had that kinda pull.”
“Yeah, I see I’m gonna have to learn you a few things, kiddo.” He waves me off, giving up a slick grin that makes me crack up all over again. “All right, I think we’ve had enough for one night. You’ve still got homework to finish, and I have to work through my reports to make sure we’re still able to live decently.”
I give a thumbs-up, letting him know that, for once, he didn’t have me dead to rights. “Actually, I handled homework before I got home. I’m meeting up with the fellas to get some shopping done. I’ll be home before curfew, of course.”
“That works for me. We can relax tomorrow morning, too. I’m good for the rest of the week.”
Man, that’s music to my ears! I tap fists with him as I move toward the front door. “Good talk as always, Unk. I’m sure it won’t be the last one.”
“Nah, I know it won’t be,” he says. “Whatever goes down, just be yourself.”