"I don't want someone like you, I want you." - Unknown

The best part about a new school year at Rutgers University, was undeniably Welcome Week. Not just for the Freshman but for everyone. Even people who don't attend school there show up to the annual block party, thrown by the upperclassmen who lived in their off campus apartment complex. Loud music could be heard from a mile away, the streets poured with people dancing and carrying plates of barbecue and red solo cups filled with god only knows what.

The four roommates weaved through the crowd stopping at some of the tents they had set up to play games. They were having a great time just like every other year. Yara, along with Jaden and her new roommate Rowan walking not far behind the the older girls. This was their very first Welcome Week and with wide eyes they took everything in making sure not to miss a thing. Yara felt special to be a freshman who knew so many upperclassmen already. Thank God for her sister.

"All of this is so spectacular!" Rowan exclaimed to Yara as they continued walking. Yara and Rowan had hit it off pretty well. Rowan was polite, clean, and funny. She was everything Yara wanted in a roommate honestly, and she was very easy to talk to. They had just met a few days ago but it already felt like they'd been friends for years.

"It really is! The music is lit as fuck too." Yara smiled back at the dark haired girl. Rowan let out a giggle at her new friend's choice of words.

"It's chill as shit that Z is letting us hang with her and all her friends Yara." Jaden calls taking two long strides so he's standing beside his best friend.

"Yea, for now. I'm sure she'll get tired of me following her around pretty soon." Yara sighed, knowing that would mean not being able to see Amandla much anymore.

The group stops at a large fold up table, the music is hammering even louder since the DJ is now only ten or so feet away. Trevor and Zayn are setting up what appears to be a game of beer pong. Immediately Kehlani and Zendaya join in on a game Tinashe laughs as Kehlani misses her first shot. And Amandla starts observing the many people around them.

"Hey, new girl. Wanna play?" Trevor asks holding a yellow ping pong ball towards Rowan.

"Uhh, no thank you. I..I don't drink." Rowan answers, nervously shoving her hands in her pockets looking down at the floor afraid she'd be kicked out of the group for being boring.

"A white girl in college who doesn't drink? That's rare." Zayn chuckles, and everyone follows suit.

Rowan looks around cheeks turning beat red. She contemplates for a moment before snatching the small ball out of the older boy's hand.

"Maybe I will give it a try." Rowan says switching spots with Zendaya and aiming towards one of the cups on Kehlani's side of the table.

"So the trick is-" Zayn's unable to finish the rest of his sentence before Rowan releases the ball from her fingertips, sinking it into one of Kehlani's cups. The look on everyone's face is priceless as Rowan jumps up and down, clapping with excitement.

"She played us!" Kehlani exclaims.

"She hella played us bro!" Zayn deadpans. "This CANNOT be your first time."

"I swear it is!" Rowan pouts, worrying they wouldn't let her play anymore because they thought she lied. It's not her fault that she has exceptional aiming ability.

"Y'all are just sore losers. Take the shot baby." Tinashe comments from the left side of the table. The knowing look she gets from Amandla doesn't go unnoticed. 'Baby?' Is what the smirk translates silently. Amandla raises an eyebrow but thankfully doesn't say anything out loud.

Kehlani takes the drink reluctantly, the familiar burn of Hennessey as she swallows harshly. She makes a silent promise to get the younger brunette drunk as payback for scoring on her first try. Mostly though, she just thinks it'll be hilarious to see this seemingly good girl get wasted.

Five minutes later Kehlani has taken 3 shots by the hands of Rowan but she knows she can hold her liquor, unlike Yara's new friend. At this point Trevor and Zayn have just let Kehlani and Rowan go 1v1 because the competitive nature of the two girls was amusing. The rest of the group looks on as the girls go shot for shot.

Yara starts to worry about her roommate having too many drinks. When Lani made her first shot and Rowan had to drink, Yara could tell she'd never had Hennessey before. She didn't want Rowan to do anything she'd regret in the morning, especially in front of all the upperclassmen at this block party, the first week of school. Rowan would probably transfer schools if that happened and Yara would have to get a whole new roommate and more importantly a new friend.

It's as if Amandla reads her mind. "Sooo." She starts gathering everyone's attention. "Since this is her first time playing this game and most likely her first time drinking, I'm pretty sure we should like not get her black out drunk?" Amandla announces looking around at her friends.

"Awww no fun!" Kehlani pouts. She accepted that her revenge plot was foiled. 'There's always next time.' she thought sneakily to herself. Nobody ties her a beer pong!

"I'm fine.... I think?" Rowan vocalizes, all the while struggling to keep her balance. She was definitely starting to feel a little tipsy, she had 4 shots and felt lighter than usual, almost as if she were floating. The feeling was new but she kinda liked it. She giggled to herself, unaware that the rest of the group was spectating.

"OK I definitely agree with Amandla, she's had one too many shots." Yara chimes in grabbing Rowan by the arm "besides, shouldn't we be worried about getting caught by police with alcohol?"

"Oh don't worry we know exactly where twelve be posted up every year." Trevor smiles sneakily "plus we have look outs standing around making sure nobody is coming." At Trevor's words Yara realizes they're basically surrounded by a circle of people blocking view of the table intentionally. 'Clever.'

Trevor stashes the rest of the liquor in his backpack while Zayn collects the ping pong balls before throwing the empty cups in a nearby garbage. The group decides to explore some of the tents set up along the street and grab some food. Yara holds onto Rowan's arm tightly to be sure she doesn't sway as they come closer to where police are stationed.

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After about two hours at the annual upperclassmen block party, the group decides to head back to campus and check out some more 'Academically appropriate' activities.

Like every year tables set up with representatives from Rutgers clubs, student activities, sports teams, and organizations were handing out flyers and pamphlets looking to recruit new members. There were all kinds of people. Students from the Football team, Cheerleaders, multiple Greek life reps, kids from the science club, you name it.

The group grabbed flyers and pamphlets even to clubs they didn't consider joining to be polite. Zendaya waved a quick hello to Normani and Dinah who were reps for the cheerleading team. They both wear fitted red T-shirts with black lettering 'Scarlet Knights Cheer' Rowan had done a lot of research on the cheer team because she really wanted to join. She recognized the dark haired girl from the school website. She was captain. Rowan nervously accepted a flyer from the taller girl despite her welcoming smile.

Zendaya fully expected to get a hug from both girls. To her surprise they BOTH kiss her...on the lips. Looking in the direction of her friends, they all look fairly unfazed but Zendaya can't say the same thing for her baby sister.

"Ummmm, hey guys.." Zendaya stammers out. She's used to girls all over her, but not in front of Yara. Zendaya knows her sister hears all the rumors but she'd rather not have her actually witness these kind of things.

"I know everyone here except you 3." The raven haired beauty announced, eyeing Jaden, Yara, and Rowan. "I'm Normani, captain of the Scarlet Knights cheer squad and this is Dinah," She says pointing towards the taller girl. "She's my co captain and best friend!" Dinah smiles widely kissing her friend's cheek.

"So which one of you is Z's little sister?" Dinah questions suspiciously.

"....that would be me." Yara speaks hesitantly looking to Jaden for help but all he offers is a shrug.

Dinah smiles widely and Normani licks her lips looking the younger girl up and down. Zendaya was visibly uncomfortable and Yara felt like a deer caught in headlights.

"Damn you're even cuter than I thought you'd be. What's your name?" Normani flirts effortlessly while Dinah giggles knowingly at her side.

They were both drop dead gorgeous. Normani had silky smooth chocolate skin and plump lips. Her hair was in a short bob that sculpted her face perfectly. Yara tries not to blush under the attention of a literal goddess, she doesn't want to out herself in front all her sister's friends, especially when she has a crush on one of them.

"Y-Y-Yara." Shit

"Am I making you nervous?" Shit

"Nope. Not at all." Yara Why the fuck you lying

"I told y'all my sister was straight and off limits!" Zendaya interrupts thankfully because another look like that from those big brown eyes and she would have fainted. Yara doesn't think she could ever handle that much woman anyway but a part of her feels excited a girl who looks like that would even look her way.

"Hmm, Well y'all should try out for the cheer team! We could use another black girl right Mani?" Dinah offered.

"We sure could." The shorter of the two agreed, half flirting and half serious. Normani was currently the only black person on the team.

"Yea we'll get back to y'all on that. Bye!" Zendaya grabs her sister and yanks her away from the two cheerleaders. When they're far enough she finally lets go without a word. The rest of the group is still discussing what just happened. Yara thinks about the exchange herself. Normani was easily anyone's dream girl but Yara could never like someone her sister slept with. Besides she had her eye on someone else.

"What the hell was that?" Jaden whispers harshly Rowan trailing behind them still reading her cheer flyer carefully.

"I know right!!! They were crazy-" Yara starts before being cut off by her best friend.

"Not them. YOU! I saw the way you were looking at them. Almost the same way you been looking at Amandla."

Yara's eyes widen as she looked around to make sure nobody else heard Jaden whisper yelling at her. She's relieved to see everyone's doing their own thing. Kehlani is whispering something in Tinashe's ear, Amandla's reading some pamphlets the art club passed her and Zendaya's on her phone smirking at the screen. It's probably some freaky text from one of her hoes. Yara rolls her eyes. Zayn and Trevor have disappeared into the crowd somewhere.

"Lower your damn voice J!" The smaller girl hisses through gritted teeth.

"I should expose you for not telling me!" Jaden huffed a bit too loud because someone turns around with a raised eyebrow.

"Not telling him what?" Zendaya questions curiously. The two friends look frantically at one another.

"You know what, it's cool cause imma find out anyway." The older sister promised walking away calmly. Yara just hopes she finds the courage to tell Zendaya herself before that happens.

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After the day's festivities were over, the group decided to head back to their respective homes. Yara pleaded with her sister to let her spend the night. Mostly because leaving with Jaden and Rowan meant being interrogated. Zendaya reluctantly agreed, and the younger sibling could tell she was already annoyed with her clingy behavior. When they arrive Kehlani and Tinashe immediately disappear into their room and Yara excuses herself to use the bathroom.

"She was never this clingy I'm high school was she?" Zendaya wondered aloud.

" I don't think she's being clingy Z. It's only been two days." Amandla sighs. She loved her best friend but sometimes she was so extra when it came to Yara. If anything Zendaya was the clingy one. Yara was old enough and smart enough to handle herself. She was only a year and some months younger than they were anyway.

Yara comes back from the bathroom effectively ending that conversation. The 3 agree upon a movie to watch before making popcorn and settling into the couch. The tallest of the 3 sits between her younger sister and best friend. 10 minutes into 'The conjuring' Zendaya's phone vibrates indicating a text.

'Dinah Jane: We miss you.'

Shivers travel down Zendaya's spine as she gets a flashback from her last encounter in the bedroom with the two cheerleaders. She jumps up.

"Sorry Yaya, I gotta go. It's urgent" Zendaya announces dramatically. Amandla rolls her eyes heavily.

"Are you kidding me? Pussy can't be that urgent." The younger girl groaned.

"Watch your mouth!"

"I'm grown!" Yara challenges

"Well so am I. Now I'm leaving. You good here with A right?"

Yara hesitates 'She wants me to stay?' Amandla doesn't seem to mind but "I don't wanna be a burden, I can just go back to the dorm." Yara offers.

"It's too late for all that just stay here. Amandla doesn't care."

"It's cool we can finish the movie if you want" Amandla insisted not knowing the leap Yara's heart did in her chest.

"Ok, so it's settled byeee." Zendaya sings, heading to her room to freshen up. 10 minutes later and she's out the door.

***************************

They're silently watching the movie each on their own ends of the couch. The younger girl steals a glance at her longtime crush who seems concentrated on the movie. She wishes she knew someway to start a conversation with the older girl but it would be rude to interrupt the movie.

One particular jump scare causes Yara to scream leaping to Amandla's side of the couch hiding behind the other girl's shoulder. The older girls laughs fondly. Yara was really cute and funny but she'd never admit that to anyone because Z's sister was always 'off limits' and she respected her best friend's wishes.

Her best friend wasn't here at the moment though. There was no harm in talking to Yara right?

Wrong.

Amandla paused the movie looking over at the curly haired girl who had since emerged from hiding.

"I'm thirsty. How about you?" Amandla asks.

'You have no idea' "yea, I could go for a soda. Thank you." Amandla hops up and strides into the kitchen. She comes back with a two cherry cokes.

"Still your favorite right." Amandla questions. Yara bites back a face eating grin at the fact Amandla could remember something like that.

"Wow I never thought you actually paid attention to me. " it kinda slipped out but too late to turn back now.

"What makes you think that?"

"I always assumed you just thought of me as Zendaya's little sister" Yara confesses shyly. Amandla knows she's nearing dangerous territory but her curiosity gets the best of her.

"Well...what did you think of me?" The younger girl looks around she's not sure what to say but she decides the truth is the best way to go.

"I... thought- I think you're smart and funny. and you were always nice to me..." Yara hated how nervous she was, her palms were sweating and she felt like an idiot. Amandla could never look at her the way she so badly wanted...Could she?

"I-" Amandla starts

"I liked you!" Yara blurts before she can think about the consequences. "Like I had a crush on you. I thought you were beautiful- I still think that I- I just didn't say anything."

"Why?" Is all that comes out. Amandla's laid back and unbothered nature has dissipated into thin air.

"You know why."

They lock eyes and it's like they're seeing one another for the first time. Yara's breath hitches in her throat causing her to look down at her hands before she does something else impulsive. Amandla is at a crossroads and the one road with beautiful curls, & a beaming goofy smile was calling her name.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I DID IT GUYS!!! Sorry I'm really proud of myself for starting this back up again I'm gonna try and stick with it now. I had to stop writing for others and just write for myself. Don't get me wrong tho I love suggestions leave as many comments as y'all hearts desire. Tell me what you think's  gonna happen and drop suggestions of stuff you'd like to see happen. If you want you can hmu on twitter: @Soulphire - Sapphire 💜