Taj POV

It was getting closer to graduation and he was nervous. He felt like something would go wrong.

His mother and brother were coming down to see his graduation but that was the only family he had. Some of his fraternity brothers would come down and he looked forward to that. He still had not decided about which school to go to for graduate school. He knew he wanted to stay in Illinois, so ISU and U of I were his best options.

He did not want to go home to Chicago. 

He also needed money to pay for graduate school. Both had scholarships for grad programs, but they were competitive. He would also need a graduate assistant program that paid. How was he going to do this?

Good thing he worked in admissions with one of the best. Even though it was Sunday, he could call Jossie and she would give him any information he needed.

"Hey Jossie, you have a minute to chat with me."

"I can't right now. I am headed into the office."

"On a Sunday? I bet hubby doesn't like that."

"Boy, have you heard? Wait...sorry, I don't know why you would have heard."

"Heard what?"

"We lost two students last night. It's all over the news. I have to get to the office and help notify all that I need to."

"Okay, I'll meet you there."

He did not need to hear more. He quickly dressed while he turned on the news. They were not releasing any names, but he bet Jossie knew. He knocked on Brian's door.

"What's up?" Brian opened the door dressed in his pajamas.

"You hear about the accident involving two students last night? I'm going in the office and see if Jossie needs help with this."

"Shit," he said as he rubbed his face. "Let me know if it's anyone we know. I have to man the hotline in a few. Maybe some peeps will call feeling the impact of that. This is major."

"Yeah, I know."

He grabbed his phone and texted Temira, wanting to make sure she was okay.

Hey, you good?

Yes, why?

Thinking of you

☺️

He smiled at that. As he made it to his car, he decided to call her instead of continuing to text.

"Did I wake you?"

"No. It's almost eleven o'clock in the afternoon, why would I still be asleep?"

"I don't know, some people sleep in."

"Not me. I'm up and finished a workout and had breakfast and now I am retwisting my locs."

"I have to head into the office for a bit...maybe after we can hang out."

"You're trying to inch your way into my life, huh?" She giggled at that. "I like it, Taj, you're sweet."

"See you later. I'll call."

Soon as he made it to the office, he saw Jossie crying as she talked on the phone. He tossed his bag down in a corner and sat in front of her desk. This was very bad.

"Okay, okay, I'll check on you girls later. Gather up and be together."

Once she hung up, she looked at him with red-brimmed eyes.

"Jossie, if you need to take off and let me-"

"It's Malinda Thomas. And Terrance Branch."

Never would he think it would be two people he knew. "Are you serious? No, sorry I said that."

He jumped up to put his arms around Jossie. This was not just two students on this massive campus. They were two Black students part of Greek life, which meant they all were like family. They were young, both sophomores.

Why was this world so fucked up?

"I just talked to Jill, she is going to tell the rest of the ladies. I need to call the president of Alphas. Then Greek Affairs, then-"

"Shhh, hey, tell me what I can assist with."

He spent the next hour calling Malinda and Terrance's Residence Hall Directors, while Jossie called her bosses and other Deans of the school.  He checked in with Brian and told him what was up and to tell the other guys. They needed to be there for MAX

Soon the news was spreading around campus and the office phone was ringing off the hook. Parents wanted to check on their kids. They both spent time answering the phones, reassuring their parents that everything was okay. That only two students passed away and it was off campus.

Malinda was a sweetheart. He had not spent much time with her but he knew she was a fireball. He respected her stance on relationships at their joint meeting. And she was incredible at the step show just last week.

How could this happen?

He was so tired from working a few hours. Drained, both he and Jossie.

"Taj, I need you here."

"I will stay as long as you need me." Even though he wanted to go somewhere and shut his brain down. He hated dealing with death.

"No. I mean here, in this office. I can't lose you. This is you.... here, doing this. It's your calling."

He did not know what to say to that so he said nothing.

"I want you to attend grad school here and stay on as my assistant."

He shook his head. "You have Faye-"

"You already know Faye and I don't see eye-to-eye and I don't want someone like that working for me. I'll suggest to her another office to work in. But if you're not here with me next year I don't know if I can continue to do this. I grow so attached to these students as if they are my own and then this...I haven't had to deal with this in my over twenty years. Don't ever want to have to deal with it again."

"I don't know what to say."

"Grad assistants get good pay in my office and tuition paid."

"I'm in!" he said with a chuckle. "You always dangle money in my face and I will take it."

After he left the office, he got in his car and got on the phone with Temira.

"What are you doing?"

"Just finished my hair and now I'm making tea."

"Need company?"

"If you want to come over, just say-"

"Can I come over to see you?"

"Yes."

He wanted to do things differently with Temira. He liked her. He needed to take things slow. They already started things rocky by jumping to sex. And even though the sex was amazing, Temira was more than that.

Soon as she opened the door he hugged her, squeezing her tight.

"What was that for?"

"I just spent a few hours dealing with something I never want to do again."

"Oh, tell me all about it." She walked into her kitchen, pouring herself some tea. "You want some."

"No, I'm good." He sat at the bar overlooking her kitchen and watched her prepare her cup of tea. "And I don't want to talk about it. I want to talk about something happy."

"Sure."

"You still planning on going back home to ??? and working on a farm?"

She laughed at that. "You remember that?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, yeah! It's what I have always wanted to do."

"And how far away is that from here...like an hour, or-"

"Why do you need to know that?"

"Because I'm going to want to know how long it's going to take to drive and see you every weekend.

She smiled and leaned over the counter. "An hour and fifteen minutes away."

He leaned in closer to her. "Then count me in."

He kissed her, their first kiss since they were trying to get to know each other. She was exactly what he needed and he should have realized that before.

A/N: I need Taj to have a happy ending! Let's see what I do 😈

This was supposed to be his last chapter but I'm adding an extra chapter just to give him one more. Plus I needed this and Suster Friends to be about the same chapters.