3 weeks later

• Ren •

"Man" I say as I sucked my teeth, ripping the ink-scratched paper out of my notebook and crumbling it up.

I don't see how Rhyon does this shit all day. Rhyming and writing and piecing words together. I mean, the kid gotten better at it but it still aint up to what I think it should be.

She makes that shit look so easy, it's sickening yet amazing. I leaned my head down on the table and sighed. I've been sitting here since school let out at 3pm trying to find the perfect words for this rhyme I'm writing.

It's now 5pm, and all I got is five lines. Fuck this dumb shit, I thought. I'ma just go play my Atari.

"Hey baby...what you doing?", I heard my mom say as she entered the kitchen where I was sitting. "Better be that homework" she said as she kissed the side of my head.

"Mhm", I glared at her as I wiped her kiss off on the sneak tip, then looking at my hand that had red lip stain marks in it.

"You goin over Mrs. Loretta's tonight?", I asked while finally sitting up straight and closing my notebook.

"Maybe...why?", my mom asked, placing her brown purse on the countertop.

"Iono", I shrugged. "Just wondering"

"You wanna see Rhyon?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, "I mean she is my friend"

"Mhm" my mom mumbled as she gave a small smile. "I was told you and her been getting along real well...."

"Uh huh...right ma" I rolled my eyes and leaned down in the brown dining chair.

I licked my lips as I watched my mom open the cabinet and pull out a box of elbow noodles. I hope she make Mac and Cheese, but I really hoped she was going to Mrs. Loretta.

Not that I wanted to really see Rhyon just because more so I wanted her to help me a little more with my flow. She was gifted as hell.

"But I may stop by and what not, not for long though I gotta get up early in the morning"

I nodded as I got up from the table, grabbing my notebook and heading out the kitchen and down the hallway to my junky ass room.

Plopping down on my bed and looking up at the ceiling, I thought about Rhyon since we walked home from school together. I see my homies teasing me and shit saying I like her, but nah I look at her more as a homie.

She was...coo.

Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep for a couple of hours, then waking up to see it being pitch black outside of my window.

"Damn", I groaned as I sat up and looked at my little alarm clock that rested on my dresser.

"11:54 pm"

Outside of my window, you could hear the police sirens faintly, the neighbor dog barking nonstop and some car alarms going off. One thing about living in Compton is, it's beautiful by day but fucked up at night.

You can literally be standing on the block admiring the palm trees standing tall above you and a homicide is happening right below it. I maybe a young nigga, but I have already witnessed niggas being shot, shot at, killed, stabbed and all that.

I sat up and grabbed my recorder player then my notebook with my pen and sat on the floor against my bed. I'ma try to write this shit and hoping for the best.

About three-four hours passed before I finished writing my rhyme and recording it on a random blank cassette tape that I took from my dad's cassette collection.

For once in my life, I was hyped to go to school to give this to Rhyon and display my skills. After warming up my plate my mom left in the microwave with fried chicken, mac and cheese, greens and yams, eating then climbing back in my bed.

I leaned over to my nightstand, grabbing a marker and a piece of tape while placing it on the cassette tape.

"For...Rhyon", I mumbled as I capped the marker, then resting it on my nightstand. I cut off my lamp and looked at the ceiling, seeing Rhyon face.

Man, I'm tripping, I thought to myself. Why I keep thinking bout her so much?

I went to bed happy and full, more so because I know I'm going to see Rhyon later. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get a couple more hours of sleep before it was time to get up.

Later that day ...
• Dismissal •

"Yoo Ren wait up", my homie Chaz called out to me.

I aint even pay his ass no attention as I jogged down the cement steps of our middle school as I tried to catch up with Rhyon and her two friends, Melissa and Paris.

"Rhyon", I called out as I slightly jogged up to her.

I watched her as she turned around with a small smile on her face.

My heart sort of skipped a beat, she looked today with her white sun dress and a blue denim jean jacket and her hair flowing in the small breeze that California had for once.

"Hey Ren" she smiled, pulling her backpack up on her shoulder.

"You couldn't wait for me?", I asked as I bumped her shoulder playfully.

She chuckled as she turned to her friends who were a few feet away from us.

"it aint like that...I just seen you with them knuckle heads", she laughed as she heads nodded to my homie Chaz with his chubby light skinned ass and my friend lanky ass Roger who always stayed with a fresh box cut haircut.

"I know yo black ass heard me calling you", I heard Chaz say as he approached us. "Sup Rhyon" he said as he heads nodded to her.

She gave a small wave before Roger and Chaz walked ahead to mess with Melissa and Paris. We started walking home back to the hood, lingering a little behind our crew.

"You got the homework copied for Ms. Reign class?", I asked as I looked down at the ground.

"Yeah" Rhyon replied. "Why?"

"...I umm, I forgot...- "

"No, you didn't...I wrote it in your notebook while you decided to take a nap today", she rolled her eyes then pushing me playfully.

She continued as I looked up at her, "You better stop that Ren, you always going to sleep in that class"

I smirked, "Aww you care about me", I teased then looking her up and down.

Rhyon turned her head a little, so I wouldn't see her blushing a little. I admired her face, I gotta admit; she is a pretty girl but she's just my friend and I doubt she'll like my black ass.

"Man whatever...." She waved me off. "I care about you passing that's it"

"Yeah ok", I laughed as we strolled next to each other.

The rest of the walk home we caught up with the crew, laughing, joking and stopping at Ken's Ice Cream parlor that wasn't too far from the hood.  After getting Rhyon some ice cream and getting myself a cup, we headed up the block.

"Thanks" she smiled as she put a scoop of ice cream up to her mouth.

"You welcome Rhy", I replied while eating a scoop as well.

I slowly looked over at Rhyon, who was staring at me as if she wanted to ask me something.

"Yeah?"

"Umm...Ren where did you get money from?", she asked.

Shit, I thought. I looked up at the beaming sun that shined down into my eyes.

"Why?", I quickly answered. "You think I sell dope?"

"What?!", she shrieked as she shook her head. "No...I-I didn't mean...- "

"I'm kidding" I laughed as I interrupted her. "I stole it", I shrugged.

I walked a little further before I realized Rhyon stopped and was staring at me, with widened eyes. I sighed before laughing at her. She looked at some cars roll past in the street, then focusing back on me.

"You gonna stand there and look or you gonna come on?", I grinned while eating my ice cream.

"You stole money from who?", she whispered while hurriedly walked towards me, then slowing down.

"My pops", I dryly replied.

"Ren...really" Rhyon gasped as she stared at me. "That is so wrong"

"Nah it aint.... he aint pay me for my chores so I just got an advance payment", I shrugged.

Rhyon gave a small laugh before shaking her head and tossing her cup into the trash can. As we finally crossed across the Boulevard, we were on East Pauline Street.

Our block.

Our crew slowly dispersed, leaving me and Rhyon to walk home together, she spoke more about how she has new ideas for her poetry. I nodded while listening and putting my hand in my pocket as I felt the cassette tape resting in it.

We finally approached Rhyon house, stopping in front of the gate.

"Well thanks for the ice cream with your stolen money", she giggled, leaning her arm on the metal fence.

I laughed before staring at her, while she stared back and shyly looked down at her all white and blue Converse.

"I got something for you", I softly spoke as I looked away, then back at her.

Her eyes lit up, then a frown appeared, "Ren I don't want no stolen...- "

"Naw fool not that", I laughed before she finished her sentence." Here"

I dug down in my pocket and handed her the cassette while placing it in her hand. She held it and looked at me then back down at her hand. 

"It's umm a rhyme and I decided to record it and I wanted you to hear it" I admitted.

"Okay", she smiled softly as she turned to push open her gate. "I'll listen to it"

"Alone...In your room", I added. "I don't want no one hearing it but you"

"...Okay...I'll see you later Ren", she smiled as she pulled her key chain out of her pocket and headed towards her porch.

I watched her before opening my mouth and calling out her name.

"Rhyon!"

She turned around, looking at me then walking back over to me. She stopped at the gate, in front of me.

"Yeah?"

"I...ummm..." I stammered as I licked my lips.

Suddenly I was nervous as hell, for what? I don't even be entertaining girls but I feel like I need to ask Rhyon this.

"Ren?" she questioned. "You aight?" she asked while raising both of her eyebrows.

I sighed. Fuck it, I thought to myself as leaned the top of half of my body and gently pressed my lips against hers.

We awkwardly stared at each other with our lips pressed against each other, then I seen her eyes close.

So, I guess that's what I am supposed to do too right?

I closed my eyes as we both pressed a little harder against each other lips. I felt Rhyon pull back and stepping a few feet back with a red face.

"I umm... I gotta go I'll see you later Ren", she stammered as she rushed up her porch steps, opening her house door and closing it.

I grinned to myself as I started walking down the block to my house and feeling good. That warm weird fluttering feeling when you get nervous rumbled around in my stomach.

I think they butterflies or something.

I just had my first kiss with a girl who is my homie and I wrote my first rhyme for her. Aint nothing that could mess up this feeling.

And I mean nothing.

---------

&& I Hope you guys like this so far. Yeah I know its starting off a lil slow and what not but I promise you it will get better

Believe in a niggga 😒😂😂

But I know this book is going to be very unique because I am taking the time to carefully outline it; Boyy i Cant wait to get to the teaa

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