There were only three periods left of the school day before school was out for summer, but no one cared. After fifth period English a lot of us decided to just ditch. The Ballas wanted to grab lunch at a diner and we were all game.

         Emily Gardner jumped out in front our group as we all trekked across the student parking lot and began walking backward, a video camera attached to her hand. "Wait! Any last words? This is a part of a project for senior year."

"Senior year is going to be the best!" Troiann hollered with an enthusiastic fist pump.

Emily turned, zooming in on Troy. "Think so?"

"Hell yeah. It'll be the best year yet. New year, clean slate, new friends, new lovers—"

Marcus picked Troiann up and slung her over his shoulder, patting her on her butt.

Troiann merely laughed as he carried her over to his car.

Emily giggled and turned the camera on me and the rest of the boys. "Well? Any predictions come the new year? Any plans to prepare this summer?"

Tremaine nudged me. "Some of us are running away this summer."

Emily looked at me. "Really?"

I decided to play into Tremaine's words. "Definitely. I gotta get away from these boys." I looked at the three remaining Ballas and pretended to frown. "I can't stand them. Chris is clearly ADHD. Tremaine needs to learn to keep it in his pants and Dre..." Shit, there was always a pause with DeAndre. He was too much of an enigma to really pin down. "Dre Parker is a fake. Just look at him, no one is that calm about everything."

Emily laughed at my teasing and I gave in. I went and squeezed Chris's cheeks and smiled over to Emily's camera. "I'm going to miss these boys this summer," I told the camera. "I never thought I'd see the day that I was best friends with the Ballas. But it's going to be a long summer down in Florida without them."

Chris leaned over and hugged me tight. "And we'll miss Cree right back."

Tremaine did one better. He came up behind me and picked me up, causing me to squeal. "Cree Jacobs is my future baby momma, though."

DeAndre took it as his cue to speak. "And there you have it folks, Tremaine and Cree's private summer goals."

Emily smiled over towards DeAndre with a blush on her cheeks. She tucked some of her hair behind her ear and walked away, finding more ditching seniors to video tape.

"Let's go, I'm starving." Chris took off towards DeAndre's car with DeAndre and Tremaine and I headed over towards his car.

Tremaine liked to treat me like a lady sometimes. He would always open my door for me if I were getting in his car or entering a room or building, and he always came to my front door rather than beeping the horn outside. He said it was because I was special and not some random. I took the awkward compliment with a shrug.

Tremaine began driving, avoiding the radio as he often did when he gave me rides home. Usually we'd be too busy talking to even notice the radio.

This was no different.

"I hope Troiann and Marcus don't kill each other this summer," I said, thinking of my best friend. Marcus wouldn't say it but his face showed the hurt whenever she'd pull away. He wasn't mad about her "new lovers" comment, he was being playful when he'd picked her up, but still.

"I know. I've never been the type to care about love and relationships, but that's my boy and I support him. If it's real for him with Troy, then I respect it. I guess it just takes the right girl to stop playing around for."

When it came to the Ballas' Club, he was right. It would take a special girl to make each boy quit playing hard.

"You're right about that," I agreed.

Tremaine glanced at me, actually appearing serious. "I mean it. I think you're a prime example of what I'm talking about. You and Troy. I'm sure all four of us do shit y'all don't agree with, but neither of you really nag about it or try to change us. Troy got Marc sprung without lifting a finger and then there's you."

I waited, wondering what he meant by that.

"I never pay attention to a lot of girls in our class, because half of them don't stand out. You do. You're smart, witty, sexy when you want to be, and you don't try. There's nothing boring about you. Even when we weren't even cool I thought you were different. I think it was the hair."

He made me laugh at that. "Gee, thanks, Trey."

"Nah, I'm serious. I guess I'm really glad we're friends, Cree. You make me wanna be a better guy someday to get a girl as dope as you."

"You mean it?" I asked as he pulled into the diner's parking lot beside DeAndre.

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone, I got a rep to keep." He winked at me as he turned the engine off and got out of the car.

Ugh. Ballas.

We all grabbed a booth inside and read over the menus. It appeared that we weren't the only ones who had ditched school because there were definitely other students in the establishing, filling the place.

Our waitress came over, her nametag reading Nina. With her hair gelled up in a tight bun and her bored brown eyes peering at us, I knew she had to be a few years older than us. She licked her thumb, her bright red lipstick not smudging for a second, and she flipped a page in her pad.

Nina eyed us lazily. "So what'll y'all have?"

We gave her our individual orders and she hurried off to turn them in and retrieve our drinks.

Troiann sat across the table from me all snuggled up with Marcus. He looked elated to have his arm around her and to be so close to her.

"I think I'm going to miss you two the most this summer," I said. "Just don't go having no babies while I'm gone, okay?"

Troiann waved me off. "I ain't having no kids until I'm nice and married, Cree. You know my momma gave me her last name and I ain't for having a family that don't match."

With Anh and Mr. Jackson never officially married and Troy's having her mother's last name, she hated it.

I raised my glass of Sprite. "Here's to your marriage then, Troy."

Chris raised his glass and cheered them on. "And here's to your prenup!"

Troiann's lip curled up. "No prenup."

Marcus moved away and studied Troiann. "What do you mean?"

Troiann eyed Marcus up and down. "What do you mean?"

"If I make it to the NFL I'm not marrying no one without a prenup."

Troiann smirked, crossing her arms and settling back into her seat. "Good luck with the next one, then."

"What's wrong with a prenup?" Chris asked.

I went to answer, but DeAndre answered instead. "It shows mistrust and doubt in your marriage. If you have to make plans for your divorce, then you shouldn't be getting married."

"Yeah, but you gotta be careful," said Tremaine.

DeAndre shrugged. "Still, you marry for life and death and all that shit. If you think they may be out for your money or something, then don't marry them to begin with. You don't see my father out here wasting time getting married." He looked over at Troiann. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Troy couldn't give a shit about Marcus going pro."

She rolled her eyes. "Fat chance anyway."

Marcus glared at her. "Scouts love me, and Trey."

"Have fun, don't let me stop you," said Troiann.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "You don't mean that."

Troiann snorted. "Best believe I can show you I don't give a fuck better than I can tell you, don't test me."

Marcus seemed to have shrunk in his seat as he stared into Troiann's expressionless dark eyes. And then he snapped out of it and she was out of the booth and under his arm and out the door in seconds.

We all turned and watched as they headed outside to argue in private.

I tossed my straw wrapper at Chris. "Thanks a lot, Mr. Prenup."

He held his hands up. "Yo, I was just kiddin'. We all know Marc is crazy about that girl. Whatever she wants he gets her, and when she starts acting like that he sets her straight. That's the type of shit he needs if he wants a relationship for real."

Tremaine pulled me into his side. "Cree and I were talking about that in the car."

DeAndre and Chris shared some secret look before turning to us.

DeAndre whistled. "I guess you two are next?"

Tremaine shrugged. "I definitely can be down to change how Cree walks."

Chris and DeAndre laughed while I was confused. "What does that even mean?"

All three boys laughed at my naivety.

Since they weren't going to clue me in and our food had returned, I let it go. Troiann and Marcus came back to the booth and Troiann seemed noticeable happy and Marcus just the same.

"Cree we gotta go shopping to grab something cute to wear tonight," said Troiann. Chris's party was starting late so we had all day to find something to wear. It would be my last party with my friends. I was leaving Saturday and in the morning I'd be finishing up my packing.

"Deal," I agreed, clinking my glass with hers.

I looked over at Chris, who sat wearing a Fuck College tank top and a backward snapback. "So, what's in store for tonight?"

He grinned big, proud of his planned degeneracy. He opened out his tattooed arms to create some visual illusion as he began to speak. "Strippers, confetti, booze, and wild pigs."

We all sat around the table staring at Chris. He was definitely planning a rock star-esque party.

"A pig?" Troiann questioned. "Wait, no, pigs as in plural?"

"You ain't having no damn pigs in my house, Chris," DeAndre warned.

Chris waved him off. "It's all good, Dre. It'll be so fun you won't even notice."

Throughout our meal the two bickered over this point.

Troiann pushed her plate away and stood from the table. "Okay, Cree, let's get out of here and go hit the mall." She faced Marcus and held out her hand. "Car keys please?"

Marcus frowned. "Nobody drives my ride but me."

Troiann smiled sweetly. "And me."

Marcus didn't seem convinced as he continued to stare up at Troiann.

Troiann leaned down, whispering loudly, "Come on, Marcus, we both know I'm a good driver."

This time I definitely caught the innuendo and was quick to climb over Tremaine's lap and get out of the booth.

"Ugh, come on, Troy, let's go."

Marcus handed off his keys and watched as Troiann led the way to the exit. "You're right," he said, loud for us to still hear, "we won't need no prenup, we're going to end up killing each other before either of us gets out of this."

Troiann just threw her head back and laughed, knowing she had him right where she wanted him.

Something went wrong with Chris's pigs and he ended up only having two strippers running around and some confetti being thrown here and there. The rager was still a success as DeAndre's house was packed. It was Thursday night and Devonte and Mr. Parker were down in Miami after leaving upon Devonte's graduation Monday. DeAndre had a housekeeper and some cleaners scheduled to come bright and early and they'd definitely have their work cut out for them because the house would surely be turned upside down.

"Turn up!" some drunken girl was yelling as she shook her hips to loud raps playing from the speakers.

I hated that phrase.

With my hair down and my outfit "sexy" as Troiann put it, I blended in with the rest of the girls at the party. Troiann had picked out a cropped tank top, high-waisted skirt and a little crocheted shawl for me to wear. I told my father I would be spending the night over Troy's for a cover and so it was easy to go out into the night wearing the attire.

I grabbed a drink and took a sip, taking a long look at my surroundings. Where I was going, they wouldn't have parties like these with people like this.

"You owe me a dance," Tremaine came and whispered in my ear.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

He pulled me into the room where everyone else was dancing. I took a big gulp of my drink and danced with Tremaine.

We danced closely to a few songs and I drank more and more, wanting to swallow down my sudden sadness of leaving behind my friends for three months.

I was dancing into Tremaine when I looked across the room and saw DeAndre talking to Draya. She was wearing a leopard print dress that hugged her body in ways that my clothes never hugged me. She looked incredible. Her hair was great, her heels perfect, and I could even catch a glimpse of dark nail polish on her toes.

"She's trouble, Cree," Tremaine said to me.

"When I'm gone, watch him for me?"

"Or you could not be gone for the whole summer."

I shook my head. "I need to go. This is my family, I've never met them before."

"Still, next summer we'll all be busy leaving for school and this is it."

"I'll miss you."

Tremaine squeezed me into him. "You better."

Some old Busta Rhymes and Janet Jackson song was playing and I went back to dancing into Tremaine, enjoying his hands as they held my waist.

Not long into the song DeAndre materialized in front of us.

"You ruining our dance," Tremaine said.

"Let me borrow your girl for a second," DeAndre said.

Tremaine gave DeAndre a little shove. "She ain't my girl, Dre."

DeAndre grinned. "Whose girl would she be then?"

Now I felt like an object to be toyed with. Hell no. The alcohol had me feeling less tolerant than usual. I gave DeAndre my own little push. "Why can't I be my own girl?"

He took a step back and eyed my body briefly. "With all that?" He shook his head. "You gotta be somebody's."

Even my thoughts came out stuttering. "W-what do you want?"

"I got something for you, come upstairs with me."

"That sounds like Date Rape 101, Dre."

He smirked. "Shut up, Cree."

I turned to Tremaine as DeAndre began leading me away. "I'll be back."

We meandered through his packed house up to his bedroom and shut the door behind us. Thank God his bed was vacant from teenagers going at it.

I stood in the doorway, waiting on whatever it was that DeAndre wanted to give me.

He went over to his desk and retrieved a black little box and came and stood in front of me. "I've never bought a girl a gift before, so don't get mad if it's lame. I just...wanted to give you something. These past two months have been great, especially what you did for 'Nel and me, so I got you something to thank you with." He opened the little box, revealing a rose gold analog watch. "Marc Jacobs for Cree Jacobs."

The watch was stunning and clearly expensive and...he got it for me. He said he'd never gotten a girl a gift before and yet he went out of his way to get me a nice watch to show his appreciation for our friendship. I didn't know what to say, I could only revel in what I was feeling.

I stared up at him, taking in his handsome face and noticing those nice, full lips of his twitching to smile. "I—" Overwhelmed and a little tipsy, I stood to my toes and held his face in my hands and pressed my mouth to his.

DeAndre immediately took a step back. "What'd you do that for?"

I couldn't even believe I'd done it. "I...I just wanted to know what it was like to kiss you. H-have you ever wondered what it was like to kiss me?"

He lifted a brow, as if surprised by my honesty and how cavalier I was to ask such a question.

"Yeah, I've thought about it," he said taking a noticeable step closer. "I thought about how I'd do it, too."

"Yeah?" I backed up against the door as he came even closer.

"Yeah." His hand was on my waist, pulling me gently into him as he leaned down to reach my height. "I thought about how I'd do it slow."

"Slow?" My voice was coming out in soft breaths and I feared I was doing something embarrassing like trembling. If I was, DeAndre didn't notice.

"Slow," he repeated as he leaned closer and pressed his lips to mine.

And it began slow, his kiss on me and my kiss in return. It was like he knew I wasn't experienced in much and so he patiently took his time kissing me gently and slowly until the heat from the slow burn became too much for him.

In moments he had leaned down and picked me, holding me against the door and going deeper with his tactic.

Downstairs I could hear the music blasting, trying to fight to gain control over my erratic heartbeat. It was no match. My heart was beating way too fast to match the beat of Trey Songz's Anticipation mixtape.

My mind was bubbling over, because I couldn't stop but realize DeAndre just looked so good in his signature black t-shirt and black jeans and basketball sneakers. The gold chains on his neck and the gold bracelet and watch on his wrists all just did it for me. He was the epitome of swagger, especially when he'd been down stairs with the rest of the Ballas blowing smoke from their cigars and talking around the fire pit out back. The way he talked, the way he walked, the way he carried himself, it made me dizzy even if he had a firm grip on me.

"I gotta let you know something, Cree," DeAndre said.

"Yeah?"

He nodded. "All that shit about my not being able to have you, it doesn't do it for me."

"No?"

He regarded me with a look that let me know how serious he was. "Not even a little."

"Then tell me you want me," I demanded, bracing myself on his shoulders as he held me up against the door.

DeAndre took one look at my body and peered into my eyes. "I want you," he said with a look on his face that made me feel desirable, beautiful, powerful, more worthy than any other girl.

He held me tighter, a heavy look in his eye. "Tell me it's mine."

I felt a jolt in my heart as all of his attention and the weighty demand did something to me. "It's yours, DeAndre."

To that he had nothing to say and neither did I as our lips met once more and did all the talking needed.

From the door DeAndre carried me over to his bed and laid me down.

I could feel his intense body heat as he was on top of me. I felt sensations I'd yet to become acclimated with just by the idea of it.

I was definitely more than just a little tipsy because I felt bold enough to want to get a peek at that torso of DeAndre's. I went to lift his shirt, but DeAndre was quick to swat my hand away.

Looking up, I found him shaking his head. He gestured down towards me. "Shirt for shirt."

The temperature increased. Especially since I was barely wearing a shirt to begin with.

I shimmied out of my shawl, but DeAndre didn't look satisfied. He glanced at the shawl and shook his head. "Shirt for shirt."

He wanted the tank top off and he leaned up just so I had enough room to remove it.

I stared into DeAndre's eyes, watching him watch me unzip and remove my top. Even though I was wearing my bra I covered my chest, feeling shy. This caused DeAndre to smile that beautiful smile of his. Soon, he was leaning down and kissing and biting my fingers until my hands were gone from shielding his view.

I licked my lips, staring at DeAndre's shirt. "S-shirt for shirt."

"A deal's a deal." He leaned away and peeled the shirt from his body and tossed it to the side.

Oh fuck.

There was no way he'd been hiding the beautifully sculpted body he had underneath all those t-shirts this whole time. Just like Tremaine, DeAndre only had a few tattoos on his arms, his torso was naked of ink and muscled to perfection, and I was more than willing to be the first to sign a petition so that they tear down the Statue of David and build a Statue of DeAndre. Of course I was willing to bet money DeAndre was packing way more heat than that old chump David anyway.

As if someone hit play, he was back to my level and kissing me all over again. Feeling his skin against my skin, him in between my legs, I felt ready to combust.

Our bodies tangled together and I could feel the intensity of DeAndre's desire.

"Oh Dre," I let out.

He kissed my lips, my neck, and soon my chest, his lips lingering against my skin, driving me crazy. "You see what you do to me, Cree?"

Soon, I felt his hands pushing my skirt up and disappearing underneath it. Not too long later he had his fingers hooked around the waistband of my boy shorts.

I stared up at him as he stared down at me, neither of us seeming to be breathing.

A weird look crossed DeAndre's face and his hands were gone from beneath my skirt. He suddenly pulled back and stared down at me, appearing incredulous. He looked at me as if he was really seeing me. "Shit." He closed his eyes and shook his head.

And the fantasy was washed away as reality set in.

I tried to sit up and he must've seen the hurt look on my face because he tried pushing me back down.

It was dumb anyway, we were best friends and he didn't even really see me that way and I didn't really see him in that way either.

I deserved better.

"Cree, wait—"

I held my hand up as I got out from under him. "I bet if we did it you would make it feel so good, but I want it to mean something to someone, and I don't want you to pretend. I won't burden you with that option."

He didn't love me and I didn't love him and my virginity was something I wanted to lose in love. Not some drunken sex in my best friend's bed.

DeAndre didn't say anything as he sat looking at me.

The clock on the wall glowed ominously, letting me know it was already one in the morning. I had to be up early to get home and pack.

I grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and pulled it over my head.

"I think Troiann's going home with Marcus, if it's not too weird, can I...?"

He just nodded his head and moved away from me. "Y-yeah, get some sleep."

DeAndre stood from the bed and found another t-shirt to put on. "I just need to get some air. I'll be back."

He left the room and I lay down on my side, wondering what the hell had just happened.

__________________
"Upstairs" – Trey Songz

https://youtu.be/BIeKUoFhw9c