Kya & Xavier: It's Always Been You (Life As We Know It Book 1) (4 page)

Xavier Lee

               
The worst part of college was
the fact that your professors didn’t really give a crap about you. They got
paid weather you did your work or not so as far as they were concerned, you
were on your own. Show up or don’t, pay attention or don’t, complete your assignments
or don’t. Either way you paid for your classes and the college paid them. Today
was one of those days where I was really starting to have a fuck it attitude
about my history class since my professor thought that it would be a good idea
to assign five thirty minute webisodes to complete in two days. With all my
other classes, assignments, practices and games it felt like every second of my
day belonged to someone else.

               
I actually barely made it to
class this morning even after Ky set my alarm to make sure I was up. Somehow
still managed to go back to sleep. Lucky for me the maintenance crew showed up
to fix the drain in Toni’s bathroom or I probably would have slept all day.

“Aye man can I borrow your headphone?” I didn’t look up from
my laptop or say anything I just pointed to my dresser. Chaz was my boy but he
was always borrowing something. I didn’t mind though because he was always
looking out when I needed him. Chaz stepped in my room, picked up my oversized
headphones and then placed them around his neck.

“Dude whatcha doing?” Chaz asked in his thick Hawaiian
accent.

“Webisode for History.” I said still focused on the screen of
my laptop.

“Alright, preciate it. I’ll bring ‘em back in a little
while.” Chaz said and the left closing my door behind him.

I paused the video and reached above my head to stretch my
back. I had about ten minutes left on my video and then I needed to head to the
café to eat before it was time to be in the locker room before the game. I
hated when my professors assigned webisodes and especially history because it
was boring as hell which made it really hard for me to focus. I restarted my
video and finished the last ten minutes which felt like an hour, closed my
laptop, placed it on my desk and then plugged it in because it was about to die.

“What the hell man.” Someone yelled from the living room and
then another voice right after it, “I told you don’t mess with me. I am the
king of Madden fool. You can’t rock with me.” I assumed that there was a game
in progress because the living room TV was blasting and I could hear voices, so
I opened my door and stepped into the living room to see who was in there.

“What up boy?” Trey said and nodded his head towards me. He
was sitting on the edge of the sofa holding a game control and Chaz was sitting
across from him in the arm chair holding the other one.

“What up Trey.” I said and walked over to the kitchen and
yanked the refrigerator door open. I pushed aside the case of beer that was in
front of my Gatorade and grabbed one. It was amazing to me how easy it was for
us to get alcohol around here. Almost every store near campus allowed us to buy
it and never once checked IDs so the dorms were full of it, our room included.
The security guards were pretty lenient with the athletes. When it came to room
checks and inspections they kind of had an out of sight out of mind policy
which basically meant they stuck their heads in the door, yelled room check and
then moved on to the next location. Sort of a don’t ask don’t tell type of
relationship.

I had calmed down a lot when it came to drinking since high
school which was the complete opposite of most of my teammates and friends.
College life turned most of them into border line alcoholics. Back in high
school I was a little out of control getting high and drinking until I passed
out usually with some girl that I had promised the world to. I was that guy
back then, girl after girl, party after party being the person that everyone
told me that I should be. It was the natural order of things for the athletes
to be the players and always the life of the party. For me it was just easier
to fall into that role. Too many times I found myself in the middle of
complicated situations due to the fact that I had no memory of a lot of nights
that I spent doing things that I would eventually regret. The sheer fact that I
escaped high school with no kids or STD’s was truly a miracle if you can call
it that. Things were a little different now but old habits die hard so I occasionally
fell back into my old ways. Just not on the level that I used to be.

“What time did coach say we had to be in the locker room?” I
asked Trey who was still in the process of talking trash to Chaz about the game
of Madden he had just won.

“Games at seven so five I think.” He answered without looking
up at me.

“You heading to the café?”

“In a few. I’m about to whoop up on this fool one more time.
He just won’t learn.”

“I got you this time. Just watch.” Chaz said. He was in the
process of selecting his team.

“Alright, well I’m heading out.” I said and went back in my
room to get my keys and the jacket to my warm up suit. I turned my light off, locked
my door, pulled it closed and then left Chaz and Trey arguing over the game.

When I stepped out into the hallway I could hear music coming
from one of the rooms. There were two football players passing a ball back and
forth to one another so I shot them a quick head nod as I made my way to the
elevator. As soon as I pressed the down button the doors opened and Tori along
with one of her friends stepped out and ran straight into me.

“I was on my way to your room.” She smiled and stepped back
searching my face for approval.

“Yeah what’s up?” I said not really in the mood to deal with
her.

“You’ve been ghost lately.” She whined.

“I told you I’ve been busy.” I stepped into the elevator, shoved
my hands in my pockets and the two of them followed. Tori moved closed to me
and looped her arm through mine. She smelled like Pure Seduction a scent that I
knew very well because it was Kya’s favorite from Victoria Secret. I laughed
because Tori tried so hard to replace Kya that it made her look pathetic. Tori
found a bottle of the lotion that Kya left in my jeep and a week later she
conveniently started wearing it.
Truly
desperate and a huge turn off.

“I came by late last night but Chaz said you weren’t coming
back.” She said fishing for clues about where I stayed last night. I was
tempted to just tell her but then again I wasn’t in the mood for argument. It
was game day and I didn’t want to get distracted so I just said, “Yeah.” But
that wasn’t good enough because she immediately followed with, “Where were
you?”

“Just out.” We reached the first floor and when the elevator
door opened I pulled my arm away from her and stepped out. She followed behind
me with her flunky a few steps behind her.

“Bae can we talk?” She asked sounding like she was about to
cry.
I hated when she called me that.

“Talk about what?”

“Us.”

Us
I laughed but didn’t mean too. It’s just the fact
that she said
us
so confidently like
she was placing claim to something that would never be.

She had the saddest look on her face. I was sure that she
could tell that I had absolutely no interest in anything she had to say. Her
friend stepped away and sat down in one of the lobby lounge chairs and all I
could think was that she was too chunky to be wearing the leggings she had on.

I folded my arms across my chest and starred at Tori. She was
cute but not really pretty. She wore too much makeup and I hated the fact that
she always had some over the top weave that was way too long and those damn cat
claw fake nails. Not really my thing but to each its own. She was the result of
a late night party where I had too much to drink and allowed it to turn into a
regular thing. She was cool from time to time but the best part about her was
that she didn’t ask a lot of questions and she didn’t crowd me but that had
changed recently and she was starting to act like we were a couple. Especially
after she found out about Kya, I believe that’s the thing that set her off. It
was like she turned into a completely different person trying insert herself
into my life by placing claim on my time.

“You know I have a game tonight right?” I said reminding her
that I liked to avoid bullshit on game days. I needed to keep my head clear.

“Well when then? I call you don’t answer, I text you don’t
text back, you’re never here when I come by. We haven’t been together in
forever so what’s up? Are you kickin’ it with someone else?” I laughed again,
which I’m sure made the situation worse.
If
you only knew.

“Really Tori, it’s basketball season, you know how that
goes.” I lied. I make time for what I want to make time for and honestly she
didn’t fall into that category. The only reason why I didn’t just tell her was
because she was good for a hookup from time to time but even that was getting
old. Especially with the way she was stressing me lately.

“I know but it’s like you’re avoiding me all the time.”

“I’m late. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“So can we chill after the game? Aren’t they having a party here
tonight?”

“I’ll let you know. Depends on how the game goes. I might
just crash after.” I lied again. I had left tickets for Kya and if she came to
the game then I was chillin’ with her for the rest of the night without a doubt.

“Well I can stay with you tonight if you want.”

She knew that wasn’t happening and if she had forgotten, I
was sure the look on my face was a definite reminder to her that was never
going to happen. I barely let girls in my dorm room and I damn sure didn’t let
them stay overnight.

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Okay well good luck tonight Bae. I’ll be there. Can I have a
hug?” She asked and stepped towards me so I purposely turned to the side and
loosely hugged her waist. She was embarrassed and pissed. I could see it all
over her face as she scanned the lobby to see if anyone noticed the way she had
just been played.

“I’m out.” I said and began to walk towards the door with her
eyes piercing my body but I didn’t care. I knew I was wrong and just needed to
tell her I was done but she was my back up plan and no matter how unfair it was
I still kept stringing her along. The only reason why I didn’t stress about it
too much was because she could walk away anytime she wanted to but she chose to
settle for whatever time and lies I hit her with. That was on her.

The café was extra crowded most likely because by this time a
day everyone was finished with their classes. On top of that all of the
cheerleaders and basketball players were doing the same thing that I was,
trying to get their last meal in before the game. I looked around and spotted a
group of my teammates that had combined three tables so that they could all be
together. There were several cheerleaders mixed in which was normal. The team
and its supporters were like a clique. Cheerleaders dated basketball and
football players so wherever we were they were. It was sort of an unspoken rule
in our world. Me, on the other hand chose to avoid that at all cost. I usually
liked to stay under the radar with the girls I kicked it with. Cheerleaders required
a lot of attention and attracted a lot of attention and that was not my thing.

I went through the line, secured two burgers and fries and
then made my way to the table to join my team.

“What-up-Zay?” Ethan said so quickly with a mouth full of
something that his words ran together.

“What’s good bruh? We ready for that win tonight?” I asked.

“If this fool can get on them boards tonight.” Ethan said and
pointed at Davis who was sitting across from him with his girlfriend Lyndsey
balanced on one knee. Davis was a 6’9 230lb white boy who basically had no
basketball skills what so ever when he first got recruited. He was just big and
intimidating so coach brought him in and kept him on the floor at center. Davis
was cool peoples though and oddly enough he was actually turning into a real
beast at center.

“I got your boards right here.” Davis said and shot Ethan a
bird and then finished with. “So FU.”

“You get some rebounds tonight and I might think about.”
Ethan said and then winked at Davis.

The table erupted in laughter for a minute and then everyone
immediately went back to their private conversations.

“Your girl coming tonight?” Ethan asked.

I took a bite of one of my burgers. “Who?”

“Kya.” Ethan said.

“I don’t know yet. I left her tickets.” I pulled out my phone
and decided to shoot her a text because I hadn’t heard from her all day.

You’re coming tonight right?

“So what’s up with her roommate, she straight?”

“Straight crazy.” I said and laughed when I thought about
Toni. “Nah I’m kidding she’s straight, if you can handle her. She’s a little
much.”

“Much?” Ethan asked looking concerned.

“Hard to explain but she’s straight, I think you can handle
her.”

“What’s up Zay, what’s up Ethan?” I looked up to see Shaunie
and her friend Michelle standing next to me. Michelle leaned over and wrapped
her arms around me and then slide her hands down my chest towards my waist. “How’s
my favorite Blasian?” She was not shy at all about the fact that she was trying
to get with me.