Page 61 of Lyric Squared

With a heart full of gratitude, I reluctantly paused the television, grabbed my plate, and made my way back into the kitchen. Having either of my brothers over was always a treat. Though my parents rarely visited, their presence felt like an occasion as well.

I piled garlic potatoes, broccoli, and the biggest of the three pieces of steak I’d cooked onto his plate. It was still hot, so I shoved it into the microwave to maintain its warmth until he arrived. My bar area was my next stop. I gave the bottle of Hennessy a spin before dumping five shots into the blender, measuring them with the gold shot cup that Ever had gifted me. It came with an entire set from Target.

Frozen sliced strawberries, peaches, mangos, and crushed ice were all dumped into the blender one after the other, followed by a splash of fresh pineapple juice. The mixture only took a few seconds to combine, ultimately creating a fluffy, cold, and very tasty combination.

“Ummmmm,” I hummed, licking the spoon.

“Give me some,” Laike begged from the other side of the kitchen, startling me.

“Shit, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Damn,” he praised after grabbing the spoon and licking the rest of the frozen beverage from it.

“That’s kind of nasty,” I joked.

“How?” he questioned.

“You have no idea where my mouth has been.”

“Man, gone on with that shit. Where’s my plate?”

“In the microwave.”

“Bet and make me whatever that shit is. Put a little more liquor in my shit, though,” he instructed.

I halved the mix and added a pretty healthy shot to what was left before blending it for a few more seconds. Once his was ready, I carried them both into the dining room where he was making himself comfortable. I raced back to the kitchen to get my plate and noticed it was already gone.

“I heated it up for a few seconds,” Laike shared once I realized he’d already brought both plates to the table. I hadn’t even noticed when I’d dropped the drinks off.

“Thanks.”

I sat across the table from Laike, who immediately dug into his food before asking, “What’s new? Anything you want to share with your bigger nigga?”

I’m madly in love with your best friend, I desperately wanted to confess, but the words just wouldn’t emerge.

“Collin and I are official.”

“Anything else?” Laike shook his head, ready to change the subject already.

“Why don’t you like him?”

“I don’t know the nigga enough not to like him. But I don’t like himfor you. There’s a difference.”

“Why not for me?”

“It just doesn’t seem… right? I don’t know. I just imagined you with someone with a bit more finesse about himself. This nigga is a square if I’ve never seen one before.”

“He is, but he’s a good person.”

“Is that all you require?”

“Are you insinuating I’m settling?”

“I don’t have to insinuate shit. I’m telling you right now that you are.”

“I don’t think that I am. Safety and settling are very different. I’m just being safe.”

“Them blue collar niggas be on some foul shit, too, Lyric. Don’t let that shit fool you. Niggas be low down, down low, conniving, abusive, and all the rest of that shit. Just because he wears a suit and doesn’t tote a Glock doesn’t mean that he’s to be trusted. It ain’t about the career the man has. That doesn’t determine his character. His actions do.”