“Wait, so the bitch fired you the second your break ended?” Credence asks as he points at Naira with his fork, their table now cluttered with dishes as they sit within the red booths of this 60’s style diner. “Did she tell you why?”
“No!” she exclaims in disbelief. “She just fired me for no fucking reason, and my coworkers kept picking on me over the tiniest shit… Like the whole phone situation,” Naira says with her mouth full of food, with three plates in front of her. Some of the other patrons in the restaurant look at the two sneakily.
“Well fuck that place, I'm glad you got out,” he replies, waving the importance off with his tattooed hand. “Sucks you're low on cash though,” he adds as he watches her dig in.
“Yeah, but if things ever get super rough, I can call my sister. She bails me out a lot,” Naira says while continuing to eat ravenously.
“Oh, you got siblings?” Credence asks.
“Yeah, I've got an awesome big sister and brother-in-law, there's also my big brother but we don't really vibe,” Naira confesses. Credence stares in disbelief as Naira clears four plates in a row. She looks up and turns red as she notices him. “Dude I was starving, I don’t know what you expected,” she lets out a chuckle. He looks at her and smiles.
“There's no way you're already full, we’ve got dessert coming,” he said while placing the plates on top of each other and moving them to the edge of the table.
With a mischievous grin, Naira catches on. “Hey man, as long as you’re covering the tab, I’ve got room for fifths.”
Almost seven plates later, they both looked exhausted. “So, are you from here?” Credence asks, cleaning the edges of his mouth with a napkin.
“Nah, I’m from Texas but I just had to get away. People there are so damn close-minded and you know, some stuff happened…”
Sensing her uneasiness, Credence looks at her and gives her an understanding nod. “Well, I’m from here, but I’ve lived in a ton of other places,” Naira nods, signaling him to continue, “my favorites Seattle,” he adds.
Naira, while enjoying the conversation, felt intrigued by the motives of this man. “So, why’d you decide to be this nice to me? You just want sex or something? Listen… I just got out of a pretty serious relationship, and I don’t think I’m ready for anything like that. So, if that's what you're expecting-”
Credence's eyes were as big as saucers as he interrupted her his once too-cool-for-school demeanor now frazzled. “No! Well, not that you aren’t pretty, because, wow you’re like really pretty,” he rambles, “I just haven't been feeling too great, there’s a real familiar look about you. I figured we could help each other, you know, talk it out and stuff.”
Naira furrows her eyebrows. “And what look might that be Creed?” He smiles.
“I don't really know how to explain it, but it just didn't look like you knew where you were going… Not in a directions sense or anything, just in general, if that makes any sense.” Naira breaks eye contact now looking down at her reflection in her butter knife, feeling uneasy as she’s just been read so easily by a total stranger. “There’s always a story behind that kind of look. Then again, I might just be projecting,” he adds, shrugging his shoulders.
Avoiding his gaze, she looks out of the diner’s window as rain droplets beat against it the red neon lights cause them to look like rubies. “Yeah,” she simply replies.
He looks down at his phone and sits up after catching the time. “ Hey, it’s getting pretty late, I’ll get you a lift back home. Thanks for keeping me company Naira, this was kinda fun.”
Naira lifts her head and her eyes widen. “Dude, no way! You already went too far out of your way. Plus it isn’t even that far, I can just walk. I appreciate it but I'm good.” He smiles and slides his phone across the table. She smiles back and shakes her head softly. “Not taking no for an answer, huh?”
He gives a cocky grin. “I won’t this time.”
Credence pays their tab and they both walk to wait outside, the two pass the time laughing with small talk. He glances over at Naira as she stares at her shoes. He notices her shivering as the frigid night air licks her skin. “You're really cool. I know we only met some hours ago, but we should hang out again. Seeing as you’re jobless you should have a ton of free time now,” he said, letting out a sly and quiet laugh, “how's that sound?”
Naira shoves him with her elbow and chuckles. “Yeah, sure,” she says, smiling warmly. “You’re a really nice guy. I’ll let you know when I’m free. You got my number, right?”
He looks down at his phone. “Wouldn’t dare lose it,” he says with a half smile. “Looks like your ride’s here too,” he adds. They say their goodbyes, she gets in the car and he watches her drive off. Placing his earphones in his ear he powers on and mounts his skateboard and rides away in the opposite direction, weaving in and out of traffic just nearly missing cars. After a 30-minute long car ride, Naira sluggishly walks upstairs, realizing she’d been working since 10 AM and is just getting home at 12 AM. She opens the door to the apartment after a few failed attempts, goes directly to her room, strips off her clothes, and jumps in bed. She decides not to wipe her makeup off and falls asleep.
***
A few weeks later, a rather restless-looking Credence stares at the “seen” at the bottom of the last text he had sent to Naira 40 minutes ago; he lets out a sigh and tosses his phone onto his bed. “Bro I swear things were going so well, we had a vibe goin and everything, I know I'm not crazy. What did I creep her out or something? She probably doesn’t wanna hang out today, but she could’ve just said that. Honestly, I would’ve been cool with it. I dunno, what do you guys think?” he says to his friends in his online gaming party.
“My guy, why are you still crying about this chick? Here, let your boy sniperlogic teach you a little something player to player. Girls are like that dude, they only want ya if you got abs and fat pockets. She sounds cool and all but she probably found another guy that's rich or built like an avenger, let her go man that ship has sailed. Don’t be trippin’ over no thots, just focus on this round bro, simping doesn't look good on anybody,” someone in the party chimes in.
“But-” Credence interrupts himself, knowing it’s not worth explaining. “Yeah, I guess,” he says dryly, turning his attention back to the game.
“Don’t play with me! Don’t play with me!” he yells and pumps his fist. “Gg man,” Credence shouts as he clicks away at his controller. A faint chirp immediately yanks him out of his intense match. He drops his controller and grabs his cell phone. “Hold up man, I gotta do something,” he says into the gaming mic. “Aye, I heard that noise. That was her, wasn't it? Leave her on read man! You gotta show her who's boss! Don't simp Creed! don't si-” Credence pulls off his headset as he sees a text from Naira, his heart skips a beat. “Hey, FaceTime me.” His hands tremble slightly as he opens the app and dials her number.
“Wassup kid? How you been?” He says nonchalantly, glancing down from his game every five seconds. He grins as his friends begin howling and moaning into their mics.
“Been good, just getting ready,” she pauses, waiting for a reply, which she doesn’t get. “We’re still goin out right?” He finally looks away from his game and down at the screen to spot a very focused Naira in her bathroom applying her eyeliner.
“Yeah, I’m already dressed. You had me thinking you had other plans for a sec,” he answers, trying to sound as relaxed as possible while mashing his controller buttons.
“Girl! Is that him?” A woman with a pinkish-orange afro walks into view of the camera, picking up Naira’s phone, almost as if to get a better look. “Oh, he is cute!” She exclaims, pausing after every word, and almost whispering, which Credence could hear clearly. He lets out a chuckle and hears Naira trying to take the phone back while giggling.
“Oh my God, shut up!” She yells at her friend, looking evidently embarrassed. He tries to hide it, but he can’t help but smile ear to ear. She looks down at the phone blushing, with a smile on her face that puts Credence’s heart in an absolute stranglehold. “I’m almost done getting ready,” Naira says laughing nervously.
Then the woman’s voice out of view shouts. “Hey, Credence! I'm Addy, I'm your girl’s best friend!” Both Naira and Credence profusely blushed. Addy looks at Naira with her lips puckered and eyebrows raised, shimmying her shoulders out of view from Credence.
“Alright, I'll be there in fifteen,” he says, leaving a puzzled look on Naira’s face.
“Wait, I didn’t give you my address yet.”
Credence smiles slyly. “Well, you kinda did when I got your Lift. Had to make sure that guy didn’t make any detours.” Not sure how she feels about this, Naira laughs and continues applying her makeup. He cares a lot… there's gotta be a catch. She thinks to herself.
She shakes the thought off, and a few quick minutes later, walks out of the apartment. She catches the sight of a waiting Credence, who smiles at her. She gives him a big hug and kisses him on the cheek. “Where we headed?” Naira asks.
Credence, still holding Naira’s waist and trying to catch his breath replies. “Well, I didn't plan anything too crazy, but I was thinking we could go to the movies and hit the arcade after, but if that doesn't sound fun, we can just go somewhere else. It's up to you”
“Are you kidding! I love the arcade! You gotta see me on dance-dance revolution,” Naira says excitedly as she pulls on his arm while hopping and skipping as if she were on the dance pads at that very moment.
“What are you like a pro or something?” Credence asks curiously, yet free of seriousness.
“Nope. I’m terrible,” she admits, laughing, “but that's why it's so fun, I can just dance without worrying about my score.”
“Love that attitude. I might have to dance with you,” Credence says while letting out a chuckle as they continue to walk.
They both explore their thoughts as they walk under the cool, but not too cold air. There is a thin layer of fog at their feet. The pine trees are the only ones that aren’t bare and gray. Naira is wearing her favorite blue jeans, tan boots, a white turtleneck, a tan parka that goes along with her boots, and her trusty water bottle. Credence walks as if he’s charging into battle, and Naira has to walk almost twice as fast as she normally does to keep up with his long strides. He was wearing an almost glistening white shirt, a black jacket, black skinny jeans that were ripped at the knees, and black canvas shoes. His long black curls hang out from underneath his black beanie and bounce atop his shoulder. His brown skin contrasts so well with his white shirt, she thinks to herself. Naira listens to the chains around his neck and she thinks they sound like little bells as if he’s trying to let her know he’s there at every moment.
“So is your friend spending the night with you, or did she already leave?” He asks and Naira breaks from her trance.
“Yeah, she left like ten minutes before you came, she’s gotta help her mom out at the hospital. She did spend the night though, we watched some funny ass movie with Emory.”
He looks down at her and looks back up smiling, “She seems very nice,” he shortly pauses, “so, you’re my girl now, huh?” he jokes.
Naira’s heart drops as she’s just remembered what Addebowale had said. Naira’s heart drops and it seems as though time has stopped; she feels as if she’s about to give a speech to an entire stadium. She lets out a cough, trying to sound casual. “Well, if that’s what you wanna call it, then sure dude,” she grins, knowing she’s just effectively turned the tables.
“Wait, no, I just meant what Addy said. Wait, are you serious? Are we? I mean it’s cool and all, we’ve been talking for some weeks now I just kind of-” Credence stammers.
Naira continues to smile and changes the subject. “Addy's really cool, been my friend for like three years now, going on four. She’s always been there for me. She’s kinda like a second big sister. She’s also funny as hell, but you already know that now.”
Credence listens intently, still wondering what they should call their makeshift relationship. “So how’d you guys meet?”
Naira smiles, seeing that he’s interested in learning more about her. “Refreshing,” she says quietly. To her surprise, he hears her.
“You met refreshing? What does that-”
Naira interrupts him, smiling to herself. “Sorry, got distracted,” she says, taking a sip of water. “ “But yeah, our professor put us together for a school project, and ever since that day, I don’t know, we’ve just kinda been inseparable. She taught me a whole lot about Wiccans.”
Credence looks especially interested now. “Oh, she’s a Wiccan?”
Naira notices he’s genuinely intrigued. “Yeah, she’s pretty good too, almost got accepted into the Coven and everything. The things she can do are insane. I’ll introduce you one day. She can show you some pretty cool stuff. She can’t do anything too crazy because of her mana-blocker, but she'll still blow you away.”
Credence smiles. “You got some cool friends. Maybe we could all go out sometime” Naira nods at his suggestion excitedly.
After a few blocks, they arrive and stand in the lobby of the theater, the smell of popcorn overwhelming. Families wait around the lobby holding large sodas and much larger buckets of popcorn. The red carpet of the theater has various stains and dropped pieces of popcorn. Naira studies the movie trailers being projected on the screens above with intrigue.
“So, what do you wanna see? We can watch whatever I’m not too picky,” Credence asks as he looks at the movie posters.
“This one! It looks hella spooky” Naira says looking up at a movie poster titled “Killing Lane”, then back at Credence, with a mischievous smile, she rubs her hands together. He purchases their tickets and they make their way to their seats.
“No way, you like this kinda stuff?” He says, surprised. “I wouldn't have expected that,” he adds with a grin on his face.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She looks at him crossing her arms over her chest sassily. “I'm a horror movie fanatic, the new stuff just doesn't scare me as much as it used to,” she explains. He looks at her with doubt, nodding and lifting his eyebrows. “but if you get scared, we can step out so you can catch your breath or whatever,” she finishes with a cocky smirk while patting his back.
“I’ll keep that in mind, tough guy,” Credence says mockingly.
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