Devilish Taste

Swish!

"Come on Asha!" Stanley yells for me as I finish touching up on my hair.

"Give me five minutes Stanley!" I yell back. I finish braiding a crown around my head with my own hair. I took some pins from my hairdresser and I pin my hair that was sticking out after I was done braiding. I brush my cheeks with some blush and color my lips with a new lipstick I brought from the mall. They're were bright red, that made my face pop out more. I quickly take a look over my body in my full length mirror eyeing down everything on me.

"Okay, perfect this will do since it's a game." I told myself smiling at my outfit. Stanley gave me his white and blue warm up shirt that had his name and number on it. I paired it with some light blue ripped up jeans and wore my new low top white sneakers that I brought at the mall months ago. I bath myself in my perfume and quickly took my phone and wallet that had a hook so I can connect it with my jean belt loop.

"Finally girl. You look real nice sis. You don't look over dress as you usually do, you actually fit the dress code by wearing my warm up shirt." He told me, taking a quick glance over my body. I roll my eyes at him waiting for him to open the door.

"I'm not naked Stanley, I know how to respect my body." I told him honestly and he smiles back at me.

"I know sis, but I just had to make sure. There's going to be a lot of niggas at the game playing and chilling on the bleachers. I just don't want any niggas bothering you while I'm busy handling my game and all. Jessica is also going to be a ghost since she has her game also." He said, opening the door and letting me exit out first. I heard him behind me locking the door as I went toward Stanley car.

"Don't worry about that, my girls going to be at the game anyway." I reply to him waving my hand at him at his protectiveness.

"Your girls?" Stanley scrunch up his face in disgust. I wonder why he made that face.

Stanley starts his car and reverse from the parking lot.

"Why you still hang with those girls for?" Stanley said as he began driving away from our apartment complex and into the street. I shoot a text to my friends group chat telling them I was on my way to the game.

"What do you mean, why I still hang with them? Is there something I don't know about?" I shoot him with my questions and he simply just shrugs his shoulders at me as he drove. Curiosity was roaming through my mind and stuck like a damn broken record. What was wrong hanging with my friends?

"Stanley if there's something going on you need to tell me now. I'm not going to be looking like a sitting duck if one of my friends is doing something behind my back." I confront him. I was honestly curious staring at him with my eyes throwing glares at him. I want to know, no screw that, I need to know.

"Is just ever since you left for college, I've been seeing Monica around Jerome a lot. Actually, I still see them together, especially after practice." Stanley told me peeking at my expression while he was driving. When I didn't respond he sigh.

"Then my team mates talking about Jerome and Monica have been messing with each other, and when one of my boys was trying to get with her, I made him do some investigation for me and made him ask her if she was still chilling with you, she acted as if ya'll weren't even friends in the beginning." He stops at a red light, and glance my way, taking in my presence.

I stayed quiet. My heart drops a little hurting.

"You can't be serious Stanley?" I reply to him, begging for him to tell me it was a joke. Monica was one of my close friends I confide to when I needed someone. Heck! She was in my group chat with Tasha and Ashely. The real question does Tasha and Ashely know about Monica and Jerome? If they did then my heart would literally break into pieces by knowing this piece of information.

"Hey, I'm just letting you know what I got from my boys." He told me sincerely.

"What if I don't believe you?"

"What's not to believe? If you don't believe me, why don't you go do your detective Asha that you be doing and find out." His right. If I wanted answers, I could easily do my own research and figure it out myself. I check my phone notification to see Monica never respond back into any of the girls and I chats.

I quickly close the chat and swipe through my phone and open my notes app where I usually type in some to do list to remember. I title the subject 'Secrets' and began typing down the evidence that I've been seeing and what Stanley just told me a few minutes ago.

"What you typing so fast like that sis?" Stanley question me and I choose to ignore him as I finish typing in the information that I receive. Stanley repeats his questions, turning my attention away from my task and to my brother.

"I made some notes on my phone about the information you just told me. You right about my detective skills, because I will be watching them two together. I even peep she never respond to any of the chats the girls and I put in."

"Well damn girl someone determine now." He responds with a grin and I roll my eyes.

Did I still have feelings for Jerome still? No, I don't think so. If I did I would have been run back to his arms. Why did it feel different when Stanley out of a sudden said Monica messing around with Jerome? Do I want Jerome back, because Monica is messing with him, or do I actually have feelings for Jerome that never went away? I honestly wanted the truth mostly because of Monica. How can she be messing with him when I dated him, especially when she knew I gave him my virginity!

Isn't there a girl code or something?

"Asha!" Stanley touches my hand. I look up at him, and I can tell his voice was filled with concerns.

"You see, this why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to make you all sad and s**t man. You trying to be all strong and brave when deep down you heartbroken"

"No, it's fine Stanley I'm just shocked." I compose myself, making sure I didn't let him see me overreact. My thoughts were beginning to get into my head as Stanley kept glancing over at me.

"So what are going to do sis? Are you going to confront her and beat her ass? Do I need to tell Jessica to be here when you do?" He questions me. I look out the passenger window taking in where we were. We're close to Jessica place if my memory is right. He squeezes my hands, taking my attention from the window towards him.

"I'm not in love with him, so why bother trying to create a fight with her, if I'm the one who broke up with Jerome. Beside, I honestly just want the truth about Monica and not Jerome. I could care less what he's out here doing, but my friends and my ex? That draws a big line." I told Stanley and to myself. Stanley said quiet nodding his head as in he won't bring it up. I repeat the response I told Stanley in my mind chanting it over and over again. Hopefully this chant brings my mind down and over with this conversation.

The vibration of my phone cause me to look down at the notification on my lock screen.

Yes, auntie I can't wait to see you girl! It's been to long! –Ashely the fighter

Ashely, calm down with your thirsty self- Tasha the beauty

You only saying that, because you already saw her. Ya'll both work at the same place! -Ashely the fighter

I smile reading the chats between Ashely and Tasha. I giggle taking in their group chat name as I open the chat on my phone to respond.

Ya'll stupid and I can't wait to see you guys for real man. I'm almost there, Stanley and I are picking up my sister and we shouldn't take long- Asha

They both respond saying okay, I put away my phone as we pull into Jessica apartment complex. Stanley honks the horn letting Jessica know we were outside.

"How come ya'll not living together?" I question Stanley. I realize they could of easily room in with each other, since they live not far from each other.

"You know how Jessica is. She party's too much and bring her girls over making a mess. I remember when my apartment had a leak, I went over to Jessica place to stay for a couple of days, it was a nightmare! You know her job is at the club, so she was coming home past midnight bringing her flings from the club. I had no problem with it, but they were sexing it up in the room while I be sleeping. She was always drunk and smelled like weed. I couldn't handle it anymore and left to go stay at mom and pops place." Stanley admit and I forgot about that. Jessica has always been a wild animal. She can party alright, but sometimes she took it too far. She uses alcohol and smoking as a way to escape the pain and sadness. I don't even want to know what she was doing when she heard the news about our sister.

"About time man, I was beginning to think ya'll forgot about me." Jessica voice fills the back seat of the car as she loads her gym bag in the car first before plotting down in the seat.

"Blame this one over here." Stanley point his fingers towards me, and I instantly stuck my tongue out smiling in the process. Jessica smiles, taking Stanley aux cord and plugging her music into her phone to play some jams. Along the drive, all three of us began talking about old memories that we use to have fun with. I clutch my stomach as I was laughing hard to the memories about us getting in trouble.

"Alright man stops clowning, we here." Stanley said laughing in between. We pull up to a parking space and we all got out the car.

"Hey Jessica!" I heard some girls call out to Jessica, I snap my glare at my sister who seem to be eyeing the girls up.

"What's good beautiful?" Jessica licks her lips, eyeing them with lust, as a smile pasted on her face.

One thing about Jessica that you couldn't deny is that she's beautiful. Her five foot seven caramel curvy body was the first thing that had people stunned. She wasn't those types of girls who dress in boyish clothes, she was always in tune with her feminine side more than her boyish side. Her dreads were shoulder length and she kept them clean and tight unlike some people who just let it get all raggedy. When she smiles, oh man who doesn't like dimples popping up! Now that my friends are her signature skills when it came down to persuading girls on using her physical appearance.

"Let's go." Stanley voice takes me out of my thoughts as we walk inside the basketball gym.

"My game about to start soon, wish me luck guys." Jessica reply, giving Stanley and I a side hug as she jogs to the girl's locker room I assume.

"Where you're so called girls sis." Stanley said looking around the bleachers. I almost forgot about them as Stanley and I begin searching the crowd on the bleachers. My phone begins vibrating in my jean pocket and I quickly answer seeing it's Ashely.

"Auntie, come on now! You look stupid looking for us, we right in front of you!" I search for them, since she said they're in front of me and soon enough I saw Ashely waving her hands frantically.

"I see them Stanley, I'm good if you want to go chill with your teammates or something." I let him know.

"Make sure your phone volume is on high, so when I'm calling you to leave." He kissed the back of my head as he walks casually to his teammate that were sitting a little distance from my girls. I jog over to Ashely hugging her tight.

"I miss you, girl!" Ashely smiling a real heart felt smile. I agree with her, and turn my attention to Tasha who smile shaking her head.

"Alright, alright, alright! Let's get ready for our girls to play some basketball!" The announcer projects his voice over the microphone. The crowd begins to go crazy as the announcer starts stating the players number and name. when it got to Jessica turns to stand, clapping her team mates hand, I scream like my life depend on it. Jessica turn giving me a wink, I smile clapping for her.

The signaling of the refs walking towards the middle with the ball caught our attention. Once the refs blew the whistle, the ball flew up for the game to start.

"let's go Cheetah's, let's go!" The crowd sang together as we motivate the team Jessica is part of. They were currently down by ten points and the crowd was getting irritated. There were collections of ohh and ahh as each team had possession of the ball, both teams showing their effort on trying to win the game.

Jessica has been doing great while she dribbles her way around her opponents. Her shots were on point! She was bringing her team from the ten points they were down in. Soon enough, a referee blows on his whistle signaling a foul someone hit Jessica while going to the basket. The crowd cheered singing her name. As she walks over to the free throw line, the crowd abruptly lowers the noise. I look up to the scoreboard and saw they were now down by two points.

"Jessica you better make this sis!" My voice boom through the gym. Some people eyes wander towards my way, and I didn't bother looking at everyone else. Jessica took the ball from the referee hands and turn her head towards me smiling and nodding her head. Once she took a deep breath and compose herself, she bent her knees slightly and lift her shooting arm in a vertical movement and let the ball come out her hand as she flicks them.

SWISH!

The crowd goes wild, as some people in the crowd stand up clapping including myself.

"Go Jessica!" I scream over to her, I turn my head to look at the scoreboard, but immediately halt.

Two pair of eyes made me suck in the breath quickly, as I watch as he stares into my eyes. For a moment, he lost eye contact with me to clap someone else, but he quickly diverts his eyes back onto me. Everyone continues cheering, I lost focus on the game to see what was going on. He sat at the other side of the bleachers sitting in front of me. Don't ask me how I was able to find him quicker than finding my friends when I first came in. I took in his appearance refreshing my memory on how he looks.

I think I'm about to faint! I told myself, drinking in his appearance.

I watch as he glances down to my shirt, as his face expression turn from a smirk to a smug. I didn't understand his action as I glance down to my shirt and realization dawn on me.

My brother shirt!

He may think it's a random boy warm up shirt or something.

I mentally scowl myself.