Taking the Risk by Amaunet Jendayi (read people like a book TXT) 📕

the drug is calling to her, it sensing her stress and weakness for it. She rolls the baggy all over her face. Her heart beat speeds up and she can feel the hard thump of her own pulse against her skin. Coming to her senses, she quickly stands up, goes into the bathroom, and flushes the drugs down the toilet. She swore to herself that she would never turn to any type of drug again. No matter how stressed out she got or how upset a situation made her, never resort to any type of drugs. Starting to itch all over, feeling beads of sweat roll down her face,

 

Aynslee quickly yet silently heads outside in the cool November air. She inhales it and walks down the busy street, bustling with people. She finally got a place on the good side of town, proud of herself she is. She has made it this far without her drug of choice which is heroin. Why mess up a good thing? With the wind blowing in her hair, she looks up at the afternoon clouds, thinking the weather man says that it's supposed to—-

 

Her thought process is cut short by her bumping into a hard figure and knocking whatever he had in his hands out and on the ground. "Oh, I am so sorry,"

 

Aynslee says bending down to pick up the books.

 

"Oh no, it was really my fault." He over talks her, bending down as well to pick up the books. "I shouldn't have-" He looks up at the female, "Aynslee Velasquez?"

 

Aynslee looks at the male and covers her mouth instantly knowing exactly who he is, but not believing it, "Tk?" She looks directly into his seductive golden brown eyes.

 

He smiles big. "Yeah."

 

"Oh, my..." She covers her mouth, shocked to see an old friend from high school.

 

They quickly pick up the books and move to the side so they don't get ran over by the lunch rush of people. Aynslee hands him the books she has and hugs him tightly, "What are you doing here?" His warm, dark chocolate skin felt so good against her own skin and so smooth.

 

"Oh, I am moving here, for my new job as Athletic Scout." He answers still smiling and hugs her back just as tight, if not tighter...

 

"Doing big for yourself, huh?" Aynslee lets him go and folds her arms and smirks. Trying not to drool over the muscles that bulged up whenever he would bend his arm.

 

"Yeah." He continues to smile while holding the books. "What about you?  What brings you here?" He playfully swats her with his books, then swipes the chest length dreads from his face, with his free hand.

 

"I live in the Mooncrest Condos.  The single ones around the corner. Mine is the third one on the..." she thinks and puts out her left hand hesitantly then with more confidence. "Yeah, on the left. I just needed a fresh start you know. I had to get away from that town I was living in." She looks at Tk, smiling. Her heart flutters at the highly familiar scent. She remembers him having that same smell to him when he would come to school every day. She could never place what kind of scent it was, but it used to drive her crazy. Still does now.

 

  Tk nods, "How did you manage to find that?"

 

Aynslee still smiling answers, "It was the last one. It was either the single condo that they had just built or a rinky-dink townhouse with grape juice stained carpets and on the bad side of town, nonetheless."

 

 Tk's golden brown eyes widen then he smiles, they simultaneously say, "Condo."

 

 Tk looks at his watch, "Oh hey. I have a meeting in 20 minutes and I have to go home, shower and get dressed."

 

"Alright."

 

He opens his books and rips out a clean sheet, takes a pen from his pocket, and scribbles his name, cell phone number, and address. Handing it to her, "That's me."

 

She looks at it, "Oh, so you live around the corner."

 

"Yup, just pass the basketball courts."

 

"Alright."

 

"But, umm...come by when you get a chance."

 

"I will."

 

He gives her another tight hug and then proceeds to walk backward, "See ya." waving.

 

"Bye." She waves then turns around and walks off, resisting the strong urge to look back but she could feel his own eyes on her.

 

Making it back to the condo, she enters and finds her sister looking at her from the kitchen. Some of the boxes are empty and by the front door. "Where did you go?" Luna questions.

 

"I went for a walk." Aynslee answers, walking into the kitchen to find her sister cooking.

 

"Oh? For..."She turns and looks at the clock on the wall. "Almost 45 minutes?" She turns to Aynslee.

 

Aynslee didn't know that she had been gone that long. She smiles and stirs the pot with the sauté vegetables in it. "I ran into an old friend of mine and we talked for a while. That's all."

 

"Oh?" She puts seasoning into the sautéing vegetable pan. Then moves on to the pot with a lid on it, lifting the lid she peeks in it, "Do I know him?"

 

Slowly stirring the vegetables, Aynslee looks up thinking. The truth is that she'd told Luna about so many guys. Not that Aynslee dated 90% of the guys she told her sister about, but guys she used to like or thought were cute. "I don't know."

 

"Well, come on. Don't be selfish." Luna chuckles. "What's his name?"

 

Aynslee smiles a little bigger than normal which causes Luna's eyes to widen. "Oh no. You have GOT to tell me now. With a smile like that." She hits Aynslee's arm with the spatula.

 

"Braydin Carver." Aynslee nods.

 

"Braydin Carver? Hm...Nope. Doesn't ring a bell." She begins to put on a pot of rice.

 

"TK."

 

Luna slowly turns to Aynslee her eyes wide again and mouth in an 'o' shape. "TK Carver? The world known basketball player?"

 

Confused, Aynslee slowly nods. "Yeah, I mean. Basketball, I don't really know."

 

Luna smirks turning the stove down, "Girl, I remember when you and him would play basketball at night."

 

Aynslee's eyes stretch, forgetting all about those days. Braydin and Aynslee would always be out talking until dark. Sometimes, Noelle and Tyson would come, but leave early due to Braydin and Aynslee's heavy and constant flirting and giggling. Late nights on the phone and always around each other during school.

 

"Yeah, but he went to college and that was that." Aynslee sighs putting the spoon down on the counter.

 

"So did you. You and I are the only ones in the family to go to college and actually complete it." Luna informs Aynslee; smiling. "So, he is back in town, what are you going to do about that?" Luna says waving the spatula at Aynslee hoping that her older sister would make the right choice.

 

"I don't know to be honest with you." Aynslee admits, thinking about the info that Tk gave her before he left for his meeting.

 

"Psh," Luna scoffs. "Better do something before someone else gets him. Like one of these young, little hood rat, fast ass girls running around here in short shorts and tight shirts. I mean...I know from what you told me he wasn't really much. You know." Aynslee nods remembering "but, he had a little something going on for himself to get out of the hood."

 

Aynslee laughs, "Yeah, he did." And Aynslee used to be crazy about Tk. The same with himself being crazy about Aynslee. "He gave me his information."

 

She digs in her pocket and pulls out the sheet of paper; handing it to Luna. Luna looks over the paper and nods, "So, am I dining by myself tonight?" She gives the paper back. Aynslee takes it and looks over the information as well.

 

"No, I wouldn't do that to you." Aynslee says.

 

Luna scoffs, "I wouldn't mind, to be honest. I mean...I am going to be staying with you for a while. Just because I am here does not mean you have to put your life on hold."

 

Aynslee nods hearing what her sister is saying but she just didn't feel right leaving her here alone. "I know but..." She tries to protest.

 

"No, I will even help you find something to wear." Luna offers.

 

Aynslee smiles then starts laughing at Luna's pressure for her to get out of the house and date or set up a date with Tk. Aynslee sighs and leans against the counter, folding her arms across her chest, seriously considering her sister's offer. However, Aynslee didn't want to leave her sister alone while pregnant and soon to deliver. Luna sees Aynslee, hesitant, "If you are worried about me having the baby early, then don't be worried. The doctor said that he should be here after Makio gets back. So nothing to really worry about."

 

Aynslee nods still worried but on her sister's word, she nods, "Alright."

 

Luna claps her hands, "Awesome. I unpacked some of your clothes already and you need to do some major shopping because you have too much black and red."

 

"No," Aynslee swats at Luna playfully. "I have some pinks, blues, and other colors as well."

 

"Oh," Luna goes on to stir the rice and put seasoning along with butter in the rice. "Great. That must have been the wrong box. Now, you need to go and shower and have your hair straighten."

 

Aynslee runs her fingers through her thick tightly curly hair, "But, I like my hair like this."

 

Luna sighs in playful frustration, "Fine, fine. But, shower and I will find something for you to wear."

 

"But, I don't even know when his meeting is over." Aynslee giggles.

 

"Meh, I see. Oh well." She goes back to look over her pots of food. "Besides that, have you gotten a call from Tyson yet?"

 

"Ugh," Aynslee roars, "Yes, yesterday. Asking me why was I moving out and that he is scared for my safety. Also, that he was only trying to protect me." She says trying to remember the voicemail he left her.

 

"Protect you from what?"

 

"Hell if I know." Aynslee shrugs.

11

 

Aynslee

Present

Aynslee didn't know what to say about her sister's pregnancy, but she really is truly happy that her sister had found someone that she can really trust and start a family with. A warm hand grazes her hand, Aynslee looks up to see Luna touching her hand and handing her a napkin. She takes the napkin, Luna signals to wipe her face. Aynslee dabs her face and looks at the napkin, small tear drops were on it. She hadn't even noticed that she is crying, smiling she dabs her eyes again and sniffles. "Sorry."

 

Luna frowns at her sister, "I know that both of your babies would have been at least 6 or 7 years old. In the 2nd grade or 1st grade."

 

Aynslee had to pull herself together, she just had to. No real reason why. "Yeah, they would but there is no telling how many I've truly had." She jokes and Luna smiles along with her older sister.

 

After their light lunch, they walk down the strip and enter a thrift shop. There really weren’t very many people in the thrift shop, Aynslee looks around at the very tidy store. Most stores on the strip were unclean and full of dust; not this one. Bauhaus is what the store is called. Luna goes towards the baby things which