SAM's POV

~One Month Later~

Today, Wesley High School is formally celebrating a select group of student-athletes who are signing letters of intent to various colleges around the country. And guess what? Ya girl is one of those students being celebrated!! A representative from UCLA's athletic department is here today along with some other representatives from various universities across America to take some press release pictures with student-athletes and meet everyone who are planning to go to their schools. The celebration is in the form of an optional assembly during the last period of the school day, which means that some teachers may allow their class to attend, but if they're busy with special in-class assignments, they won't let their class attend. Sitting at the long table in the middle of the gymnasium between other student-athletes, I was glancing up at the rows of bleachers to check if Becca or my mom and Antonio would be present. I don't see them yet.

I release an excited breath and tap my fingernails on the clothed folding table, slouching a bit in boredom as I wait for the assembly to begin. A few steps away, I spot both basketball coaches Tom and Jerry chatting with some of the university reps while smiling away. They appeared to be super proud that their top basketball players were being acknowledged like this. I can't believe it myself! I mean, I've been playing basketball since elementary school. I became the captain of the Varsity girls' basketball team last year, leading our team to a plethora of victories across our region. I'm confident enough to say I'm the most talented female basketball player at this school, and among anyone, I deserve to go to UCLA. My dream school.

Our entire table was covered in memorabilia and university colors; even the balloons and the backdrop screen behind us advertised each school's logo. Oh, right. Who's 'us', you may be asking... sitting at the long table beside me are seven other student-athletes ready to publicly sign their letters, including Diggy, Chris, and Khalil who have chosen UCLA. The university's colors of blue and yellow were presented on a sign hanging on the table in front of us four. The other four students, two girls and two boys, were signing to Duke University and the University of Kentucky. Their university's colors were also presented on a sign in front of them. In front of us were our letters of intent and some pens along with our name cards and a cap with our respective university's logo on the front. The two other female athletes sat to my right as the males were sitting to my left; Diggy sat directly to my left and next to him was Chris then Khalil.

Impatiently waiting for the ceremony to start, I check the bleachers again where I see Mrs. Justine and Mr. Joe waving from their seats. I casually wave back then make eye contact with my mom and Antonio who have arrived, and take their seats beside Diggy's parents. My toes stop tapping, feeling relieved at their appearance.

Then, Coach Tom walks up to the podium next to our table and begins the ceremony. He welcomes all in attendance and explains the importance of this day. He explains that this signing will include students committed to the sport of basketball, then goes on a tangent about his career as a basketball coach and how each student has made an impact on the school. After his speech that could've been four minutes shorter, Coach Tom began introducing all of the student-athletes, giving our names and the university we're committed to.

"First up is Anna Smith who will be playing basketball at Duke University..." The audience breaks out into short applause as the brown-haired girl at the end of the table smiles and waves to her family and the press before us. "Next up is Shawna Jacks who will be playing basketball at the University of Kentucky..." Everyone applauds the tall girl with box braids and braces for a few seconds, then he moves on. "Next up is the captain of Wesley High's Varsity girls' basketball team, Samantha Goode, who will be playing basketball at UCLA..."

My applause is the loudest so far. I smile and wave to the cameras and the audience in the bleachers, making eye contact with my mom who's standing to her feet while hooting and hollering.

"Woo-hoo! That's my baby!" Her powerful voice cheers as the audience erupts in chuckles.

"Next up, we have Daniel Simmons who will be playing basketball at UCLA..." This time, it's Mr. and Mrs. Simmons who cheer loudly and blow their whistles as Diggy waves to the audience with an embarrassed head tilt.

***

After everyone is introduced, Coach Jerry takes the podium and makes another long-winded speech about character in sports. I feel myself falling asleep at the sound of his voice, but my teammate, Shawna, bumps my arm to keep me from yawning. The coaches then give each of us handshakes before we can officially sign our letters as a group and place our caps on our heads. Once we signed as a group, each student had the chance to take a picture with their families at the table. There was a moment for families to walk down to the gym's main floor and wait to take pictures. As one of the male athletes took their photo, I waited patiently on the sidelines beside Diggy and Khalil, chatting it up with positive vibes.

"We're 'bout to go out to eat after this is over," Khalil says while toying with his cap in his hands, an excited grin on his face. "My whole fam came to see me - cousins and everything - so we 'bout to make it a celebration."

"Word? That sounds fun. All of ya family came just for today?" Diggy asked with an impressed smile. His hands cooly brushed back his letterman jacket as they found their way into his pockets.

"Yeah. I told 'em I'm not even graduating, but they said they wanted to see me anyway..." Khalil chuckles as he glances towards his large family slowly making their way down from the bleachers.

"That's dope."

At that moment, my mom and Antonio appeared beside me and wrapped their arms around me with affection. "Ah... my baby! I'm so proud of you!" My mom says while planting a kiss on my cheek. I squirm in her embrace and groan.

"Mom!" I complain while wiping my wet cheek with my sweater sleeve. "I told you about kissing up on me, especially at school."

"She's just so proud of you, Sam. So am I." Antonio says while opening his arms with a genuine smile, waiting for me to naturally walk into his embrace, and I do. Even though I'm not a touchy-feely type of person, I have to admit that Antonio's hugs have helped me cure a bad attitude or two this year.

"Thanks..." I reply to their kind words.

"And I'm proud of you kids, too! Don't think y'all can get outta my lovin' either..." My mom grabs Khalil's head and plants a motherly kiss on the top. Khalil is nothing but smiles towards my mom. She does the same to Diggy, who also doesn't refuse her touchiness. Better them than me.

"Thanks, Mrs. Martha..." Khalil says.

"Khalil! You and your family are up next!" Coach Jerry calls from the signing table.

"Oh. I'll catch y'all later," Khalil says before leaving us to take pictures with his family.

"So... Diggy, are you excited for UCLA? It's gonna be a huge step. You think you're ready for it?" My mom asks him in an encouraging tone.

"Yeah. I'm super ready! I'm counting down the days until basketball camp and there are 95 days left until I'm soaking up the California sun."

My mom chuckles. "Oh, really? Good for you. I know you'll do great. And I'm even more excited that you two will be going together. At least I'll feel less worried about things going wrong. You two can look out for each other..." My mom says.

Diggy nods and glances at me. "Yep. I'll set Sam straight if she gets outta line, Mrs. G. Don't worry about it."

"Tch! And if you get outta line? What then? Because I ain't gonna bail you outta jail, sucka..." I reply in a challenging tone, crossing my arms.

"I won't get outta line, I can promise that. If anything, I'd end up in jail for trying to save you from something," Diggy jokes as I roll my eyes.

"Oh, please..."

Antonio and my mom chuckle, and then their faces appear brighter when they spot Diggy's parents approaching. The adults share hugs and handshakes before turning their attention to us. Mrs. Justine squishes me and Diggy with her strong embrace then steps aside as Mr. Joe does the same.

"Signing with the big dogs... how does it feel? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attended UCLA before getting traded to the Lakers. One of the most valuable basketball players of all time went to your college. Isn't that exciting?!" Mr. Joe exclaims, but none of us could match his excitement.

"Yeah. I know! I can't even imagine signing for the Lakers..." Diggy shakes his head in thought, whistling.

"Imagine it, son. That could be you!" Mr. Joe says with a supportive nudge. "All it takes is a bit of hard work and focus, and you already got that!"

"Thanks, dad..."

"You too, Sam. I'm so proud of both of you kids."

"Ah, didn't we raise them up so well?" Mrs. Justine chimes in, her voice sounding emotional. "Both so beautiful, and talented, and smart. You used to cry when your parents weren't around and now you're going off to college..."

"That's right," my mom adds. "Sam used to be hanging all on my leg whenever we went somewhere... now she's driving, and working, and doin' all types of things without our supervision. Can you believe it's been 18 years since we birthed these two out of our wombs?! Now look at them..."

"Okay... we get it..." I groan, tired of the old folks' memories of when we were kids. "We're all older and wiser now... some more than others..." I say with a side eye.

"Aye, who you callin' old?" My mom snaps back.

"Hey, basketball stars!" Becca shouts as she walks up to us with Jake at her side. She pats Diggy on the back and gives me a side hug before greeting all of our families.

"You made it," I say.

"Yep. Our teacher was mad cool about letting everyone out early for the assembly, so I came! I didn't wanna miss your guys' signings. This is such a huge moment. It'll be on the news and everything!" Becca exclaims with a huge smile.

"I know! Did you say hi to Khalil and his family already?" I ask her.

"Uh-huh. I talked with them on the bleachers before walking down. My family's gonna go out to eat with theirs after the ceremony..." Becca says. Then she bumps my arm and tilts her head towards Jake, who silently walks up to our group with a proud grin. Even though we see each other every day, I still get super giddy inside every time I see him. "I brought a friend..."

"Hey. Congratulations!" Jake exclaims while instantly wrapping his arms around my shoulders in a firm embrace. I hug him back, wrapping my arms around his small waist, as I inhale his earthy-smelling cologne. It felt like I lost my breath when he let go of me; I pouted, wishing to stay in his arms more, but the adults might've felt a bit awkward watching us embrace any longer than needed.

"Thanks, Jake," I reply after he lets me go, fixing my sweatshirt and my hair with a small blush.

"And you too, Diggy. I always knew you'd play ball after high school ever since you made the most free throws during freshman year tryouts," Jake compliments him.

"Aye, they don't call me the free throw master for nothing," Diggy chuckles while receiving the kind words. "Man, I'm gonna miss you out in LA though. We all are..." He adds while referring to the four of us student-athletes who signed with UCLA today. His comment made my heart feel heavy. I've been trying to think positively and avoid this topic all school year. Although I'm happy and confident Jake will do well at BMCC in New York, I still imagine how awesome it would be to have him at my side in university and watch him play his favorite sport with the other great college-level players.

"I will too, I'm not gonna lie," Jake replies with an encouraging grin. "But we can talk every week, you know? Plus, if you buy me some Bruins season tickets, we can see each other a lot more frequently, if you know what I'm saying..."

Diggy and the rest of us chuckle at his words.

"Whoa, you gotta wait in line, because Diggy promised he'd get us some season tickets first. Right, Dig?" Mr. Joe jokes while causing more laughter.

"I don't remember promising anything..." Diggy responds with a smile.

Jake chuckles. "Nah, but seriously. Do your thing out there. Even if you don't buy me some season passes..." He sighs, appearing dramatically hurt. "...I'll still be on the other side of the country cheering you on. I'll definitely have to take a trip out there for a game, though."

"Ooh! Count me in, too," Becca pipes up. "We should both fly out there to LA to watch the boys' and the girls' basketball team and then we could catch up, too. We'll just have to pick a good day when everybody's not busy with school."

"Bet. That sounds like a plan," Diggy agrees with her suggestion.

"Well, it sounds like you all have everything figured out..." Mrs. Justine comments with a proud grin, side-hugging my mom.

"Daniel! You and your family can come up and take pictures now..." Coach Jerry calls. Diggy nods and him and his parents walk towards the table to take their pictures. At that moment, my mom's phone rings and she answers it with a smile.

"Hold on a second, it's your great aunt calling..." My mom says while putting her phone up to her ear. "Uh-huh... Aunt Sheryl?... Yes! Yes, are you watching it?... Sam just signed her letter, hold on-- Sam, your great aunt says congratulations!" My mom tells me while chatting away into her phone.

"Sam, could I talk with you for a second? There was something I wanted to give you..." Jake says. I glance up at Antonio who gives me a friendly wink and a shrug, then I nod back to Jake.

"Sure. But make it quick, I still have to take my pictures."

"Yeah. It'll be real quick. Follow me, it's out here..." Jake quickly assures me while gently taking my hand and guiding me out of the gymnasium doors. His pace is surprisingly quick, which almost causes me to trip over my own feet. As we enter the empty school hallway just outside of the gym, Jake glances around and heads towards a vacant corner without any lockers or offices.

"What do you have to show me?" I ask as he pulls me close to the wall and peeps down the hall one more time before flashing a smirk and leaning his face towards mine for an impromptu kiss. His soft lips tenderly nibble my own at a slow pace as I match his rhythm. His hand reaches up and grabs the side of my neck, his thumb softly caressing my ear, before he quickly pulls away from the kiss. I lick my lips and look into his eyes, feeling butterflies in my stomach.

"I'm so happy for you signing your letter today," he says as he dimples appear, shining brighter than his cocoa-colored eyes. "I'm super proud to be your boyfriend."

"Mm, you're sweet. Like your kisses," I giggle while leaning forward and quickly giving his lips another peck.

"I wanna show you how much you mean to me, and how much I'm committed to you... so..." Jake reaches in his jeans pocket and pulls out a small grey box. He opens it and inside is a simple looking silver ring with some small accents on it. "It's a promise ring. I bought one for you and for me to symbolize our bond and loyalty to each other."

My jaw drops as I cover my mouth with my hands. My eyebrows shoot to the sky. "A ring?"

"Do you like it?" He asks with a smile. "Let me put it on your finger..." Jake grabs my hands and slides the silver ring onto the pointer finger of my left hand. I look down at the ring. It's beautiful... but I'm in complete shock that he would buy something like this for me. I feel like buying jewelry is something newlyweds do for each other. Maybe I'm tripping, but his gesture feels super serious.

"It's really nice, but how much did you pay--"

"Don't worry about it. Price is nothing when it comes to you," he replies with a shrug. "Plus, it was a buy one get one free discount."

I press my lips together while admiring my ring. "You know you don't have to buy me expensive things to prove how much you care. I'm not that kinda girl."

"I know. I just wanted something that felt permanent. Like when you're out in LA and I'm here in New York, we'll always have a piece to remind us of one another. Whenever we get lonely or something, we could look at our promise ring..." Jake replies in a gentle tone as he shows me his own identical ring on his left hand. It feels sweet to see that this ring means so much to him. I grin also noticing that he's wearing the pink and yellow 'BEST FRIENDS' bracelets we won from the arcade. He's super thoughtful...

I release a sigh, not knowing how to respond to his act of kindness. "I didn't realize how sensitive you were about this kind of stuff..."

"I mean, I just enjoy showing people how much they mean to me. And I never want you to forget." He takes my hand in his and looks at me with the most loving gaze. "No matter where we are or what happens to us, I want you to know how amazing I think you are, and I can only hope to give you the world even after graduation."

I pout out my lips, feeling the sincerity in his words. Any doubt I had about the ring was immediately washed away. I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him tight.

"Thank you..." I say. Jake wraps his arms around mine and plants a kiss on my forehead.

The sound of footsteps scuffle across the hallway behind us. "Sam?" Jake and I stop hugging as we turn around and catch Becca staring at us wide-eyed. "What are y'all doing out here?"

I chuckle nervously. "Oh, nothing..."

She eyeballs us suspiciously while crossing her arms. "Mhmm. Well, it's time to take your family pictures. You're up."

"Oh! Okay!" I reply while pulling Jake along with me as we walk down the hall in Becca's direction. Jake tugs at my arm, causing me to stop.

"I gotta go to work, but I'll text you afterwards. Okay?" Jake informs me with his cute ole dimples.

"Aw. Okay. I'll talk to you later," I reply as he chuckles at my disappointed face, embracing me one last time before walking down the hallway past the gymnasium door. He shoots me a flirty wink as he leaves, making me clutch my heart in response. Total boyfriend goals.

"Hello? Earth to Sam?" Becca snaps her fingers in my face as I blink at her in confusion. "What were you two doing out here? I know y'all were up to something sneaky..."

"You know us so well..." I tease while walking past her and hiding my ringed finger in my baggy sweatshirt sleeve.

"Hey! You can't keep a secret from me for too long! I'll always find out!" She calls after me as we walk back into the gymnasium.

***

~A Few Days Later~

My mom, Antonio, and I were eating dinner and talking about some random things at the kitchen table when the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" I happily offered while standing to my feet, secretly hoping it was the new pair of sneakers that I ordered online last week. Antonio had let me use his credit card to buy them, saying it was a gift from him for getting accepted into UCLA. I mean, how could I turn down an offer for a free pair of shoes?! They were the new Air Jordans with the red and black leather and everything.

When I opened the door, my excited grin turned ugly when I came face to face with a man wearing a black coat and grey pants. He wore a brown hat on his scruffy head and his moustache and short beard had stripes of gray. From the instant I saw his hazel eyes, I knew it was my father...

"Samantha... look at you," my father said in a surprised tone. "You've grown taller since the last I saw you."

I furrowed my eyebrows and yelled back into the kitchen. "MOM! It's for you..."

My mom and Antonio rush beside me as they see who's at the door, and after realizing the familiar face, my mom placed a protective arm in front of me while stepping ahead of me, blocking some of my view of the man.

"Charles? What are you doing here at this hour?"

My father shows his teeth, a bit yellow from smoking. "Can't a father congratulate his daughter on getting accepted to UCLA?! I saw you on the television the other day signing your letter. I'm so proud of you, baby girl! Did you know that I went to UCLA, too, and I played basketball like you? Man... you gonna be an alumni now – Man! Like father like daughter."

I suck my teeth at his comments as many emotions fill my head. Why is he here all of a sudden? I thought he was in Las Vegas. What is he doing all the way up here in New York?

"Charles, I'm sorry but you need to go," my mom says, her voice sounding defeated and weary.

"Martha. You look good. Didn't you just blossom until a beautiful, silky brown... piece of chocolate! Haha! Hell! Did you suddenly become a model or somethin' after I left?" My father tries to joke, but none of us find his words amusing. The mood is as cold as the snow on the ground outside.

Antonio takes a step forward beside my mom and speaks up. "I'm sorry, but as Martha said, we'd appreciate if you left our house, sir. It's late and we're in the middle of having dinner."

"And who the hell are you?" My father replies back in a nasty tone and nastier expression, sizing up Antonio's build.

"Charles, this is my husband, Antonio. Antonio, this is Charles... Sam's father. Now that everyone knows everyone, you can leave." My mom attempts to shut the door but Charles pushes the door open, keeping it from closing all the way.

"Husband?" My father scoffs.

"Yes. Husband," she replies, emphasizing her words a bit more harshly. She holds onto Antonio's bicep with her left hand, flashing her shiny diamond ring while doing so. My father peeps her ring finger but looks unfazed.

"Huh... where'd you find him? On the side of the street? Hm..." My father takes a step closer and squints his eyes at Antonio. "He looks authentic."

"Alright, Charles. Seriously. It's time for you to leave... or I'll call the cops," my mom threatens.

"This is my house, Martha! Haha, what?! You think you can throw a man out of his own house?!" My father's voice gets several decibels louder, making me concerned that our neighbors might start to take notice. I ball up my fist and watch as my parents argue.

"Correction: this WAS your house. You don't live here anymore. You live with that white woman you left me for. Remember?"

"This is my house – this will always be my house! Who paid the bills around here?"

"I pay the bills now. The house is under my name so stop trying to start some mess. Go away! Please!" My mom says with annoyance.

"Make me," my father replies with a smirk.

"Charles... seriously? You show up at my house unannounced; I haven't heard from you in years. You got some nerve talking like you run anything up in here... now... what is it that you came here for because we were in the middle of having dinner?"

"Wow. Excuse me. I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner," my father says in a condescending tone. "I just came here to see my daughter. I wouldn't think that would be a problem since I did help raise her for most of her life..." He looks at me this time, causing my heartbeat to rise. "Sam, I just wanted to speak with you and see how things were going--"

"This is not the place or time. We are divorced, remember? If you really want to speak to Sam, you're gonna have to come back and arrange a specific day and time to see her. You can't just show up after four years of ghosting us."

"Ha... so I gotta make an appointment to talk to my own daughter?"

My mom releases a deep sigh, and it seems like she's really trying to reign in all of her anger. "Antonio, Sam... give us a minute. I need to talk some sense into my ex-husband..." She gives my father an evil glare and tugs him out the front door to 'chat with him', closing the door behind her so that it's a private conversation. Antonio and I are left inside to peep out of the front windows watching them talk and eavesdropping.

"So... that's your father?" Antonio asks in a gentle voice.

I sigh deeply. "I wouldn't call him a father. More like an ignorant, lying, cheating, trifling a** excuse of a man."

"Hey! Hey! Watch your language."

I sigh and roll my eyes, trying to make out what my parents are talking about on the front porch, but I'm bad at reading lips. "I can't believe he had the nerve to show up after all these years. What does he even want? And why now? I've been just fine without him."

"I'm not sure..."

"Heh... he claims he wants to talk? He had four years to pick up the phone or send a letter. But did he? No. If he really cared how I was doing, he would've made the time to talk to me. And he wouldn't have left the family..."

"I don't know much about the details..." Antonio speaks up while glancing at me. "...but I do know that you deserve better than that. You deserve a father that'll be there for you, day in and day out. A father that puts action before his words and shows you how precious of a human you are. As far as I know, people like him like to stir up trouble. But you can't let them get the best of you. They want you to show them attention even when they've done wrong; that's how they know they've affected you. But the moment you stop showing them the attention they want, you take back some of that power they stole from you. When you refuse to be stepped over and mistreated, when you ignore their advances, they can no longer control you."

I look over at Antonio, taking in his words of wisdom. "That's some good advice. Sounds like you have some experience..."

"The story of my life."

I look back out the window to see my mom and father have stopped talking, and my father is walking down the driveway to his car. My mom runs her fingers through her hair as she watches him start his car and take off down the street. She comes back inside and Antonio and I scurry from the windows, acting as if we weren't just watching them.

"Is he gone?" Antonio asks, looking at my mom with concern.

She rolls her eyes. "Yes. Who does he think he is? Walkin' up in MY house making demands like he runs any of this up in here."

"What did he say?" I ask.

"Ugh... he talkin' about he wants to see you – after all these years? Please. Where was he when we were almost bankrupt because he gambled all of our savings away? The reality is he still has a gambling problem and his new white woman in Las Vegas don't wanna help him outta the red. Well, boohoo. He created his mess, he can fix it. But he got another thing coming thinking he's gonna magically appear on our doorsteps talkin' bout he seen Sam on TV. He thinks he can mooch off of her success, but that's not happening as long as I'm around. Dirty bastard..."

"Whoa, let's breathe," Antonio says as he grabs her shoulders gently, keeping her from pacing back and forth, and rubs her back. "You did good, babe. Okay? Don't worry about him, he's gone now."

"Yeah, and hopefully it stays that way."

She shakes her head and we all walk back into the dining room, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"I'm sorry you gotta hear all this, Sam. I'm sure it was just as much of a shock for you to see your father showing up like this..." My mom says with pitiful eyes. She looked sad and stressed.

"That's an understatement..." I reply, feeling mixed emotions of anger and sadness.

"Listen, baby... as much as I hate your father's guts, if talking with him is something that you truly want to do... I'll set up a date and time. But I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to do. Alright? You're practically an adult now, and your opinions matter just as much as anyone's in this household, you hear me?"

"Yeah..." I reply as she squeezes me tight and releases a sigh full of tense emotion.

"And as long as I'm alive, I won't let Charles or anyone hurt or harass either of you. If I wasn't a Christian, I would've served him a knuckle sandwich the minute I saw him."

My mom chuckles a bit. "Thanks, babe..."

"I love the both of you, forever and always." Antonio places a kiss on both of our heads and we pick up our utensils, continuing to eat our food again.

***

~The Next Day~

"...he suddenly wants to act like a father after seeing me on TV? Like, how low is that? He ain't foolin' nobody. And he claims he's all outta money, but who's fault is that?" I vent my thoughts about last night's events to my friends as I sit cross-legged on my bed.

"That's crazy..." Khalil replies. He's sitting on my bedroom floor leaning up against the foot of my bed next to Diggy.

"Did he say anything else?" Diggy asks while twirling a basketball in his hands.

"Nah, that's it."

"So you didn't talk to him at all?" Diggy asks.

"Nope... honestly, I was in shock. I didn't even know what I would've said," I reply while pulling the strings of my sweatshirt hoodie.

"Do you want to talk to him? You said it's been four years, right?" Becca speaks up from her seat beside me. She was painting her nails a bright pink color with a paper plate and tissue in front of her so she wouldn't drip anything on my bed.

I sigh while thinking of an answer. "I don't think I have anything to say to him..."

She nods her head without saying a word.

"I mean, I know why he left and why he came back. But my parents are divorced, and my mom is happily married to Antonio. It's not like my dad can just walk right into the family again. I mean, what else could he possibly want? Why did he suddenly start to think of me now?"

"Maybe he wants to apologize for how he treated you..." Becca suggests.

I sigh and shake my head. "Even if he apologizes, then what? I just don't get the feeling that he wants anything to do with me. He would've never left if he actually cared about me..."

"Do you ever think you'll have a relationship with your father again?" Becca asks in a gentle voice while looking at me. I make eye contact with her and shake my head.

"No... I don't wanna hear his excuses. I've made up my mind. He did us dirty. He doesn't get to pick and choose when to show up in my life..." I say as my eyes glaze over in thought. I pull at my bed covers while looking down.

Diggy puts his basketball down and turns his body to look up at me from the foot of my bed. "I'm sorry, Sam. But I agree with you. I think the best choice is to keep him at a distance. Especially if he's only in town because he thinks his daughter is gonna grow famous and lend him some money down the road..."

"Yeah. Ya dad sounds like a low life, no offense..." Khalil says.

"He wasn't always like this. I have a lot of good memories of him as a kid. I didn't even know he had a gambling problem... I guess you're blinded by the simple things when you're young. You don't realize what your parents are going through in secret..."

"That's so right! When you're a kid, you don't see your parents as people too, with real problems and real issues," Becca adds in support.

"Everything happens for a reason," Diggy adds. "Maybe it's best that your dad deals with his issues away from the family - and maybe he'll get better in the future. But in the meantime, you've gained a stepdad and he seems pretty cool."

"Yeah. Antonio seems super sweet. He offered us fresh-baked cookies at the front door!" Becca gushes. "My stepdad can barely scramble eggs..."

We chuckle at her odd compliment about Antonio.

"It's just cookies. You act like it's not hard to take them joints out the fridge and bake 'em in the oven," Khalil teases her.

"What I mean is the fact that he offered us anything is so sweet," Becca pouts. "It shows that he's thoughtful and really cares about people."

"I get what you're saying, Becca," Diggy says with a grin.

"Anyway... I'm over it." I sigh deeply. "Let's talk about something else! Sorry I ruined the mood but I just had to get all of that off my chest."

"No worries, girl. That's what friends are for," Becca grins while rubbing my arm. The boys nod their heads and pick up a game controller from my TV stand.

"Let's play some Mario Kart. I feel like beating y'all butts today," Khalil says as he turns the game on and waits for it to load.

"Speaking of friends and relationships..." Becca cuts in. "Why don't you spill the tea about that talk you had with Jake the other day during the signing? You still haven't told me what y'all was whispering about in the corner." She bumps my arm and shoots me a mischievous grin.

"Why you always in my business?" I groan.

"I wouldn't have to be if your business wasn't so public..." Becca giggles as she finishes painting her nails.

"I'm not telling you nothing. You're so nosey..." I pout in jest while checking out her nails. "Your nails look good..." I say, hoping to distract her with a change of subject.

She perks up at my compliment and smiles wide. "Thank you! It's so pretty, right?!" She confidently flashes her new paint by fluttering her fingers towards me. "Khalil! Look at my nails!" She yells to get her boyfriend's attention and showcases her nails towards him like she did to me. He glances back for a second and nods in approval.

"Looks nice. Maybe you should major in nail painting instead of dance after high school..." Khalil jokes as he focuses his attention back to the video game he and Diggy are playing.

"Shut up," Becca rolls her eyes with a sigh, but her mood immediately brightens as she turns back to me. "Let me do your nails. What color do you want?"

I look at her selection of nail polishes and my eye falls on a dark blue. "How about the blue one?"

"Blue? Okay." Becca says with a grin, grabbing my favorite color and shaking up the bottle before opening the cap. "Gimme your hand..."

Without thinking, I give her my left hand which she grabs - but immediately squeals after seeing the shiny silver promise ring that Jake bought for me.

"Ah! Your ring is gorgeous! Where'd you get this from?" Becca asks with a dropped jaw.

I nervously pull my hand away and hide it behind my back. "Ha... it was just a gift." I present her my right hand with an innocent smile but she narrows her eyes at me for a few seconds without moving. She studies my face as invisible beads of sweat run down my forehead.

"Why are you blushing? A gift from who?" She asks. I bite my lip without responding to her and in no time, she gasps and hits my arm repeatedly in excitement. "Is it from Jake?"

I release a breath and nod my head, feeling a bit shy for some reason. It's just a ring, right? Why are my cheeks feeling warm? "Yeah. It's not like it's a big deal or anything."

"A ring is a huge deal! It could mean so many different things!" Becca yelps with excitement, filling my bedroom with her loud voice. She gasps again more dramatically. "Oh my gosh. Did he... propose to you?!"

At her comment, Diggy's head turns back in our direction as his interest is peaked. Seems like he doesn't care that Khalil's racing car is getting ahead of his in the game.

"No! No..." I awkwardly reply while making brief eye contact with Diggy. "It's a promise ring."

"Ahhhh!!" Becca squeals in excitement while clapping her hands, causing Khalil and I to groan at her dramatics.

"Will you keep it down?" Khalil says. He peeps at Diggy. "Ay, yo, am I playing this myself? What are you doing?"

"Oh-- sorry..." Diggy turns back around and continues to play the video game.

"Can I see it? Please."

"Will you stop screaming?" I ask with an annoyed expression.

"Mhm. I promise. I'm sorry." Becca presses her lips together in silent anticipation. I sigh and take my left hand from behind my back, showing her the silver ring on my pointer finger. I feel all gushy inside when I look at it. "It's so pretty... oh my gosh."

"Thanks..." I shyly reply.

"When did he give this to you?"

"At the signing," I confess with a grin as Becca's eyes light up.

"Ugh. You sneaky sneaks! I know y'all were up to something. So it's a promise ring?"

"Yeah. Jake said that he wanted to show me how much he cared, and he wanted both of us to have something to remember each other by when we go off to college," I reveal as I feel my cheeks heat up.

"BAM! First place in this bish!" Khalil cheers. "Good game, bro, but you coulda tried harder..."

"Heh, sorry..." Diggy replies while rubbing his neck. He immediately sets the game controller on the floor and turns his attention to our conversation.

"Oh! So he wears one too? That's so cute!" Becca squeals in a quieter voice. "I envy you two so much. Jake is such boyfriend material."

Khalil's ears perk up as he turns his attention to us. "Aye, what y'all talking about? And why do you keep gushing about how good of a guy Jake is when I'm right here?"

Becca looks at Khalil and shrugs. "I'm just saying the truth. He bought her a ring! Isn't that so sweet? You don't buy me things..." She pouts.

Khalil smacks his gums. "Yes, I do. I've bought you a couple of things since we started dating."

"But not jewelry. And not a ring." Becca grabs my left hand and thrusts it in front of Khalil's face.

"Man, that's probably fake anyway..." Khalil groans. He hating.

"Stop it!" Becca pouts. "It's so pretty."

"Can I see it?" Diggy asks and I slowly move my hand towards him as he admires my ring. After a few seconds, he nods his head and then looks into my eyes. "It's nice."

"Right? Thank you, Diggy! It's a beautiful gesture from a boyfriend who loves his girlfriend..." Becca replies while taunting Khalil.

"Well... buying someone jewelry shouldn't be the only way to prove that you love someone. Love isn't about material things," Diggy says to Becca.

"Thank you!" Khalil replies while throwing his hands up.

"But it is nice..." Diggy turns his attention back to me, looking into my eyes. "Seems like a serious gesture. Have y'all talked about if you're gonna date long-distance?"

I nod my head. "Mhm. I think we're gonna try it. I mean, I wish we weren't so far apart but I wouldn't wanna break up with him over something like that. We should at least try first, right?" I reply while looking between my friends for support.

Diggy nods his head in silence.

Becca smiles and nods. "I fully agree. Trying is half the battle, sweetie. If you don't believe that it'll work and you don't want it to work, what's the point of being in a relationship? Besides, you and Jake are so good together. Your chemistry is out of this world."

I grin at her compliments. "Thanks, Becca. I like him a lot. Everything just feels so new and exciting when I'm with him..."

"Ahh! I know! I can tell," Becca gushes. "Agh! I'm so happy for you two!"

"It seems like you really care about him..." Diggy comments in a more somber tone. He looks at me with a soft expression, which I can't read.

"Yeah... I do."

He nods and turns back around as Khalil starts another game of Mario Kart.