Hampton University, Virginia
Tru by Lloyd
Fri. Dec. 31st, 12:45PM
"Accept Me As Is"
🏀

"How they call a mandatory meeting but no one is here?" Michael expressed his disappointment and frustration to his teammates.

There was one full week left of break and while all other students were at home, chilling with the family and friends, the entire boys basketball team was at school. The coaches had called for a mandatory meeting which everyone had to attend. No excuses. All nine boys and four managers were in attendance this afternoon in the cold gymnasium. Some of the boys were annoyed that they had to be here. Others were indifferent about it and were chilling. Then were a couple of boys who outright had an attitude that they were here.

Michael being the main one.

"No, seriously, this is ridiculous." Michael annoyingly said. He was the only one standing up, his hands in his pockets with a disapproving look on his face.

He had left his home and his girlfriend for a stupid meeting that he didn't think was needed. There wasn't anything, in his opinion, that needed to be discussed. They were winning their games, even the ones with only five players there. They may have lost a player but he was never important to the team in the first place. Just a drama filled individual. That's all.

"You wanna know what else I think is ridiculous?" Michael continued speaking. Several groans from the boys from him talking still. They all wanted him to be quiet for a second or two.

"What?" Michael questioned. "I'm annoyed that we're here and I noticed weird shit lately."

"Dawg, no one cares." Gavin saying exactly what everyone else was thinking.

"We need to care because it affects all of us as a team. There's stuff that occurs on this team, right in front of our faces, and we need to address it. There's a divide happening." Michael went on.

"What are you talking about?" Parker asked. Gavin hit his shoulder for entertaining Michael's nonsense.

"We want him to shut up. Not keep going." Gavin told him.

Parker shrugged. "He's not going to-"

"There's a divide." Michael repeated himself. He pointed to the left of him where Shai, Julian, and Ameer were sitting separate from the rest of them.

"You notice all of a sudden someone takes on a leadership role and people follow right behind him. Everyone is on his dick." Michael said, glancing over at the three boys. He was mainly focused on Shai who, yet again, was breaking the rules Danny set for them. No outside guest, specifically, girls in the gym during practice. That went for meetings too.

Parker suck his teeth when he realized who Michael was referring to. "Come on, Michael, we talk about this all the time. It's beyond annoying at this point."

"It doesn't matter. I'm going to speak on it every time. It's getting weird. Why do we have to follow rules and one person doesn't?" Michael rhetorically asked.

"Because he's not like us." Gavin joined in the conversation. "Y'all keep forgetting that and we have to remind y'all every time. He's not like us. He's a whole celebrity outside these walls man."

"He's not no damn celebrity." Michael suck his teeth.

"Yeah, whatever." Gavin waved him off and ended it there.

The back and forth ended there when a loud slam was heard that grabbed all of their attention towards the double doors. Everyone's face dropped when Danny walked into the gym. Maxwell, Logan, and four boys entered behind him. Seeing Danny strutting in thrown the boys off entirely, having them all look at each other and loss of words.

"Gather around everyone!" Danny voice echoed through the gym.

He headed to the middle of the court, instructing for everyone to follow suit. Altogether, the boys and managers raised from the bleachers and made their way over. They formed a half-circle around him, all of their eyes landing on the four unknown boys that stood beside Danny. Mean mugs were sent straight to them and the boys, unfazed, sent them back.

"Is everyone here?" Danny asked while looking around.

"Elijah isn't. He's in the hospital." Michael informed him.

Danny nodded. "He'll find out when he comes back. Let's not prolong this and get started." He said.

"For starters..." he held his hands out. "I'm back from my leave. I'm not going to explain the situation. We're all going to put it past us, correct?" Danny asked, specifically talking to Shai. Shai stared at him giving no response. Danny took that even though he despised when people ignored him. He was giving Shai a pass this time around.

Danny went on with the rest of his news, "Good. Moving on, as you all may wonder we're down a few players. Dustin and Skeeter have graduated and Shamar no longer attends this school. I decided to bring four new boys to the team. I'll let them introduce themselves." He said while stepping to the side. One at a time, the boys introduced themselves to the team.

"I'm Eddy." The boy with twists introduced himself first.

The boy with the heart stitched braids and beads spoke next, "Chase."

Mohawk went next. "Dante."

The one with waves was the last to speak. "Austin."

Danny took over. "We have one more who couldn't make it. His name is Reggie, he'll be here at our next practice. Give them respect and they'll give it back. Everyone has to be at the game tomorrow. Though you all aren't playing, you need to come prepared in case you're needed. Practice remains as is with both times. Rules still apply as well as repercussions if any of them are broken. We got it?" The boys gave him murmurs in response to his question. That was all he was going to get and he didn't stress it.

"You all are dismissed. Ladies, stay so I can talk to you separately." Danny instructed.

Shai was the first to walk away from the group. He was annoyed he had to change his schedule around to talk to these people. This meeting could've been a message in that dry group chat they had. His time may have been wasted just for Danny to brag about his presence but the rest of the day was being spent with his love.

"You alright?" Shai asked soon as he reached Dess.

They had arrived back in Virginia yesterday afternoon. He took her seriously when she said she wanted to go home. Back to their home. He found the earliest flight he could possibly find and they were out that morning. No one knew they left besides Kirk since he was up having a moment to himself. Dess gave him a head nod, Shai knowing that was all she was going to do. He wasn't going to pressure her to speak. He'll just wait until she was ready whenever that'll be.

"You ready to go shopping?" He held his hand out for her to grab. He held her off the bleachers and got her things.

"I guess." Dess mumbled.

Shai scanned her over, wanting to pull her close and give her as many kisses as he could. He smirked and did exactly what he was thinking. He pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her waist. He gave her kisses all over her face. Dess humming while she took in the embrace from him.

He gave her one last kiss on the forehead. "Let's go shopping baby."

🏀

Great Falls, Virginia

"Hello, Ms. Jones." Doctor Hansen greeted while she entered her office.

Robin gave her doctor a half smile as she went to the desk. She was called to have a crucial conversation with her about results from tests she took. Robin was unsure why it couldn't be a phone call so she didn't have to come out here. Her body was aching and any type of movement would send an excruciating pain through her spine. This baby was killing her already.

"Hi. Can we make this quick?" Robin rudely asked, shifting in her seat.

"Well, this can be quick but I don't think it should be." Doctor Hansen responded as she took a seat at her desk.

"What do you mean?"

Doctor Hansen cleared her throat, her hands smoothing over the folder on her desk. "Ms. Jones, we looked over your tests, and unfortunately you came back positive for having a double infection." She broke the news using a serene tone to lessen the situation. It was never easy to tell a patient they had a disease they'll live the rest of their lives with.

"Excuse me?" Robin questioned. She sat herself up in the chair and leaned closer to the desk. Noticing the folder her doctor seemed to be keeping to herself, Robin reached for it, and opened it to see the documents.

Startled a little, Doctor Hansen fixed her white coat then folded her hands on her desk. "Ms. Jones, allow me to explain. What you are looking at are the results from the blood test we took at your last appointment. We confirmed that you're pregnant. We also found the disease syphilis and HIV in your bloodstream."

"What!" Robin yelled, lifting her attention off the papers.

"You found what!" Robin shouted as she slammed the folder on the desk.

Doctor Hansen swallowed hard. She reached for her folder, turning it so she could read it. "Syphilis and HIV." She answered and she read the documents.

"I-there's no way you found HIV and syphilis. You have to do new tests." Robin demanded, pointing her finger on the desk.

"You have to now!" She raised her voice and scared Doctor Hansen.

"Umm, I understand how hard it is to hear this, Ms. Jones but I need you to remain calm."

"Calm?" Robin questioned. "You want me to stay calm after I found out that I have a sexually transmitted disease? And I'm fucking pregnant too?" She banged her fist on the table and shot up out her seat.

"Again, I understand the frustration. We ran several tests, Ms. Jones, four to be exact and we received the same results. There's treatment for syphilis, however, HIV is an infection you cannot get rid of." Doctor Hansen told her the rest.

Robin eyes widened. Her hands rested on the table and she leaned towards Doctor Hansen getting in her personal space. She seen Doctor Hansen swallow and the fear increased in her eyes. Even with all the degrees under her name, being a doctor was the toughest job out there.

"Ms. Jones, I'd like for you to move back so we can have an appropriate conversation about all of this." Doctor Hansen tried to be stern with her words. Her voice was weak, so her words reflected that and she felt powerless.

Robin scoffed, she took a step away from the desk and paced back and forth. Her fists balled up at her sides, her mind racing a mile a minute. She was trying to stay calm but it was hard to do that.

"I'm going to kill him." She muttered.

Her blood was boiling on the inside at the thought of Sean stepping out on her and passing on a disease. After all she's done for him, he returns the favor disgustingly. Robin got sick to her stomach the more she thought about it. Pregnant with an STD. Two STDs at that with only one curable. Once she gets her hands on Sean she was going to kill him. She didn't know how but she knew it was going to happen as soon as he came back.

"Ms. Jones with you being pregnant we have to begin treatment early. Medication is provided for both diseases. You also have to start therapy for HIV." Doctor Hansen let Robin know.

"Therapy?"

Doctor Hansen bobbed her head. "Yes, therapy. It's called ART and it's a combination of medications you have to take throughout your entire pregnancy. I also need you to be open to the idea of possibly having a caesarean delivery if the disease spreads." She stressed stiffly so Robin understood how serious her situation was.

Robin heard her but she wasn't worrying about all of that. She was focused on Sean and how this was all his fault. He was the one who couldn't keep his penis in his pants and wanted to have it all for no reason. She was more than good for him, so she didn't understand why he would have cheated on him. This was the first time she thought this but she was truly done with him. For good. Her peace of mind was more important than staying with a lying, cheating, no-good bastard like Sean.

She was going to take her medication, go to her appointments, and assure her and her baby lived a happy and healthy life. And if Sean didn't want to be there to assist then she already had her solution for that. Sean had all the money in the world in which she chose not to fuss over or try to take from him. She didn't mind taking his money from him with a court document for child support. He wasn't going to get her like he got Allison.

"He's a fucking deadman."

🏀

Westwood, Los Angeles, California

Hip-Hop music played loudly in the smoke filled living room. There were soda cans and liquor bottles on the floor and table. Ashes from the smoked blunts found its new home on the rug. Six teenagers occupying both the coach and floor. This was a normal sighting on a Friday night down in Los Angeles. If it wasn't a party going on then there was a group of friends chilling in a house smoking and drinking what was in their parents pantry.

Shamar, as always, being apart of the festivities. He was over at Mike's house not to participate but to get out of his own home. After his encounter with Sean, he's been treading lightly around the house. Staying in his room unless he needed to desperately come out for something. Listened and did everything Sean told him to do with no complaints. He was heading back to Virginia to retrieve his belongings off campus when classes start back up.

Patiently, he waited for him and Sean to have a talk about what his next moves were. There was no way he was heading back to UCLA. He doubt they'll let him back in anyway since he didn't transfer out the way he was supposed to. He was never getting play time when he played basketball for them. Another reason why he wasn't going back. He was confident Sean would suggest and stressed for him to get a job. As much as Shamar wasn't the working type, he'll do it if that meant staying on his father's good side. That's all he wanted until things blew over.

Whenever it blew over.

Shamar blew out a breath bored as he sat here with his old friends. The connections weren't there anymore for some of them. Newt and Sabrina friendship was the same. It went back to how it was before he left. He couldn't say the same for Malcolm, Jack, and China. Those three looked at him like he was a strange. Malcolm didn't even want him over in the first place. Whether he was accepted here or not, Shamar was beyond ready to leave them all here. The only problem: he didn't have a car and came here with Newt.

Unfortunately, he'll have to stay.

While another rotation of the blunt went around and Shamar declined it for the sixth time, he took his phone out his pocket. He read the clock at the top of his screen and stood up with quickness. It was time. He excused himself to a random bedroom while he made a phone call. He locked the door behind him then sat on the bed of whoever owned it. While he waited for her to pick up, he pulled on his twists to see how long they've grown. He needed to get his hair done asap.

He stopped pulling his hair when the FaceTime call connected. It was black screen for a few seconds before Liana's face popped into the screen. Shamar smiled happily when he seen her. He thought he needed everyone else like Newt, Sabrina, and his hometown. When in reality, all he needed was Liana. She was the only one that checked on him after the fight. Not even Kimberly called to see if he was alright. But she was the same one going around calling him her man. It made no sense to him.

He wasn't concerned anyway. Liana was better than Kimberly in his eyes at damn near everything. That included sex despite him and Kimberly never touching one another. His feelings were valid either way.

"Lookie here!" Liana exclaimed.

She propped her phone up so Shamar could see more of her. He licked his lips when he saw the tank top she was wearing that held her boobs up perfectly. He missed lying on top of them and gripping them in his hands. He got himself hard as he thought about their previous sexual encounters. If his plan was to stay back home then he'll have to make frequent trips to Virginia just to see her. He could even pay for her flight to see him too. It was a must.

"Wassup with you?" Liana asked while she did her hair.

"Shit." Shamar cursed. He blew out a breath and ran his hand down his face. "Everything."

"I heard. Is everything alright?"

Shamar shrugged. "It doesn't matter if it is or not. I put myself in this position." He responded.

"You are correct about that." Liana sent back. Shamar pressed his lips together. He didn't expect her to agree then again that was something he needed to hear. From someone.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm coming down to get my things."

"When?"

"When break is over. That Sunday."

Liana hummed then looked in the camera at him. "Wanna see me before you dip?" She asked, leaning back on her hands.

"Do you wanna see me?" Shamar asked back, Liana rolling her eyes.

"Of course. I wanna see what's up before you're no longer around, you know."

Shamar thrilled to hear that. He wasn't going to ask first because he didn't want to be seen as that type of guy. He really did miss Liana without the sex part. He missed her perfume that smelled like wild cherries, her laugh with snorts afterwards. He missed their talks after they went down on each other. She listened to him and allowed him to rant if needed to. She was the only girl he had truly felt comfortable laying up with without feeling embarrassed to be seen with her. Unsure what it was, he rolled with it.

That was all he could do.

"I know." He responded with a smirk.

Liana playfully rolled her eyes, feeling butterflies just from him staring at her. She lowered to her head to avoid eye contact, her cheeks getting warmer from the blushing she was doing. It was weird that he was making her feel things she hadn't felt before. Butterflies in her stomach. Blushing. The desire to be in his arms and held close. Craving those big lips all over her body. No dude ever made her feel this way before.

It was new but she liked it.

"Are you alone?" She asked while sitting up.

"Yeah, why?"

Liana didn't respond. She fixed her phone then proceeded to pull her shirt over her head. The largest smiled he'd ever done showed on Shamar's face.

"Don't be weird." Liana told him.

"I won't."

🏀

Thoughts?