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𝐉𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐈 𝐒𝐘𝐈𝐑 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

    "𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍, get out my face before you make me lose it for real," Jelani said, her voice steady but her eyes burning with irritation. She stared at him like he was the slowest dude alive, fed up with his constant foolishness.

"What you whining about now?" he asked, leaning in closer, his eyes searching her face. Jelani pressed her lips together, trying to decide whether to slap some sense into him or keep her cool.

"You think I'm buggin'?" she asked, cocking her head to the side, her tone dripping with disbelief. Darien squinted, confusion written all over his face as he tried to piece together what she was getting at, completely missing the heat in her glare.

"I must be trippin', or you really think I'm slow. Why you playing with me?" Jelani cut him off before he could get a word in, her voice sharp and steady.

"How am I playing with you, Jelani? Enlighten me," Darien shot back, slapping his hands on his thighs in frustration. His voice carried through the classroom, drawing a few curious glances, but Jelani didn't flinch. Instead, she chuckled softly, her eyes scanning the room before locking back on him.

"So, you wasn't out there flirting with that hoe?" she asked, tilting her head, her tone cool but deadly. Darien's face dropped, his expression going blank as he sat there, lost for words.

"I— Get out of my face before I smack you, Darien," Jelani snapped, cutting him off as she locked eyes with him. Her tone was ice-cold, leaving no room for argument. Darien let out a frustrated huff.

"Can I talk?" he asked, jabbing a finger toward his chest, his voice laced with exasperation. Jelani gave him a sharp side-eye, her fingers idly playing with the chain around her neck.

"You got thirty seconds. Make it quick," she said, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "And I'm not playing." Without missing a beat, she pulled out her phone, opened the stopwatch, and hit start, her eyes daring him to waste her time.

"I wasn't flirting with her. She asked me to show her where her class was, and me, being the nice guy I am, I did," Darien lied smoothly. Jelani squinted at him, her lip tucked into her mouth, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Oh, so you really think I'm dumb?" she asked, her face scrunched up, eyebrows arching in disbelief. Darien threw his head back dramatically and stomped his foot in frustration.

"Bro, Tink, no," he groaned, using her nickname in an attempt to soften her up. Jelani nodded slowly, a sarcastic chuckle escaping her lips as she pulled her chair closer to the desk, settling in like she was ready for whatever excuse he had next.

"You don't think that girl knows her class? She's been here since seventh grade. That lie was just plain dumb," Jelani retorted, pressing her lips into a thin line before tucking them inward, clearly unimpressed.