Chapter 70: How Far Apples Fall

I slept hard. Gone the moment my head hit the pillow. Now my body feels heavy in this bed. Not sore, now yet. But definitely warn out.

Between the tournament and a whole day of playing volleyball, my body's been through a lot. Then, there was last night.

When my body did things that it's never done before. Even the throught out it, the thought of Bokuto's tongue on my body, made me twist in my bed, with a sigh leaving my mouth, sounding me like the moans that escaped me last night.

I could almost imagine the way his big hands grazed my thigh and gripped around it before heaving it over his shoulder.

I close my eyes tighter, to stay in the moment, between awake and dreaming. Replaying every touch.

Until I hear my mom's voice say, "I know you awake."

My eyes shoot open, and I rise from my pillow, seeing my laughing Mother. "What. Were you having a nightmare or something?"

"Or something," I say, trying to make my heart slow. It thumps hard enough to be seen through my chest. My braless chest under this thin nightshirt with hard nipples. Shit.

I hunch forward bring my blanket closer to my chest. Covering as much of me as possible. I didn't even put my underwear back on last night. They still sat right in front of the armchair in the corner.

Hopefully Mom hasn't noticed.

"Well, I just wanted to be the first one to wish my baby a happy birthday," she said, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

"Thanks, Ma, love you," I say, hoping she'd get up and walk away. I feel like I've been caught doing something I wasn't supposed to. Probably because there's still evidence around of me doing something that I probably wasn't supposed to be doing. Sure I'm 18 now, but that means nothing to a black mother.

She doesn't get up, she sits, smile dropping a bit as she said, "So tell me about that little boyfriend of yours. Is he actually good to you?"

He was very good to me last night, but I'm. Sure that's not what she wants to hear.

"Yeah," I nod, "Even before we started dating. He was a good friend, always looking out for me. He made sure I felt safe and welcomed in the new neighborhood and at school. His Mom's really nice too. Always trying to feed me, every chance she gets." I can't help but smile even when just thinking about them. "They really care about me Mom, and they're good people."

Mom looks skeptical, with her lips twisted to one side, "What about his Dad?"

There it is. She's ready to blow this all out of portion over something he can control. But I don't lie. "His Dad is … not that great a people. But Bokuto keeps me away from him."

"See apples don't fall far from-"

"We did," I say, without meaning to. A few years of free speech under aunty's roof is going to get me smacked on my birthday.

"W… what are you saying?" She asked, as though she didn't know, but she just wants to hear me say it.

Say, "We fell far from the tree. Me and Mira, we're not like you. And that's what you wanted right? We did listen to you. Listened so we didn't end up like you. We went to school, got good grades, we made good friends. You told us, when we found somebody, make sure they respect us. And their kind to us. And that they are a real friend to us  And they treat us like we matter, like we're important to them. And, I did that."

"And these boys, will act like they care and until they get what they want."

I shake my head, "Not him. The only thing he wants is for both of us to be our best." I laugh a little, "I would not be where I am now without him."

Mom rolled her eyes, skeptical that some boy could do anything to better me. "Oh, and where are you now?"

"Forth best blocker in the nation, on the way to nationals with a full ride to North Carolina University, the school with one of the best volleyball programs in the states."

She says nothing, her lips move, then reform. Then reform. Trying to find some words to say. Something to critique, but nothing comes out. And she stops when a knock sounds at the door.

"Come in," I say.

And the door opens slightly. Bokuto leans into the doorway smiling, "Good morning Ms. Mac, and good morning Zara." He smiled a little deeper when saying my name, "Wanted to see if you wanted to head to the basement, do a quick run before we start breakfast. Oh and, Happy Birthday by the way."

"Thanks, yeah. Let me get dressed, I'll be downstairs-"

"Whoa, don't you get a break on your birthday?" Mom tries to protest, still trying to have some control here. I guess I understand, lately, I've run in every direction but her's, and to her, that must look like I'm running away from her.

"Mom, I actually like running." I say. Carefully getting out of bed, making sure she doesn't see that I don't even have any panties on.

Bokuto starts going on as I move over to my dresser. "It's probably best to keep her moving anyway. She's been very active these last few days and if she sits still too long, Baby Bird will be too sore to dance with me at her own party."

"I'm sorry, what did you call my daughter?"

Bokuto laughed a bit and so did I as I grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt from my dresser.

He explained, "I'm known as the great owl around my team. When Zara came I decided to take her under my wing and make her one of the best, called her Baby Bird one time and it kinda stuck."

"I'm bout to get dressed," I say heading for the bathroom.

"Alright, meet you downstairs," he closes the door and I head for the bathroom.

I stop when my Mom calls out, "Zara?"

"Yes Mom?"

"He seems like a good kid."

I nod slightly, "He is. I like him a lot."

I heard her rise from the bed, muttering, "Just be careful."

She started for the door and I stepped into the bathroom. Quickly I changed and picked up my panties from last night, throwing them in the hamper and hurrying down the stairs.

Bokuto waited for me at the bottom of the stairs with a huge grin on his face. He looked over his shoulder. Checking to see if everything was clear before grabbing my hand and pulling me close to him as he leaned against the stair rail. "You know, I didn't get much sleep last night. Kept thinking about you." His hands settled around my waist, drawing me as close as he could.His lips almost on mine, when I chuckle, "Funny, I slept like a log."

He grins, too confident, like he had last night, "I think I might of had something to do with that."

I let him kiss me. Once, twice, trying not to get too caught up in him. I pay him on the chest, "Don't give yourself too much credit." And move towards the kitchen when the basement door is.

Bokuto followed me down to a room set up as a home gym. I didn't use it much. Didn't do that much personal strength or endurance training. Not before Bokuto, but now I do a few stretches as he said, "We can just do a quick twenty minutes. Then get cleaned up and start cooking with the rest."

"Sounds good to me."

We stretch and get on the treadmills, side by side. We start off easy but Bokuto starts to increase his speed and when I don't he leans over, pushing the button on my treadmill.

"Hey," I laugh.

"Come on Baby Bird, you going too easy on yourself," He laughs along.

This easy run, turns not so easy as we come close to our end time. We're practically sprinting in the last minute and when the treadmill slows to a stop, I push his in the chest, but his strong body doesn't budge. "Jerk, thought you said it was gonna be a little run?"

He laughed, "Guess I lied," he grabbed my hand, keeping it pressed to his hard sweaty chest, he smiled, inviting me into him. He didn't have to move. I moved to him, wrapping my arms around his neck, drawing my lips to his. This is the way it should be. The way everything feels alright.

I didn't want him to pull away, to say, "Come on. We gotta get cleaned up." But he does, and I listen. He knows what's best. It's not that often that he's swept away from all his logic.

"Fine," I groan, letting him lead me away. As we pass through the kitchen, the twins were already there.

Bokuto said, "Down in a few minutes."

"Yeah sure," Hana giggles.

But we just pull away and do exactly what Bokuto said. We clean up. Get dressed and head back downstairs. I pass Aunty on the way to the kitchen, saying, "Good morning," With a kiss on her cheek before heading to the kitchen.

Ros and Mira had joined the kitchen already, and Bokuto and I file in. "What's cooking?"

"I make some pretty good french toast," Bokuto suggested.

"Sounds great," Mira said, "go ahead and get started on that."

We cook and gather all the food at the dining room table where everyone sat waiting. We filled in our seats and ate with civil conversation and happy birthdays and talks of the menu for tonight. The adults are cooking for the party tonight. All the host and the boys volleyball team will be here. And Aimi, if she actually wants to come.

I opened the door. It's her choice if she's going to step through it.

We clean up after breakfast and relax together on the din. Until Ros pulls me away to get me into the dress she made me for my party.

This should be a fun night.