Neighborly
1758 Words
"You need help?" Con asked as Ava struggled in her front yard trying to carry a bag of soil to her back yard.
Normally she wouldn't struggle but she had to admit she was tired.
That morning at Harold's he told her he was preparing her. For what? She wasn't sure of but she went along with it. Now 7 hours later on her off day in the middle of the afternoon, she was regretting it.
There she stood with her slim frame in a pair of old jeans, an oversized shirt, and crocks. It wasn't her normal attire by far. She was sure even Con noticed it.
"If you wouldn't mind." She said and he nodded.
Con walked through her front gate tossing down his bag before picking up the soil from her tired arms.
He was in his Nike shirt, white Air Force ones, and some regular grey joggers since he had just got out of class.
"You know its hella niggas who would help you right?" Con said and she laughed.
He reminded her of her little brother.
"I don't need-" She started and he chuckled.
"Independent women don't know how to just ask for help.. Like you and I both know this bag is heavy as hell." He said to her and she laughed.
"It is but thank you." She said as they walked.
"You can set it right there." She pointed to the uprooted part of her backyard.
"What the hell you doin tryna garden?" He asked and she smiled.
"I always wanted to. Used to say when I got my own house I'd get a garden but my husband-" She stopped realizing she had said a little too much.
She hated she was so used to speaking about Seven. It had been 7 nearly 8 months and still, she brought him up. The first time was when Cas asked her about her past. She had revealed more than she wanted to and that's when she realized she was too comfortable with him. Since then she had to adjust her story and now stuck with the whole 'widow' story. It wasn't a lie by far but it was her who pushed Seven down those stairs and it was also her who was once over the moon when he had proposed to her.
"See I knew yo ass was married. Some s**t too good to be true." He said and she looked at him.
"I was married. Now I'm just livin for me." She said and he nodded.
He leaned down and inspected her garden bed.
"You might want to think about a raised bed." He looked back at her and she looked surprised.
"What do you know about gardening?" She asked and he smiled proudly as he stood up.
"My granny taught me a lil somethin. I mean a lot but it was never really my thing it was hers." He said and she nodded.
"Well as soon as I get the hang of it, it's goin' to be my thing." She said proudly and he smirked at her.
"Well if you need help, thinnin, transplantin or anythin else let me know." He said dusting his hands off and she nodded.
"Ay you work at tha library right?" He asked and she smiled.
"Yea why?" She looked at him as he rubbed the back of his neck
"Well I'm lookin for a tutor. You can find me someone good I might teach yo ass somethin." He said and she chuckled.
"You teach me?" She asked and he nodded.
"What do you need to be tutored in?" She said as they made it to her front gate.
"A lil english and economics." He said and she looked at him.
"What?" He laughed.
"Yo ass be runnin tha streets all day and you tellin me Economic's isn't your best topic?" She asked and he waived her off.
"The streets are different than a real business." He said and she nodded.
"Well if you know someone-" He started but was cut off by Key pulling up with his music blasting.
"What's up?" He said after he pulled into his driveway, parked, and got out.
"Nothin' just talkin to Conner about tutoring." Ava said.
"I told her my name once and she won't let it go." Con said smirking as Key brushed him off.
"Oh, you know some people?" Key asked and she smiled.
"Well, I'm not so dumb. I think I can help plus he can help me." She turned to Con who smirked.
"You help me with my stuff and I'll help you with English and Economics." She offered, extending her hand.
"Oh s**t bet." Cons aid hurriedly grabbed her hand and shook it.
"What can he help you wit?" Key asked curiously and before Ava could ask Con stopped her.
'That is a deal between me and her." He said and Ava chuckled.
"Since you're still here help me raise my bed." She said and Key looked at them confused.
"Garden bed." She said with clarification.
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"You look good today. " Key said as Ava slowed down.
A few days had passed since she had agreed to tutor Conner.
"In leggings and a sports bra? I bet." She said sarcastically referring to herself.
"Even wit yo lil scar." He said and Ava instantly felt self-conscious as she shifted and he noticed.
"I ain't mean it like that." He said to her.
"Yea got hurt back in college and I've always hated." She half way lied.
"O word where you go to school at?" He asked and she laughed.
"Sooo insult me and then befriend me." She scoffed with a light laugh.
Key could sometimes come off awkward to her.
"I ain't mean it like that. it looks good on you." He said trying to flirt and she couldn't help but laugh.
He was nowhere as smooth as Cas.
"Breakin my heart." He said grabbing his chest.
"Don't you gotta girlfriend and a baby momma?" She said and he laughed.
"First off me and shorty f**k around and baby? Maybe but if it's mine then yup." He said and Ava shook her head with a light laugh.
"What?" He asked and she shook her head.
"You know that isn't a compliment right?" She laughed and he did the same.
"I'm bein honest, really all I can do. I mean maybe if you did the same we could actually know each other." He said and she smirked.
She had to admit he did put in an effort.
Although she wasn't looking for anyone Ava had to admit that both Cas and Key had been consistent.
"And what do you want to know about me?" Ava asked leaning against her fence.
Looking at her home there had been some changes
The last few months during her free time she had been making progress.
First, it was her small plants, then it was small repairs, and finally a fence. It took her a week to build it but she was proud of it just as she was proud of all the other small things in her life. Really this was her first home. The one before, before she went by Ava belonged to Lauren and Seven.
"Everythin." He said and she looked at him.
"Why?" She asked.
"Cause you different." He said and she chuckled.
"How?" She asked and he smirked.
"Not too many people our age, women, wit they own crib. Like yo own house." He said and she looked at him.
"How you know it's my house?" She asked and he laughed.
"Errybody on this block own. I know for sure before you moved in there was a for sale sign. See you were rentin it at first but Miss Maye says it's yours." He said and she laughed.
"Okay stalker." She joked and he smiled.
"You know I just happen to notice shit." He said nonchalantly.
"So how did you afford this s**t?" He asked curiously.
"My husband died and I went to go start a new life." She said and he nodded.
"Damn I'm sorry. Yo ass married young huh?" He looked at her surprised.
"Yup, thought Id have a fairy tale ending and everything." She said and he nodded.
"If you don't mind, what happened?" He asked and she shrugged sure that eventually more people would ask so she was sticking to her story.
"An accident." She said and he looked at her.
He could tell it wasn't something she liked to talk about.
"Well damn.." He said and she nodded.
"Yea sorry, depressing. What brought you here?" She asked and he smiled.
"Now who stalkin who? how you know I ain't from here?" He asked and she laughed.
"The accent might be a little of a giveaway." She joked with him.
"Yea, I guess you can say the same. A new start." He said and she looked at him.
"And how were you able to afford it?" She mockingly asked him as he let out a light laugh.
"A friend who believed in me helped me wit a down payment." He exaggerated and she nodded.
"Well, that was a good friend." She gave a light smile.
"He was." He said and she nodded.
"The friend who passed away?" She asked and he nodded once more.
"Damn that's unfortunate but. I know he is probably smilin. You still keep in contact with his family so he is probably smiling from heaven." She said and although Key wasn't quite sure he took her word for it not when he was sure if he had made it to heaven, he was the one who had sent him and his brother there.
"Well lemme go. I still have to get ready for work." She said and he gave her a head nod.
He looked to see a car pulling in and to what he knew to be 'Cas's' house.
It had been months and he had yet to see him as he looked at his big truck and stared.
Just as he was about to get out Brooke pulled up.
"So what yawl best friends now?" She asked the moment she got out of the car.
Key rolled his eyes.
"What are we?" He asked her and she put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"f**k you mean what are we?" She said insulted.
- Writer
