Chapter Text
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown had been told that he was girl-crazy.
Sometimes, he didn't know that he was the butt of his friend's jokes.
Not in the “oh no, there goes another girl, keep her away from Kareem” way.
It was something more concerning that they didn't know about.
You see, he wasn't just this cello-playing, sweet-hearted guy you can pick fun of–he was actually crazy.
Insane.
Psychopathic.
He had his head in the clouds for this one girl in particular.
It wasn't LaCienega Boulevardez; although, she was pretty… pretty snobbish.
Dijonay Jones? Nah, that's Darrius’ girl.
Maya and Zoey weren't exactly cool with him for some reason.
Penny Proud was that girl in particular–and it's weird how he's memorized almost every fun fact about her.
She's a June 4th Gemini.
Her favorite color is burgundy.
She has a beauty mark under her right eye.
And her favorite artist is Summer Walker next to Beyoncé.
That pretty summarizes his obsession.
・・・۶ৎ・・・
Penny wasn't exactly the diplomatic type of finding puppy love, but after realizing that she's grown up… maybe she could break a few of her daddy's rules.
She hasn't exactly been a breadwinner when it comes to boys or girls. Hell, LaCienega's competitive ass is always ruining her chances!
But she loves LaCienega, she really, really does.
The law of physics hasn't exactly been the nicest to her (boy-crazy wise) and she's probably the issue on why love's never gonna fly to her.
Maybe if she waited… something'll work out for her.
And, it did.
Randomly.
・・・۶ৎ・・・
Calculus was uninteresting, like, very boring.
LaCienega was sitting right beside her, taking selfie after selfie.
Unconsciously, Penny joins her, and she mirrors the Latina's duck lips and v-signs with a flower crown filter on.
“Cute!” Penny said, giggling.
“You have a lethal face card, girl.” LaCienega complimented her, grinning, “I've always been jealous of how pretty you were.”
“You'll always get microaggressive.”
“Point taken–”
“Is anybody sitting here?”
Both girls whip their heads around to see Kareem, and LaCienega immediately shoots Penny with a telepathic look.
I suggest you not to let him sit there, Proud.
Why not?
He's literally insane! He had beaten Myron's ass – he deserves it – just by looking at you!
Girl, you're trippin.
Fine! See how he'll be with you next week.
“Nah, nobody's sitting here!” Penny giggled too girlishly for her liking, and LaCienega smacks her forehead.
“Cool.” Kareem said nonchalantly. “You know, I find Calculus boring.”
“Me, too!”
LaCienega shifted nervously in her seat, keeping an imperceptible eye on Penny.
She noticed how they hit it off instantly.
No asking the obvious questions when first meeting someone.
No awkward silence.
Just Penny and Kareem–two kids who had no idea the other one was fucked up, and the other one was oblivious as fuck.
LaCienega plans to be protective over Penny for next week.
・・・۶ৎ・・・
Tuesday is where the obvious aspects started to show with Kareem.
The constant glances at LaCienega whenever she got too close to Penny.
The subtle, yet nonverbal threats he'd make at other boys who dared to look at Penny.
It got to a point where he took things too seriously.
Too crazily.
Too insane.
Penny hadn't exactly seen the signs.
Yet.
Then again, she needed to see the signs.
The first sign happened in the library, Penny was trying to get a book based on the Revolution Theory for her class, and LaCienega couldn't help but to bring a certain someone up.
“You just need to be careful, that's all I'm saying.”
Penny rolled her eyes before stopping herself. “LaCienega, you don't have to be around me constantly just because I'm seeing Kareem, and I'm fine.”
“I'm just looking out for you, Proud.”
“Then don't, Boulevardez.”
“I can get it for you,” Penny jumps out of her skin when she sees Kareem already standing there, and she holds her hand to her heart.
“Jesus, Kareem! You scared me…” She looked at him with adoration. “But I'm glad you're here, I was trying to get this book.”
“So was I, we're technically in the same history class, so we can share.” Kareem smiled shyly at her before eyeing LaCienega coldly, and the Latina furrowed her eyebrows confusedly before instinctively hiding behind Penny, scowling at him angrily.
“We have plans.” Penny breaks out of her trance when LaCienega's husky voice comes out whenever she's extremely pissed. “So sorry, Kareem.”
Kareem's eye twitches, but he hands the book to Penny sweetly as ever. She giggles.
“Thanks, boo.”
“Boo?” LaCienega mouthed to herself as she bared her teeth nervously. “Yeah, we'll be going now!” She added, now shoving Penny away from him as far as possible.
“Okay, what the heck was that?!” LaCienega crossed her arms when she stared Penny down angrily, and she rolled her eyes again. “Nothing! It was nothing!”
“You were literally under hypnosis for a minute, Penny, and I don't know what went through your mind when–”
Penny groaned. “He's a friend.”
“Okay.” LaCienega scoffed. “When he lays a finger on you, I'll be there.”
“What?”
・・・۶ৎ・・・
It's the weekend, and Penny's going on her “official” date with Kareem.
She's only known him for a week; how obsessive is that boy?
She was meeting him at Wiz Roller World, and she couldn't be more than elastic! But LaCienega's words stayed with her.
But she ignored them every chance she got and decided to live her life, and she saw Kareem on his motorbike, and she couldn't resist but to blow a kiss at him through her window.
Tonight's gonna be fun.
・・・۶ৎ・・・
“Penny! You're here… and with your man,” Dijonay sang the last four words with a smirk, and Maya found herself giggling.
“As she should be,” Michael said, now making the ‘clock it’ gesture with his fingers, smirking too. “Well, Kareem, you're lucky.”
“Just don't hurt her,” Zoey said in a low, serious tone before she switched to her normal voice. “Well, let's go have fun, guys!”
“Aren't you coming, LaCienega?” Maya asked her, making the Latina snap out of her dismay.
“You guys go ahead, I just need to talk to Kareem.”
Penny shrugs, and goes onto the ring with the biggest smile on her face before being spun around by Dijonay as they laughed boisterously.
LaCienega practically yanks Kareem's front collar and stares him down. “If you even think about hurting her one time, Kareem, I'm putting my stilettos far up your ass, and that's not a threat; it's a promise.”
“And yet, Penny keeps coming back to me like she's pathetic,” Kareem sneered, and LaCienega, almost instinctively, kicks him in the shin before shoving him on the ground.
“Penny's not fucking pathetic!” LaCienega's hovering over him with her fists balled. “You've known her for a week, and now you're tearing her down? The fuck's wrong with you?”
“It's not ‘tearing her down’, it's analyzing her, stupid.”
“I don't know what the hell she sees in you.”
“What about you? We're more aligned than you know, princess.”
LaCienega rolled her eyes.
“Just stay away from her. Or else.”
Kareem rolled his eyes as well before joining his girlfriend in the ring, and despite LaCienega's warning, he still had fun with her.
They shared their first kiss right there when Penny leaned in.