#watched gran turismo tonight and loved it more than the first time I watched it

[earl-grey-crow]

ahhhhhhhh

[heykillmongerluhme]

G H O S T: Onto Me

I N S P O: Haunted x Beyoncé (Listen to if you want to height experience); Also the whole BEYONCÉ album just for a different feel

N O T E: Soo, this is my first Erik Stevens installation and I will probably do many more. I love to write, just period. This is short, it may end up to be something more, I really don’t know. I am just following my Muse Juice lol. Comments, Feedbacks, and any other things please give me! I appreciate it all. Please, enjoy.

W A R N: I am an adult and everything is 21+. I write angst, fluff, and smut. I will try everything to be as real as possible. If there are any deep triggers, it will be stated after this disclaimer. Some chapters may have lyrics, others may not. It will all depend on the chapter.

T R I G G E R: Alcohol; Anxiety

W O R D: 3.1k

G H O S T: Onto Me

I'm climbing up the walls 'cause all the shit I hear is boring. All the shit I do is boring.

“Do you trust me?” the warm breath brushed on her exposed stomach. 

Flat in its natural state, it churned to anything but. Soft, rhythmic breathing filled her bedroom as she watched the figure beneath her. Her eyes must have been filled with dark lust because the only thing that she felt was the heaviness on her bottom half. Only a silhouette in her view. She wanted to moan their name but she was interrupted by a sting from a bite.

“Ow..” Soliyah giggled softly, eyes fluttered down to the dominating figure that drove her up the wall. The question still not answered by Soliyah was the reason for her punishment of the love bite against her belly. 

“I asked, do you trust me?” the figure questioned along her stomach with a short growl intertwining with their words. Trust receiving the lowest octave. Soliyah’s eyes finally flutter open, but slightly. Her eyes landed on what seemed to be an amber-like hue pair back at her. Breathlessly, she nodded.

“Say it” the eyes growled back to her, consuming her body in their hands. Lips planted on her stomach, hands trailing to her love spot.

Her bottom falling limply as she cried out “I trust..you⎼” 

EGH!EGH!EGH!EGH!EGH!

“Hmm..” Soliyah whined as her face plastered in her ivory and periwinkle Egyptian Cotton bedsheet. She wasn’t frustrated because she had to go to her dead-end job, but because this was the 2nd time that she has had that exact dream. It would always stop right there, though. She could never see who the mystery figure who had invaded her dreams for the past 3 weeks. Soli did attend a bachelorette party around that same time, but she couldn’t be that deprived could she? Her brown slit of eyes watched as her iPhone clock changed from 6:55 AM to 6:56 AM. Planning for her day ahead she managed to swing her relaxed thighs from under the covers.

Soliyah was always curious as to why that quote-on quote wet dream, felt more like a real-life simulation. She made a note to herself that only two glasses of wine should suffice for her daily nightcaps after work. The 27-year-old, Soliyah Burnett was fortunate enough to become an adjunct professor for Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. She was looking forward to a promotion to become a permanent professor. Also, she is waiting to be placed with a hospital for her residency. 

She did not always want to be a doctor, it sort of just became her destiny. Soli, as everyone would call her, always knew that her job was always going to be to heal people. Though she would like to become a permanent professor, she wanted to be a doctor more. Her thoughts of her future - the one she would have daily - clouded her mind before she became alerted of a Facetime call from her long-time friend, Nala. Yes, like The Lion King. Let’s just say, moms was obsessed. She flicked the excess water from her fingers from the sink, sliding the call waiting to the right. 

“Yuurp” she bellowed through brushed gums.

“Ew, girl answer the phone like a regular person” a wrinkle formed over Nala’s nose as a goofy glance of disdain fell. “Good Morning!!” her words changed to her frequently up-so-happy attitude.

“You are too loud this morning, I don’t be gettin’ it” Soli mumbled before spitting out the froth of the minty toothpaste into the sink of running water. It was true, Nala was definitely a morning person and it didn’t help that they worked at the same place. Matter of fact, Nala put in a good word for her, seeing as though that she is on the Board of Directors at the school. 

“How can you not be up in the morning? When you have your own practice, and you will” she affirmed to her always doubting friend “You gon’ have to be gettin’ that ass up around, like,  4:00 AM at least” 

Her eyebrows raised as the echo of the ridiculous time ranged in Soli apartment bathroom. “L-O-L” she actually spelled out, she was corny like that sometimes. “You are funny, I’ma see how I can finesse that to be ‘Nah’”. 

With her laidback slur that ran from her bewitching face, one would be confused. A delicate woman that looks like she, but had the heart and brute strength of confident language. You would not know that she was a professor to over 400 students - not simultaneously -  and may obtain her residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Everything was going to be set.

x x

“Tonight’s the big night!” Nala cheered through the speakers of Soliyah’s Onyx 2018 BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo. She let out a sigh that was becoming well needed by the hour. Tonight she was going to find out where she was going to be placed. It was Sinai or nothing else, it was going to be that.

“Yeees, I am so nervous” she confessed to her best friend. They were those type of friends, talked on the way to work and at work and on the way home. They practically grew up attached at the umbilical cord. Unbeknownst to the mothers, they delivered them both at the hospital a day apart and turned out to be new neighbors to one another, as both families were of newlyweds. Small world would be an understatement. Soliyah never questioned the universe and its decisions, but she always was thankful. 

“Don’t be, after work we are going out to find out this information. Cannot have the repeat of acceptance of Doctrine night, mm mm” Nala’s head shook as if Soli could see before they both let out a peal of uniformed laughter.

Her eyes focusing in on her designated parking spot as her lip tucked beneath her teeth, she parked in her spot. “I’ma see you inside” she confirmed with her waiting friend as they said their ‘Okay’s’ before hanging up. Soliyah opened up her front face camera on her phone to do any last-minute checks of her appearance before facing the day. She fluffed her blowout before feeling a heavy, energy-sucking feeling from behind. She definitely felt eyes on her, snapping her head back around to her backseat she looked for what could be a perpetrator. Adrenaline running down quickly as she saw nothing, she snorted at herself for even thinking that anyone would be able to get into the back of her car without notice.

Shaking off the level of spook that she felt, Soli, retrieve her well needed essentially for this 8:00 AM Tuesday morning. Laptop, Tea, Phone, and Lesson Plans. The list is checked off, she made her way up the walkway as some students she was familiar with gave small greetings. A hard tingle went over her ass running up her back. There it was again and this time goosebumps decorated the nape of her neck. Trying, now, not to look paranoid she turned around quickly, but not to alert anyone as she looked for any person who may look strange or who is just having a hard time not staring at her ass. Again, she saw nothing out of the ordinary.

x x

“Okay, you gave me two old historical natural medicines that have helped the human race. Does anyone know of the other?” Soli’s eyes danced across the confused students' faces. She wasn’t disappointed that they didn’t know the answer, quite frankly she was surprised that the class was able to muster up two answers. This class was a drag to the student, imagine how Soli felt teaching and trying to make it fun. Her eyes scanned against the auditorium filled the room as she saw a hand from the way in the back raise. She couldn’t see their face but the gleam of what seemed to be their gold watch shone like an SOS light enough for her to see.

“Yes?” she inquired while calling on them, some eyes turning, some eyes focused on Ms. Soli as the students like to call her.

“Marijuana” the student answered truthfully as the class erupted into laughter. Some ‘Oo’s’ and name-calling rounded up the room. Soli laughed at the reaction of the students, knowing that the joke was on them. Hearing the fade of the class settling down, Soli projected “He is not completely off, it was not specifically Marijuana but the chemical named ‘CBD’ aka Cannabidiol. So, thank you for that” 

“What about Vibranium? That’s been around for thousands of years and it’s mined naturally, IN Africa? We don’t talk about that” a female’s voice crowded the room as others asked confused about what Vibranium and its purpose. Others agreed with the protesting young woman. Soli had minimal knowledge to other forms of resources other than Western ones, she sort of felt like an airhead for the brief moment. However, she was never the type of person to say she knows something when that is furthest from the truth. 

“Honestly, Chey, I have no clue. They don’t have it in the curriculum and that sucks.” Soli's throat began to create a dry patch as she spoke in her truth, something she often did in front of her students “Myself included, I do not know too much about the resource and its effects. I would love to become educated by anyone who has the information, privately, of course, can’t be disrupting my class” laughter erupted through the class before quieting down just as quickly the wave came  

“But” she continued “I will try my best for us to incorporate more history of us and our people and their contribution to medicine more often. Please bring in your information”

“Aye! You a real one, Ms. Soli” one her comedic students bellowed out in the classroom and others agreed with their laughter. 

“Don’t gas me” she laughed along with the student, looking to the clock seeing that the class still had 20 minutes worth of lecture left. “Aight, aight settle down. Now, what is the purpose of each of the three medicines?” her commanded attention on the class reigned as hands shot up waiting to be chosen.

x x

“Soliyah! Hurry up before all the good seats are gone!” Nala squeaked in the low-breeze of the California wind. 

“Waddaminute child!” Soli beckoned back as she ran across the semi-busy street from her parallel parked car. “Tryna get me smooshed out here” she breathed out a chuckle, half from catching her breath and the other half from being caught off guard from the wind that hit her. “Come on” she shooed her friend inside to the lounge.

This was definitely Soliyah’s kind of scene. Quaint but enough individuals in the vicinity to capture a story or two. The lights dim and powdered like as the hue of black and brown furniture decorated the place. Sounds of the long loc’d fellow, spit out his spoken word through the worn brown leather book. She smiled to herself and to Nala as her best friend truly knew her. If she was to find out if she got into Sinai or not, she would have wanted to celebrate (or wallow) in a place like this. 

Once they found their seats, the night started to drift on pretty quickly. However, to Soli, it seemed that every millisecond within the 60 seconds was dragging. She wanted to rip the band-aid off but she couldn’t find the strength to even peek at her phone. 

“I’m going to do it for you if you don’t open up that damn phone” a tortilla chip bounced in Nala’s open mouth as she spoke once more, picking up another chip “It’s way past 6 o’clock, they have sent it. You got into Sinai and we are going to turn up. So, let’s get it!”

Half wanting to kick her under the table and half wanted to thank her for getting her out her thoughts, she picked up her phone slowly off the table and waited for the Face ID to recognize her. Her trembling thumb danced to her email icon, keeping breath in she searched through pointless emails only looking for the one that stated “Congratulations! You have been Placed!”.

Behold as she manifests it, there the subject was staring at her. This was it, her residency at one of the most popular hospitals in this area was all she wanted once she started her program at UCLA. Pressing the button, she read the letter stating her congratulations but a frown quickly found her lips as she read what could be some of the grammatical error. Or Los Angeles and Oakland look a lot alike in the dictionary.

“What does it say? What’s it say?!” Nala eagerness broke Soli from her dumbfounded look. If anyone told her that her face could stay like that if she made it, she would just keep it for the rest of her life. Not speaking quick enough, Nala snatched the phone sighing out, rolled eyes to follow at her apprehensive best friend. Soliyah looked up her almond-colored friend as she read through the email with a wide-spread smile then just like clockwork, down to frown.

“Oakland?” she questioned

“Oakland,” Soli answered, unenthusiastically to add. 

“I mean...at least you got placed?” her friends' natural switch to optimism charged up but Soli sour mood climbed it down with a single look.

x x 

“An-nd you want to know what else?” Soliyah was completed drained at this point, three shots of Henny in and a Long Island. It was almost time for her to go home. Soli was not much of hard liquor drinker but she felt that need for the occasion.

“Listenn..” an internal burp bumped into her chest as her glossy brown orbs watched Nala. Nala had stopped a drink and a half ago, knowing that her friend needed this moment. “It’s not that I don’t like Oakland, my fuckin’ family is from there!” her volume raising an octave causing Nala’s eyes to fly open after they sleezed overhearing the story of how she put herself through all schools, she made it out of her neighborhood, and being the youngest to do what she is doing in her social and work circle.

“It’s just that I l-left” she pointed to the right indication moving forward “so that I don’t have to go back” her fingers fling opposite direction almost spilling her drink “until I had my own practice, learning fromm these wealthy ass people over here! Infiltrate and then invest in our community!” Soli began to channel her inner Chey. 

“Alright, Angela Davis, I think that we had enough for the night. So much for no repeats” Nala said more to herself but Soli caught the joke and bellowed out a burst of laughter, though it was a  bit more extra needed than the statement.

“I will be right back” Nala got the idea of grabbing napkins and speaking to the bartender about having plastic bags and water, they were going to need it. But, before Nala could depart from Soli, like lightening her left fingertips wrapped around her medium wrist “Waait, no no, don’t go. I’ve been feeling like some has been watching me like just been watching me” she repeated to her friend before the fear didn’t resonate with her but with liquor being her catalyst. The real emotions were surfacing.

Nala’s eyebrows knitted together watching her frantic friend, watching as her face is flushing colors of red and green indicating that they needed to go home right away. So, to oblige and get out of there quicker, she nodded in hopes to have Soli follow “Okay, baby, and if he comes around here we gon’ fuck ‘em up okay?” her mother like tone soothed Soliyah at best for right now.

“Okay,” she mimicked before sitting back and watch her friend disappear into what was the growing crowd. Her eyes scanned the bar as she tried her best to maintain her composure in this public establishment. She definitely went over her limit and was using a sick day the next day, it was needed. She felt that feeling again. Someone was watching her and she was trying to raise up to notice the creep but only did it with her eyes. Peeking through her small fingers, her eyes lashed tickled inside her palms searching for whatever stranger was staring at her.

Then, an instant lock or connect had formed. Sober or intoxicated, Soli had never felt another like it before. It was like when you knew that you were in the right place, at the right time, with the right person. Eager now, her eyes shot up to now catch this culprit she has been playing with what felt like all day. 

Maybe it’s all in my head? She thought foolishly to herself, she knew someone was watching her. The next 3 seconds felt like a lifetime as in the search for what she thought the culprit would look like, her eyes passed a stranger that her brain made sure to mentally to take a snapshot of. The figure stood still by himself with the crowd around him, eyes set on Soliyah and only her. The familiar amber-hue she sought after the first dream came into view. Her body froze but the heart was hot as the California week with no rain or sign of a cloud. Mind you, this was all in a matter of 3 seconds. 

She thought of how when you look around and other people look around too, you catch each other’s gaze. This shit wasn’t like that for real, it was like the figure was waiting for her eyes to meet his. Sobered up slightly, scared to scanned her 180 degrees way back, she did it despite the fear of the man still staring at her. Remember, this was a matter of 3 seconds of how long their eyes met. Disappointed that the figure that once stood out to her in the crowd was now gone. 

“What’s wrong with you?’ Nala appeared looking in the direction that Soliyah had her eyes set on before looking to her. Soli didn’t notice the apparent frown that crowded her face as she stared that the very spot sacred like he was going to magically appear back.

Eyes drawing from the spot, she faced her friend “Nothing, I think it is time for me to go” the rummage in her stomach signaling on cue.

“Ya think?” Nala laughed as she grabbed her drunken friend, leading her to her car, being the designated driver for the there 5-minute ride home.

x x x

I hope you guys like this! Sorry if this was so slow but I really just wanted to set the scene and the tone for you guys! I hope that this story can go far, I may want to be short but it’s really long. Idk, just going to keep writing. Cause the ideas chile! But anyways, please read and review! I would love it!

- KD