Play For Keeps - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Five days later
Imani blinked at the bright screen, barely awake but already catching notification overload.
37 new messages.
She squinted, scrolling to the top, reading the title of the group that hadn't existed until this morning-
What We Doin?👀
Trey wasn't the one who started it this time. For once, the planning burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
RyeBear🧸: Finally. Took y'all long enough
LovieBug🐞: Exactly. Trey should NOT be the only one deciding our social calendar.
TaliBaby🥰: We gotta do something big to celebrate this historic moment.
Jalen👣: We already wasting time, whats the move?
Malik🕺🏽: Lake day
Pablo🇪🇸: You just wanna go somewhere so you can sit and do nothing.
Ezra: He's about to lie and say he's touching the water, watch.
Malik🕺🏽: damn
Malik🕺🏽: y'all woke up and said "let's mess wit Malik today"
Malik🕺🏽: i knew y'all hated me
TaliBaby🥰: noooo🥺 we don't hate you Malik
TaliBaby🥰: we hate Jalen
Jalen👣:
Trey🫂: Nah, nah, lake day sounds kinda fire
Imani laughed into her pillow, shaking her head.
The girls were already energized, the guys were already going back and forth about nonsense, and somehow, Malik had already started losing an argument he started.
She stretched her legs before finally typing her first message-
Y'all better not have us show up and then do absolutely nothing
Imani stood in front of her closet, eyes scanning her options as her phone sat on the bed and her airpods in her ear.
"So whats the vibe?" she asked, flipping through swimsuit tops.
"Cute but comfortable. Can't risk my titties popping out." Lovie responded.
"Y'all already know I'm pulling up in full lake glam. It's giving glake day." Talia responded.
"Tali, what the hell is glake day?" Imani asked with a frown.
"You knowww how people say glamping in reference of glam camping? Well today is giving glake...glam lake."
Everyone laughed including Talia.
"Well, I'm wearing whatever lets me win every game." Rye responded.
"So I guess I should dress to embarrass all of y'all." Imani replied.
"Here she go." Lovie responded, making everyone laugh including Imani.
Imani tossed an option onto the bed before settling with a black swimsuit set with a shirt and shirts to cover. Solid but effortless.
[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]
Imani's car was full- all the girls packed in, music loud, conversation bouncing.
"We better not get there and see the guys barely planned anything." Talia said as she fixed her lip combo.
"If they bring nothing but chips and vibes, it's over." Rye said making Talia and Imani laugh.
"I bet you Trey forgot SOMETHING important." Lovie replied.
Imani just shook her head, already anticipating the disaster.
As expected, the scene was barely organized.
The guys were pulling last-minute supplies from their trunks- coolers, speakers, towels- all scrambling like they didn't plan ahead.
"We got everything, I swear." Malik said.
"Where the extra ice?" Trey asked with a confused look.
"Y'all act like we need structure." Jalen said. "And where Tali RiRi forehead having ass." Talia's mouth dropped as she ran up and hit him in the arm making him laugh.
"Y'all acting like we didn't leave half the stuff at Malik's house."
Imani crossed her arms, watching the disaster unfold. "So what I'm hearing is...y'all not ready."
"Define 'ready'." Pablo said.
Ezra smirked slightly, catching her eye as he walked past. "Just say you wanna take charge and get it over wit."
Imani glared at him, unimpressed. "You just mad because i'd do it better."
Ezra chuckled, shaking his head before pulling another cooler out of Trey's trunk.
The first game was Tug of War and from the moment Malik and Trey called for teams, chaos erupted.
"We need strategy." Malik said.
"Nah, we need Ezra." Trey replied.
"If y'all pick him, we're taking Imani." Lovie said with a shrug.
"Am I...being fought over?" Imani asked and Rye laughed.
"Girl, hush. We just wanna win."
Ezra watched, amused.
They ended up on the opposite teams, ropes gripped tight.
When the game actually started, Ezra barely moved at first- just watching how she handled the challenge.
But the moment Imani dug her heels in, Ezra smirked slightly. She wasn't just in this to win- she was in this to dominate.
Her team won by a narrow margin, and as she caught her breath, Ezra shook his head chuckling.
"Yeah, ight." he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for her to catch and smirk.
The next game was a canoe race and the second Ezra and Trey got put in the same canoe, it was over.
"We winning obviously." Trey said, adjusting his grip on the paddle.
"You talk too much." Ezra muttered, pushing off the dock.
"Nah, this is chemistry. Look at the form."
From the jump, Malik and Jalen were messy, nearly tipping over twice, while Ezra and Trey moved smoothly- until Trey got distracted talking trash to Malik.
"Bro, row and shut the hell up." Ezra told Trey.
"I got this." Trey said as they immediately veered slightly off course.
"You clearly don't."
By the time they reached the finish line, Ezra had basically taken over the entire rhythm himself, shaking his head.
"Never again." he muttered as they docked.
The last gane was a 1v1 game of volleyball- Ezra versus Imani.
Imani was locked in. Focused. Zoned out. Ezra was playing smooth- hands steady, form relaxed- but watching her closely.
At some point, Ezra went for a return, setting up what looked like an easy lob.
What he didn't expect was Imani timing it perfectly, spiking the ball straight past him before he could react.
The crowd reacted instantly, Lovie yelling, "Ohhh nah, Ezra, that was rough."
Ezra just stood there for a second, blinking before shaking his head.
"You got lucky."
"Or...I'm just better." Imani said, blowing him a kiss. Ezra watched her, considering something- but didn't argue.
By the time everyone settled down to eat, the guys were still debating the volleyball game. Imani, Talia, Lovie, and Rye ignored them completely, just focused on the food.
"Let them argue." Rye said, taking a sip of her drink. "We won't be bothered."
Imani smirked, glancing at Ezra across the way. He was still watching her- but now, she noticed it.
The sun stretched golden light across the water, the heat lingering but softer now. The day had been loud, competitive, full of back-and-forth wins and losses- but this? This was different.
Imani sat on the edge of the dock, feet lazily dipping into the lake, fingers tracing the condensation on her cup. The air felt heavier now- but not in a bad way. Just slowed down and stretched out.
Ezra passed by, pausing briefly before lowering himself onto the dock a few feet away. Not right next to her. But not far either.
She didn't acknowledge him at first, just sipped her drink, letting the water ripple beneath her toes. Ezra exhaled lightly, stretching his legs out in front of him.
"Didn't think you'd actually go hard today."
Imani scoffed, still watching the water. "Didn't think you'd actually shut up today."
Ezra chuckled, shaking his head. "That's crazy."
Silence stretched briefly- not awkward or tense. Just there.
Then, Imani tilted her head slightly, eyeing him. "You sittin way over there for a reason?"
Ezra raised a brow, amused. "I'm literally right here."
Imani hummed, unconvinced. "You act like I bite."
Ezra let the words sit for half a second before laughing under his breath. "Never been scared to be bit." He turned slightly, leaning in, closing some of the space between them. "Actually, I like it."
Imani inhaled lightly but didn't react too much- just watched him carefully, the shift in his tone sitting between them.
She smirked, shaking her head. "You enjoy getting humbled, huh?"
Ezra exhaled through his nose, smiling lightly as he looked back at the lake.
"I enjoy a good challenge."
Imani turned her gaze toward the water too, letting the conversation settle naturally.
Then- "Did you enjoy today?"
Ezra took a sip of his drink, thinking for a second.
"Yeah. It was pretty solid. Energy was right." He glanced at her, watching her reaction. "You?"
Imani nodded. "I did." She turned her head slightly, catching his gaze again. "More than I expected."
Ezra smirked. "You say that like you had low expectations."
Imani shrugged, playful but not dismissing it. "Just saying."
Ezra watched her for a second longer, like he wanted to say something else- but decided against it. Instead, he exhaled lightly, tipping his drink towards her.
"Glad you pulled up then."
Imani clinked her glass against his with a quiet smile.
"Me too."
The moment lingered, easy, slow, unforced- but charged enough to sit with them both.
The sun had fully dipped by the time people started packing up, tossing towels into bags, shaking off the last remnants of water. The chaos of the day had finally worn off, settling into that easy exhaustion that always came after too much competition, too much laughter, too much sun.
Imani stood by her car, leaning against the door as Talia finished adjusting the Bluetooth.
Across the way, Ezra was helping shove the last cooler into Trey's trunk, talking low with Malik about some argument they clearly weren't finished having.
He glanced up briefly, catching Imani's eye.
She raised a brow. He tilted his chin up slightly in acknowledgment, licking his lips. A subtle wave. Nothing exaggerated. Just smooth. She exhaled lightly, returning the wave before sliding into the driver's seat.
When she got home, Imani didn't immediately check her phone.
She showered, stretched out, let the exhaustion settle before getting snug under the covers. Her phone buzzed one last time, the glow soft against her sheets.
She glanced down, thumb tapping the notification.
heymisscarter