Score: The Catch

Chapter Eight

Today is the day of the funeral. After some weeks, Erica and I are finally okay, but we're both still hurt and devistated. I stood in my room, looking at myself in the mirror. A lot of stuff has been on my mind lately. I blame myself for everything. I should've just killed him and then went to check on her. I've been drinking heavy. I walked into the room where Erica was and I hugged her tight. "I love you so much, babygirl. We can do this." She was still emotional, i expected that. But she tried to be strong. Her grandma said that's what her mama would've wanted that. Even though they didn't know each other that long, she believed her and she just knew she would want that. The funeral starts at two, so we decided to leave at 1:30.

When we walked in, we were seated near the front row, the entire church was packed from wall to wall. Erica and I walked up to the casket while it was open, I stared for awhile and the tears started rolling down my face. Erica was yelling and crying, I just held her. "Mama! Why'd you have to go?!" She repeated with a lower tone the next time, "why'd you have to go? We just started...we just started being close, mama. We just started." I hugged her tight as I ever have before. Even though Erica and her mother wasn't always close because she's been with her grandma for most of her life since her mother wasn't prepared to be a mother, I understood that it hurt. They were still blood and that runs as deep as an ocean. We held each other for the rest of the service, listening to the preacher. Even though she got through the funeral, when it was time to go to the burial ground, she wasn't sure if she could go. I had to talk to her before she finally said yes and realized that it's something she had to do.

After we left the burial site, going home was the only thing on my mind. That and guilt.

Later that night, I decided to go to a bar to get a few drinks, walking out of the bar, I stumbled to my car.
My vision was blurred, so I was swerving all over the road. I finally made it to the house. Erica laid on my chest for a few hours as she slept. I slowly got up and walked to the kitchen and rambled for liquor or something to drink, there was a full bottle. I feel like everything I get involved with, gets ruined. I had a future in football, yet I managed to mess up. I managed to get my girlfriend's mama killed and I barely even knew her. I'm over here trying to figure out how i'm going to drink my problems away when Erica's mother just died. I need to face it, that I grew up a screw up. After I drank the liquor, I was slumped over and I knew I wouldn't be up for awhile.

The next morning, I was woke up by Erica yelling and telling me to get up.  As I stood to my feet, I stretched. While I was stretching, I saw a pair of eyes staring at me, hard.

"What?"

"Brandon, are you okay? You been acting funny. You drink now, you was sleeping late. Song start this stupid bullshit. What's wrong with you? Talk to me, baby."

"Come and sit down," I sat down and she did the same.

"Like, I ain't shit. I feel hopeless. I don't how I manage to mess everything up. I lost my opportunity in football, I just don't know what I'm here f-"

"Don't say that. Don't you dver say that, do you hear me?"

"What are you still here for? Why you ain't left yet?"

"Because I-because I love you."

"No, you don't love me, you tolerate me." I tried to look in her eyes, but I couldn't hold my head up for nothing. She wrapped her arms around me and said, "it'll be okay, it will. Now go get yo' ass in that shower and clean yourself up, you don't smell too good," she gave me a sympathetic smile. I got up and went to get in the shower. When I got out, I grabbed my gun and laid it on the bed while I put clothes on. I usually carry my gun everywhere. I even carry it with to brush my teeth sometimes. It started when I started ducking around in the streets. I headed to the kitchen because I smelled food. She smiled and asked, "you hungry?" I shook my head and gave her a smile. She piled my plate with bacon, eggs, sausage, and steak with a bottle of water. The place was silent until Erica spoke up, "B, you need to get your shit together. I mean, imma ride out when you need me, but this shit you been doing right here is going to catch up to you and hit you like a ton of bricks. Hitboth of us. It's about time that you do better. This little Bonnie and Clyde thing cute, real cute, but we both know that this ain't what we want. It's a laptop over there, you should go apply for a job. I just looked at her, she was absolutely right. It's just one problem, I don't want to. I didn't tell her that though. I told her, "okay, I will. I gotta go. I'll fill them out later. She shook her head in disappointment. I went over to kiss her and then I walked out.