RED PARALLEL

Chapter 61: So Real It Shakes Me

The news fell on The Crib, and The Crib fell on him. Literally. Nate, Aaron, Ion, Goat, several other fucking dudes he didn't even know, plus Avena, HB, Uncle Tim's broomstick, they all vibrated and celebrated the ridiculous good news that came out of fucking nowhere. They'd jump at him, patter his shoulders, hug him, kick his butt, attempt strangling his neck, shaking his head, tossing away his cap, pulling his hair, cheering and whistling and preaching and going party mode. That was savage harassment, no doubt. At least that's what Jessi had said, before trying to protect him from the jungle abuse, hugging him dearly.

"Babe!" Nate yelled, half-laughing. "Get out of him! You'll make his girlfriend mad!"

Speaking of girlfriend. Traviz, after Meppo's news, had grabbed Rachel by her hand and said to her friends - the girls were giggling and the dudes were who is this guy oh it's the one who battled with blah blah blah - that it was an emergency and sorry Rachel and him must bail. She super agreed and both went missing for a couple of hours. Traviz went back to The Crib by taxi, talking to the man about how much he loved Rachel.

"And who is this Rachel, fella?" The man chuckled, watching the guy staring at the night's sky.

"Oh, she's my wife."

And his wife cooked, yeah. She made him cake and he almost fainted with pleasure. And his wife was talented, yeah. She was probably the best female dancer in the world, and he didn't have to watch other women to confirm that. It was so good to see her dancing in front of him, with or without music, with or without clothes. Traviz would jump and tag along with her. Dancing with someone was awesome. They shared steps at the top of the bed, at the stairs, at the street, at whatever place, with or without people watching, under the rain or the hot sunlight. Her fresh smell would circle him and make him feel like the happiest dude in the world.

"Rachel, I love you."

"You told me already, baby."

"Yeah, 'cause I still do. Tomorrow I'll say it again."

"Haha, you're so cute."

No, she was the cute one. She was always smiling and kissing him and grabbing him as if he were the cake she couldn't bake, because wow. She was so easy to please - he never thought pleasing someone would be that pleasant - so easy to laugh, so up to whatever random and stupid and childish and radical or even risky thing he decided to do. She was not afraid of anything.

"You're gonna catch me, anyway," she would say.

Pretty, hot, cute, golden from top to bottom, funny, sportive, happy, reckless, and laughing endlessly. What else?

Well, she entered in Levion! Awesome girl. Dope girl. They were so meant for each other. Classes started after a month, and seriously, he had no idea what was best: having a wife or being in the best motherfucking place. He'd never know.

"Ray." Traviz held her face, staring at her shining eyes. "We're going to WDA together, right? You and me."

She laughed. "Sure, but we're freshmen, we can't go, yet. We've got a buuuunch of other competitions first! Aaand, we gotta get in a crew-"

"I know, I know." Traviz scushed his face on her neck. She loved that. "I just wanna be with you wherever I go."

"We'll be there." She smiled and kissed his jaw. Oh, that was so good. "You and me. Best couple ever."

Baaabe, come and kill meee...

--

He didn't expect to recognize so many people at Levion. Though he had spent a few years out of East St.Vicent and out of battles, he knew a bunch of folks. He would not forget a face once he saw it, and damn, he met dudes with whom he had battled when he was just fourteen! That was crazy. And the people he didn't know, well, they knew him! How exactly, it was hard to tell. Maybe it was because Nate and Aaron had spread the word like proud parents, that The Crib's new boy was into the circle for good. Maybe it was because his last battle had been epic. Maybe it was because he had a real proud father, who had acknowledged Meppo's proposition and given him all the support, motivating him with kind and deep knowledge words. Maybe it was because of all that; love had hit him from all sides, from The Crib, from the streets, from Rachel, from his guardian angel, who knew.