In the middle of it all

A person like you

For almost a whole week, Dave Felch hadn't gone back to school. Aneesa told me what had happened between them. Then Friday, November 7th, came and finally saw him again. She tried talking to him
but he ignored her the whole day and so did his friend group, not like they were really our friends. I finished my classes earlier and Xav drove me to the mansion. Aneesa would take her last class and get picked up by Asad.

Asad parked in front of the university's gate waiting for his sister. As Aneesa was about to reach the car, Dave walked up to her. "Aneesa."

"Leave my sister alone." orders Asad as he gets out of his car.

"You do know I can report you and your gang for assault ? I wouldn't be talking to her if I had a choice." Aneesa signals her brother to leave.

"Call me if anything happens." He enters his car and drives off to the other campus. Dave keeps glaring at him until he leaves.

"What is it, Dave ?"

"Xavier told me everything. It wasn't your gang who was behind my kidnapping and attack. I'm sorry for accusing you." confesses Dave.

"So you forgive me ?" exclaims Aneesa. Her face brightens up but Dave's expression stays the same.

"I forgive you."

"Oh my gosh, Dave !" She goes in for a hug but Dave backs up, stopping her.

"What I said still stands, Anee-" He pauses. "I don't want to be associated with people like you. You guys are a threat to my society." Aneesa's expression becomes serious. She raises an eyebrow. "My dad was right about you. You're bad news. Just looking at you I should've known. You try to fit in by dressing differently but it won't change what you are." continues Daves.

"And what do you think I am ?" she asks.

"You should know what the answer to that is." sighs Dave.

"What the fuck is it that I am, Dave ? What the fuck am I !"

"Keep looking in the mirror until you see." answers Dave before walking away.

Aneesa's vision starts to blur. "Dave ! Dave, tell me what the fuck I am, you fucking pussy ! Fuck you ! Fuck all of you ! Y'all the real threat to our society. Go fuck yourself Dave !"

Xavier parks his car at the lot and comes out. He runs up to her as he sees her scream. He rushes by Dave and by the glance he was able to see, there were some tears in Dave's eyes. "Aneesa what's wrong ?" He asks, holding onto her arms. Her head hangs low and her body shakes as she sobs. "Why are you crying ?"

She lifts her head up and glares at him. "Fuck you Xavier !" Pain dawned on her features. "Fuck this society! Fuck Naire !"

"Let's go, I'll drive you home..." he suggests while hugging her.

"I wanna see Titi..." pouts Aneesa. Xav directs her to his car and they drive to the mansion.

"Who did you say was behind it ?" Asks Aneesa. They were parked in front of the house, sitting in silence.

"Behind what ?" He looked at her yet she didn't do the same. Her body was inclined towards the window.

"Dave's kidnapping." She replied briefly.

"Forget about that. It's in the past. He's in the past for you too."

"Yeah." She sniffed and opened the door to the car. "I appreciate you driving me back. I'm sorry for yelling at you too." She said, finally looking back at him.

Neesa was getting out of the car when I had made it to them. Xavier had texted me before driving to the temporary crib. When I saw his car arriving at the driveway I ran down.  As she saw me, her eyes filled with water.

"Fuck Dave." I say as I hug her. On my shoulder I could feel her nodding her chin. Xav came out of his car and approached us.

"Hey."

"Hey." I replied. "Are you stayin' ?"

He shook his head. "No, not today."

"What will you do now ?"

"Roam around. Check out the crib, I'm not sure."

"You can stay-"

"No, take care of her." He placed his lips on my forehead. "See ya." he said quietly. Aneesa was still laying on me as I watched Xavier's car drive off.

"Since when are you so nice to him ?"

"I don't remember but I like him now."

"Yeah ?" She pushed herself back from me and looked at me. I nodded. I turned around and we walked inside the house, to our room. She changed into more comfortable clothes and we laid down on her bed. We laid out silently for a while. When she sighed loudly, I knew she was ready to speak.

I sat up. "Talk to me, Neesa."

"I really thought we would've worked out..." she blubbered.

"It's not your fault, Neesa." I reassured her. "It really isn't."

"You know what he said ?" She quavered. " he said he'd rather die-" Her voice drowned in her weeps. "He'd rather die than...than be with me. Not like being with me would make a difference to him." She laid her head on my legs. "How can he switch up on me just like that Titi ? I let him get close to me like no one else."

"We don't always make it out when two different worlds collide. You tried and that's what matters."

"Sometimes I wonder how different my life would be if I wasn't part of a gang. Is that life really right for me ?"

"You're regretting it for him ?" I asked. She stayed silent for a moment. "Are you ?"

"I just want all the tears back that I cried for his dumbass. I should've listened to Asad. He always gave me his opinion and now I wish I had listened." She sat up and wiped off the residue of water in her eyes. "Shit."

"Yeah, he was shit."

"Asad ! I forgot about him." She hurried to get her phone and texted him.

"I have something to tell you."

"Yeah ?"

"It's about Xavier and I."

"Yeah...?"

"We kissed." She let go of her phone and stared at me slack-jawed. "That's not all."

"Oh my gosh."

"We're also dating-" her eyes widened and her palm went to her mouth.

"How ? When did that happen? For how long ? Why didn't you tell me ?"

"It happened recently and I couldn't tell you because of everything that happened with,you know, him."

"Oh my gosh I need to tell Izzy." She rolled off her bed and rushed out the room before I could even stop her.