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After a thirty minute drive april and daniel end up in a parking across from culvers, rolling up blunts as they played twenty one questions with each other.
as daniel finished rolling the first blunt they passed back forth, not even ten minutes later they got into a loud disagreement jokingly accusing one another of cheating during their bowling rounds.
"nigga you know you cheated ! All that just to still lose is crazyyyy" april teased as she took two long hits passing it back to him.
"only lame ass niggas cheat daniel laughed, but I"ll admit I threw the game and gave you the win". He nodded as april looked at him with mean a stank face causing him to laugh.
"You put up a good fight baby but I am just truly the goat, you don't have to lie to make yourself feel better", April said sarcastically with sympathy as she layed her hand on top of daniels.
He looked between her face and her hand with his eyebrow raised before his head fell back into laughter onto his audi headrest.
"You funny as hell fr" he chuckled before passing her back the blunt, as their fingers brushed their eyes locked.
He hadn't known her long and she was stuck through this mind since they met, her aura, her vibe was something great he wasn't used to and was already getting comfortable in.
Throughout the night he noticed a small hint sadness behind her energy throught the whole night, he tried to ignore it as they were bowling but seeing any sight of sadness from her ruined his mood.
He sat in silence watching as she nibbled on her bottom lip before laying his hand on her knee grabbing her attention.
"I don't mean to overstep my bounds, but I've noticed a sadness in your aura the whole night,
whats wrong ?
I haven't known you long and don't like seeing you sad." He said sincerely.
there was a heavy silence in the air as april paused looking between his hand and his face as small tears rolled down her cheeks.
She dapped them into her skin before shaking her head with laughter out of embarrassment.
"I'll be honest but don't judge me okay ? She said forcing out a fake laugh as he nodded his head leaning up to rub circles on her lower back.
"my life hasn't been as easy as it is now, when i was younger i grew up on the streets until i was 12 years old.
A man that went by Remmi in the streets found me and took me in, he was a drug dealer and leader of 69 street mafia."
"him and his crew were the adult figures in life so I thought a lot of shit was normal until I went to college", april said scratching her forearm.
"But he was truly my best friend, and I never saw him as a father but more like a big brother. We talked about everything and he never failed to protect me."
He noticed a sweet smile through the tears as she continued to talk about him, they laughed about all the things they loved about each other to the things they fought about.
It was heartwarming for april because she hadn't talked about him in years, she wanted to believe it was the drugs but maybe it was just the comfort daniel brought.
"when I finished my first full year of college, I decided to go to this party my girls kept begging me to go to, and i remember having so much fun especially since they day before we had gotten into this huge argument about me wanting to quit school but he wouldn't let me."
"I didn't want to even go to college, I wanted to stay in kirkwood with him and our family but he told me I was meant for more then that, but I didn't want to hear that shit she said through tears as she covered her face in the palm of her hands.
"And throughout the night he kept calling my phone and I ignored and declined all his calls, even his right hand kept calling my phone back to back but I didn't decide to answer until I got back home." she said through shaky breaths as more tears rushed out.
"when I answered ...they told me he was gone"
daniel could hear april's broken heart as her cries turned into sobs, he slowly felt her emotions becoming his as he hung his head in silence as a show of respect continuing to rub circles into her back.
It was the only thing grabbing her out of swallowing negative thoughts as she shook them off, wiping the tears from her red cheeks.
"they said another gang shot him outside of our favorite rib spot he always took me too, he was getting my favorites as a way to make it up to me."
"and for years I felt like it was my fault that he's gone, hell sometimes I still do think it and leaves a stinging feeling in my chest, she said with deep disbelief clinching her eyes closed.
"hey hey now, daniel said cutting her off "nothing is your fault that's just the life story he was supposed to have, but did he or did he not spread love and happiness in your life when he was alive ?" daniel asked lifting up april chin as he looked into her eyes.
she nibbled on her lip a bit before nodding back to him sniffling her nose, "then stop thinking that because he wouldn't want you to."
"tuh I wish I would've believed that shit when he first passed, i forgot how to be strong when he passed away" she said with shame as she hung her head.
"after I lost him i lost a big part of myself, i stayed in school just so i could make him proud when there were so many times I wanted to quit.
"especially after i got with the type of guy remmi hated, he would always put me down any type of way he could. Comparing me to his ex's or bitches he never even met, telling me i was stupid or to childish when I just being myself."
"he took away my confidence and would cheat on me with the anything with pulse, she shook her head, "i still thank god I was able to walk away with no diseases or a damn baby." april said pushing out a fake laugh.
"I'm just now getting back what he took from me, she said with direct eye contact with him." there was a small beat of silence in the air as april tried to analyze him quickly before choosing her next words thinking maybe she over shared.
he put his hand over hers squeezing it as he remained looking her deeply in her eyes, taking the time to realize he's getting what he asked for, to know her and her heart like no one has before.
"you are strong, and you and I both know he is truly proud of you and can't wait to watch who you become"daniel said sincerely. Just because you can't see what he seen in you doesn't mean that he wasn't right, just keep working towards it."
"Keep the joy in that beautiful smile of yours, he said gently as he wiped the tears of her cheeks as she gave a gently smile.
Her heart felt open, tender and yet exposed, it was unusual for her but with him she felt like it was some she could get used to.
