Bad Boy Gone Good

35. Come Thru

He took the keys off the hook and we left, and I knew in my heart I hated leaving Amelia, but after this morning; I just needed to be a teenager again. We drove for a couple of minutes before we came to a red light and Ice looked at me.

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing, just how you got so much energy."

"I am an mostly happy person." I laughed and checked my phone; it feeling so foreign in my hand because Amelia had it or I haven't just touched it, to see any texts or calls.

"That's rude." He said in a childish tone. "You're checking your phone while with me? I feel so disrespected Miss Givoanna." I playfully shoved him, telling him to shut up.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We are getting something to eat. IHOP? My treat." He said sincerely as I looked at the details of his face.

"Sure, but I do eat so hope that you got money."

"I do, I can spend it on the best things in life." He said while smirking.

He parked at the IHOP and opened my door for me, just to slam it in my face laughing. I opened the door and punched him in the arm. He opened the door as we entered the restaurant and sat. The smell completely filled my nose and my stomach, it smelled like heaven in here. I was completely dazed by the smell. I forgot how much I love to eat here.

"So, did anything happen in the last couple of hours after we stopped talking? I heard you go in to Vincent." He said softly while looking at the menu.

"I don't want to talk about it.." I said in a soft tone, while remembering what he said to me.

"You're my new best friend and it hurts me to know that you do not want to tell me. What did he say?" His voice sternly grew.

"He said I should be jealous because he loves Vanessa more than me." I said softly, putting my head down.

"He said that to you and you didn't slap him?"

"He just walked straight past me."

"I do not know what the hell is problem is, but he needs to get it together before I show him otherwise." Ice said while looking deep at me, as if he was in thought. He came from his side of the bench and sat next to me, telling me to put down my menu.

"You are beautiful, do you know that?" Ice said while looking all over my face.

"You know I am Vincent's girlfriend, Ice."

"Does that mean I can't tell my best friend that she is beautiful? Vincent doesn't know how lucky he is. Well, wait. Let me rephrase that, he does. He knows that he got a good one right here. He knows that you are a good girl for him. He doesn't love Vanessa more than you. He loved her, but he loves you. He probably said that out of anger. I promise you this, Icy." He says as he held my hand, kisses my forehead and my hand. I blushed and the waitress came, making flirty eyes and bashful smiles at Ice. But he simply just didn't pay attention to her, either he was just really naive and oblivious or he just didn't want her and wanted to kindly reject her. We ordered and talked like we didn't have anywhere to go. It felt good to just talk and be a normal teenager again.

We drove around, just talking and it felt just blissful to finally just have my life as a teenager back. Not a mom, not a girlfriend, not even an enemy. Just the regular average teenager. Let me tell you about Ice, more like Tristan Everfold.

Tristan (Ice) was a kind-heart person, that like to observe more than to say. He is so sweet, he is about Vincent's height and he was the type of best guy friend to give you cuddles and a shoulder when you were upset. He was the type of best guy friend to call you beautiful, make you feel like you were on top of the world and nothing else mattered. He tickled me until I had one of those silent laughs because I couldn't breathe. I loved being around him, I loved his presence, and I love our friendship. I could say that he felt the same way. Tristan was the loving best friend that every girl wishes to have and he was everything a girl could find too. He had his flaws too:

He can give to quick, smart, witty comebacks.
He could be the nice and mean one, like act cocky but in reality is sweet.
He is a bit of a goofball at times, but it's cute.
He is a flirt, but he knows his limits. Smirks if he is thinking something dirty too.

I switch back and forth from calling him Tristan and Ice, but he didn't seem to mind. We drove back home and we were singing to the top of our lungs Classic Man by Jidenna. We were just living life at that moment, I would crack up when he would try to dance in his seat because he looked ridiculous. A woman in the car beside us smiled and it made me happy to be finally looked at as a regular teenager again. I wasn't Mommy, Givoanna, Vincent's girlfriend; none of that. I was just Nova again.

Before heading home, Ice bought McDonalds and I got something for Mel and my baby girl, Amelia. I wanted to spoil her a bit and decided to get six piece nuggets, with small fries, two cookies, apple bites, and lemonade. I realized before I got into hamburgers, that I used to get that except the two cookies because African parents don't do that unless they are feeling really nice and you are the best child in the world. But, I didn't want to be that way with Amelia. I wanted to spoil her, but show her that she can't get everything she asks for like the way she is with Vincent. Unlike him, I can actually teach her restrictions and she respects them. Like she has a choice, in all reality.

We got home and Lia came running towards the door like she hasn't seen me in forty years. I hugged her and she smiled so hard, I loved seeing this face expression on her face. It felt so warm and bright like you could feel that she was truly happy. Then I looked at Vincent, he had the most remorseful look on his face. I paid him no mind because he didn't deserve a single word to say to me; I wish I could just slap him back to the way he was before I moved in here. But, slapping him would do no good for him; but a lot for me.

Although it seemed it's worse, Ice made it more tolerable; meaning that all didn't seem so bad. It seemed more at peace than more at war. Ice and I carried Lia upstairs along with the food, as we reached the top of the stars; Josh pulled me to the side.