Write About Me

Chapter Eighteen: New Character

January 3rd, 2005 - Harlem, New York

Phabiola Fenty.

Time flies in the blink of an eye. I swear it was just December of last year. Now it's already January and my birthday will be here before I can even say it. So much has been happening. My book about Chris is coming along just fine. I'm gonna call it "Write About Me". I've also noticed he's been writing in a red notebook too. Although he won't tell me what it is exactly that he's been writing, I know it's good. The way his hand gets glued to the book. It makes me smile. I finally rubbed off on him.

"What're you thinking about my little Edgar Allen Poe?" Chris questioned as we hang upside down on the rusty pull up bars.

We decided we'd come hang out in the park today even though it's literally freezing out here. We wanted to do it like old times.

"Honestly, you. And you writing in this notebook of yours."

He laughed lightly, looking me dead in the eyes. His warm brown eyes. Always made me nervous under his stare. Gives me butterflies every time he stares me in the eyes.

"Don't worry about it..hey I care about you okay? You know I'd die for you right?" He asked the third time in these past few days.

"Yes, Chris you said that yesterday..and the day before." I reminded him.

"I know, I just need to know you know." He spoke urgently.

Something's up with him..I just don't know what. In times like these I wish we had Momma J to guide me. She usually can finger point out what's wrong with my best friend. To see him act like this hurt me in a way. On a brighter part, we are going to pick up his friend that he's been telling me about. Trey. The person who did so much for him while he was locked up. I've been wanting to meet him since the day I heard about him. Chris visits him all the time but refuses to let me go with him. I understand why, but I still want to meet Trey. But, I am excited to meet this new character in the story of Chris' life.

"C'mon 'lil bit." He jumped off the pull up bars by latching his hands onto them swinging his body towards the ground.

"Okay." I followed him.

We walked the sidewalk to the front of our building talking about childhood memories.

"Remember that time we were out here late at night cause I snuck us to Coney Island, and we were coming back and I really had to pee and I couldn't make it to the third floor? So I peed behind that tree right there?" Chris laughed pointing to the tree in the far corner of the park.

"Oh my goodness yes! I was nine and you were fourteen! I'll never forget that because I tried to spook you for doing something like that in our playground, and you ended up peeing on my sneakers. I was so mad with you! Momma J had to get them cleaned because of you!" I laughed with him pushing him. Till this day I still have those sneakers in my closet. They're all cleaned now but they have sentimental value. Momma J bought them for me.

"Whatever! Remember when you puked after eating too much funnel cake that same day?" He raised his eyebrow at me as we kept walking. I slightly had to look up at him.

"Let's not bring up the fact you shitted your-"

"We said we'd never speak of it Phabiola! You swore you wouldn't-"

"Self when you were seventeen because of that Chinese food you ate. It was funny because we were at a family-friendly karaoke night! I'll never forget that shit. Literally! It was fuckin' hilarious!" I buckled over in laughter as tears formed. You should've seen his and everyone's faces. The worst part was he was wearing shorts! It looked like he had a chocolate fountain running in his shorts. I tried to hold myself up but I fell over onto the sidewalk and laughed harder. Holding my stomach. That shit hurt but if was so funny.