A Teenage Love: A Coming of Age Story

Part II - Chapter 12 - Fresh

Michelle. I held my jacket closed with my good hand as my right wrist was sprained and casted. I jogged across the street to Zee's house. Eli was having a midnight tantrum and Zee was ready to pull her hair out. I went to sit with her. Sometimes just having somebody to go through it with you was enough.

When she came to the door, her eyes were red and puffy and Elijah was wailing furiously from his basinet. I didn't know who to console first; the mommy or the baby. "I don't know what to do," she said wiping her face with exasperation. "He won't stop."

I leaned over his basinet and took a look at his cherry red cheeks. He looked like he was on the verge of an eruption. I made my arms into a cradle and told her to give him to me. She scooped him up and placed him safely in my cradle. It was hard to believe that ear piercing cry was coming out of his little lungs. She placed a binky in his between his little lips but he let it fall to the wayside. I started singing over his cries and eventually he simmered down and he stared at me until his lids became too heavy to bear the weight. Once he drifted off, I carefully placed him back in his basinet. Both of us held our breath hoping his eyes wouldn't pop open with another surge of tears.

"I think Juan is mad at me," she said.

"Why would he be mad at you?"

"Cause Eli's always crying. He said he can't sleep."

"That's not your fault Zee."

"Still, he didn't even come home last night..."

His abrupt entrance shut her up. "Shh!" we hissed.

He dropped a box of diapers on the couch and walked right past us. He came back through with a change of clothes. The first thing I noticed was his black eye and busted lip. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing."

"Where you going?" Lindsey asked.

"None of your business."

"Well, you better wrap it up. We don't need no little Juan Juniors running around here."

"Since when did you become the spokesperson for protected sex?"

"Since now. You see what I go through."

"Damn right because I'm right here going through it with you."

"Boy, pull the stick out, okay? I'm just trying to help."

"Unlike you, Zee, I can take care of myself."

"Nobody asked you to take care of me, Juan."

"Nobody had to," he said, his voice oozing with animosity.

"Don't wake that baby up," I warned.

I watched Lindsey's eyes tear over. "Well, I'm sorry to be such a burden."

"Sorry don't get it, Zee."

"I think you guys should just get some sleep and talk about this tomorrow."

"Whatever. I'm out."

I chased him outside. "Juan, why didn't you tell me?"

"About what?"

"About Ryan."

"You didn't wanna know."

I sat on the porch unable to deny it.