A Story To Tell | Book 2

.13.

:::CHRIS:::

"Dang, bruh. Are you serious?"

    Gabby said to me as we sat at the kitchen table about to devour the McDonald's we had. My parents had ran off to some banquet for someone's co-worker. I can barely remember what they said to me before they left this morning, so I called Gabby over to spend some time with me while I wait for them. We couldn't even get in touch with Lesley.

    Ever since Lesley started talking to some dude, she didn't really have time for us. She was in love. And it surprised the hell out of me. But just seeing her with a dude was weird to me. I mean, unlike Gabby who was a full blown lesbian, Lesley is bisexual. But I just couldn't help but think it was weird that she was all about having a boyfriend right now.

    Vanessa and I aren't on the best terms. It was just funny how our relationship seemed so damn good in the beginning and just made a quick turn for the worse. Like, we were just good yesterday before I went on to work and now today, I barely wanted to talk to her.

    It's like part of me was disgusted with what I saw last night. Just her face. She looked torn. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Vanessa still wanted to be with this dude for the simple fact that she was making excuses for him. And all of this was a complete turn off.

    I knew that I had some secrets about myself that I haven't told her yet, but the fact that she was making excuses for him, it just had me feeling that I was just wasting time with her. I didn't want to just up and forget about her and move on. But at the same time, I didn't want to be a fool either. If she wanted to continue being beat on, then that's on her. Not me.

    "She was making up excuses for him, man." I say as I pulled off the wrapper from my McChicken. Gabby shook her head and pushed a hand load of fries into her mouth, chewing as if she hadn't eaten in days.   

    "I say..." Gabby started to respond between chews, "you just leave her ass alone." She stuffed more fries in her mouth, "You're only setting yourself up for failure there. And more than likely, if she's taking up for her ex, she's more than likely in love with his abusive ass, too." I shook my head wanting to disbelieve everything coming from her mouth. But Gabby spoke volumes. She's always preaching the truth, no matter how you want it. She won't put it any other way.

    "Yea, but the funny thing is, we talked for like a year before we made it official and nothing like this has happened before. Everything was good. She was also in a relationship with him while we were getting to know one another and all, but as soon as she left him, we just focused on us." I say, realizing that when I described the situation on how we started, I was only fooling myself and selling myself short.

    "Look at what you just said..." Gabby said as she stuffed more fries in her mouth before talking. "You said she was still with dude while y'all were getting to no each other. Shouldn't that have told you something right there? She still in love with the dude. Right after she broke up with him, you came directly into the picture. She ain't over him. And just because she didn't change those locks, she wanted him back there. That's all that is. She ain't tired of being somebody's punching bag. You need to let a bruised bag be just what it is. A bruised bag. Until she starts patching herself up, you need to take flight somewhere else." I shook my head.

    "And that's the thing...since she's met me, all she's been talking about is how happy I make her, how she's happy I was there for her. How I was her escape from Raymond and all this. I just..." I shook my head, "I don't know."

    "Listen to me, Charisma..." Gabby tossed her last fry into her mouth. I hated it when she called me by my old name. I'd legally had my name changed from Charisma Alana Smith to Chris Avaunt Smith.. But she only did it because this was her way of putting some sense into my head.