Dwayne
Training went well. I got a couple cuts and bruises but the reward was worth it. I'm 100% enlisted in the U.S. Air Force now. It feels nice knowing that i'm doing this for my dad and myself. I haven't thought much about basketball in a while but when I'm playing basketball with the other officers all the memories of championship games play through my mind. Everyone in the crowd screaming my name and me making that sweet 3 pointer.
"Dwayne. Some of us are going out to a bar. Coming?" My friend, Joseph asked.
"Yeah. Why not." I grabbed my jacket and joined them in the car and we were off.
At the bar there was smoke in the air and beautiful women. Older women.
"What kind of bar is this?" I asked Joseph.
"My kind." He said walking away.
I sighed and walked to a booth and got on my phone. I went through all my social media about 5 times is 30 minutes.
I dialed my step mom and talked to her for a while to find out what i've been missing. Everyone seems to be happy on that side. I then called Jeff to find out that he has a new baby son, named Michael, only a couple months old.
"Hey Dwayne when last you spoke to D?"
"Since i left."
"You should call her."
"She don't want to speak to me."
"How you know?"
"I do."
"I have to go." I could hear the baby in the background. "Call her."
"Bye Jeff."
"Peace man." I hung up and put my phone down. I stared at it fighting with myself to call her til i heard a loud voice in my head that said "Do it."
I picked up my phone and was about to call her but Joseph sat in the booth with two women and took my phone out my hand.
"Dwayne meet Cassandra." He said gesturing to the woman thats now sitting next to me. "And this is Frankie." He said before kissing the woman that was under his arm.
Cassandra looked like shes in her early 30s along with Frankie.
"Hey." I said to them. We all talked for a while and Cassandra tried plenty of times to hook up with me but im just not interested.
"We'll be back." Joesph said touching on Frankie.
"Leave my my phone." I said as they got out the booth.
He put my phone on the table and walked away.
I reached for my phone and just stared at it.
"Are you okay?" Cassandra asked.
"Yeah im just trying to decide."
"On what?"
"Calling my ex."
"Are you drunk?"
"No."
"Did you recently break up?"
"No."
"Does she hate you?"
"No. I don't think so."
"Call her."
"I dont know what to say. Its almost been a year."
"How old are you?"
"19."
"Call her. Im sure you're not interested in these women here."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"It's okay. Some men aren't into older women."
"Yeah." I dialed Dominique's number.
It rang all the way to voice mail. "She's probably busy." I put my phone back down on the table.
"What happened between you too?"
"She moved to Texas."
"Why?" Cassandra asked.
"She got-" my phone started to vibrate. "It's her."
"Answer." She said.
"Hello."
"Hey." Dominique said. I almost forgot what her voice sounded like. "Why you calling so late? Its after 12. Is everything okay?"
"Since when your ever slept early?"
"Shut up." She said laughing softly.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Im alright. Trying to get through college."
"What school are you at?"
"Texas A&M."
"You're smart. I believe that you got this."
"Its not that. Its just emotional and mental stuff."
"Like what?"
There was a pause. "How's training?"
"Dominique."
"Training?"
"It was good. Im enlisted."
"Oh. Promise me you'll be safe."
"Yeah. Of course. But whats wrong with you?"
"I need to leave." She sighed. "I've been thinking about transferring."
"Where?"
"Not here. You want me to come to Oklahoma?" She said in a joking matter.
"Why not?" I said back sort of serious.
"I dont know."
"Do what makes you happy."
"I know. What are you doing?"
"At a bar."
"Why aren't you using your Dwayne charm or the im a "fighter of our nation" line on some drunk girl?"
"You watch too much tv. Besides its a bar with older women."
"Oh you're into older women now?"
"No."
"Yeah okay Dwayne."
"Should i let you get your rest?"
"No. Please. Feels so good talking to a familiar person other than my brothers."
"Okay." I said with an uncontrollable smile on my face. "What are you doing?"
"Sitting in the bathroom."
"Why?"
"So i can talk to you without waking up my roommate."
"Oh what is she like?"
"She's okay. I think she likes me. Like, like like me."
"Awe." I said laughing.
"Dwayne. Not funny. Apparently she went to my high school and graduated with Jeremiah. Shes super nice too. Its kinda scary. She's always making me going to parties and i always end up leaving early."
"Love."
"Grr. Bite me."
"Tell me when and where." I said biting my lip even though she can't see me.
"Don't start something you can't finish." She said with yawn.
"Who said i can't?"
She started to laugh which sort of sounded sexy.
"I know that laugh." I said provoking her.
"What laugh?"
"That laugh. Remember that time at the court. Or in my bed."
"Dwayne." She said embarrassed.
"Why you sound embarrassed? It's just you and me right now."
"Dwayne man where's Cassandra?" Joesph came back by himself.
"She left."
"Who you smiling it up with on the phone?"
"A friend."
"This late?" He looked at his watch. "That ain't no friend. Lemme see the phone."
"No bruh back off."
"Dwyane?" Dominique said. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah." I said back.
"Just let me say hi."
"Here." I handed him the phone.
"Hello. Oh a girl." He handed back the phone.
"You so weird man." I said to him.
"We're leaving soon kiddo." He said getting out the booth.
"Sorry babe." I said without thinking. "Uh.. Dominique."
"Its okay." She said unbothered.
"Hold on." I plugged in my headphones and got out the booth. "Alright."
"Have you heard about Michael?" She asked.
"Yes of course."
"Hes so adorable. I haven't had the chance to go see him yet. Im thinking of going this weekend. If i can take a weekend off to visit my now ex, i would be able to. Right?"
Her ex. What the hell?
"Yea." I walked to the car with the guys and got in.
"What was that?"
"What was what?"
"That. The pause."
"Nothing. Caught me off gaurd."
"Oh you expected me to not move on? So you're allowed to but i cant."
"Yo its not like that."
"Hold on." She said. I could hear her and another girl talking. "Okay. Sorry she had to use the bathroom."
"That's okay. What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Class."
"Boring."
"What else am i gonna do?"
"What rich people do."
"You do this to piss me off."
"Hell yeah. But its ok."
"Yeah for you."
"That's right." I smiled.
"What you smiling for?" Germaine asked.
"He talking to his girlfriend." Joesph said.
They all started making sex noises.
"You guys are childish." I said as Dominique laughed. "Ill call you back tomorrow." I said to her.
"Alright. Have a good night."
"Night."
