Homecoming Pt. 1

Enzo 21

Being this close to Marcus was dangerous everything in me wanted to lean over in kiss him. Just looking in his eyes set every single cell, every strand of DNA, every single one of my molecule on fire, that was the effect Marcus had always had on me. It was like if he wanted me to bring him the moon and stars I would do it without question. But the other side of me, the side that was loyal to Khalil was telling to let Marcus walk out and to never tell him how I felt. But I couldn't do that for damn near 13 years I've hid how I was freezing up at every chance I had to tell him how I felt about him. It was now or never once I put everything out on the table there was no going back, I was putting the ball in Marcus's court.

"Marcus I....... Marcus there's something I've wanted to say to you. Something that I've been holding since we were in tenth grade." I said as my heart rate increased, my hands started shaking and getting clammy.

"Lorenzo are you alright you look like you're about to be sick." Marcus asked.

"Yeah I'm good, I just need to say this. I..... Marcus do you know how it seems like someone is always there for you watching over you? Like anytime you get in some trouble or something some one swoops in and saves you?" Marcus nodded but didn't speak. "Like that time with James in the back hallway, and he showed up to school the next day beat up?" I asked.

"Were you the one who beat him, I kinda figure it was either you or Khalil?" Marcus said smiling.

"Well it was me and Khalil, but Khalil only jumped in because he didn't like James. But that's not all do you remember that party you went to where the dude tried to fuck you in his car and someone stopped him?" I asked.

"Yeah but how did you know...... Oh god you were the guy that stopped him. Lorenzo why didn't you ever say anything?" Marcus asked.

"Marcus there was two times I was going to tell you everything. The first time was the day I walked in on you and Khalil kissing in the library. Then the second time was when I told you to wait for me after I stopped ol' boy but when I got back to the party you were already gone." I said. I could see the wheels turning in Marcus's head.

"Lorenzo what exactly do you need to tell me?" Marcus asked.

"Here's the thing Marcus..... okay look I'm just going to say it because if I don't I'll regret it for another 10 years...... ummm Marcus I......." I was freezing again, I had to get it out. "Marcus I love you." I finally blurted out.

"Lorenzo you..... what?" Marcus asked confused.

"Look here's the thing, back in tenth grade I had the biggest crush on you, but I was scared to approach you so I asked Khalil to do it and I don't know what happened but somehow ya'll ended up together. It killed me seeing ya'll together but my loyalty to Khalil is what stopped me from pursuing you any further, but then we got in college and I guess the timing wasn't right because we kept missing each other with the exception of that one party." I said quietly looking in his eyes.

"I..... I.... I think I should leave." Marcus said standing up. I stood up as well and we walked to the door I had came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to chase him anymore if he wanted to be with Khalil it was his choice. I put everything on the table and he made his decision...... but there was still on thing I had to get out of my system before letting him walk away. Just as Marcus reached his hand out for the door I turned him around and kissed him. At first Marcus resisted but eventually he ended up pushing me over to the bed and we fell on top of it grabbing at each others clothes. Then Marcus stopped and jumped up.

"I.. I... have to go that was bad, really bad." Marcus said grabbing all of his stuff.

"I'm sorry Marcus I've wanted to do that since I was twelve. I'll tell Khalil that I kissed you so I don't fuck up your relationship." I said sitting up on the bed and looking at him.

"Lorenzo you don't understand, I have to leave because I enjoyed it. It's bad because I'm not supposed to have feelings for you, your my boyfriend's best friend. And the truth is Lorenzo I've always had a crush on you..... and if you had approached me first I........ But I'm with Khalil now and that can never happen again." Marcus said avoiding eye contact. I walked over to him and made him face me.

"Marcus I love Khalil like a brother, and I know you love him too. But I can't pretend that I don't want you in my life, even if it's only as friends. So I need you to be absolutely sure that when you walk out this door that Khalil is the one you want." I said looking him in the eyes. Marcus didn't say anything, he just kissed me on the cheek and walked out the door back into the arms of my best friend.

Twenty minutes later I was still sitting in the same spot I was when Marcus left. Thinking about Marcus, I knew it was fucked up that I kissed him but I couldn't resist now I had to explain to my best friend that I kissed his dude. I looked up just as Khalil walked in the room, he had a cut above his eye but other than that he appeared to be fine. He didn't say anything he just walked in and sat on the bed next to me.

"Enzo...... I know I haven't been a good friend to you and I've done a lot of fucked up shyt like not telling Marcus how you felt and not talking to you after I went to college, but yet you've always been loyal to me. You've always had my back no matter what so thanks....." Khalil said looking at the ground. Now I really felt like shyt for kissing Marcus.

"Khalil that's what brothers are for...... we fight, argue, sometimes we stop talking but we never stop loving each other. No matter how mad we get at each other and I....... I need to tell you something. I kissed Marcus." I said looking at him, I knew Khalil was pissed because the vein in his neck started to stick out. I didn't speak I just let him calm down and waited.

"What did Marcus say?" Khalil asked quietly.

"He...... he picked you. After everything I told him he still picked you, I get it ya'll love each other and I'll back off but there is one thing I have to ask you." I said.

"Alright shoot what's your question?" Khalil asked.

"I just need to know from you Khalil why didn't you tell Marcus I liked him?" I asked.

"I didn't tell him because I was selfish. I knew how you felt about Marcus..... but I never told you how I felt about him. To me Marcus was always the one, the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and even though I knew you liked him I didn't want him with anyone but me. I had every intention of telling him how you felt but when I was standing in front of him, I.... I had to tell him how I felt and I'm sorry about that. But the heart wants what the heart wants." Khalil said. We sat there in silence for the longest time neither knowing what to say to the other.

"What happened to Roseline?" I finally said breaking the silence. Khalil didn't say anything but the corners of his lips turned up, the shadows of a smile on his face.

"After Tonya beat her ass up and down the club, she had to go to the hospital where the police will be waiting to arrest her..... after she's cleared by the doctor. Her friend or cousin or whatever is already locked up. I don't think they'll be in there long though, just long enough that I can put a restraining order on them both." Khalil said.

"That's good but you know Roseline's crazy ass ain't just going to let you go easily and now that she knows you and Marcus are together, she'll be coming for him too." I said.

"Yeah you're right...... but Marcus should be good especially if Tonya is around I don't think Rose wants anymore problems with Tonya so Marcus is fine." Khalil said.

"I hope so Khalil because like I said we may have won this battle but the war is just now starting." I said laying back on the bed and letting myself remember that kiss.