#SQUADGOALS

Chapter Sixteen

squad

Dominique

I haven't talked to Dejan for a whole week and I gotta say it's taking its toll on me. I'm positive she's texted me 500 times at the least but I haven't responded. I just need time to really figure this out. I mean, yeah what they did was wrong but I had to think about our bet, too. Ours was way worse. See Dejan and her friends only proved one thing and that's that a lot of times you can dish it but you can't take it! Niggas do shit like what they did all day long without even thinking about it and I guess we just don't care enough or just too dumb to stop and think about what it feels like to be on the other end. Well I'll tell you it feels like shit. Losing somebody you care about very much hurts, no matter how you lost them.

My phone buzzed on my dresser but I took my time getting to it. It was Shaq. I slid the green icon to the right.

"Wassup?"

"Man nothing. What's good? You still sittin' over there all depressed?"

"What do you want?" I became annoyed.

"Nothing I just came from 'Trice house. I'm so damn mad bruh."

"What happened?" I asked even though I honestly didn't care.

"I'm really feeling this girl dawg and I don't even know why cause she ain't stuntin' me!"

"That's probably why you feeling her, cause she ain't stuntin' you. You finally found a girl you can't get with. It's okay, Q. You don't gotta get with every girl."

"Yeah well I'm calling you because after I poured my heart out, she come bringing up that bet again. Saying that's the only reason she gave me the time of day," he went on.

"And?" I wanted him to get to the point so I could hang up.

"And I was just angry and I wasn't thinking and I came out and told her about our bet to try and make her feel bad!"

"You told her?!" I flipped.

"Yeah, I wasn't trying to but I wasn't tryna look like no pus--" I hung up in his face.

"Fuck," I yelled. If Latrice knew, Dejan was surely gonna be the first person she told. It's not like I wasn't gonna tell her but I'd rather be the one to tell her than somebody else.

"What is going on with you?" My Mama stood in my doorway.

"Nothing. I'm good," I said.

"Now I've raised you for 17, going on 18 years. I know it ain't just nothing that got you around here looking like a lost puppy. Who is she?" she asked.

"It's Dejan Ma," I sat down on my bed next to her.

"Little bitty skinny Dejan from middle school?" she looked surprised but then she smiled. "How did this happen?"

"Well I mean we've been cool. We got real close last summer but we fell off. We just started talking again not too long ago," I explained to her.

"Mmm. I bet she's even prettier now," my Moms always did like Dae.

"Yeah, she is," I cracked a smile.

"Well then what did you do to mess it up this time?"

My Mama and I were real close. I could talk to her about anything, even this. I took a deep breath and began telling her the entire story ..

"So I'm sure she know about the bet by now. I know she's mad at me and probably never gonna talk to me again. I'm so stupid," I finished.

"Yeah, you are," she said.

I looked at her as if to say really.

"Hey, I'm just being honest. You telling me you really care about this girl yet you're still sitting here. Just like you sat there and agreed to that silly bet. And the one before that. I ain't never taught you that sitting on ya' ass moping was gonna get you what you want!"

"But I don't know what to say to her."

"Yo' best bet is the TRUTH! You was stupid. Tell her that. And she can choose to forgive you or to move on. And you got the same choice, but you better get over there now before it's too late!"

I grabbed my keys and my phone and left.