Almost Famous: The Next Phase

Chapter 27

It was like something I've never felt before. Prince was staring me in my eyes and I was staring him in his. I couldn't figure out what was going on but I knew I wasn't going to go to fall asleep with him looking at me the way he was.

  "What are you thinking about Skipper?" I asked him as the soft sound of thunder rolled just outside my house.

  "Were you really gonna deck Denise?" He asked me.

The way he asked sounded close to sad and I was annoyed but I felt bad at the same time. I rolled over on my back and let out a deep loud and long sigh.

  "No Prince. I wasn't gonna deck her."

Then I turned to him and looked him back into his eyes.

  "I was going to murder her." I said flatly.

  "Regan really? Why? She didn't do anything to you!" Prince replied angrily.

  "Prince! She's not your type! Why can't you get that?!?!? I'm sure that girl has been around the block way more than Andre has this month alone!" I shouted at him after I sat up in my bed.

  "Keep it down the window is open!" He said to me in a panic.

  "Why so your skanky girlfriend don't hear me if she happens to come looking for you?"

  "It's not like that and you know it!"

  "Yeah? Then what exactly is it like?!?!?"

Prince hesitated because there was something on his mind but he knew he couldn't really say it because he wanted to spare what little feeling I had left for him. At this point in my mind the damage was already done and I was just waiting for him to get it over with. My eyes got wider as I waited for his lame response but he just sat back and sighed in sadness.

  "Mouse......this isn't easy for me. I like her a lot but......I......"

Another sigh escaped him as he slammed his hands to his face in embarrassment. The deep low grunt of frustration left his chest as his hands slowly slid from his face to his neck.

  "I don't know the first thing about love Mouse. I don't want her getting hurt. I gonna be just like my old man. I know I am."

The pain in his words was so strong that it broke my heart to look at him be so sad. I didn't want to start a fight. I was just so jealous that the one guy that I like doesn't like me. He likes someone else. This friendship wasn't going to last any longer if I keep harboring these feeling for somebody I consider as family much longer.

  "I'm sorry Skipper. I shouldn't have brought it up. I guess......I guess I'm just worried about you getting hurt by this.....girl. That's all."

Wow Regan. Nice save. I need to lying to him and to myself about how I really feel about this situation. On the one hand I want him to be happy with whoever he wants to be with. On the other hand I want him to be happy with me one day. His eyes fell from the ceiling to my face and he began to smile.

  "Mouse? You're the best friend I've ever had." He giggled.

  "Please. Andre is your best friend you've ever had." I scoffed with a grin.

  "No seriously! I can't always talk to Dre like this."

  "Yeah because he has no soul."

Prince laughed louder as he shook his head and leaned against my bed to get closer to me from the beanbag.

  "He has a soul it's just......well it's......"

  "It's ok you can say it he's not here to bitch about it! It's not there!"

  "Don't be so mean to him. You know your his lady."

  "Don't make me throw up on you."

  "I'm serious! You're his main squeeze. Said he wants to get all up in you while Marvin plays in the background."

My disgust began to grow the more we talked about how much Andre liked me.

  "I'm going to sleep. Keep your slimy hands out of your pants tonight. My mom will be back and I don't want her to know you stayed over. I have to sneak you out of here as fast as possible in the morning. So don't blow you cover or that's both of our asses."

  "I know. And Miss B will skin me alive after then blame Andre for it."

The two of us shared one more laugh before I rolled over and got comfortable. Just as I closed my eyes I heard him rustle around on the beanbag as he tried to fall asleep. It would have been rude of me to have him sleep on something so lumpy.

  "Skipper?" I called.

  "Hmm?"

  "Can you come lay next to me? Please?"
Suddenly he stopped moving and the room fell deathly silent.

  "You sure?" He asked surprised.

  "You can lay next to me without being a perv?" I joked.

  "Well if that's the case.....I'll be at the foot. Just don't kick me. You're good for that."

  "Shut up and get up here before I change my mind."

  "Stop being so rude woman."

  "Stop being so stubborn. Man."

Somehow we could argue without actually arguing. Our relationship was always funny like that. He climbed over me to lay by the wall at the foot of the bed. I tossed him as extra blanket and turned to face the door. We both got comfortable and before long we were both asleep. When I woke up the next morning Prince......was gone. How? When? Why? In a growing state of panic I jumped out of bed and looked out the window to find that my moms car wasn't in the driveway yet. I looked at my clock and it was after 8:30. My mom would have been home by now unless she came in my room and saw him and took him home.

  "Oh god! I'm dead!" I said to myself in a shrill high voice.

Running to my bedroom door I flung it open and raced down the steps. When I got the kitchen there wasn't a soul around. I was getting really worried.

  "Prince?!?!? Skipper?!?!?"

There was no answer. It was just me. Going out to the back door I went down the steps and was met with my moms pea green Cadillac pulling into the driveway. Oh my god I'm about to walk the green mile. Thanks to good old Prince Nelson. He better not show his face at my funeral. Because I'll come back to life and kill him myself.