South Central L.A •90s•

•11 - First Love•

"Aye Ms. Pinkett... what channel is we on?" Bryon asked the teacher, which caused the whole classroom, even the teacher to bust out laughing, even though they knew what he meant.

"What channel!" Aaliyah said while laughing.

"I'm dead!" Lauren laughed.

"Baby, you honestly need to stop smoking weed," said Janeé.

"We on B.E.T, my nigga," Eric responded sarcastically.

"I think he meant to ask what page are we on," Lauren corrected him.

"I want you all to read pages 23 through 25 and discuss each poem with a partner." Ms. Pinkett had passed out 'The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes' out to her class, "afterwards, I want you all to create a poem of your own."

"Bet, I can do that! Janeé said excitedly.

After the class read, they began to write their poems. Eric got up from his table and walked over to Aaliyah's table.

"Ooooh, I'm tellin'! You over here bein' nasty," Eric said.

"Eric, stop lyin'," said Janeé as she stopped writing and placed her hand on her paper.

"Im just playin'," Eric said as he let out a small chuckle and went over to where Aaliyah was sitting. He took a good look at her paper.

How Could The One I Gave My Heart To, Break My Heart So Bad?
How Could The One Who Made Me Happy, Make Me Feel So Sad?
Wont Somebody Tell Me? So I Can Understand.
If You Love Me, How Could You Hurt Me Like That?
How Could The One I Gave My World To, Throw My World Away?
How Could The One Who Said I Love You, Say The Things You Say?
How Could The One I Was So True Too, Just Tell Me Lies?
How Could The One I Gave My Heart To, Break This Heart Of Mine?
Tell Me........

Eric was a little hurt after what he read. He couldn't say if that poem was directed towards him or not, but he had a feeling that it was. He felt bad for what he put her through, although he didn't necessarily mess around on her. Eric loved Aaliyah too much and didn't want to lose her behind nothing or nobody. Deep down, he was praying that Tomica's baby wasn't his. He couldn't picture himself being stuck with her for the next 18 years. All he could do until the baby was born was just hope for the best.

•×•×•×•×•

"What's up, Eric? What's up, Li Li?" greeted Eric's older brother Anthony as he sat with their cousin Charles and Anthony's girlfriend Mariah.

"Hey what's up?" Eric and Aaliyah responded as they walked in Eric's living room.

"What y'all doin' over here?" Aaliyah asked.

"We working on this song called 'Breakdown'," Charles replied, "y'all wanna check out what we got so far?"

"Fa'sho."

"Aight, y'all ready?"

Anthony and Charles began to sing while Mariah did the ad-libs.

🎵Break (break) down (down), steady breakin' me on down, break (break) down (down), steady breakin' me on down🎵

Then Mariah started to sing:

🎶You called yesterday, to basically say, that you care for me but, that you're just not in love, immediately I pretended to be, feeling similarly, and led you to believe I was, okay to just walk away from the, one thing that's unyielding and sacred to me🎶

And the three begin to sing:

🎵Well I guess I try to be, nonchalant about it, and I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without ya, but in reality I'm, slowly losing my mind, underneath the guise of a smile, gradually im dying inside, friends ask me how I feel, then I lie convincingly, cause I don't want to reveal, the fact that I'm suffering, so I wear my disguise, until I go home at night, then I turn out all the lights, then I break down and cry🎵