Distractions (D. SWING)

32

Second Chance

"Then she was too pussy to say it again."

I take another hit and just think everything over. JoJo got his, and I got mine. We don't share... only broke mothafuckas share. When you got it, you can roll your own just like noodles. When we didn't have nothing, all four of us would cut one square into four and make it work. Now we got it though. We can buy a hundred noodle packs if we wanted to, know what I'm sayin'?

"She think I'm dumb," I state.

She said that shit. I swear to god on my kids that she sat next to me in that car and said that shit. I heard her, I know I did.

I glance over at her. "Know what I'm sayin'?" She's nodding her head with her focus deep into the material of my dashboard.

"I do." I can't help but stare at her. She's for real the most beautiful girl I know, I mean that. "Focusing on the right shit at the wrong time happens to be a hobby of mine." We laugh and as the laughter dies down her eyes soften, staring into the dashboard deeper than before. Out of nowhere, she blurts, "I love you."

Suddenly, I'm fifteen all over again. I don't know what to say or how to respond. When my stomach starts to turn, my words all get caught up in my throat like they have no way to get out. The first response out of my mouth is whatever my brain is saying instead of my heart.

"Huh?"

Like I said, my brain got to my mouth before my heart. I just wanna' make sure I heard what she said the right way before I go off on the handle throw some shakespearian type shit at her. You know, all them feelings that sit up in my chest when I'm in the studio with a pen come from a place. I guess that place is my heart, it could be my soul. Whatever it is called, that's where my response gone come from.

"Olive hue," She said as if she was repeating herself. "I been trying to figure out what kind of green your eyes are in the middle of the transition. They're like a olive hue." She nods her head like somebody is actually believing that bullshit.

My head slowly begins to nod in motion with her own. "Oh word?" You can tell by the look on her face that she is barely convincing herself.

"Yup, olive hue."

I heard her.

I'm cool with the fact that I had double checked because she was about to pimp me. I can't see why she would say something like that if she can't repeat it. Which makes shit hella' confusing. I love her and she know that but I guess she just ain't comfortable enough to say it. I can't stress her on it. I'm gone do exactly what she want me to do and act like I didn't hear any of it at all.

"Maybe if you stopped playing dumb," Dalvin laughs as he sits back down with his freshly poured drink. "You wouldn't feel like she think you dumb!"

I laugh shrugging my shoulders. "I can't, it's too easy. I like watching her be surprised when I give her exactly what she looking for."

Dalvin questions, "Is it even legit if you already know that she isn't used to that kind of treatment?"

"Nah, it ain't. He using cheat-codes and shit."

Dalvin and I glare at JoJo, who looks back at the both of us with a shrug. "All I'm sayin' is why say it if—" My beeper's high pitched chirp catches me off guard. I look at my brother and best friend and reach out for the phone. We already know who it is and Nel don't beep me too often. She only beeps me when she feels like it's that important. Pressing down on the magic seven numbers in a quick motion, I ring up my girl. She'd barely got to reply because I spoke the moment I heard her pick up. "What's up?"