The Gemini

25 - Sister

May 12, 1978

"Princey?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

Bug eyes watched him strum at his guitar, his own dark hazel orbs intent and focused on the task. Every now and then he would stop to pick up a pencil and scribble something down on the notebook that set on the bed beside him.

"Uh huh." The answer was distracted. "I'm listening." He reiterated, still sounding as though he weren't really.

A deep breath as she uncrossed and crossed again her legs. Linda sat on the floor across from the bed where he sat on it's edge. Shifting her view down, picking at the shag rug underneath her, she hesitated trying to push away the embarrassment that she knew would coat her words.

"Do...how bad do you think it will hurt?"

"What are you talking about?"

A blushing smile broke onto her face. She quickly erased it. The older girls don't smile like that, she mentally admonished herself.

"You know. It."

Strumming stopped, as he lifted his head to look at the girl. "What you wondering about that for?"

"You say it like I'm not supposed to. I am sixteen now, you know?" Linda complained, she figured he would answer this way. He was always acting like another big brother that she didn't need.

"So? What's that supposed to mean? Keep your skirt tail down and don't be messing with none of these clowns out here." He reprimanded.

Pursing her mouth, she waited until he had his eyes back on his guitar before she stuck out her tongue.

"Stick that tongue back in your mouth."

Linda would swear that he had eyes on the sides and on back of his head. She still hadn't figured out how he managed to see everything. Sometimes even when he wasn't in the room it seemed.

Resting back on her hands, Linda still wanted her answer. "My friends talk about it all the time and so do you and Dre. That's all y'all talk about."

"You shouldn't be sneaking and listening to grown folks conversations."

Sucking her teeth, "Nineteen ain't grown."

"It's growner than you, fathead."

She picked up one of the balled pieces of paper that he'd tossed on the floor and threw it at him. It hit it's intended target, his forehead. It didn't even phase him, he kept on playing.

"How come you can't tell me?"

"Go ask Mama B."

"Yeah right! If I ask her that she'll beat me 'til the sun rise."

He laughed. She didnt think it was so funny. After a few minutes she still refused to let it go.

"Carrie says it hurts like crazy but Angela says it only lasts for a second."

"Everyone's different."

Linda perked that he actually answered this time. She thought to test the waters a little more.

"We were all talking on the phone last night when Penny says it's a way to practice. But before she could tell us, her sister came home and she had to hang up."

Writing, he shook his head. "That's not really practice it's just a way to get yourself off."

"You know how to do it?"