"You nervous?" I asked Dianna, before looking at her in the face.
We were in the school parking lot.
"Yes" She mumbled, softly.
"I'ma be there, mama. Nobody is going to wild out on you. And if they do, then I taught you how to shoot a gun"
She laughed a little. "Don't shoot your friends Rakim"
"Well I'm not going to let anybody do any extreme shit, how about that?" I opened the door and got out.
We walked a little ways and then she cleared her throat. "Rakim..."
"Are you okay?" I asked, scanning her over.
"I've decided that I want to remain friends with you, and I'm glad that you found someone that makes you completely happy" Dianna said.
"Really?" I asked.
She nodded.
"That means so much, Dianna" I pulled her into a side hug. "Thank you"
Miles walked up on us. "How y'all folks doing? You ready, D?"
She shrugged her shoulders, unsure of herself.
"She's going to be fine. I'ma be right there with her when it happens anyways"
"About that..." He trailed off.
"Don't tell me nothin' I don't want to hear"
"They said you couldn't be there because you'd get mad with anyone that threw hands at Dianna, and it was best for you to be near, but not there"
"No" I shook my head. "I'm not going for that. It's just not happening"
"You wanted me to get jumped in, Rocky, and now you're scared" Dianna said.
I pulled her up under me. "Nah, they just ready to make me mad. I don't play about you"
"I'ma be there" Miles said. "Nobody gonna wild out on her"
"Sure" I said, not totally believing it.
"She got this" He nodded her head and let us be.
Ella approached me. "Did you forget you had a son?"
"No, I've been visiting him when he's at his babysitter's place. Not around you" I said. "Party planner's printing off birthday invitations this week"
"And why can't you see him around me?"
I let Dianna go, and Ella and I stared eachother down.
It took a little while for me to catch on, but I was suspecting that Ella was trying to lure me into what we had going on by calling me over to see my son.
"I'm not hooking up with you anymore, Ella. What you said at the hospital actually hurt my feelings. You're discrediting me as a parent, but I've been making an effort to see him since I've been back home. I was looking out for everyone in my inner circle"
"I didn't know-"
"It don't even matter. Forget it" I shook my head. "I'ma just see him with the sitter"
I stepped past her, and moved on.
I've successfully dropped both Ella and Whitney.
"Baby, we gotta do something together. I haven't spent time with you in forever, but that's my fault"
"Shooting?" She asked.
"No, something different. You think of something" I said.
Sometimes, I got carried away when we were out there sitting on the ground like that.
