Distractions (D. SWING)

40

Dallas Dining Days

"Move your damn foot," I groan.

He yawns, quickly obliging to my command. I adjust my head placement on the window, reaching for a slight stretch due to my lack of comfort. Time spent with him has been refreshing in an odd sense. Following a delayed three hour flight from New York to Dallas with a thirty minute debate of whether or not Daffy Duck deserved to be treated the way Bugs Bunny has treated him, I can go for a little sleep. You know, the kind of sleep that Buffy is getting from her side of the car. Her sleep lead to the way I wound up stuck on this side of the car. The sleeping beauty is completely sprawled out on the seat. I envy her at this moment.

"You know, I like you way more than I like Dalvin."

Jared's head rolls to face me. Somewhat bloodshot eyes open as much as they can. He was out running the streets before coming back to gather the belongings he'd need to be on the go with Buffy and I. A small, subtle, smug smile creeps on his face as he sits up in seat. Watching him, I adjust DeVante's jacket on my body. You know I will always enjoy shopping in his closet. He and Dalvin have some nice articles of clothing beneath their belt.

"You fo'real, Nel?"

I nod.

"Damn, I feel like I just got nominated for a Video Music Award or some shit."

Laughing, I sit up to be eye to eye with him. I'm not lying to him either. I mean what I've said. Jared's got a lot of flaws... a whole lot of flaws but he tries a lot harder than he used to. These days he is actually likable. He's never going to have himself together, he's Jared. However, he's trying and it's nice to see him try to do things right for longer than three days.

I laugh, "Shut up."

"But I'm serious," Jared says. "You basically De's life in walking form. Music, certain family, women, that's all you in one. Only one body and all his? Yo, the unspoken rule is, basically, if Nel don't fuck with you? De don't."

I point in objection of the amount of responsibility Jared is placing on my shoulders. "Okay, no. You are family, De definitely still fucked with you on the same level."

"He did but... I'on think you realize the impact you got on his life. He still fucked with me but, we talking about a nigga who would sneak his cousin into his crib at two in the morning because he know his girl not fucking with his cousin..." Jared's eyes remain closed as he speaks but, his body language still portrays the motion of a smartass when he says, "For whatever reason she didn't."

My neck extends backward, my head tilting down to the right as my earrings dangle downward to brush up against the shoulders of DeVante's fat jacket. "What do you mean," I imitate his voice irritably, "For whatever reason?" I sit up on the seat in a complete hissy. "You mean to tell me that you have no idea why I didn't want you around, J? Is that what you are saying right now?"

"Exactly what I'm saying."

I nod, my lips puckering into a replica of a duck's bill, as I fold my arms across my chest. "I'll tell you then." Jared nods as a motion of agreement in my choice of action. He is waiting for me to give my explanation. "Jared, I never told De to not have you around, first of all. I said that I don't want you around me, a woman with too much to lose that refuses to get shot in crossfire because her boyfriend's cousin is trying to live gangsta life in some reversal version of A Bronx Tale with the Haitians making a cameo appearance."