I Almost Forgot To Cry

CHAPTER FOUR - WOMEN AND MEN

CHAPTER FOUR

Later that evening, after eating dinner, I went outside to hang out with my friend Darren. Yes, same one from the team (I don't know any other Darrens in my life). The same one who's a year older than us, though still a junior. It was because he started pre-school instead of kindergarten, so he's been a year behind. Not that you could ever tell. He was able to get his own car also this summer, since he got an actual job. He told me that he had to pay for two-thirds of it though himself. Lucky him anyways.

We got out a football and stood out on either way of my driveway. My sister, Salome was out at her own softball practise that night, and my dad was the assistant coach for the team, though frankly, he acted more like head coach. He would be a good head coach, except he has to be at all of the school games though. He can't miss those. Such a family man, by American standards, but I can tell already that I don't want to be like him.

"Hey, so how was your first day, buddy?" Darren asked. I told him all about my first days, in great details, the good, the bad and the ugly.

"So, it's gonna be one helluva year." I concluded, after telling him about my day. I always try to integrate foreign phrases. Kinda like how I write in a British or Australian lingo even though I'm American. It's good to have a bit of diversity.

"Well, just simply do your work." He advised as he tossed the football. That was a special trait of his. He was analytical, rarely showing a lot of emotions. Just facts, good ol' nerdy friend. Okay, okay, he wasn't. But sometimes he can act that stereotype.

"Easy for you to say." I snickered. "You like, practically blaze through your work. Literally, like you're done with the homework before the teacher even like, finishes passing them out, bruh." I raved. "Like, even before the teacher assigns it!" That was true. Sometimes, he'd go and ask for the homework before we have the class and finishes before it's even assigned. Same with projects as well. Like once, for literature, we were going to be assigned to read Romeo and Juliet, and do annotations. It was going to be the next week of when the teacher informed us about it. But Darren has already completed it all. Always ahead of the game.

"Yeah, it is true, I guess." He shrugged, not bothering to be humble at all. "But so can you though. Like, if you would stop gossiping with all of those girls you hang out with, you might actually get some more work done, Nathan." Darren added, matter-of-factly. Ugh, why does he have to be so right so much of the time? I rolled my eyes.

"Well, some of us also like to enjoy life too, you know." I argued.

"True, but work always comes first." He advised.

"Well, if you got so much time on your hands, then why don't you do mine for me? That'll make it so much easier." I joked.

"Yeah, nice try, Nathaniel, but nope, I'm not gonna do it for you. You gotta do it for yourself if you wanna actually learn. No can do" He refused.

"Dammit, well, I mean, it was worth a try. No harm in asking." I sighed. We shrugged it off and continued to throw the ball, back and forth, watching as some of the leaves started to fall to the ground already. It was almost September.

"Any plans for the future?" He asked.

"Umm, I don't know, honestly." I admitted.

"Really?" Darren asked. He was always thinking about the future. Never Carpe diem. I lowkey lied though. I actually did want to do something for a career. Okay, don't laugh. But something with hair styling. Not like a barber, who just cuts hair and sweeps it up to sell or stuff, but I wanted to style, iron, colour and alter hair in more ways. Like those moussed-up celebrity hair. Like Zayn Malik or Gwen Stefani. And maybe making wigs and other sophisticated stuff too. I know that seems like a pretty fem job, like something only the shallow women or 'pansies' do. But truthfully though, for no specific reason, it makes me happy. But I want to make my family happy. And I want to do something that will make them proud. And I want them to be proud of me.