Travenna State University

Chapter 11: Back 2 the Basics

The funeral was good yesterday and I was just happy to be back. I didn't cry once while the put my father to rest. I guess I deal with death differently than others. Returning back, TSU felt so good. All of my professors gave me make up work because of the death in my family. Everything felt normal again. The students were still ratchet and loud and the people who didn't go to class sat under the "dummy tree." My LBs Kenny and Bryan were very supportive and helpful in this tragedy. When I was off for a week, everyone was dealing with their own personal issues. Bryan broke up with Monica, Kenny got into a fight with another Greek lettered fraternity and no words from Charles or Tyrese. This was starting to get a little scary to me.
No one has heard from these boys in weeks and no one seemed concerned. We only had like three more weeks before the semester was over and I didn't understand this whole situation. Kenny said he talked to Ryan and Jamie, our other line brothers who were in Myrtle Beach with the other Rhos. They said Charles was in North Carolina and Tyrese was home. It didn't sound right and I was going to get to the bottom of it after my last class.
After class, I walked to the bus station to catch a cab to Tyrese's off campus apartment.
"Hey stranger." A calm voice said behind me, then I felt soft hands covering my eyes.
"Yo who is this? "I said smiling.
"Ha ha! Monica silly!"
My smile suddenly turned to a frown. I turned around and said, "Oh hey." "So you not happy to see me? Foul! Foul!" She said in her ghetto voice.
I really didn't want to be involved with this girl. Yeah I smashed, but that was just a one-time thing. I'm not trying to take her home to meet my moms or nothin' like that.
 
"We have to talk on a serious note," she said. "I'ma call you tonight." I nodded, "Aight." Then I got on the bus as it came just in time.
The trip to Tyrese's apartment seemed so long. I didn't know what I was going to say or do when I arrived. His car was still in the parking lot, so I knew he was home. I could hear loud music blasting from the door. I knocked and knocked, but no one answered at first. Twenty seconds, later Tyrese came to the door. I wanted to say what's up, but the way he looked caught me off guard.
"Hey bruh!" Tyrese said, trying to smile.
I looked at him puzzled, "Hey LB." I hesitated, "Are you okay? What happened to your face?"
"Oh nothing," he said trying to avoid the question. "Are you hungry bro? I have some left overs in the fridge."
I simply said, "No thank you, appreciate it though..." I hesitated again, then asked, "So what's been going on?" I tried to avoid looking at his black eyes and his bruised face.
"Oh nothing. Just work and school," he said looking down.
In my mind I was like, "yeah right Tyrese, your parents are pretty much wealthy. You don't have to work."
I asked again, "Are you sure you're okay Tyrese because you've been acting strange these past weeks."
"No, I'm okay," he said in an angry tone. "I'm just concerned."
"Well don't be."
He picked up a red cup from the floor. His place looked a total mess. It looked as if someone ran through the place with a farm of pigs and dogs. We were obviously getting nowhere. I didn't know if today was the right time to address to him with what I've seen, but it came out anyway, like word vomit.
"I know that you and Charles are sneaking around."
Tyrese froze in place. "Excuse me?"
"I know that you and Charles are sleeping around and I saw him beating you a few weeks ago in the parking garage," I said with an concerned look.
He looked at me for a good 10 seconds and walked to the kitchen. Tyrese turned back around and sat down by on the chair.
"So are you going to tell people about me and him?" Tyrese asked while looking down.
"Nah bruh, I would never put your private business out there like that. It's not my place to. Nor is it my place to judge you." I said looking at him. "But you do know that he has a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, I know. I mean, I know now." Tyrese said as he looked at the wall. "Jacob man, I love that nigga. What am I supposed to do?" He started to cry.
I didn't know how to answer that question. I couldn't possibly understand what he was going through. This was the worst I've ever seen Tyrese. He had on a white tank top with blue jogging pants.
"Let me ask you this, how long have y'all been fooling around and do the other brothers know this?" I said with a puzzled look on my face.
"I knew him since we were little," Tyrese said, wiping his eyes. "He took my virginity on his senior year of high school. The only reason why I pledged and went to Travenna State is because of him."
I felt bad for Tyrese, honestly. He was in a down low relationship with our fraternity president. I asked him has he always hit you and Tyrese replied "yes."

"At first it was cool because he was stressed out about school, etc., but now whenever he gets mad, he takes it out on me."
Seeing Tyrese cry made me feel some type of way about Charles. Charles wasn't the cool guy in my eye. He is barely a brother in my eyes.
"Anything you need bruh, call me," I said. "We are brothers til death. Even if you're gay, I accept you the way you are bruh." Tyrese looked at me and smile, but that smile turned upside down very quick when the key entered the lock and the front door opened.