Murphy & Jolen

Epilogue

A taxi sped by and woke me up out of a daydream.
My earphones were still playing music. I paused the music and pulled the earphones out. I looked up and around Washington Square Park. I put my headphones in my jacket pocket and stood up, hardly disrupting the birds and made my way to the street.
I rubbed my eyes as I began to walk to Barnes and Noble.
After graduating I said goodbye to Shoreview and started my college life in Manhattan. I been out here since June and it was fall now. My family stayed on the west side. Being in New York changed me a little. I don't have a blonde streak in my hair but it was still unruly and wild in a neat way. I also wear glasses now because I swear my broken nose, which looks fine now, somehow started causing my vision to go blurry.

Since being in New York I haven't really dated anyone but I had been on dates. Surprisingly I've been more attracted to the guys. I think I'm falling out of the phase. I've dated and kissed some guys but I wasn't in a relationship.

I had my own apartment in the Village. I did have a roommate but he found a new spot and bounced a month ago. So now I was alone. I spend most of my time in the park just observing and chillaxing. I now take up on reading more lately, so I'm always at Barnes and Noble.
The lady at the desk recognized me and smiled. I smiled back and worked my way from new fiction and non fiction to adult fiction. When I got to the S's I saw that they had the new Sister Souljah book, so I quickly picked that up.

Though it probably doesn't have anything to do with Midnight.

I still enjoy her writing. I make my way back to the previous aisle to get a closer look at the books I missed. I was looking hard and minding my business but I felt like I was being watched. I looked up and straight ahead then to my left. Some guy was just staring at me. He was near some female in a black jacket. I was wondering why he was staring when I nearly dropped my book.

It was Jolen.

Oh shit. He smiled when I recognized him. I walked on over, I felt like he grew an inch or two. He still had his dimple, minus the piercing, but his face looked stronger and less soft. And his eyes were that tan color.
"What's up? Long time, no see." He grinned and his voice hadn't changed. The girl looked up at me.
"Trish this is my old friend Murphy, Murphy this is Trish."
I said 'hi' and she did too and smiled. She excused herself to the next aisle. Jolen looked back at me. The last time I seen him was in the library, like eight months ago.
"I can't believe I'm seeing you again," I said.
We both looked so mature standing in front of each other.
"I know."
"What are you doing in New York?"
It felt casual speaking to Jolen for some reason and not awkward or anything.
"I moved here after a month in Jordansberg. It was just a random decision but I like it out here more. How about you?"
"I go to college."
He nodded and smiled while I spoke. "So I been out here since June."
His whole face seemed lit up.
"That's what's up," he said. "Yeah, I just came over here by myself, just to get away from my dad."
He nodded and itched and pulled at his right earlobe as he spoke. I remembered Jolen's relationship with his dad. I wasn't surprised at all when he said he had to get away.
"So what have you been doing out here?" I asked.
I still couldn't believe I was talking to him. I thought I would never see him again. It was a small world.
"Making a living in the city," he chuckled. "I got 3 jobs to support myself. Trish is my roommate. She's a journalist. I just work and live in the city. I graduated high school out here."
"Wow, man."
I couldn't stop smiling.
I realized the past was in the past and it really wasn't worth talking about what had happened then. I was passed it. It was silent and he continued to stare.
"Let me take your number this time around," he said.

I tried neating up my place a little more. I'm not dirty but some things need to be straightened. Jolen said that him and Trish were going to see a play but later on he would come over to see me.
I was nervous for some reason. I didn't know what was going to become of this night, what was going to become of us. He arrived a little after 7:30. He bowed his head as he walked in and looked around the place with not much interest and then looked back at me. He smiled.
"Murphy, it's a small world."
I closed the door.
"Exactly what I've been thinking."
I took his jacket and we manuevered to the couch. It was a comfortable silence. I sat forward but half of Jolen's body faced my way.
"I regret not giving you my contact at the library."
"It's all good. We met back up in due time."
He nodded.
"You're right. It was meant to happen, I guess."
"I guess you just need to be in my life," I said.
I could feel his eyes on me. I looked at him.
"You want something to drink?"
He nonchalantly shook his head but this eyes were distracted on my face. And I was in his trance. His head was laid back a little but he slowly moved it upward.
"You wear glasses?"
I touched them.
"Recently. My vision is a little blurred." I itched at the light scar on my nose. He noticed and his face turned serious. He laid his head back again and stared at a wall. "How was the play?"
"It was cool. Trish always brings me along. You wanna know how we met? It's not really relevent."
I shrugged.
"Her boyriend was cheating on her with me." He chuckled. "We became close after we found out about each other and we dumped him. Weird."
"Word." I said.
I wondered briefly how many other guys he's been with. But it was really none of my business.
"I'm happy for you Murphy, you seem to be doing good. You got anyone else or someone staying here?"
"Roommate moved out like a month ago and I'm not seeing anyone."
He nodded.
"Me neither."
He stared at me for awhile.
"I thought about you everyday," he said out of nowhere.
I was still leaning forward and he still had his head laid back, eyes on me.
"I thought about what you were doing, who you were fucking, where you went after school," he said bluntly and I remembered him being blunt at random times. "I thought about you a lot. I missed you."
I looked at my coffee table then at him and nodded. He closed his eyes.
"I missed you too," I admitted.
He opened his eyes and looked at me with those tan eyes.
"Murphy," he said softly. "I'm so sorry." My heart skipped a beat.
The way he said it was so heavy. So much weighed on those three words then.
And he repeated them.
And I knew what he was apologizing for. I leaned my head back, staring at him. He followed me with his eyes.
I smiled, nodded my head and closed my eyes.