Teenage Fever

Conversation Over Burgers and Shrimp

The shower water poured down on us as our lips circled all around each other's mouths. I had him up against the shower wall underneath the shower head, bodies pressed close to each other. I could feel him on me. I had barely glimpsed down at him but my sense of feel wasn't going to let me get away from it. I could feel his fingers grazing over my arms and torso.

Nothing much else happened in the shower. We stayed under pretty long then remembered that we had a little date to go on.

"Look at us playing dress up," he says.
I laugh.
We didn't get too fancy, just jeans and tops.
"What restaurants they got here?" I ask as we walk out the room, implying to more than just the hotel.
"I'm not sure about in the hotel but if it's not good we'll explore outside."
We held hands up until we got to the hotel's restaurant which was a burger joint. A burger joint!
"They serious?" I ask.
Tahj laughs then pecks my cheek.
"It's probably not all that bad."

There was a lot of people inside. The lights were fine. It was a very fancy restaurant with very fancy burgers. Tahj and I were professionally seated and everything. It seemed as though we immediately picked up the menus at the same time.

"They got shrimp here," Tahj observes.
"Shrimp and burgers," I say to myself.
"Interesting combination," Tahj says in his voice that caused me to look at him.

That shit never gets old.

"What are you getting?"
His eyes look up at me after he asked.
I shrug a beat too late.
"Probably a burger... with some shrimp."
He grins and folds up his menu.
"Bet."
I smile at him before taking another look around the restaurant.
"How are you liking Section 1 so far?"
I stare back into his gorgeous face.
"I feel like I'm definitely getting the full experience. Still need to learn my way around, though."
"I can always help with that," Tahj nods.

A waitress comes over and we both order water then tell her what we want to eat.
I figured this is the perfect time.

"What do you do for your dad?"

Tahj readjusted himself before sitting back in his seat. His eyes were staring at something over my shoulder.

"My dad is a Lawyer," he says while still not looking at me. "I sometimes help him and his secretary out at work, under the desk you can say."
I nod my head.
"Do you have plans on eventually working elsewhere? Going to college?"
He looked down and gave a smirk but I can tell he didn't find anything funny.
"I never cared for school too tough," he said with the octave drop that I love.
"Hmm. What do you see yourself doing?"

He almost jumped out of his seat as he repositioned himself again, this time with arms on the table as he leaned over, closer to me, looking at me.

"I want to dance. I hit up this studio recently and thinking about doing that. Something that I want to do professionally."
I nodded.
"So you're more on the artistic, creative side. That's cool. Something different. I hope that works out for you."
He smiles.
"How are you liking your job?"
"I'm liking it a lot. I have minor issues with some of the staff members, just because they don't seem to like to work. And I wish I could hang out with the students more."

I probably would have said more but Tahj had started to rub at his face then cheesed at me with his head in his hands and his elbows on the table. I gave him a sideways look.

"What?"
He shook his head.

The waitress came back over with our water and our appetizer of shrimp in some sort of sauce. I immediately tasted it, didn't recognize it but it was good as fuck.

"This shit is good!"
Tahj was still smiling at me.
"Tell me about the students."
I slowly shrugged.
"I've only met them once, honestly. But I did meet a few more that day I seen you picking up your brother."

I eat another shrimp when it dawns on me. Tahj probably went to school with some of the seniors and juniors that I work with. This new realization definitely put me off. I sat up and back.

"You might know some of the students."
Tahj was staring at the plate now.
He made a face of doubt.
"I doubt it."
I stay silent for a minute then said the first thing that came to mind.
"Do you know a Raheem?"

Raheem has always stuck with me. I haven't seen him since the introduction and I didn't see him that day outside but I did glimpse his name on one of the field trip permission slips so I knew he was going.

Tahj briefly looked at me before looking away, into space, really thinking about it.

"Name doesn't sound familiar."
"Y'all probably didn't go to the same school," I shrugged and dug back into my shrimp. "You miss high school?" I asked jokingly.

But Tahj was quiet for a minute. I look back at him and noticed that he was looking at something over my shoulder again. This time I turned to look also. Immediately I recognized one of the students who was sitting in a booth, probably with his grandparents. It was Shawn. He had seemed real close to Raheem when I last seen them.

I looked back at Tahj and he was staring at me.
"You know him?"

Our burgers came to us before he could answer. Fries were on the side as well as lettuce and tomatoes. It reignited my appetite.

"No.... but I seen him outside when I picked up Bryson."
"He's in my group. I would consider to say 'hi' but I don't want to interrupt."
Tahj nodded before giving his full attention to what was in front of him.
"This looks good!"
"You late," I said while munching. "It is good."
He chuckled.
"No, I don't," he muttered.
"What?"
"You asked if I missed high school... I don't. Wasn't a good time."
I took a sip from my water.
"I think most people would say that."
Tahj had that smirk on his face again while he shook his head.
"I was picked on a lot, throughout most of my time in high school."
"What? A good looking guy like you? I don't believe it."
"It's true," he said while looking me dead in the eyes.
"Why?" I asked almost hesitantly.
"How are you doing? Is everything fine?" The waitress broke into our bubble.
"Y-yeah, everything's good," I tell her distractedly.

She smiles and moves along.
When I look back at Tahj I catch him looking over my shoulder again with almost a glare in his eyes.

"I thought you said you didn't know Shawn."
His attention snaps back to me.
"I did."
"Why you keep looking at him? It's as if you do recognize him or know him."
He gives me a lopsided grin.
"Maybe I've seen him around town before, outside of that day at the center when I seen him also."
He decided then to dig back into his burger.