Moments: A BWWM Short Story Collection

III. Courage

As requested by friskriel

"You just got to ask her man, that's all there is to it!"

I gave Ty a disbelieving look as we entered the gym hallway. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate his support, I was just tired of him repeating the same points over and over.

"That's not all there is to it; it's complicated." I said for the fourth time.

Ty's dreads shook back and forth as he hefted his backpack over his shoulder.

"It's only complicated because you've been thinking about it so hard over the last few weeks. If you just took my advice and asked her at the start of the year-"

"She was surrounded by her friends! How was I supposed to ask her out?!"

"You ask to talk to her alone first! This is basic stuff, Rick!" Ty said.

I watched my sneakers tread the familiar path through the gym hall. Ty had a point about me overthinking things; I would've realized that if I wasn't so jittery.

But even still, just thinking about asking Naomi Parker to speak alone with her...

"There's also a lot of basic stuff in the way before I even begin." I reminded him. "I mean, she's from a different side of town and she's... she's..."

"What? She's black and you're white and thus you two can't possibly ever make it work? Come on, man, you act like you haven't seen this sort of thing before..."

I rolled my eyes as Ty launched into his self-aggrandizing story once again.

"Let me set the stage for you: Tyrone Degar, poet, scholar, and offensive linebacker, decides he's missing a special lady in his life as he starts his senior year.

Just then, a drop-dead gorgeous transfer student from Thailand walks in the front doors! Lawan Chen has everything a man could want, and what man could be better for her than Tyrone?! Three weeks later, Tyrone asks her out and she says "yes, I would like a tall, handsome black boyfriend to love, thank you for asking!" End of story!"

He cocked his head as I shook my own.

"It's different for me, okay? It's not like Africa conquered Thailand and-"

"Oh, here we go folks, it's time for the white guilt party!" Tyrone said as he thrust his hands up. "Be sure to keep your tickets or you won't be allowed back inside!"

Ty let his hands fall to his side as I scowled at him.

"You do realize I'm here to get tutoring lessons from her in history, right?" I said. "We have that big test on the Civil War coming up and I can't afford to fail it. Do you remember what the Civil War was fought over, Ty?"

Tyrone stroked his wispy soul patch as he squinted in mock thought.

"Hm... let's see; fights over tariffs and exports, the role of states in the Union..."

"Slavery?" I said with a dead-serious expression. Tyrone huffed up at the ceiling.

"Okay, why don't we drop the act and be straight with each other, Rick? You're just looking for an excuse not to try because you're afraid she'll say no, aren't you?"

I looked at the scuffed tiles in silence as Tyrone continued.

"I was nervous when I asked Lawan to be my girlfriend, okay? Everybody feels nervous when they confess their love and it's doubled whenever they're crossing that racial boundary to do so. You can't let other people's bad choices in the past keep you from making the right choice in the present."