For The Better

Darius

"Damn Darius, slow down, I'm trying to eat." Gabrielle murmured. Gabrielle and I left school to get Subway sandwiches for lunch. I turned up the radio to tune Gabrielle out. I pulled into the school parking lot , grabbed my sandwich and my homeboy Pacman's sandwich. I went to the passenger side to open the door for Gabrielle and help her out of the car. Gabrielle had been my best friend since elementary school. Gabrielle's mother was Viatnamese and her father was black so she had long, thick, wavy hair that she only straightened on special occasions. Her skin was of a light bronze color and she had freckles that she was ashamed of, I never understood why. My grandmother always told me that freckles were kisses from God himself. Gabrielle smiled, grabbed her purse, and my hand. As she walked in front of me I couldn't help but notice how big her ass had grown. She was my best friend but I am still a man who doesn't have sex often due to a promiscuous baby mama. Pacman sat waiting on us by the stairs in front of the door to the cafeteria. I handed him his change. "Damn, Darius, you got a babymama, a stepmama and plenty other hoes chasing you. I'm trying to get like you." I laughed it off, I knew Gabrielle wouldn't get offended because unlike Diana she could take a joke. "Man, you always on that childish shit." I said to Pacman.

Gabrielle sat on the stairs and ate the rest of her sandwich. "Aye Gabby, you got a black?" Pacman asked. Gabby smoked a lot, I guess to release stress. I smoked every now and then but not near as much as I used to. "No, not on me, I got a nickel sack in my car though." Gabby answered. I sat down next to Gabby and ate my sandwich. "What time you get off?" I asked. "8, why?" Gabrielle responded. I didn't answer her, I just focused on my sandwich. The bell rang and I got up to walk Gabby to class. "How is Patience? Is she doing good?" Gabrielle asked as we walked. "Damn, girl. You always asking about Patience, you never ask about me." Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. Gabrielle stood on her tip-toes, kissed me on my cheek and patted me on my back "be good" she said. I went across the hall to my classroom and sat down in my seat. I thought about the sex Diana and I had last night, it was straight. It wasn't all of that. That's not normal behavior for us but I ain't tripping. I think I'm starting to catch feelings for Gabrielle. I know she doesn't look at me in that way though.

"You working today?" Pacman asked before unbuckling his seat belt to get out of my car. "No, Diana and I gotta go take pictures with Patience today." My phone rang and it was Leslie. I answered.

Me: what's up?

Leslie: nothing, where you at?

Me: Down on the west end, dropping my boy Pacman off, why?

Leslie: oh? You busy? I wanted to take you out to eat.

Me: Oh no, Patience is a little under the weather, this isn't a good day. Check with me another time?

Leslie: Alright, babe.

Me: bye.

Man, I don't know what's up with Leslie. I don't know why she is so desperate. She's not ugly, I don't know why she's so stuck on me. "You my boy and all but you can't do the shit we used to do, I know you mad about Diana 'cause she out doing her thing but man you handling yours with Patience. But man, don't play with Gabrielle's feelings, she got her issues, but she's a good girl. Don't even respond to me, but just think about it like this, be the man you want Patience to bring home." Pacman dapped me up and got out of the car. Man I don't know why Pacman was telling me all that shit. Pacman stayed down the street from my aunt so I turned around in his driveway and drove off.

When I got to my aunt's house, my Aunt Joyce, my Aunt Sweetie, my cousin Nina and Patience were sitting outside. Nina was playing with Patience. I got out, spoke to my people and went in the house to grab Patience's diaper bag. I went back outside and grabbed Patience, we waved goodbye. I drove home and Diana was sitting on the couch when I opened the door waiting on us. "Hey Diana." I gave Patience to Diana and kissed her. "Hold up! Diana why is your dress so short? What you trying to do? I hope not fuck the photographer, I mean damn, Patience is going to be looking at these pictures. Do you think she wants to see her mother looking like the modern Jezebel?" Diana smacked her lips, rolled her eyes, took a deep breath and said "Darius I just cannot win with you. You act like I'm the worst person in the world. Everything I do is wrong, Patience is my daughter too." "You damn sure don't act like it." I said. Diana rolled her eyes and said "I guess I can change clothes." I mumbled "I guess you can."

After we took our pictures, we headed home. Diana baked cookies. We all cuddled in the bed together like one big happy family.

Diana's grandmother hadn't seen Patience in a week or two so Diana and Patience were going to spend the night at her grandmother's. Diana got up to pack a bag. I helped her tote the bags to her car and kissed her and Patience good night. I hadn't been without Patience very often so I don't know how to deal with this. Patience not being around always catches me off guard and puts me in an awkward state.

After Diana and Patience left I laid in bed resting.

It was only 7 o'clock and I sat in bed watching The Boondocks. I got up out of my bed because I swear I heard Patience crying. I went to her room and stopped at the door because I remembered she was with Diana. It scared me but made me smile. I went back to my room and texted Leslie and asked her to come over.

Leslie came within 15 minutes of me texting her. Leslie and I sat in the living room watching American Dad. She laughed loudly at the jokes but her laugh turned me completely off. I rolled my eyes when she looked away. I don't know what made me invite her stalking ass over any way.

Leslie reached over me and grabbed the remote control to turn the tv off. She turned and faced me, then sat in my lap. She grabbed my face lightly and kissed me. I hadn't had any good sex before Patience was born so I picked Leslie up, carried her to my room and it went from there.

I woke up happy the next morning. I rolled over to check my phone and surprisingly I only had a picture message from Diana of Patience sleeping. It was a shocker that Leslie hadn't texted me. I remembered that I had to pay my rent so I went to the supermarket to get a money order. When I got to the register I reached for my wallet and when I opened it there was no money, only a debit card and a few gift cards.

I went back home to see if I had misplaced the money. I looked all over but my money was nowhere to be found. I called Diana to see if she paid the rent.

She said no and that she had already gave me half of the rent. I knew Diana wouldn't lie about something like that. No one but Leslie could have stolen the money. Now what am I going to do?