Teenage Fever

Damario Tells The Truth

"Now why were they fighting again?" Jackson asks as he opens the door to his car. I'm heading to open the passenger door myself.
"I can't even tell you, I was startled when they mentioned Tahj's name."

We pull out and head on the road. I check my phone and noticed that that shit was drier than the Atacama desert. I scrunched up my eyebrows when I realized that I thought about D and what he was doing before thinking about anyone else.

"You gotta get down to the bottom of that fight, it could be a missing component."
"You think they were fighting about Tahj?"
"Well, when you say it out loud it sounds weird. I'm sure their lives don't revolve around that guy."
"I'll ask Brie and probably bring them one at a time aside to talk."
Jackson was nodding his head, agreeing with the plan.

We continued talking as I directed him to D's place.

"This was fun, though a little eerie," Jackson said when he dropped me off. I laughed. "But we gotta hang out again."
I nodded.
"Bet."

When I walked into the apartment I immediately was hit with marijuana smoke. KJ was on the couch playing a video game. His eyes were glued to the screen until I caught is attention briefly.

"What up, Les? Long time no see."
I gave him a head nod.
"How you doing?"
"Never betta brotha, never betta."
I laughed.

I take my time walking into the kitchen, low music is still playing but I didn't recognize the song. I found D sitting at the kitchen table leaning in his chair going through his phone. He had a water bottle in front of him. That serious look was still on his face. He had on a black T-shirt now and was wearing a beaded necklace instead of a chained one. I go to sit down across from him.

"How was your day?" I ask him.
He hasn't looked over at me. He shrugs.
"Bad ass kids gon be bad ass kids."
"Sounds similar to my day," I say and stretch.

It turns silent while I watch him for a minute. Eventually I snap out of whatever daydream I was in and exhale.

"We should talk," I finally voice.

A second later he closes out his phone and his eyes make their way to mine. I got a slight chill just from that movement of his. He watches me from that leaned back position until he abruptly sits up and forward.

"Look, Les, I was out of line and I should have never asked you something like that. I will admit that I feel a way when it comes to you but I'm not going to focus on it because our friendship is more important. Are we good?"
"Yeah, you're my boy," I automatically say but I feel off and I can't put my finger on why.

It almost feels like I'm sad about something. But I shake it off. D's smiling at me again.

"Aiight, time to pop this bottle open."
"Noooo, it's Monday."
He was already up and moving.
"I had a hard day, nigga," he said with his back to me. "Besides, I've been sober since Saturday," he says in a more serious tone.

The air shifts a little because it's obvious he's been hurt by my relationship with Tahj.

"I'll drink with you," I tell him.
He spins on me with a goofy smile on his face.
"Really?"
I try to stifle my laugh.
"Yeah. What you talking about, though?" I ask as I walk over to him.
The bottle pop answers for him.
"Just wine."
"Damn, you a drinker drinker. Just drinking everything under the sun."
I watch him pour my glass.
"Not gonna lie though, I could use this," I say and take the glass.
"Aw shit! Nah nigga, redo redo!" KJ was in the living room yelling.

D indicates with his head for me to follow him. He takes the bottle with him and I follow him to his bedroom.

The lights are low and there is sort of a pink glow to the room. It's much quieter here, KJ's voice barely audible. D goes to sit on the bed.

"Cop a squat," he tells me and pats the spot on the bed besides him.
I do.
There's a pause as we sit side by side drinking our drink.
"I told KJ he could sleep out on the couch tonight, only for tonight."
I nod, not even remotely interested in KJ's problems.

I go back and forth on whether or not I should talk to D about Tahj. While I'm thinking on that D refills my glass.

"How was your day?" He asks.
I shook my head, the drink had been hit.
"Not good at all."
I could feel his eyes on me. I rub my own.
"I think Tahj is lying to me," I tell him.

Silence.

"About...?"
"That I'm not sure."
"Well... have you... this is just a thought... tried, like, TALKING TO HIM?"
Even as confused and upset as I am I still laugh at D's reaction.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"I will, soon, but I guess I just don't want to hear anymore lies."

D doesn't have a response. I wait for a minute and one still doesn't come. I finally look over at him. I catch him fidgeting with his beaded necklace while staring at the ground. He looked so vulnerable.

"What?" I asked him.

I had an urge to touch him, I threw my arm around his shoulders and placed my chin on his shoulder.

"What?" I asked softer.
He sort of snorts and sips his drink. His eyes turn to me.
"I like niggas too," he chuckles.
I back up.
"What?"
He's still watching me.
"I'm gay, Les."
Not only do I back up but I sort of hop over. Only because of my disbelief.
"Get the fuck outta here!" I jump up but D grabs my wrist.
"Deadass! I've never been with a girl."
All I've ever known shot right out the window.
"Stop lying."
But he's laughing.
"I'm not fucking lying, I haven't seen vagina since I came out of one."
I laugh then go back to sitting besides him.
"I mean, what did you really think when I asked to kiss you? On top of that my ex is a guy."
I rubbed my beard.
"For some reason gay did not come to mind at all. At the most maybe bi or bicurious. And you said it was a one and only time for you."
He nods his head with understanding.
"But since when?" I asked, highly intrigued.
"I don't even know, it just fucking happened but I never thought twice about it. I'm saying it now because I gave you the impression like I was once open and it was only a one time thing with me but that ain't the case."
I appreciate his honesty and I wasn't mad.
"Why did you think you couldn't tell me before? I would have found out at some point since we are friends and around each other, you're going to date people."
"I'm sort of in a celibate stage. I don't know how to explain it. I guess I just wasn't in the mood to share or talk about my orientation because it hasn't been on my mind, I've been single for a long time. I've thought about telling you and then the one thing that I was trying to fight happened and I was like fuck it, he'll know for sure now."
He looks at me with his tipsy eyes and shrugs. I couldn't look away from him.
"How many guys you dated?" I eventually asked.

That seemed to break whatever spell was happening. He makes a look while pouring the last bit of wine into his glass.

"Nah nah nigga, we gon skip that part."
I laughed.
"I'm a whole hoe in these parts."

He couldn't even say it with a straight face. We were both cackling.
I don't know how I remembered it since I felt like I was drunk but I asked, "So Jordan was right about you cheating?"

I kind of cringe that I mentioned his name and that I even asked a question like that. D doesn't even seem phased.

"Nah, that nigga was wrong, I never cheated. Maybe I gave him the impression..... but I don't cheat. I meant what I said about not wanting to get my time wasted so I'm not in the business of wasting others'."

I watched him with my head tilted. Took him a while to realize that I was watching him. When he looked back at me I immediately looked away and stretched. I happen to glance at the time.

"Time to sleep off the wine," I say and stand up.
"Les," I hear his voice.
I look at him and felt it. I felt it in my chest and in my stomach.
"Talk to Tahj," he says before picking up the wine bottle with his glass in his other hand and slowly walking out the room. My eyes trailed him the whole way.