It Comes Naturally

10.

Waking with a smile on her face was pretty exceptional for Erica after a wonderful day at school and a memorable first date with her crush. Feeling the sun shining through the white sheer curtains, a squeal escaped her, thrashing her arms and legs about in wild joy she remembered her date all over again. "I'm Elijah Johnson's girlfriend. Whoa!" she said aloud. The grin on her face didn't disappear, any signs of it disappearing haven't surfaced and it most likely won't. Erica was feeling giddy, happy, ecstatic all those words and many more can describe how she was feeling. 
Finally rolling out of her rumpled bed, she connected her phone to the Bluetooth speaker and played her favorite music playlist. Bouncing around her room and singing along to the songs,  she prepared her outfit for the day and overlooked her homework. Standing before her mirror, she began to brush out her long dark hair, thinking of a simple tyle to place it in without tugging at her sensitive scalp.  

"Okay hair. Work wid me now," she muttered aloud. Massaging her scalp with hair lotion, an incoming call interrupted the soulful vocals of her love Sam Smith. Craning her neck to see her phone, she quickly dashed to it to answer the call. "Hi!"

"Hi!" 

Her cheeks were actually hurting now, Elijah's still sleep-filled voice and husky laugh were doing a number on her. "Good morning," she said softly.

"Morning, baby. Slept well?"

Erica silently squealed and fist-pumped into the air when he called her 'baby'. Adopting a cool facade she answered him appropriately. "I did. Yesterday was rell fun. What about you? You good?"

"Half and half. On one hand, anxious and excited to see my girlfriend, on the other hand, I'm worried as fuck along with my family. Everything is happening back to back, no time to assess all that's happening," he answered. She can hear the loving morning greetings from his family in the background along with barks from his dogs. For a worried bunch, they sounded pretty okay.

"Wah wrong? Wah happen?" Erica asked instantly. Elijah chuckled at her concerned own and sweet her accent is.

"Harem's best friend is in some sort of trouble. He flew out to New York last night. We don't know much but by his call, we know it must be something big."

"Wait. So he jus' leave home jus' so? To another state? By he self?" Erica was shocked. She sat heavily on her bed thinking of the new culture she now had to adjust to. Privilege like leaving your parents house in the middle of the night to 'help a friend was breaking news to her. Back on the island, she will be begging all night to go see that friend. Heck, sleeping out would have been a huge debate. From what she was told, Harem was staying at Elijah's older sister's house. Talk about living different lives. 

"There's a security team in New York who is with him now plus his parents are there. He notified my dad about his situation so he's in the clear. Babe, it's okay. Please don't think of us as rich spoiled brats. Our folks understand our loyalty to our friends and trust us to make the right decisions."

"Nah. Nah. I not sayin' dat. It's jus' different to how I was raised. Your parents....." Erica stopped and thought about what she was about to say.  She didn't want to say much about her verbally abusive mother and tension-filled household when it's so early in their relationship. She will admit the idea of having a parent who was supportive and loving. Julius was now in her life and he was proving to be the type of parent she now needs.

"My parents, what, babe?" Elijah pressed.

"Your parents seem ideal," she backtracked.   

"They're pretty cool. More like our best friends but there when we need them." 

Out of curiosity, Erica asked the next question. "You an' yuh mammy close?"