Tevin, a stuck up sophomore from Manhattan, attends Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
He gets along with mostly everyone there....except one.
Marcus Williams. Star athlete, charmer and public enemy #1, as far as Tevin is concerned.
Gee, I won...
"Tevin? Tevin!!! Earth to Tevin! Do you copy? Bestie!!!" I'm currently taken out of out my thoughts, listening to Sunshine by Lil' Flip (PLAY TRACK NOW) when Sydney (Syd for short) tapped my left leg from the front seat. I look up and smile absentmindedly, taking out my ear buds in the process. I observe my surroundings to see we have arrived.
Kennedy International Airport.
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"Man, we're here bro," said Jaden, Syd's boyfriend and my other best friend. "I can't believe that your actually going. What am I gonna do without my brother from another mother?"
"I don't know Jaden", I chimed in. "Maybe...I dunno, kick it with your actual 8 brothers or your hockey team, basketball team or, you know, here's a stretch: your girlfriend Syd!!"
"Thank you best friend! It's like he doesn't even realize that he has a diamond in his grasp."
"Aww pookey, you know you're my one and only. Don't forget that cookie lips."
"Aww Honey Bear, you're so sweet, I could just kiss you cheeks all day under the sun for infinity."
"Guys, its literally raining right now." I couldn't stand it when these two get mushy. The consequences of being the third wheel.
"Our bad," they said in unison while laughing. Jaden then goes to park out near the terminals. He manages to find the right spot between two cabs (which never happens by the way) and turns the car off. He pops the trunk, revealing my six bags and two suitcases. I was really dreading this whole thing.
I'm a New York City guy, via Manhattan. Graduated top of my class, valedictorian, 4.0 GPA and could get into any college in the country....except the one that I wanted: NYU.
Since I was 9 years old, I dreamed of attending New York University to major in Music Education with a minor in Music Business management. For some strange ass reason, NYU did not accept me. Even though I rocked my initial interview with the admissions board; I swear I was a shoo-in.
But I guess my journey took a different route. No letter of acceptance or rejection. I felt so defeated, but Mother, being ever so diligent, says that whatever university says yes, I was going.
Fisk University in Nashville said yes, so here I am at JFK airport, getting ready to leave the greatest city in the world...for country music and dive bars.
This is such bullshit, to be honest.
"Tevin," began Syd, "Now I want to you have fun down there in Nashville, okay? I want you to experience new things. And please, for the love of God, don't be so...yourself."
"Um, I'm sorry? Did you just tell me to not be myself? How the hell did you come up with that?"
"Because, you're uppity bro. I'm half-white and I'm more black than you. You can't go down there acting like the preppy white snobs you and Syd went to high school with on the Upper East side. So when you're at Fisk, be a little more A Different World and less 'XOXO, Gossip Girl'."
"I beg your pardon, but I don't act white."
"Sweetheart, you just said I beg your pardon. It doesn't get any much whiter than that. I mean, I should know; I'm white."
"Being from Manhattan and speaking with proper grammar doesn't mean you act white or act non-black, or whatever it is. Besides, you can't act a color, that's just asinine."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Rogers." I send Jaden an evil glare for that slick-ass comment, which prompts both him and Syd to laugh. Once we enter terminal B, it hits me. I'm really leaving home. New York is all I've ever known. The dirty city streets; the bums digging through trash cans; the busy traffic that led to traffic jams and that's just the view from the top floor of my penthouse. I really feel like I'm gonna be lost.
"You guys, I don't wanna go." They turn around at me with confused expressions. Syd walks close to me, rubbing my back like she always does when I'm nervous. Just then, Jaden speaks up.
"Tevin, you got this. We've been in N.Y. our whole lives. Don't you for once wanna say 'YEAH, I'm TEVIN FUCKING SMITH. I ruled NYC and now, Im finna be the king of Nashville, Tennessee." He chuckled that last part, realizing how stupid it sounded.
I just glared again, struggling to hide my smirk from him and Syd. God, I love my friends.
"Listen," began Syd, "all jokes aside, you'll be fine. You got book smarts, hell you from up North so you definitely got street smarts, and its not like you'll be alone. Your sister Vanessa is down there working."
"I know, but I won't see her. She's deep in the music scene down there and since she got with Trevor, she basically fell off the face of the Earth. Its just been Vincent and I to deal with Mom's anger about it."
"Speaking of Vincent, how is my future husband?"
"HEY! That's not funny! You KNOW I don't like Vincent. No offense Tevin."
"None taken. That's y'all's beef. Not mine..."
"The flight to Nashville, TN will be boarding for lift off in approximately 10 minutes. All passengers please report to Terminal D for transport."
We all gasped and rushed to the terminal in just enough time. I handed the first-person my ticket, which she accepted. Before I enter the runway, I turn to see Syd and Jaden, hand-in-hand, waving goodbye and mouthing a 'see you soon'.
As I turn around thinking this is a fairytale ending of my first life chapter, Jaden ruins it:
"YO TEV! GET YOU SOME GOOD DICK DOWN SOUTH WHILE YOU DOWN THERE FAM!!! I BELIEVE IN YOU, BUDDY!!!"
I immediately cringe. Shaking my head, I shoot them a backwards ✌🏼 and head towards my window seat. As the flight attendant helps me with my bags, I start to get comfortable in my first-class seat. Another stewardess arrives to assist me.
"Hello sir, welcome to first class. We hope you have a safe flight. Would you like a beverage to start off with?"
"Rum and coke. Heavy on the rum, please."
"Nerves getting to you?"
"Oh yeah. BAD."
"Well, I'll get that for you quickly. If you need anything, I'm on call. The name's Ashley by the way."
"Thanks Ashley."
"No problem. Let me go get that drink for you." Ashley leaves, and I just look out the window. I sigh realizing, I'm really about to say goodbye to The Big Apple.
