Page 9

KIMBERLY

“H ow long you been here?” Darius ran over to me and scooped me into his arms.

“Not too long. I caught hell trying to get the balloons in. I accidently let a few of them fly away. I didn’t think this one out too good.” I chuckled.

“Nah, man, I’m just happy to see you. What’s been good? I been worried sick?—”

“You’ll never believe it but I’m with my dad now.”

“What?!”

“Things went from bad to worse. After the police took you and Todd, my mom lost it and wouldn’t let up off me. She not about to leave dude and I refuse to be in the house with him. It feels like she is picking him over me, like she could care less about my feelings.”

“How did you get linked with your pops?”

I gave Darius a shortened version of how the female officer, Officer Bell, was successful in contacting my dad and he showed up less than two hours later.

“We’re staying at the Holiday Inn express in the bridal suite for the weekend then we’ll be going back up north.”

“How is that going?”

“It’s been fine. It’s different in the burbs. I thought it would be weird because I didn’t know what to expect from my dad. All I could think about was my mom telling me that he wants no part of me. But the moment he laid eyes on me, he has shown me that he cares, if nothing else.”

“Yeah, cause he came for you.”

“That part.” I agreed.

“Have y’all talked?”

“A lil, but to be honest, he has been giving me my space to adjust. He’s been busy meeting with his lawyer a lot trying to get things sorted out so I can’t be taken from him. Today he is visiting with people he knows around here. He got the hotel room for me really because he is barely there and so that I wouldn’t have to be up in the burbs by myself.”

“What about your stuff?”

“I was able to take all my shoes, clothes, and personal stuff. The furniture, my dressers, desk and tv I left there. All the pictures and posters on my wall I left there.”

“At least you gettin’ away from here. And school?”

“Haven’t thought that far just yet but I guess I’ll be going to one up there.”

Darius had placed all of his gifts on the bed next to us. He hadn’t opened the card I made or his gift yet, but I wasn’t tripping. Just knowing he was okay and the fact I got to see him one last time before he was gone was all that mattered.

Darius caught me up on what happened to him after he got arrested and I thought it was dope how his dad had showed up for him just as mine had done for me.

“Isn’t it crazy that we both with our dads?” I chuckled.

“Very crazy. Speaking of that, I leave tomorrow.”

“Damn tomorrow?!”

“Yep. Come take a ride with me.”

I followed him out to his car, taking in every little detail that I could, hoping to engrave it in my memory. I was going to miss Darius, hell, I was missing him already.

“Tomorrow is so soon.”

“I gotta get down there and settled in. I’ll be staying with my pops for a minute while I go through an intense training camp. Then once school starts the plan is for me to be on campus.”

“How exciting!”

“You should apply to GSU?”

“Ion know if going away like that is something I’m ready for. Who knows how I will feel by next year though. A lot can happen in a year.”

* * *

Rock by Plies was blasting through the speakers as Darius coasted down I-95 headed south to the hundreds. Darius bopped his head and rapped along to the song as I smiled and looked out the passenger window. My mind was flooded with thoughts of everything that was going on in my life; the good, bad and the fear of the unknown. Me and my mom weren’t talking at the moment, but my dad was now in my life. Darius and I were now connected on a different level, but he was about to move away, and in a way, so was I. My life was going to completely change, and it scared me to death, yet I hated the life I had and prayed every night for a change, and I got it.

One of the first things my dad got me was a cell phone. He thought it was ridiculous that I was a seventeen-year-old without a cell phone, more so for safety reasons if nothing else. I made sure to give Darius my number so that we could keep in touch. I was still processing the fact that he was moving to Georgia tomorrow. It was crazy that we wouldn’t be able to hang out anymore.

I could feel myself getting emotional, and I didn’t want to look like a weirdo crying out of nowhere, so I cocked my eyes to the left. I was told that when you looked up and to the left, it would prevent tears from falling, but this time it didn’t work.

“Why you cryin’?”

“Just thinking ‘bout everything. It’s just a lot, you know.” I sniffled.

“You gon’ be good, KK. You a muthafucka soldier, a rockstar and a fighter, you might bend every now and then, but you will never break. Don’t ever forget that shit!” Darius encouraged. “I feel you though cause I’m excited and fucked up ‘bout leaving, too.” Darius reached over and held my hand then glanced over at me with sadness filled in his eyes.

When we reached our destination, I looked out the window and a bright ass neon sign flashed that read ‘Ink’ed Chicago Tattoo Shop’ in red, black, and white.

“Uh, where are we going?”

“You trust me, right?”

“Ion know; depends on what’ you’re about to do.”

When we went into the tattoo shop, Darius dapped it up with a guy named Vance and started babbling about getting some work done. When dude said he could do us both I regretted that I wasn’t more invested in their conversation from the start.

“Both of us as in who and doing what, cause Darius, I’m not getting a tattoo if that’s what you’re thinking. I just got back in good with my dad and now you want me to do some shit that’s gon’ get me tossed back to the curb. You tried it.”

Darius busted out laughing.

“Listen, come over here for a second.” We walked off to the side then Darius took one of my hands in his. “I know this looks crazy but hear me out.”

Can You Stand the Rain by New Edition was playing in the background, as I listened to Darius convince me into getting a tattoo.

“You know I been wanting to get a tat for min, and I want you to be with me for my first one.”

“But dude said he could do us both.”

“On the way here, I thought of something else. We need to get something that will always remind us of each other.”

“So, you want me to get your name, and I get yours?”

“Hell nah.” He laughed. “Something more personal, more intimate.”

The way he was looking at me, if he would’ve asked me to get the statue of liberty tatted on my ass, I would’ve done it.

“I’m only seventeen, you gotta be at least eighteen?—”

“Don’t worry ‘bout that. It’s already taken care of; all you gotta do is say yes.”

“Depends on how big this tattoo you talking about is.”

“I’ma get ‘U’ and the plus sign on my pointer finger, and you will get the word, ME, on yours. When we put our hands together it will read, U + ME, signifying the bond that you and I have. This being my first tat as well as yours, it’s just another first we get to experience together. It’ll always be that…U + Me no matter what. Distance won’t change that. I promise.”

Now I was crying because who knew Darius was this sentimental? I knew I had no business getting a tattoo, but I didn’t care.

“I love it.”

Once we were done, we got some Jamaican food from a place called Jerk King, then headed back to his house. On the way back I kept looking at the piece of gauze that was wrapped around my finger. Whether we ever talked or saw each other again our finger tattoos will always be a reminder of each other. It’s so small, meaningful, and intimate, which was a perfect representation of what we meant to each other.

Right as Darius was parking, my dad called.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, Kimmie, I’m just checking on you. Are you ready for me to pick you up?”

“We just got some food. I have a ride back to the hotel, so you don’t have to pick me up.”

“You sure?”

“I’m positive. Soon as I finish eating, I’ll head that way.”

“Okay, well, I might be back kinda late. If you need anything just let me know.”

Once I hung up, we went inside. Darius’s mom was nowhere to be found; thank God, as we quickly went into the basement.

“Yo pops seem cool as hell.”

“So far, he has been. He doesn’t smother me. I think he just wants me to accept him cause ain’t no telling what my mom has told him.”

“I hope shit with me and my pops go smooth too.”

“It will, I know it will.” I encouraged him.

After we ate, I helped him pack the rest of his things and put them in his car.

“Maybe I should head to the hotel. You should probably get some rest for your long drive.”

“If you’re ready I’ll take you. I was just hoping to spend a lil longer with you.”

One thing led to another, then the next thing I knew, I was butt naked under Darius’s comforter on his bed and he was naked, on top of me, and pumping in and out of me with everything he had in him while whispering how much he was going to miss me. The whole time I rode each wave of ecstasy with tears flowing from my eyes, knowing I was going to miss Darius something terrible.

* * *

I lost count of how many times Darius made me cum, but that last one put us both out. His phone ringing woke us up from a deep slumber.

“Oh my God, what time is it? I gotta go? I shoulda been left.” I huffed as I checked my phone.

Thankfully my dad was still out and hadn’t made it to the hotel cause he didn’t call. Darius kept ignoring whoever was calling him, then wrapped his arms around me.

“You gotta take a quick shower. Last thing I wanna do is drop you off to your pops smelling like sex.”

I planned on showering once I got there but Darius was right. I took a shower first then while I waited for Darius to get dressed, I texted my dad and told him that I was on my way to the hotel. He responded right away and at first, I thought he was going to be pissed that it was after ten at night and I hadn’t made it there when I told him around six earlier, I was on the way, but he wasn’t. He just told me he would see me later.

On the ride to the hotel instead of feeling excited about not having to go home my heart was breaking. My best friend and first true love was legit really about to leave me. I just prayed that moving forward I wouldn’t lose anyone or anything else close to me at least for a long time. My heart wouldn’t be able to take much more.