were through.
I said, âI didnât know I had to answer to the two of you guys. Yeah, I broke up with her.â
âWhy, dude? Everybody knows that the three of us go with the three of them,â Damarius said.
âItâs our senior year. If yâall donât wanna be single, which you two need to be because of how bad you cheat on them, anyway, then Iâma show you. You ainât gotta be tied down to be cool.â
Damarius replied, âBut everybody knows women like a brotha thatâs already with somebody. If you got game you can play more games.â
âWhatever, D. We just think differently.â
âAll right, do your thing, then, bro.â
The two of them backed away and I went back out on the floor to continue dancing with Amandi. When a slow jam came on, I was about to leave. But Amandi didnât let me get too far. She grabbed me back, pulled my body into hers and we rocked with the groove.
âSo, what was that about, your boys pulling you away and all?â
âMe and my girl broke up and they just want to make sure I know what Iâm doing.â
âYou looking for another girl?â
âNo.â
âBut you are looking for a good time, right?â
âI donât know.â I laughed.
âWell, when that answer is yes, then come to me.â She pulled my head close to hers and planted a kiss on me I wasnât expecting.
The crowd did notice and a lot of oohs and ahhs were all around. Quickly, I tried to find Tori in the crowd. I spotted her as she dashed away.
âUh-uh I gotta go,â I said, tugging from Amandi.
It took me a few minutes to find Tori, but when I did she was down the street walking by herself with her hands over her face, crying. The girl cared about me and I knew that. Dang! But she had to get used to us not being together.
I eased up behind her and said, âHey, hey, hey. Wait a minute.â
âLeave me alone, Perry. Just go back in there and get your groove on. Donât let my being upset stop you.â
âWait a minute, babe. Come here.â I wiped her tears from her face. âShe kissed me . Iâm not trying to hurt you.â
âIf you loved me, you would be patient.â
I didnât know if what I felt for her was love. Weâd been together for a long time, so that should be proof enough to her that I had deep feelings.
âLook, Tori, I do care.â
âBut you didnât even call me all week.â
âI needed some space and plus I had a recruiting visit. I was busy.â
âHave you been broken up about us? Have you been missing me? Huh?â Tori pushed.
âHave you changed your mind? Are you willing to do what I want, Tori?â She turned her head and looked away. âYeah, Iâm sorry. Itâs a tough question for you. But I donât want a no to that question anymore. For us to stay together, on that issue Iâm needing a yes.â
2
Handling My Business
â D ang, boy, you had all day to be ready,â my father said as he abruptly came into my room to get me for the Braves baseball game.
I didnât understand why he always had to talk to me any kind of way. I mean, couldnât he have said, â Son, you ready to go? â Or something like, â Iâm just coming in here to let you know Iâm ready. Iâll be downstairs waiting on you .â Not with my pops. The understanding way he talked to my sister was absent in our conversations, and now he had ticked me off. I had followed him all my life, but suddenly something in me was different now. I wasnât having him come at me incorrectly.
âYou in a rush, Pops? Go ahead and go,â I said as I sat on my bed. I started taking off my hoodie. âIâm sure somebody at the dealership wouldnât mind going in my place.â
âBoy, put that daggone shoe on and get your tail up so we can go! Iâm rushing you because I gotta