“See, you not tired of arguing, if you was then you wouldn't ask so many stupid questions”
“It wouldn't seem stupid if you were open with me”
“You want me to be open with you?”
“Yes”
“You really want me to be open?” I smirked at the happy look on her face. I was tired of her questioning me.
“Ye---”,
Before she could get it out I sneered lowly, “Go to hell”, then I walked away. I wasn't in the mood.
“Well, you know what Derek. You can ---”, I'm pretty sure she said something pretty inappropriate but I stopped listening as I opened the door and went to my next class.
About twenty minutes into the class I got bored and walked out. As I walked out I heard my teacher yell out that she was writing me up, as if I cared.
I went to my car and drove the hour and half to my dads’.
“Hey pops”, I yelled when I got to the screen door that was locked. The door was open so he could hear me through the screen.
“Hey boy”, he yelled out as he sat his gun down and came to open the door.
“Cleaning guns again”, I asked nodding my heads toward them. I guess he collects them.
“Yeah, trying to keep my mind off---”He cleared his throat then continued. “Things”, I knew he was gone say drugs. “Tryna stay busy, nobody cares about me enough to keep me busy”, he said giving me a look that said he was talking about me.
“Get a girlfriend. She'll keep you busy”
“Women bring problems. Problems that will lead me back to you know what so, I'm staying away from them for right now”, he sat down in a lounge chair. I sat across from him on a couch.
“Other than the rehab, what else could there be?” I asked confused on why I had to come see him today.
“I---uh---I got lung Cancer”, he said the last part while rubbing his hand over his eyes to wipe away what was no doubt a tear.
I don't understand how he could have it. My dad is 44, yea that's old but it's not that old. He has a lot of life left to live.
“They can help you though right?”
“I guess. They caught it pretty early so---I don't know I just wanted to be the one to tell you. Not your mama”
“I understand”, we sat in comfortable silence for a while. He likes golf so we watched it for a few hours before I got bored out my mind and stood up.
“I gotta go pops. Homework and stuff”, I lied.
“You need gas money to get back”
“Uh, yea”, he reached in his back pocket and handed me two twenties.
“Take care boy”, my dad said from the porch as I got in my car and drove away.
“Thanks”, I said to the empty car. I knew what I was gone do with the money.
Chapter 4:
Dysfunctional
Demetria
“...5,6,7,8” I repeated the routine to the team for what seemed like the thousandth time. “Again”, I shouted as I turned the music back on. One girl far in the back right corner messed up but tried to play it off. She couldn't quite get back on cue so I stopped the music and shouted, “Again!”
This continued for another hour before I got tired and shouted, “Practice tomorrow. You guys suck so don't expect to leave here before 6” I went to the locker room, got dressed and called Devon.
“Hey”, I said.
“What’s up?”
“Can you come get me?” I asked.
“Uh yea, you’re at the school?”
“Yea”
“Aright, I'm coming”
I hung up and looked around. Good thing Devon lived close by because everyone was leaving, and it was getting dark.
As soon as he pulled up, I jumped in.
“Sup baby, how was practice?”
“Good I guess”, I said as I put my seatbelt on.
“That’s what’s up? So you wanna go to my house?” he asked.
“Nope, got homework”
“D, you know I like you and everything but when we gone---”, I knew what he was gone ask and I also knew the answer.
“When I'm ready”, I said looking everywhere but at him as we drove away from the parking lot.
“And when is that”
“When I'm Ready”, I shouted to him. I was tired of him pressuring me about this same old thing. It's getting ridiculous.
“Okay”, he said like it didn't faze him. We were in uncomfortable silence as he drove to my apartment. When we pulled up Derek was outside talking to some boy in a hoodie. They both were smoking.
When I got out the car they were shaking hands. Derek saw me and Devon so he put out his cigarette and came to the car. I got out.
“Whatsup, Devon”, they shared a manly clap of their hands.
“Nothing much bro”
“Want one”, my brother asked Devon. Devon declined and waved me over to his window. He kissed me innocently and was about to go in for another short kiss when Derek shouted, “Okay, that's enough”, he pulled my elbow back and somehow I ended up on the steps to the apartment. Devon crunk his car back up and was about to drive away. “Ay, boy you better be taking care of my little sister”
“Gotcha”, Devon said as he drove away.
“Why you be messing with him like that”, I asked as we walked up the steps.
“Not you too”, he mumbled.
“What are you talking about”, I said as I opened our door and sat down on the couch.
“You females have been tryin’ me all week”
“The week ain't even over yet”, I said with a laugh.
“I know.”
“You are so irritable”
“Man irritable ain’t even the word no more”
“So what you been doing all day? I know you wasn't at school”
“Just chilin’”, he sat down in a chair stretched out with a cigarette in his mouth and an arm across his stomach.
“Sure”, I rolled my eyes and took out my books. “I brought your homework”
He looked at me weirdly then burst out laughing. “You think I'm finna do that”, he started laughing again. I didn't find it funny that he could care less about anything.
“You should try it sometime”
“Yeah ok”, we started laughing again.
“Shut up with all that noise in there”, my dad yelled out from his room.
“Tell yo pops to take his OLD BEHIND to bed and stop worrying about us”, Derek said loud enough for him to hear.
“Leave it alone”, I said, just as my dad came out of the room.
“What was that?” my dad asked.
“You apparently heard me if you came all the way out the room, I know that's a big step for someone your