“I am better.”
“No you’re not. Somebody has to take you to your therapy sessions.”
“I can drive myself.”
“No you can’t, so stop it. I’m taking care of you till you get better.”
I said nothing and went ahead with the plan. She took me back and forth to my therapy sessions. She helped me clean up; made sure I ate and stood by my side through it all. I was afraid to go to class with my brace on my leg, it was embarrassing. I went in every class session that week except for the one Celius was in. As days went by, I started walking a little bit better and finally decided to face my fear of being in his presence. I was nervously happy he wasn’t there initially, but I was early and he was always late so I couldn’t get my hopes up too quick.
“Good afternoon class,” my teacher Mr. Goodman greeted.
“Good morning,” only few students replied.
I was one of the students that didn’t reply.
“As you all should already know, today is your presentation day and you guys had a whole week to finish it so I’m expecting something good. Who’s going first?”
Nobody said anything. I knew about the presentation but acted like I had no idea. He saw the look on my face and continued, “See me after class because you weren’t here when we talked about the presentation.”
I nodded.
“So since nobody is willing to volunteer, I will start calling names,” he kept on calling names and each corresponding student got up and presented. “Celius Dickson.”
My heart skipped as he called his name. He walked to the front of the class boldly.
“Today I will be talking about breast cancer.”
Everybody including me laughed while Mr. Goodman shook his head. He went on with his presentation and read it word for word. It seemed like somebody wrote it for him. He finally finished his presentation and made the students laugh; being the natural comedian he was. The teacher called on more and more students to give their presentations until it was time to go to the next class. I waited until everybody left before I consulted the teacher about my presentation.
“Sorry professor, I just got back from the hospital yesterday,” I lied to my professor’s face.
“Oh I thought you got back a week ago.”
“Oh no, I just got back.”
I knew where he got his information from.
“Oh ok. Well I’m sorry about your dad and your accident; that was terribly tragic to hear.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“So therefore, you are excused from this presentation.”
“Thank you, sir!” I said with excitement, happy that I didn’t have to stand in front of the class with my brace in clear view to do a presentation with the belief that Celius would be staring right at me.
“You’re welcome. Just let me know if you need anything from me.”
“Ok sir, thank you very much.”
“No problem.”
I exited the class with my head held up high and proceed to my next class.
“Hey!” Somebody said behind me which frighten me because I was deep in thought. I turned around to see Celius right in front of me.
“Oh, hey Celius,” I said trying my best to act normal.
“Hey, you ok?”
“Yeah I’m fine thanks, and good job on your presentation.”
“Thanks,” he said as he laughed, “But you know I didn’t write that, come on I know you’re smart enough to know a dude like me wouldn’t write about breast cancer at all. But, I’ll write about breasts all day.”
We both laughed.
“I knew it!”
He looked down at my brace.
“How is your leg?”
“Not bad,” I replied.
“So when are you going to let me take you out to dinner?”
My heart smiled as he asked, “It don’t matter to me.”
“How about tomorrow?”
“Sounds good,” I tried not to smile but failed.
“You have a nice smile by the way.”
“Thank you,” his presence was making me blush.
“Ok now you making me blush,” he said. We both smiled, "See you at seven?”
“Sounds good.”
“Ok then, see you tomorrow.”
We both walked away and I still had a smile on my face. I attended the rest of my classes with the thought of him on my mind. I couldn’t believe he really asked me out. I was excited as I contemplated on what I was going to wear. I felt the need to put on my very best outfit and I couldn’t wait to get home to tell Reggae the one good thing that happened to me today. I got home to see Reggae lying on her bed fussing on the phone with her sister.
“I told you not to talk to him but your dumb ass didn’t listen. Now you got to face the consequences. Oh whatever, I’m telling mom, so prepare yourself for an ass whooping with a baby in your stomach you slut,” she hung up the phone.
“Is that your little sister you talking to like that?”
“Yeah girl, her fast ass got pregnant!”
“Oh my God, isn’t she only fourteen?”
“Yes girl, shoot she probably slept with the first guy that called her cute.”
“Come on don’t be so dramatic.”
“I’m not, I’m just really upset she let that happen to her… but anyway how was class?”
“It went as expected… well… except for I have a date with Celius tomorrow!”
“Ahhhh! Oh my God, are you serious?”
She jumped of the bed and rejoiced with me.
“What are you going to wear?”
“I don’t know”
“Ok time to go closet shopping! Do you have a red dress?” she asked as she sassily walked into my room to my closet.
“I don’t know.”
“Ok we got to look,” she said as she dug for a red outfit in my closet with no result.
“Ok, we got to go shopping.”
“Why can’t I just wear what I got?”
“Ok listen here bighead, you have on a brace right? Therefore we need something that really pops, something that will distract him from looking at it.”
“Well I guess.”
“Yeah… now let’s go shopping.” She was more excited than me. I never really found shopping too interesting.
We got to the mall and looked through five stores before she found a red dress that was satisfying. It was a dress down to my ankles; skinny sleeve with a built in bra that pushed my cleavage up. There was no need to go shoe shopping because I still had a brace on so sandals would do. I wasn’t worried about my hair because I knew Reggae would take care of it; she always took over anything involving beauty or makeup for me.
I went to class the next morning and I saw him. I was dressed a little bit different this time with the help of Reggae. I had on tight skinny jeans and a shirt that showed a little cleavage. My hair was down and I had on light makeup with my lip gloss. He looked at me and smiled as I walked past him and I smiled back. I stopped giving him eye contact out of being nervous.
“Hey, hey slow down!” he yelled from behind me.
“Oh hey, sorry,” I giggled nervously.
“Wait, first of all you look beautiful,” he said scanning me up and down.
“Oh thanks,” I said with a smile.
“I haven’t gotten your number yet.”
“Oh sorry,” I gave him my number and hurried to my next class still nervous, but I was happy at the same time. I wasn’t worried about how I was going to look, but I was worried about how I was going to present myself to him without messing it up. I finally got home from class and Reggae was ready to make me over. She was more excited than I was.
“Girl I can’t believe you’re going on your first date.”
“I know right?”
“Are you nervous?'”
“No,” I lied.
“Do you already have questions that you want to ask him?”
“Nooo, why do I have to have questi
ons to ask him?”
“Girl, guys love it when the conversation is good.”
“But what does that have to do me asking questions? We can just talk about anything that comes to mind.”
“Ok, if you say so, but whatever you do make sure his fine ass stays around.”
I rolled my eyes at her but at the same time hoping the same thing. I sat down in my reading chair and turned around to notice my clothes and shoes where already out ready to be put on. I was flattered by her efforts. “Awww you’re so sweet girl, thank you for getting my outfit ready.”
“Girl that’s what I am here for. Now come and sit in this chair so we can fix this hair and face of yours.”
I got up from my reading chair and sat down at her personal workstation in which she had a curling iron, straightening iron, foundation, conceal, mascara, eye liners, eye pencils, lipstick, lip gloss and a diamond hair pin which caught my attention. I picked it up as I sat down and admired how beautiful it was.
“That was from my mother. My dad used to buy her stuff every time he hit on her. He used to buy her shoes, cars, jewels, etc., but for some reason out of everything he bought for her, I think this was the most treasurable. This is why I took it without telling her because she would have said no.”
“So you stole it?”
“Sorry, I don’t steal, I took it.”
“Without asking?”
“She will be alright”
“I wouldn’t… sorry I don’t wear stolen stuff.”
“Like as if you have a choice. And it wasn’t stolen.”
“If you say so.”
“Yes I do, now you’re ready.”
“Yes thief.”
“Do you want to get burned?” she said holding up the iron.
“Ok, ok, fine… you took it without asking.”
“Exactly, see I knew you were smart.”
“Whatever,” I let her win that battle because honestly I really did want to wear it. It was like a treasure I didn’t want to put down. The stones were crystal blue and white and they sparkled so beautifully. I was amazed at how attractive it was.
“So why was your dad always beating on your mom?”
“Girl I don’t even know, to tell you the truth, but I think she started enjoying it because she loved the gifts that came after a serious ass whooping.”
“Wow that’s crazy.”
“You ain’t never lie girl, but it is what it is.”
“You never tried stopping it?”
“Girl so many times but the door was always locked and they wouldn’t answer until he was done. So me and my sister would just sit by the door and cry when we would hear our mother take punches then start screaming.”
“Wow I’m so sorry.”
“Oh it’s ok, like I said she enjoys it ‘cause she loves the aftermath,” she concluded as I sat there and let her do my hair and face without interruption. By the time I looked back in the mirror I saw a different Ella.
“Oh my God!”
“I know, I know, thank me later,” she laughed impressed by her work.
“Girl I look so different and beautiful.”
“Yes you do. He is going to be shocked to see you like this.”
I looked beautiful, I felt beautiful and even my inner body felt beautiful. I looked how I would have loved to look every day. It was also my first time wearing a full face of makeup; and I like it.
“Ok stop looking in the mirror and go put on your clothes.”
“Ok fine!” I put on my red dress which was fitted from my breasts down to my waist as the rest was free flowing. My sandals were at the door for when it was time to leave. My phone rang and I answered. “Hello?” I said feeling it was Celius.
“Hey sweetie it’s Celius.”
“Oh… hey,” I said sounding a little nervous.
“Hey sorry I won’t be able to make it.”
“Oh… ok,” my face looked like it dropped in a puddle of mud.
“You’re not even going to ask me why?”
“I mean I’m sure there’s a good reason why you’re calling this off,” I wasn't exactly sure of what I was saying, but I felt disappointed. To my surprise, he laughed.
“I’m just kidding sweetie, I’m about to be on my way.”
“That wasn’t funny!” I said with relief.
“Sorry I just wanted to see if you were a crazy chick or a cool chick.”
“So what category do I fall in?”
“Of course it’s the cool chick side.”
“How so?”
“You didn’t go off on me when you thought I really called off the date.”
“Oh no I wouldn’t do that, things happen.”
“Yeah you’re right. You dressed?”
“Not really but almost,” I lied in an attempt to make him wait for playing that prank on me.
“Will you be ready by the time I get there?”
“At 7:00 still?”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry, maybe around 9:00, because I haven’t taken a shower or nothing yet.”
“Ok,” he said not sounding too happy.
“Kidding! I was just trying to get you back. But I’m dressed.”
“Ha! You’re not that good at pranks either,” he said sounding relieved.
“Well you fell for it.”
“No, no, I didn’t want you to feel bad so I played along with it.”
“Sure you did,” I said as we both laughed.
“So ok since you ready, I should be there soon.”
“Sounds good.”
“See you in few.”
“Ok.”
We both got off the phone as I sat on the couch uncomfortable, trying not to ruin my dress or mess up my makeup. It felt like I was wearing a mask from head to toe and though I loved what I saw in the mirror, I hated the time it took to prepare for it.
‘It takes too much time to be beautiful,’ I said to myself. I contemplated on how I could adjust to this image I found myself fitting in. My phone rang again as I was about to go deep in thought.
“Hello?”
“Hey what side of the building are you on? I’m behind the science classroom right now,” Celius said.
“Ok come around and park on 5th street, I’m in building E.”
“Ok cool, I should be there in less than two minutes then.”
“Ok I’m getting ready to come out now.”
“Ok cool.”
I ran back to the mirror to see if I was still looking good and Reggae came into the bathroom and laughed at me.
“Damn girl you in the mirror like every two seconds, go... get out of here, I’m pretty sure he is outside waiting on you while you’re still in the mirror.”
“OK fine I’m leaving,” I grabbed Reggae’s black clutch with a diamond stone at the top as I walked outside nervous but I was trying not to let my nerves show. This was my first date and I had no idea how to act. I walked outside and saw him standing by the passenger’s side of his car waiting on me to come. I dragged my feet as slow as possible as he waited patiently thinking it was because of my leg injury. He smiled as he met me half way to help me through the rest of the walk. We got in the car and drove to the restaurant. They showed us to our table, and he pulled my chair out before he sat across from me; I could really see how beautiful he was that night. His eyes, his personality as we kept talking, the way he carried himself as a true gentlemen, the way he held a good conversation, and the way he smiled. I could have sworn I had just fallen in love as the butterflies in my stomach sang. But the doubt was I didn’t know what love was because I had never been in love before.
It was time to go but I wasn’t ready to go yet, I was ready to find out more than he had already told me about him. We drove home still talking and laughing. It felt so good because I had never been that happy in my life. I was getting addicted to everything involving him yet I wasn’t sure how he felt about me. I wanted to certainly know so I wouldn’t be the one hurt in the end. Despite my worr
ies, the moment felt so good and he looked happy to be around me.
“I don’t want you to leave just yet,” he said to me as he parked his car in front of my door.
“Me neither."
We sat in the car and talked until it was time for me to finally go, but I still wasn’t ready.
“So when am I going to see you again?”
“Whenever you want to, it’s up to you,” I said, but my mind spoke otherwise. I wanted to see him every second he was on this earth.
“Oh it’s like that?”
“Yeah it is.”
“Oh ok what you doing tomorrow?”
“Nothing really,” I lied knowing I was supposed to be shopping with Reggae the next day; and also to the movies. I just knew she would let me off the hook because she knew how much I wanted to spend time with him.
“How about we go for some ice cream? And then to the park after that.”
“That sounds good,” I said not being a fan of the parks, but I was a fan of his presence.
“Ok cool I will call you tomorrow after school.”
“Ok,” I said as I tried getting out of the car.
“Wait let me help you” he said as he helped me get out the car, as I left not wanting to go. I walked in the house lost in my thoughts as I saw Reggae in the living room watching a movie, then she turned her attention to me.
“Ok I want to know everything and don’t leave anything out.”
“Damn what happened to hello, how did your date go?” I said trying to prolong being forced to talk about it.
“Ok fine how did your date go?” she asked.
“It was good,” my intention was to tell her nothing that happened. I was afraid of her input whether good or bad.
“Ok I want full details.”
“It was no big deal Reggae, it was just a date.”
“Ok now I know you lying. So you’re really going to sit here and tell me the date wasn’t all that when your face was glowing until you saw me sitting here?”
“No Reggae.”
“Then tell me how it went.”
“It was good.”
“More details Ella!” she pushed.
“Ok fine, we ate, drank and talked all night. He is cool and I like him.”
“Mmmm be more specific,” she said, feeling not too satisfied.
I had a feeling that she was just trying to get me to go more into details. I didn’t know how to explain any of it in great detail thinking about the whole night. Besides, I was also afraid to let her know how I actually felt about him after that day. I didn’t want to talk about it so that I wouldn’t get too excited about it. Because in the past, when I do get excited about things too soon, disaster would always strike, therefore I would remain faithful that good things would happen on its own. I snapped back to my first motive, which was not to tell her any details.
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