by Anne Schraff
Darcy felt her legs buckle, as if someone had pulled a trap door out from under her. “So . . . when will you be leaving?” she stammered, steadying herself, her heart pounding heavily.
“School gets out on June tenth. We’d leave right after that, so it’ll be in two weeks. ” With those words, Hakeem turned away.
“So soon? I didn’t think things would happen so fast,” Darcy said. She knew tears were welling up in her eyes, but she did not care. She wanted Hakeem to see how much he meant to her, how devastated she was. Tears rolled down both sides of her face.
“Aren’t you even upset?” Darcy challenged, angered by how unemotional he seemed. “This could mean the end for us!”
“Look, Darcy, don’t make this any harder,” Hakeem replied, finally turning around. “I don’t like it any more than you do. ” Then he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed toward Bluford. Darcy wanted him to say something else, something more, but he was silent. She felt cheated, as if events were conspiring to make her life miserable.
“Hakeem, wait!” Darcy cried. “There must be something you can do to stay. ” She hurried behind him as he spoke.
“Darcy, just drop it!” he snapped, turning back to her. Darcy noticed for the first time that his eyes were puffy and red. “I’m moving to Detroit, and that’s it. There’s nothing anybody can do about it. ” Hakeem stormed off, leaving her standing alone in the parking lot. Through a blur of tears, Darcy watched him climb the steps into Bluford and vanish inside, without looking back.
At lunchtime, Darcy sobbed on Tarah’s shoulder. “He’s leaving right after school’s out, and he doesn’t even care!”
“Of course he does, girl,” Tarah comforted her. “Why else did he get so angry? You think he wants to leave all his friends behind and not be here to finish high school? He’s leaving everything, not just you. ”
“But we had everything all planned out,” Darcy explained. “We were going to go to the junior and senior proms together. And we’d all graduate together in two years and—”
“Darcy, I’m sure Hakeem wanted to do those things too,” Tarah interjected.
“But, he won’t even talk to me,” Darcy said. “I feel like we used to be so close, but not anymore. Now he’s just shut me out completely. ”
“Darcy, that boy’s whole family is in all kinds of turmoil, you hear what I’m sayin’? And Hakeem’s got to think of his family first. It’s only right,” Tarah said. “He’s been your boyfriend for a few months, but he’s been in that family for seventeen years. ”
Before Darcy could reply, she noticed Brisana Meeks approaching the lunch table.
“Oh great, here comes Brisana,” Darcy mumbled. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to her. Only a year ago, Darcy would have looked forward to seeing Brisana. But ever since Darcy had befriended Cooper and Tarah, Brisana had become rude. Darcy had spoken to Brisana about her attitude, and it helped. But whenever Brisana saw Darcy with Tarah or Cooper, she still seemed bitter and hostile. To make matters worse, Tarah did not have much patience for Brisana. Each time the two girls got near each other, there was an uncomfortable tension between them. As Brisana got closer to the table, Darcy braced herself, hoping that Tarah and Brisana would be civil to each other.
“Hi, Darcy,” Brisana said, ignoring Tarah. “I hear Hakeem is leaving Bluford. You must be upset. But not too upset,” she added with a smile.
“What are you trying to say, Brisana?” Darcy asked.
“I saw you riding around with Brian Mason yesterday, so I figure you are bouncing back from Hakeem, real quick,” she replied snidely.
Oh no, she’s starting trouble again, Darcy thought. “Listen, Brisana, I’m just babysitting for his sister Liselle after school,” Darcy explained. “He gave me a ride home. That’s all. ”
“Darcy, you don’t have to explain nothin’ to her,” Tarah said, turning to Brisana. “Girl, this ain’t any of your business, and if you don’t have anything else to say, then I suggest you get steppin’ right now. ” Tarah added, rolling her neck, with her hands on her hips.
“Anyway,” Brisana said, frowning and turning back to Darcy. “I just thought you should know the kind of guy you’re running around with. ”
“I’m not running around with anyone, Brisana,” Darcy snapped. “All he did is give me a ride home because he was being nice. There’s no law against that. ”
“Trust me, Darcy,” Brisana replied, “it’s an act. Brian Mason’s only nice to girls because he wants one thing. You better stay away from him or you’re going to run into trouble. Believe me, I know. ”
“Girl, don’t you be tryin’ to make trouble,” Tarah said, standing up. “You heard what Darcy said. He was just bein’ nice. So you need to mind your own business, like I told you before. Goodbye. ”
Brisana turned and stormed away without a word.
“See,” Tarah said loud enough for Brisana to hear. “That’s how you have to handle her, girl. She’s like those flies that try to ruin cookouts. You just gotta swat ’em away. ”
Darcy got up shaking her head. She could not be bothered worrying about what Brisana said. Her mind was still on Hakeem. As she emptied her lunch tray, she wondered what would happen in the months to come.
“I hope you don’t stop livin’ ’cause of all this,” Tarah said, interrupting Darcy’s thoughts.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I hope you don’t turn your life off once Hakeem leaves. You can still have fun, girl. ”
“No, I can’t,” Darcy said softly, her voice beginning to crack. “This ruins everything, especially the summer. I wanted us to do so many things together. ”
“This won’t ruin the summer,” Tarah insisted. “Me and Coop have all kinds of things planned. We gonna be at the beach all the time, havin’ cookouts, and dancin’. It’ll be lotsa of fun. ”
“Tarah,” Darcy wailed, “don’t you understand? I can’t just forget about Hakeem!”
“Girl, I ain’t tellin’ you to forget about him. You can write him letters, and you can call him, too,” Tarah said. “But, don’t stop your life, girl. You ain’t even a junior. You can’t act like a widow. Besides, if you don’t stop all that crying soon, your eye-balls are gonna fall out of your head. ”
Darcy smiled. “Thanks, Tarah,” she said, wrapping her arms around her friend. Just then, the bell sounded, signaling the end of the lunch period. Darcy and Tarah quickly headed into the hallway to get to their next class.
“It’ll be okay, girl. You’ll see,” Tarah said, as she turned down a separate corridor.
Darcy was grateful for her friend’s support, but as she watched Tarah disappear in a crowd of students, she knew there would be more tears ahead.
After school, Darcy went straight to Liselle’s apartment. It was her first day babysitting Kelena.
“Hey, Darcy,” Liselle said, opening the apartment door. “Come on in. ” As Darcy entered, Liselle grabbed a backpack from a nearby table. “Kelena is asleep in her crib. I left two bottles of milk in the fridge, some snacks on the kitchen counter, and there’s a box of toys right next to the crib,” Liselle explained.
“We’ll be fine,” Darcy replied. “You just concentrate on school, and don’t worry about me and Kelena. ”
“I’m kinda nervous about goin’ back,” Liselle admitted. “I been out for so long, everything might sound like a different language to me. ”
“Liselle, you’re gonna do great,” Darcy said enthusiastically. “You’ll be at the head of your class in no time. ”
“Girl, I hope so. This is my chance to make a better life for me and my baby. I owe it to her, to both of us,” Liselle said, glancing toward Kelena’s crib.
“You’re a good mom,” Darcy said sincerely. “And, I’m sure Kelena’s gonna be real proud of you one day. ”
“Thanks, Darcy. ” Liselle smiled and took a deep breath. “Well, I want to get there a little early on my first day. Maybe that’ll calm these nerves
down. ” She waved goodbye and headed out the door.
Darcy then went to check on Kelena. The baby was sleeping soundly, so Darcy tiptoed back into the small living room, grabbed her history textbook from her backpack, and sat on the couch. After several minutes of silence, she heard someone inserting a key into the door lock.
It must be Liselle, Darcy thought. She probably forgot a book or something. Quickly, Darcy went to open the door. As she turned the knob, the door pushed open from the other side, and Brian Mason stood before her.
“Hi, Brian,” Darcy said, unsure of what else to say. Liselle had not mentioned he would be coming.
“What’s up, Darcy?” he said with a smile. “I almost forgot you’d be here today. ”
Quickly, she backed away from the door so he could come into the apartment. “It’s my first day on the job,” Darcy explained. “I just got here a little while ago. ” She could smell Brian’s cologne, strong, but pleasant. He was wearing baggy black jeans, boots, and a snug black T-shirt, which emphasized his broad shoulders. He is really handsome, Darcy thought. “Aren’t you working today?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he answered, walking into the apartment with his hands behind his back. “I have to get to work, but I wanted to give you something for your first day here. ” He pulled his arm from behind his back and gave Darcy a single red rose. “For you. ”
For an instant, Darcy was speechless. She could not believe Brian was giving something so nice to her.
“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed. “A rose! But, why?”
“Because you’re one beautiful girl,” Brian said. “And because it’s your first day sittin’ with the baby. Consider it a thank you from me, Kelena, and my sister. ”
Darcy took the rose. “Thank you, Brian. It’s beautiful. ” The delicate petals felt like red velvet in Darcy’s fingers.
“Well, I gotta go to work, Darcy. I just wanted to leave you with something special today,” he said, turning toward the door. “I’ll see you again soon. ” Then he walked out.
In the quiet of the empty living room, Darcy examined the rose. No one, not Hakeem or anyone else, had ever given her a flower. Twirling the stem in her fingers, Darcy felt a thorn prick her thumb.
“Ouch,” she cried, as a tiny bead of blood appeared where the thorn had stabbed her.
Sucking the salty blood from her thumb, Darcy wondered about Brian. Had he given her the flower just to be nice, or did the rose mean something more?
Chapter 4
Looking at the red rose in her hand, Darcy wondered what Hakeem would say if she told him about Brian’s present. Of course, the rose doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a friendly gift, Darcy assured herself. But would Hakeem feel the same way?
A tinge of guilt crept into Darcy’s mind. She figured Hakeem might be jealous if he knew about the flower, and she did not want to give him anything more to worry about. But the idea of hiding it from him seemed dishonest. What bothered her more was how much she enjoyed that Brian had given it to her. Darcy knew she could not tell Hakeem that.
Liselle returned from school several hours later. Darcy was playing with Kelena when she heard the door open.
“Girl, if the first day was this hard, I don’t know how I’m gonna make it through the rest of the semester,” Liselle said wearily. Her eyes focused on the rose on the table.
“It’s from Brian,” Darcy explained, “He said it was a thank you from all of you. ” Liselle’s face twisted into an expression that Darcy could not read. Uncomfortable with the awkward silence, Darcy quickly changed the subject. “Kelena’s been an angel,” Darcy said.
“Thanks a million, Darcy,” Liselle replied, her face becoming more relaxed. “I just don’t know what I’d do without you. ”
“Don’t mention it,” Darcy said. “So, I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. ”
Walking out of the apartment, Darcy grabbed the rose and held it close to her chest. She wondered why Liselle acted so strangely when she noticed the flower.
At home, Darcy put the rose in a tall vase and placed it on her bedroom windowsill. Then she joined Dad and Jamee in the kitchen, where Dad was preparing dinner and Jamee was helping him. They were laughing together when Darcy entered. “You call that chopped green pepper?” Dad teased. “It looks more like mashed pepper. ”
“Yeah, well, you left so many lumps in the mashed potatoes, we should call them lumped potatoes,” Jamee said, laughing. For a second, Darcy felt as if she had stepped back in time. Jamee and Dad’s laughter reminded Darcy of the days before Dad left. Back then, family meals were sacred, and each Sunday Dad cooked something special he had learned from his years working in restaurants. Vivid memories of the past swirled in the air with the scent of Dad’s pork chops in red cajun sauce.
“Hey, baby. ” Dad smiled at Darcy. “I hope you brought an appetite with you. We got enough food here for an army, and Mom’s workin’ late tonight again. ”
Dad’s work schedule at the store gave him two days off in mid-week. Since the week Jamee ran away months ago, he had made an effort to spend those days making meals for the family. It was as if he tried to make up for years of lost family dinners by cooking each week.
“Well, I’m starvin’ for some mashed peppers and lumpy potatoes,” Darcy joked as she sat down at the kitchen table. She looked around and noticed that her grandmother was missing. “Where’s Grandma?” she asked.
“She’s restin’ in her room,” Dad said. “Grandma isn’t feelin’ well today. ”
“She’s been in bed since I came home from school,” Jamee added, exchanging a concerned glance with her father.
A wave of sadness washed over Darcy. Recently, she noticed that her grandmother’s health seemed to be declining. Darcy clung to the hope that Grandma would bounce back to her former self, but with each passing day, it seemed less and less likely.
Dad and Jamee joined Darcy at the table. Before eating, Dad blessed the food and announced that Mom was considering taking a part-time position at the hospital.
“Did she really say she would?” Darcy asked, surprised.
“Well, she’s thinking about it,” Dad said. “She’s thinking hard on it. ”
“Isn’t that great, Darce?” Jamee said. “Then Mom will get to be home more, and we could eat together, just like we used to. ”
Darcy nodded. Her mind raced with memories of how her mother had suffered after Dad left. Darcy wondered if it would be the same for her if Hakeem moved away.
“Darcy, you okay?” Dad asked. “You seem like you’re someplace else. ”
“No, no. ” Darcy smiled weakly. “I’m fine. Dinner looks great,” she added, hoping to change the subject. She saw Dad eyeing her carefully, but he said nothing.
After the dishes were done, Darcy mustered up the courage to dial Hakeem’s number. She felt her heart pound as she pressed each of the digits. She did not know what she was going to say, but she had to speak to him. The phone rang twice before Hakeem’s mother answered. “Hello?” she said, her voice tense.
“Hi,” Darcy said. “May I speak to Hakeem, please?”
“Just a minute,” Hakeem’s mother sighed as if she were relieved and annoyed at the same time.
Darcy’s hands trembled as she waited for him to pick up the phone. After several agonizing seconds, Hakeem’s voice came through the other end.
“Hello?”
“Hakeem,” Darcy began in a shaky voice, “I’m sorry to bother you, but—”
“Darcy, I can’t talk right now,” Hakeem said. “I’m sorry, but we’re expecting a call from my uncle. ”
“Is there any time we can talk?” Darcy asked, hating how desperate her voice sounded.
Hakeem hesitated and then replied, “I’ll call you tomorrow night, okay? I promise. ”
“Okay,” Darcy replied.
“Thanks for understanding. Gotta go,” Hakeem said and hung up the phone.
Darcy stared at the phone for a while before hanging it up, her ey
es wet with tears.
On Saturday morning, Darcy woke up feeling depressed. Unable to reach Tarah over the phone, she decided to stay home the entire day. Closing her bedroom door, she started to unpack the boxes that remained in her room from the previous week’s move.
For several hours, she put up posters, organized her closet and arranged her tiny wooden desk. She even placed her one picture of Hakeem next to her bed the way it had been in her old room.
In one old box, she also discovered a tattered photograph of her grandmother taken many years ago. The sight of Grandma so young and strong only added to Darcy’s sorrow.
At noon, the phone rang, and Darcy answered it.
“Hey girl, can you do me a favor?” a woman’s voice asked. Immediately Darcy knew it was Liselle. Before Darcy had a chance to reply, Liselle explained that she needed extra time to study at the local library. Reluctantly, Darcy agreed to watch the baby.
“Thanks for comin’ by on such short notice,” Liselle said when Darcy arrived. A full backpack hung heavily from Liselle’s shoulder. “By the way, Brian’s working until 6:00 so you don’t have to worry about him bugging you,” Liselle added and paused thoughtfully. “You do have a boyfriend, right?”
“Yeah,” Darcy replied, surprised by the question.
“Good,” Liselle sighed, as if what Darcy said had somehow calmed her. “So, y’all been going together for a long time?”
“Six months,” Darcy said, wondering why Liselle was so curious.
“You go, girl!” Liselle exclaimed. “I’m happy you got someone special. You deserve it. Just be careful and make sure you protect yourself. You don’t wanna end up like I did, seventeen and pregnant. ”
“We never . . . um . . . I mean, we don’t have anything to worry about,” Darcy stammered, a bit surprised by Liselle’s frankness. “His family might be moving away in the next week or two. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with us this summer. ”