•͟U͟N͟D͟E͟R͟S͟T͟A͟N͟D͟ ͟c͟a͟r͟t͟i͟u͟z͟i͟•͟

V

I didn't know what it was I needed; I knew that I liked Jordan, what else was I supposed to do?

"It's not like I can go tell someone," I thought, "unless- what if I told Rakim?" I would assume that he'd understand. I mean, hell, we'd been friends for over 4 years at this point, I should hope he understood. I reluctantly picked up my phone, staring at Rakim's number, ready to hit the dial button on a moment's notice.

After a moment of inner contemplation, I hit the green telephone-shaped symbol. Rakim answered almost immediately.

"What's up, my child?" he asked, in an energetic tone. "You think we can go to like Dairy Queen or something?" I requested, "I just really need to tell you something." Rakim hesitated.

"Um, yeah I guess we can," he replied, "but can't you just tell me what you need to over the phone?"

"No," I said, almost shouting in anxiety, "it's just one of those things I absolutely need to tell you in person, ya know?"

"I guess," he studdered, "I'll be over in 15 minutes." I thanked him, and hung up. Over the next 15 minutes, I contemplated how I would tell him.

"Should I tell him gradually, or just unleash it all at once?" I thought over, "should I mention Jordan? No, don't bring people you just met into important discussions."

Sure as hell, there was a knock at the door, exactly 15 minutes after I hung up. Creepy? Yeah, but only to people who notice way too much, like myself. I shouted out to Momma, who was in the living room that I was hanging out with Rakim, to which she responded for me to be back earlier due to it being a school night.

Rakim stepped aside once I opened the front door, and stepped outside. I started walking to his Nissan, parked on the curb, being so nervous to the point where I wasn't even thinking straight.

"You're carriage awaits, my child." Rakim announced, bowing down next to the passenger door. "Yeah, some sort of fuckin' drift-type carriage or some shit." I replied, sitting down in the passenger seat.

"Symere, don't you fuckin' dare hate on the ASAP!" he shouted at me, getting in on the other side. I started to laugh, "Since when has it had a name?"

"Couple of weeks now; his name is ASAP for the reasons you'd think." Rakim said, stroking the steering wheel. "Hell, you mean it stands for As Slow As Possible?" I jokingly asked.

He hit me on the arm as I laughed. "Gahdamn, you know exactly what it stands for." he said, starting up the engine. We were greeted by music from Tyler, The Creator at full volume, which nearly gave me a heart attack, but still sounded great, nevertheless. "I assume you're going to the DQ on Austell?" I asked, to which Rakim nodded his head.

We went through the drive-thru, getting our respective orders; Rakim drove around into a parking lot of some strip mall, and parked. "So what is it that you need to tell me?" he inquired, "it's been bugging me the entire fucking time we've been out."

"Oh yeah," I began to studder, "I almost forgot about that." Rakim laughed, "If it's so important, why'd you almost forget it, nigga?"

"You'll understand," I replied, "or, at least, I hope you will." Rakim gave a somber look, "I'll try my best to."

I began to shake my legs in nervousness as I started, "So, uh, you know how I have been single ever since Robin and I ended, right?" Rakim nodded his head, turning down the Tyler, The Creator song playing through the stereo. "And you know how I haven't really been interested in anyone since then?"