Things Fall Apart

3 . HOW I FEEL

August 25th, 2000

"I can't really explain it
I'm so into you now
I wanna be more than a friend to you now"

"You're going too fast!" Naomi yelled in fear, wobbling as Chris guided her down the concrete path in her roller skates. Since she got back from New York, they'd seen each other non-stop. Everyday they were meeting up with their friends to hang out, or with his cousins. Her birthday party was five days ago, and he promised her that night that he would teach her how to rollerskate, after his mom invited her to a skate party they were throwing for his oldest cousin, Rob.

By now, everyone around them knew something more was going on between them. Raven, Skye and Kenya pulled her aside one day and interrogated her about her and Chris' sudden closeness. Since then, the question among the group everyday was when they would admit it to each other.

"C, I'm gonna fall!"

"No you not." He laughed, gripping her hands tighter. "I'm not gon' let you fall, Nae. Relax."

"I'm scared!"

"Well stop being scared! If you act scared you gonna fall." He couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face. She was adorable. "Imma let you go in a second."

"No! No please don't!"

"How you gonna learn if I don't let you go girl?"

"I'm not ready!"

"Get ready. On three...two...one..." He released her hands, staying in front of her and watching her stumble for a few feet. "...like I taught you Nae."

"I'm trying!" She wobbled for a few more feet before her knees gave out underneath her and she toppled over, screaming at the top of her lungs. Chris tried to quickly save her, but instead they ended up collapsing together. Once they hit the ground, they both erupted into laughter. "Ouch...I scraped my knee." She winced through a tired chuckle, holding  her leg up for him to see.

"Awwww." He pouted playfully, standing to his feet. She glared up at him from the ground, as he bent down and began to take her skates off for her one by one.

"I can't walk back in my socks."

"You're not." He smirked, holding her hands and standing her on her feet. "Hold ya skates, and get on my back."

"You better not drop me."

"Never."

---

"Ow!" Naomi hissed as Chris dabbed the scrape on her leg with an alcohol pad. He carried her back to his house and sat her on the bathroom sink, repeating the steps he saw his mom take countless times whenever he got injured. "That's enough!"

"You being real bossy today Nae." He smirked, opening a band aid and placing it over the pink patch of raw skin. "Aight, I'm done, you can stop crying now."

"Who's crying?" She mumbled, pouting and running her fingers over the band aid. His eyes stuck on her as she put the first aid kit back under the sink.

"You trying to be a big baby but you look cute like that."

"I always look cute." She retorted smugly, rolling her eyes at him.

"Well excuse me." He smirked, watching her slowly slide down off the sink. She cracked a shy smile, looking up into his eyes.

"Thanks for taking care of me."

"Yeah, no problem." They paused, holding each others gaze for a second more before shyly looking away. "Nae...I gotta tell you something."