Things Fall Apart

4 . MY FIRST LOVE

May 15th, 2002
Chris is 13
Naomi is 12

"'Cause if it's wilding out, we got that
And forgiving, we got that
If it's talking 'bout how we feeling
We got that
If it's hanging out, keeping it real
Then we got that
Me and you know what the deal is."

Two years flew by in what felt like the blink of an eye. Slowly but surely, Chris and Naomi figured out what it meant to be in a relationship, on their own terms. The two kids fell deeply in love with each other. They spent every waking moment they could together and could barely breathe when they were apart. He worshipped the ground she walked on, and cared for her like he'd never cared for anyone or anything before. It was a two year honeymoon phase with no end in sight.

Their relationship was very public with their friends, but the best kept secret from their parents. They maintained the facade that they were just close childhood friends, and snuck off for more intimate alone time whenever the opportunity came up. Naomi knew her dad would kill her if he knew she had a boyfriend, and they both knew that once Joyce found out, the whole town would know. So the secret was best kept between them. Other kids at school eventually put two and two together, but none of the gossip ever made it to their parents.

Sean was unsuspecting of their puppy love, convinced that most of the time when Naomi wasn't home, she was with her girls. It wasn't abnormal for her and Chris to hang out alone, but they figured the less he knew, the better. Naomi wasn't prepared for the literal hell her father would raise if he knew she had a boyfriend. His sole goal was getting her through high school and off to college. She was a straight-A student, sassy like her mother but more focused than Cynthia ever was. He made it clear that she had no business running around with any boys. His worst fear was that she'd give up her life and all her potential for a man, like her mother did when they met. "Overprotective," was an understatement when it came to Sean.

Once again, the school year was coming to an end. In less than a month they'd be finishing 7th grade, and braving their second summer apart as a couple. Naomi would be making her annual trip to New York, while Chris stayed here and obsessed over her return. They were savoring every moment they had left together.

But today, Naomi was prepared for an argument.

She easily spotted him from the opposite end of the hallway, leaning on his locker and laughing at something Terrence, Cam or Mijo was saying. She strut up to him, immediately catching his attention. The smile that started to cross his face was wiped off once he saw the angry look in her eyes. The familiar flame let him know he'd done something wrong.

"Hey baby." He muttered, the confidence that was previously in his voice was now gone. All three boys turned to glance at her, reading her face just like Chris did. They all mumbled scattered greetings, making her shoot them a small, fake smile and wave.

"Hey guys. I need to talk to C."

"I'll see y'all upstairs." Chris nodded towards them, before they all exchanged handshakes and parted ways. Naomi immediately stepped in front of him, with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Why your mama called my house looking for you?"

As Chris got older, he was becoming harder and harder to keep track of. Since Joyce remarried, he'd started sneaking out all the time, running the streets with his older cousins and other people she wanted him nowhere near. Aside from his friends, Naomi was the only person she saw that kept him focused and on a good path. She started to send him to Richmond on weekends to visit his dad, but Clinton was as careless as Chris was.