Culturally Biased

"Someone's in love."

Narrator

"I never really told you this but...I did find a girl." Quinton said to his friend as they sat on the park bench with Dario tagging along.

Annick and Miciah were playing with Elijah over at the slide.

Randy just chuckled.

"What? Was your visit with her more than two minutes." He teased.

Quinton stared at him blankly.

"Oh you were serious...well who?"

It was weird for Randy to hear his friend get held down.

Not ever since getting his heart broken when he was only fifteen.

"Yeah, tell us about your new girl." Dario smirked.

"Her name is Anaya."

"Really? Well how did this happen?"

"She works at babies-R-us. She was always there when I went to buy diapers. I invited her over because you know, that's what I do. The girls, so innocent, she didn't even know what I actually had in mind."

"Been there before, man." Dario sighed.

"Well then what happened?"

"She was mad, man. She was talking about how she thought I really liked her and shit before she just left my apartment...one thing she said that really pulled me in was that the man I am now is the man that my son is gonna come to be. Unless I wanted my son to grow up breaking girls' hearts, I better get my shit together."

"Damn...she need to get laid." Dario said.

"You might need that advise in the future too Dario." Randy said.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Then what happened?"

"Well when she left, I told myself 'oh well, just another stingy bitch'. But sometimes I found myself walking into that store when Elijah didn't even need diapers. Sometimes I'd take the long way to work because it required me passing by there and I'd see her through the window at the cash register with that...same damn smile that's so annoying but so fine at the same time."

"Someone's in love."

"Hey, I only love four women; my mom, my sister, my grandma, and Beyoncé. No one else.

"Hey, I said the same thing. Except I got five sisters and I'm more of a Jlo guy."

"Okay, so what's happening with you two if you don't love her."

"Well she apologized to me. She said she didn't mean to get all sensitive and she should've just left. Being a gentleman, I apologized as well."

"And then?"

"I got a date with her next week. After me and Elijah head back."

"Damn, I'm gonna miss him."

"He's gonna miss you. He's gonna be crying two hours into that drive. I keep telling you man, he loves you more."

"Don't say that."

"I don't mind. I mean, if anything goes wrong with me, I'm gonna make sure you're the one that raises him."

"Why would anything go wrong with you?"

"I don't know, I could like, die from a chronic disease or something."

"I lost my Abuelo to Chronic disease." Dario added.

"See?"

"Quinton, shut up. Anyways, Dario what have you been doing on your phone?"

"Blocking Jenny on every social media. It's weird, I never took her as the crazy type."

"Well I'm glad you've matured."

"Me too. I just don't want Jenny ruining this for me. Hey, what do you think would happen if I sent Annick to go beat her ass?"

"What? Why Annick?" Randy asked.

"Well Miciah can't know, Brazil's pregnant, and Daysia's too classy."

"Dario, keep her out of your problems."

"But why? She'd be down. I know she would."

"Look, I know this might be something stupid to advise considering your lack of self control might still be evident but maybe you should go confront her...in person." Randy said.

"I can't! I can't go and talk to her."

"Then don't."

"Well what do I do to get her to-"

"Look. It'll blow over. Jenny's a pretty girl, she can pull herself another guy in no time."

"I don't know...me and that girl go way back."

"How far?" Quinton asked.

"Seventh grade, just turned thirteen and I got invited to my first party. We played truth or dare and I think one of my buddies dared to go into the room and fuck. Which we did."

"So wait you did actually lose your virginity at thirteen? Really Dario?" Randy asked, wide-eyed.

"Just one year earlier than I did. I remember Keisha...ooh she was a fine dark skinned sistah..." Quinton said shaking his head.

"Don't even remind me of that time. My mom threatened to let your mom beat me if I didn't tell her where you were." Randy sighed.

"Hey, I got home just in time with the right lie and I was completely safe...made no babies." Quinton grinned slyly.

"Yet."

"Hush up."

~

"We never covered one thing." Jeffery said, twirling a strand of his girlfriend's Brazilian weave.

"What?"

"Your hair...why did you cut it?"

Daysia sat up and sighed.

"I didn't."

"Then what happened."

She stared at him for a bit before making the decision to tell him.

"Believe it or not, I used to get bullied."

"Really?"

"Well they attempted to bully me. I feel like the fact that the girls' racist comments or whispers as I walked past their lockers didn't phase me emotionally is what made them do what they did."

"What did they do?"

"Well it was at lunch when one of my study partners who I thought was my friend put something in my juice that made me sleepy...I still don't know how but I don't really care."

She paused for a second thinking about it before continuing.

"I was asleep in the nurse's room when Gretchen Willinsworth and her friends came in and shaved my entire...head off."

Jeffery's eyes widened.

"What the hell?"

"Yeah...they knew how much everyone loved my hair and how much I loved my hair. It's what made me feel whole."

"Did they ever get caught?"

Daysia nodded.

"They took a video...posted it on YouTube and they all got suspended."

"What did your friends do?"

"I know Miciah got in a bad...bad fight with her...then Miciah got suspended. Annick got in a fight with my old study partner outside school which Brazil joined in on...things were just really messy that year." She sighed.

He stared at her for a long time before touching her hair again.

"Take this out."

"Why?"

"Because out of your features, especially your hair is beautiful...even if it's just a centimeter long."