The Homeboy and The Virgin

06--Duke

Chapter 06—Duke

 

“Sea,” I muttered as Junior breezed through the hall. She danced through people who smiled at her. Her grin lit up her face as she smiled back. Yesterday, I had finally come across a name for her—a nickname she didn’t understand. Sea. At times, I felt relaxed with Junior—like yesterday. All we did was swing and talk and laugh with the others around. She had fit right into the crook of my arm, and her dad—the one I thought was in jail—had come home and given me a strange look that I recognized as saying “you can get the hell away from my daughter.” But this morning, she had met me for breakfast, and she was back to her usual, snappy ways that left me feeling like I was rocking, riding a wave, and doing something dangerous.

     Chris rolled his eyes, but he had no damn room to talk. He was going around, inserting ‘Rey’ into every conversation. Bacon? “Oh, did you know bacon is Rey’s favorite food?” He had a damn crush, but he wouldn’t admit it. I didn’t understand why. We were known as players, but none of us had any special rules about falling in love. If it came, it came. If not, we would do us.

     “Problems, white boy?” I asked, turning away from the view of Junior. You know, if you keep starin’ at my butt, I might have to charge. I hid my grin. She did something to me no other girl had ever done before. Not even Danielle. I was tempted to let go of the plans—hers and mines—and ask her to really try us out. But I needed revenge first.

   Chris shrugged. “Shit no.” His eyes scanned the hall for Rena, who came bursting through at top speed, hurdling herself forward. I didn’t pay much attention to her, but I knew her well enough to know she was clumsy as shit, and always in motion. She was feisty like Junior, and always had this look for me, a look she accompanied with this Hmph sound. I didn’t like her, but I didn’t dislike her either. I put up with her because Junior liked her, so she had to have something going for her.

   Rena skidded to a stop in front of him, a smile on her face. She reached into her backpack and came out with  a soccer jersey. “Here. Signed by the man himself.” She looked extremely smug and proud.

   Chris’s eyes grew wide. “How did you….?”

    “Daddy.” By now, we both knew ‘Daddy’ actually meant Junior’s dad. Which I had to ask her about. Why would she lie about her dad being in jail?

   I left them to their own devices, catching up with the boys down the hall. Kyle and Dante were conversing about some freshmen blonde across the hall from them. She looked like something out of a porn video about school girls and teachers. Knee-high socks, short plaid skirt, and button-down white shirt too tight around her chest. I wasn’t about that under aged girl shit. I made a promise to myself to not even look. Angry daddies were not my thing. Plus, I didn’t want that on my record when I went to college.

    “Yo,” Dante muttered, fist-bumping me.

    Kyle winked at the girl, who turned red and smiled back before dashing off, no doubt to tell her friends a Homeboy had winked at her. Damn, sometimes I felt like the mafia at this school. We were in charge. Even teachers loved the shit out of us.

     “Yo, where’s your little bitch at?” Dante asked, referring to Junior. He hated her, and I was sure the feeling was mutual on her part. He didn’t like that she wasn’t afraid of him and called him out on everything he did. She just didn’t like him, as she explained to me, because he was always dissing black girls.

    I glared at him. “Junior’s not a bitch. And I don’t know. I don’t fuckin’ keep tabs on her.” Lies. She was on her way to PE. She would be playing volleyball in those tight ass spandex. The thought of it made my mouth dry. I grabbed a quick sip of water out of the water fountain. Shit, I’d have to find a reason to visit the gym during the next hour.