Hearts United

CHAPTER 1

June 1995

Monica met Derwynn a week before her thirteenth birthday, on a hot summer day in Fort Washington, Maryland. She and her friends were coming from the store when they noticed a U-Haul next door to Monica's house. They watched as a boy about their age pulled boxes from the truck and carried them into the house. Monica could tell by looking at him that he was an athlete. She thought he was cute, with his lemon-tan skin. He was the height of a basketball star, with wavy hair, cut low. She desperately wanted to get a closer look at him, but was too shy. Her friends Lashaye and Melanie, on the other hand, had always been far more bold and spontaneous.

"Look at you, gawking over dude," Lashaye teased.

"I am not gawking! I was just...looking," Monica lied.

"Yeah, right. Just go over and talk to the boy," Melanie suggested.

Monica slowly shook her head. "No! I'm not doing that."

"I'll do it then. I'm tired of watching you drool over him." Melanie stepped forward, ready to go over there.

"Melanie, please! I—"

"Hey, yo, dude!" Melanie yelled, embarrassing Monica.

Derwynn looked over at the group of girls, flattered by their interest in him. He dropped the box he was carrying, checked his breath, and slowly jogged over to them. He took one look at Monica and knew she was the one he wanted. He loved the fact that she was different; she wasn't loud, rude, ghetto, and obnoxious like her friends. Not only that, but he thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, with her golden skin, hazel eyes, dimples, long, black hair, and banging, slim, trimmed body.

"Girl, here he comes," Melanie said, nudging Monica.

"Why'd y'all call him over?" Monica asked, looking up at her friends in frustration.

"Hold up let's get one thing straight." Lashaye raised her index finger in the air. "I didn't call him over here that was Mel. I'm glad she did though 'cause we know you're crushing on him," She said.

"And 'cause the boy's fine," Melanie admitted.

Monica was pissed, but her girls were right: He was fine, even his walk was sexy. When he got closer, they noticed that he had light greenish-brown eyes, cute dimples, and a thin mustache on his upper lip, with a little hair growing on his bottom one. When he spoke, Monica's heart melted and something tangled up her tongue; she simply didn't know what to say.

"What up, ladies?" Derwynn asked, licking his full lips.

"Nothing much. This is my girl Monica, my girl Lashaye, and I'm Melanie. Monica wanted us to holla at ya, 'cause she, uh...likes what she sees," Melanie said shameless.

"Hmm. Is that right? Well, ladies, my name is Derwynn, with a Y, not an I. It's nice to meet y'all, 'specially you, Monica."

"Thanks," Monica said, somewhat shyly. "Where'd you move here from?"

"You know what jus' lemme finish helping my parents, and then we can talk about all that and whatever else you wanna know."

"Okay. I, um... I'd like that."

"A'ight then. I'll holla at y'all later."

When Monica's parents got word that they had new neighbors, they decided to welcome them by inviting them over for dinner. At 7:30, Monica came downstairs dressed in cute jeans that hugged her little figure, along with a hot pink Baby Phat shirt that accentuated her small, perky breasts just the way she wanted it to. Her mother was about to set the table when Monica quickly grabbed the things out of her hand.