Almost Famous: The Next Phase

Chapter 7

The sound of Andre and Dez standing at the base of the tree was that grim reminder that this was definitely not in the cards for us. Prince and I were friends. We were always going to be friends and nothing else was ever going to change that. As he looked into my eyes Prince smiled and gave my hand a good squeeze and let out a giggle from his chest.

"Guess that's my cue to go huh?" He asked in a whisper as gentle as he is.

"Yeah.....I guess so." I said in a sad tone.

"Don't act like that. It's kinda cool that we didn't kiss. Can you imagine what our relationship would be like?" He laughed.

"Ye....yeah! It would be very strange! I don't even know what I was thinking! Honestly you're not my type! You're not even on the same level as I am!"

Prince raised his eye brow in disgust and sucked his teeth.

"Yeah? And what level is that?" He snapped at me.

I stood to my feet and made my way to the door and began my descend down the ladder before giving him an answer. I could hear prince just above me coming down the ladder to the ground. Andre and his disgusting hands slimmed around my hips once I was close in his reach.

"Hey foxy mama! Why don't you let me-" Andre began before I slapped his hands hard off my body and soon rejected his advances once again.

"Why don't you let me love my life and stop being suck a creep!" I hollered at him.

"Eeehhh keep jiving me Mouse and one day you're gonna wish you had somebody as fine as me wining and dining you. I'm telling you! One day I'm gonna make you my woman!"

"Is that so? Last time I checked I had already made you my bitch." I quickly retorted.

Dez got such a kick out of my remark that he couldn't help himself and laughed in Andre's face. The thud behind me was my indication that Prince had leaped down from the ladder.

"Y'all still going at it huh?" He asked with a grin on his face.

"We ain't goin at nothin'. I don't want that fool!"

Welp! So much for the "tell Andre that I like him" idea. That had officially been debunked and now I need a new alibi to cover up my real secret. I really don't even know how much longer I can keep living like this. One day I'll be brave enough to tell Prince that it's him and actually mean it. Today just won't be that day. Prince looked at me with a raised eyebrow and unsettled look on his face. He glanced at Andre and then back at me.

  "But....I thought you wanted-" he began but I quickly stopped him before things went left.

  "Forget what I said let's just go." I said.

  "It was about me wasn't it?" Andre asked as he crossed his arms.

  "Hell no!" I snapped.

  "Yeah it was! I know it!"

  "How?"

  "Because nobody gets that pissed off if it wasn't. I knew you had a thing for me! You might as well just admit it baby! Trying to resist me only makes you wanna touch yourself don't it?" Andre ended with a giggle.

  "UGH! Perv!!!!" I shouted and pushed him away from me.

  "Real smooth Dre!" I heard Prince say as he laughed.

  "She knows she can't run from all of this!" Andre yelled through cupped hands.

I kept walking and flipped him off and Dez came up behind me.

  "Hey who shoved your tampon in the wrong hole? You know he's just foolin'"

  "Yeah I know but he's just so.....UGH!!!!!"

  "Why ya letting him get to ya then?"

  "It's not him that's getting to me it's.....someone else."

I wasn't even sure if I wanted to clue him in on why I'm so frazzled but I knew if I didn't he's only gonna keep pressing me about why I'm upset.

  "Dezzy? Can you keep a secret?" I asked him.

Dez gave a nod and pulled me out of my backyard and to the sidewalk.

  "I won't tell anybody. Just hurry up though. They'll be here any minute." He said as he looked over his shoulder.

  "Ok! I told Prince I liked him this morning but then to cover it up I told him that I wanted him to tell Andre that I liked him and he almost did! God Dez what do I do?"

Dez knew that I was in a panic and didn't know who else to talk to about this other than my mom. He grabbed my hand and smiled.

  "The only thing you can is tell prince how you really feel!"

  "I did but it backfired on me."

  "No I mean really tell him. Lay it out there."

  "But what about him and the new chick at school? He really likes her and I want him to be happy but-"

  "Regan I get all that but if you want him to know before it's too late then you wanna come clean and tell him now."

  "But what if he really doesn't feel the same way?"

  "You won't know until you tell him."

The laugher of Prince and Andre  was getting closer and forced us to cut our intimate conversation short. The gate swung open and they met us on the sidewalk.

  "What are y'all doin out here? Making out?" Andre joked.

  "Uhhh....no." Dez replied.

  "Well let's get back to the house. Morris's should be there by now and you know how my mama don't like anybody sittin on the porch for too long." Andre said as he slapped prince hard in his back a few times.

  "Negro if you don't keep those oversized man hands to yourself!" I hissed.

  "Come see what these hands can do other than what I just did." Andre said seductively.

  "Oh god I'm gonna puke." I mumbled to myself.

Dez and Andre went on ahead as me and Prince walked together. He gave me a gentle nudge in my arm and I returned one back to him a little harder.

  "Mouse you're such a punk." He laughed.

  "So are you troll." I giggled back.

  "Yeah that was so original. By the way you never told me what level you're on."

I looked up at the sky and noticed that the moon was out in the middle of the day. A small smile appeared on my face and I looked him in his eyes.

  "More like levels. Moonbeam levels."

I backhanded him in his chest playfully and ran ahead to Dez and Andre.

  "Hey! Wait up!" I heard him call as he tried to catch up.

This show should be where I tell him how I feel about him.