Neutral Zone (Jordan Baker) COMPLETED

Chapter Ten: Memories

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     We were walking into my home after Dad came and got us out. "How could you not go off on that cop? Why didn't you have my back?"
I don't see why no one was acting the same way as I did. The cop harassed Spencer and I and no one seemed to be outraged like me. Olivia walked up to me and hugged me for a few minutes before letting me go. "I had your back. I got you home. Why would you even argue with a cop in the first place? Why would you put yourself in that kind of danger?"
      I stared at Dad in disbelief. "I did what I was taught. I was standing up for myself, Okay, dad?"
       I turned around and walked up to the stairs to my room. I got my phone out my pocket and jumped on my bed. I clicked the power button and the phone screen lit up showing a photograph of me giving Chrissy a piggyback ride. I smiled when I saw Chrissy, I still couldn't believe she kissed me tonight and nothing I had ever experienced was as great as how I felt when she kissed me. I unlocked my phone and was about to call her when Olivia knocked on my door and asked if she could come in. I locked my phone. "Yeah,"
      She comes and walked over to me and sits along the bed in front of me.  "Are you okay?"
      "Yeah, I'm fine. Just confused a little,"
      "Jordan, no matter how the cop is treating you. Don't resist. You know there are some crooked cops who shoot people for resisting," Olivia said.
      "But he was harassing me Liv,"
     "It doesn't matter,"
     I rolled my eyes at her.
     "Jordan," A voice said.
    I looked over and saw Chrissy standing in the door. A grin crept on my face when I saw her. She walked over to me and hugged me tightly. "Thank God, you're okay,"
     She let go of me and placed both hands along my face and kissed me.  "What am I missing something?"   
     I heard Olivia asked as I was kissing Chris. We pulled away from each other and looked at her. "No,"
    I slightly chuckled. "Clearly I am. The last thing, I knew you weren't speaking to him and now you are kissing him,"
       "I'm not mad at him anymore and that's literally the only thing you missed,"
      "But you kissed him?"
      "Yeah, and we haven't spoken about it yet,"
Olivia just sat there with the most confused expression.  "Alright, I'm going to bed,"
     I just kind of chuckled as she walked out of the room. Chrissy sat on my bed facing me while she crisscrossed her legs. She was close enough that her knees were touching mine. I just looked at her like it was my last time looking at her. Without thinking, I put one of my hands on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. There was a little knock on the door which made us pull apart, I dropped my hand as Chrissy looked over at the door and saw that it was mom. "I was just checking on seeing if Jordan was okay and I can see that he is. I always knew that y'all were get together eventually. Jordan always followed you like a lost puppy and you Chrissy always stole glances at him when he was paying attention,"
     I saw Chrissy look away as she started blushing, I smile at the view.  "We still haven't decided if we are together or not, mom,"
     Laura scoffed at that and rolled her eyes. "Jordan, you're playing yourself if you didn't realize that this girl has had a crush on you for years and vice versa Chrissy,"
    With that being said, she left us to settle whether or not if we were dating. "I think that answering that question?"
    "What question?" She asked playing dumb.
      "You know what question,"
     "No, I don't,"
     I rolled my eyes as I laughed softly.  "Will you go out with me,"
     She leaned over and gave me a simple kiss. I wanted something more than that simple kiss. "Did that answer your question?"
     "No, I guess I need a little more convincing," I said, placing my lips on her's again.
     I placed my hands along her waist and pulled her to where she was straddling my lap. Her hands tangling themselves into my hair. We fought dominance, eventually, I won. When we finally pulled loose, her eyes were wild and I knew they matched my own.  "I'm pretty sure that was a definite yes,"
     I kiss her forehead. "Yes, it was,"
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    I woke up to someone knocking on my door. I went to move, but something prevented me from moving. I looked downward and saw Chrissy was laying on my chest that's when everything came back to me. The kisses, her agreeing to be my girlfriend, us falling asleep while watching a flick. I smiled at her as I gently rolled her off me and walked over to the doorway and opened it. Spencer was standing on the other side.
"What's up, man? What time is it?" I asked, walking out of my way and gently closing the door.
     I walked out of my room and softly closing the door. "Like eight. Hey man, can you call the team and have them met me on the field in like an hour?"
     "Yeah, why?"
    "I'll explain when everyone is there," Spencer said walking down the hall.
     I looked over to the left and saw mom walking up to me. "Did you and Chrissy decide?"
     "Yep and the answer is yes,"
     "That means the rules of her spending the nights have changed,"
      "Sorry mom, we were watching movies and I guess fell asleep,"
     "I'm not saying she can't spend the night. Just got to keep the door open now," Mom said, opening the doorway to my room.
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     We were all on the field when I eventually looked at Spencer. "So you want to tell me why you had me call everyone here?"
        Spencer sighed. "Look, man, I'm sorry about yesterday. It's kind of messed up it took being face down with you in the concrete to realize We ain't all that different and I probably would have seen that sooner if I hadn't been pushing y'all away,"
     Spencer was opening up and accepting us. Asher walked up to us. "What's with the impromptu meet-up?"
   I just shrugged. "Spencer's got something to say,"
          Spencer turned to face the team. "Hey, thank y'all for showing up and I don't mean just this morning, I mean yesterday, too.
Hey, yo, my last team, we were like a family, and I just assumed y'all weren't driven by that same bond, and that's my bad. But y'all turning up for me yesterday showed me what kind of team y'all really are, and I want in on that. Crenshaw will always be a part of who I am, but being a Beverly Eagle, that's a part of who I'm becoming. And look, man, I know I lost last week's game-"
      I cut in at that time. "No, you didn't. I threw an interception third quarter. You didn't lose that game alone,"
     "Missed tackle, second quarter,"
      "Pass interference, fourth quarter,"
     "Clouded judgment. Unnecessary roughness," Asher said.
      I looked at Asher. He was apologizing. "You didn't even play last week,"
      "That's what kept me from playing. I lost us the game before you even stepped on the field,"
     Finally, the eternal BS has been dispensed with.  "Eagles on three," I said, putting my hand out. "1, 2, 3,"
      "Eagles!"
     "Alright if we are done here, I gotta girlfriend to go hang out with,"
     The team whistled and cheer. "Finally,"
     "About time,"
    JJ walked up to me. "You and Chrissy finally decided?"
      "Yes, sir,"
     Dad walked up to the area. "You can hang out with her tomorrow or later, we need to talk Jordan. Come on,"
      We walked into Dad's office in the locker room.  "Jordan, I need for you to know that none of what happened yesterday is your fault,"
     I looked at him confused cause this was the utter opposite of what everyone was saying yesterday. "Yesterday you said-"
      "I know I know what I said. Um, I was scared. I was angry, and I was wrong. Your mother and I, we should have had a talk with you a long time ago about the reality of facing the police, and that's on me. That's my bad. See, I'm gonna fix that today because the most important thing to us is keeping you and your sister alive,"
      "If I looked like Spencer, would you have had the talk with me earlier?"
     "Probably. Yeah, I think I would,"
      I finally opened up and was honorable. "Why have you never taken me to Crenshaw, dad? We live 30 minutes away from where you grew up, and the first time I spent any real time there was yesterday. Are you ashamed of me? Is that it?"
        "Jordan, of course, I'm not ashamed of you. I love you. Now, I don't spend time in Crenshaw, but that that has more to do with my past. But, you know, you're right, I shouldn't keep you separated from any part of who you are. And I have an idea of a good place to start," He said.
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      Dad finally took me to Crenshaw but to this barbershop. "There you go, son," The barber said as he took the apron off.
      He took off the apron and I shook his hand. "Thanks,"
      "Got you looking sharp for that girlfriend as yours,"
      I got out of the chair and began to look at the articles on the wall which were mostly of Dad playing a game. "Yeah, it's good to see your old man again. Yeah, it has been a while,"
        "Yes, sir,"
       "That boy just loved getting in trouble,"
      I chuckled. "Is that so?"
    "Okay, easy,"
    "He ever tell you those stories?"
    "No, sir,"
    Dad chuckled. "Here we go,"
    "Yeah, he was the raw man back then. Football player. Yeah, he was like the Tasmanian devil. And it wasn't till he started dating Grace James. Actually, it was Grace Harper back then. Yeah. Anyway, that's what finally settled him down,"
       I looked at him. "My dad and my dad and Grace James?"
"Oh, yeah. That's them right there. Yeah, as inseparable as they were all through high school, I just knew they were gonna end up married. Yeah, but I guess I was way off. Funny how things have a way of working out, her son living with you guys and all," He said going through a photo album.
    He pointed out a picture of a younger them. "Yeah, that's them,"
I turned to look at my dad who was talking to someone.
      Why didn't he tell us? I thought to myself. Does Mom know?