"You gotta stop this shit man" he says getting up.
"Stop what?" I say looking at him, "you gotta stop playing victim bruh" he says sitting on the edge of the bed.
"How am I playing victim?"
"You letting these bitch niggas get to you, fuck Isaac. He's a pussy for even trying to put his hands on you that night, and he got another ass whopping coming. Then your friend, he didn't deserve that but karma delivers to those deserving."
"You are too smart and too pretty to be letting people get to you like that, yeah these are fucked up situations but you need to stop running from your problems Don."
I lay there and silence as I listen to him, "Don't lay there thinking, 'if I would have slept with him, maybe he wouldn't have cheated' because then you would be wishing you never did it. You dodged that bullet, and don't be thinking 'I can't believe my best friend did that' because you aren't supposed to believe it, best friends don't do shit like that." He says upset.
"I get it Keith" I say "No you don't fucking get it, this shit isn't right" he screams startling me. I jump as I look at him and he has a tear falling.
"Are you okay?" I ask sitting up looking at him and he sits down on the bed.
"When I was in high school, my girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend. This nigga slept in my house, went on family vacations with us, we lost our virginity's at the same time, that nigga was half of me. He slept with my girl, and the guilt made her break up with me. He was there for me still sleeping with her. She got pregnant and I thought it was mine so I was freaking out trying to get a job and talk to her, until he came clean and told me that it's his baby."
I gasped listening to the story.
"She had a miscarriage from complications during birth he went crazy. He didn't have me a friend anymore so he joined a gang and on a robbery gone wrong he got arrested before our senior year. It hurt me, so I ran from my problems and I ran on the field" he says crying now.
"I thank them both for me being here, at this school, in this room right now with you, because if they didn't do that to me I wouldn't have used my anger on the field to get a football scholarship. I wouldn't use that anger in my academics" He says looking back at me.
"I- I'm sorry" I tell him. "Don't be. I took those problems on myself and now I'm in therapy to undo all of that."
"I didn't know you were in therapy" I say quietly, "it's not something you announce to people" he laughs.
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-
After taking a shower and putting on the old clothes Keith gave me, we decided we would go for a walk around campus to clear our minds.
As were outside headed to the coffee shop we see Shelly. I wave to her as she runs over knocking the wind out of me hugging me. "I am so so so sorry" she says.
"Jamel came over last night and told me everything" she says looking me in my eyes.
"I don't care anymore" I kinda laugh. "Karma delivers to those deserving" I smile looking at Keith.
"Oh hey, I'm sorry" she says hugging him. "It's cool, you guys need a best friend moment" he laughs.
"Where are you guys going?" She asks, "Well our Brit here wants hot tea and a muffin, so we're going to get that then find a ice cream place. Wanna join?" Keith asks.
"Sure" she says as we continue walking and talking.
-
"I still can't believe he did that" Shelly says drinking her iced coffee. "You've been friends with him for years, and he ruins that being with a guy you're dating."
"I am mad about it, but seeing him physically beat up makes me not care about that. We do need to have a conversation later but right now, I'm not giving Isaiah or Jamel anymore of my emotions" I shrug cutting up my muffin letting Keith take a bite.
Shelly watches us smiling before she continues, "I understand but that's still scary. Like he is being abused by him, you didn't suspect anything?" She asks me.
"Honestly no, when Isaiah wanted to have sex and I would tell him no he wouldn't change or act different. When I would tell Jamel about him, he wouldn't have any comments on it he would just let me talk."
"Do you feel like that's why he did it? Like you're talking about your boyfriend to him? Maybe he felt the need to try it?"
I laugh at Shelly's comment before saying, "They we're having sex before we even got together, you didn't have sex or sneak around with Isaiah and you knew as much if not more than he did. You even caught him and Freddie with me that second time. That's a them problem, not mine" I tell her.
I feel Keith place his hand on my leg as I'm bouncing it from the emotions of this conversation.
"You want more tea?" He asks me as I look at my cup, "yes please" I say as he ask Shelly if she wants a refill on iced coffee. "Yes, thank you" she tells him as he walks away.
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"Bitch. Are you and him together?" She says leaning forward and I start cracking up.
"No, we are just friends and I'm he's straight."
"No you and him are giving me dating vibes" she laughs, "trust me, we aren't he's just good energy to have around and we are friends." I tell her.
-
Shelly starts getting ready to leave after sitting with us for an hour to go to her next class, I remind her about the meeting on Thursday as she nods before saying bye.
"Give me a bite" Keith says as I cut a piece of my sandwich.
"No you should have got one" I laugh as he grabs my waist pulling me to him trying to take a bite.
"Give me some" he says tickling me as I hold the sand which for him to bite. As ere laughing we see Isaiah walk in and go to the counter. I put my food down as I get ready to go over there but Keith stops me.
"Remember what I said, stop playing victim" as I sit down in my seat. He puts his hand on my leg rubbing it as I feel myself calming down. I pick my food up eating some as he tells me to look at him.
"Aye, don't even even acknowledge him" Keith says drinking some tea. I nod my head as I laugh.
"Since I'm so much of a Brit, you sure are drinking a lot of tea lately" I smile.
"Ah shut up" he says taking the rest of my sandwich.
-
Do you agree with Keith about London playing victim? How do you define "victim" ?
Do you think Keith and London are better off as friends? or Do you think there's something more there?
How do you feel about CLOSURE? With friends or a relationship? Is it needed?
