Brooklyn James

Chapter Thirteen

I had left the cabins early the next morning before anyone had a chance to get up. The tension was too thick for me to have been there. Alysia locked Desmond out of the room half of the night and when she did let him in they argued. Xavier gave me my space. I wasn’t sure if it was from the awkwardness of the kiss earlier that day or he believed I just needed to be alone after being called out in front of everyone. I didn’t know how Xavier made it back to Maryland. 

I jumped back into my regular routine once I had gotten back on campus; the first person being Marcus. I wasn’t sure if Alysia had come back to the dorm after the weekend trip because I never seen her, I just seen that her things were slowly disappearing. Thanksgiving came and went, Christmas came and went; I was back on campus with a room all to myself. I wasn’t sure if she switched roommates or what she was doing. It was a bit too much to me. Desmond was no longer a student, him being two years older than us he had graduated a year prior; I couldn’t ask him about Alysia without going to his house; and I just wasn’t going to do that. I didn’t need anything else stirring up. 

I was battling the winter snow as I walked across campus. I was on my way back to my dorm. I was tired. I was cold. I hated the cold. 

“Brooklyn,” I heard someone call. I looked ahead of me but didn’t see anyone so I looked behind me and seen the last person I’d expected to see. I waited until he caught up to me.

“Xavier,” I said with no emotion. 

“What you been up to girl?” he smiled at me.

“Shit, tryna get my life.” I told him.

“You tryna get something to eat? I’m paying.” And that was all he had to say to get me to follow suit.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Xavier asked while we sat in the booth waiting for our food. I flashed a quick glance his way before sighing and leaning on my elbows staring down at my glass of water. 

“Not much to tell really. Brooklyn James is my name. Um, I was born May 7th, 1993; I’m a junior; I’m the only child and I live with my grams.” Once I finished, I tore her eyes away from the glass to see him looking at me expectantly. “What?” I asked innocently.

“Nothing,”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“It’s been what, two-three months; why all of a sudden you want to talk to me?”

“I’m a lil attracted to you,” he told me. I blushed. “Are, wait, are you blushin?” I waved him off.

“Get that shit outa here,”

“Nah like no bullshit,” he said. “Remember when you asked if I’d ever fall for someone like you?” I nodded. “Well I’m tryna get to know you so I could see if I could fall for someone like you.” I gigged. 

“I guess that’s cool, but don’t come here tryna fuck me over. If that’s what you tryna do then we’ll cut this convo short cause I don’t have the time.”

“I ain’t tryna pull nothing; I seriously wanna spend time with you, even though you ditched me before I could finish my project.” I laughed. I sat back in my seat as the waitress came over with our food. Xavier dug right into his food. I wasn’t as hungry as I was when I walked in the diner twenty minutes prior. 

I looked around the mom and pop diner at all of the college students taking up space before I took my attention out the window. Cars sped down the street despite the black ice that was still out from the winter storm that hit the day before. Three inches of snow covered the ground but that didn’t stop people from going out and completing whatever that had to complete. 

“I’m not payin for that food to just sit there,” Xavier said knocking my out of my thoughts. I looked at him stuffing ketchup covered French fries in his mouth. I wondered if he’d seen Alysia. I missed her.

“Do you know if Desmond and Alysia are back on good terms?” he shook his head. I didn’t know if he was saying he didn’t know or if they weren’t talking.

“Dez said they still weren’t talkin.” I sighed.

“She hasn’t came back to the dorm; if she does come back it’s when I’m not there. I hadn’t seen her since that weekend.” I twirled my earing around looking off into space. “I miss her.” I admitted.

“If you miss her then call her.” He told me. I looked at him. “Tell me bout your childhood.” he stated trying to change the subject. I was thankful that he was trying to get my mind off of the situation with Alysia, but I just wished he’d picked a better topic. My face flushed in embarrassment. I hated how I had grown up and had moved six hours away to be with my grandma just so I could forget. I assumed he noticed my expression and nudged my thigh with his leg, 

“Is it that bad?” I sighed before sharing one of my secrets with this near stranger. 

 “My mom was a part-time prostitute and a full-time drug addict; she killed herself when I was about two or three. My father, I don’t know how to describe him. I’ve never seen someone with such a hallow soul before. He moved us down South Carolina after my mom died; he said we needed a fresh start. I moved back here with my grandma as soon as I turned eighteen. My brother was so mad at me. He hadn’t talked to me since I left. I had found out what really happened with my mom; it was his fault she died. If he never fucked all those random bitches she wouldn’t have gone to those drugs. Random bitches including her best friend, got the bitch pregnant. My mom overdosed, that home wrecker came and just took her family right from under her nose.” Tears cascaded down my face. I was so hurt and no matter how much I said I wasn’t, I was hurting to the core. The waiter walked by and Xavier waved her down.

 “Can we get two boxes and the check,” Xavier whispered.

 “So now you see why I don’t do the love shit? My momma was in love with my daddy and he played with every piece of her heart. I’m not taking that chance.” I looked him in the eyes as I said, “It’ll be a cold day in hell before I allow you to break my heart.”

*

“Why do I feel so comfortable talking to you? I just met you and I’ve told you more about myself than even Alysia knows.” He smiled and leaned on my door frame.

“I tend to have that effect on women, Miss. Brooklyn. One look at these dreamy eyes and I’ll have you telling all your secrets.” I scoffed and shook my head, 

“What- the fuck-ever.” He laughed and winked at me. I blushed. “Kaylah,”

“Huh?” he questioned. I looked down at my feet before looking back into his eyes.

“My real name is Kaylah.” He threw his head back a little with a slight shocked expression. “Kaylah Brooklyn James.”

“Kaylah Brooklyn James that has siblings after telling me that she was an only child?” I rolled my eyes and chuckled. 

“They don’t fuck with me so I don’t claim them.”

“They don’t fuck with you or you don’t fuck with them? Which is it?” I was tired of talking about my family.

“Did you wanna come in cause I’m tired of standing in this doorway.” I told him. I really was tired of standing in the doorway. The building didn’t have heat in the halls and it was freezing. 

“Nah, I gotta go. I was supposed to meet up with my brother thirty minutes ago. But I’ma call you,” he came down and kissed me on the forehead before walking away and out of the building.