Elizabeth's POV
The first date was both good and bad, it went great but one guy try to grope me and two guys had Holden pinned to the ground. Good thing they're in jail and I also got to meet the same Khalil Glover, who saved my man. He was so nice and kind and so was his new partner, glad the police department gave him and now partner.
Holden and I to the school to wait in the cafeteria and see Corey, Marlon, Thuy, and Carlos are at a table and Corey is sitting on the table looking at his phone and Marlon saw us.
"Look at these two, still in the honeymoon phase." Marlon said laughing.
"You just mad because you can't do that to your girlfriend everyday like the rest of us." Carlos said to him.
"You try having a girlfriend in college." Marlon said crossing his arms and looking away.
I walked to Thuy and she smiled when she saw me. "So how was the date?" she said to me.
"It was wonderful." I said as we both squeal and jump up and down like the school girls we are.
"Are you sure about that?" Corey said looking at his phone.
"What you talking about southern John Cena?" Marlon said looking at him.
"Well this article says. "Three rednecks arrested on Friday night for racial tensions and sexual assault". Did you had something to do with this?"
I locked eyes with Holden. "But why are you looking at Lizzie and I though?" Holden said since we were going to tell them in person.
Carlos looked at Corey's phone. "Well it mentions a black teen and a white teen. You both are the only black guy/white girl teen couple in town."
"YYYOOO." Denzel said as him and Monique walked up to us while he's looking at his phone.
"What are you watching?" Thuy said.
"We're watching Holden whooping some redneck ass." Monique said looking over Denzel's shoulder.
Marlon, Carlos, Thuy walked over while Corey just leaned over. "Aye, he whooping them white asses for real, oh, damn!" Marlon said.
I see Selena and Benicio came over from the cafeteria. "What are we watch- oh, God!" Selena said mid sentence.
Benicio looked at Holden than back at the phone. "Aw yeah, that's my co sibling in law. El guerrero nigeriano" (The Nigerian Warrior)
"Chevy! Beau he knocked out Chevy!" the guy in the video said.
"He's yelling like a bitch." Monique said laughing.
"I replayed that like 10 times already." Denzel said.
Holden and I looked at each other with embarrassment.
The video ended and Denzel put his phone back in his jacket pocket. "Now that's what I like. Young black men beating up racist white predators." he said.
"I felt a little unconfutable seeing someone getting sexual assault on someone I know." Thuy said walking up to me than standing next to me.
*Ring*
"Three minute bell." Selena said as her and the others started walking into the school.
"Hey, Elizabeth-Bryony." Holden said as we're walking together and I got my arm wrapped around his right arm.
"Yes baby?" I said looking up at him.
"Instead of waiting for Friday for a date how about Thursday?"
"How come?"
"I just like spending time with my girlfriend." he said looking down at me.
"Okay." I said as we stopped at my homeroom.
"Okay. I'll see you in fourth period than."
"Yeah." He said as we kissed and we both go our separate ways.
***
Now it's Thursday and I'm heading over to Holden's house for our second date.
I got out the car to knock on the door, as he opened the door he smiled then kiss me. "How are you doing?" he said smiling at me.
"I'm doing fine now that I'm here." I said smiling as he lead me inside.
"Where your parents." I said looking around.
"They went on a date themselves."
"Wow that's nice your parents still go on dates too."
We went into the into the living room. "So what are we going to do tonight?" I said as we sat on the couch.
"I'm gonna tell you the truth. I don't know? I don't really know how date's works when you have a date at the other's house."
"I don't know either, but it's safer after what happened." I said to him.
He went to a stereo and put a cd in. I couldn't see what it was but once the song started he started dancing.
He grabbed my hand so I can dance with him and I started laughing a little. "What song is this?" I said to him.
"Ne-Yo's One in a Million." he said twirling me around.
After the song ended another song came on then he shut off the stereo. "Why you do that?" I said wondering
"Yeah I actually never listened to the whole album, this was the only Ne-Yo song I listened to." he said with a chuckle.
"Okay, we danced so what's next?" I said to him laughing.
"I don't know, a movie I guess?" He said to me.
"Sure." I said to him.
"Okay, how about we go look at my parents collection."
"Okay." I said as we both got up to look on at the shelf the have. We're looking at DVD's and I saw something that caught me eye, I picked it up the movie was called Far From Heaven.
He saw me examine the movie. "Yo, I forgot about this movie." he said now looking at it.
"It's set in 1950s and a white woman begin having a good friendship with a black man that was the son of her family's deceased gardener. And her husband got a secret, back then it was a problem but in the bottom of big problems but it's okay today."
"Can we watch it please."
"Yeah sure, and I'm just going to say this nobody dies."
"Okay."
"You want something to drink like some water, Coca-Cola, fruit punch?"
"May I get water please." I said to him.
"Yeah baby, how about you go to my room while I cook some popcorn and get you your water." he said going into the kitchen.
I went to the living room to put the movie in the DVD player and waited for him with the the snacks.
He came back a bowl of popcorn in one hand and two drinks in his other hand.
He set the bow on the coffee table. "Here's you water." he said handing me my water.
"Thank you." I said as I watched him sit down.
Holden put got the remote and pushed play on the menu and the movie started.
1 hour and 47 minutes later, Far From Heaven just became one of my favorite movies ever, after we watched the movie we just laid on the couch while he holds me with his arms.
"I didn't like Dennis Quaid's character, not because he was gay its because he got with a guy who looks like he just hit puberty." he said laughing. "And he straight up starting to live with him right after he left and he legit looked like a 14 year old. He ain't gonna have a good life because the 50's was crazy if they someone see a gay couple holding hands they might kill them."
"At least Dennis Haysbert's daughter didn't die, and Julianne Moore wanted to be with him even know she was still married." I said.
"Hey Elizabeth, if you met me back then would you have try to love me back then. Like you didn't leave London and I came over from Nigeria and we fall for each other." he said holding me tight.
I looked up at him. "I would have you loved you in the past, present, and future."
"So you don't mind dating a black guy." he said looking down at me.
"Nope." I said then sitting up to see him face to face.
I grabbed his hands. "Holden, I don't care what color your skin is. I love you because of your personality. Nobody should ever not date anyone just because of the color of someone else's skin looks like."
"I know it's just the world we live in people are still prejudice about interracial dating. Shoo, I bet Corey and Thuy are still going through it. A Jewish white guy and A Vietnamese girl, you don't see that everyday."
"Yeah. So do you mind dating a white girl?" I said with a smirk.
"Not at all." he said smiling back. "Do you know who many crushes I had on white women?" He said with a small laugh.
"Oh you mean like Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen, AnnaSophia Robb, Sara Paxton Emily Osment, Kirsten Dunst, and Hannah Spearritt." I said to him
"Yeah because they all remind me of you but mostly Kirsten, Hannah, Sara and AnnaSophia. They're all underrated actresses and singers though." He said as he rest his head on shoulder.
"What about Dakota Fanning? You just listened the girls with blonde hair, and blues eyes and not her." I said as I was playing with his afro,
"I honestly never cared for her."
"Interesting."
"How is that interesting? What's interesting is that you never had a crush on Justin Bieber like almost ever girl back when we were young."
"I liked some of his songs but I never liked him like that."
"You were in to Mario, though"
I started to blush because the singer Mario Barrett but mostly known as just Mario was my first real crush. "See, see your blushing because you want someone thinkin' about you." He said with a smile.
"Baby, you are so cheesy!" I said as I playfully slapped his arm. "You just quoted one of his songs."
"It worked right?"
"For me it depends on the delivery."
"How was mine?"
"Honestly, you can get better." I said playfully to him,
"Okay."
"Holden, I didn't mean it like that."
"I know. I only say that type of stuff as a joke but since we're dating now I have to be real with it, you know?"
"It's fine really, but we really got off topic. What if we're both Americans living in the 1950s would you date me?" I said to him
"In a heartbeat but we would've had to get married in 1967 because that was when it was legal to start dating people of different races."
"As long that I have your love I would have waited."
It was getting late so I told him I was leaving he walked me out and into my car then Holden's parents pulled up to the driveway.
"Hey kids, how was your evening?" Sade said asking us.
"It was fine mom."
"Did you guys did a little something something?" his dad said making his eyebrow raise.
"Dad!" Holden said with embarrassment.
"Bankole, leave them kids alone, but you didn't do anything right?"
"No Sade, we just saw a movie that just became one of my favorites Far From Heaven." I said with a smile.
"Ooh that was a great movie we should re watch it again. SB, goodnight Elizabeth." she said walking into the house.
"Hey son, when your ready you gonna need this, well make that too." Siddiq-Bankole gave Holden two condoms.
"Dad!" Holden said in more embarrassment. "You already gave me one last week?"
"What, your going to need them soon." he said winking at him.
"Wait Dad, why do you have condoms with you on hand?" Holden said raising an eyebrow.
"I was getting freaky with your mum earlier." he said laughing in the house.
Holden turned to me with disgust.
"And I thought my dad was crazy." I said laughing.
"I think they both are at this point." he said with a chuckle. "Okay I see you tomorrow."
"Do you want our third date to be tomorrow still?" I said to him.
"Yes I do." he said smiling at me.
"I love you."
"I love you too." he said to me as we kissed one more time before I got to my car.
***
It was Friday and Holden and I had our third date and this time it's at my house. I heard a knock on the door, I opened it to see nobody then Holden jumped up to scare me "I'm sorry baby, I was tempted." he said laughing.
"That's not funny." I said laughing.
"I said I was sorry." he said still laughing.
"You're going have to owe me." I said pointing to my lips and he kissed me. After we kissed I saw a car parked in my driveway.
"You drove here?"
"Yeah, my parents have decided if I got to go somewhere really important when it's dark, I can take the car."
"That's wonderful." I said. As I walked him inside he noticed my parents wasn't here.
As he looked around he said. "Okay, where are your parents?" he chuckled.
"They went to a principal convention or something like that I'm still confused about it, but they be back tomorrow night." I said with a smile.
"Is it me or have you also noticed that both are parents are never here when we have a date at each other's houses." he chucked.
"Oh my God, your actually right." I giggled, as we walked into the theater room he sat down.
"So what are we watching tonight?"
"A romance movie."
"Oh God, what is it?" he chuckled.
"A Walk to Remember." I said with a smirk because out of half the movies we watched he like this movie.
"I do love that movie." he said smiling.
"It's a good movie." I said agreeing with him.
"I know, Mandy Moore was adorable in that movie. She has a genuine feeling to her." he said knowing he's right. "Wait are you gonna sing along with Mandy again?" he said risen an eyebrow.
"Maybe." I smiled at him. Before I sat next to him I sang part of song from the movie.
"So I laid my head back down." I sang resting my head on his shoulder ."I'll let it slide because you have a great singing voice." he said with a chuckle.
We watched the movie and even know it's not the same as the book it still gets me emotional and sometimes even Holden gets a but emotional too, never really see guys cry but Holden does it, it makes me more attracted to him more because most guys don't show their emotions but he does.
"I said this before and I'll say it again, Mandy Moore didn't need to die. Because she didn't die with cancer in the book." he said jokingly wiping one tear and with a laugh.
"I know, she didn't need to, darn you leukemia." I said wiping the water works.
It was also getting late but something in me didn't want this night to end. He was getting ready to go, and I had to stop him.
"Wait Holden, you wanna stay the night." I said hoping he does.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I don't really like being home alone by myself sometimes, I just feel lonely and helpless." I said looking down at the floor with my hands behind my back.
Am I hinting that I want him to stay with me to the night? Maybe but I love having him around me.
"Okay, I'll stay the night." he said right before I took his hand and took him up stairs. I opened my door we got on top of my bed and we just talked for a few minutes.
"Hey, are you ready for college?"
"I guess, I mean half of the seniors are going to that one college that's 20 minutes down the road. But good thing the squad is going there and I definitely bet that Bartleby is not going because he doesn't like 'poor stuff'." he said laughing.
I started to laugh too. "I know he wouldn't want to be anywhere that would make him feel like he's not rich."
"Are we going to stay together during college." he asked me.
"Of course we are, I have no interest in other guys and my eyes are only on those brown eyes."
He smiled at me. "People can put the most beautiful women and front of me, but I would have seen my blue eye angel." he said making me blush then I kissed his cheek. "Same with me with guys I got my sensitive shy guy." I said keeping the smile.
"See this is why I love you." he said looking into my eyes
I looked back to his. "And I love you."
I after looking at the distance I see my backpack and a I realized the note I found in his locker is in there.
I got up to open my bag. "Is everything alright?" He said being a little concerned on how I got up
I found the note in one of the pockets. I came over with the note and he notice what I got.
"Is that?" He said with fear.
"Umm... Holden, please don't be mad at me but four weeks ago Selena asked me to open your locker to get your English binder, and when I gave it too her a note came out and it has my name on it so I kept it. But I didn't read it though because I didn't want to." I said to him.
"Elizabeth-Bryony, this is note in your hand is my confusion. It's my love letter." he said with embarrassment looking down at his knees.
"Hey." I said putting my hand on his thigh. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. You were too scared to tell me because you're to shy, I know this." I said smiling at him.
"Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?" he said with a shy smile.
"What I'm trying to say it, if your put your heart and soul in this letter and you truly mean it. Then my love for you grows." I said smiling at him.
He smiled and he put his hand over my hand on his thigh.
"So, you haven't read it yet?" He said.
"Nope." I said shaking my head.
"Do you want me too?"
"Would you?" I said to him.
"Okay." he said opening his hand for me to put the note in.
Holden opened the note, he looked at me and looked back at the note. He looks do scared but in a cute way. "It's okay Holden, take your time." I said reassuring him.
"Dear Elizabeth-Bryony, I'm writing this to you because I'm am really scared to tell you in person. Elizabeth-Bryony, I love you. When I moved here from Nigeria I never been near anyone that wasn't my parents are siblings, but that was until our lovely teacher Mrs. Duncan put me next to you. I saw a beautiful girl, with pretty blonde hair and beautiful electric blue eyes like the ocean looked at me and I thought she was so beautiful that she was an angel and to my surprise a few hours later I became best friends with the angel. Over the past few years my feelings for you have grown for you, unlike most guys that like you for your beauty, I like you for being super sweet, kind, respectful, genuine, and loving. I don't know if you feel the same about me but, Elizabeth-Bryony Josephine Watson, I love you."
He folded the note and looked back at me and my eyes are filled with tears.
"Now I was still working on this because I wanted it to be meaningful and express my full love but- Hey!" he said concerning as he pulled me closer to him.
He wiped my tears away. "Holden, that was so beautiful. I truly never knew you loved me for that long."
"I'm good at hiding my feeling." he said.
"You don't need to hide your true feeling for me anymore, it's adorable."
"Well, I am an adorable person." he said making me laugh.
"Hey Holden, can you go over to my dresser and get that one book over there." I said pointing at my dresser.
He got up to go get it. "Does it say 'Days of my Life'?" He said making sure.
"Yes." I said to him as he came back with the book.
"So what's Days of my Life?"
"Well when we moved here my mom gave Kimberly and I scrapbooks to cherish new memories here." I said opening to an open slot to put this note.
"I thought we we're homies." he said jokingly being offended putting his hand on his chest. "How come you never told me about this?" He said smiling.
"I was planning on tell you and the rest of them until the scrapbook is finished."
"That's reasonable. Do you mind if I look?" he said.
"Yes you can." I said handing him the book.
He opened the book from the starting with the front and it was a picture my family and I in front of the house on our first day. Holden turned his head to look at the other picture and it was the two of us at the age of five and eight.
Holden then started to laugh. "Wow, look at us! I was so tiny."
"Because you we're five turning six in the 3rd grade when everyone else was eight turning nine." I said laughing too
"You remember this day?" He said to me.
"Of course, that's where our families met."
*Flashback 1*
My first week of school in Philadelphia was amazing because of the friend I made, Holden Chukwuzi. Even though being only being friends for a week, I was amazed that he was only five years old, I told my parents that and they were amazed.
My family moved here on the last month of school so dad could get settled in during the summer so I met half of the students already. We were going to be a barbecue on Saturday and I was thinking about inviting Holden to join. It was Thursday afternoon, Holden and I were waiting for our parents outside, then my parents came out as Kimberly stayed in the car.
"Mum, Daddy." I said running to my dad to lift me up.
"Daddy, remember I told you about the friend I made?" I said to my dad.
"Yes, sweetheart."
I pointed at Holden. "That's him, that's Holden." I said to both my parents.
"Hello Holden." my mom said to him.
Holden waved at them but didn't say anything.
"He's from Nigeria." I said to them.
"Oh." my dad said putting me down.
My dad kneed down to Holden size "So do you have brothers and a sister in high school because they're also from Nigeria?"
Holden nodded.
Holden's parents came and wow Siddiq-Bankole was and still is huge. "Holden, you ready?" He said to Holden.
"Hi, you're the parents of this fine young man." my dad said to Bankole and Sade.
"Yes we are, I don't want to be rude but may I ask who are you?" Sade said being a protective mother for him when Holden was a kid.
"I'm the father of his friend Elizabeth and I'm also the high school principal. Oh and this is my wife Lydia."
"How are you?" my mom said to Sade.
"I'm doing fine."
My mom looked at Holden's dad for a bit. "Koley?"
"Lydia, Oh, my god!" Siddiq-Bankole said as he scooped my mother into his arms tightly.
Holden and I looked at each other and we both shrugged.
SB put my mom down. "Sade, this is one of the girls I told you about. The family I lived next door to when I was living with... Berrycloth's, god rest their souls."
"Oh so you're the infamous Lydia Reznikov that Saddiq-Bankole been talking about."
"Yes I am but I'm now Lydia Watson now." Mom said to Sade.
"Wow, this town just got more better since we're not the only family with accents no more." Bankole said looking back at Sade.
Our school was across from the other school building with 5th and 6th grade and Simon came out.
"Hey mum, hey dad, hey Lizzie." he said running up to us.
Simon noticed Holden. "Hey Holden." he said getting Holden to give him a fist bump.
"This is our son Simon." mom said.
"We have another daughter who's in the car"
"We have two other kids in the middle school in the 8th grade, they're twins."
"That's nice." My dad said to them.
"Hey, we're going to have a barbeque on Saturday, our daughter wanted to invite Holden, how about all of you join?" Lydia said to Holden's parents.
"I don't see why not" Sade said.
"We got a giant backyard with a trampoline, a pool with a slide." Simon said joining in the conversation.
"That sounds like a day a theme park, we'll be there."
"Okay, well we have to get going now so we'll see you all on Saturday?" My dad said.
"Yup." Bankole said as we all left our ways.
As Saturday came it was 3:00 and I was waiting at the front of the house on the tire swing on the tree in front of my house while Pumped Up Kicks was playing in the backyard.
I see a GMC Yukon pulling up to the driveway and I got excited that I got off from the swing until I saw Holden got of the car and I ran to him and gave him a hug and he hugged me back. I told them to follow me to the back of the house with my family waiting.
"Hey guys, nice to meet you again. This is our other daughter Kimberly."
"Hi, nice to meet you both." Kimberly said to Sade and Siddiq-Bankole.
"Hello." Sade said then face my parents again. "These are our other kids Adedayo, Olajuwon, and Morenikeji and our twins Dara and Temidire."
"Hello Principal Watson." Adedayo said to my dad.
"Adedayo, Olajuwon, Morenikeji. We're outside of school, you don't have to say Principal. Just say Mr. Watson." my dad said nodded to them.
As the afternoon went by the afternoon gotten more fun, Adedayo and Olajuwon were in the pool in pool floats, Kimberly, Latifah, Simon, Dara, and Temidire were jumping on our giant trampoline, and Holden and I are sitting under the big tree in the shade.
"I guess our families are becoming friends. Well at least my mum and your dad are becoming friends again in their case." I said to him.
I turn to see Holden nod.
"Wow, you have a lot of siblings." I said looking at them all. "Six siblings." I said turning my head at him.
I see him grab his little white board, "Well it was supposed to be seven." he wrote.
"What do you mean?"
I waited for him to finish what he was writing. "I was supposed to have a twin brother but died before I was came out the womb." After I read this sentence from the board I looked up to see Holden looking down at the ground playing with a leaf.
"I'm sorry Holden, I didn't mean to bring up something so sad."
Holden slowly grab my hand and reassured me.
"Do you know what his name could have been?"
He grabbed his white board and wrote down. "Hassan Abaeze Chukwuzi."
"So it would have been Hassan and Holden?"
He nodded.
"I'm really sorry if I made you sad asking you that question. I shouldn't have pressure you like that." I said to him.
I took him a almost a minute to his next sentence down. "You didn't pressure me at all. You asked me a sad question but I still answer it because I feel more open with when I'm with you."
I'm not going to lie Holden was the first real person to make me blush. Maybe because I never met someone who was a mute but I knew they're normal like everyone else but Holden was someone different and I wasn't saying that because I had feelings for him.
"You are so sweet."
He looked up at me and gave me a tiny smile. I see his eyes look forward to our siblings sneaking to the pool and they all jump at the same and made Adedayo and Olajuwon fall out the chairs into the pool.
Juwon lifted his head out the pool. "You guys wanna fight?" He said jokingly.
I look at Holden. "Do you know how to swim?"
He shook his head.
"I can teach you if you want."
He shrugged.
"If you ever want to learn come to me, okay."
Holden nodded.
"Okay kids, the food is ready!" My mom said for all of us to hear.
I got up from the tree and help Holden up then a smile got to my face. "Last one to the table is a rotten egg." I said as I got a head start.
To my surprised Holden ran past me. I never seen a five year old run so fast before I met him. He may have past me but I mange to tackle him to the ground and I was laughing while Holden smiled. That's when my mom took a picture of that moment and I kept it for years.
*Flashback 1 Ends*
"That was a fun day." Holden said smiling.
"My parents love your parents."
"Same here, my parents were like slaves saying 'The Watsons are good white folks'." Holden said acting like his parents.
"But then again you guys are the first white family we talked to." he said then started to smile wide at the next picture.
"There's you and I playing in the leaves when it turned fall." Holden said pointing at the picture.
"Here's our first Halloween together." I said looking at the picture next to it.
"Hermione Granger and Michael Jackson in the 'Thriller' era walking down the streets on Halloween." He said jokingly.
He flipped a few pages. "What?" he said with embarrassment. "Really!" He said looking at me "Baby's first time seeing snow!"
"What it was cute when you saw the snow for the first." I said to him.
"Because I never seen snow before."
*Flashback 2*
January 11th, 2012
This was the time when Holden's family was living with us so we had a three day weekend due to snow. Simon, Holden, and I were on the couch looking at the window watching the snow come down to the three inches of snow from last night.
"It's snowing real hard out there." Simon said.
"It's so pretty." I said.
"Is this what snow really is? Powder?" Temidire said
"What do you mean powder, Temirdire? You're acting like you never seen snow before." I said to him.
"Because I haven't."
"Really. It doesn't snow in Nigeria?"
"No it's hot over there and I want to go back because it's cold here!" Olajuwon said.
Simon nudged my shoulder. "You learn something new everyday, huh?"
I nodded at his comment. "Hey, do you want to go outside and play in the snow?" I said in a joyful tone.
"Elizabeth, they're too old to do that."
"No we're not!"
Simon and I look over to see Juwon and Temidire putting on their jackets.
"I finally get to do snow angels!" Temidire said
Adedayo came down the stairs. "Where are you two doing?"
"Going outside and play in the snow."
"OJ, you are going to go outside and play in the snow like your a little kid?"
"Dayo, quiet being such a negative Nancy and come join us because we all know you also want to play in the snow as well."
"You right." He said walking over to put on his jacket.
Holden nudged me and pointed to see Kimberly, Moreni, and Dara throwing snowballs at each other.
"Simon, did you know they we're outside?"
"No."
Adedayo, Juwon, and Temidire came to the window to look as well." Hey, let's sneak attack them!" Juwon said to us.
"Wait for us!" Simon said as him and I got up to put on jackets and boots while Holden did it slowly.
We all went outside to the back porch and walked to the front we snowballs in our hands. We snuck up to the corner of the house and five of us made a battle cry at the same time and attack the other girls. We were all laughing enjoying out time playing in the snow and I couldn't see Holden around us and I see him standing on the porch still.
"Holden, come on down, buddy!" Simon yelled out.
We all looked at each other. "Is he afraid of the snow?" Kimberly said.
"Why should he be scared? It's just water." Simon said.
"He never seen snow in person like this and he doesn't like the cold since we became homeless." Dara said.
"I'll talk to him." Adedayo said before jogging to the porch.
I can see Adedayo convincing Holden to step off the porch to go but he wouldn't he still scared but it was adorable. He didn't look scared he was just concern about his next move if he step foot on the snow.
"Wow he's really scared." Simon said.
"Well, he's six years old and never saw snow before."
"I'm not gonna lie I thought of that too when I was a kid but watching Christmas movies with snow it looked fun to play in." Juwon said.
"Elizabeth." Adedayo said running to me.
"Yes." I said to him looking up at the 6"3' teenager at the time.
"I think Holden will come out if you helped him." he said bringing me with him.
I got to him and he was shivering. Yup definitely his first time experiencing this type of weather.
I adjusted my earmuffs after running over. "Holden, it's fine, you're not gonna get hurt or anything like that."
He still looked worried as I adjusted his hat to cover his ears. I picked up a chuck of snow to show him the grass is still there and that helped him a little but not to much.
"Okay how about this, if we hold hands and help you off the porch, will you be safe."
I got his gloved hand to hold mine. "Close your eyes, I won't let go." I said to him.
I watched him closed his eyes and we both took a few steps to the snow. After getting away from the porch he opened his eyes.
"You see, it's safe." I said smiling at him.
He started to smile and then a snowball hit his chest, we looked to see Temidire laughing.
Adedayo came to us and he made a snowball. "Okay, everyone make a snowball." he said to us.
He handed his to Holden and after we all made a snowball he said. "Okay everyone, get Temidire." he said grabbing Holden to get him on his shoulders as we all started running to throw snowballs at Temidire as running away from all of us.
*Flashback 2 Ends*
"I might be a smart guy but I never seen or read about snow before so how was I supposed to know." He said laughing.
"It was cute."
"Temidire was wild back then, I mean he still is but he's cooled down." he said flipping the pages.
"Hey, its 4th grade field day." I said pointing to a picture.
"Field day was the bomb bro, that was a great time. The whole Philadelphia city was a cool place to visit especially to the both of us."
"I don't know what was funny? Selena seeing your dad for the first time or the rain coming in from the bus windows on the way back?"
"Well the rain lasted for two in a half minutes and it was cool cause it was Friday and my dad took you and I to McDonald's when we left school."
We flipped to the next page to our forth grade field day. "4th grade field day was the hottest field days we had." Holden said pointing at the picture.
"Yeah, do you remember the race you did for with other students in different classes?" I said to him.
"Yeah, I won it for our class. All of those nine to ten year old's got beat by an seven year old." he said telling the truth.
"Do you remember in the last part of class when they showed Shrek 2 on the big tv?"
"I was paying attention to Marlon and Monique's dissing each other."
*Flashback 3*
Field day in 4th grade, when we're were in Mrs. Rogers class after field day ended, but 20 minutes to go until we leave and Shrek 2 was almost done.
"Can you two be quiet, I'm trying to watch this." Benicio said looking back at the tv.
"Hell no Benicio, train tracks won't leave me alone!" Marlon said.
"Boy, I know you're still not calling me train tracks." Monique said to him.
"Come on Marlon, watch the movie with us." Selena said trying to to laugh.
"You know what she should do? Once school is done Monique got to go to the railroads tracks to do her job helping the train get by." Marlon said making us all laugh.
"Damn." Denzel said laughing.
"You ain't have to do her like that." Carlos said to Marlon.
"No its okay Carlos, he just jealous." Monique said.
"Oh please." Marlon said acting cool.
"Look at your teeth."
"What?" Marlon said with a little worried in his voice.
"Your teeth are so yellow you look like you only eat the yellow crayons. Little man go brush yo teeth, Yuckmouth!" Monique said to Marlon.
"Oooooohhhhh." Benicio said hi fiving Monique.
"I DON'T EAT CRAYONS... anymore." Marlon said as he realized what he said as we all looked at him.
"I only bit into one, it said chocolate I thought it was and it wasn't." Marlon said.
"Marlon, that's still disgusting." I said to him.
"Yeah Marlon you nasty." Holden said backing me up.
"Whatever Mr. and Mrs. Chukwuzi." Marlon said crossing his arms. "Hermione Granger and... Shabba Ranks."
Holden leaned over to me. "Who's Shabba Ranks?"
"I believe he's a Jamaican rapper." I said to him.
"But I'm not Jamaican." he said.
"It's okay they're really know one day in the future."
*Flashback 3 Ends*
"Marlon was mad because Monique sprayed him with a hose that day." I said laughing.
"Elizabeth, you learned something at an early age."
"What was that?"
"Don't piss off black girls." he said laughing.
As we laughed we still flipping throw pages. We laughed and remembered the memories we had over the years.
"Here's the photo of us with the Phillie Phanatic at the Phillies game in 8th grade." he said to me.
"You remember the best part?" I said to him grinning.
"Yeah."
"Turn the next page." I said smiling.
He raised an eyebrow as he flipping the next page and he see a picture of us kissing.
"How do you get this?" He said looking at me.
"I may have found the video of the kiss cam of 2016 of the Phillies game on YouTube." I said grinning.
"Oh God, our first kiss is on YouTube!" He said laughing putting his head on my shoulder.
"I know right but read the comments, they were saying how adorable it was for me to kiss you innocently." I said to him.
"So you screenshot it and printed it out?"
"Yes, I don't regret it." I said with a giggle.
"Hey, it's a picture from the year book of 2018" he said pointing at the picture of all of us.
*Flashback 4*
It was November of 2017, our freshman year in high school. My dad got my friends and I out of class for a few minutes to take a photo in front of the school. Holden, Corey, Thuy, and I was leaving Math class.
"Elizabeth, why does your dad what us in front of the school?" Corey said tiredly.
"I don't know? You can ask him when we get there."
"I mean I don't have a problem with it, I was falling asleep." he replied to me.
"But Thuy was doing the problems on the board and you were still falling asleep?" Holden said to Corey.
"Hey man, you try doing farm work and school work at the same time." Corey said.
"I will not cause I'm not a farmer like you." Holden said making Corey chuckled.
"So you're telling me I make you fall asleep?" Thuy said to make him realize what Holden said.
"Wait, you were teaching on the board?" Corey said yawning.
"Corey, I legit mentioned her name. When you go home take a nap." Holden said to Corey.
"Oh my goodness, Corey how about go take a nap when you get home." I said being concerned for him.
As we walking through the halls Benicio and Selena caught up to us.
"Guys we left art class for this." Selena said.
"Yeah, I could finish my sculpture of a dragon and bring it home before Thanksgiving break." Benicio said being a bit mad.
"Like I told Corey, wait till we get out then ask him." I told the both of them.
We got to the doors as Carlos, Monique, and Denzel was walking to the doors to outside.
"What do we gotta do? We doing nothing in class, I got a notification for a LoveLiveServe video and I want to watch it." Carlos said while watching it on his phone.
"Man, why we have to go out in the cold?" Monique said cause she don't like being in the cold.
Just when I was about open my mouth. "Like I told the rest of them, wait till we get outside then ask." Holden, Benicio, Corey, Thuy, and Selena said mocking me.
I scoffed at them. "How rude." I said like Stephanie Tanner in Full House.
Marlon came up to us. "Who upset the nice girl?"
As we all walked outside to the our statue of the Thomas Jefferson's Tigers, my dad and I guess a senior with a camera.
"Hey pumpkin." Dad said to me.
"Hey dad, why did you call us out here?"
"Yeah in the cold, black people don't like the cold Mr. Watson." Monique said shivering.
"Well I wanted to get the best students for this picture." he said as he jester us to stand in front of the tiger statue.
"And what I mean by best students I mean diverse students."
"He got a point there." Denzel said to us. "It's not everyday you see three black men, a black woman, a Vietnamese girl, One Mexican dude and girl, a Puerto Rican dude, a white girl and a Jewish farmer." he said finishing what he said.
We all agreed on what he said because it is true about that.
"You forgot you don't see that unless they get paid to do it." Marlon said as Denzel nodded of the truth.
"Okay Mordecai, take the photo." he told the guy with the camera.
"Okay, you can and smile if you want but I suggest you do." Mordecai said to us.
He took the photo of us. "Wow you all smile." he said smiling at us.
"You got it?" My dad said then Mordecai nodded.
"Okay kids you guys can go back inside next."
"Hallelujah." Monique said as she ran to the doors then the rest of them ran.
"I'll see you at home, dad." I said waving before I ran too.
"Bye sweetheart." he said hollering as we all got into the building.
I was the last one to start running and they we're all in the building but Holden stopped to wait for me. I caught up and he was holding the door for me to come like the gentlemen he was.
*Flashback 4 Ends*
"Monique was freezing that day." I said with a giggle.
"Because black people don't like being in the cold, plus that day was cold as a witch's tit." he said making me laugh.
He kept flipping the pages. "Hey here's a photo of Selena's quinceañera." Holden said tapping the photo.
"You were smooth on the dance floor." I said tapping his shoulder.
"Hey I've been to a Puerto Rican wedding remember. I know how to dance even before I became a giant. Us giants don't really look good dancing but I started young so take that." He said laughing.
I showed him a very old photo of us in the 4th grade science fair.
I smiled and pointed to the picture. "Hey, it's my tesla coil invention."
"When people truly understood that you are a boy genius." I said to him.
"Yeah, he was six in the forth grade but this six you old kid made a tesla coil that plays Superstition by Stevie Wonder just like in that Disney movie." He said in a mocking voice.
"Do you still have that?"
"Yeah, it's on the top shelf in my closet." He said as he flipped it too see there's six more open spots.
"So you got six more spots left. What you gonna put in there?" He said looking back at me.
"Well, I'm gonna put this note in." I said putting the note through a slot.
"Now I got five more. I guess two of them will be for Prom and Graduation and maybe College graduation in a few years." I said to him as I took the book back on to my dresser.
He got up from the floor and laid on my bed and as I put the book on the dresser. I got on top of him to lay on him.
"Holden, I've been thinking about something."
"What is it, EB?" He said as he played with my hair.
"I've been thinking about it earlier this week." I said processing on what I'm about to say. "Do you... want to do it?" I said shyly.
"Do what?" he said turning to his head to me confusingly.
"You know, do it." I said now lifting my head up to look at him.
"And what is 'it'?"
"Doodle Bug, I thought you were smart?" I said with a little laugh.
"Baby, 'it' can mean anything like do you want to do it as in kissing or cuddling cause most niggas won't admit it to their friends but I like cuddling with you. I like having love deep conversations about anything in life, you know."
"Well we can do both but...would you like to make love." I said lifting my head and turn to his direction "With me?" I said with hope in my eyes
He sat up making me sit up since I'm on top of him. "Are you serious?"
I nodded with a little smile.
"Are you sure cause I don't want to be ready until your 100% ready, are you?".
"Yes Holden, I want to make love with you." I said smiling at him.