I drive in one direction for what felt like forever, until my gas light cuts on. I then come across a small gas station. I get out, and walk inside to fill up my tank. The clerk is Arabic, and can barely speak English. I ask him to put fifty on pump four, and he starts speaking what sounds like gibberish. I pull out my card and he still speaks no English.
"What?" I ask.
"Here, he sayin they don't take credit." I hear a mans voice from behind me. He reaches over me and hands the clerk a fifty dollar bill. I turn to see a bright skinned dude, with a low cut and brown eyes. He's wearing a black tank top and jeans.
"You know its fifty degrees outside." I inform him.
"Yeah I'm good. I like the cold." He tells me. His voice is subtle, and country. I pull out cash, and give it to the other clerk for my gas. Then I walk outside to my car.
I begin to pump my gas, and the dude walks over to my car and speaks.
"This is a nice ride." He begins. "I have one just like it." He points to his car, only it's a gray version of mine.
"Cool." I say.
"I'm Tyson by the way." He says extending his hand.
"Look, I have someone. I appreciate your hospitality but I'm not single." I say, declining his handshake.
"Ty! Hurry up before D get mad!" I hear a guy from his car yell. The windows rolls down and its a brown skinned boy. He looked about my age, and he had a nervous expression on his face.
"Ben can't you wait a few minutes? You on my time!" Tyson yells back at him.
"So can I get your number?" He asks, licking his lips.
"Look, I gotta go." I say, getting into my car. I start it up and I drive back the way I came.
*******
I pull over eventually after noticing the same medow Hykeem took me to when I was in ninth grade. I don't know why but I felt a sudden erge to get out of the car and walk over to it. I reach the edge and I smell weed. It's dark outside so I can't really see. Then I see truck lights flashing about thirty feet away, and the sound of Bob Marley's Is This Love grow stronger as I slowly approach the truck. I see a person in the drivers seat, but I can't make out what they look like. I get right in front of the truck and the lights turn on and I'm blinded. I cover my eyes and stumble. The lights go off and the person gets out of the car and walks over to me. I immediately get scared and I start backing up.
"I never thought I'd see you here again." A familiar voice says. Hykeem emerges from the dark and I stand before him, face to face for the first time in three years. I don't speak, I just stare.
He flips his dreads back. "So did Zeph talk to you?"
"What? No." I say crossing my arms, already disgusted by his presence.
"Well uh. I told him I wanted to speak with you." He says, walking back to his truck. He goes to the passenger side and opens the door.
"I hope you don't think I'm getting in there." I say.
"Cedric. It's freezing." He says.
I look down and realize I only have shorts on and a hoodie. I roll my eyes.
"Please?" He asks.
"You make me sick.." I say walking to the truck and getting in. The heater is on full blast and I feel an instant sense of comfort. I shiver and settle in my seat. Hykeem walks back around and gets in. He turns the song back up.
"I actually love vintage songs like this." I say.
"Really? Bob Marley is a legend. I love all of his work." He says, lighting a blunt.
"I guess some things never change huh?" I say. He hits it hard, and exhales it in my face. I breath in the smoke and I take the blunt from him and stick it in my mouth. I suck on it hard, and I let the substance sit in my nose, then I slowly blow it out. I get an instant buzz.
"I missed you." He says lowly and confident, leaning back in his seat.
"Let's skip the bullshit. I don't even know why I'm here." I confess, taking another hit.
"I wanna make shit right with you." He says.
"Nigga. You realize we will never be together again?" I say.
"But I'll never stop trying though." He reaches for my hand and I snatch it back.
"Go home Rodger..." I say in response. (only 90's kids will understand that joke)
"I'm sorry." He says.
This is really getting annoying. "Did you have intentions on raping me that night?" I ask.
"What?"
"You heard me.. Did you have fucking intentions on raping me, that night!?" I look at him.
He looks down and shakes his head.
"So what you can't talk now? Answer me!" I yell.
He starts to sob into his hands.
"Hell nah, bruh you ain't finna do this shit with me. Stop all that crying shit." I say, waving my hand. Don't tell me I'm wrong, don't tell me I'm blunt. Remember this dude raped me, I'm not finna show no sympathy! The fuck?
He sits up and wipes his eyes. "No I didn't. I was high, and drunk and I was messed up."
I cross my arms. "Mmhmm go on."
"Then when I took those x pills, I -"
"What?? You took ecstasy? What the hell were you thinking dummass??" I say.
"I know I shouldn't have."
"Ya think??" I say.
"And when I took it, every emotion was amplified. So when I saw you, I just got turned on.. And the drugs took over." He says. "I promise you Ima try my hardest to make you forgive me for what I did." He says. Honestly, I knew he was info drugs, but not ecstasy... Come on now.
"Look, that's not something I can just say "oh its fine, I'm over it", because I'm not. Do you realize that this is illegal??" I ask.
"Cedric. I sell drugs man, what is and isn't legal is the last thing on my mind." He says.
"And that is my cue to leave." I say, opening the door.
"Wait! Stop." He says. I ignore his soul, and I walk back to my car at the edge of the field. I hear him run after me.
"Hear me out!" He calls. He eventually catches up and grabs me by the arm.
PAUSE... NIGGAS... I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ALL CHOOSE TO DO THIS. BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO WIN THE HEART OF YOUR GIRLFRIEND, BOYFRIEND OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, GRABBING THEM BY THE ARM ONLY MAKES THEM ANGRIER.... OK BYE.
PLAY.
"Let me go!" I yell. He pulls me up to him and tries to kiss me. I smush his face away with my hand and I kick him in the nuts. He howls and collapses to the ground. I sprint to my car and I get in quickly. He wobbles my way, and I speed off down the highway.
I don't wanna go home. I need space right now. I stopped at a red light and get a text on my phone. I open it and its my mom.
Mom- Meet me at Peidmont park. We need to talk.
I balance my options at the light and I decide to take her up on her offer and meet her there. I swiftly make a u-turn and head in the other direction towards downtown.