Page 79 of My Little Doe
“Um… I guess we can bring her with us, or drop her off with my Titi,” he said.
“I wouldn’t want to pawn her off on someone,” I said.
“Then we bring her and stuff to make a few bottles while we’re gone,” he said.
“Alright, I guess that settles that,” I said.
“We should probably bring a little box for her to sit in while we’re in the store,” he said.
“What about my shoe box?”
“That should work,” he said.
We gathered up stuff, put on jackets, and got into the car. Baton Rouge was nearly an hour away from us. He wanted to go to Walmart and a couple of other stores to get supplies. Callie still had his truck and would be bringing chairs for everyone to sit on. I wasn’t sure what all we were planning to get.
Once we got onto Interstate 10, he sped up quickly, my back pressing into my chair. A surge of energy ran through my body, taking my breath away. The first night we had the car, we got on the same interstate. He hit one hundred and twenty miles per hour. My heart pounded out of my chest then. I thought I was going to throw up, but I didn’t. Afterward, I felt exhilarated.
“I’m sorry I tried to kiss you,” he said, breaking the silence between us.
“I… um… It’s okay…” I muttered. He tried to kissme. I thought I tried to kiss him. This wasn’t helping anything. “We need only to be friends… I just now got to the point where I don’t hate you,” I told him.
“Oh, so you don’t hate me?” he teased.
“I don't… but I don’t like you either,” I said.
“Yet… you just called us friends,” he said, flashing me a smile.
“Yeah… I guess I did,” I said.
“I’ll take being friends,” he said.
He stomped down on the gas again, passing a car. He really did love this car and the need for speed. He let off, sliding back into the right lane.
“Do you still like Mad Dog 20/20?”
My head snapped toward him. “How did you know that?”
He sighed. “You don’t remember me being atanyof the parties at your house? In your neighborhood?”
I stared at him, my head tilted. I thought back to all of the parties and all the people there. Sometimes there were so many people, I didn’t even know their names. Most of them drank and were doing their own thing. How hadn’t I noticedhim?
“Yeah… I didn’t think so,” he said. He pursed his lips and continued staring down the road.
“I don’t know how I wouldn’t have noticed you…” I said, almost a whisper.
“Because I’m mixed,” he said.
My head shot back again. “What? No—”
“Then what?”
“You weren’t the only black or mixed person that came to our house… something you would remember if you can remember what I drink.”
“Then why?” he asked.
“I actually didn’t like the Mad Dog… I prefer a Blue Lagoon, but my brother said I was acting extra, and Mad Dog was easier,” I said. I wasn't about to say the real reason out loud.
“Deflection… something you’re good at,” he said.
