Page 50 of Lyric Squared
“Why you tripping with me?” I hunched my shoulders in question.
“Because, the girl finally shows some interest in you, finally lets her guard down and confesses whatever love she must have for your frail ass and you just leave her hanging. No response, nothing. That’s insane, Keanu. She’ll never trust you enough to do anything remotely close again. You did a great job fucking that up, son. Shit.”
“Calm down, old lady.”
“I am calm.”
“I saw her.”
“When?” Her neck snapped in my direction again. With a raised brown, she waited for a response.
Her skin was as black as mine with hints of cocoa. Her hair was long and still so pretty even in old age. It passed the middle of her back, falling just above her waistline. She kept it plaited in four large braids almost every day. Sometimes, Nelly put the hot comb to it for her a few Sundays out of the year for church, but other than that it was plaited up.
“Last night.”
“I bet she wanted nothing to do with your ass, too.”
“She was with a guy.”
“Oh, this is better than my soap operas.” She chuckled, “Good for her. Go Lyric.”
“Who’s side are you on, Nanny?”
The fire in my chest rose as she continued to cackle.
“I’m on love’s side and you messed up your chance acting like I didn’t teach you any common sense. How stupid must you be to ignore that girl like that and not expect her to keep it pushing. She’s probably still feeling like that was the worst mistake of her life, right now. Probably wish she could take back every word. Probably wants nothing to do with you now.”
“She has no other choice.”
“Bullshit! What makes you think she doesn’t?”
“‘Cause I made her go home.”
“And she did like a fool?”
“She did.”
“So, maybe that’s where she wanted to be anyway.”
“I went over.”
“Keanu, I thought you said she was with a guy.”
“I don’t care who she was with, Nanny.”
“Oh, so now there’s urgency once you see that she’s moving on. Men are just pathetic. All of them.”
“I didn’t know what to say to her then. In my defense, I’m not good with words. Not those kind. I’d rather my actions speak for themselves.”
“You could’ve told her that. Hell, told her something.”
“I told her everything she needed to know last night.”
“I’m sure you did, Keanu. I hope you kept that little thing of yours in your pants. Don’t go disrupting that girl’s life like you don’t have any home training.”
“I didn’t keep it in my pants. That’s why she has no other choice but to have me in her world, now. She shouldn’t have given me inside.”
“You sound stupid!” she spat, cracking four eggs in the pot.
