Page 98 of Crash: Love in Scrubs
“Man, I thought you would help me convince her. I want something dope to drive, not a Honda Accord or Camry. Nah, it gotta be fly.”
“Son, I’m already in the doghouse. I’m trying to get your mama back, not make things worse.”
“Sounds like she’s got the final say,” I joked, knowing she most certainly did. She always had. I had a strong mama who didn’t wait on people to handle stuff, she got to it herself. Working doubles, sleeping on the couch in her uniform before heading back out to another shift. I could never take her sacrifices away from her.
We started walking around the lot, still talking until an older Black man approached us with a huge smile.
“This one ain’t on the house, nigga,” he said as he and Malik embraced, then extended his hand to me. “You must be the young king I’ve been hearing about.”
“Give me a minute,” Malik said as they stepped aside to talk business, I assume.
I walked around by myself, and that’s when I spotted it. A sleek black Mustang Mach-E that made my heart drop in my stomach. It was perfect. Electric, so environmentally conscious. Four doors, so practical. But still a Mustang, so it had that presence I wanted.
“This one,” I yelled, pointing and getting Malik’s attention. “This is perfect.”
He walked over, and I could see Malik trying not to smile. “Your mom might have something to say about you driving a Mustang. Even if it is electric.”
“But it’s practical, right? Four doors, good safety rating? Plus, I can use it for content. The car reveal video alone will probably get me a thousand new followers. Which means more money. Shit finna be lit.”
Malik walked around it, checking it out with the eye of someone who knew cars. He looked at me, giving me the eye. He never cared about me cussing. Malik was cool like that. Man, my mama was messing up.
“It’s solid. Reliable. And this ain’t about money, you’ll have what you need regardless. If you like it, call and talk to your mama. If she’s cool, so am I.”
The way he said that, like my happiness mattered more than the price tag, felt good. Ashe had never cared about what made me happy. He’d shown up talking about what he thought I should want, never bothering to ask what I actually wanted. He hadn’t even really tried to get to know me. I was so thirsty thatI offered the information. That’s why he had me so pissed. I trusted him, and he didn’t even deserve it.
“The accident taught me something else too,” I said, running my hand along the smooth hood. “Life’s too short to play it safe all the time. Ma’s been protecting me my whole life, but I’m almost grown. I need to start making my own moves, taking my own risks.”
“Like what?”
“Like being honest about what I want. Like telling her I support y’all being together because you make her happy. Like admitting I was scared as hell when I thought I might not walk right again, but I fought through it anyway.” I paused, thinking about how much I’d grown.
“She raised a hell of a young man. I told her you would be okay, that this was just growing pains. Now look at you.”
We came in for a brief hug before I stepped away to call Ma, my heart was pounding as I waited for her to pick up. This felt like a test, not just of whether I could get the car I wanted, but of whether she trusted the man I was becoming.
“Ma? Yeah, I found the car I want... It’s a Mustang, but hear me out... It’s electric, Ma, it’s not a race car. It’s not what you think... Malik said I don’t need to worry about gas mileage... I promise I’ll be careful... Yes, ma’am, I understand... Okay, love you too. Bye.”
I hung up with the biggest grin on my face. “She said yes to the ‘Stang! Whew, the haters really gonna hate now!”
“I ain’t worried about the haters. I’m worried about the girls. You being safe about that too, right?”
I waved him off because that was a given. My mom would kill me. “Yeah, I’m, ugh-” I said, looking away.
“Aye, we good. Say no more. I respect it.” He said not requiring me to elaborate. I was still a virgin and planned to staythat way until I graduated high school. Ma, drilled not bringing babies home. I was too spooked to think about it.
“Thanks.”
As we headed into the finance office, I felt more confident about my future than I had in months. The accident had shaken me, but it didn’t break me. If anything, it had shown me what I was really made of. And watching Malik handle everything, the paperwork, the negotiations, making sure I understood every detail, showed me what it looked like to have a father figure who actually cared about preparing me for the real world.
Ma had taught me to be strong and independent. Malik was teaching me how to be responsible and thoughtful. Together, they were showing me what real family looked like, what my future could be if I kept working toward it. I wanted to be my own boss one day.
And I was ready to be the man they’d both helped shape.
“I’ll follow you home,” he said, tossing me the keys to my brand-new Mustang. “Maj, be careful, don’t tear this shit up before I get the insurance cards.”
I caught them, the weight of the metal feeling heavier than I expected.
“You coming in?”
