Page 14 of Verse Two
He looked up at me and spoke the last lines without reading.
“For now,I’ma give you these words instead, while I carry the truth close to my chest. You make me wanna be better; you make silence feel like music,and I’on know what love is yet, but I swear—you might be it.”
He glanced at the page again.
“You know what’s crazy?” he asked, still looking at the paper.
“What?”
He chuckled. “This shit is terrible, but after you left me, I thought I wouldn’t write anything as good as this again. It wasn’tuntil I started writin’ about how much I missed you that I felt like I had something worth reading. I always wrote my best shit when I was writin’ about you.”
I bit down on my lip, trying to hide the smile that threatened to swallow my face. This moment was supposed to be about him and his pen, not me wanting to jump his bonesagain.
Placing a hand on his bare chest, I said, “First of all, don’t call one of my favorite things in the whole world terrible. Second, . . . Brick, you don’t have togiveyour words to anybody. You were the best rapper on our block when we were coming up. With all the connections you’ve made in the industry, I know people have recognized your talent. I’m sure somebody out here is just waiting to sign you.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, my man Siah thinks I should take my own music career seriously, but I ain’t for the spotlight, Doll. You know that.”
“I think you say that, but it’s only because you believe you’d be required to change something about yourself for the fame. I think the world would loveyou, and putting your own stuff out there would make you happy. No industry gimmicks, no filters, justBrick. Even if you didn’t go the rap route, Brick, you could write a book. Either way, your words should be out in the world, withyourname on them. It’s only right.”
Silently, his eyes scanned the page a few more times before he replied in a low tone, “Maybe you’re on to somethin’, Doll.”
I smiled brightly. “I definitely am.”
“But you gotta take your own advice, though.”
I frowned. “What you mean?”
“You gotta do what makesyouhappy, too. Clearly, that’s not workin’ for Maria Striten. Maybe it’s time for both of us to find our way back to what we love.”
I bit my lip and frowned. With a voice I knew was filled with uncertainty, I asked, “You think so?”
He nodded. “I do.” He then closed the binder and placed it on the nightstand and pulled me to him before covering us both with the plush comforter.
“Take ya ass back to sleep. We’ll figure the rest out in a few hours.”
I closed my eyes and was surprised by how quickly I was able to relax. Maybe it was because, for the first time in a long time, I felt that tomorrow might actually bring something good.
Six
Dy
“Damn, Brixton Ellis is so fine. I swear he’s gon’ be mine soon!”
I rolled my eyes as the minions surrounding LaShontae Brooks started to giggle and affirm what she had just said.
I couldn’t stand LaShontae, and it wasn’t just because she hated me. It was because of everything she was. She was a bully at heart, and I hated bullies. She learned a long time ago that she couldn’t bully me, though. Now, she just tried her best to make me jealous by talking about all the things she would do to Brixton whenever I was around.
I wasn’t worried about her, though. Brixton was my best friend, and if I knew him as well as I believed I did, he would never go for someone like LaShontae. He always commented on how pure my heart was, so I knew he respected good people. Kind people. Whenever he did get a girlfriend, that was the type of person he would go for. I was sure of that.
Trying to tune LaShontae and her friends out, I refocused on the court. I was sitting on the second row of the tattered bleachers at Fox Hill Park while my two best friends, Brixton and Marcellus, played basketball against two other guys from our school.
This was a daily thing for us. After school. After homework. Before dinner. The park was our spot. Some days, other people—like the annoying group of girls sitting behind me—would show up, but Brick, Marc, and I never missed a day.
They were finishing up their half-court game, and before they could even walk off the court, LaShontae and her friends hopped off the bleachers and rushed toward the court. I chuckled and shook my head.
One thing Brick always told me he couldn’t stand was a girl who was too eager. He said that if any old body could get a girl’s attention, he didn’t want it.
His eyes locked on me just as the group approached him and Marc.
