Page 30 of Beautiful Beginning

“It felt like one less thing to fuck up.”

I chuckled. “And by avoiding a fuck up, you fucked up.” I didn’t tell him his plan was as ingenious as it was. It wasn’t necessary for me to rub it in his face.

“I fucked up. Royally. So, how can I make it up?”

The liquor started to wear on me. The week’s activities stretching over my shoulders. My head heavy from wanting to collapse into a deep sleep. “Tomorrow.” I covered my mouth as I yawned. “Come to brunch with me.”

“With you, or—”

“Some of my friends will be there. It’s homecoming brunch. The end to the weeklong activities. A tradition.”

He repeated, “A tradition. Okay. If that’ll start my make-up period, I’ll be there.”

“Good, I’ll send you the location.” I covered another yawn. “I should go now. Before I fall asleep with you on the other side.”

He joked, “I’d listen to your light snores.”

“These ones might be a little louder than that.” All week, sleep was hard to come by. Now that me and him were good, I could rest easy. “Goodnight, Chaz.”

He cleared his throat before offering, “Goodnight, Journey.”

ChapterFourteen

Chaz

I had a lot of making up to do. I would have preferred doing it with the two of us. Her and me, wherever she wanted to be. Answering every call. Responding to each text. Taking her on dates and stopping into the coffee shop for her iced mocha between classes. I was ready to be on my 90’s begging era.

I wasn’t ready to go back to life without Journey in it. As challenging as it was with her, it was far more enjoyable. Stepping out of my comfort zone had nothing to do with her, entirely. I had difficulty being around her, and all her people.

But that Sunday morning, after the homecoming game, I sucked it up. A brunch with her and her homegirls wasn’t the library while I tried to study. I could dine with her and a couple of her homegirls.

Not alone though. I needed back-up. A little reinforcement. I knew my trash behavior the week before would lead to an inquisition of sorts from her friends. And I needed someone there to distract them from me. So, I banged on Marcus’ door.

At first he didn’t answer. A loud groan echoed from inside instead. When I knocked a little harder I heard, “What do you want?”

“Wake your ass up.” I knew better than to open his door though. No telling what I’d find on the other side of it. He deemed homecoming week, his time to indulge. And indulge he did. A different girl every couple of days pranced out of his room. “Come with me to brunch.” I didn’t mention Journey’s girls, in case there was one already in there.

“I’m not hungry…” he groaned again.

“Come on man, I need a buffer.” That was enough of a keyword for him.

His door creaked open. Lines crossed his cheeks, and crust filled his eyes. I stepped back before I got a whiff of his breath.

“Her girls gonna be there?” The whisper let me know there was someone in his room.

So instead of a verbal reply I nodded my head. “Get ready.”

He wasted no time, shuffling into his room. Minutes later a woman pranced down the hallway in front of my room. I heard him mumbling something to her as she tried to convince him they could do something together. Finally, I heard, “I’ll call you later,” before the front door opened and shut. He walked past and stuck his head through the door. “Trying to lock me down.” He shook his head. “Shit, this is senior year. You’re the only fool on that shit.”

Like a fool, I said, “I’ll be that for Journey.”

Marcus laughed all the way to his room. Thirty minutes later, he was still laughing when he walked out fresh. “Let’s go, man. I gotta see what her girls are on. But I swear if they on the same thing she’s on, I’ll quit my wingman duties on spot.”

“Got it.” I assured him, “All you have to do is distract them. But her girls are cool, so you’ll be good.” I was only speaking from the few interactions I had with them. But I knew Marcus, and he wouldn’t care about their personalities as much as what they looked like.

“Are theycool.Or are they sexy?” His head tilted to the side.

“I’ll let you be the judge.”

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