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3 | Wine & kisses

JASON

I tried to have a life outside of Percy. Everything about him was deeply ingrained into my soul, body, and mind. I didn't want my life to be consumed by him, but he slowly seeped into every corner of my world, coloring it indigo blue. The morning sun bleeds into my room, soft orange rays spilling onto my bed. Why was I up so early? It's summer and I should sleep in.

My phone buzzed beside me. I grabbed it squinting at the bright screen.

Percy: I want to hang out.

Me: I can't today.

Percy: Don't care. I'm on my way to pick u up be ready when I get there. 

My thumb moved across the screen typing out a text saying I couldn't.But I doubled back. Erase it. Get my ass out of bed, showered and brushed my teeth, and got ready.

My parents were still asleep. My dad in the bedroom snored loudly and My mama passed out on the sofa with the TV on the fifth season of Criminal Minds.

I waited outside my house for Percy. It didn't take him long to pull up in his Benz with music blaring some rap song that aggressively overused the word nigga. I never judged white people for listening to black artists because music is for everyone. It's free for anyone to consume, but why did white people, or even non-white people, enjoy rap music so much? Black people listen to relate to our culture and the movement. But what drew white people and non-white people to our music so much? Was it because of the use of the N-word they could say it so freely without any real consequences because it was deemed "hip" and "trendy" now? They couldn't relate to black struggles and what it's like being black and what our culture was truly like. Maybe they wanted to have a small taste of that without experiencing the black pain. Black culture was for them to try on and take off. We couldn't do that.

 Percy turns down the music some. He's in a white cotton button-down shirt, the first three buttons are undone. His blonde hair was slicked back with hair wax. For a moment, he looks at me. Takes me in.

"What happened to your face?"

The bruising around my lip came in good. I fasten the seatbelt. "Did some boxing with my dad yesterday."

"You box?" Percy sounds interested in that small thing.

"No. But when my dad wants to, I do."

I knew a few boxing moves. Knew that boxers had to be light on their feet and be able to read their opponent. 

"Teach me someday," he said.

I didn't want to teach him anything, especially when boxing was a thing related to my dad. Then again, maybe it could become our thing.

Percy drives. He's going a little fast. Dodging in and out between cars.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Since we weren't going toward his place.

"It's a secret."

"Why is it a secret?"

"Because I want to surprise you." I could hear the smile in his voice. 

We drove for an hour. Until city buildings turned into pastures. So many cows grazing. We drove, and we drove. Percy stops at a countryside gas station. We go inside and, of course, there's some older white lady watching me from behind the counter. Percy tells me to put whatever I wanted in the carry basket. I grab some Slim Jims, a bottle of tropical Sprite, and a share-size bag of sour patch kids.

At the front, the older lady rings us up. She's staring at me the whole time and I pretend not to notice.

"23.50," she said.