First Down

26. Adrian Brown

"Yo, she's bad as hell." Aaron stated as soon as we pulled out of my apartment complex. "First Samoa fine self, then you got her too? Mannn, you out here living." I shook my head, "Samoa and I are just friends." I let out, "but you're right, they both look good as hell." I smiled.

Aaron kissed his teeth, "man I know you and Samoa got something going on, or had something going on. It was obvious, mama ain't here. You can be real now." Aaron let out. I looked in the rearview mirror at Aaron and then over at my dad who had an eyebrow raised, waiting for my response.

I waved my hand, "it's the past." Aaron smiled, "I knew it, she the past still trying to be the present." My pops shook his head, "and it seems you're entertaining it, while also dealing with Jaelyn, who you seem to like more based on how affectionate you are with her." I shook my head no, "I'm not entertaining it, when we ended she asked if I would still meet her parents and go to dinner like we had planned and I told her I would, you all wanting to invite yourselves is what makes it seem like I was entertaining it."

"That wasn't us, that was her mama and your mama." Aaron let out, "you know she thought she was like your little girlfriend. So meeting Jaelyn definitely threw her for a loop."

"I told her multiple times Samoa wasn't anything but a friend, but I get the surprise after all the run-ins with Samoa and then y'all poppin' by and it's someone I never even mentioned." I let out with understanding. "Why didn't you mention her?" Aaron questioned, "because she's not my girlfriend. We aren't anything serious."

"You real affectionate with her for something not serious." My dad let out. "I mean I do like her." I replied honestly. "And the not your girlfriend yet comment, sounds like it could get there." He added. I shook my head, "I said that for mama's sake, Jaelyn and I know what's up." My dad snorted, "does she?" My dad questioned, "with comments like that it could easily make her feel as if it's true."

"Well I'll reiterate it, I'm sure we'll have a conversation about all of this anyways. My focus is school and football and she knows that." I responded as I turned the car, we were coming up on Tessie's. "You can focus on school, football, and having a girl too, you know?" Aaron pointed out, "I do it." I laughed, "I hear you." My dad turned to face me more. "I get your focus being on football and school, and I'm happy that you have your priorities in order. You are excelling in both areas. But don't be so focused that you miss out on enjoying college and everything that comes with it."

"I know." I let out, "I won't and I don't." My dad shifted in his seat, facing forward more again, "so you don't like her to where you would make her your girlfriend?" My father asked. Why were we still on shit? "Not my focus right now." I sighed, "that wasn't my question, I didn't ask if it was your focus, I'm trying to gauge how much you like her."

"Right, or Chelsea still got you wrapped?" Aaron let out as I looked in the rearview mirror at him as he referred to my girlfriend from high school, we dated my whole high school career, we only ended because we believed we needed to experience the full college experience. We both were sure we would get married, shit I hadn't let the thought go and she was partly the reason I didn't want to get wrapped up in another girl.

We still talked weekly, checking in and shit and neither one of us had gotten serious with anyone at our respective universities. Every summer we found ourselves right back up under each other when we went home. We agreed to not visit one another, but yet she found herself hitting me up, and I found myself reaching out too. But my desire to reach out to her had lessened in the time I'd been wrapped up with Jaelyn.

I like Jaelyn a lot more than I wanted to give credit for. But Jaelyn and I had moved quickly so I felt it was just lust more than anything. We fucked only after a month of meeting one another, and had only been messing with each other since then going on a few months. Though it felt much longer with how much time we spent together, how comfortable we were, and the topics we discussed.