A Teenage Love: A Coming of Age Story

Chapter 9 - The Deep End

9 The Deep End

Ryan. She overwhelmed me in every way. Sometimes it was a weight that invigorated me. Other times, it pinned me down and suffocated me. Now she wanted to be all buddy buddy with the other side. I couldn't have her invading every crevice of my life like that. She was begging to pull up skeletons that she just didn't have the stomach for. Meagan knew about my temper and my bad behavior. With her, there was no pressure, nothing to confess and nothing to prove.

I snorted at the thought of Michelle actually babysitting that kid. It wasn't that I was annoyed because she couldn't come. I was annoyed because she was way too buddy buddy with the other side. Between my father's second family and her father's untimely death, Springs had all my secrets at the tip of its tongue like a blabber mouth school girl. She thought the world of me. I just wanted to keep it that way.

"Is your girl coming?" I looked up and Meagan was handing me a drink. "I can't wait to meet her." She sank into the lawn chair. "To see what it is you couldn't find in Springs," she added coyly.

"It's not even like that," I muttered.

"Oh, but it is. Cause we got prettier girls in homeroom so what's really good?"

I glanced at Meagan's solo cup because she was talking a little more reckless than usual. "Like who?"

"Sequoia, Shawnte, Jessica, Marika..."

"Let's narrow it down to the girls that actually like me."

"Uhhh..." She repeated the exact same names.

"Bullshit."

"You wouldn't know cause you don't pay attention, but girls is checking for you. Sequoia said you got a nice body."

"So you would be okay with me talking to one of your friends?"

"At least I would understand it."

"It's not personal..."

"I know."

"So stop taking it personally."

She got up, fixed her shorts and walked away.

Terrell slapped my hand leaving a big bill in my palm. "Bad time?"

"Nah, good time actually."

"Girl problems?"

"Girl problems I didn't even know I had, G." Meagan joined her friends in a huddle.

"Where Rich at?"

"My dad's house."

"I wanna talk business."

"Rich ain't gonna talk to you about his business, bro."

"Just a conversation."

I knew he was getting desperate because Rich would never involve us in his illegal activities and Terrell knew it. I gave Rich a call on his behalf.

"Yo, I was just on my way back to Springs. What's good?"

"Well, Terrell's is in a bad spot with his mom and all," I said easing into it. "We wanted to talk business with you."

"We?"

I ran my hand over my face in annoyance. "I'm not a little kid, Rich. Can we have a conversation or do I need to handle it myself?"