Twilight Rays

22. Cry along with you

"And you said you wouldn't cry, huh?"
We had just finished watching Les Misérables and Twilla had cried when she saw the final scene.
"It's not the same to read about it and to watch it."
I laughed a little bit, sliding my thumbs down her wet face. Yes, she did read the entire thing. It's so big they cut the book in three volumes!
"Well, we better get going now. It was nice to cry along with you, Twilla, usually I'm the only one."
"Anytime", giggled Tweetie, hugging her goodbye.
My mom and her had become very close in such a short amount of time.
"Take care of you, big boy", my mom said while squizzing me in her arms. "And call me if she becomes your girlfriend" she added in my ears.
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Well, you guys seem happy together, plus I like her a lot."
"She likes you too, mom."
"Glad to hear it."
My dad just patted my back before lifting their luggage and walking out of the appartment. After one more hug, my mom finally followed him.

"Okay, Mo, I really have to go, my dad's gonna freak out!"
Twilla yanked herself out of my brother's arms, chuckling at his childish manners.
"But you still owe me an Aretha Franklin cover, you better be working on it tonight!" Mo threatened her with a crooked smile.
"Wait, you have a YouTube channel?" I asked, confused.
"We have a YouTube channel. She does the singing and I do the piano", corrected my bro.
"Nice, I'll check that out later. Get going, Twilight, it's almost midnight!"
"Bye Mo!"
She opened the door and got out. I followed her.
"Can you drop me at the corner store, I need to get some milk."
"Yeah, sure."
I opened the door for her and sat in the passenger's seat.
"You know, she started after she started the engine, I still don't understand how we became this close so fast. Any idea?"
"I don't know, it was just meant to be. Parce que c'était moi, parce que c'était lui... well, you."
"Alright bruh, drop some Montaigne on me." She grinned.
"It is relevant."
"Course it is."
She scratched her hear mindlessly and asked:
"Do you think I'll ever be able to hang out with you without my dad being mad at us?"
"Why exactly does he hate me so much?"
"I frankly have no idea. I asked mom and she said you seemed like a good guy - duh, I wouldn't befriend a bad boy, I mean look at me." she said, waving at her maxi black skirt.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I think my dad believes I'm a clueless ratchet who's gonna get played by the thugs, but everybody can tell I ain't about that life. I truly can't shut up about God and I struggle with one of the biggest egos of this universe."
I smiled. It wasn't true, but the girl really had a high self-esteem.
"Let God do his thing, He's got your life covered."
"Thanks for the friendly reminder, Ray."
She parked in front of the store.
"Hurry, I'll wait for you."
"I didn't really need anything, I just wanted to get away from Mo for a while." I confessed.
And be with you but...
"Okay then..."
She stopped the engine and turned to face me.
"Let's talk. Anything in mind?"
"How did you get convert?"
"You really wanna go there?" she flinched.
"If that's okay with you."
"I can tell you."
"So, how old?"
"14."
I frowned.
"Really? I thought you've always been Christian?"
"No, DeeDee was. Her parents used to bring me to church with them."
"So how did it happen?"
"I was extremely insecure about myself. Like, I thought I was ugly because I didn't have any boyfriend, and the one guy who was interested at me ran away when he met my dad."
I could easily understand why, poor guy.
"So I built walls up and I wouldn't let anyone in. I was ashamed to be the only black in my family, like I could never really fit nor be loved by them because of that. And one day... I was in my room, in tears. I told God,'if you exist, lemme know, cuz I can't take it anymore. ' And I opened the Bible and randomly fell on Psalm 139. 'I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.' And I went like, 'Whoa, this is real.' And I rushed to DeeDee and asked her to pray for me. She made me pray myself and I never stopped ever since."
"So this is where all your confidence comes from?"
"Yes."
"You are one heck of a masterpiece, miss Nadeau-Toussaint.
She blushed (as much as a black girl can), not knowing what to say.
"Thanks."
"Et je n'ai pu vous voir, pparfaite créature, sans admirer en vous l'auteur de la nature, et d'une ardente amour sentir mon coeur atteint, au plus beau des portraits où lui-même il s'est peint."
"Shut up! Molière now? When did you even read this?"
"I don't have school, remember?"
"Neither do I now, and I don't go memorizing all the French Literature!"
"You dropped university?"
"Oh... yeah. Just for this term though, I just had a lot going on so I needed a break."
The car goes silent. I'm surprised by her decision, my only flight couldn't cause her to cancel her classes.
"So, how does that book of yours going?" I asked her.
"Well, the teen romance isn't going so well, but the fantasy one is almost done."
"Cool! Send me a copy when you're ready! "
"Okay... hum, I have a question too."
"Go ahead."
"How easy was it to cut me out of your life? I want the truth."
I was confused by her question. Why is she willing to ask me such a scary question for her?
"It hurt so much, I didn't even want to see a church because it would remind me of you."
I was mentally wrestling with my thoughts, wondering whether or not I should tell her about my feelings for her.
"We should get going, my dad's gonna get worried."
The car started and she drove me to my place without another word.
"Here. Good night." she muttered once home.
I leaned over to her face and brushed her lips with mine.
" 'Night, princess." I whispered.
With that, I opened the door and got in my house.