Lessons || MJ

Lessons || Chapter 7

DARRYL

Fed up couldn't even begin to describe my emotions now. I shoved myself away from Max again and charged to the dorms. Footsteps trailed behind me while my best friend followed. Despite the anger brewing inside of me, I hadn't expected anything less from him.

We found sitting at a courtyard table, praying. Max shot me a look and slowly began turning me away from that private moment between those two women. A bangle chimed on Yvonne's wrist, but my eyes focused on the charm dangling from a bracelet Leslie sported. The letter P overlapped with a crucifix or something. I'd never seen anything like that before.

I took careful steps forward, only to have Max yank me by the back of my hoodie. Despite my friend whispering disapproval, I strolled toward the ladies anyway. Curiosity stunned my mind by now. That bracelet shined brightened than the sun overhead.

I cleared my before speaking, but Max didn't follow me this time. I looked back to find ourselves alone in this eerily vacant courtyard. Yvonne began to leave, but I stopped her with one turn of my gaze. Brown and thick curls surrounded her face like the mane of a lion, but the grin I'd seen many times before vanished.

"First, I'm sorry for your loss. Both of you." I took a seat without permission. I still felt enraged from their lack of acknowledgement toward me out of everyone else. Yvonne squinted at me, ready to stand, but Leslie reached out to touch her wrist. The bracelet Leslie wore still gleamed into my vision.

"Thank you, Darryl." Leslie whispered.

"Now could you please leave us alone?" Yvonne snipped at me in a low voice. The tired expression on her face signaled end of flowing tears.

Leslie rubbed the arm of her friend as she sat here in a black turtleneck dress and heels. Curls topped in her head in a scrunchie, but frizzy strands still released around her face. Autumn leaves decorated the ground as I looked around this courtyard.

"Not to seem pushy, but were they close to you?" I hesitated asking.

"Like a brother." Leslie sniffled in front of me.

Yvonne hid away, turning to face Leslie and no one else. She scooted closer and the two ladies embraced, whispering to one another. No matter how much I needed to walk away, it didn't happen. I allowed myself to watch them grieve.

As soon as Leslie and Yvonne pulled away from each other, I stepped back. Terror washed over my heat when Leslie frowned in my direction. I stood my ground and watched her intently. There was only silence between us when I turned to face this woman, squinting my eyes again.

"What is going on?" I stared into her broken eyes.

"Yvonne and I are grieving. Darryl. What do you think we're doing?" Leslie shook her head. I only glared once and she rose from the table. Leslie quietly apologize to Yvonne before following me to the center of this courtyard.

My eyes soon hooked on the charm bracelet again. Space closed between us when I reached up to see her wrist. She didn't protest.

"What is this?" I asked. Leslie chewed her bottom lip almost nervously. I'd prayed to Jehovah that she wouldn't cry again.

"A friend of mine gave this to me years back." Leslie sniffed once more.

"What does the symbol mean?" I questioned softly now. The pain of mourning still rested in her brown eyes.

Leslie pulled my arm away. "That's complicated and I don't want to talk about it. Vonnie, let's go! her voice croaked with an accent I'd only heard from the boys.

Those two ladies began to march away from me, but I screamed, irritated by the entire situation. "Stay here! Both of you!"

Yvonne shot daggers at me again, but I didn't care. Leslie charged in my direction at quite a fast pace regardless of the heels she wore now. A deathly space closed between us once more

Leslie almost towered over me while standing and pursed her bare yet maybe scrumptious lips. I mentally turned into goop right now gazing at curls I wished to pull with my strong hand. She'd scream my name, not Max or anyone else.

Yet, I knew so much better and snapped out of these impure thoughts. Even while she towered over me, I stood ground once and finally made a case for myself. "I've spent all this time trying to figure what's going on with you. You ignore me, always run away and never tell anyone anything. What are you hiding, Leslie?"

"Yvonne?" Leslie turned to face the woman beside her. Yvonne nodded obediently and slowly moved back to the dorms. I cleared my throat within seconds later they turned right back around. Leslie popped out her brown eyes.

I folded my arms. "You never answered my question, Leslie."

"I don't owe you an explanation." she hissed back.

"Yes, you do." I lowered my voice facing Leslie again. Yvonne raised an eyebrow, but I never flinched. "Both of you. Everything was great up until this point. What's going on?"

"Life happened, all right?" Leslie scoffed. "I'm not in a good place right because my life is screwed up. Now leave us alone, like Yvonne just told you, Darryl!" Yvonne rushed away with her before I could even blink at this moment. The courtyard only lived in silence now.