Bad Boy (DeVante Swing)

The nerve

Arrington Noel Cruz
October 27, 1992

I was sleeping when I got a call.

"Hello?" I said tiredly.

"Ari? I need you to come down here now. De has gone crazy." Karen whispered into the phone.

"What's wrong?" I sat up getting myself together.

"Girl, the nigga just flipped. Like I'm so confused. Bring his doctor too cause this shit ain't poppin'." She hung up the phone and I threw on some clothes.

I got in my car speeding down the road. I called his doctor and walked in the studio seeing him throwing things. I ducked as a chair flew my way.

"Donald! Stop! Get off of him!" I yelled as he started fighting K-Ci.

"Get the fuck out of here Arrington." He said with dark eyes.

"You keep fighting him and we're done completely." After getting robbed De has been acting weird. He slowly has become more aggressive and it's confusing.

"You not going no damn where Arrington. Shut that shit up!" He yelled getting in my face.

I slapped him. "You will not talk to me like that. Ever. The old Arrington is gone, I'm not bout to getting pushed around." Just as I said that his psychiatrist walked in standing at the door.

"What is he doing here?" He asked glaring at Dr. Burnett.

"Because that's the only person who can help you mend this relationship and your problem." I looked around at everyone. "Can you guys leave us alone?" They all nodded and left.

"Take a seat Donald." Dr. Burnett said while staring at Donald. He sat down and I sat across from him while Dr. Burnett sat on the couch. "Why did you stop taking your medicine? You haven't picked up your prescription in three months and haven't showed up to therapy."

My head quickly snapped to Donald. He always tells me he goes to therapy and even tells me how the sessions go. When I ask if he took his medicine he claims he has. It honestly hurt me knowing he lied about this.

"Because I couldn't work, I couldn't stay awake, couldn't think, and I couldn't.. Respond to my girlfriend." I looked at him. He looked embarrassed as if he was ashamed of himself. "I wasn't myself. I was a zombie. How the hell is that better than occasionally losing my temper?"

"Because when you lose your temper your mind does not rationalize. You are sick, you are capable of many things when triggered. I can prescribe another medicine and see how that affects you but you can't abruptly stop your medicine now we have to start all over."

"Doc I can't start all over. I just can't."

"Why can't he just go back where he left off?" I asked.

"Because the medicine has been out his system for three months and I'm top of that he hasn't been in therapy for months. We don't know his progress."

"Well analyze him and check. We can't keep doping him up. Obviously that's a problem."

"That's not what we're trying to do. We want to help him."

"Well obviously it's not helping if he can't do his job. I mean he never denies sex, EVER... You know how much that makes him feel less of a man. Like damn... If you can't help I'll find someone who can do better."

"Ari calm down." De said grabbing my hand.

"Hell no I'm not gonna calm down. Like all he wanna do is give you drugs. Your damn therapist does a better job than this. I want you to get help but I want you to still be able to live out your dreams. How the fuck can he do that if he always look as if he about to have a damn stroke?"

"Arrington, we're going to do the best we can. Maybe we can actually restart therapy. Change your medicine and go from there. How does that sound? For now, Donald you have to try and be in control of that anger until we can make a change. I know you're stressed from the robbery."

De stiffened up and held my hand tighter. "Thanks Doc.. I just wanna go home." He said getting up. I got up and walked with behind me to the car.

"Donald!" He turned around not making eye contact.

"I think you should stay away."

I scrunched up my eyebrows trying not to cry. "What? Donald we've been together a year and half and you're telling me it's done? What the fuck happened to us being forever and me not going anywhere?"

"Arrington I love you. I want nothing more than to be with you but I don't like the medicine. I can't express myself. I can't make love to you. When I'm not on it I'm a monster.. I don't want to hurt you. Maybe we just can't be together."

"You're not about to break up with me. I didn't go through this shit for you to leave. Ain't no break up nigga. I'm riding with you till the end. You're stronger than this! Don't you ever in your life try to do that shit to me. I don't care how depressed you are. You mine and I'm yours. Get yo ass home. Gone try my damn life and break up with me. You done pissed me the hell off.. Got me ALLLLL the way fucked up. We ain't done till I say we done. And last time I checked... We not done so you can cancel that thought. Give me a kiss and go home." He looked at me shocked. "Nigga give me a damn kiss."

He quickly gave a kiss and wrapped me in a hug. He got in the car and Big Dan drove off. The nerve of that nigga thinking we through. I ain't waste this time for nothing.

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Excuse any errors