We were at the University of Mississippi Monroe. He wanted to ditch classes. (I mean, why even bother when you get good grades because you sleep with all of your teachers, right?).
"Besides, you need to get out more." Johnny insisted.
"I went out with Karen. Does that count?"
He laughed so loud it echoed. "You got to have fun without your leading lady once in awhile. Every man does."
"Right. Because we're men." I rolled my eyes.
"Don't be a drag."
The campus was lush green and rose red. Cobblestone lined the quad. The buildings were short but made up for it in marble sculptures. The sun was so high I thought it would fly away. It was good to go out with someone other than Karen. She was starting to get clingy and I felt like I was socially being suffocated so when Johnny swung by for the first time in two weeks I probably looked desperate when I agreed to go to the campus with him.
We wandered the park Johnny brought a football. We tossed a few. Simple manly man stuff.
"Jordan, you're a natural!"
"I guess."
"You were on the team?"
I sighed. "How many times do we have to go through this? I--"
"You don't remember. But why don't you try?"
I caught the ball. Johnny lead me to the nearest benches. "Think. Think football." He paused. "And only football, nothing else."
I closed my eyes to make it look like I was trying. I breathed deeply. I squeezed my eyelids shut just to humor him.
"Now we're getting somewhere!"
Yeah, right. Football...football...football...Number 52! I was number 52 on...on a team... the Santa Monica Wildcats.
The girl showed up again. I could see her smiling face with blue dashes and the number 52 on her cheeks. She looked about five years younger than I remembered. She was saying something, but at first, I couldn't hear her.
"---and I can't believe it! We actually won, babe!" She squealed and jumped at me, wrapping me in a hug filled with tears and sweat.
"I couldn't have done it without my cheerleader," I replied happily.
"I know." She bit her lip nervously, and then kissed me. In the background, I could hear yelling and cheering, and a few people slapped me on the back, but all of that was numbed. My whole world was in my arms. Nothing else mattered; not the championship trophy, or my scholarship; or being the school's savior. All I wanted was her.
The pain returned for the first time in weeks.
"AH!" I dropped to my knees. My fingers pressed against my temples. My chest trembled. "Dammit!"
"Jordan!" Johnny threw away his football. "I forgot all about your pain, man, I'm sorry! It's just been so long."
No shit, Sherlock, I wanted to say. But all that came out was "Mmmmmmmm."
"Come on, let's get you some ice." He helped me up. I looked up at him, but something in the distance caught my eye.
It was her.
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Broken
General Fiction"What year is it?" "1955." "Thank you." I turned around, my fears confirmed. I understood why the world seemed so different now. So hostile towards me for no reason. I was black. I was a girl. I was in rags. And it was 1955. ...
