Saving Gracie// Nba Youngboy Story

.14

Gracie

September 14, 1994
7:02 pm

"What could this girl possibly want with me?" I sighed as I sat my head back against the seat and kentrell shrugged

"Ion know, but ion trust her or her psychotic ass friend"

"What Time is it?" I asked as I looked over at him and he checked his watch

"7:02"

"She better be in here or else I'm leaving. I'm not waiting on nobody" I mumbled as I unbuckled my seatbelt and we got outta the car. The restaurant was pretty much empty tonight, only a couple of cars were parked outside. Kentrell and I walked into the restaurant and he immediately ran into some people he knew, which happens often because apparently everybody knows him. While he talked to the people, I scanned the room, to see if I could spot out the Tamia girl, making it difficult being that I've only seen her once for about a few seconds. In the far right of the restaurant by the window one particular girl stood out to me so I walked over to where she sat and as I got closer, she looked up at me then sat up straight

"Tamia?"

"Yeah it's me" she laughed a little and I took a seat across from her. We sat in silence for a few seconds but I was just ready to get straight to the point so I could just leave

"So whatchu called me here for?" I asked impatiently as she stirred the spoon around in her drink. Tamia stopped stirring and looked at me

"Gracie, first off I just wanna say I'm so sorry about Que's deat-"

"Darren" I cut her off "and if this is all you wanted to say, can I just go ahead and leave?"

"No! That's not all" she told me before placing her hands on the table. A chair beside me pulled back a little and kentrell sat down in it, throwing his arm across the back of my chair and I smiled at him

"Well whatchu called ha hea fa?" He asked and she looked at him for a second before looking over at me again

"I know this might be hard for you to hear, but I feel like you need to know. It's about why Darren was killed"

My smile dropped and I crossed my arms. Although I didn't wanna talk about Darren nomore, this could hopefully give me the closure I need

"Well, What about it?" I shrugged, just eager to get this over with. As far as I knew it was just a drive by and Darren was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but now all of this new stuff peoples telling me has me thinking that it was more than just that. Tamia shifted a little in her seat and took a deep breath

"It was because of me"

"What?" Kentrell said, obviously as confused as I was

"My brothers and their friends were beefing with Darren and his friends for years"

"So they killed him over a petty beef? What that gotta do witchu" I asked and she shook her head

"It more than that. Even though they were beefing, I was still cool with Darren's cousin Julia"

The minute she mentioned Julia, I knew it was no good at all

"And?" I questioned

"Julia told me she had somebody she think I would like, that's when she introduced me to Darren. And Gracie I swear I didn't know about you at all. Neither of them told me about you"

Immediately my heart dropped

"You were messing with Darren, and Julia set y'all up?" I asked and she nodded "and exacty how long did it take for you to realize that he had a whole girlfriend?"

"He finally told me after I told him I was pregnant" she responded low, placing her hands on her belly

"What the hell" kentrell mumbled as he shook his head and I just looked at Tamia. I honestly didn't know what to say right now, matter of fact I didn't know how to feel

"Gracie I'm so sorry. If I would've known about you I-"

"I'm done talking" I cut her off before getting up and walking outta the restaurant. What I was hoping would bring closure, ain't do shit but bring even more hurt

*******_______*******

"Are you fucking serious!" I could hear my mom yell from the living room while I just laid in my bed playing with my Chinese finger trap. Kentrell was in the living room telling my momma, Sky, bree and Sophie about what happened and it's obvious that none of them sounded too happy

I just wanna know if you can kick some game
Come with something more clever than just your name

Kick your game by Tlc played low on my radio and I softly sung along. I couldn't even cry or feel sad about what Darren did because it's done, but it still hurts ya know.

"Gracie" my momma called my name as my room door opened. All of them walked in and sat around my room, causing me to look at them funny

"What?"

"You okay?" Sky asked as she sat on the bed beside me but kentrell pulled her outta the way, sitting the instead and she smacked her lips

"Y'all I'm fine" I laughed

"I told you there was something I ain like about Julia, it was obvious that she was the type of person to go and do some-"

"Aye, Mexico... shut up" kentrell cut her off and she looked at him, rolling her eyes

"See, I like kentrell" my momma laughed "but seriously Gracie. I know that probably hurt you and if you need someone to talk to, you got us. Okay"

"I'm forreal y'all. I'm fine. It's nothing I can do or change about Darren being dead or him getting that girl pregnant so all I can do is continue with my life. I'm just glad I found somebody that makes me happy" I smiled as I laid my head on kentrell and he started smiling too. The phone started ringing and my momma grinned

"I'll just take that in my room" she said before walking out the room and I shook my head. It wasn't nobody her boyfriend or whatever he is

"Well gracie, I just say fuck that fake ass cousin of Darren's and what he did was wrong" Bree told me

"Forreal" sky agreed with her "be glad it was her that got pregnant instead of you"

"Girl yes! You definitely dodged that bullet with him" Sophie said and we all looked at her

"Oh shit" kentrell mumbled, laughing a little and sky shook her head

"Outta everything you could've said"

"Oh damn. I wasn't thinking" Sophie said as she covered her mouth

"Obviously" Bree responded, causing Sophie to mug her. All I could do was face palm myself and shake my head