Telegraph Ave

Chapter 11: Flashes (Part 2)

There's a whole lot more to this city, as I observed new scenes outside the back of my window. Keeping quiet to myself, the rest of the fellas gossiped with each other as Arron drove us down the highway. In my eyes this city is dope, passing by many buildings entering the deep part of Oakland. There are liven areas, colorful areas, and broke down areas, but every city has those.

The artist Ramirez bumped through our speakers, giving us that old school 90s west coast flavor, that blended in with the warmth of the summer temperatures. I was relaxed, blissful allowing the greyish leather seat to swallow me whole.

The world was no longer colorless, but beyond vibrant in the state of my mind. Moments like these tend not to last for long, and I keep that in mind every day I wake up. That's why to me every second matters, taking 1 minute at a time.

"You ain't stop staring out that window yet?" Arron's voice takes me out of my daydream.

He and I connect eyes in the rearview mirror.
"Nah, not yet. Not for a while. "

Arron nods his head. "Look over on this side."

Rotating my eyes to the left, we peer out from the trees and see this vast high school standing to our left. The parking lots were neat, the football field covered in terf, and the presentation on the outside was welcoming. My eyes lock onto the building, witnessing its every detail.

A hoodie stayed over my head the many days I'd attend school. No longer wanting to show my face, nor wanting to communicate. I never took the bus, but my mother would always drop me off, and I hated the sight of my school. It wasn't always that way though, I use to love coming here.

But time changes us all.

"Have a good day Xavier." My mother would tell me that every day she'd drop me off, kissing the surface of my head.

I'd get out, and once I was far away from the car.
I mind my own business for the rest of my time there.

"That's us." Arron's words pull me from a flashback.

I look towards him and glance back out the window to see that we're now passing the school by. An uneasy feeling flairs within my chest. I take in a deep breath of fresh air then exhale.

"It'll be you too soon, I hope," Arron adds on.

"Oakland high school?"

"That's right," Marcus answers my question.

No more... I say to myself staring back out the window. "When do y'all have summer workouts?" I asked them breaking the silence.

"Not too long from now," Jordan responds. "We start on the 7th of June."

"But let's not worry about that right now. I'm trying to enjoy my break from the heat damn it." Arron jumped to the conclusion.

I chuckled. "I can tell y'all be going through it."

"You damn straight. But the coaches cool as hell though, I'm sure they'll like you. Especially because of your attitude off and hopely on the field." Jordan bumps into my shoulder playfully. "Even though they'll like you, you'll have to work your way up."

I've always worked hard, but I'd go unrecognized.
Either by favoritism or because I didn't have a thuggish attitude like the rest. Their words allowed them to shine, not their play.
I was a quiet person off-field, but whenever it came time for me to be on the field I had the attitude of an all-American. To my luck, I just became a sparring player to the rest.