Teenage Fever

Questions and Questionable Answers

I pecked his lips for the umpteenth time. Tahj had been over to Damario's place a lot these past few days. Damario didn't seem to mind, actually, he was hardly ever here when Tahj and I were hanging out. He did mention once about multiple games coming up for the basketball team he coaches.

It was another afternoon in the middle of the week of spending time with Tahj. We laid on the couch, me between his legs facing him while he laid propped up against the arm rest.

"You know what's interesting," I say out of the blue. "All this time we spent together and there's still a lot I don't know about you."

You would think with us spending the past few days together we would be well acquainted but all we've been doing is making out, feeling on each other, going back and forth with our flirtatious banter. And time just seemed to fly by. Especially when he always left so soon.

"What you want to know?" He shrugs.
"How old are you?" I shake my head incredulously. "That's crazy. I don't even know how old you are. You're not 16 are you?"
He laughs, smiles down at me.
"No. I'm 18."

I back up all the way off him. He watches me with a blank stare while I look at him in shock.

"Are you messing with me?"
"Something wrong with that?" He shoots back.

I go to sit down on the couch, he stays in his current position. I think long and hard about the question he shot back at me.

"I guess not. You are technically an adult. I just figured you were older."

I hoped he would have been older. Not 18, maybe at least 20.
He finally sits up and next to me.

"What about you then?"
I glance at him.
"Twenty-two."
He rolls his eyes.
"Wow, grandpa, what an age gap."
I smirk.
"If it makes you feel better I'll eventually turn 19."
I laugh and playfully shove him.
"Now I'm really curious about you."
"Let's play 21 questions," he says as he lays back, getting comfortable again.
I think about what he proposed.
"Where are you from?" I ask.
"Section 1. I at least know you're not from here."
"Section 3."
"That would have been my guess or even California."
"I've actually never been there."
"Me neither."
"Your turn," I say after a pause.
"Hmmm. How did you get out here? Why are you staying at your friend's house, on his couch?"
Ahhhhh, what a great question.
"Long story, it involves a break up I went through not too long ago. D has been helping me get back on my feet with letting me crash here. In the meantime I finally got a new job, also not too long ago, and I'm saving up to hopefully get my own one day."
He nods.
"Speaking of which, what do you do? Are you in school? You're not still in high school are you?"

Now that would be an issue for me.
But right when I asked that the door flew open.

"I hear y'all but is the coast clear? Can I open my eyes? Y'all got y'all's clothes on?"

Damario came in with one hand covering his eyes, his other arm out in front of him guiding him to not run into anything.

"You're stupid, D."
He slowly opens his eyes and smiles down at us.
"Hey lovebirds."

Tahj slowly stands up.
"I think I'm about to go now."
"There you go with that disappearing act. Don't leave on my account. I'll cover my ears..."
"Nah, it's nothing like that. I just got to stop by my fam's place. Almost forgot."

Now I was curious about his living situation. But I snapped out of my thoughts when I realized he was talking to me and D was staring at me.

"Yeah?"
"Walk me downstairs?"
I hop up, D watching us go.

"We'll talk more, but you can text me," Tahj tells me as we stood outside. The day was still young and I began to wonder if we would be standing outside right now if it wasn't for D coming back.
Tahj pecks me on the lips snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'll text you."

"Everything good? At least one of us is getting some in this lonely place," Damario says over his shoulder from the kitchen sink.
I go to sit at the kitchen table.
"Ain't nobody getting anything."

I kept quiet after that. Eventually D comes over to me, staring at me intensely but with a pleasant expression.

"What's wrong?" He smiles.
I shrug.
"I just still don't know him. I just found out before you walked in that he's only 18."
Damario sits down across from me giving me a look.
"Damn. Only? That nigga look at least 21."
"Right."
"That's not too bad, though. Jor—" he abruptly stops and closes his eyes.
My eyes snap and lay in his direction.
"My ex, the one you unfortunately met, was young when I was messing with him. Don't tell Chris Hansen."
He gets back up and goes to one of the cabinets.
I snort.
"I'm not surprised. The lack of maturity was evident."
D shakes his head.
"But don't sweat that age shit, Les. He seems mature for his age and you're not much older than him."

That's all well and good but I still wanted to continue our conversation. What did he do?

Later on in the day I take a shower. Damario's starting to get a little too comfortable though and comes in to take a piss.

"Really, nigga?" I yell over the spraying shower water.

He laughs, flushes the toilet on me, washes his hands then with a hysterical laugh he bolts out. Weird ass.

Once out the shower I check my phone and noticed a missed call and three new messages. I peep the missed call is from Derek. I also see he messaged me as well so I figure to only reply to his message. I see Dana'i messaged me about taking tomorrow off. I'm so close to seeing if she can be fired.
Then I noticed a text from Tahj. Before checking it I go back to Derek's message.

Derek🕺🏾: Fish fry get together next weekend. You coming?

I had to think about it. I'm sure my schedule is free and I did still have plans on swinging by that way.

Me: Most likely, I'll let you know otherwise.

I okayed Dana'i's text in mild frustration. She already took off two other days this week. I don't know what kind of show she thought this was but it's not the Dana'i show.
I hopped over to Tahj's text but before I read it I put some lounge clothes on and got comfortable.

"Pizza night?" Damario asks.
"Cool."
"I already ordered so I guess I'm just letting you know."
"Same response: cool."
I look down at the message.

Tahj😘: to answer your question from earlier no im not in high school. i graduated.

Me: Okay 😁 where you work?

I didn't get a message right away. I happen to watch Damario who was watering his plants. I didn't realize how long I was staring until I heard the doorbell and that took me out of whatever trance I was in.

"Pizza!" Damario grins and sets it on the coffee table.
He goes to put on Netflix.
"Finally about to watch Infinity War."
I look back down at my phone and finally see a text from Tahj.

Tahj😘: i work for my dad 🙂

Was all he says.