Picasso's Promise

Episode 51| Goals to Keep

Picasso's P.O.V.

The first person that I ever loved dumped me before winter break. I was fourteen.

It's not something I like holding on to, or ponder about for long hours, but it is something that dawns on me every now and then.

Florence was a tall girl, with chestnut brown skin and teeth as bright as as the sun. People thought she bleached her teeth or got veneers - but they were all natural. You couldn't afford dental cosmetics where I'm from.

Kind of like how people say you don't see people from the past smiling in pictures all that much. When its a black and white picture, people didn't smile much, don't take offense to it though, they probably were hiding their bad teeth. Yellow, and stained from coffee. Chipped or completely missing as well. You could say the same thing about people from the past and people who are poor. Or simply have poor hygienes. Money didn't always buy you common sense.

I looked at Sydney.

She was sitting in my passenger seat, twiddling her thumbs and peering out the window.

We were driving to campus. It was a game day. People were counting on me to win this game against Lockwood High. I was worried if I didn't put in my A game, then there was less of a chance of getting sport scouts attention. The school year was about to wrap up, and with thanksgiving break coming, there was only a few more weeks left of the basketball season. And once track came around, I knew I needed to gain some eyes there. So far, no calls yet for a scholarship.

My friends thought it was dumb that I wanted to continue my education. I stopped caring about their opinion long ago.

"Your coming to my game tonight, right?" I asked Sydney.

She didn't make a noise.

"Syd?"

"Hmm," she hummed, "Sorry, did you say something to me?"

I repeated my question.

"Oh, uh," she paused, "Of course."

I smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate it." I touched her knee. "I need my good luck charm."

We stopped at a red light.

Since we first started dating, we would always find any excuse to sneak a kiss in the car. Whenever the light would turn red, or we were in gridlock traffic, bump to bumper, we would look at each other for a split second and pop a quick kiss - sometimes more than one - and grin at once. It was our thing.

I snuck a look at Sydney, and she was looking out the window again.

Frowning.

I gripped her knee. "You good?"

"What?"

"Are you good?"

She kept missing every word I said, making me repeat it over and over again. This happened another two times - making me realize that maybe she didn't want to talk all that much.

"Do you want to get pizza with us and the team tonight?" I asked. "You haven't come in a while."

"I wouldn't want to intrude."