90s Love

Chapter 19

I was one of those people who constantly thought about the future.

By the time I started in high school, I already saw myself walking across the graduation stage and throwing my cap in the air with the girls. I saw myself living in an average house, away from the hood. I saw myself being successful. 

It was just the in-between that was a little fuzzy for me.

When I thought about college, I felt like there were different avenues I could take. I could be like Kelly and go for something business like that required me to dress fancy all the time. Or I could be like my mother, who was a nurse and worked crazy hours. I could take my Dad's route, skip college altogether, and just drive trucks. I could be like Rashad, who was dead set on sticking to athletics and be a physical therapist.

Okay maybe I didn't exactly wanna be like my Dad, Mom, Kelly or Rashad...

But it was still a lot to think about. I was an average student, skating by on A's and B's, and I thought it probably wouldn't be hard for me to get in some college in California. I just had to figure out what I was going to do. And the only logical way I thought I could do it was to go to the one person who I knew had her shit together.

Raquel.

"You don't really have hobbies, Nae." She spoke to me as we sat on her front steps eating, out of all snacks, grapes.

"I have hobbies." I defended.

"Oh yeah, then what are they?"

"I read... sometimes." I scrunched my face, not even believing the words coming out of my mouth.

"You only read when it's required." She smiled at me. "Okay, scratch off hobbies. What jobs do you think are cool?"

"I don't know." I thought for a moment, feeling it would be better to take a different approach. "How'd you know you wanted to be a lawyer?" I questioned.

"I'm good at debating and winning arguments. My mom said it once as a joke. But after reading up about it and seeing lawyers on TV, I like it. Defending the innocent, knowing how to outsmart the system. I think that's fresh." I took in her words with a slow nod. "I see you doing something that's different."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe you could take your love for Pac and hip hop on a bigger scale. Host a radio show or something. I can't picture you doing some regular old job."

"Okay." I popped a grape into my mouth, liking what I was hearing. "What do you think Kay's gonna do?"

"Shhhheee's," placing a finger on her chin looking up to the sky as she started to think. "She's gonna own something. Be her own boss."

"What about Nicki?"

"She's gonna be a teacher for sure."

"Will." I pressed with a smile, finding her guesses to be amusing.

"Does Will even wanna go to college?" She looked at me curiously, making me instantly let out a laugh.

"I think she wants to be a cop." I said.

"She said that five years ago!"

"You said you wanted to be a lawyer five years ago!"

"This ain't even about me. This is about you." She gave me a look. "What do you like doing?"

"Uh, hanging out with y'all and being there for my family. Being at school, I'm good at math. Umm, helping people. Being with babies. Making people happy." I listed off the top of my head.