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Five

September, 1989

It had been about a week since me and Ti had slept together, and I hadn't spoken to her or seen her since. I had thought about calling her or going over to her house everyday, but I knew if she hadn't tried to call me or speak to me since then, that her and Eric were probably back together which really fuckin' stung to think about. I can't believe she just used me like that. I honestly wasn't even angry, I was just so fuckin' hurt and confused. So far in my experience, I've only slept with people I'm dating, so I guess I just sorta assumed that maybe she felt the same way for me when she initiated everything? But I guess not.  I guess she actually still doesn't even know how I feel about her. 

Or maybe she does and she just doesn't care? But I don't think Ti would have just blown me off like that if she knew. Maybe she really just thought it was just a completely physical thing, maybe she was just trying to even the playing field with Eric? But if that was the case I don't want any part in it. I can't just sleep with someone and leave it. There has to be feelings there, and there was on my part at least. Like I said, I guess I just thought she would have felt the same way if she chose to sleep with me.  I guess I thought wrong. 

I had just gotten off work about half an hour ago, so I was currently riding the bus while I waited for the stop that was pretty close to my house. It was actually the same stop that Ti uses, so I had been fully expecting to bump into her one of these days, but nothing yet. 

My stop finally came and I grabbed my backpack and started making my way off the bus. There was barely anybody on here, so it ended up just being only me that got off. I walked down the stairs, thanked the bus driver, and made a right so I could start walking back towards my house. 

As my legs made the right turn, I immediately noticed a girl looking about Tiyana's height with the same hair colour and length walking about 50 yards ahead of me in the same direction. "TI!" I yelled and started jogging to catch up with her but she didn't turn around. "YO! TI!" I yelled again and kept jogging. This time she turned around and I swear it was like it was in slow motion. She stopped walking, and whipped her head around to the left, causing her hair to fly all the way to her right shoulder. I saw my favourite smile start to paint across her face as she started taking off her headset that I assume must have been connected to her portable cassette player. 

"Hey! I'm sorry, I had my headphones on." She said as she gathered the headset cord in her hand and I was finally just about to reach her. 

"You just come from work or what?" I asked a little out of breath as we both started walking again. 

She giggled. "Marshall it's 5pm, the club doesn't even open until 8pm." 

"Shit, right. Where ya comin' from then?" 

She groaned. "The bank. Eric got my credit card all fucked up somehow, so I had to go in and talk to them." I didn't say anything, I just nodded. He was the last person I wanted to talk about right now. "So how are you though?" She asked, clearly trying to relieve the awkwardness. 

I shrugged. "Honestly Ti, I'm real fuckin' hurt." 

"Why?" She looked at me with sad eyes. I frowned back at her and she looked away and sighed. "I'm sorry." Her voice was quiet. 

"Why would you do that? Did I do somethin' wrong?"

"Oh my god Marshall, no! No! You were- fuck... You were amazing." She said as she looked at me and tucked her hair behind her ear.