1
I sat in the crowded mall food court with my girlfriend, Lauren. She was beautiful
with her long brown hair, light brown skin, full lips and almond shaped eyes.We were in love. We knew that after only dating for three months and had been
inseparable since.
Lauren
dipped one of her fries in some ketchup then held it out for me. I snapped it from her fingers like a dog snatching table
scraps.
“Next
time, get my fingers while you’re at it, Ebban,” Lauren joked.
I smiled, munching on the
fry. I took a sip of my orange pop then felt my cell vibrating in my pocket. I fished it out and took a look at the text message.
It read—I SEE U.
I
quickly scanned the crammed food court. Adults walked around wearing shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops, holding the hands of
their children. Teens wearing sagging jeans and backward baseball caps carried trays to their tables and stood in small groups
taking sips from their pop cups.
I
was looking but I didn’t see anyone. At least no one I knew.
“What’s
wrong?” Lauren asked.
“Uh…nothing.”
I smiled.
“Who
was that who called you?”
“It
was a text.”
“Who
texted you?”
“Oh.
Matt,” I lied. Matt was my best friend. He played forward on our high school basketball team. He was tall and good looking.
“What did he want?”
Lauren asked.
I
was about to answer her when the phone vibrated again in my hand. I glanced back at the screen.U 2 LOOK LIKE UR HAVING FUN. U LOOK LIKE A REGULAR COUPLE.
HOW NICE.
I
tried to hide my anger as I answered Lauren’s question. “Matt asked if I wanna shoot ball later today. Now he’s
texting me back saying if I’m scared he’ll understand. I gotta let him know I’d whoop him with my eyes closed.”
I
punched several of the tiny keys with my thumbs. WHO
IS THIS?!?
“Tell
Matt I said hi,” Lauren said.
“I
will,” I said, my heart beating hard as I looked up scanning the food court again. I was expecting to see someone off
in a corner somewhere punching keys like I had just done. I saw no one.
My screen lit with the incoming
text. I THINK U KNO. MEET ME IN THE LITTLE BOY’S ROOM.
I
pulled my eyes up from the tiny phone screen and shot a stare in the direction of the restroom. Men walked in, others walked
out—nothing out of the ordinary. NO!
I pushed my phone back into
my jeans pocket, then picked up my cheeseburger and tore a bite out of it.
“Everything all
right?”
I
smiled, swallowed the food in my mouth, then leaned over the table, puckering. “Everything is perfect, babe.”
Lauren leaned over, met me
halfway and pecked me on the lips.
My
phone went off again. I thought of ignoring it, thought better, and pulled it out. “Sorry, babe,” I said, eyeing
the message. U DON’T COME 2 ME, I’LL COME
2 U. J
I
nervously grabbed another fry, popped it in my mouth as though there was nothing wrong. “Gotta go to the bathroom. Be
right back,” I told Lauren.
“Okay,”
she said, looking concerned.
Stepping
into the men’s room, I looked around cautiously like I was being set up, like I was about to be jumped. Before me were
six urinals, sinks, and five stalls. One of the doors was closed.
I stepped in front of it,
cleared my throat as loud as I could. Something
moved behind the door. I bent over to see a pair of sneakers. I heard the latch being undone. The door swung open.
“Come in,” the boy behind the door said, smiling.
I looked over my shoulder
to see that no one had entered after me then stepped into the narrow stall space.
The boy who stood in front
of me was named Colin. He was thin, 5’9”—two inches shorter than me. He had medium brown skin, a narrow,
pointy nose, and wore wire framed glasses.
“What do you want, Colin?”
I said, irritated.
“You
can’t keep it a secret for the rest of your life. People are gonna find out.”
“Find
out what?” I said, daring him to say what I knew was on his mind.
“That you’re—“
“I’m
what?” I took another step closer, my eyes narrowed and fists clinched.
Colin’s chest heaved.
I saw fear in his eyes. “You can’t hide forever. No one can,” Colin said, his voice quivering. “It’ll
get out.”
“There’s
nothing to get out,” I said, beginning to worry that he had told someone about the times he and I met in the
park and talked.
“We
had this conversation and you said—“
I grabbed him tight by the
arm. “You telling people something?” My voice was a harsh.
Colin swallowed the lump in
his throat. “No.”
“You
keep it that way, because there’s nothing to tell, right?”
He stared wide-eyed at me.
“Say
it.” I clamped down tighter on his arm. I didn’t mean to hurt him, but he needed to know I was serious.
He
winced. “There’s…there’s nothing to tell.”
I stared at Colin a long moment,
wishing I had never sought him out, that I never started this. I released him. I pushed open the stall door, about to step
out, when Colin called me. I turned.
“Ebban,
I won’t say anything.” He rubbed his wrist as though in serious pain. “But that doesn’t mean people
won’t find out. Trust me, they always find out.”
I walked out of the men’s
room, frowning.Outside, Lauren
was waiting, holding two ice cream cones. I forced a smile. I kissed her on the lips. “You bought one for me?”
“I
know vanilla is your favorite,” she said, handing me the cone.
“My favorite, only after
you,” I said, wrapping my arm around her and leading her toward the mall’s exit. I looked over my shoulder hoping
I would never see Colin again.
