"You really just use this to watch regular ass t.v.?"
"It doesn't get used much, unless my parents are throwing a party… my dad used it for a meeting presentation once or twice. Wanna watch something?"
"Sure, I'd like to get know you, though."
She grabbed a tablet out of a small nook, swiped through movies, "here."
"Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants?"
"I love this movie, I kinda see me and the girls like this, we just need the magic pants."
"I'm sure your parents can afford some."
"Oh ha-ha. This isn't easy for me, okay? I'm trying."
"I'm just joking, shawty."
"I just… it's just…"
"You're more than your money. I don't care about your money, I'd rather earn my way."
"I almost helped Shermy buy a car until he hooked up with Tapioca."
"Damn."
"Right."
"No, I mean; I forgot how hot America was. Seriously; I really am interested in you, I think I'm starting to like you. Unlike your friend, you seem sane."
"They are a bunch of weirdos," she laughed.
"I guess I'll lay it out like this; show me why I should fall in love with you, and I'll show you. If we feel each other, then we can start dating."
"Um sure. I'm trying to get comfortable enough."
"It's your house. I'm not going to shun you, if anything else, we can be friends."
Violet opens up to him through the rest of the movie, exposing herself in hopes that he'd consider dating her, giving him a chance to pick a movie to do the same. He told her things his friends doesn't know, not even Charlie. Having laid out their basics, found themselves cuddled up, laughing at Big Money Rustlas.
"This was pretty cool hanging with you, Violet. Violet the 'lette… Violette," he joked.
"I think I like you, the bad side is I'll hafta tell Patty she was right."
"We take it slow, we'll get there," he opened the theater door, "this would be a good spot for a group daaa- hey Mr. and Mrs. Gray."
"Mom… Dad… ummm are you okay?"
"We don't mind you having company, but we only heard one other voice, was it just you two," her father asked.
"Well yeah, but you've met Franklin before."
"Sure, but why is it just the two of you? Why would you be alone with this… kid… here," her mom asked.
"I'm confused. I've been here with boyfriends and you've hardly batted an eye. The ones seemingly smart enough, you've tried to get them in the company."
"Oh! I get it now."
"What? Please tell me," Violet begged.
"All your boyfriends have been white," he explained, "we're not even dating and they have a problem with me… how I've never noticed before…"
"You? I-I didn't even know! What is wrong with you two, why are you…. racist?"
"We're not racist, we've never had a problem when he was here at one of your parties, it's just this situation is too intimate," her father explained.
"But it wasn't too intimate when it was just me and Shermy; my on and off cheating, white boyfriend?"
"You're missing the point, dear," her mother stated.
"The point that you're fucking racist?! Not hard to understand! I like Franklin!"
"Violet Winifred Gray! Watch your damn mouth," her mother ordered.
"No! It's not right, yall should know better… supposed to be intelligent , yall sound like dumbasses!"
"Violet; you're about to lose your car," her father threatened.
"I'll just have Franklin pick me up for school."
"No you will not," her father bellowed.
"I might have found a guy that actually likes me, won't cheat on me, or treat me like dirt, or use me for your money, and you hate him. Hate him because he's fucking black. I can't believe it, I thought you were horrible enough and you add being racist to the list, along with being a snob, pretentious, controlling. Un-fucking-believable!"
"That's enough, you little bitch," her mother screamed, "you are not going to associate with that little-"
"You might wanna watch the end of that sentence. I've always respected your home, your person, helped clean after parties, respected her even though we didn't get along so great. I don't care about your approval, I care less even about your fucking money. You don't know anything about me, you'd rather hate me over my skin, than actually get to know me… that's fucking stupid and trashy. You call me a nigger and I'll be everything you think I am… on God. Your pompous bullshit will never scare me."
"We're just looking for what's best for our daughter," her mother calmed down.
"Nah… you hardly know her, you're grooming her to be somebody she's not. To create this big business monster… and apparently keep everything white. I figured people like you with alleged class, would be, should be better than this. The stuff I see, stuff my family has told me was right. You're daughter is a much better person than yall, yes 'yall', all this shit doesn't make you better people, I'm sorry Violet but your parents are fucking triffling," he took his leave.
"Wait Franklin," she chased him.
"Violet, come back here," her father ordered.
She reached in her pocket, hurling her keys at his face, running through the house., out the front door. She cried his name as he opened the door to his SUV, turning just in time to see Violet wrap her arms around him crying.
"Please don't dump me! I know we aren't actually dating, I really like you, though! My parents are stupid, don't listen to them! I just… I want you… please just… just," she started hyper-ventilating.
"Breath… breath, Violet. I promise this doesn't change the way I feel," he whispered.
"I don't… want to lose… our connection," she heaved.
"Just look at her; crying all over that… that… jigaboo," her mom snapped.
"Not the best look for a Gray at all," her father replied.
"Calm down, breath, it's okay, it's not your fault. I'm not throwing you to the wayside either."
"I'm… afraid… parents. I don't want to… go back."
"I don't know what to do, I can't take you with me and I can't stay. I wish I could help," he held her.
"I'm sorry my parents are like this. I'm afraid to go back in there."
"You're not weak, I know damn well you're not. Do you have other family living here you can stay with?'
"No, my parents aren't from Minnesota. They moved here because it was… because… I think the low black population," she started crying again.
Franklin looks up to her parents in the doorway, giving them a heavy scowl.
"It's going to be hard, don't let them get to you. Give yourself time to think and not make rash decisions. This is new to me, too. I don't understand why I'm now a problem. Do you think I'm worth… all this?"
"Am I, Franklin? You can just walk away."
He kissed her on the lips, brushing her hair away, "a promise."
"Why does it hafta start like this," she whispered.
Franklin just sighs.
"I hope I see you tomorrow," she let go.
"Look… you might want to record whatever conversations yall have, that's all I can think of… and save it somewhere else."
"I was fine how things were after those movies, now I feel bad for not trying at first, you're a nice guy, to think I was going to not take a chance, it's like whatever chance is being taken from me."
"I feel ya, I wasn't sure either, but I am now. Maybe it's the situation pushing us, ya know? No matter what happened, all of this was going to happen eventually, once they found out."
"You're right. It's a sick thing to push us together, and I don't want to be with you because of them, I want you because I want you."
"Fuck. I don't want to leave you here."
"I don't want to be here, but I gotta be," she made her way back to the house.
Franklin watched from in his SUV, before pulling away.
"I thought you weren't dating him," her mother asked.
"We aren't. The whole purpose of today was to see if we could, it's still my goal."
"Why would you-"
"Why not?! There's nothing, nothing wrong with him… not even his race. He even gets better grades than I do. Both of you are sick," she snapped.
"We didn't raise you like this," her father chimed in.
"You've barely raised me, and you don't know me. There is no damn reason to hate him, or anybody like him, no excuse, none that can't be applied to white people. Oh wait… I don't know what I'm talking about, because I'm a kid. What happened to judging people on character and merit, more lies and biases."
"You're taking a trip down the wrong path."
"Then it's my mistake to learn. At this junction, I'd rather be homeless and broke, if I could enjoy living my life, you just don't know how much I don't care to live like you two. I don't want to be some plastic princess."
"This is most disappointing," her father said.
"What's disappointing is you don't actually care about me, just this… this image of what you want me to be. You tell me a time outside of government mandated parental things, that you cared. Something outside your vision and what you want, that includes bartering," she walked to her room, slamming the door.
