Chapter 6

(Home)

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! I hit the alarm clock on my stand feeling the rays of sunlight shining through my white bedroom curtains. I stretch my body under my dark blue blanket. Today is the day for me and Paul's first day. He's coming at noon. I kick the blanket off me and sit up in bed. I need to shower. Shower! Shower! Shower! I get up and head out of my room and into the bathroom.

It been five days since Paul introduced me to his friends. For him to take that huge jump shows that he appreciate in some type of level of love. I stand in the mirror and grab my toothbrush off the holder. Most of his male friends were wearing cutoffs. They had no shirts on and they had the same tattoo that Paul has on his right shoulder. I hit the faucet on.

Perhaps a gang? I didn't even bother to ask but their tribe is their own lifestyle. I brush the teeth and head back into the bedroom. I grab a yellow shirt, underwear, and light blue jeans out of the dresser and head back into the bathroom where I shower. I'm showering for almost forty minutes under hot water. I'm just relaxing muscles. I'm getting tension off my skin.

A thought came to me last night over the fact that me and Paul has yet to use condoms. We had sex two times and both were unprotected. I'm not trying to be a mother at eighteen. I want college. I want a career. I want life. I'll need to pick up birth control, condoms, a and pregnancy test. Just to be sure. After I finish my shower, I put my clothes on. As for my hair, I put grease on it and comb it down.

Ten minutes later, I sit on the couch to watch TV. I'm just flipping through the channels till I come upon News 14. It's breaking news. The news is heartbreaking. A mass murderer is going on in Seattle. I frown. People are disappearing or turning up dead. "Wow." I say in disbelief. Knock! Knock! I get up from the couch and check out my outfit.

I been watching TV so much that I didn't realize that it's almost noon. I walk to the front door and look out of the peephole. It's Paul. He's wearing a green shirt and dark blue jeans. I unlock and open the door. "Hi." I softly say. He walks in. "Ready to go?" He ask watching my TV. "Yeah. I got distracted." I say closing the door. I go into the bedroom and grab my jean jacket and purse off the bed.

I turn around to see Paul standing in my bedroom doorway. I gasp in shock. My heart speeds up. I didn't even hear him walking. He must be light on his feet. "Watching the news?" He ask. "Yeah. Horrible. The main reason why I watch my surroundings." I say trying to walk past him but he blocks me. "Don't mean nothing, Mary." He say.

"You're right. You can be kidnapped anytime and anyplace. They want you they'll take you. A very wrong choice of words. I'm sorry." I feel as though I hurt him in some way. "You check your bedroom window." He say looking past me. I turn around. "No. Third floor. I should?" I ask turning back to face him. "You should. Let's go." He say leaving out. I nod following.

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Our booth in Sue's Diner is full of different assorted meals. He paid for the movie tickets and the snacks so I thought to pay for our dinner. I might as well. He did think to order only a burger meal but I stopped him. I want to show that our realationship is half and half.

" I'm not poor." He say placing a straw in his glass of coke. "I wanted us to share but also impress you. Our first date. I should do this." I say waving over the table. My heart is rapidly beating. I'm very much in love with him. "You think he's poor?" Sam ask walking up from behind to our booth.

"I think if I want to treat my man t-" "She think's you're poor." "I don't he is po-" "I'm not poor." He say throwing his straw paper on the table. "I didn't say you were." I calmly say. Is this our first fight? A fight instigated by his cousin. Paul looks at his cousin. "Just came to greet you and your girlfriend. Rachel is back." Sam say. "Who is Rachel?" I ask grabbing one of the BBQ chicken legs off the plate.

"My ex-girlfriend." He say. Huh. I eat the wing. "I guess the relationship is over cause your cousin wants you and her together." I say grabbing a napkin out of the dispenser. "More like we think they're soulmates, Mary." Sam say. Oh, wow. That's a lot to go on. Rachel must be a really beautiful woman. Well, she is from what I seen.

"Okay. We can end the relationship after this date, Sam." I say wiping my mouth with a napkin. I am not into drama. I'm pretty sure Rachel is well-known especially in her relationship with Paul. He simply stare in his cousin's face. "I'll think about it." Paul say. He'll think about it. "Can we just eat? Have some, Sam?" I ask waving to the food.

"I am okay, Mary. Have a nice date." He say walking off. I turn to see him going out of the diner. "I'm not breaking up." Paul say to me. "Paul, it's okay. If it is a..special relationship then you need to be with Rachel instead of Mary-Ann. It has to be a reason as to why Sam showed up. No friend or cousin is gonna show up unless the relationship turned sour...under misguidance or something. It's okay. Just eat."

We just need to get back to enjoying our date instead of allowing Sam's words to get to us. He looks out of the window. "Maybe, this is what we need. Our relationship is gonna go sour especially when I head off to college in three more months. We can still be friends." As much as I am talking, I'm hurting. I really like Paul but if him and Rachel has a strong relationship that his family recognize then he needs to be with her. His soulmate is Rachel. Not Mary-Ann.