My homie Terel shook his head as he picked me up off the ground for the third time. He was usually the one blocking me from hits, but I was making it hard on him today. I couldn’t get my head in the game long enough to make smart moves on thefield. Blocking for me any other day may have been easy, but today was different.
My position as a running back did require being hit from time to time, but I had spent more time on the ground today than I did on my feet. That wasn’t the norm for me. I wasn’t the best player in school, but I was good at what I did. I had college scouts coming out to watch me play on Friday nights.
“Yeah, man. I’m good.”
“You sure? Because I hope your lack of attention has nothing to do with your little cheerleader over there waving at you?”
Terel nodded in Michelle’s direction, and I wanted to tell him hell nah. She stood on the sideline, twisting her hair and waving in my direction. She’d been extra thirsty since prom, and I didn’t know what I had done to give her any inkling that it would be something between us.
My attention was already occupied. Even if it weren’t, Michelle would never be my type. She had been passed around by almost every dude on my team. The last thing I wanted to do was to be seen with a girl like her.
I didn’t judge her, and I would never shame a girl for doing what she wanted, but Michelle wasn’t my type. I respected her but would never date her. I already knew who I wanted. Her name was Karina Stevens, and I’d always been clear on that.
I waved back absent-mindedly because I didn’t want to be an asshole, and then I searched the crowd for Karina. She was there, but she hadn’t even glanced my way. She was in her usual spot, right next to Michelle since they often battled for the role of team captain. Michelle’s face lit up at the wave, but Karina never even looked my way.
“All right, bring it in, guys. For many of you, this is your last time being on this field. I hope over these last four years, you have given it all you have. You won’t be here as a player nextyear, but I want you to know this will always be your home. Whenever you feel like you need a reminder of who you are, come back to this field.”
After Coach finished his spiel, I ran and got dressed as fast as I could. If I hurried, I could catch Karina before she got on the bus. Karina never rode the bus, but I knew if she wasn’t talking to me, her ass wasn’t planning on riding home with me either.
I thought prom night was perfect. Hell, it was perfect to me. I thought everything was good when I dropped her off at home after, but I must have been mistaken. Karina wasn’t fucking with me anymore.
I got out of practice, but Karina was already gone. I drove to her house and knocked on the door. Her grandpa answered, and I could see the lie forming on his lips before he even let it out.
“I’m sorry, Kareem. Karina’s busy right now, but I will have her give you a call.”
He was a nice old man and didn’t deserve to be in the middle of our mess. That was the reason I wasn’t holding his lie against him.
“Yes, sir,” I replied, and turned around and walked away.
I showed up on Karina’s doorstep every day after school from the Monday after prom until the last day of school. It was now graduation day, and I still hadn’t spoken to her. I took the gift I got her to her house because even if she wouldn’t talk to me, I still wanted her to have it.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Karina
Ifelt like I’d been sitting in the closet forever. I came in here to get dressed for brunch with Rayla, but I’d been sitting here instead. I still hadn’t found an outfit. My makeup wasn’t done. My hair still looked a mess, and I was sitting in the middle of the floor in my closet, twirling my locket in my hand.
The locket that hung around my neck was from Kareem. He’d given it to me as a graduation present. And although I wore it from time to time, it usually sat locked in my jewelry box on my dresser.
I put it on this morning because I needed to be close to him. The fact that I hadn’t answered his phone calls or returned his texts didn’t negate the need I had for him. If this locket were the only thing that could make me feel his presence in this moment, then so be it. I twirled it around my pointer finger again as I thought about the day my grandpa gave it to me.
“Karina, why don’t you just talk to that boy? He’s been coming over here every day.”
“I don’t want to, Papa.”
“And why not? He’s a good boy. Did he do something to you?”
“No, Grandpa, he didn’t do anything.”
“Because if he broke your heart, I will break his face.”
“Papa, I love you, but you don’t have to do that. Kareem didn’t do anything. I just want to focus on the future. Kareem is my past.”
“Honey, I know you are going away to college, and you want to focus on new things, but you don’t have to leave everything behind.”
My grandfather’s voice got lower with the last few words. I knew he and my grandmother were both sad about my choosing a school so far away. However, I just needed a clean slate in a new place. It was my fresh start.
