"Yah-Yah,"she repeated, her voice dripping with attitude. "So what, you don't know me now? We got history, Or did you forget?"
"I ain't forget shit. But that was a long time ago."
She stepped closer, close enough that I could smell her perfume. "Don't act like you don't remember what we had. You was my first, Sontae. My first everything."
I felt my jaw clench. Yeah, I remembered. How the fuck could I forget?
Me and Sheree got together when we was both sixteen. She was this church girl, always dressed nice, always smiling, voice like an angel when she sang in the choir. Her mama was the pastor of one of them big churches on the South Side, real strict and real holy. She ain't want her daughter fucking with no nigga like me. A hood, getting money in the streets, sagging my pants and wearing my hat to the side ass nigga.
But Sheree didn't care. She was drawn to me the same way I was drawn to her. We was young and in love, or at least what we thought was love at that age. She used to sneak out her mama house to come see me, and I used to take her everywhere. to getfood, to the movies, just riding around the city. I was her first kiss, her first time, her first everything.
We was together for two years. I thought we was gon' make it. I was planning on getting us a spot together when I got my money right, getting her out her mama house so we could really be together. But then her mama found out about us.
I remember that day clear as fuck. Sheree called me crying, talking 'bout her mama was going through her phone and saw all our messages. Pastor Williams showed up at my mama crib the next day, bible in hand, talking 'bout I was leading her daughter down the path of sin and destruction. She told me to stay away from Sheree, said I wasn't nothing but a thug who was gon' end up dead or in jail. Two weeks later, Sheree was gone.
Her mama shipped her ass off to Dallas to stay with her older sister, got her enrolled in school out there, the whole nine. Sheree called me crying, talking 'bout she ain't wanna go, talking 'bout she loved me and we was gon' figure it out. But her mama wasn't playing. She cut off Sheree phone, changed the number, and blocked me on everything.
Just like that, shorty was gone.
I ain't hear from her for three years. By that time, I had moved on, or at least I thought I did. Got more money, got more bitches, got more problems.
Then one day she popped back up in Chicago, talking 'bout she missed home and wanted to start her own business. She reached out to me through some mutual people, but I ain't really fuck with her heavy after that. She did me dirty by disappearing like that, even though I knew it wasn't really her choice. But still. Shit hurt.
"I know you remember," Sheree said, her hand coming up to touch my chest. "I know you remember what we had."
"Yeah, I remember. I also remember you leaving me high and dry because your mama ain't like me."
"That wasn't my fault, Sosa. You know my mama was on my ass. She wasn't gon' let me stay here with you."
"You coulda fought harder. You coulda stayed."
"I was nineteen! What you wanted me to do? I ain't have no money, no place to go. My mama was paying for everything."
I stepped back, putting some distance between us. "Look, I ain't tryna rehash old shit. That's in the past. I just came here to tell you to fall back. I got a girl now and I'm tryna keep shit solid with her. So all this popping up on me, calling and texting my phone and acting like we still fucking with each other, That shit gotta stop."
Her face fell, and for a second I almost felt bad. But then she stepped closer again, her hands sliding up my chest.
"Sontae, listen to me. You were my first love. Since I’ve been back in Chicago all I been thinking about is you. I know I fucked up by leaving, but I'm here now. I'm successful, I got my own shit, and I want you."
"Ree—"
"I still love you," she said, her voice soft. "I never stopped loving you."
Before I could say anything else, she kissed me.
Her lips was soft, warm, tasting like whatever drink she had been sipping on. For a second, just a second, I kissed her back. Old feelings came rushing back, memories of us together, all them nights we spent wrapped up in each other.
I pulled away, putting my hands on Sheree shoulders and pushing her back gently. "Shorty, chill. You can't be doing that."
"Why not?" She looked up at me with them pretty brown eyes.
"You telling me you don't feel nothing?"
"It don't matter what I feel. I got a girl, Ree. I'm with Yah-Yah."
"But do you love her like you loved me?"
I ain't answer that. Because honestly? I ain't know. What me and Sheree had was different. We was young, dumb, reckless. What I got with Yah-Yah is more mature, more solid. But that don't mean I ain't feel nothing for Sheree. Shorty was my first love too.
