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I smile at his text and think about seeing him tomorrow. He really is a nice guy and maybe I should listen to Duke and give him a chance. My hopes and wishes are slowly diminishing and I can use any bit of happiness I can get right now. Maybe Taylor is just what I need.
Duke
“So, how are things going with Melanie? I bet she’s excited about prom.” Taylor follows me out into the hallway as our class ends.
“Yes, she already has her dress picked out and has been talking about it non-stop. It’s still three weeks away. She’s adamant about choosing my tux as well. I don’t understand the big deal with it. It’s just a dance.” He nods in agreement and we make our way to the lockers.
“I’m going to ask Raya to be my date.”
As he says her name, this sudden feeling of longing with a hint of jealousy surges through my body. For the past few months, I’ve had to endure their growing friendship. At first it was great. The four of us grew closer as a whole until recently—things changed. His advances toward her have increased and I don’t like it one bit. Not that Taylor isn’t a good guy, but he’s not good enough for her. She deserves someone twenty times better than him.
“I hope she’ll say yes.” Taylor’s look of hope radiates throughout the hallway and I think to myself, he has it really bad for her.
“What makes you think she won’t?”
Taylor lets out a small sigh and breathes deeply. “Lately, she’s been distant. We used to talk on the phone at least once a day and I even visited her at work. But last week, she just shut down and hasn’t really opened back up yet. I really like her and I’m afraid if I push her to open up she might take off.”
“I’ve noticed her distance, too. I’ll talk to her today and find out what’s going on.”
Taylor breathes a sigh of relief and pats my shoulder. “Thanks, bro. Listen, I’ve got to get to class so I’ll talk to you later.”
As I say good-bye to Taylor, Melanie walks up behind me and kisses my cheek.
“Hi, baby, how was class?”
I wrap my arm around her and she rests her head on my shoulder as I lean against my locker. I glance around to see if Raya is out of class yet, but don’t see her.
“Class was class. Where’s Raya?”
Melanie lifts her head up, “I don’t know, she wasn’t in class today. I called once it was over but she didn’t answer.”
“This is the third day in a row that she’s been out. Taylor and I are worried about her. Have you noticed her distance lately?”
“Yes, I asked her if she wanted to talk about it last week and she said everything was fine. Something’s wrong, Duke, and I don’t know what to do. I called her last night and left a message but no call back.” Melanie’s worried eyes frighten me and I pull her into a hug.
“Don’t worry, Mel. We’ll figure it out.” I walk her to next class, give her a quick kiss, and tell her I’ll call her later. Next thing I know, I find myself walking toward the school’s exit. Time to tell me what’s going on, Raya.
I walk four blocks to the train station and take out my cell phone to give her a quick call. The phone rings three times and goes to voicemail. Dammit. She’s worrying me. Glancing at the time, it should take me about fifteen to twenty minutes to get to her house. As I enter the train platform, the station announces that the train is approaching. I swipe my Metrocard through the fee terminal and run inside the train to take a seat. I try calling Raya again but no answer.
My nerves are shot as I begin to think the worst. What if something happened? Maybe she’s hurt? I pray it’s just something simple—perhaps she’s sick and sleeping. Ten minutes pass and my leg begins to bounce in anticipation. Can this train take any longer? I call her again with no luck. Shit.
The conductor announces that the final stop is approaching, Pelham Bay Park. I glance outside and realize that it’s pouring rain. No umbrella. Fuck. Can this get any worse? The train pulls into the last stop and I race out of the platform and down the stairs to the street. As I exit the station, the pouring rain beats down on my head as I run toward her house. My breathing becomes harsh and ragged as my heavy clothing bears down on me. All of my previous worries come crashing down on me and I feel a little panicked.
A few minutes later, I turn onto her street and notice her house lights are on. At least someone is home. I make my way to the front door and ring the doorbell. The rain finally lightens up into a light drizzle. Glancing down, I see my new sneakers soaked. I shrug my shoulder and could care less about my damn shoes. Peeking inside the house through the front windows, I try to see if Raya’s mother is coming to the door.
As I’m about to ring the doorbell again, it opens and a drunk, middle-aged man opens the door. I’m immediately hit with the stench of liquor and watch as he staggers to keep his balance.
His words are slurred , “Yeah, what the fuck do you want, kid?”
My instincts tell me this guy is bad news and I won’t put up with his crap. “You must be Craig, Raya’s step-father. I need to talk to her.”
He chuckles, “Raya isn’t feeling well. She’s in bed. She’ll be in school later this week. You can see her then.” Just as he ends his sentence, he begins to shut the door, but I block it with my foot and push it open with my left hand.
“Listen, sir. I need to see her. I don’t care if she’s sick. I’d like to talk to her. Now.” I pierce my eyes into his, demanding that I see her.
Craig stiffens, “Listen, son, if you don’t leave my house this instant, I’ll force you to leave and I have no trouble removing unwanted guests. Now, get the fuck out.”
His liquored breath burns my nostrils. My hand clenches into a fist and my body heats up with a defensive anger. Just as I’m about to respond with my fist, Raya’s mother approaches us and opens the front door wide.
