Chapter 6- Percy

The scene she caused at the gym was oblivious to her. She didn't know the effect she was having on the boys back there. Her shorts were tight and short showing her curves and her protruding booty. Infact, she's hot. I now understand why her brothers are protective over her.

She really is a sight worth seeing.

Most of boys were having boners including me. She won't rest since most of the guys have started noticing her. And she's going to be on their bucket list.

I run my fingers into my black hair frustrated. Khan is also giving her that puppy eyes. he has talked to her twice. He is my friend I should be happy that he is becoming a man but I'm not.

You know I said she was my crush.

No scratch that. She is my crush.

I kicked my leg on the locker door hard and sighed. A few gave me strange looks inside the boys locker room.

"are you okay man?" a dark guy from my gym class asked me.

I'm trying to be.

"yah man. Just having a few problems here and there" he squeezed my shoulders.

"Everything is going to be just fine. Take a deep breath." I pray so I thanked him and I'm met with an angry looking grace.

"We need to talk." She held my elbow and dragged me into a dark room. She put on the light. It was the trophy room.

"So what the hell is wrong with you today? You look like someone stole your cookies." She narrowed her eyes at me. She was talking about what happened in the morning.

"I don't want to talk about it." I started to move towards the door but she dragged me back.

"listen, this morning what happened and now look at you. You look miserable. Did you take your meds?" I nodded.

"So tell me something I don't know. She's the one Jamil use to tease you with. isn't she?"

Grace came to clover field at freshman year. She is my cousin and we tell each other everything when she visits. But I couldn't tell about Alice Watson using me to get to Tom. I still hate that she did but my crush for her is still there. Jamil was the only one who knew about my crush on Alice Watson and always teases me about it. He was the closest friend I ever had. He even had a room at our house.

"Well its true but not anymore." I lied." And khan has a crush on him" the mention of khan changed her expression. She likes khan but khan is still oblivious to see.

I hugged her and she sniffed. I smoothed her hair with my fingers and soothed her.

"Let's get the hell out of here" I dragged her out of the doors.

At the end of the day, Derick was able to calm down and I apologised. He told me he understood the situation I was in. because my primary school crush is now here and I made him look like a fool in front of her. He had heard black Alice from Jamil but he didn't know it was the Watsons sister.

I told him about the attention she had in the gym and about khan.

"Dude, he's going take your girl from you if you don't man up." He joked and I shrugged.

"I don't care. I got to be happy for him since she's going to be his first girlfriend" I told but the lump in my throat was prevent me from speaking further.

"Percy, are you sure about this? I don't want to hear you whining about a bro snatching your girl from you." He questioned. It was true. I wasn't quiet okay about this.

According to all the conversations about Alice Watson with Jamil, she sounds like a great girl. And that made my crush for develop in those years. how alice could play basketball and video games. I realized that I was nearly falling for her but the pain of being used always push those feelings away.

"Sometimes, a bro got to sacrifice" I push up from the couch and went upstairs but not before hearing

"You're going to regret it bro. some love is not worth sacrificing."

It isn't love that always brings people together. Sometimes, its guilt and pity.

***

Grace and I sat quietly on the bleachers.

"Do you want talk about it?" she asked taking my hand.

I don't know why she followed me here because anytime I get pissed off about something she would say 'give him space he needs to cool off'

"Why did you follow me? It sucks isn't it? Watching your crush having a crush on someone he just met." I was getting angry. It really hurt. I could see grace snapped her eyes to look at me.

I don't want to see her cry. She cried when Jamil died. She barely knows him but she knew he was amazing. Within two weeks they had clicked.

"Do you know the most painful thing?" I continued. "being used to get to someone." She knows how it feels now. I hugged her and she burst into tears.

"I know Cam. I know. What do you mean you were being used to get to someone?" she looked up at me frowning.

"Alice Watson used me to get to Tom. Everything was getting so good. The boys talk ill of her because she was the only black girl in a white neighbourhood. I didn't like it a bit. Their family is great. They helped a lot when my parent divorced. Especially her mother since she is a therapist and a counsellor." I sucked in breath.

"But no one talks to her except her white friend, Alicia Clarke but sometimes she looks so lonely because Alicia would be playing with other white kids. So I complimented her because we both love things in common. Then we started hanging out. The white kids were mean to her. I was defending her when they talk shit about her. Not, even tom talked to her. I introduced her to my friends." I continued.

" Then she stopped talking to me. She would even pass by me as if she hadn't seen me. Well, it was her lost. Then I heard she was dating tom. It hurt but when I asked him he told me it wasn't true. well I left it. But seeing them together always irk something in me. Jamil was trying to set us up for a date. Then it happened. He said it's time for me to play cupid. you guys would look good together because I can feel it in my soul." I took a deep breath and chuckled at his statement.

"He always wanted us together. He said I I'm the only one who could protect her. He wanted to create a balance between the north and south. So we would hang out with some of his friends. It was so good. That's why there are a lot of black kids in this school. Its peaceful and no one judges you. In Jefferson, all of them are whites. In St martins, a few are blacks. Its either their parent go to church or they have been offered scholarships. I want to continue what Jamil couldn't finish and I hate that they destroy his family with false accusations."

"That reminds me. Next week Tuesday is Jamil's 3-year anniversary. don't forget his favourite gift." Grace spoke for the first time

"It's three years already? I missed him."

"Me too". she hugged me back.

Oh Jamil, who would do that to you?