Eve of love

   It was last year when I first talked to ya, I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was Valentine’s Day, and I was convinced it would be like every other year since elementary school, no chocolate, and especially not from you. Even though I hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to you, I still knew you, knew your name, who your friends were. Hold up, hold up, everything I found out was from looking at you at school, nothing else. I didn't know why I started like you, but ever since I saw you in my class when I heard your voice, saw how you talk, saw how pretty your eyes were, I couldn’t stop thinking of you till then.

   In my mind that morning it was probably gonna be a regular day at school. But still I got a lil excited that I might get a lil something, especially from you. Before I left for school my mom called for me.

   “Hey Tupac, take these.” She gave me 3 small Hrshey kisses. “Just in case you need it.”

“I don’t really know if I’ll give these to anyone, but thank you. At least I can eat em if I don’t give it to anyone.”

She smiled. Then she put her hands over my cheeks. “You do whatever you want with them. Be safe all right.”

“I will.” Than I left that day for school

    That day it was cold as hell, I was freezing  my butt off walking to school, and to the bus stop. At the time I wasn’t as social as I am now, I was timid, scared of what other people thought, scared of being seen as that skinny poor black kid who can’t afford no haircut, and can’t ball for nothing.

    That day I was daydreaming in 7th period again taking sneaky glances at you, I think geometry was the class. The students were all murmuring that day, more than usual, especially the girls. 3 girls were murmuring a little across from the table, I learned later that their names were Amira, and Nia.

“ Hey you girls got any chocolates yet.”

“Nah not yet.”

“Me neither.”

“Hehe, guess I’m the most popular girl here.”

“Girl you don’t even got a man, who you beg for for a chocolate.”

“Hehe nobody, I just guess I’m pretty popular. What about you, didn't your man get you a chocolate Natalie?”

“Girl, who knows what that guy be doin .” She puts her hand on her head. “Last time I saw him with….”

“Damn, I’d drop that boy if I was with you, that dude is a player, does he still treat you nice.”

“Nah I know… He’s been treating me worst and worst. Man I’m mad tired.” She plopped her face on the table. “Ahhhhhh, my relationship has gotten so bad. He was mad cool when I first met him.”

“Yeah, it happens, he’s good to you till he finds another girl that’s prettier.”

“Girl it’ll be alright, one day you’ll get a man who’ll treat you like the queen you are for sure.”

She chuckled and than said “thank you.”The bell rung, and students started walking for the halls

“Alright I’ll see you girls later .”

“See ya.”

“See ya.”

   All I was thinking after that was, damn I would treat you like a queen, I’d treat how you’d like to be treated. After that the last period was gone in a flash. I was excited that last period, on most Fridays you’d take the same bus as me to get home. My school was a little farther away from my house because me and my mom decided that we wanted me to get a good education, and there were no good schools near me. I’d take the bus for about 40 mins usually till I got myself home. You, you got off about 3, 4 stops before me.

    I got on the crowded bus, and I luckily found a seat, you found a seat a couple rows behind me. Then her boyfriend came up too, one tall scary looking black guy in a tank top, and slides with a buzz cut, and an earring in his right ear . It’s not my first time I’ve seen him, but not this close of a view. He comes up to you, and starts talking to you, I find him a little hard to hear.

“…….”

“What, why you want me to get off for huh.”

“Why you acting like that, giving me all that attitude. Now we really getting off. Come on let’s go.” He grabs her and starts pulling her up.

“Hey what ya doing. LET GO!”

“Relax we’re just going off for a bit, stop making a scene.”

“I’m not making a scene you are, get your hand off me.”

After that I don’t know what I was thinking, a skinny kid like me running up to her for her protection. I ran up in front of her separating the two.

“She doesn’t want to go, leave her alone.” At this view I looked up into his reddish eyes, and saw how tall he really was, probably at least 6 feet 4.

“Who the hell are you? This is between me and her, you really wanna get into this huh.”

My throat gulped involuntarily, but I just stayed in front of her not making any move, not like I felt like I could do anything else in this situation. Then the passengers started to pitch in too.

“Get off the bus!”

“Leave the poor girl alone!”

“Get off the bus!”

Then the bus driver. “Yo get off the bus now! Before I call the cops.”

“Tch. Y’all gonna see what happens, this ain’t over.” He slowly walked off the bus. “You better watch out driver.”

“Like you could do anything to me, get off my bus.” Then the bus started to move, and what I did felt so surreal. She started to cry a little sitting on the floor. At that moment I wanted to take away all the pain from you.

“Hey are you okay.” I said.

She sniffled, and said “yeah I’m alright, thank you for what you did back there. That guy is an ass.” She started to get up.

“Yeah he was.”

“Your from my school aren't you.”

“Yeah.”

“What was your name?”

“Tupac.”

“Well I’m Natalie. Nice to meet ya.”

“Nice to meet ya.”

“Well … really thank you. Ohhhhh.” She started to shuffle into her bag like she remembered something. She took out a hrshey's bar, and then she handed it to me. “I know it’s not much but here you go.”

    I started to feel my heart, badump badump, badump. “Ohh, I also got something.” I was really nervous, but I thought this might be my only chance to give her a chocolate. I shoved my hand in my pockets, and grabbed the three Hershey kisses out. I held them out in front of her. “For you.”

“Hehe, for me, you don’t have nobody at school you wanted to give it too.”

“Nope.” And after that I swore she blushed a little.

“Thank you.” At that moment my heart felt full. The stuff that I only dreamed of just happened.

After a couple stops it was her time to get off. She got up, and waved goodbye to me and left. Yup I ain’t gonna be thinking about anyone else for the day. I wonder if I’ll get any sleep. I better thank my mom after this. 

After this incident I never saw Natalie with that guy again, and I felt that her smile got brighter too.