Chapter 18: Caleb Johnson

I looked at myself in the mirror for the one hundredth time since I got ready. I wanted to look great going out tonight with Darrius and his friends and I wanted him to have fun considering what he told me about his aunt. I brushed a small piece of my hair back into place and I was ready to go down the stairs. Darrius had left to go get ready and picked up Marcus on the way.


I decided to wear a nice black polo shirt with some khaki pants. I didn't want to look formal but I also didn't want to look too casual depending on if we were going to a club or if we were going to a party. Making my way down the stairs, I could hear Marcus and Darrius talking.


"I just don't understand it Darrius," Marcus cried, "I thought he was being honest with me."


"Forget his ass Marcus!" Darrius said, "he is a fool for lying to you and didn't have the balls to tell you before you guys did anything. You guys didn't do anything right?"


My heart raced as I made my way down the stairs. They turned their heads to look up at me. Marcus gave me a smile and Darrius seemed to have released his brother. He smiled at me giving me the once over before biting his lips. They looked almost identical wearing only a white shirt and blue jeans with black Jordan's. The only difference is that everything on Marcus was tight and everything on Darrius was kind of loose and he had on a jacket.


"You look great Caleb," Marcus stated wiping his face trying to hide that he was upset.


"What's wrong Marcus?" I asked him concerned. He shook his head at first but then begin to cry, "Evan has been lying to me about him and Gabrielle. She told me that him and her are still together and that I need to stay away."


"Which is why I'm going to kick his ass the next time I see him," Darrius interrupted as I went to hug Marcus. Even though I felt Evan is going to get what he deserved, I didn't feel it was the right time for Marcus to be going out. He looked really hurt.


"Hey Marcus if you don't want to go out tonight we can stay here?" I told him and Darrius cleared his throat extremely loud. I rolled my eyes at him before Marcus said, "No you guys go have fun, and I wouldn't mind spending time with Aunt Ruby tonight."


I smiled but when I looked over I saw Darrius body tense up. I understood that he was still mad at his aunt but at the same time he should be trying to spend every moment with her. However, I knew he needed to just be out for a while to clear his head. So we decided to take Marcus back home even with Darrius complaining about gas.


Then we drove to Chris's place and I saw a lot of cars in the driveway.


"So we are getting together at Chris's?" I asked him.


"It is the only place we could drink without getting caught," he laughed, "plus we can spend the night over here if we get drunk. So it is a win win."


"So you are actually going to drink?" I asked him folding my arms. I didn't like the effect alcohol had on people. I'll admit I drink but I never go overboard and considering the way Darrius is feeling right now, he is probably going to drink to forget.


He sucked his teeth at me and said, "Don't start that tonight C. I just want to let off some steam alright?"


I still kept quiet and stared at him. He rolled his eyes and then said, "Fine, I will only drink two drinks tonight. Happy?"


Before I could say anything he parked the car and turned the ignition off. He hurried to get the door open just to slam it while I was still in. I quickly got out trying to catch up to him as he walked up the long drive way. Even though I knew it was risky, as I got closer to him and turned him to look at me, I took his face in my hands and kissed him square on the lips. There wasn't anyone outside and we were far away from the house so nobody could possibly be watching us.


I was surprised that he returned the kiss wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me in close. I pulled back but he continued to move wherever my lips were. I pushed him back a little so that he could get a hold of himself. He gave me a smile as I looked at him.


"Let's go," He said walking ahead of me still smiling until we made it to the door. Chris opened it and the sound of Dr. Dre Keep Their Heads Ringin' hit my ears. Chris looked as though he wasn't expecting company. He had on no shirt showing the body that my brother would love to see (or anyone for that matter) with black basketball shorts and black socks. However, as I looked inside I saw guys that weren't really dressed up sitting around on the couch and laughing. Chris then smiled at us but something about it seemed suspicious.


"Hey you guys," Chris cheerfully greeted us and I knew now why he looked so suspicious. A girl came down from the stairs with some others in tow. The last girl that came down was the one that felt she could have Darrius all she wanted and when she wanted him. A girl that I knew I didn't want to leave him alone with.


"Hey Darrius," Alicia greeted staring at him intensely. She was wearing a light pink dress that clung to her curves and came down a little over her knees. Her long fake hair draped over her shoulders as she sensually walked towards the other room with her friends.


I rolled my eyes at her obvious attempt of getting his attention and even though he looked angry that she was here, it was hard for me to not think that he wasn't falling for it.


"What the fuck is she doing here Chris?" Darrius asked his friend bitterly and Chris hesitated before speaking, "Okay so, the guys didn't want it to be a sausage fest so they invited some girls but I didn't know they were going to invite her. I am sorry man."


Darrius furiously shook his head and then looked over at me before asking, "I mean we can do something else if you don't want to be around her."


Even though I didn't want to breathe the same air as the devil's daughter, I wasn't going to miss the chance to hang out with Darrius's friends. So I did what any person that really liked someone did.


"No it is fine," I reassured him, "I really want to hang out with your friends and she isn't going to mess with me."


"You think that?" Chris asked rhetorically earning a hit from Darrius before speaking again, "I mean come in then."


Darrius and I walked through the doors. Chris's house seemed really clean and I am surprised that nothing looked out of place. I could hear the guys and girls laughing as the music blasted from the speakers. As we walked into the living room, the entire room erupted into yells of excitement to see Darrius.


"What up D?" A tall mocha skin guy and a short afro stood up to hug Darrius. He had on some dark blue baggy sweats and a sweat shirt to match. His smile faded as he looked at me taking a sip of the Bud Light in his hand.


"The fuck is he doing here," He asked just a little bit too loudly making everyone stare at me. The room would have been quiet if it weren't for the music. Darrius studied the room before saying, "Guys he is cool. We're cool now. We talked our shit out and now we friends. Life is too short for grudges man."


Everyone just shrugged and returned back to their activities, leaving the guy standing there looking at me. He was about the same height as Darrius and a little bit heftier than he was. After he gave me the once over, he smiled and he had the whitest teeth I had ever seen. He wrapped his arm around me and Darrius's neck and said, "Well if D say your cool...your cool man. I'm Tre and nice to meet you."


I smiled and greeted myself to him. After him every one chose to introduce themselves to me. There was a light skin green eyed boy named Jace, then there was a short dark skin guy named Lenny that seemed really interested in the game he was playing on TV. Then there was Gerald who was taller than mostly everyone in the room and he also had a small afro like Tre. Then finally there was Johnny, who was sitting near the edge of the red sofa watching everyone else play the games. I was not really interested in meeting any of the girls but one came over to talk to me and she said her name was Sam. She had class with me my freshman year and she grew to be mighty beautiful.


Throughout the night I had a few drinks but stopped once I felt myself getting a little tipsy. I watched out for Alicia as she always seemed to go find where Darrius was. The night was going great until someone suggested we play 7 minutes in heaven with the girls. They wanted to play it spin the bottle style so we spun the bottle and whoever it landed on goes upstairs for 7 minutes and did whatever.


"You can stay up there longer if you know what I mean," Tre laughed sticking his tongue out then pointed to Jace, "That does not apply to you because we all know you are a one-minute man Jace because you a light skin nigga."


"What you trying to say Tre?" Chris asked faking being offended, "I have light skin too."


"Naw nigga you more than light skin. You more like vanilla ice cream with a dash of cinnamon mixed in," Tre laughed making everyone in the room laugh along with him. He had been making jokes all night and it was easy to see that he was the joker of the whole group. However, the joke didn't make my worry about the game disappear. Darrius might be kissing someone other than me tonight and I had to suck it up because I didn't want anyone to catch on to us.


I saw him stare at me and then he pulled out his phone as the game was being set up. He begin to type and then my phone got a text:


You good?


I wanted to say no but then I remembered he needed this night to make him feel better. He already looked a little tipsy so he probably has already forgotten about the situation. But I texted him back anyway:


Yes I am fine. Just this game seems some kind of fun right?


"Why are you such a dork Caleb?" I asked myself as I watched his reaction to the text. He begins to type back and my phone dinged again:


We don't have to play if you don't want to?


I looked over at him as he looked at me waiting for my answer. For him to consider how I felt was really amazing. He wasn't going to do something that I felt uncomfortable doing. It showed that he had respect for me. I shook my head indicating that I didn't want to play and he shrugged and smiled just as soon as Tre said, "Okay who wants to go first?"


"Not I," Darrius spoke up first initiating a bunch of groans from everyone in the room except for Chris who did a quick smile looking at me.


"Is it because of him," Alicia spoke up making everyone turn her way.


"Excuse me?" Darrius asked and I could already see his temple ready to burst.


"I said...are you not playing because Caleb isn't going to play either," She asked getting up from the floor and I really didn't appreciate her pointing directly at me like I was an insect that needed to die.


"Girl what are you talking about? Caleb ain't even opened his mouth," Darrius retorted.


"Because maybe your sperm will come flying out," she shot back making everyone groan uncomfortably.


"What the fuck you say bitch?" Darrius got up charging for her before Jace stopped him from getting any further.


"Hey chill I was just playing," she stated flipping her fake hair back, "I just find it weird that you would play any other time but now that he is here you don't want to?"


"I said I ain't playing and that is it," Darrius spat angrily, "But you know what to shut yo ass up and to show you ain't nobody making me do shit I'll play."


Everyone cheered except me and Chris who only shook his head. I wasn't surprised that he gave in to her taunt and that was what she wanted in the first place anyway. She looked dead at me and smiled cleverly and I just wanted to choke out all the cum she probably swallowed before Darrius and I got here.


"You playing?" Tre asked me all of a sudden and I just shook my head. He shrugged and went on.


"Okay, ya'll know the rules," Tre stated, "Spin the bottle, land on the opposite sex, go upstairs, and then come back down in 7 minutes. If not, Johnny going up there to get you. But hey when it's my turn give me about 35 to 45 minutes."


"Okay I'll give you 8 minutes," Johnny joked making Tre glare while everyone laughed. I stood up before they started the game and went into the kitchen. I poured me another drink as I heard everyone cheer for Darrius as he spun the bottle. I knew it landed on someone as Tre yelled, "Oh shit the usual!"


The usual? I peeked my head back into the living room seeing Darrius and Alicia go upstairs. I had seen a stairwell in the kitchen leading to the upstairs. Even though I knew this was crazy person status, I went up them to see if I could find them. That bottle had to be messed with or something because there is no way it could have landed on her. As I tipped toed through the hallways, I begin to hear voices.


The first voice said, "You know you can't resist me D."


I peeked my head around the corner. She was all up on him with her leg in between his pushing up on his dick. He looked to be pleasured as she kissed his neck. The very neck I kiss every time we make out. Then I heard him say, "You know we ain't shit right? Me and you ain't ever going to happen again."


He didn't seem really confident as he bit his lip to hide the fact he was feeling pleasured. She grinned evilly taking her lips from his neck.


"Oh really D," she spoke sensually making eye contact with him. Watching this was making me feel like shit. Every fear that I thought about with Darrius was happening right in front of my eyes. He isn't tensing up and he isn't pushing her off. He's just letting her do what she wants without any discussions or hesitation. I thought about what he promised me and how what he was doing was breaking every single one. I felt like I couldn't breathe as I watched her kiss him and when he responded it killed me. I still didn't cry, I just watched like an idiot.


It was three minutes now and they were still kissing. My feelings had been hurt at 1 minute and my heart felt like it was being ripped into pieces at two when I realized that he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Then she started unbuckling his belt and when his pants dropped to the floor and she got on her knees, I was done for. I couldn't hold it in, a deep throated cry left me making them turn towards me and once he saw me his eyes almost shot out of his head.


"CALEB!" he yelled pulling his pants up. I ran down the stairs so fast passing everyone that was going up to watch them like I did.


"Caleb!" Chris yelled my name as I jumped from the stairs, going back into the kitchen. I flew through the living room and when I got to the front door, I ran out like I was the last chick in a horror film to be alive.


"CALEB WAIT!" I heard Darrius yell but I didn't look back. Crying and running were not good combinations but I had to get my pain out somehow. The memories of me straddling him as we play fought in the bed, the memories of us writing our research paper, the memories of us looking at each other just passed through my mind as I ran faster and harder.


I didn't know where I was going but at my last breath I fell onto a lawn and not cried but sobbed. I sobbed harder than I have in my life. I didn't know how long I laid there. My head hurt from crying so much and I knew I was loud considering I heard feet approach me but I didn't care. If he was a serial killer, I didn't care.


"Just let me cry on your lawn a little longer and then kill me," I cried to the person that was standing in front of me who was wearing a pair of black Harry Potter slippers.


"Caleb?" I heard a thick Latin accent pierce through my ears and I looked up to see Mr. Gonzales standing over me with pajama pants on and a tight brown night shirt. I didn't want to have to explain to him why I was on his lawn I just wanted a place to sob. He looked at me as I continued to cry.


Unfolding his arms, he gestured towards his car with his head and said, "I'll take you home."


Slowly I got up from the ground and walked towards his car with him guiding me most of the way. I didn't say anything during the car ride. I continued to cry but silently. He didn't even ask me why I was sweaty or how I knew where he lived. I honestly just got lucky and sobbed on the right lawn. When he dropped me off I still didn't say anything getting out the car.


I walked slowly towards my door and let myself into the house. I didn't want to go up to my room where Darrius's aroma was so I planted myself on the couch and sobbed some more about a guy I knew wasn't going to keep his promises. I sobbed about a guy that gave me false hope. I sobbed about a guy that I knew I was undoubtedly in love with.

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