2.03 – DJ’s Story pt. 3 – “While the Sky Explodes”

***A big thank you to Lani, Darius, & Khadijah’s creator

**This blog contains brief profanity & sexuality/sensuality

July 4, 2004

Austin, TX – Travis County Exposition Center

“We should look for some F.B.D’s.” Lani says casually, as she continues walking in what I can only assume is a normal pace for her, but is speed-walking to me. The Texas air is balmy, even at night, and I can feel perspiration wet my arms and forehead. Each row we travel down is lined with food stalls, crafts, and various goods people peddle only at fairs and marketplaces. 

“F.B.D.’s? What’s that?” I ask, eyeing a food stall that is selling chocolate-dipped pickles. 

“Future Baby Daddy’s.”

I laugh. “I thought we were looking for your brother?”

Lani looks at me slyly, “We are, but who says we can’t look for some F.B.D.’s as well? You know, multitask.”

“And what do you plan to do when you find someone that qualifies to be your F.B.D., hmmm?”

A devious smile begins to form on Lani’s face. Her eyes brighten with a primal sheen. “Oh, you know.”

I gasp, playfully elbow her, and whisper, “Have you?…Done…It?”

Lani smiles guiltily at me and then looks up.

“Oh my God! You have!” I stop abruptly and stare at her, mouth agape.

Lani keeps walking, and then playfully glances back at me. 

I rush to catch up and lean into her. “When did you do it?! Who did you do it with?!”

Lani laughs. A booming guttural laugh. “Oh God your eyes were nearly bugging out of your head. Girl, for real, you know if I did you would be the first I’d tell. Of course I haven’t. These high school boys aren’t even on my level. Like I’d let them even talk to me. I ain’t Neteya.”

I gasp. “Your sister isn’t slutty.”

“I know she ain’t. I never said she was. I’m saying she lets guys that are beneath her talk to her. I wouldn’t give them my time. That’s all.”

“He’s kinda hot. The guy by the ferris wheel. Red shirt and sunglasses.”

“It is nearly pitch dark outside. Why is that fool wearing shades?”

I laugh. “So not your type?”

“Mmm. Probably not. Like I can’t see him. Just parts of his face. Just cause he looks … not bad…wearing shades don’t mean he’ll look good without them.”

“What?” I laugh.

“Have you not seen guys, that you think could be hot, disappoint your ass by taking off their shades? Well I have, so no thank you. I need to see the whole face.”

“Oh goodness, Lani. Next thing you’ll say is that you need to see a guy in broad daylight, and it’s already too dark out to know if he’s hot or not.”

Lani rolls her eyes. “Now you’re being dumb.”

I laugh. “Now you’re being picky.”

“Okay Miss Know-It-All, since you’re so smart let’s see who can find Darius first. Whoever finds him texts the other. Deal?”

I shrug. “Sure. Keep your phone on, you’ll be hearing from me soon.”

Lani walks off, giving me the “blah-blah” hand gesture. I laugh to myself. I walk aimlessly, not really knowing where to go, but feeling a bit of exhilaration at the thought of finding Darius. I slowly smile as I daydream about that smile he’ll give, that lights up his face when he sees me. The same smile he saves exclusively for me when we meet in secret, as we have been this entire summer, when everyone’s asleep. 

I leave the carnival grounds, and walk towards the parking lot. There aren’t many people around. Most people are securing a spot on the lawn before the firework show begins. I hear a man say a name that causes me to stop and my ears to perk. Is that Darius’s voice? I wonder. I walk towards the obvious male-and-female voices, careful not to make a sound and disrupt the conversation. I keep my distance, but I can clearly make out Darius and his ex-girlfriend, Khadijah. 

“Darius,” she giggles, “stop playin’.” She has one hand planted on her hips and the other draped seductively at the middle of her collarbone, stroking a heart-shaped locket necklace seductively. It’s a necklace that Darius had bought her when they were still a couple.

“I’m for real, Dijah. I’m with someone. You and me are done. I don’t why you’re even trippin’, ain’t you the one who broke up with me weeks before school let out? Accusing me of cheatin’ on you. I told you then, and I still stand by it, I never cheated on you. It’s on you that you wanna bring drama into a relationship. Own your shit, Dijah.”

“I don’t buy it, Darius. I know you ain’t seeing anyone. You spend all your time training or at home. You never leave.”

“Yeah? How you know all this, Inspector Gadget? You got someone spying on me or something?”

“Yeah, I got eyes on you, Darius, and like I said, you’re straight up lying about being with someone. Why you gotta punish me like that?” She draws closer to him and presses herself up against his body. “Why you gotta punish yourself like that?”

Darius pushes Khadijah from him. 

“He’s not lying,” I say as I stride up to Darius, not bothering to look at Khadijah, but feeling her death-stare hit me. I slide myself against his body. I have to stand on my tippy-toes in order to wrap my hands around the back of his head. “Hey, you,” I say softly. We lock eyes and the background noises and people seem to melt away.

“Hey, Dee,” he says, his voice growing husky with passion, and he greets me warmly with that smile I’ve been waiting all day to see. He bends closer until our lips graze languidly at first. I let out a pent-up moan, and before I know it Darius is consuming me in his kiss. 

I can feel the warmth of his hands leave my back and travel down to my butt, grabbing and squeezing me; the intimate contact makes me wet. I tilt my neck to the side. Darius plants his lips against my neck nibbling at first and then slowly sucking at the taut flesh.

“FUCK YOU AND YOUR SKANKY WHORE!!” We hear Khadijah scream. We hear something clank against the car we are closest to, and then the sound of her spewing insults and profanity as she storms off. 

“Ya’ll can quit, the Wicked Witch is gone.”

Darius and I freeze. We turn and see Lani looking at us. “Congratulations,” she says slow-clapping. “You really put on quite the performance. Hopefully it keeps that bitch from ever coming back into your life, Darius, and our home.”

Darius slowly smiles cautiously. Lani looks away from us momentarily, and grabs something from off the ground. “Ain’t this the necklace you bought her?” she asks, dangling the locket Khadijah had worn moments ago.

Darius and I let out a laugh, mostly from relief, but as we notice that Lani is stone-faced, our laughter subsides. Darius coughs to clear his throat. “Yeah, ungrateful-crazy-ass must’ve thrown this at us.” Lani drops the necklace into his upturned hand, her eyes never leaving his. 

With more calmness than I expect, Lani grinds out, “Are you with DJ?”

“W-What?” Darius stammers.

“Don’t you lie to me, and your ass better not so much as deflect, Lord help me I will-”

“David and I made up.”

“What?” Lani and Darius turn their attention to me.

I barely squeak out an, “I said,” and then clear my throat, “I’m back with…” my eyes shut and I attempt a smile, “David,” rushing the name, even though saying it pains me like fire against my tongue. 

Lani’s features soften, but I can see Darius’s features harden. “Oh,” Lani states, “well he don’t need to know about all this. It was just an act. That kiss between you two didn’t mean anything, right?” she jabs Darius in the ribs. He doesn’t even flinch at the contact, he is so furious. “We should be gettin’ back. Mama’s not gonna be happy if we don’t get there before the fireworks begin.”

“I’ll leave in a few. I need a few minutes to gain composure.” Darius says through clenched teeth.

Lani looks at him curiously, but doesn’t press the issue. “See that you’re not late. It’s your butt Mama will beat, not mine. C’mon, Deege.”

“Um, I think I’m gonna also need a few.”

Lani stares at me with uncertainty, and then quickly shoots Darius a glance, who looks like a shaken up soda bottle about to explode, and then looks back at me, offering a friendly smile. “Mama won’t beat your butt, but you know what she’s like when she’s disappointed with someone.”

“I know.”

“See you soon then?” Lani smiles lopsidedly my way.

I nod affirmatively and she turns away. We watch her fade from our view.

“Are you okay?” I ask Darius.

He’s silent for minutes. “That depends,” he says vexed. “Are you with…him?” His upper-lip curls in disgust.

“Of course not,” I say. “I said that to get Lani off your back. Fuck, she was horrifying! I was terrified that Khadijah might kick my ass for kissing you. I was not expecting to feel so fucking scared for my life because Lani might kill me.”

Darius smiles. “Nah, she loves you too much to be that level mad at you. All that fury was directed at me. She can be protective of me, but damn is she ever overprotective of her friends. I dunno why she think I wanna get with her friends.”

“Um, hello. Lani’s Friend here.” I wave my hand in his face.

Darius pulls me close to him, “You know what I mean.” 

I look up at him with “fuck-me” eyes. We make out until we hear a boom, startling us into stopping. 

“Oh shit,” he says, “fireworks. I am so fucked.”

I bite my lip with worry, “Should we try to run back? I mean I know that we’re late, but–”

“Nah, if I’m fucked, I’m fucked, and uh speaking of being fucked…” he picks me up and sets me on the hood of a car. He caresses my cheek. His eyes follow the path of his finger as he draws his body closer to mine. 

He lowers himself against me. His hand brushes my leg, crawling slowly up to the hem of my skirt. “Is this okay?” he asks, his eyes penetrating mine.

I giggle nervously. “Are you suggesting we…do…it… on some stranger’s car?” my eyes dance. Darius doesn’t say anything. He smiles and raises his eyebrows, as if awaiting my answer. “Ummmm….What if somebody sees us?” my eyes widen. 

His eyes are hungry with desire. He stares in quiet contemplation at my lips as his finger hovers, longing to touch the fullness of my bottom lip. 

“There’s nobody around, it’s just you, me, and these fireworks. I won’t be mad if you say no, but you gotta admit, exploding against each other while the sky explodes is pretty dang romantic.”

I smile, but I don’t say anything. Instead, I place my hand over his and lead his hand underneath my skirt and then underneath my panties. “If someone sees me in a compromised position, even though you assure me that no one will see…”

“Hmmm?” Darius says as he pulls out a condom from his wallet, opens the packaging and begins to put it on.

“I will tell Lani that you and I are together, and that we’ve been sleeping together.”

“Damn, you lookin’ to lead me to my funeral before I even make it to the Olympics?”

“What do you expect? I’m not your sister’s best friend for not

******************************************

Julyn

Austin, TX:

“So, what happened last night?” Lani asks as we go for a light jog. 

Lani, like Darius, is a sprinter who is actively training for the Olympics. The difference is that Darius is going to the Olympics next month, while Lani hopes to go to the Olympics in the future. She wouldn’t normally invite me on a run, I slow her down to the point where she finds it maddening, but she insisted we get together first thing this morning, and this is her idea of starting the day. 

“What do you mean?” I ask, feigning innocence.

“Oh, cut the crap, DJ. You and Darius didn’t get back until after the fireworks ended. Mama was pissed. She didn’t say a word to Darius the entire night, or even this morning before he left to practice. I thought for sure she was gonna let into him last night. It is a special kinda pissed that Mama gets when she gives one of us the silent treatment. Darius knows he better kiss butt, and stay on her good side if he values keeping his life.”

I don’t say anything, and after a while Lani’s pace slows until she finally stops and she stares at me with a blank expression that makes me entirely uncomfortable. I stare at the ground and kick a few pebbles around as we stand in silence. “We kissed.”

Lani’s silent and then finally, “Go on.”

I wave my hands in the air, trying to work up the explanation, “I told Darius that I’ve had a tiny crush on him for years.”

“Oh, Lord, no good could have come from that.”

“Well I suggested that maybe he and I should kiss…again…I guess….Since the first kiss was to benefit Khadijah.”

“Mmmm.”

“So…Darius agreed.”

“Oh, I’m sure you didn’t have to twist that boy’s arm. He shoulda known better though. Agreeing to kiss you…What the hell was he thinking?”

“And, like I said, we kissed. It was…you know… a very anti-climatic sort of kiss. Darius just shrugged and said he didn’t feel any fireworks…I realize how corny that sounds, given the timing of the kiss.”

“I would be embarrassed for him if I wasn’t upset at him.”

“Why are you upset at Darius? It was my crush. I wanted to see if there was anything there. Darius did me a favor. It was like closure.”

“So this crush you had is gone?”

“I can honestly say I don’t have a crush on your brother.” 

“Mmmm.” Lani locks her gaze with mine as though she’s trying to search out any lies. “I’m not entirely thrilled that Darius kissed you, even though you asked him to. He knows how I feel about him pursuing friends of mine. He knows you are off limits. Darius is gonna have to earn my trust back, but that’s between him and me. As for you….” Lani pulls me in for a hug, “You’re still my girl, and I forgive you for being nasty and wanting to holler at my brother. Obviously you have low standards, and we need to work on your self esteem.” Lani holds me at arm’s length and looks at me seriously, “Look, we don’t need to tell David about none of this. If you want me to keep my mouth shut I will.” I cringe inwardly, and chide myself that I had forgotten I had lied to Lani about David. 

“Thanks,” I say solemnly. “I would appreciate the discretion. Also… I thought we were back together, but it turns out…not so much.”

“For reals? I am so sorry, Deege. Men can be such flakes.”

“Eh, fuck him.” I say, and then smiling slowly, I say louder, “Yeah. Fuck him. Fuck you, David!” 

A couple guys look over at me with shocked expressions. I look back at Lani who looks like she would rather a sinkhole appear and swallow one of us up into it. She angry-whispers, “I think one of them dudes is named David.”

I can feel my face flushing from embarrassment, “Not you,” I yell over to the guys, “a different David!”

Lani shakes her head and says, “I just can’t with you sometimes. Girl, you are like a bad car wreck. You know I love you, but goodness the things you say and do!”

I smile sheepishly at Lani, “You know what we should do on the way back home?”

“I’m afraid to ask what you’re concocting, but what exactly do you have in mind?”

“We should look for F.B.D.’s.”  Lani looks at me for a split-second, and then we both break out laughing so long and so hard that our stomachs begin to ache. 

We head back home. My aunt’s house neighbors Lani’s house from behind. There’s a loose board in the fence that separates the houses. I pull it to the side so Lani can slip through the fence and get back home. 

I’m exhausted. Even though Darius was in neck-deep trouble at home last night, he still snuck out so we could be together. 

…And we continued to sneak out and meet up every night that summer, until he left for the Olympics… 

******************************************

March 18, 2022