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Chapter 11

The Problem With Control

Yet another week had passed. Everyone seemed to be loving Spain, except me. To me...Spain was Amir, just like Africa was Amir. I was enthralled in everything Amir. As the days went by, I could see my grades dropping. They weren't dramatic drops. Some people would have still killed to make the grades that I was making. However, they weren't perfect. I had become...less than perfect, but Amir made me feel like it was fine.

"You have to live..." he told me.

"I'm scared."

"You only live once. What you want to go study or something? Stop being a goody-two-shoes, boy. Live a little! Come on..."

The bungee chord was spread across the bridge. The guy looked at us and gave us a thumbs up to jump whenever we wanted to. Amir had his arms wrapped around me in a gentle way, but I was clutching to him as though clutching for dear life.

Why the hell was I about to bungee jump on some backroad bridge with Amir in Spain?

It had started on a Friday. School was out and everyone was going out. That was when Kim had knocked on my door. She was the only one who was really comfortable coming to my floor because she was in good standing with Patience. When she led me downstairs, I felt pleasure and pain. Amir was with her. I was excited to see him. He wasn't the only one with her though. I didn't mind seeing Jr. and Pony for that matter. However, THAT wasn't even it. I recognized Desmond and Felicia with them as well.

Who invited them? I hated the idea that those two had to come with us. Desmond and I still hadn't spoken since our little run in. He hadn't said anything negative though and I was fine with that. Felicia seemed like she was always around, smiling and being sweet. Everyone had immediately liked her. She had this heavy accent that I really hadn't caught the first couple time I spoke to her. She was definitely Spanish and even though she seemed sweet as candy, I still didn't trust her and I think she knew it.

Pony had made his way up to me, "Chauncey...you need to come with us..."

Jr. jumped in before he could finish, "He's not going to want to come with us. He's a rich boy. He has too much to live for."

"No...he's down though. He's down for everything. He's going to want to go," Amir argued.

That was how I got invited on the bungee jumping trip.

"Please, baby," I explained, "I don't think I want to go."

Amir had me doing things that I never ever dreamed of doing. Patience would have killed me, reincarnated me and killed me again if she knew I was jumping off of a bridge.

The others were on the other side of the bridge. They were shouting, but they were so far that I could barely hear them. They were all cheering us on...all except Desmond. He just looked real annoyed about the situation. Even America's sweetheart Felicia seemed excited about us. I hated her seeming all smiley. It was fucking annoying and I wished she'd stopped it.

"You have to learn to trust me," Amir explained, his slanted eyes looking at me with this immediate intensity, "You have to learn to live."

"I do...it's just."

I looked down. The water was so far away. I couldn't imagine how hard it would feel to smack into the water. I was a bad swimmer. Almost everything was making me nervous, from the cheers of everyone on the other side of the bridge, to the cold chilly Spanish wind, to the way the bungee guy kept putting his thumb up for us to jump off.

Almost everything was making me nervous but Amir.

"I got you baby."

"You sure?"

He laughed, "I won't let anything happen to you, Chauncey...I love you."

He said he loved me. I couldn't believe it. I thought about kissing him right then and there in front of our friends. Almost all of them knew anyway. I was sure Felicia didn't know though...he had seemed to stop with the public affection a little since Felicia had shown up. I kept thinking about if someone had told her, but she still didn't seem like she knew her ex was gay. She was too smiley for all that.

"You love me?"

He smiled and he leaped off taking me with him.

I wasn't ready...I wasn't ready to fall. It was just like falling in love. You aren't ready. You fall without knowing. You are falling and it almost seems like it will be endless. You hold onto your lover the entire time...like Amir was holding onto me. You scream...you panic! You feel so weightless...until for a second you feel real ecstacy. It feels like you are flying. It doesn't matter that you think that you are going to hit a sheet of cold, icy water. The feeling of falling in love takes over you and the dangers ahead doesn't matter. So you aren't surprised when the bungee snaps and yanks at you, protecting you from your death. It was expected. You believed in love and that was all that protected you.

"You guys took forever to jump," Pony teased, "I thought I was watching a woman give birth or something."

We were walking back to this restaurant. Everyone figured it would have been a good day to eat AFTER we bungee jumped so we wouldn't end up vomiting all over our jumping partners.

"Even longer then me and Felicia," Kim added.

She was holding hands with her boyfriend. I laughed because I knew that she would back him up. It was cute though. I kind of wanted to hold hands with my boyfriend too. I knew Amir definitely wanted to. He always put his arm around my shoulder as we walked. It had to be obvious to everyone that he was doing it.

Felicia butted in with this cute little innocent smile, "Aw, everyone takes there own time. Kim and I were just as scared as Amir and Chauncey."

She was so sweet...she was so damn likeable. Maybe that is why I hated her the most, because I knew how likeable she was. Why didn't Amir like her?

"They were holding onto each other a lot harder then you and Kim were too," Desmond had said.

It had been the first time that he had spoken all day which made the remark just a little more uncalled for. I couldn't take it. Amir and I traded looks. He probably wanted to say something back to Desmond as much as I did, but we both ended up paying him no attention and continuing to walk until we got to the restaurant.

When we got to the restaurant, I heard Amir had left me to argue with Pony. He said he was upset that Pony invited Desmond. Hell, I was too. I looked over at Desmond as we all took our seats in a round booth. . He was looking over there and I could tell he knew they were talking about him. Hell... I think everyone could tell they were talking about him by how heated they looked when they returned to the table.

"Did the waiter come yet?" Pony asked, smiling as though trying to hide the fact that Amir and him had just gotten into an argument.

"No...not yet," I replied.

Amir sat next to me. I couldn't help but to notice that by sitting on my left, he was sitting between Felicia and I. What bothered me more was when he stretched out his arms, both of them...behind both Felicia and I? I knew it was nothing, he probably just wanted to get comfortable, but it bothered me.

"Oh god...look who just walked in," Jr. stated.

The entire table turned around almost in unison to see Patience walk into the restaurant. Damn...I didn't understand it. She walked into the restaurant with Ethan at her side. I buried my head in my napkin. Damn...I couldn't believe this!

"Out of all the restaurants in this country," Pony said, "She had to choose this one."

Patience's notoriety had spread across the ship like wildfire. I could see the sudden look of fear in Jr.'s face as he got up off the table and decided to run to the bathroom. Damn...that was my escape and he'd used it up. I thought about getting up and going with him, but Patience recognized him as he walked to the bathroom.

Instead of following the hostess, she walked to our table. I could hear Pony and Desmond start making these groaning noises that said everything similar to "here comes trouble."
"Patience," Amir said to her as she walked up to the table. That was all he said. He was sitting with his hands still outstretched. He seemed so cool and collective. I was hoping that it wasn't an act and he really was like that.

Her eyes crossed him. Ethan was standing at her side, more like her personal security guard then her fiancé. He crossed his arms and his muscles almost bulged out of his shirt. He was so fucking muscular that it was scary.

"Patience?" I heard an annoying voice say, "I'm Felicia."

We all looked to see Felicia standing up. She reached her hand out to shake Patience's hand. Damn...no one had let her know about Patience. It was obvious.

"Look...they've gotten prettier," Ethan remarked and sneered a little bit.

Patience rolled her eyes at the poor girl, "No they haven't. Listen girly...don't touch me. Don't ever in your life pretend like you will touch me either. Do you know who I am..."

"Patience?" Felicia said still trying to smile and be sincere, "I like the name. It's different."

She was so innocent and so oblivious. What was it with pretty stupid girls? Her and Wednesday seemed like twins, only she was on the poor side and Wednesday was in the rich side. Wednesday wasn't as nice either. She was something of a devil's advocate. I wondered if Felicia was stupid, but I couldn't tell. She was just...so sweet.

"I am the one responsible for bringing your ass here," Patience remarked, "With a snap of my finger I will have the good old captain send you back."

Felicia looked a little shocked and upset. It looked like she was about to cry honestly. For once, I was actually kind of happy for Patience mistreating someone. I hated this whole little innocent show Felicia was putting on. Patience put her right in her place.

I saw Kim reach out and pull Felicia back down. She tapped her on her shoulder, seeming to give her some type of support.

"Must feel nice picking on innocent girls," Amir remarked, challenging Patience with his entire attitude.

It was a compliment to Patience, "It feels stupendous. Chauncey...up...I don't know what possessed you to sit here with the `Help' anyway. Hurry up, boy...we are sitting over there."

Her eyes were invading into me. I watched from the bathroom to see Jr. a little surprised that Patience was still at our table. He stood there in hesitation. Desmond, Pony and Kim just stared at me wondering what I was going to do.

I didn't want to make a scene. I was about to stand up when I felt Amir's hand on my leg underneath the table. The touch seemed to give me so much strength.

"He's not going anywhere," Amir stated.

"Excuse me?"

Patience was upset. I could tell she was upset. She pointed a finger across the table at Amir. His hand tensed on my leg. I could tell he was a little intimidated by her, but not nearly as much as everyone else was. Shit the other guys had their heads down. Kim had picked up the desert menu and started reading as though an argument was going on around her. They were all terrified of Patience.

"You heard me...he's not going anywhere," Amir retorted, with a little harder exaggeration on his words.

"Chauncey get up," Ethan said and started towards me.

The movements was quick as Amir turned to face Ethan in a very threatening way. Ethan had stopped his advance to grab me though. It wasn't Amir that had stopped Ethan, but it was Patience with her clutch pressed firmly against Ethan's chest.

"Chauncey...make your decision...we'll be right over there," she explained and signaled for Ethan to follow her.

She walked away with Ethan to their table on the other side of the dining hall. They didn't look back. They completely ignored me. The waitress went to them almost immediately! No one was yet to come to tend to us.

Jr. returned to the table, "That bathroom is real clean."

"Punk," Desmond remarked.

"I didn't see you saying anything to her," Kim retorted and paused, "Let's just enjoy our meal. I believe her when she says she can get us kicked off the Westinghouse and since this is free education, I'm sure its something all of us can't afford to happen."

"What about him?" Desmond asked looking my way, "She's going to be pissed off if he doesn't go."
"Yo...shut the fuck up," Amir said, looking right at Desmond with this pissed look, "He's not going anywhere."
"Ay, don't tell me to shut the fuck up," Desmond argued with him, "All I'm saying is he should go over there before Patience gets pissed at all of us and gets us kicked out of Westinghouse. What...is that your boyfriend or something? You trying to keep him all to yourself?"

Amir pounded on the table hard as hell. I was a little pissed off too.

"Fuck you man...yo...I swear to god, after this we are through," he told Desmond, "You aren't going to keep coming around disrespecting us like that. I said he wasn't going anywhere...if you want him to go, try and take him. I'll beat your ass just like I was about to do to that muscle guy."

Amir was serious. His manliness was something tough, but I didn't need help with Desmond. Hell...I didn't even need help with Ethan. It was Patience that bothered me. She had really gotten Tosha kidnapped just so she could leave. She had replaced Tosha...with someone I was sure was of her choosing.

I don't know how Felicia was involved in this but I knew she was...somehow.

"Look, son, I'm sorry," Desmond explained, apologizing for yet the umpteenth time. His apologies were really getting pointless. He added, "I'm sorry to both of you. Really..."

"You were right though," I finally said and got up off the table, "Maybe I should go."

I was sitting on the end of the bench I just slid off, but I felt Amir slide right after me. He followed me to the middle of the restaurant, halfway between Patience and halfway between our friends.

It was semi-privacy. I'm sure they were all looking at us, but we were a distance away from both that none of them could really hear what we were saying.

Amir had an intense, dramatic voice, "You can't go..."

"You don't understand. She wants me to choose you over them. She wants a reason to destroy you. She wants a reason to send you home."

"What about what I want? I want you," he explained, "That's all that matters. I don't care if she sends me home...man, you can come with me. We'll find a place together. We can be together. Isn't that all that matters?"

"This is so much easier. What is one dinner with her?"

"It's everything!" he shouted, so loud that I'm sure half the restaurant heard but then his voiced lowered to add, "She is controlling you."

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it to me. Explain how you going over there is right."

"It's not right, but it's necessary."

I walked away as I said that, leaving him crossing his arms in anger. Damn, I felt like shit as I did it but I was convinced that this was the necessary act.

I could see him walking back as I walked over to Patience and Ethan.

"It's everything!" Patience had mimicked, with this dramatic cry as she clasped her hands together.

He heard her mimic her and for that very moment I thought about running back, but I couldn't, I was damn near already sitting with Patience. I felt sick to my stomach as I turned to see her giving me this obnoxious smile.

"I want to crack that boy's skull," Ethan had told me as soon as I sat down. I was sure he was talking about Amir.

I ignored him. I couldn't deal with assholes right now. I just looked down at the water that was already sitting there for me. She knew I was going to come over. Is this what I was all over again? Was I some puppet?

"I ordered you the supreme salad with no dressing," she explained, "I figured you should be watching your shape since you haven't been going to the gym lately."

"I've been busy."

"I'm sure you have," she explained and then looked over at Ethan, "Darling, go back to the kitchen will you. Tell her that we shouldn't be waiting this long for some salads. Better yet find the manager...oh...and take your time."

Ethan got up and rushed to the kitchen after giving Patience a kiss on her cheek. God, he was just a slave to her. He didn't even realize it either. Then again...what was I...wasn't I something similar?

She pulled something out of her pocket. I looked at it and realized what it was that she had pulled out of her pocket. It was a cassette. It was the gold cassette. .It was the cassette that Vince had used to listen to me. God...I knew then that she knew everything that had been going on with Amir and me for sure.

"God..." I muttered.

Butterflies entered my stomach immediately. Damn...this had to be the worst thing ever. She'd finally listened to the tape. Why did I think for a minute that since it had been so many weeks that she had probably just forgotten about it.

"You think for a minute that I didn't know," she explained and laughed, "You think for a minute that I didn't always know...about you..."

"You knew I was gay?"

It felt so intimate this discussion. We'd talked like this a million times before and a million times before I found out that Patience was a little smarter, a little more dangerous then I'd given her credit for.

"Always," she explained, "I always knew about Vince's little infatuation about it. At first I tried to get you interested in girls...but I understand that choice is irrelevant. You wanted boys. It was obvious. I gave Vince permission to pursue his little infatuation with you when I found out you were interested in ...Amir."

She almost spit out Amir's name.

"You gave Vince permission?" I asked.

It was hard to believe. I had thought that Vince was for once going against her to have feelings for me...no that wasn't even the case. She'd given him permission! I felt betrayed...I felt almost...sick. What was I now? Was I a trick for their little game?

"For everything. I allowed him to go in your room. Idiot...he couldn't even put you to bed the way I told him to. All he had to do was have sex with you. That was it."

I couldn't believe this! Not only had Patience accepted Vince having a crush on me, but she was also going out convincing him to have sex with me.
"You're lying."

She shook her head, "After the initial shock, I realized that even homosexuality is controllable. You can be gay if you want, as long as you do it in a controlled manner. You can be gay as long as no one ever knows."

"You planned for Vince and I to be together? Is this all just a game to you? Is my entire life a game to you?"

I had so much anger and frustration in me as I asked. She ...laughed.

"Does it surprise you...I masterminded everything. Do you really think for a minute that you could hide something from me? ME!"

"You didn't mastermind Amir."

Her face spoiled. We both looked across the room. Amir was unexpected...uncontrolled. Everyone was having a conversation, but his eyes were stuck on us from across the entire room. They weren't even moving slightly.

We both watched Felicia touching him. Felicia was trying to catch his attention, but he wasn't even focused on it. God...why the hell was she all over him in the way she was? Why wasn't he telling her to leave him alone?

"No but I will mastermind his downfall," Patience said.

"Don't you dare do a fucking thing to him...bitch," I finally went off, just as quick as she got the words out.

I was pissed. I was protective. Amir was the only thing in my life that really mattered. Tears were forming in my eyes automatically as I pounded my fist on the table just as he had done to Desmond.

Patience started to laugh, "Or what?"

"You can't hurt us," I say calming down immediately, "You can never hurt us. You can go ahead and try...but it won't happen.

I sounded like Amir. It was almost eerie that I sounded so much like him.

"Look...it's already begun," she stated.

I looked across the room. Felicia had finally gotten his attention. Her hand was on his cheek and he was close to her. She was rubbing all over him. His eyes were set on hers. I couldn't stand it.

"I hate you," I tell Patience.

She shrugs her shoulders, "Loving me isn't necessary. Control is the only necessity."

I get up off the table and walk out of the room. I can't stand being around her any longer. I don't want to go back to Amir though, he is too busy with Felicia.

My entire life was just a game to her.

I stormed out of the restaurant and ran down the street to where there was a fork in the road. I looked at the two roads. There was one that led back to the ship and there was one that lead to Spain. The one that led back to the ship was paved and had street lights. The other one had no lights at all and seemed like a dark path to nothingness. I didn't have a cent on me as I looked down that road. I didn't have any papers of identity. I didn't have know anyone in Spain...but that was an option. It was always an option. I could just run away from it all.

There was no beating Patience. We could trash her room and listen to her every once in a while, but in an end, she was always what she spoke about. Patience was Control. She was everything in life that I could no longer take. She was everything in my life that I hated.

"Not without me you don't."

Amir was behind me. I knew before he said anything that he was behind me. I could smell the cinnamon. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and pressed his body up against me as though he would enter me right there in the fork in the road.

"Baby...I don't trust Felicia."

"There's nothing between us. She's pretty, but I'm satisfied where I am. This is destiny. I'm not leaving."

I nodded, wanting to believe all that he was saying, "There is something about that girl...believe me...there is something about that girl that is all wrong. I have the most horrible vibe from her."

"She's sweet," he explained to me, "I've known her for years. She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"She may have changed...you know when you broke up with her."

"Not Felicia. Trust me. I don't know what Patience may be cooking up, but I don't' think it has anything to do with her."

He seemed so blinded to the fact that Felicia could do anything wrong. I didn't want to argue. It hurt when we argued last time. I just wanted peace for once. I felt like there was no way I was going to get it with them. They were on my tail...

"I'm scared."

"You don't have to be," he explained, turning me around to face him with instant and romantic force, "I told you that. She can't do anything to you..."

"How do you know?"

"She needs you. She needs all of you. Look at her. She isn't as pretty as Wednesday, or as fashionable as Mia. She is doesn't have their style or wealth. She isn't as athletic as Vince and Ethan. She isn't as smart as you. She needs all of you to make her who she is. Without you all...she is nothing. Why do you think she doesn't do it alone? She pulls all of you in."

I wanted to believe it so much. I wanted to believe it more then I actually believed it. I crossed my arm and I stared out into the darkness of the road that I didn't know. It would be so easy...

"You're right," I tell him...

I'm lying to him. I know in every way that I am lying to him, but it is what I want to think. I want to think that she doesn't intimidate me, but I'm wrong.

"You have to let me help you," he explains to me, "We'll go back to the ship...we'll pack your things. You can stay in my room. It's a little small...but I mean...it's ours. You won't have to worry about Patience."

God...what was I doing?
I reply, "Ok."

We hurry back to the ship. We are trying to get there and pack my things before Patience and Ethan come back. It would have made it even harder to leave if they were around. By the time we get up to the luxury lounge, I realize that Patience and Ethan aren't the only ones that we have to worry about.

Wednesday and Mia are sitting at the piano. Wednesday is playing and Mia is laying across the piano, listening to her. They are dressed in evening gowns like they are some Marilyn Monroe wannabes or something.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Mia asked.

"We are together, Mia," I told him, "I mean that's all there is to it. It wasn't rumors...I'm going to cut the bullshit. I love him."
He grabbed me by my arm and pulled me close as I had said that. He asked as though I'd just offered him a million dollars, "You love me?"

I nodded. We kissed right there and Wednesday let out the biggest gasp that I had ever heard her let out. Amir didn't just kiss me...he laid it on me. His lips smacked with mine and his tongue intertwined with my tongue. We were licking each other for everything that it was worth. It felt like heaven was revived in our kisses.

"Mia! Those are two guys!" Wednesday said, stating the obvious once again like she always did.

"No...no...no!" Mia roared, more like a mountain man then a debonair in an evening gown, "Chauncey how could you! How could you do this to me? You know how I felt about him!"

"Honestly, all the time I was trying to be with you," Amir confessed, "I was just trying to be an inch closer to Chauncey...but now I guess there is no need for the middle man...or middle woman I should say."

"UGH!" I heard Mia cry.

She was having a rampage. She pounded hard on the piano. Her and Wednesday got up off the piano and got in our faces. Wednesday was trying to hold her back and I could tell Mia was holding her back from hitting me.

"Oh my god...Chauncey is gay?" Wednesday explained, "Amir...he's gay! They don't even act gay! Isn't that like...I don't know? Unnatural?"

"Wednesday shut up!" Mia barked, and she took a swing at Amir that failed as Wednesday grabbed her arm, "I'M GOING TO TEAR YOU TWO APART!"

"Patience wouldn't like this attitude," I told her, "It's not very lady like."

Like a robot being switched to off, I could see Mia calm down. Her entire rage subsided when she brushed off her shoulder. She fixed her dress and took a deep breath as getting her composure.

"Fine..." she explained and pointed her finger at Amir, "You watch out for Ethan. Come on, Wednesday. Let's go paint our toenails."

Wednesday got all excited as Mia left. She walked after her, but then turned around and ran back.

"Chauncey, I always thought you were kind of cute...I guess this doesn't mean you and I will ever..."

"NO WEDNESDAY!" Amir and I had said, almost in unison.

She got over it really quick, "Oh ok...well...bye..."

She disappeared after Mia as well.

We had gone in my room to pack my stuff after that. Instead of packing my stuff though, Amir had started kissing me. He grabbed me and pushed me up against the wall. I wanted him so badly. He was everything that I wanted right then and there.

My legs had risen off the ground and they wrapped around his broad legs. His hands had grabbed underneath my butt as he had lifted me up and his tongue entered my mouth, in and out, in and out.

My dick was shouting for me to do more.

I started to moan as he left my lip alone and started kissing on my neck. God...I wanted him so badly. I couldn't take it anymore. Amir was a dream come true in so many ways. His light caramel skin rubbed up against my dark skin felt like we were making a chocolate factory together. His kisses reigned over me. They owned me.

"We should...we should pack," he said.

"No..."

I began to lift up his shirt. God...his body was so hard. His waist formed a hot v that disappeared into his shorts. I ran my hands down his washboard and found my way into his pants...onto his hard piece of wood. He wanted this as much as I did.

"Come on...we have a lifetime for that," he explained to me, "I told you they can't hurt us. Look at how we dealt with Mia and Wednesday. You love me...I love you. That is what counts. This can wait till later."

"I want it now."

"I want it to be special. You know what I mean. I want you to remember it forever."

He dropped me, hestitantly. I knew he didn't want to. His dick was betraying his mouth. I wasn't even that hard. It bulged in his baggy jeans like an army tent. It wasn't going down either. He noticed me watching it and he laughed.

I went to grab on my bags off the shelf as he smacked my butt. He definitely wanted me too. We had never talked about it, but I was sure he wanted to fuck me. I wanted to fuck him too, but that would take a while and I knew it. He still didn't admit to being gay. I didn't mind letting him fuck me though. He was definitely somewhat more dominant in the relationship than I was. He had always been free to be dominant.

"Hey I'll pack up the stuff I have in my bathroom...can you pack up the stuff in the room?"

He agreed and I ran into the bathroom. I started to pack up towels and stuff. I was going to miss this bathroom. I knew damn sure the bathroom in the lower corridors were nothing like this. The walk in shower was huge. I grabbed some stuff out of there.

Then I looked in the mirror.

God...I was doing it. I was going to stay with Amir. I was going to cut off Patience completely. I was going to cut off the entire Dollhouse. I didn't need them in my life. I would be like Amir. I would be uncontrolled and uninhabited. I would be free.

I could hear voices. I'd left the door slightly ajar without even knowing. They were arguing. They were outside my room. I crept over to the door, wanting to make sure who it was before I barged out. It was Amir and it was Vince. I could tell.

"What do you think you can do for him?" Vince asked Amir, "You are a poor piece of shit. You live in the holes and you want to take him down with you...is that it?"
Damn, who was Vince to speak to him like that? I was upset... I wanted to barge out but I knew Amir had probably been wanting to say a few things to Vince that he wouldn't have wanted to say to him if I were there.

"He's unhappy here. I don't know what he'll feel like with me, but I'll find out. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make him unhappy."

Vince sounded angry, "Bullshit! What do you know about him being happy? I'm his best friend! I've been there. He needs this. Patience is a lot, but she provides him with everything he needs. He needs this more then you fucking know."

"He doesn't need her...and he doesn't need you," Amir explained, "You two were blessed to have a guy like that in your life. You never appreciated him. Don't hate because someone is finally here that loves him!"

"Love him...you don't even know him. How long have you known each other? A month...maybe a little more? Get the hell out of here."

"I loved him in a day. I know all I need to know about him."

"Do you know he's from the ghetto?"

Fuck...he'd told Amir the only thing that I hadn't mentioned to him yet. I should have by now. I just didn't know what it would do to...us. I didn't want anything to happen to us either. Now everything was out in the open...

"What do you mean?"
"He's not some rich kid from Bel-Air like the rest of us. He's from the ghetto. He's from an area known as The Grove. He lives there now. This is his way out. Patience has been working hard to get her family out. Now here you come along...fucking it up."

"I...I didn't know..."

"Well now you do. You aren't helping him. You are hurting his future."
"I'll get him out of the ghetto."

"How do you expect to do that?" Vince asked, "We profiled you. Don't think we are stupid. You are from the damn ghetto too!"

"We'll get out together. Don't worry about us! DAMN YOU! I'll take care of that nigga! You hear me? Huh! I will definitely take care of MY boyfriend!"

"Bullshit!"

All of a sudden I heard something crash. It was the lamp.

Damn...they had to have been fighting. I had waited in the bathroom for way too long. They were fighting and it was long overdue. The tension had built up this entire time.

I hurried to break them up and as soon as I got out, I saw Amir over Vince. He had a piece of broken glass and it was pressed against Vince's throat.

God...this doesn't have to happen...