Chapter 2 Getting To Know Shea

"You're an ass; you know that, right?" Greg lashed out at Leo after letting him narrate everything that happened.

"I was sad, alright? Remembering things like that upset me." Leo said.

"I bet you didn't ask her what her issue was. Trust Lloyd to make everything about Lloyd." Greg added with rolled eyes.

"Well, my problem was obviously worse. She's wealthy; what could she possibly be going through? She has everything she wants and more." Leo said.

"Everyone has pain, Leo, and it doesn't matter how much. What matters is that you address it and give them an equal opportunity to feel bad about it. You should apologize," Greg stated.

"We both know I'm not going to," Leo said clumsily.

"Well, you damn well should!" Roared Greg.

"I'm nothing, don't you get it? (Holding Greg's face) I'm the school's joke, a failure. You don't know what it's like to be worthless where nothing you do matters. I feel that way every single day. I have no one else." Leo said in pain while sitting down.

"So what? Why do you always have to feel sorry for yourself? Life is hard; get over it! Your mom is gone; nothing you do would bring her back, my nigga. She's out there, living her best life. Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself ain't gonna change that." Greg added bluntly.

"Stop! That's enough," Leo said in agitation.

"That pissed you off? Well, then retaliate. That's what a real man does, instead of whining and crying about it, going about pissing off ladies," Greg said in jest.

Leo stood up; fist clenched "enough, Greg, I'm warning you," he said.

"I thought you were a man. Rather, you bitch about in front of girls you should be wooing? Who the hell does that? Stop holding on, man. She's gone; you'll never find her. Stop being a coward," Greg said while walking towards Leo's face to agitate him the more.

Luckily it worked; as Leo landed a heavy punch on Greg's face, "I said, stop talking. Fuck!" Leo shouted out with a bloody fist.

"Now that's a real pissed-off man," Greg said while cleaning his bloody nose. "How do you feel?" he asked Leo.

"Awful, don't ever make me hit you again," Leo said sympathetically.

"She's the real deal, man. Just cause she's a bit tough, or cause everyone else wants her, or maybe because her father's a racist shouldn't stop you. You're a fucking lion, and you should roar, not retreat! Go for what you want. Don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot have, don't let society take away what's yours a third time. " Greg advised. "She's the real deal man, how often do you come across the real deal?" He asked before walking away.

"Damn," Leo said in admiration, "homeboy should open a church or something." He noted in giggles.

The next day, Leo waited for Shea outside the lecture hall. And when she finally came out, he approached her regretfully

"Can we talk, Shea?" He asked politely.

"Aren't you supposed to be on suspension?" Tracy asked.

"I am, but there's something I have to do first," he said while looking at Shea.

"Getting caught here would make it worse, be swift and leave this place without being seen," Rose cautioned.

"Thanks, babe. Come with me, Shea, if you'd be so kind," he pleaded while giving her his hands.

Shea turned to her friends, and they urged her to go with him.

Leo took Shea to the top of a building on campus.

"So what's this about," Shea said impatiently.

While spreading a mat on the floor and a blanket over it, Leo answered, "this is where I come to find peace, this is the only place in school that I can truly be myself. You can call it my hideout," he concluded while sitting down, and urging her to join him on the mat, which she did.

"Forgive me. It's usually more romantic at nightfall," Leo said dreamily.

And Shea laughed. Her laugh was magic. "Obviously. Still, it is pretty impressive," she said while giving him a nudge.

After he had opened up a bottle of wine and snacks, they chatted away merrily while dining.

"I could do with a place like this in my life," she said. "Leo, I want you to know how sorry I am about the losses in your life. I can't fix them all, but I can assure you that if you ever need a friend, there's a seat right beside me that has only your name written on it," she said while holding his hands.

Leo thanked her with a smile.

"I forgot to ask, why were you crying that day? Why were you sad? Why did you leave campus?" Leo asked.

"I'll tell you another time. I don't want to ruin the mood. Anyway, it is not that serious, and trust me; it's nothing compared to yours," she said.

"Well, a really wise friend told me that pain is pain; it doesn't matter how bad" while holding her hands, he continued, "ill always be willing to hear it, Shea. However, no rush like you said. My jokes were whack that day, but today I guarantee that you'd die of laughter" he smirked while assuring her.

"Okay, Lloyd, blow my mind away," she said in giggles.

"So, shea, you dance?" Leo asked.

"Hardly. I dance, not often, and not at will. What's the point of trying so hard to impress a bunch of people?" she pointed out to Leo.

"You've got it all wrong. Dancing's not about impressing people. Dancing makes you feel good. It takes away the stress and worries," he said confidently.

"Judging from your words, I take it you're a dancer," she noted.

"Not really," he said while drinking "im a music person, but I can sure sway to a good beat," he added in grins.

Leo laid down and faced the sky while asking, "your dad doesn't like me that much now, does he?"

"It's not you; he's hard it for blacks all his life," Shea said soulfully.

"why?" Leo asked.

"I have no idea,'' she said, while laying on his chest.

"It's hard to believe you're his child. You're different in every way. You're beautiful, innocent," Leo honestly said while caressing her hair.

"You've misread me," she said and laughed.

"Nah, you're passionate," he added.

"Since we're giving out compliments, you're the mixture of wonderful surprises. You're boyish, but with a mysterious soulful side," she complimented.

"Sounds fair," Leo said and laughed with her.

"You know, they always say to us, channel your pain, learn to control it to achieve your dreams. What if we have no more dreams? What if they all died?" Leo asked, looking away.

Shea touched his face and replied, "your dreams ain't dead, Leo, you've just outgrown them, now all you have to do is to find new ones," she said.

"I don't know-how," he said while looking at her.

"Let's make a deal. If you can make a responsible man out of yourself, Leo, if you do that, I'll dance to whatever beat you play," Shea said boastfully.

"Deal," he said while shaking on it.

Then she stood up and packed her bag. "I have to go, Leo. It's late; everyone would be worried," she said.

He stood up in a bid to see her off.

"No, that's not necessary; I'll find my way out," she said.

Leo asked, concerned. "Are you sure? I brought you here, and it's only right..."

"I'm fine, Leo, chill," she said, cutting him off. "Thanks for a perfect evening," she said before leaving.

Leo and Shea picked up their friendship. They met from time to time to discuss. Shea brought him notes from the classes they took together and gave a brief on each topic.

Soon, two weeks rounded up, and he was back to school.

"What's up, dude? Are you banging Shea now?" James asked sarcastically.

"Nah. We are friends. Just friends," Leo said while looking down.

"I'm sure everyone else would disagree with you," Daniel added, referring to Leo.

"Nothings going on, man. If there was, y'all would know. Now can we eat, please?" Leo insisted, trying to shy away from the conversation.

"You okay, man?" Gree asked, concerned.

"Nope," was all Leo replied.

"What's going on?" Greg insisted.

"I want to be more than friends," Leo finally pointed out.

"What's stopping you," Daniel asked, confused.

"My words are cold and flat; she deserves more than that. She deserves more than me. Someone with a family, you know, someone with a name." he said, looking down on himself.

"Relax, bro, it's just a relationship; you're not going for marriage," James said in laughter.

"Yeah, make fun all you like. You just don't get it," Leo said.

"Then make us," Greg replied.

"I'm scared of my future. The college will end, and what would I have left?" Leo said with tears in his eyes.

"You'll figure something out, man; you always do," Greg assured.

"Not this time," Leo said as he walked away.

"Gee Greg, I never knew he was so afraid of growing up," Daniel said in realization.