"Know What You Want"

(Sequel To Learn The Hard Way)

-- A Year Later - Druex --

Druex walked down the steps of his house slowly, his mind thinking of one thing and one thing only, the woman in his life. Shaking his head as he plopped on his couch, he tried to remember she wasn't here his best friend was, he and Brittney were still going strong after a year. He felt something for her, he still didn't understand, she was all he ever wanted, but losing the playa status had been hard but when she smiled at him it was worth it. He had been thinking about those three words lately, I love you, they still hadn't said it. Druex even had those nights where he would think she still loved Jerome. But when he called her and she would be dead asleep but would still seem happy to hear his voice he would know she didn't love Jerome.

Jarrell looked up at his friend from his spot on the floor, "Come on nigga let's hit NBA Live 2002 early so you whip my ass before dinner."

Druex shook his head, sighing to himself, he envied Jarrell, his girl had left her private school to be with him and he knew for sure she loved him. "Naw go on and play Grand Theft Auto 3, I need to think."

Jarrell threw the controller on the floor and sat on the black leather couch in front of Druex, "Hold up, you don't give up the chance to kick my ass on NBA Live, ever. What's up?"

"Nothin, nothin, I'm fine," Druex started trying to look Jarrell in the eye but he couldn't, "shit, shit, I'm in too deep Rell."

"Why? What's goin on?" Jarrell asked getting a cheeto and sitting up so he could look straight at his friend.

"I think I love Brittney." Druex sighed putting the palm of his hands over his eyes.

Jarrell looked around confused, "And that's a bad thing because?"

"Because...shit...I gotta...I gotta secret, and if I tell her...Rell damn." Druex started, the emotion clearly visible in his voice, Jarrell could tell whatever it was had been on his mind for a while.

"And if you tell her what will happen?" Jarrell asked kind of surprised by this, he thought he knew all of Druex's secrets.

Druex looked up at his eyes filled fear, "I'm gonna definitely lose her, and I can't let that happen."

Jarrell was take back by that reply he didn't think anything would make Brittney leave Druex, "Damn, nigga, so what's the secret?"

Druex shook his head, meaning he wasn't gonna tell him, knowing that if he told Jarrell would be royally pissed and jump to call Brittney, "I can't tell you, but it's killing me Rell. I still can't believe I did that to her...I feel so fuckin stupid right now. I want her to tell me she loves me, but now I know she won't ever. Not since this shit I done did."

Jarrell thought for a moment before pulling pieces and pieces together, "Druex do you remember the other night at Chub's party when we were talkin about getting laid, and he pointed out that you hadn't had sex in a year? Druex was he wrong?"

-- A Year Later - Brittney --

"Ha ha!" Brittney yelled as she spotted the long beautiful black ball gown, the Homecoming Dance was just in weeks, and everybody was hoping she would be crowned Homecoming Queen, because she was a favorite at the ballots. She had found the best reason for being friends with everyone, this was her senior year, she had a wonderful boyfriend, and she could possibly be the Homecoming Queen.

Brittany pulled at her long hair for a minute before replying, "I don't like it Bri, get a white dress."

Brittney threw a threatening look at Brittany, "Come on Britt, don't tell me you not feelin' this?"

Brittany raised her eyebrows, she and Brittney had been searching for a perfect dress all day. Brittany had transferred to Northside during the summer from Raghlei Prep, and ever since then it seemed her and Jarrell's feelings only intensified. "I'm not feeling it Bri, damn I want my best friend to be beautiful."

Brittney smiled turning away from the dress, "OK let's get away from dresses and go look at niggas."

"Yay!" Brittany said excitedly as they walked out of the dress shop.

Brittney looked around but spotted nothing to her liking except for the star basketball player at Northside, Dai'Mon Douglass. Carmel colored skin, 6'3, dark brown eyes, jet black hair that was in a thin fade, and a smile that would knock your socks off, with a perfect dimple on the right cheek. Brittney hit Brittany on the arm getting her attention, "Look Britt, there's Dai'Mon."

Brittany exhaled loudly, biting her lip, "Damn if I didn't love Rell! That man is F-I-O-N-E!"

Brittney shook her head slowly, walking up a little trying not to seem obvious, "Girl, show you right."

Before either girl could make a move Dai'Mon had walked up to them smiling at Brittney, "Wat up Brittney? Brittany?"

Brittany smiled full force, speaking before Brittney could get a word in edge wise, "Nothin Dai'Mon, wat up with you?"

"Not shit just tryin to make sure everybody votes for the female I want to be my queen, cuz ya'll know Ima be king, again." Dai'Mon smiled that gorgeous smile, he had been voted king last year, being the first Junior to be voted Homecoming King in years.

Brittney tried to not look as nervous as she felt, she was hoping he wanted her to be his queen, "So who you pullin for?"

"You girl, who else." Dai'Mon smiled staring into her eyes, as he turned to walk away and Brittany looked at her grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh my freakin God Bri!" Brittany yelled excited, her smile never faltering.

Brittney smiled a little, shaking her head that was the ONE guy Druex hated and he was pulling for her, "Damn Britt."

"What?" Brittany asked looking at Brittney like she had just put a needle through all the balloons at her birthday party.

"You know Druex hate's Dai'Mon." Brittney replied turning toward Brittany glancing back at Dai'Mon's retreating form.

Brittany gave a defeated, frustrated sigh, "OK whatever, ya'll don't have to kiss or nothin, ya'll just have to stand up there being the beautiful people you are."

Before Brittney could reply, this girl walked up to them, staring at Brittney particularly. She was tall, thin, and had an ass you could sit a cup on, she was light skinned, with long flowing hair, and green eyes. She walked over to them, "Are one of ya'll Brittney Parker."

Brittney looked at the girl up and down, turning her nose up, she recognized the girl from school and what the girl was know for, she knew her name but had to ask anyway, "Yea, and who is you?'

"I'm Akira Paterson," She replied swinging her hair, "and I just wanted to say this to you, what you won't give other people will."

That's all she said and walked away leaving them both kind of confused, Brittney furrowed her eyebrows turning to Brittany, "What the hell did that hoe mean?"

Brittany shrugged her shoulders as they started to walk toward the double doors, "Hell if I know, but let's go, I'm tired and Rell is comin over later."

"Aww how cute," Brittney smiled pushing Brittany softly, "you make my boy so happy."

Brittany grinned as they crossed the walk way to the parking lot, "And he loves me."

Brittney didn't reply to that, she had been wondering lately if Druex ever thought of the 'L' word. But she didn't want to up and throw it out at him for fear he would pull away from her, in the past year she honestly felt happier than she ever had with Jerome. She smiled more, cried less, laughed more, and yelled less. Druex would go out of his way to make her smile, and she spoiled the hell out of him, they both loved to do for the other so it only made it better.

Her birthday was a month ago and he went out of his way to make her 17th birthday a day she would never forget, but it also sparked an argument that still wasn't over. Brittney was a virgin, she wasn't exactly waiting for marriage, but she was waiting for someone who would be there in the long run. And unfortunately she had realized that Druex had wanted her birthday celebration to end with that, and she blew up it was probably the first major argument of their relationship.

Brittany looked at her friend knowing exactly what she was thinking as they got in Brittney's truck, "Come on Bri forget that."

"I can't," Brittney sighed as her CD player came on with Nelly, "it's like I'm really more upset at myself than him, because I'm not ready for that with him."

Brittany moved silently to "Oh Nelly" before replying, "Bri that's crazy, you're not ready, and he has to respect that. Don't beat yourself up over it, you weren't ready for it with Jerome, what makes Druex so different?"

"Because I love Druex." Brittney whispered staring straight at the road, not noticing her best friend was in awe.

"Hold up, hold up, hold up! You have NEVER said you were in love with him, when did this come about?" Brittany asked surprised, she had heard Brittney say she adored him, liked him, and everything else but love.

Brittney didn't smile and her voice had a sad air to it, "My birthday, I had felt it actually since I opened my locker to see him smiling at me, but I really understood it on my birthday."

Brittany didn't understand why her friend wasn't smiling, seemed like every time they spoke about how she felt about Druex she would smile, "So why are you lookin like it's a horrible thing?"

"I dunno Britt, I just feel like he doesn't love me yet." Brittney replied looking over at Brittany who was looking for the 'Roc The Mic Remix'.

Brittany found it and looked up at her friend, "Well, I think you are wrong, I think he was in love with you probably the first time he saw you."

"Why do you think that?" Brittney asked stopping at a red light looking around a minute.

"Because he just shows all the signs of sprung-itous." Brittany laughed finally making Brittney crack a smile.

"Yea OK, well anyway let's talk about something good like...Dai'Mon." Brittney smiled as Nelly made a comment about KRS-1.

"Ahh yes they fine specimen that isn't my boyfriend." Brittany laughed taking a piece of gum out of Brittney's purse.

"Yea cause Jarrell definitely isn't that fine." Brittney replied as Brittany threw the paper wrapper at her.

Brittney thought back for a minute, while Brittany talked about Dai'Mon, she thought about the fight, Akira, and the dance. She had a terrible thought hit her as she pulled into her driveway but she didn't want to face it. What if Akira and their fight had a connection? It hurt too much to even assume, so Brittney just shook the thought out of her head as they stepped out the Escalade.