"Learn The Hard Way"

Ch. 5


After a trip to FYE, Hot Topics, Rainbow's, Holiday's, Claire's, Maurice's, and Kirkland (for a romance novel), Brittney and Druex sat in front of Jarrell and Brittany talking. Brittney smiled as she noticed how they clung to each other, and gave herself another mental note to talk to both of them. Druex had been acting different since they sat down, he had paid for their lunch, insisted on keeping her nephew beside him, and stared down any nigga who passed and called themselves eyeing her. From the way he acted she could have sworn her liked her, but she wouldn't even dare to hope it.

They all sat there talking about what they had found when De'Mario walked by the table, "Wat up?"

"Wat up nigga! What yo lazy ass doin here?" Druex asked as Mario sat at the empty table next Brittney.

"Shoppin for my mama's birthday, it's tomorrow." Mario replied eyeing Brittney, but the only persons who noticed were Jarrell and Druex.

Brittney smiled at Mario as he introduced himself, she had to admit he was sexy, "You remember me right? De'Mario?"

Brittney didn't give that smile that Druex loved, the smile filled her entire face, making her eyes crinkled in the most adorable way. She gave Mario an another smile, a small sexy smile, that ended when she softly bit her lips, "Yea, I don't forget hot boys."

"Good, " Mario replied licking his sexy ass lips and looking over at Jarrell, "and who is this dymne you got Rell?"

Jarrell was about to say something when Brittany, whose smile was similar to Brittney's said, "I'm Brittany, I'm her best friend."

Mario nodded his head smiling at Brittany, "Ah, yes, they always said good looking women hang together."

"Anyway nigga don't you need to finish shopping?" Jarrell said almost rudely, he wasn't into his best girl like that but any nigga who straight out eyed her like that could always piss him off.

"Yea, yea nigga," Mario said standing up as he was about to say bye he stopped and said, "Brittney would you like to help me out with this?"

Brittney smiled and said, "Yea, I would love too but I got my nephew here."

Brittany looked at her best friend and back at Mario then at Druex, she had a thought, "Hey girl don't worry 'bout that I got him."

Brittney grinned and stood up her skirt still fitting on her thighs, "You sure?"

Brittany rolled her eyes at Jarrell who staring at her like 'no', "Yea go on, just page me when ya'll done."

"Aiight bye." Brittney said kissing Rishon, linking her arm with Mario and walked down the mall with him. Never noticing Druex who looked like he wanted to throw a fist right in Mario's face.

Jarrell threw his cup down and turned to Brittany, "Damn, boo, why you go and say dat?"

"Cuz, any nigga who wanna holla at my girl, is free too. She ain't got a man, and any nigga who can't see all that beauty the first time ain't got no chance." Brittany smiled at Jarrell, he was killin her with that face, but she knew what she had to do.

Jarrell shook his head in agreement, "Yea that's true, some people gotta learn about the true and shit."

"Yea, well you can't take to long wit dat shit, I mean my girl really is not ugly, and the girl gotta smile like whoa, so you know niggas tryin to spit. But I'll be right back, gotta use the bathroom." Brittany said letting her ghetto side out, she always did that on weekends, having to spend all day at a white Private School that gave detention for slang.

Jarrell watched Brittany walk away his eyes following her hair down to her ass, damn that was one girl he wanted, "Druex, you gotta speak up man. Or Mario may just get what you want."

"Nigga you know why I can't!" Druex replied angry, mad cause that he didn't say something. He looked at Rishon and then back at Jarrell who was shaking his head.

"Damn nigga, keep thinkin like that you ain't ever gon' get her! Why in the hell, it hasn't occurred to you that she is fine? Just cuz she ain't like Astin, Brandy, and all them don't mean men don't want her. And matter of fact Mario provin to you how much men want her right now, you told me about that nigga in Footaction. And what about what you asked her? Nigga you gotta say somethin, cuz you know Mario if he think she right he gone spit. And he like da damn ladies man, all them females at Northside want him." Jarrell said throwing his hamburger bag in the garbage watching the expression on his best friends face change.

Druex sucked on his teeth sticking Rishon's pacifier back in his mouth as he slept, "OK, I see how you look at Brittany have you told her?"

"She know, been knowin, since we were in the 3rd grade. That girl give me that 'feelin' and you know what I'm talkin 'bout. O and Tiraza, what I think you feel about Britt. I'm hook up one day, but it won't be too long, cuz at least I know how she feel about me and she know my feelins. Why you think we paired up? I care about her, always have and always will, and one day Ima tell her I love her cuz I'm almost there." Jarrell said watching Brittany come out the bathroom, some reason he didn't try to hide the fact they were just talking about her.

Brittany smiled and kissed him on the cheek as she sat down, "Rell when you gonna take me to see Lilo & Stitch?"

Jarrell laughed, ever since he was in the 6th grade he had taken Brittany to go see a movie every month, and it usually ended up being a cartoon since Brittany and Brittney loved laughing as much as they did anything else. "When you wanna go?"

"Tomorrow after church like always?" Brittany said looking at Druex who looked like he wanted scream at the top of his lungs.

"Yea, I gotcha." Jarrell replied meaning he would pick her up, he always had since he got his car summer after Freshman year.

Brittany nodded her head in agreement, "Druex what's wrong?"

"Nothin, just feelin real stupid." He replied blowing out his cheeks real hard, looking around the mall.

-- Monday at School After 1st Period --

Jarrell walked over to Druex's locker just as two females walked away, "What did they want?"

"My number," Druex said simply pulling out his Algebra 2 book, "so how was Lilo & Stitch?"

Jarrell smiled remembering the time he spent with Brittany, "It was cute, but I asked Brittany to be my girl so the movie is kinda a blur."

"Ha, I understand, have you seen Brittney since this morning?" Druex asked laying back on his locker looking like he hadn't slept in a week.

"No," Jarrell replied as Omari and Tiraza came down the hall, "look at the love birds."

"Hey ya'll." Omari said opening at his locker as Tiaza smiled, she was one of the prettiest girls at Northside. 5'7, really light skinned, long black hair to her butt, slim waist, big butt, green eyes, and a face shaped like Tyra Banks.

But neither could deal with her diva ways, she was pretty but ugly at the same time. That girl had an attitude as bad as rancid milk, but Omari was the ONLY person she was sweet too, and them because he asked her too. "Is Mario talkin to Brittney now or something?"

That made Druex step up at attention, Jarrell sent him a look and asked, "No, I don't think so why?"

"Cuz I saw them walk to Bio together this morning, and they walking together now. And both times I done seen them both have been flirting wit each other." Omari replied slamming his locker and sure enough Druex spotted Brittney and Mario walking down the hall laughing over something.

Mario let Brittney's arm go and she hugged Jarrell, "Hey Brittany told me! Finally, after all these years. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks I'm pretty proud about it too." Jarrell replied smiling like a proud father after showing off his newborn baby.

Omari looked at Jarrell, "What you gotta girl now?"

"Yea, nigga, I'm bring over to you place and let you met she a dymne too." Jarrell replied leaving Brittney, Mario, and Druex standing around.

Brittney looked at Druex, she still wanted him, but she knew waiting on him would do nothing but bring on false hopes. She liked Mario but not like that, to her he would be one of them fine men that would in the end get her caught up.

Mario hugged Brittney saying, "Ima go to class aiight, call you when I get home."

"OK, bye thanks." Brittney smiled at him as he waked down the hall, but her  eyes went back to Druex as he watched her get into her locker.

He turned toward her, his eyes never leaving her face, he was hoping to see that smile from last week. She was definitely looking good today, she was wearing a fitting white T-shirt with some American Eagle Flares, and those T-Mac shoes she had bought Saturday.

Brittney pulled out her notebook and her Theater book, turned toward Druex and looked at him like he was looking at her. He was decked out in Phat Farm from his bandana to his pants, and was wearing the shoes she had bought Saturday.

Brittney finally smiled and hit him in the arm, "What?"

"I need to talk to you." Druex said simply as that smile got to him, he had to grip his book a little harder cause he almost dropped it.

"About what?" Brittney asked as they started walking, she knew his Algerbra class was with Omari and Jarrell, but he was walking toward the West Campus with her.

Druex stopped her as they got to the double doors and the lockers came to a stop along the wall, "About you and me."

"There is a you and me?" Brittney asked surprised as her stomach did back flips again.

Druex bit his bottom lip as Brittney brushed a piece of hair out of his eye, "That's just it, I want there to be."

"OK," She smiled broadly, she thought she couldn't get any happier, "then can you come over to my house after school?"

Druex thought about it for a minute, "Yea."

"Coo', aiight then Ima get to class." Brittney said as she started walking toward her class.

Druex bent and kissed her cheek, "Aiight, just don't say yes to Mario before we talk OK."

"I won't." Brittney replied running down the hall as first bell rang, this was it, the very thing she had told herself couldn't happen was happening.

Druex liked her, he really liked her, as he walked to class not caring if he was late he smiled to himself. Brittney was exactly what he wanted, he wasn't gonna let Mario take his 'feelin' away from him that easily. His whole life he wished of having a real girl in his life, that was all he really wanted and now maybe he could have the affections of a girl that was exactly what he wanted. Sure she wasn't perfect, but who was, the girl who was gorgeous and was close to perfect was the last thing he would ever want in his life. Sure she wasn't a made for a bikini but she was still beautiful. And this was want he wanted, he wanted what Jerome had found so much happiness with, and maybe have a better time with her.

He opened the door as the teacher handed him a tardy slip and sat down next to Omari, who was staring at him like he was crazy. Druex hadn't stopped smiling since he kissed her, all he could think was maybe later he could get to taste what he had somehow, twice in one night, avoided.

-- At Brittney's House --

"What girl?" She laughed as Brittany rambled on about something that had happened at her school today.

"I know so we spent the whole lunch period trying to convince Sarah and Preston that Marcus' present had nothing to do with ribbed Trojans. So has Mario called?" Brittany asked trying to hold in laughter as she thought of the two blonde friends of hers and one of the 2 black boys at Raghlei Prep.

Brittney looked in the mirror wondering why she couldn't look her friend, but she shook all her insecure thoughts back into the hole by her heart as always, "No, but Druex told me not to say yes to him before he got here."

"He's coming to your house?" Brittany asked sounding rather surprised.

"Yea, he wanted to talk...about 'us'." She replied sitting on her bed, looking at her the red nail polish on her toes.

Brittany stopped dead in her tracks, "I didn't know there was a 'us' with ya'll, I thought both ya'll was still frontin."

"I guess Sunday must have changed something, or someone must have changed something." Brittney said looking at the pictures on her desk of her family, of her, of Jarrell, Brittany.

"And I believe that someone is Mario." Brittany smiled like she had been the mastermind behind Druex's change.

Brittney sighed and played with the bottom of her jeans, "Whatever, at lunch today Jerome and I talked."

"OK, don't tell me you fell in again." Brittany said loudly, she liked Jerome but his and Brittney's relationship was too complicated.

Brittney laughed at the way Brittany sounded, "No, B, I didn't. But we talked and I told him about Druex and he told me that he was gonna lay off the relationship thing for a while so maybe he can find that right one."

"Aww, sweet, that's just real sweet." Brittany replied sarcastically making a loud gagging sound.

"Shut up! We may have been together for almost 9 years Brittany, and as much as he was a good boyfriend he was also my friend." She replied wisely looking out her window as a Navy Blue 2001 Mercedes came up her driveway.

"Yea, yea, Rell and I are going to T.R.White Center later to watch Midnight Basketball you coming?" Brittany asked, Midnight Basketball was were kids from around the city get together and play basketball just to keep them off the streets.

"Nope, oh B, here's Dreux look Ima call ya after he leaves." Brittney replied looking in the mirror, that hole letting out some insecurities.

"Oh yea, yea...and Brittney?" Brittney said about to hang the phone up.

"Yea?" She said breathing slowly trying to make her stomach stop with all the Olympic Gymnastics.

"Remember you are beautiful." Brittany said smiling, something she had always told her best friend when she could feel those horrible insecurities of hers coming out.

Brittney looked away from the mirror smiling, "Thanks B, bye."

She almost threw the phone on the receiver when she heard a knock on the back door. She ran out of her room and down the stairs to see Druex standing at the door looking as nervous as she felt. She wanted to stop and say she wasn't ready, or he was lying, or she couldn't be with him. But she could actually find no reason why she could say any of those things, she wanted to say she hadn't known him long enough, but when she finally came down the stairs and he smiled at the sight of her through the window pane, she knew none of those things mattered.

Brittney opened the door letting Dreux in, "Hi."

Druex couldn't say anything, he just smiled, walking into the house looking around. Funny the house had seemed different Friday, today it was brighter more in tune with his emotions, more willing to pull at his many insecurities. He looked over at Brittney who looked out she would rather be dropping down a 1,000 FT tunnel than standing in front of him. "Hi."

They walked side by side into the living room and sat down, neither said anything as thought after thought running through both their minds. Dreux looked at her manicured fingers saying, "Your nails look good."

Brittney smiled looking at the manicure her brother got her, "Thanks, Jayson got me the manicure yesterday after church."

"It looks good." Druex smiled taking her hand looking at the perfect French Manicure, he felt her shiver under his touch and smiled, he didn't know what to say or how to say it.

Brittney shivered lightly as he held her hand staring intently at her nails, she tried to think of what to call this moment, awkward wasn't even the word for this, this was just right out uncomfortable.

"OK, let's talk." She said slowly pulling her fingers from his soft grip.

"Talk, hmm, can I do the talking? Just to do a little explaining to you." Druex said turning toward her as Brittney shifted sitting on her leg.

"When I was in the 7th grade I had my first sexual experience, and everything my Mom had taught me about the kind of girl I needed totally disappeared. I started to realize that some girls were so easy to make mine, that I forgot about the real women in life...like you." He said his brown eyes looking up at her every once in a while to make sure she was still listening.

She looked like she was about to say something when he stopped her, "And then there was like this whole issue with me and my insecurities on the kind of females I should associate myself wit, you know. And when I met you, I liked you from second one, and angel D and devil D been fightin since."

He paused looking around her living room but his eyes found their way right back to hers, "But I know what you heard that night and that wasn't anything close to what I feel. Rell made me see that if I go on worrin about my playa esq. status I was gonna miss out on what I really wanted and after seeing T and O together this morning and Rell was talkin about Brittany I knew this was exactly what I wanted."

Brittney took in a deep breath and finally spoke, "You wanna know what I think?"

Druex waited for a moment not knowing whether or not he wanted to hear this, "What?"

"First time I saw you at your locker, I thought 'Jerome Jones All Over Again', but then you smiled and I said damn. And ever since you had me up against that door, my insecurities have been eating at me. And they only intensified as Rome and I broke up for good. Then you had another chance to kiss me...but you didn't and my brother had that talk with me. And I decided giving up all hope was best, but Saturday you proved me wrong." Brittney said looking away what she kept in her mind brought tears to her eyes. He reminded her of every insecurity that had ever crossed her mind, she had a lot of self doubt behind that smile, but he never had to know that. Jerome knew them all back and forward, and she knew his, but worst of all he knew how to make her forget hers and Druex didn't.

Drueux sat up and laid his elbows on his knees sighing, "You don't understand, on the outside I look so confident, but inside every other thought is a doubt. Like the last time it almost happened I thought if we started something it wouldn't work, I even told Rell I wasn't good with sweet girls. Almost if I didn't deserve what I so badly wanted, you know."

Brittney laughed bitterly and sat up near him their hips touching, "I don't understand? Druex asked Jerome I constantly doubt myself and my worth, insecurity is probably my biggest problem. It's like the world wants to mold you into their view of perfection and beauty, when you know full well what it real beauty and the ironicalness of perfect and flaw."

Druex smiled understanding her last comment, his grandma used to talk about perfection and flaw like it was the bible. The exact phrase he couldn't recall but the message was bright and clear, 'The grass isn't always greener on the other side.'

"My moma and my mema always told me and Isabelle that, 'the problem with perfection was that it was flawless and the problem with flaw was that it longed to be perfect.' The ironic statement hit me hard and as I got older the insecurities invaded my every day life, so I do understand Druex." Brittney replied pushing her hair out of her face.

"Look I know I wanna be with you, and that's all I care about, fuck what people think, fuck my playa status, would you be my girl if I put all that behind me?" He asked looking her right in the face a braid threatened to fall over the beautiful eye that Brittney was staring into and she lightly pushed it back, her fingers lightly hit his cheek and his body shuttered with need.

Brittney kept her fingers lightly on his cheek doing much of nothing just laying on his soft cheek waiting to answer him, she could feel him shake under her gentle touch. She was going to answer when the phone rang, and he let out a loud sigh.

"Hello?" Brittney said answering with her own pout, wanting to answer him, making her mind linger.

"Hey Brittney, this is Mario." He said smiling, not knowing that he had just interrupted something very important.

Brittney's eyes widened, "Hi, Mario." Druex looked up confused and shrugged her shoulders, he then went back to running his fingers over his face.

She turned from him as Mario began to talk, and looked at her from behind, and he knew that everything he said was right. For once in his life he felt that nothing in the world could be anymore right. He was sure he didn't want to learn the hard way about true beauty, especially since it was right in front of him. He had a sudden impulse to get up and go rap his arms around her.

"Mario, I don't think that's a good idea. You know what? How about we forget about this I think I'm going to hook up with someone else." Brittney replied trying to be gentle, she didn't know if she and Druex would go to that level yet, but she didn't want Mario ruining that for her.

Mario breathed out deeply, "Yea, I kind of figured that was gonna happen since Druex spent lunch talking about you to us. Chub said something about him bein in 'face love' wit you or something." She smiled and realized it was true, they both were in 'face love', they both fell for each other's smile.

Druex stood up contemplated leaving but he did what he had been wanting to do, he walked to her and put his arms around her, she was kind of startled but after a minute she just laid her head back comfortable on his chest. He liked this feeling of having his her in his arms, he liked the feel of her womanly hips and her thick thighs and her soft body. But most of all he loved her soft female smell, he was intoxicated. And Mario was just talking as Brittney closed her eyes and Druex kissed her forehead. School would be a very weird thing tomorrow, because he and Brittney both knew she had no intention of answering him right now.

"Bye Mario." She whispered placing the phone on the receiver.

Druex turned her around and they moved slowly to some music that only the heard, Druex was happy, his stomach was fluttering every time she looked up at him, he almost fainted. But the last time their lips brushed, the last two times cam flying back to them and Druex leaned in resting his soft lips on hers, making both their temperatures rise, the kiss got deeper and deeper at the moments went on they both got what they wanted.

She pulled back placing her fingers on her swollen red lips, if had of been white she would've been the color of a tomato. He couldn't do anything but smile, "I gotta to go to work, so I'll see you tomorrow? Or maybe I could call you tonight after work?"

"Yea call me if it's not to late." She replied her eyes having this strange fire in them, something she hadn't felt since she was younger with Jerome but somehow that passion found it's way back to her eyes.