"Tomorrow"
Ch. 5
Talia sat on the couch watching Mario struggle over some paper from work, she could tell from the look on his face that paper wasn't the problem. She watched for a second longer before she asked him, "What's wrong?'
Mario turned around not ready for that question, he forgot to hide the misery from not seeing Danielle in three days and not speaking in two months, it was probably the longest time they ever went without even talking. "Nothing, why do you ask that?'
Talia raised her eyebrows knowingly, she knew Danielle and he hadn't talked in 2 months and it was killing him. That's how she knew that's where he belonged, with Danielle, but she wanted him to admit that, "Why aren't you and Dani talking?'
"We had a conversation, and she -- well...we thought it best to just...distance." Mario replied looking like it was the worst thing he had ever heard.
Talia laughed, the last time Dani and Mario stopped talking, they got together, it wasn't like it was a love of a lifetime for them it was just a good comfortable relationship. Everyone knew Mario was going to marry Danielle, not Talia or anyone else. It's kind of bad when your own girlfriend knew that, but she didn't mind she just needed someone to keep her away from the man she really loved.
"What am I going to do?" Talia asked Mario, who was sitting beside her on a park bench while it was well over midnight.
"You said you just need someone to keep him at bay but still make it seem real to him?" Mario asked looking at her with a raised eyebrow, he wasn't feeling to well since he had pissed Danielle off and they hadn't spoken in 3 days.
Talia looked up hopefully into her friends eyes, she wanted to get into a relationship with someone so she wouldn't go running back to Jarrell, "Yea that's all, we don't have to make love or anything like that, I just want a public relationship and private friendship."
"And I volunteer." He smiled as she looked at him surprised.
"What about Danielle I thought you were going to finally get with her?" Talia asked sitting up, a little relived but kind of worried.
"She's mad at me anyway, it's OK, you are a friend who needs a little help, so here I am." Mario smiled taking her hand, he would regret that decision later that day and Talia knew that.
That was almost two years ago, she knew his heart hadn't forgotten it's need for Danielle, she was just waiting on him to admit that, "You need her Mario stop fakin."
"What?" Mario asked turning around to see her smiling like she knew it all.
"You love Danielle, always have and never did quit, I don't know why you still haven't told her." Talia laughed at she stood up and walked into the kitchen leaving Mario looking stunned.
Mario looked around for a minute not knowing what to say, so he just picked up the phone and dialed those familiar numbers, "Danielle?"
"Yea," Danielle replied excusing herself from the people she was sitting with, "Mario is that you?"
"Yea, I just wanted to ask were you still going to the wedding tomorrow?" Mario asked forming a plan in his head, tomorrow was the day Brittany and Marques had been waiting on, and the day everyone else was holding their breath for. They all knew Jarrell was walking Talia down the aisle.
Danielle had a confused look on her face as she held her cell phone inside the ladies room, "Yea, of course, you are walking me down the aisle."
"Yea, yea, I was just making sure since we haven't talked in 8 weeks, 2 days, 5 hours, and 15 minutes." Mario replied smiled, making her laugh.
"Well, damn Mario, anyway we'll talk tomorrow. OK? I need to get back before my food gets cold." Danielle said checking out her hair in the mirror, she actually missed him and she didn't think she could sit and listen to his voice one more minute.
"Yea, yea, bye. And Dani I just wanted to tell you I missed you." Mario said before he hung up the phone.
"You know I'm missing you too, good night Mario." She whispered closing her cell with a loud sigh.
Mario hung up the phone to see a smiling Talia, "What?"
"Bout damn time, " She smiled sitting on the couch again with her chips, "I was thinking that maybe this arrangement ought to become null and void soon. Because you are now DEEPLY in love with Danielle, and don't try to deny that. And I, well I can't get that man off my mind, especially now since Evone told me all of his women are out of his life."
Mario raised an eyebrow looking at the papers in front of him, "Like your ass can even talk."
Talia looked up from her Hot Cheeto's and made a 'nigga don't go there face', "What you talking about?"
"Don't play Talia, you know you never stopped loving that shell of a man, Jarrell, no matter what his sorry ass did." Mario replied snatching her chips from her looking at her laughing.
Talia looked around rolling her eyes, "OK, De'Mario don't start with me. You said this last week!"
"Yea, when I woke up from you crying about him in your dreams!" Mario replied said sitting next to her, as she looked at the floor remembering that night.
"Mario, you know that if I went back and tried again, I would be putting myself back into that same position I was when we first got together." Talia whispered sucking her teeth laying back on the couch, closing her eyes.
Mario shook his head wringing his hands slowly, "But Talia, I hate to say it but, it usually takes a man like Jarrell to lose something before he could truly appreciate it. No matter how much he loves it, and you told me about his mother, and it took her dying for him to want to say I love you to his own mother."
Talia shook agreed silently standing up, stepping into her sandals, grabbing her purse, and quickly kissing him on the cheek, "Thank you Mario, there's something I need to do."
"Bout damn time." He yelled laughing as she ran out the door, surprised she didn't change out of her shorts and baby tee.
"Go to hell De'Mario!" Talia yelled before closing the door behind her.
---- Two Months Later -- Druex's Place ----
Druex laid under his white sheets, shirtless, watching Courage The Cowardly Dog, eating Lucky Charm's but only the marshmallows were in it. He had painstakingly spent ten minutes picking out every piece of cereal, just like he had seen Evone do. At this moment, they were more than friends, both have gone through some one on one confrontations with Kiara. Both understood that all she wanted was that guaranteed cash on Druex's wedding day, and Druex actually enjoyed what Michelle and Jerome had called, 'settling down'. Of course there were some days he knew she hadn't totally forgiven him, but as Brittany's and Marques wedding day got closer he could see she was as happy at they were.
He was tripping over that episode that the frogs take over the farm, he was so into it that he didn't hear the keys hit the table. And then she appeared in some jeans and a tank top, "Good day sir."
Druex looked up from his cartoon and cereal smiling, "Hey Vone."
"Oh, what you eating?" Evone asked as she crawled on to the bed kissing him for second before looking down at his bowl.
"Nothing." Druex lied moving the bowl out of her way, smiling evilly.
She grabbed around him for a minute before finally taking the bowl and sitting next to him, "You little liar!"
"Stop, Vone, come one let me eat!" Druex whined as the cartoon went on commercial.
Evone shook her head stubbornly eating the milk and marshmallows, "Sorry, you should've listened when your mommy taught you about sharing."
"Evone please!" Druex whined making a pouty face, she looked at him trying to ignore the cute little face he was making.
Evone rolled her eyes and gave him a spoonful, "There, now shut up scooby's about to come on."
He smiled as he looked at her watching the TV, "You know Evone tomorrow is a big day for everyone."
She just ignored the edge in his voice and raised an eyebrow still not looking at him, "Why do you say that? It's a big day for Brittany and Marq, not us."
"That's where you are wrong Miss Lopez," Druex whispered moving her hair off her shoulder, "it's important to me because tomorrow I get to share my happiness with my closest friends."
"Your happiness," Evone replied turning toward him, sitting the bowl on the beside table, "I thought they were sharing the happiness?"
"Naw pookie," Druex laughed as she laid back into his arms, " we are giving them happiness. All of us, esspecially those people who are meant for each other."
Evone shook her head glancing up at him, her hand laying on his stomach, "Boo don't start that crap, Marq would flip if T got back with Rell, and you know it. So let's not go there, and you know he almost busted a nut when Britt told him he was walking T down the aisle."
"Yea, but his temper can't stop destiny." Druex replied lazily looking back at the tv which was now showing Scooby Doo.
Evone sat up moving her hand from his stomach to his forhead, "Boo are you aiight? I've never heard you talk like that...like...like you...were...you know in love or something."
Druex just grinned and pushed her head back on to his chest, "I may just be pookie bear."
"Don't call me that!" She said hitting him softly.
"Aye, aye, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, watch the skin it's very sensitive!" Druex replied kind of moving back hitting the headboard of the bed.
"Sensitive? Sensitve to what? Sunlight and Fresh air? Sensitive my ass!" Evone laughed rolling her eyes.
"No need to talk about my way of lighting my home." Druex replied trying to sound offended.
"You light your house with TV rays! Oh how good for you skin!" She laughed hitting him in the stomach again.
"Aye, didn't I tell you woman about that hitting stuff?" He asked thumping her in the head.
Evone looked up at his rolling her eyes, "You need a hair cut boo."
"Are you listening," He asked thumping her again, "don't be hitting on me like that."
"But don't get it cut as low as you did last time," Evone replied getting up picking up the bowl, just as she walked out his room she turned back, "well do you want me to ask what's your sign or something? That's the only other way I know how to hit on you."
Druex yelled to her as she laughed and walked to his kitchen, "Real funny Vone! But wait, did you really not like my hair cut?"
After no answer he jumped up and put some shorts over his boexers and yelled, "Come on Vone, was my hair cut ugly? Don't leave me hanging? Cuz I can't walk around like DJ Clue on 'Backstage', with a Ceaser, Fade, and waves all on one head! I'm too pretty for that! Evone! Evone answer me!"
As he walked into the kitchen all he heard was laughter as she walked out his door, leaving him a note about going to get something to eat. He sighed and walked back to his room.
---- Jarrell House ----
"Life is a bitch huh Houston?" Jarrell asked himself as he looked into the mirror. The last couple of months hadn't been the best for him, he didn't see Talia coming back to him, and he didn't see the gray cloud of misery lifting from his heart any time soon.
He threw cold water on his face, some went down his chest, that was shirtless, he stared at the man in the mirror, "But I guess that's your fault."
Jarrell grabbed a towel and wiped the water off his face and chest, making sure there was no water on his jeans, "Why be unhappy when you caused it all Houston?"
"Because I waited to long to try to right my wrongs, that's why," He replied to himself before walking out the bathroom, and back to his living room, he sat there a moment before he shook his head and said, "damn nigga talking yourself! Shit I'm going crazy."
He sat there looking at Along Came A Spider on HBO, not thinking about anything, but every now and then his eyes would catch sight of one of the pictures he had put back out and he would be thrown back into a world of memories. A couple of weeks ago he had put up old pictures of his family, friends, and of he & Talia. The house was quiet since Terilisha had taken the dog, and the TV did nothing for a noise maker for him. He was staring at a picture of his mother when his doorbell rang. He stood up quickly muting the TV to the door.
"Who is it?" Jarrell asked not looking through the peephole.
"Talia." The person on the other side replied, as soon as he heard that he yanked the door open.
"Come in," Jarrell replied as she stepped in glancing at his bare chest, "sit down, would you like anything?"
Talia looked around uncomfortably, sitting in the chair beside the couch, "No thank you...I just came by to um talk."
Jarrell raised his eyebrow sitting on the edge of the couch, "About what?"
"About us." She replied simply as his eyes widened, she decided sitting next to him would be better so she changed seats.
Jarrell looked around for a second, "And Mario?"
"You'll understand everything before I leave. But can you explain to me too?" Talia said placing a hand on his cheek, feeling that old need to protect him replace her mock hostility for him.
"Just give me the chance and it'll all make sense." Jarrell replied smiling as he saw that love for him in her eyes just like it used to be.
The conversation is better left unsaid, but what was said you more than likely know yourselves, it's not that hard to imagine. Talia didn't go back to her and Mario's place. She and Jarrell spent the whole night, on that couch, laughing and talking, and making amends.
---- Marques House ----
"Don't be mad Marq, tomorrow is our wedding day." Brittany whispered kissing Marques, as they laid in bed.
"Mm, I know but that asshole still wants my sister." Marq replied pulling her close to him.
Brittany replied closing her eyes, "But your sister still loves that asshole, and that asshole wants to make it up to your sister."
"True," Marques replied putting his hand through her wild hair, "but I don't want her --"
Brittany interrupted him before he could continue, "But they don't care about what you think, it's about their happiness not ours. Would you care if she said she didn't like me and didn't want you to marry me?"
Marques sucked on his teeth before answering, "No, you know that, but it's different --"
"See, it's no different! So tomorrow when he walks her down the aisle, you just smile and remember one day it's going to be their day. It's too meant to be not to happen." Brittany replied caressing his face slowly, before kissing him again, she couldn't believe people got cold feet before getting married she was to excited to even think about any fear.
He looked around after she kissed him, "Yea, she always did love that asshole. But baby he hurt her so --"
"OK, everybody gets hurt once and awhile! He's not perfect, and I'm sure he learned from his mistakes, he loved your sister too much not too. He's gonna prove that tomorrow, I promise you." Brittany replied yawning welcoming sleep to her body.
"What if tomorrow's to late?" Marq asked closing his eyes slowly.
"It's never to late for an I love you, Marq. I promise." She whispered as she fell into a deep sleep.