Coveted (2 page)

"Oh that's Kaden Fairchild the new transfer from Odenton High, remember last year when the coaches were all excited about the new quarterback that was coming here?"

"No, I don't remember, but damn he’s fine. I swear if I was a groupie he would be my number one prospect." I told her.

"Naima, girl don't even get caught up in his hype. You know these stupid ass chicks have already been damn near handing their panties to him on a platter. Don't let me see you become one of them."

"Girl please, you know how I roll, I will be damned if I'm sweating some athlete, especially one everyone is on at that, I think not." I say, as I glanced over my shoulder to look once more. Our eyes collided and a warm feeling flowed through my entire body. He raised his left eyebrow at me and turned away.
"Wow" I murmured as I exhaled. I did not even realize I had been holding my breath.
"Wow what?" asked Haven.
"Oh nothing, I was just thinking about our competition routine that we're about to practice." I said to her as I turned to look again, but he was gone.
As Haven and I walked home from cheerleading practice, (we lived about a block away from school) this black tinted-out Ford truck with music blasting pulled up next to me, and the driver rolled down the window.
I heard the deepest, sexiest voice known to mankind...it’s the kind of voice that makes your bra and panties just fall off; I should have known right then and there that he was no good for me. I should have turned around and ran for my life in the opposite direction.
"Can I offer you a ride?"
"We don't get in the car with strang---" I began to say, and then I glance into the most gorgeous, green eyes that I have ever seen. They belong to none other than Kaden Fairchild. I let out a breathless "Hi".
He lifted that left eyebrow again and gave me a lop-sided smile that made my insides melt and my panties wet.
"Hi yourself" he said. "Can I offer you a ride?" he asked me again.

"Oh um, I just live down the street" I whispered as my heart pounds in my chest.

Haven began to huff, “What about me?” while she placed her hand on her hip and rolled her neck.

“You’re more than welco-” he began, but I cut him off.

“Haven we’re like two doors down from your house. Get a grip we don’t need a ride.” I tell her, irritated that she is obviously trying to flirt when he is sitting right in front of her flirting with me.

"Well unless your heart is set on walking down the street, I would love to give you a ride if you let me. Maybe we could go for ice cream and sit in the park."
"Sure, I would love a ride and ice cream" I laughingly said...as I give Haven the look to keep it moving. She knows what time it is, and it is not about her right now.

"How did you know ice cream is my favorite dessert?"
"Ice cream is my favorite dessert" he laughed, "It's just a bonus to me that it is yours also".
I hopped into his ride and tell Haven that I will give her a holla later as we pulled off. I don't know what it is about guys and trucks, but about the combinationof the two is so damn sexy.
"So you're Naima, huh?" he asked me.
"Yeah that would be me. How did you know my name? We haven’t met before."

"I make it a point to know the names of beautiful ladies I wish to encounter."
"Humph, sounds like someone is trying to throw game, but it’s cool. I happen to know who you are too so I guess we are about even."

My life changed forever in that moment. I do not know what happened. One minute we were talking about ice cream, the next minute we are at the park and our clothes are flying off, literally. I was really caught up in the eroticism of the moment.

All I could think was Oh no this guy is going to think that I am a real freak. Giving it up so easy…okay that is not all I was thinking. I was really thinking about how his body felt against mine! I tell you there is something about athletes that make a shorty be like DAMN! That is where my mind was at that moment.

Turns out my mind really should have been on more important things, like does this guy have on a condom. Something I learned that day, was to never get so caught up in the moment that you do not use protection. That can be one life-altering moment, and for me it was.

Six weeks later…

“
Haven, I think I might be pregnant,” I whispered during homeroom.

“
YOU’RE WHAT!” she damn near shouted. People turned to stare at us.

“
Could you keep your voice down please?” I asked her as I looked around, then I go into detail. “I’m 4 weeks late.”

“
Oh my goodness,” she fanned herself. “Oh my goodness, how did this happen? Are you sure? Oh no you’re only 16! What is your mom going to say? What are you going to do?”

She fired questions at me left and right without giving me a chance to answer.

“
I don’t know yet. I have not taken a test to confirm but I feel nauseous, my breasts hurt all the time and my clothes don’t fit the same way. I’m so scared. I mean I am only 16, I don’t know what to do, and I don’t want to tell Kaden until I know for sure, but I don’t want to go through this alone. I’m so confused,” I said as my eyes filled with tears and began to fall.

“
Naima don’t cry, we’ll figure out something. First we need for you to take a test and confirm before we get all worked up, and it may be nothing at all.”

“
You’re right. But I think this is something that I need to do with Kaden. No sense in me sitting here crying and worrying by myself. I’ll tell him to come over this afternoon and we’ll knock it out.” I told her.

Later that evening…

Kaden sat right outside the bathroom door in the hall. He actually is the one that went to the store and picked up the pregnancy test. I couldn’t do it; it made everything seem all too real, and yet not. I guess very surreal in a way. I was alone in the bathroom choking back tears because that was something that was very real and would not go away.

I am pregnant. Me, Naima, the captain of the cheerleading squad, how could I let this happen to myself? How could I not have been more careful? I should have known better, I should have. What was I thinking? I barely knew this guy, what am I going to say to my parents?

I thought my dad was going to kill me, or maybe not me, but he was definitely going to kill Kaden. Kaden, oh shoot I still had to tell him. Well here goes I said to myself as I softly opened the bathroom door.

He stood up immediately when he saw me and looked into my eyes.

“
So from the looks of those beautiful eyes I guess I’m going to be a dad, huh” He said in a hesitant, but playful way.

The tears started racing down my face even more.

“
How can you play at a time like this? I feel like my world is ending. I don’t know what to do.” I cried and slid to the floor. I really think that I was having a meltdown.

He sat on the floor beside me and wrapped me in a hug.

“
Mocha, I promise that I will never let anything bad happen to you. We are in this together, you and I. I won’t leave you hanging. You will be my number one girl who is carrying my baby. Everything will be okay. I promise.”

“
I have to tell my parents, you have to tell your parents. You are a football player that already has colleges looking at you. How are you going to go away to college and play football with a baby? I had plans too you know, and they were not to follow you around. I barely even know you, which makes this that much worse. I can’t believe that we were so stupid.”

I started crying all over again. I know I must have looked a pathetic mess to him, but you know what screw him; he should have just let me walk home that day and left me alone. Then this would never have happened.

I immediately felt bad about that thought. He did not force me to get into his truck; I did that on my own accord. But, I need to blame someone and I would prefer it to be Kaden, rather than myself.

He finally stood up and said, “Ok, you need to pull yourself together. Crying is not going to change the situation. We still need to tell our parents and get our lives in some type of order.”

Even though I agreed with him, deep down I just want to be a 16-year-old kid, not a mother. Oh how things changed. I look down at my flat belly and it finally dawned on me. I really am going to be someone’s mother. I had a little life inside me. That is just so amazing and instantly I realized how selfish I was being. I wanted my baby, who cares what people think. I will just plan my life accordingly to include this new little surprise. Okay, well here’s to the first day of the rest of my life I say to myself as we went to tell my parents.

I cannot stand this motherfucker I think again

I glance at the alarm clock as it continues to buzz. It is 7:30 in the morning. I want to close my eyes and float back into oblivion. That however is a luxury that I cannot afford because my
oh so
wonderful
husband has not even moved, as if he does not hear the chaos going on all around us.

As I am shutting off the alarm clock and placing my feet on the floor, the bedroom door flies open and enters our 10-year-old daughter Namiyah, with her two-year-old brother Kalani chasing behind her.

She is such a pretty little thing and I’m not just saying that because she’s my daughter. With her dad’s green eyes, and long black wavy hair, she looks just like him all the way down to his lop-sided smile. She is going to be such a beautiful woman some day, but right now, she looks angry, huffing and puffing at my bedroom door. I I look at her expectantly, waiting for her to lash into one of her infamous tirades.

“
Mother, I have had enough! Kalani keeps jumping on me and won’t quit, we don’t have any milk to eat cereal and I’m going to be late for school again because you’re not ready yet.” She manages to huff out.

I chuckle quietly to myself. Namiyah never lets me down. She is so spirited for such a young girl. She reminds me so much of myself at that age. I try hard to contain my laughter because she wants to be taken so seriously, always trying to be older than her tender years.

“
I’m sorry muffin. Mommy is running a little behind schedule. Why don’t you wake up your dad and ask him to fix you some eggs and toast while I get Kalani and myself ready to go. Kalani, come give Mommy some good morning kisses,” I say as he comes running up to me. “Mommy missed her little pookems all night.”

“
Mom, that is not fair! You know Daddy is not going to wake up and make eggs and toast. That’s okay, I won’t eat breakfast! I’ll just starve!” She yells as she stomps to her room and closes her door. I roll my eyes up to the ceiling and pray for God to give me strength. She is so damn dramatic. As long as she did not slam the door, I am fine. Slamming doors in my house is a definite no-no, and a sure fire way to get an ass whipping in the morning. I just shake my head, pick up Kalani, and look over at my husband.
Lazy bastard.

“
Uh Kaden, would you mind getting up and helping please? Do you not hear all the chaos that is going on around this house? I need help.” I plead.

He begins to stir a little and finally turns and looks at me with those mesmerizing, green eyes. I swear sometimes I look into those eyes and melt They make me forget the past and all the things that have gone wrong between us, and remember my teenage years when he was a better person and really loved me.

“
What can you possibly need help with? You can’t manage two kids in the morning by yourself? That’s the least you could do while I try to sort out my football career and get back on my feet.” He says to me.

“
What do you mean what can I possibly need help with? I want you to join the land of the living. Your football career is over and done, it is going on two years now. You need to find a back-up career. Be a commentator, do something in the field since you love it so much, go back and use your communication degree. I don’t know, but do something! Most importantly, help me with
our
children. Namiyah is in the other room hungry and late for school, Kalani needs a bath, and I have to get ready for work. How can you ask me what can I possibly need help with?”

I look at him in disgust, worst mistake of my life, marrying this man. Yeah, I loved him once upon a time, when he was goal-oriented, had plans, was a doting father and made time for me. He never used to talk to me the way he does now; he never would have dreamed of talking to me that way. Kaden used to call me Mocha and his little honey-coated Pocahontas.

We have been together since I was 16, but we have been married for only nine years. Nine long, exhausting years, and I want out. I have been through everything with this man. It all started with the teenage pregnancy that produced a wonderful daughter. It was hard for a long time, but I would never trade her for the world; she is one of the two most important people in my life. She is my angel and I love her so much. But this man has taken me through some things. In college he told me he cheated on me once, he chalked it up to a drunken night, and said it was a mistake and that it would never happen again. I was young and in love, I forgave him. What did I know?