The Realest Ever (13 page)

Marvin fell to his back with
the teenager on top.  Donovan knew he’d lose the fight if he didn’t take full advantage of his superior position.  He swung blindly, as hard and as fast as he could.  Marvin blocked the first eight punches, but the ninth one landed square on the chin.  Donovan didn’t notice Marvin’s face grow slack, and he didn’t see the man’s eyes roll to the back of his head.  Donovan did realize that all of his subsequent blows were landing flush, but he didn’t slow up.

If I stop, he’ll get me
, he told himself. 
If I stop, he’ll get me. 

The warning played over and over in his head like a mantra.  Donovan’s heart
was jack-hammering.  Blood began to leak off his chin.  He had Marvin fully mounted.  The dopefiend’s limbs were stretched limply in the grass.  After five more blows, Donovan felt his fists starting to bleed.  A few punches later, Donovan realized it was Marvin’s face bleeding, not his hands. 

By then
Donovan knew the man was unconscious, but he was still too afraid to stop.  The two blows Marvin delivered were the hardest Donovan had ever been hit in his life – and he knew the dopefiend wasn’t really fighting him at the time.  If he let up, Donovan fully believed Marvin would kill him.  So he hit him again and again.  He didn’t stop swinging until one of the bystanders grabbed him from behind and pulled him off his opponent.

“Stop, man!  You killing him!”

Donovan broke free of the stranger’s grip, but he didn’t go after Marvin again.  Everyone could see that Kyra’s tormentor was no longer a threat to her or anyone else – not for the rest of the day at least.

Kyra rushed to Donovan’s side
.  He turned to retrieve his backpack while the crowd surrounded Marvin.  Most gawked.  A couple of people took pictures with a new gadget called a “camera phone.”  One person had the sense to roll Marvin onto his side so he wouldn’t swallow his tongue while unconscious.

“
Cuh, come on,” Donovan told Kyra.  His chest rose and fell rapidly.  His face was a mess with sweat and blood.  His hands and knuckles were throbbing with pain.  But Donovan didn’t acknowledge what just happened.  “We gotta, we gotta go do our homework,” he panted.  “Go to my mama, go to my mama’s house.”

He started walking in that direction.  Kyra was stunned stiff for a second, but she broke out of it and ran to catch up with him.  Her mom yelled, “Kyra, where the hell you going?!” but she didn’t slow up or even look back.

When they got to his house, Beverly nearly had a heart attack at the sight of her sweet baby.  She didn’t calm down much when Donovan told her why he had to fight.  That night Beverly forbade Donovan from hanging around Kyra.  But of course he wouldn’t listen.  He started taking Kyra to the library after school rather than bring her home.  This was the first time he openly defied his mother.  When Beverly found out, she was the one who conceded.  She told Donovan to bring Kyra to their house after school like he’d been doing, so at least she would know where he was.

Kyra’s mother didn’t stop smoking crack after that, but
they never saw Marvin again.  Later, whenever Kyra tried to talk to Donovan about what happened, he downplayed his heroics.  He didn’t agree that he
put his life on the line
for her.  But he didn’t have to.  Kyra saw it with her own eyes. 

Donovan wasn’t sure if fate led him to Kyra on the p
layground of Sunrise Elementary.  But he knew that she needed him in her life.  If he wasn’t there for her, who would be?  He couldn’t think of one person.

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

The house became completely silent when Donovan finished his story.  Brianna stared at him, her heart fluttering in her chest.  There were a million thoughts swirling through her head.  She didn’t want to vocalize most of the things her subconscious was telling her, but it was so black and white.  There was no way she could pretend not to see.

“Donovan, tell me the truth.  Do you love her?”  Brianna felt her heart ripping in two before he opened his mouth to respond.

“I do love her.  But it’s not like you think.  I’m not in love with her.”

“But
, how can that be?  After all you’ve been through with her.”

“If she was a boy, you wouldn’t ask that.”

“But she’s not.”

“
Why can’t a boy and a girl be close without falling in love?”

“I’m not saying it can’t happen, Donovan.  But
I don’t think it’s possible with you two.  I don’t like this, Donovan.  I don’t like the idea of you hanging around other girls.”

“I’m a teacher, Brianna.  I’m around mostly women everyday.”

“I know, and I don’t like that, either,” Brianna said frankly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.  “Tell me why your mother put her out.”

Donovan’s heart froze. 
She knows
.  A chill enveloped his whole body.  But Brianna was worried and unsure, not accusatory.  Donovan wanted to tell her about the kiss, but he knew she wouldn’t believe it was a one time thing. 

“I told you
, my mom never trusted her.”

“Then why would she let her live with y’all in the first place?” Brianna wondered.  “That’s a terrible thing to do to a child
; take them in, and then kick them out after a few months.”

“She didn’t
do it to be mean,” Donovan said.  “My mama wanted it to work.  She gave it her best shot.  But she thought me and Kyra were going to start
liking
each other.  It started to drive her crazy.  She couldn’t do it.  She thought she could, but she couldn’t.”

Brianna nodded slightly, and Donovan knew she accepted that.  The lie made him feel sick to his stomach.

“Did Kyra come back to Texas for you?” Brianna asked.

Donovan’s eyes lit up.  He was happy he could be completely honest with this answer.  “I asked her that today, and she said no.”

“You asked her if she came back for you?”

“Yes,” Donovan stated.  “I asked her that exact question.”

Brianna frowned.  “Why did you ask her that?  Did you want her to come back for you?”

“Now you tripping,” Donovan said with a shake of his head. 
“You’re on a fault finding mission.”

“What if she said yes?” Brianna asked.  “What if she did come back for you?”

“She didn’t.”

“But what if she did?”

“What if the world ends in an hour?” Donovan said.  “I have no idea what I would do.  Why are you worried about something that didn’t happen?”

“You have no idea what you would do if Kyra said she came back for you?”

“Brianna, I’m with you.  And I love you.  I wouldn’t leave you for Kyra – not even if she told me she came back for me.  I’m not an asshole.  Now please, stop.”

He reached for her, and Brianna allowed
him to pull her into his arms.  Donovan’s embrace was as warm and wonderful as it had ever been. 

Despite what he
told her, Brianna’s vision blurred with tears.  She knew it wasn’t wrong for her to want him all to herself.  The thought of losing this man was unbearable.

CHAPTER SEVEN

RUTH THE SCHEMER

The following Wednesday Donovan was surprised that there were no students waiting for him after football practice.  There was usually at least one member of the team who needed tutoring or a ride home or just a man they could talk to about man stuff.  Roughly half of Donovan’s players lived in a home without a father-figure.  Donovan didn’t mind filling in the gap for them.   

He called Kyra before he locked up the gym.

“Hello.”

“Hi.  Busy?”

“No,” Kyra said, “just looking at this paper.”

“How are the kids?”

“They’re fine.”

“Q started at Sunrise, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, he started Monday.  He likes it.”

“I loved that school,” Donovan said. 
“Do you remember when…”  He trailed off because Kyra was giggling.  “What?”  Her laughter put a smile on his face.

“
Do you remember when
,” Kyra said.  “How many times have you said that since I’ve been back?”

Donovan chuckled
.  “I don’t know.  A lot, probably.”

On Sunday night Donovan and Kyra stayed on the phone until well after midnight.  Donovan paid for it the next morning when he had to get up at 6:30 for work, but he didn’t mind the baggy eyes. 
He loved reliving the past with Kyra. 

“Do I remember what?”
she said.

“Forget it.  I’m not telling you now.”

“Come on.”

“Uh
-uhn.  You shouldn’t have laughed at me.”

“Come on, Donovan.  Now I
’m gonna keep wondering what it was.”

“Maybe later,” he said.  “Can I come over?”

“Yes.  Why?”

“I want to bring you some
papers I printed out.  There are a few openings in the school district.  I think you should apply for them.”

“That’s what I’m doing right now,” Kyra said, “looking in
the newspaper for a job.”

“You
see anything hopeful?”

“I found a lot of hopefuls.  It’s just a matter of whether I want to flip burgers or not.”

“You don’t want to flip burgers.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind.  I just need to save up some money so I can get out of here.”

“That’s fine, but you can’t move out of your aunt’s house with a minimum wage job,” Donovan warned.  “Unless you want to keep struggling, or stay on public assistance.”

“I’m
not tripping on public assistance,” Kyra said.  “I used to think I didn’t want it, but now I don’t care what it takes to get my own place.”

“
Why are you in such a rush,” Donovan wondered.  “Did something happen?”

“No.
”  Kyra sighed.  “Nothing in particular.  It’s an everyday thing, with my aunt.”

“I’m on my way to bring you these papers. 
I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“
Wait.  I don’t have anything to wear.”  

“What?  Are you serious?”

Kyra’s face grew warm.  “I didn’t bring a lot of clothes down here, Donovan.  I had to make sure I got all of the kid’s stuff first.”

“What are you wearing now?” Donovan asked. 

“Just some jeans and a tee shirt.”

“Then you’re fine. 
I don’t have anything to wear?..
”  He frowned.  “Kyra, that’s ridiculous.  You used to come to my house in flip flops and sweat pants.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“But you’re still my best friend, and I don’t care what you look like.  I’m on my way.”

He hung up, which was a
good indication that was non-negotiable.

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Donovan knocked on Aunt Ruth’s door twenty minutes later.  Kyra answered wearing the blue jeans and tee shirt she promised.  What she failed to mention was how well the outfit accentuated her figure.  Her jeans weren’t that tight, but her tee shirt was.  It clung to her flat stomach and stretched over her perky bosoms. 

Donovan’s
eyes widened.  He already ironed out his feelings for Kyra, but every time he saw her she looked more stunning. 
Why couldn’t
…

“
Thanks for stopping by.”  Kyra cut off his train of thought with not only her words.  She also stepped to him and gave him a brief hug.

Why does he always smell so good
? Kyra wondered as Donovan wrapped his arms around her.  She knew that he showered after football practice, and he took the time to put on cologne.  Or maybe it was just Axe body spray.  Either way, Kyra found it irresistible. 

Donovan wore a tee-shirt with canvas shorts today. 
His arms were as muscular as Kyra expected.  His shoulders and biceps were incredible.  He belonged on the cover of a Men’s Health magazine.  Each one of his pectorals was roughly the size of Kyra’s head.  She knew there was a nice crease between them.  She couldn’t see it, but she knew it was there. 

When
they separated, Kyra wondered how long these forbidden feelings would last.  While it was natural for her to be attracted to a fine specimen of a man like Donovan, her conscious usually kicked in when someone was off limits.  Surely she wouldn’t have to go through this every time she saw him.  No way was God that cruel!

“Kyra, you look beautiful,” Donovan said
.  “Talking ’bout you don’t have anything to wear.”

“These jeans are a year old,” she told him.  “But thanks.”

“I brought those papers I told you about,” Donovan said. 

Kyra took them
and scanned the first page.  “What do I do, go online to apply?”