Great One

by Nayla Matthew

  Foreword |

  The day I met the love of my life. It was the hottest fourth of July I’ve ever experienced. I was sweating while getting ready. While waiting for siblings to get ready, so we can watch the fireworks at the High School Football Stadium, I watch the new people moving across the street. Two teen boys jump in and out of the moving truck, and a man paces near the front door. There was a third boy, lying in the grass pulling at the weeds. I move away from my bedroom window going downstairs, where my mother was still packing snacks and my father was still flipping through channels on TV.

  “I’m waiting outside!” I shout, before swinging open the front door and jumping outside. I slam the door behind me, jumping off the porch and walking towards the car. “You know there are a lot of fire ants on that lawn,” I say, leaning against my mother’s car. The boy looks up at me, before down at the grass.

  “And how would you know?” he asks.

  “I’ve lived across the street all my life, I think I know more about this street then you do newbie,” I say, he nods to himself before pushing out of the grass.

  “I’m Abraham, but you can call me Braum,” he says.

  “Adeya,” I say.

  “Where are you going?” he asks.

  “To watch fireworks, want to come? We have the room,” I say, he looks back at his house seeing his brothers working before shrugging.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he says, on cue my front door swings open and my mom walks out followed my older brother and sister, and my dad.

  “Come on Deya, get in the car! We have to hurry!” she says.

  “Can Braum come with us?” I ask.

  “Who?” she asks, I point across the street at Braum who sheepishly waves back at my family.

  “Uh… Is that okay with your parents honey?” my mom asks, and Braum just nods. “Then alright with me, come on!” Braum crosses the street and joins me in the furthest seat of the minivan, my sister and brother taking the middle seat. When we make it to the high school, Laila waits for me outside of the entrance. Bouncing from one foot to the other, her mother dressed her in color overalls, and her bright orange hair is pulled into two pig tails, for a 9-year-old she sure looked like a.4-year-old.

  “Hey!” she says.

  “Hey Laila, this is Braum,” I say, pulling Braum to my side. “He just moved across the street,” I say.

  “Hello Braum, short for something I suppose?” Laila asks, looking at Braum up and down. “I’m Laila,”

  “My full name is Abraham, but no one calls me that,” Braum says. Laila wraps her arms with me.

  “Well Abraham,” Laila says, with a wide smile. “We have to get good seats, before the show starts!” she says excitedly, pulling us through the entrance. We join the rest of the kids our age sitting on the grass of the football field with the best view of everything. From that night forward, we became the three musketeers. We did everything together Vacation, Birthday Parties, slumber parties, it was just us three. We went through middle school together and were going do high school the same. I never saw Braum as anything else but my best friend, I could tell him everything all my fear, all my pain, all my woes with my family, he was like my diary.

  “I’ve been thinking,” Braum says, pushing me on the swing. “I have something to tell you,”

  “What’s up?” I say, letting my feet drag so he doesn’t push me so high.

  “We’re starting high school soon, and I’ve been thinking about this a lot,” he says. “And I like you,” Braum says, before stepping in front of me.

  “I like you too Braum,” I say, he rubs the back of his neck.

  “No, you don’t understand, I like you Adeya,” he says, grabbing the swing chains. “Like, Like you…. For the longest of time,” he says.

  “Oh, seriously…” I say, he nods. “Well…. I like you too Braum,” I say. He smiles pulling me to my feet and pulling me into a kiss, his lips were rough. Braum was my first kiss, he was my first everything. My first date, my first love, my first everything, he was my everything.

  ++

  “Rue,” Braum says, running his fingers through my hair. I look up at him, and he’s staring at his TV.

  “Who?” I ask.

  “The name of our first daughter, Rue,” he says, looking down at me. “Do you like it?”

  “So, we’re naming our children now?” I ask, with a smile.

  "Of course, we're going to get married we have to think of these things ahead of time," he says, falling back in bed.

  "Alright, so our first daughter is Rue," I say, crawling over and resting my head on his chest. "What about our first son”

  "Collin," he says, running his fingers through my hair. "And we'll have one dog and a cat"

  "Ruffles and Caramel," I say, he chuckles, and it vibrates my head. I lift looking down at him. "We'll live somewhere quiet," I say, he stares up at me, his hands running up and down my back.

  "You'll be a badass songwriter, and I'll be your groupie" he smiles, I lean down pecking him on his lips.

  "And you'll be an amazing photographer," I whisper.

  "And we'll grow old together,"

  "Together forever," I say.

  "Forever and ever" he smiles. "Don't worry about the test baby, you're the smartest person I know?" he says.

  "I don't know what I did to deserve someone so great" I whisper.

  "Ditto"

  Chapter One

  “Can you call him again?” I say, for the hundredth time. Laila sighs tapping something on her phone before pressing her phone to her ear, I begin biting my nails continue to pace in front of the building.

  “Abraham?” Laila says. I stomp over to her grabbing her phone.

  “Where are you? And why aren’t you answering me?!” I snap.

  “Baby, baby calm down!” He says, his voice only adding fuel to the fire that was burning inside of me. “Something came up, I’m sorry baby,”

  “Came up? Something came up. You know what tonight is Braum!” I say.

  “I know, I know, and I’ll make it up to you! I promise!”

  “Where are you? What are you doing? This night has been in our calendars for months and something came up?” I snap. The doors to recreational center open and the Host of the award show waves for me to come inside.

  “I’ll tell you when I see you, please baby,” he says, but I hang up before he can continue the apology shoving the phone in Laila’s hand.

  “Come on girl! You’re on in 5 minutes,” the host says, leading me inside. We walk back to the main stage, Laila scrambling back to her seat. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes,” I lie, grabbing my guitar. “Everything is fine,”

  Tonight, was the Finals for the Open Crest Song / Song-Writer Competition I worked tirelessly for 4 months, writing a song recording it, and making a music video for it. I made the top 5, and tonight I was performing my song live for the first time in front of all my friends and family, and the judges, everyone was here, even my Aunt Fiona was here and she lived in Denver. Who wasn’t here? My boyfriend, the person I made the song for, the whole reason I pushed myself so hard.

  “And coming next on stage, is our last finalist of the night, Miss Adeya Waterson!” The Host says in the microphone, everyone begins clapping and cheering and I step on the stage walking out to the microphone. The lights are bright, so I can barely see the crowd, but I just smile gripping my guitar tightly.

  “Good evening everyone, my name is Adeya and this is my song name Your Song,” I say, before I begin playing. When I finish everyone claps and cheers, I bow and step off the stage.

  “You did amazing sweetie!” The host says, before going back up on stage. I didn’t feel great though, I felt like something opened up and swallowed me inside. I set my guitar i
n the case, zipping it up. Waiting for the judges to deliberate. Then 5 finalists walk together on stage and they announce the winner. “In fifth place, we have Dylan Jimenez! Fourth Place with have Haley Smalls, Third Place is Caleb Aikman, second place with have Laura Lensman, and in First place with her song Your Song, Adeya Waterson,”

  The crowd goes wild, as I’m given a trophy and my song plays in the background. I walk off the stage and I’m nearly crushed in a hug by Laila and my mother.

  “You did amazing! My little jellybean!” my mom says, squeezing me.

  “You did amazing sweetheart,” my dad says, ruffling my hair. We take a gazillion pictures before leaving for our dinner at Tilly’s an Italian restaurant. We share bread sticks and I tell my parents how I write my songs. When dinner is finished, my parents drive Laila home before we return home, Braum sitting on his car when we make it.

  “How did it go?” he asks, I walk across the room holding out my award. “You won?” he says, sliding off his car pulling me into a hug, “Congratulations!?” spinning me around.

  “Where were you B? the one night I needed you to be there,” I say, he sets me down.

  “I’m sorry Deya,” he says. “I got the interview with Professor Hogan; I got the internship for the summer!” he says.

  “Oh really?” I say.

  “Yes! And he said we had to do the interview tonight, you know I would haven’t missed it for the world baby girl,” he says, pulling me into a hug. “Please forgive me,”

  “They’ll be other award shows,” I say, he smiles pulling me into a kiss. “My little winner, do you have a video,” I pull out my phone, showing off the video of me singing. “You sound amazing,”

  “Thanks,” I whisper. When he finishes watching, I have to go inside to finish my homework, and get ready for school the next day. The next morning, I meet Laila and Geo, Laila’s boyfriend for the drive to school. We stop at Otis’s the best diner in the world, getting breakfast before going to school. When I make it, I’m showered with compliments, everyone congratulating me about my win. I go straight to my first period making it just before the bell rings, rushing to my seat where I find a girl I’d never seen before sitting down.

  “Hello,” she says, with a short wave. “Is this your seat, I’m sorry,” she asks.

  “Uh, yeah it is,”

  “Hey baby, this is Demetra she’s a new girl,” Braum says turning in his seat.

  “It’s nice to meet you,”

  “Likewise,” I say, before moving back towards an empty seat near Geo’s seat. I sit down dropping my bag at my feet.

  “New girl?” Geo asks.

  “Apparently,” I say, leaning back in my seat.

  “Everything okay?” he asks.

  “Everything is just perfect,”

  I wasn't paying attention to the class, not that I had to. I was already 3 chapters ahead of everyone else. I could pay attention to be the new girl flirting with Braum as if she hadn't just met me. And Braum was just letting her. He has never even looked at another girl, let along flirted with another girl in front of me. When the bell rang, I was the first to leave. I didn't have a 5th or 6th period so I usually just hung around the library. Until Braum was done with soccer practice but after he has been acting the last few days, I didn't want to be anywhere near him. I didn’t see him for the entire school day, and the only class we have together he gives me seat away to some pretty girl batting her eye lashes.

  “Aye Deya! Deya!” Braum shouts running after me, he scoops me in his arms before I can move any further. “Where are you going?”

  “Home,” I say, pulling away.

  “Whoa,” he jumps in front of me. “What’s happening?”

  “I just… I’m tired okay?” I say, attempting to move pass him, but he steps in front of me.

  “Baby,” I cross my arms.

  “Did you have fun? Flirting with Demetra? She seemed nice,” his shoulders slack, and he sighs.

  “It wasn’t like that, I was just being polite baby,” he says.

  “I just want to get some rest B,” I say.

  “Then we can get some rest together, what are you going to walk?” he says, wrapping his arms around me.

  "You have soccer practice and a science test you can't miss" I turn around looking at him.

  "And suddenly I feel like throwing up, everything can wait," he says. He catches up to me wrapping his arms around me.

  "Everything comes after you" he whispers, kissing my cheek.

  "Hey, Braum!" Bo stands down the hall waiting for Braum.

  "I'm taking Deya home," he says, before turning back to me. "Okay?" he says.

  "Okay" I whisper, he pulls me into a kiss before pulling me along.

  It was rare when Braum and I fought, we naturally agreed on almost everything. We liked the same food, tv shows, and movie genre's I didn't mind being his muse for his photography portfolio and he didn't mind listening to my music. Everything flowed, everything worked and when things started getting wobbly Braum always came and fixed things up, and never really let me stay mad. I was grateful for that; I was grateful for him. My dad was at work, and my mother was probably out buying groceries or at Pilates.

  "You know I love you right Deya?" Braum says.

  "Yes" he wraps his arms around me kissing the back of my neck, I turn around.

  "Until the end of the time," I whisper.

  "And long after that," he says, pressing his lips to mine.

  Chapter Two

  “And remember nobody but Laila, Geo, Bo, and Braum little girl, promise me,” my mom says, fixing her earrings.

  “We’re just watching movies mom,” I say, adding another bag of popcorn to a white bowl.

  “Your Father and I will be back before midnight, alright? And no sleepovers… Of course, Laila, but no boys,” she says, walking towards the garage.

  “I got it mom, 100%,” I say, she swings open the door joining my dad in the garage and leaving on. Right when they leave, Laila and Geo arrive.

  “We brought pizza and candy!” Laila says, taking the things down to the basement. Geo joins me in the kitchen to help me transport the popcorn bowls and bring down drinks. “Where is Braum? Doesn’t he live across the street?” Laila asks, when we walk downstairs.

  “He must be waiting for Bo,” I say, setting everything out. “Just get the movies ready, I’m going to go call him,” I say, heading back upstairs. When I make it, there is another knock on the door, and I go to open it. Greeting Bo, Braum, and Demetra. “Oh, Hi everyone,”

  “Hey baby,” Braum says, scooping me into a kiss. “I hope you don’t mind we invited Demetra,”

  “It’s fine,” I say, letting them in. “Everyone is in the basement,” I say, pointing towards the open door. We all walk downstairs, Laila and Geo greeting everyone with their same polite optimism they usual do.

  “First movie on the list, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!” Laila says. “My personal favorite,” I get comfortable on the couch with Braum, sitting in his lap. My mind everywhere but the movie in front of me. Me noticing the way Demetra kept looking at us, how Bo seemed upset about something.

  “Are you alright,” Braum whispers, before kissing the back of my neck.

  “Yes,” I say, finally paying attention to the movie. When it finishes, I move to replenish the drinks and get more snacks, Braum following after me.

  “Are you sure you’re fine,” he asks, following me into the kitchen. I drop the trash in the trash can, moving to the cabinets. “You seem off tonight,”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, looking back at him. “I’m fine,”

  “I know you like the back of my hand Deya,” Braum says, pulling me into him. “And I know when you’re upset, and you seem pretty upset,”

  “I just feel weird…. About her,” I say.

  “Are you jealous?” he asks, with a quirked eyebrow.

  “Jealous? No!” I say.

  “It’s okay to be jealous my love!
I get jealous all the time,” he says. “I don’t always tell you, but I hate boys looking at my baby,” he says, pulling me into a kiss.

  “I’m just overreacting honestly,” I say, he smiles.

  “No, you’re not, this is a normal reaction…. Listen, my parents are gone for the rest of the weekend, why don’t you and I have some alone time, just you and me,”

  “Just you and me?” I say, he nods kissing me again. “Just you and me,” he says.

  “Sounds perfect,” I reply. Someone clearing their voice pulls us away from each other, Laila waiting at the entrance of the living room.