Until We Meet Again

by Anne Schraff

  “Really?” Liselle said. For an instant, Darcy thought Liselle’s face tensed up, but just as quickly, the look on her face vanished. “Well, don’t worry. If he’s the right one, you’ll see him again. ” Liselle glanced at the clock on the wall as she spoke. “Well, I gotta get to the library. Bye, Darcy. ” Liselle grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

  Darcy sat down in the small living room. She could not figure out why Liselle suddenly seemed so interested in her personal life. Darcy wanted to believe that Liselle was just being friendly. But her instinct told her that something else was going on. But what?

  And what about Liselle’s comment about Hakeem? Darcy wondered. ‘ If he’s the right one, you’ll see him again. ’ The words were still running through Darcy’s mind as she walked back to her house later that afternoon.

  When Darcy got home, she went to Grandma’s room, where Jamee was pulling the covers up for Grandma. “Hi, Darce,” Jamee said. “Can you stay here with Grandma for a while? Dad and I want to do some shopping at the supermarket. ”

  “Sure, go ahead. I’m not going anywhere,” Darcy answered glumly. After they left, she sat with Grandma, gazing out of the bedroom window as heavy gray clouds gathered overhead.

  Darcy hoped Hakeem would call. Each time the phone rang, Darcy rushed to answer it, thinking it was him. But instead, the calls were from Jamee’s friends. Before long, Darcy heard Dad and Jamee return from the store. She went into the kitchen and found them both carrying large bags stuffed with groceries.

  “Dad bought all this healthy stuff, Darce,” Jamee laughed. “Like he’s training for the Olympics or somethin’. ” They began sorting the food, putting canned vegetables in the cupboards, and the meats, fresh vegetables, and fruits into the refrigerator.

  “Hey,” Dad said, “I’m tryin’ to get down to fightin’ trim, like I was in the army. I’ve lost almost fifteen pounds since I been back. I hope I can keep it off. ” Darcy noticed Dad was watching her closely. “You all right, Darcy?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” she replied, glancing at her father in his T-shirt and blue jeans. She could see that he had lost weight. He looked ten years younger than he did when he first came back. Looking at him, Darcy remembered what Liselle had said about seeing Hakeem again. If Dad could come back, Darcy hoped, maybe Hakeem might too.

  “You sure everything’s okay?” he asked.

  “Everything’s fine, Dad. I just have lots of studying to do for exams,” she said and then retreated into her room. As she closed her bedroom door, she noticed the rose Brian had given her. It was now the size of a fist, its blood-red petals fully opened and blooming. Staring at the flower, Darcy waited for Hakeem’s call. At 8:00 the phone rang, and she rushed to the kitchen to answer it.

  “Hello?” she asked, nervous to speak to Hakeem.

  “Darcy, it’s Brian. Is it too late to call?”

  “No, it’s fine,” she said, surprised to hear Brian’s voice.

  “I hope you don’t mind me callin’ you,” he said. “I got your phone number from my sister. ”

  “No, I don’t mind,” Darcy said. “So what’s up?”

  “I wanted to know what you’re doing tomorrow. I was thinking maybe we could get together sometime, you know, so we can talk without me having to rush off. ”

  Darcy’s heart skipped a beat. “That sounds nice, Brian, but I’ve gotta study for final exams tomorrow,” Darcy replied. “Maybe we could do something when the school year ends and things settle down. ”

  “Sounds cool,” Brian said calmly. “Well, you know where to find me. I’ll see you next time you babysit. ”

  Darcy said goodbye and hung up. Returning to her bedroom, she imagined what it would be like to spend the afternoon with Brian. As much as she did not want to admit it, the idea of seeing him interested her. Feeling a pang of guilt, she forced the thought into the back of her mind and waited for Hakeem to call. But as the evening grew later and later, the phone did not ring.

  But he promised he would call, Darcy thought as she struggled to stay awake late into the evening. He promised me.

  Chapter 5

  On Sunday, Darcy awoke to a gray and dreary morning. Steady rain pelted her window, and a thick mist hung like a heavy wet blanket over her street.

  Sitting up in bed, Darcy looked at the picture of Hakeem she had unpacked the day before. The photo was taken one early spring afternoon when he came along with her as she wheeled Grandma to a nearby park. In the photo, Hakeem was smiling widely. Darcy recalled that earlier that day, he had put his arm around her back as they walked. Though only a few months old, the photo seemed as if it was from a time long gone. Just seeing it twisted Darcy’s chest into a painful knot of anger, sadness, and frustration.

  How could this happen? Darcy thought. She and Hakeem had been through so much together, and they had always helped each other. Now it seemed Hakeem was letting go of everything. Other couples break up, Darcy thought. But that was not supposed to happen to her and Hakeem. They were different.

  Darcy struggled through her studies for several hours and then went to her grandmother’s room. Grandma was sitting in her wheelchair watching a small bird on her windowsill.

  “Hi, Grandma. ”

  “Hi, Angelcake,” Grandma said cheerfully, her eyes glimmering brightly, contrasting with the dull weather outside. Months had passed since Darcy had seen her grandmother so alert. “Is something wrong?” Grandma asked, her wrinkled forehead shriveling into an expression of worry.

  “I just have a lot of studying to do, that’s all,” Darcy said.

  “Angelcake, you’re gonna pass all those exams with flying colors. Ain’t a cloud in the sky that can steal your sunshine,” Grandma said.

  “Thanks, Grandma. ” For an instant, Darcy considered telling her grandmother about Hakeem. Just a few years ago, Darcy would have explained everything to her. As a child, Darcy would lie on Grandma’s lap and talk about all her troubles. But all that ended with Grandma’s stroke. Since then, her grandmother’s health changed like the weather, and somebody always had to be home to care for her.

  “You’re a wonderful granddaughter, Angelcake. You’re gonna be okay,” Grandma said.

  “Thank you, Grandma,” Darcy said and hugged her. As she walked out, Darcy said a silent prayer that there would be more days she and Grandma could spend together.

  As she finished up her studying that night, Darcy wondered what she would say to Hakeem when she saw him. For the first time she could remember, Darcy was angry at him. She knew the next time she saw him that they would have to talk. He owed her that much, she thought.

  Darcy looked for Hakeem Monday morning in the Bluford parking lot but did not see him. At lunchtime, she sat with Tarah and told her how upset she was that Hakeem had not called.

  “Just remember what I said,” Tarah explained. “He’s having a difficult time right now, so you gotta cut him some slack. ”

  “I’m trying, Tarah, but he won’t even tell me what’s happening. What am I supposed to do?”

  “Like I said, don’t stop livin’ your life. The only reason Hakeem’s actin’ this way is ’cause he’s got his hands full with his family. Just let him take care of what he’s got to do, and he’ll come around. You can’t just sit around mopin’ ’cause that don’t get you nowhere. ”

  Darcy nodded. She knew Tarah was right, and she felt guilty for being so angry. But she was also frustrated that Hakeem did not even talk to her.

  “All this studyin’ is cloggin’ up my brain,” Tarah said, leafing through a purple notebook. “Girl, I’m gettin’ everything all mixed up. Math is lookin’ like history, and history is lookin’ like biology. I just don’t know how I’m gonna get through this week. ”

  “Yeah, neither do I,” Darcy mumbled, though to her, exams seemed easy compared with everything else.

  “By the way, Darce,” Tarah started, pausing as though she was choosing her words carefully, “you might not want to talk about this right now
, but me and Coop were thinkin’ about throwin’ Hakeem a little going-away party on Saturday. We were talkin’ about goin’ to his favorite pizza place, Niko’s. Just the four of us, like old times. ”

  “Oh,” Darcy said, feeling her heart rise into her throat. The words “going-away” seemed to hang in the air. “That sounds really nice. Um, let me see what I’ve got planned for that day. ”

  “What you’ve got planned for that day?” Tarah asked, raising her voice. “Your boyfriend’s going-away party? Of course you’ll be there. Why wouldn’t you?”

  “I’ll try to be there, Tarah,” Darcy explained. “But, I might have something else to do that day, that’s all. Liselle might need me to sit with the baby, or Mom might need me to look after Grandma. I’ll let you know in advance, though. ”

  “Well, please do, Miss Darcy,” Tarah said sarcastically. “Let me know when you can find a minute for us in your very busy schedule. I mean, we’re only your best friends. ”

  “I’m sorry, Tarah,” Darcy said, putting her hand over Tarah’s. “It’s just that I can’t think about Hakeem going away. I’m just not ready to deal with it, you know. I keep hoping that something will change and he’ll be able to stay. ”

  “Oh, girl,” Tarah said warmly. “It doesn’t have to be over. Give this thing time, Darcy, and stop expectin’ the end of the world. Right now, we gotta deal with what’s real. And what’s real is that Hakeem is movin’ to Detroit. That don’t mean forever. But it does mean that we don’t have much time to say goodbye. Now what’s the best thing we can do with so little time? The way I see it, we should have fun like we used to do. That’s why you should be with us. ”

  “I know you’re right, but I’m not sure—”

  “Darcy, I’ll be really disappointed if you don’t show up. We’re your friends,” Tarah said.

  “I know, Tarah, but I wouldn’t expect you to be happy if Cooper moved away,” Darcy replied sharply, heading to her next class.

  When Darcy got home, she heard Grandma calling, “Angelcake!”

  “I’m coming,” Darcy answered, heading towards the bedroom.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” Grandma said, reaching for her walker. Darcy grabbed it and helped her grandmother to her feet. Grandma was unusually wobbly. Darcy steadied her and carefully helped her get to the bathroom and then back to bed. Grandma walked slowly, mumbling at one point, “I can’t go no further. I gotta sit down and rest. ”

  “It’s okay,” Darcy assured her. “Just a few more steps. We’re almost there. ”

  Once she was back in bed, Grandma huffed wearily as Darcy helped to cover her. “That’s better. Now you just rest. ” Darcy watched as Grandma slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She had never seen her grandmother look more frail and helpless.

  Darcy closed her eyes briefly, and distant memories flooded her mind. In flashes, she could see Grandma playing with her as a small child, helping with homework, and later supporting Mom when Dad ran out on the family. In all her childhood memories, Darcy never imagined her grandmother would become so weak and vulnerable.

  A deep sadness swept over Darcy as the memories streamed through her mind. She could almost feel time passing, and yet she was powerless to stop it. While the year had brought her a new home and the return of her father, it also threatened two people Darcy loved—Grandma and Hakeem.

  During the next few days, Bluford’s corridors seemed charged with tension. Some students wandered the halls looking frazzled from last-minute cramming for their final exams. Others seemed energized by the warm weather and the knowledge that summer vacation was only days away.

  Although Darcy hated studying for finals, she was glad to have something to distract her from her worries.

  “Well, we’ve gotten through three days already,” Darcy said when she saw Tarah and Cooper in the cafeteria. “Just today and tomorrow to go. ”

  “Girl, I don’t know,” Tarah said, in between sips of a soda. “This stuff ain’t easy. I don’t know how much more I can take. The weekend can’t get here fast enough. ”

  Just then Darcy spotted Hakeem approaching the lunch table. She nearly spilled her drink when she saw him. They had not seen each other in days, and since their last phone conversation, she had given up trying to call. Instead, she waited for him to talk to her.

  “Hey, look who it is,” Cooper said as Hakeem pulled up a chair at the table. The two boys slapped hands as Hakeem sat down wearily. Darcy noticed immediately that Hakeem was avoiding eye contact with her. “How are your exams goin’?” Cooper asked.

  “Okay, I think. It’s kinda hard to study with everything that’s been goin’ on. ”

  “I heard that,” Cooper said. “But I always got trouble with exams. The only one who don’t is Einstein over here,” Cooper said, pointing to Darcy.

  “It’s true,” Tarah added. “Nobody studies as much as you do. But no one does better neither. ”

  Darcy forced a smile. She was not in the mood to be the center of attention. All she wanted was to talk to Hakeem, alone.

  For a second the table was unnaturally quiet. Darcy could sense that Tarah and Cooper knew she was upset and were trying to figure out what to talk about.

  “So, we all gettin’ together Saturday night?” Cooper asked, looking at Darcy.

  “Uh,” Darcy said, unsure what to say. “Yeah, sure. ”

  “It’s gonna be fun, y’all,” Tarah said, seeming as if Darcy’s response relaxed her.

  “Just like old times,” Cooper said, dumping a thick red glob of ketchup on Tarah’s plate of french fries.

  Darcy glanced at Hakeem. But as soon as she caught his eye, she turned away. She could not hide how sad she felt and did not want to start crying in the middle of the crowded cafeteria.

  “Can we talk after school?” Hakeem asked. “Just the two of us?”

  “Sure. ” Darcy nodded, looking down at the table.

  “I’ll meet you in the parking lot after last period,” Hakeem said.

  For the rest of the day, time seemed to race. Sitting in her last class, Darcy could almost feel each precious second stream by and vanish. Even the boring moments in class would soon be gone. One day, Darcy suspected, she would want even them back.

  Struggling to sit still, Darcy knew she would endure a year of boring days at Bluford if only Hakeem would stay right where he was. Her thoughts were shattered at the sound of the final bell. Everyone bolted from their desks, and Darcy headed for the parking lot.

  Hakeem was there, leaning against his silver motorbike. “Hey, Darce,” he said when she reached him. “Thanks for meeting me,” he continued, fidgeting with his fingers and rubbing his hands on his face.

  “How have you been?” Darcy asked, unsure how to begin talking to him after so much time had passed.

  “Darcy,” Hakeem replied, pausing to take a deep breath. “We need to talk. ”

  Darcy felt a knot in her stomach. “What is it?”

  “It’s about us,” Hakeem mumbled somberly, as if he could barely force the words out. “I’ve been thinkin’ about what’s gonna happen when I move to Detroit, and I know we haven’t really talked about it that much but—”

  “Hakeem, what are you trying to say?”

  “With all that’s been goin’ on lately, I just feel like we should cool things down. I mean I don’t think I can do this anymore, not with everything else, you know?”

  For a second, Darcy was speechless. She felt as if she could not possibly have heard him correctly, that there must have been a mistake. There was just no way Hakeem could give up on her, she thought. Not after all this time. Not after what Tarah said. No way.

  “What are you saying?” Darcy blurted out, her voice rising as she spoke. “Why can’t we call and write? Maybe we’ll be able to visit on breaks from school. Maybe we’ll even—”

  “Darcy, I’m not saying we won’t stay in touch,” Hakeem explained. “But right now, with Dad sick and Mom stressed out, I can’t handle this,
you know. It’s like everyone is pulling me in different directions, and there just ain’t enough of me to go around,” he added taking a deep breath. “And it’s not gonna get any easier when I move. I think we need to cool things down, that’s all. ”

  “What does that mean? Are you breaking up with me?”

  Hakeem turned away from her. “Darcy, it’s not ’cause I want to, but . . . y-yeah . . . I-I am,” he stammered.

  Darcy shook her head in disbelief. Hurt and anger swirled together in her mind, making her heart pound and her body tremble. “I can’t believe you’re doing this after all we’ve been through,” Darcy yelled. “How can you do this?”

  Hakeem lowered his head, shrugged his shoulders, and sighed. “I’m sorry, Darcy,” he said finally. “There’s way too much goin’ on with my dad and with moving and that whole thing. I hope you can understand this, Darcy—”

  “Well, I don’t,” Darcy said. “I’ve been doing nothing but trying to understand you for weeks now. When you didn’t return my phone calls, I tried to understand. When you avoided me in school, I tried to understand. I’m not stupid, and I know things are difficult for you, but I don’t understand why you’ve been treating me this way. And this? After all we’ve been through, I don’t understood this at all!”

  “Darcy, calm down,” Hakeem pleaded. “It doesn’t have to end like this. ”

  “Yes it does! That’s what you said, right?!” Darcy snapped. “Did you think you could just dump me and I wouldn’t be upset?” She paused briefly, fighting the sorrow building in her chest. “I never would have walked out on you, Hakeem. And you know what else? I never would have guessed that you’d do this to me. ”

  Tears of anger and hurt stung Darcy’s eyes as she turned and stormed away.

  “Darcy, I’m sorry,” Hakeem said again as she left, but she did not turn to face him. Instead, she ran, first out of the Bluford High parking lot, then down the neighboring street, and through groups of students who parted to let her pass. The more Darcy ran, the more she cried. Hot, salty tears streamed from her eyes and snaked across her cheeks into her hair. Darcy finally stopped at a small park, leaned against a tree, and buried her face in her hands.