The Choppa Effect

Forty-Seven

"Jade, you really should be more careful." Alexia says with a sigh.

She glances at me and grips the steering wheel before she continues to talk. "Neither of us knows that man. He just bought you a drink other night and now all of a sudden he shows up out of nowhere?"

She sighs again.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you."

I shrug before answering. "If he wanted to do something then him woulda dweet already."

"Jade." She says firmly. "Please."

I mentally roll my eyes but decide against answering Alexia.

I understand why she would be cautious but that was a one off situation that I completely forgot about and if everyone is being honest with themselves, that was all Tego and whatever he was keeping up.

When he just broke up with me, it was harder to understand but at this present moment I completely understand that I was a victim due to association.

Nothing like that is ever gonna happen again because Tego and I haven't spoken to each other in forever so no one can attack me and keep
me as bait to lure him in because I don't even know anything about him anymore.

Plus Nate was just being nice.

If you really think about it.

"I just want you to be safe, Jade." Alexia says. "The last time.." She shudders and her voice trails off a bit before she continues.

"You were right there and then all of a sudden everyone's panicking and wondering where you could be and anything could have happened to you in just that likkle bit of time."

She sighs before looking at me.

"Yuh undastan'?" She blinks slowly.

I nod.

She rolls her eyes and sigh once more. "Jade, don't play with me."

I take a deep breath before answering. "You can't always be so defensive."

She looks me up and down but continues driving. "Excuse me?"

"You're always on guard and find it hard to just loosen up and have fun. Yah move like suchman and that's uncalled for."

She doesn't answer but she glares at me.

"You have like 3 friends. Me, yuh mother and yuh man." I say. "It's not my fault that you can't make more."

Alexia kisses her teeth. "Girl, I'm good." She turns to look at me.

"If anything you need to learn to be more on YOUR guard." She kisses her teeth again. "Yah move like yah eediat."

I decide not to answer her so she continues. "Don't compare me to Tego."

She pulls into my driveway. "Unless it's stupid shit like this that happens in your relationship because you couldn't maintain that one and I guess we both know what that means."

I blink rapidly at her but she glares back at me emotionless.

"So if you want to we can bring my friend list down to 2." She shrugs.

My body shudders from her words but I just gather my stuff and reach for the car door.

"Whatever. Bye, Alexia." I open the door and go outside.

"Bye." She grunts.

I close the door then she backs out of the driveway and leaves.

I go to take a nap after taking a shower and eventually wake up and decide to text Nate.

Alexia is being dramatic and I know she was just speaking out of anger but I'm still not sure why she would be so angry.

If anything she should be happy that I'm getting to meet someone new.

As soon as I message him, he replies.

Hey

We mindlessly text and play a few iMessage games together for a while until he texts me again.

Are you doing anything later?

I tell him that I do not have any plans.

Go-karts?

I can't dwell on Alexia's outburst at me so I tell him yes.

Okay, I'll pick you up in 2 hours.

I decide to start getting ready and before I know it, he texts me to ask for my address.

I send him my current location and tell my mother.

I send my mother and Alexia my live location so they know where I am for the evening.

I see his black GLE pull up in my driveway through my bedroom window but I still get a text that he's outside.

I go down to his car and give him a small smile when I sit beside him.

"Hi, Jade." He returns the smile. "How have you been?"

I shrug my shoulders before answering him.

"Okay. You?"

He nods slowly. "Same."

He pulls out of the driveway and offers me a bottle of water. I take it and then he goes straight to the go kart place while he plays rnb in the background.

We stay comfortably silent until we start driving the go karts.

"Have you ever done this before?" He asks and pulls his kart up beside mine.

"Maybe." I shrug.

"I can drive by your side if you'd like." He offers.

I start to drive slowly and he keeps up with me.

"Are you sure you don't wanna race?" I ask, still driving slowly.

He shrugs before answering. "We can race."

He still drives slowly so I complete one lap and join him back.

He laughs and throws his hands up playfully in defeat. "Yah bad driver, man."

I giggle. "Ready now?"

He nods and gives us a countdown.

He takes off before me but I still catch up to him and by the time he realizes, I'm passing him and completing the second lap.

He catches up to me in laughter. "Again?"

We continue to race for the next hour until we get hungry and go to the cafe section where we place our orders.

"So what made you decide to come?" He asks after our food comes out.

I shrug. "I just decided."

He nods slowly. "I'm glad that you did."

"Why did you decide to ask me out?" I ask him.

It's his turn to shrug. "Jus did see yuh and like yuh." He chuckles.

My mouth forms an o so he continues. "You're fun too and so far you seem to be nice company."

We finish eating our food so Nate and I go to his car for him to take me home.

When he pulls into my driveway, he takes a deep breath before turning to me.

"I'm happy that we got time to get to know more about each other." He says.

"Me too." I mumble.

He offers a smile which I return then lean over and give him a small peck on the lips which earns me another smile against my lips.

"I'll see you, Jade." He smiles once more.