"See?" I kissed my fingers and then spread them apart. "I told you my mom's pot roast was absolutely delicious."
Mom and dad were sitting at the table, finishing up the meal. Before she got up and began putting dishes in the sink, she patted my girlfriend's shoulder. "Brenda," She began, before wiping her hands on her apron, "You picked such a nice girl. So respectable, likable, and she's the spitting image of Grace Kelly."
I smiled and rolled up the sleeves of my cardigan. Doreen stood up, adjusted her pearls, and came over to give me a kiss. I turned my head and instead suggested that we hang in my room for a bit before her parents came to get her so she could finally get her new set of wheels, a brand spanking new Cadillac. She'd be the envy of every girl in the neighborhood, that was for sure.
It was only a month after the unfortunate incident where I'd gotten busted with Tiffany. Both of our parents had a cow and decided it was best if we not ever see each other again. I'd even heard rumors from my new friends down the street that Tiffany and her folks were planning on moving because someone threw a brick in their front window.
"They're going back to the South. With their own kind," my friend Ralph proclaimed as he skipped rocks across a pond. He didn't mean anything by 'own kind,' he just knew what Tiffany was up against, being the only black person in a white neighborhood.
Bad news was bad news. I was barred from seeing her. I didn't want to hear about a girl I couldn't have. And to think we almost made love that night. . .
"You don't understand, Ralph. I'll never look at another girl the way I looked at Tiffany." I picked up a rock and fondled its sharp edges. "She just made everything so much easier. And we almost did it." Chucked the rock clear across the pond, all the way to the other side.
"Really? Say, I always wondered what that would be like. Being with a colored girl and all."
I hated when he said 'colored.' "Black, Ralph. Black."
He held up his hands, surrendering. "Sorry. I just. . . I don't know. My friends and I talk about that all the time. It's just something that remains a fantasy, you know? I mean, you did it for real, and look what happened. You lost your girl."
I replayed our conversation that day over and over while Doreen held my hand as she walked us upstairs. We sat awkwardly on my bed for about five minutes, saying nothing but the obvious until she began to unzip herself out of her dress.
"What are you doing?" I asked the stupidest question ever. She gave me a look and then closed the blinds, which were right in front of my bed.
"Darling, what does it look like? You're hot stuff, and I know you wanna make my love come down." She eased out of her straps to reveal two perky breasts with little pink gumdrop nipples. Doreen kissed me, but I pushed her off of me.
"The hell's wrong with you?"
Doreen hiked up her dress and angrily huffed as she zipped her dress. "What's the matter with you? I thought all you studs were looking for girls to give up the goods."
"Not me. Sorry if a fella actually wants to talk to a girl. I'm not all about sex, you know."
She sighed and composed herself. "That's not what your dad told me." Before she left, I grabbed her a bit rougher than I intended.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Doreen giggled. "He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" I released her, but I was so mad and confused that I dropped her arm.
She held it like she was seriously wounded as she explained, "Sugar, your dad set us up. He paid me to talk to you because you were so depressed after that unfortunate incident with miss blackie next door. Honestly kid, you need to get over it. It's not meant to be."
I was stunned. How could my parents do that to me? Why wouldn't they just let me live my own fucking life and stop sticking their noses into my business? Why couldn't they just let me be?
"Get out. I never want to see you again. Out!!!"
Doreen rolled her eyes and left. Good riddance. I locked the door because I didn't want to hear my parents come up the stairs to ask me what was up.
I just plopped onto my bed and thought about Tiffany. I needed her badly. I wanted her more than I wanted anything ever. To her hear voice, smell her scent, anything, I just needed something.
Surprisingly, they didn't come to see what was wrong. Doreen must have played it off. Swell. I had to come up with something or else I'd never see my beautiful Tiffany Wayworth ever again. . .
Luckily, I had friends in all the right places. Ralph just so happened to be the newspaper boy on our route. I wrote Tiffany a letter telling her that we needed to meet up at a secret location. Ralph stuck the note inside her paper, disguised it as an secret admirer, and gave it to the house.
I gave her distinct instructions. At the pond away from the park, about three blocks away from the malt shop. It was so hidden. I thought it'd be perfect. I would have a little picnic set up for the both of us with all of her favorite food. Then we'd eat, say how much we missed each other, get hot and heavy, and before we know it, we're back together.
If only it was that easy.
The plan was a bust. I went there only to find that Tiffany didn't come. My food was insect dinner after a while. I didn't even bother to clean up. I just left. What went wrong?
To make matters worse, Ralph found out from the grapevine that Tiffany was leaving in a matter of days. What the hell was I going to do? Everything was simply impossible. Not only that, but Tiff and her family had apparently abandoned the house for a while, so I could call her if I wanted to.
Depression set in. I was a lump for days. My parents didn't know what else to do. They told me to hurry up and take up a trade so I could get my mind off of the girls and do better for my future. Yeah, and end up like my workaholic dad and find someone like mom, a typical, boring housewife? I'll pass.
One day, when my parents were out, I was startled by the doorbell because I was halfway asleep. I woke up, groggy and very irritable, only to open the door and see my Tiffany.
"Tiff!!!" I grabbed her and hugged her, squeezing her soft body like it was one of those stuffed animals at a carnival. She hugged me back, but I let her go once I realized I was damn near killing her. Sorry, Tiffany.
