the boy is mine part four (rojie’s version)

LINK: the boy is mine part four (rojie’s version)

Prequel: the boy is mine part three (rojie’s version)

Currently listening to: Water Runs Dry – Boyz II Men

We don’t even talk anymore
And we don’t even know what we argue about
Don’t even say “I love you” no more
‘Cause sayin’ how we feel is no longer allowed
Some people work things out
And some just don’t know how to change

We packed everything and was ready to go when at the very last minute, Brian bailed. After weeks of talking about Texas and hyping it up for everyone, he suddenly had the audacity to announce that he will not be joining us.

I was beside myself.

To make matters worse, Yummy pulled me aside shortly afterward and told me that she wasn’t going to move with us either.

What the actual fuck? I was absolutely livid. We were supposed to leave in the morning. We literally packed up everything and now they’re backing out at the eleventh hour. How the hell was I supposed to find a place to live by tomorrow?

I remember standing there and thinking: fuck them and fuck me for believing their bullshit. Fuck.

I didn’t care anymore. I just wanted to get the hell outta Dodge. It was going to be Gongju, Nick, me, and the three cats.

For whatever reason, Gongju bought us a pair of walkie-talkies for the drive. We weren’t long-haul truckers, plus, we had our cell phones. But she insisted that we use them anyway. What the fuck ever.

My Honda Civic was hitched to the U-haul and I drove Gongju’s SUV while she and Nick took turns driving the U-haul truck.

The drive was going to be over 14 hours without traffic taking us through Missouri, Oklahoma, and finally Texas. Our goal was to get there as soon as possible so that meant no stopping unless it was for gas or bathroom breaks.

The drive was a blur because we were rolling our faces off, drinking coffee and energy drinks along with water. I had a ginormous box of White Cheddar Cheez-Its, which sustained me for the entire trip.

I was fairly happy driving alone. I didn’t want to be bothered by either of them. I thought I would be lonely but I wasn’t. I had my music, snack, and my thoughts… for fourteen plus hours.

I thought about my relationships that I was leaving behind.

I thought about all the things I would need to get done in order to acquire a job.

I also thought about my parents. At the time, we weren’t on speaking terms and they had no idea that I was leaving Chicago and moving to Dallas. I debated whether I should tell them or not.

The miles kept on rolling by while I was lost in my thoughts.

Every so often, Gongju’s voice would crackle through the stupid walkie-talkie.

“Slow down.”

“Watch your speed.”

“Cops are ahead.”

I mean she wasn’t wrong, every small town we passed through seemed to have patrol cars pulling over out-of-state drivers. I guess they had nothing else better to do other than hassle people driving through.

By the time we finally reached Dallas, we were exhausted but the adrenaline was still pumping. We pulled up in front of a condo buildings in the Lovers Lane area. Gongju gushed about how this was a premium neighborhood, upscale, where socialites liked to come and hang out.

The street looked nice enough and the building looked rather new.

I unhitched my Civic and parked it behind Gongju’s SUV. We rolled up the U-Haul door and started unloading.

That’s when I noticed an unhoused man running towards us from across the street. As he got closer, I could see that he was smiling. He called out, Y’all need some help unloading your y’all haul?”

Gongju replied that another man helping us move would be useful.

He immediately started helping and got into the U-Haul to organize what to bring inside. I was trying to help my roommates move a dresser when he looked at me and said, “Pretty girls like you shouldn’t be lifting heavy things. Go grab something lighter.”

I felt my face get hot. I was blushing. Gongju was absolutely enraged, giving me the side eye, as she was trying to move the dresser with Nick.

I didn’t have much that I brought with me. I’ve moved so many times that accumulating things seemed more like a burden. I had my air mattress, two blankets, two pillows, a few books, some clothes, and my electronics (laptop and cell phone).

As we were bringing things inside, the man told me his story. He shared with me that he developed epilepsy and suffered a grand mal seizure while driving. Afterward, his driver’s license was suspended. Without his license, he didn’t have transportation to go to work. Without transportation, he lost his job. Then he lost his apartment because he couldn’t afford the rent. Then his marriage fell apart and his wife left him. It was like shit on top of shit over something that he didn’t have control over.

I believed him. A majority of Americans are a couple of paychecks from being unhoused.

Also, doctors are legally required to report medical conditions like epilepsy to the DMV. Depending on the state, people can lose their driving privileges until they’ve remained seizure-free for a specific amount of time and received medical clearance from their primary care physician or neurologist.

When we were finished unloading, we gave him some cash, bottles of beer, and six pimento cheese sandwiches that we made for lunch. He was excited and immediately carried the goodies with him to the park across the street and shared it with the other unhoused people.

Once we were settled in, Gongju asked if I wanted to ride around and see the neighborhood.

I shrugged.

“Sure, why not?”

First stop was the gas station. As I was walking inside, a woman turned around and asked me, “Are YOOOOU from Waxahachie?”

I blinked.

“Ma’am, I just barely got here. I’m from Chicago. I don’t even know where Waxahachie is.”

She glared at me suspiciously before walking away.

I thought to myself, “Well, Toto, I guess we’re not in Kansas anymore…”

Inside the gas station, the cashier listened to me talk for about ten seconds before she asked if I was from up North. When I told her that I was, she replied, “Y’all gotta slow down.”

“Slow down?”

“Y’all are talking too fast”

Oh… okay. I’ve never been told that I spoke too quickly… but then it dawned on me. Right. I’m in Texas. Everything is slower paced here, even their drawl. Got it.

Later, Gongju drove us through Highland Park. I’d never seen anything like it. This is where billionaires and multi-millionaires resided. There were massive estates, well-manicured lawns, iron gates, and landscaping that probably cost more than my yearly income.

Gongju looked at me and claimed, “I’m going to be a socialite here.”

I couldn’t give two shits but I knew she cared about status. I simply said, “Mmm hmm. Do what you gotta do, playa.”

Then, on the drive home, she casually mentioned that she wanted to drive by Linh’s house.

“Why?”

She already had her boyfriend. Wasn’t that enough? Why pour salt into the wound?

Zero fucks were given about my feelings or thoughts. She drove straight there. When we reached her street, she began to slow down drastically. She started laughing as soon as she noticed Linh and her sister standing outside in the front yard.

When we reached the house, Gongju rolled down her window and shouted, “Yeah, bitch! I got your man and now we’re here in your town!”

I wanted to disappear into the seat. I was absolutely mortified.

Suddenly, everything was making sense.

We weren’t here to make a “fresh start”. This wasn’t about opportunities. We were here because she was fueled by spite. She uprooted the three of us to continue this petty feud… nearly a thousand miles away.

I sat there wanting to melt into the seat, when my phone started blowing up.

It was Linh.

Call after call after call.

Then texts.

Where are you?

Are you with her?

What is going on?

Why aren’t you answering?

I need answers.

I felt overwhelmed and I didn’t want any part of this bullshit. So I let the calls go to voicemail and left every text unanswered. My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing or ringing till I turned it off.

I blamed myself for not clocking this sooner. Fuck me…

I also was trying to formulate a plan on how I was going to get out of this shit show…