over a collar shirt, he gently placed his letterman jacket over her shoulders before leading her out into the winter weather with his right hand resting on her right shoulder. The feel of his muscular frame against her left shoulder – even under his thick layer of clothing and the jacket over her shoulders – gave her an unusual hope that he just may have more to say to her than he ever had before. To their left were benches where groups of students played cards. So, they walked farther out until they reached the dimly lit track field bleachers. Jimmy silently grabbed Tiphany’s hand and led her up the ramp toward the empty seats. She could only hope that her mother, who was one of the event chaperones, wouldn’t notice her absence.
As they sat on the bottom bench, Jimmy asked her, “Are you still cold?” Before she could answer, he helped her slip her arms through the sleeves of his jacket.
“Thank you.” For a few silent seconds, she waited for him to say something. But she noticed under the dim lights that he only stared out at the raging fireworks from miles away. “So, um…Where’s Sheila?”
“Sheila? I don’t know.”
“Well, I had expected to see her on your arm here at the dance.”
He laughed. “Why? We don’t go together anymore.”
“Oh.”
“Why aren’t you and Manuel together?”
“I broke it off about two months ago.”
“Yeah, I noticed you at school walking without him,” he said matter-of-factly. “You seem to like hanging out with your friends more.”
“I do.” She nodded.
“I wish my sister would be like that,” he continued in a more solemn tone. He shook his head. “I can’t figure out why Candace won’t leave that player alone.”
“Well, isn’t she just a sophomore?”
“So?” He chuckled.
“Well…She has time to see if that guy’s no good for her,” Tiphany suggested. “What’s his name?”
“Curtis Powell. He’ll be graduating this year, too. And that’s a good thing since I heard he’s going off to college.”
Tiphany giggled. When Jimmy responded with an abrupt, puzzled look, she quickly looked away.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded finally forming a crooked smile.
Before realizing her bold reply, she gave it to him. “People say you’re a player, Jee…J-Jimmy.”
“Did you just call me Jee?” His gaze, turning upon her face, intensified as he slowly rested his elbows on his knees. Jimmy smiled.
She continued to stutter. “It…It j-just slipped out like th-that…”
“No, no. I like it. Call me that. Alright?”
“Well…okay…for now. But…I don’t have long to see you anymore, Jimmy. Jee…I’ll be at Bridgewood High starting next semester.”
“That’s in a few days?”
She nodded. “And then…It’s off to college for you anyway.”
“How do you know I’m going away?” He sat up straight again to face her more. “I told you I have an offer at Hayland Hill.”
“W-Well, why w-would you go there?” She asked with genuine curiosity. “They have a sorry team. Everybody knows that.”
Jimmy nodded in thought. He seemed hesitant to explain his decision. He even bowed his head to stare at the ground, seemingly to search for the right words that could express a major issue in his career decision. “I’m not into basketball the way people think I am.”
“Well, what are you into?”
He looked at her again. “A promising career. With basketball, I wouldn’t know if I’d make it to the pros or not. I plan on taking as many business classes as I can. Do you know how many Black men went into business for themselves and are set for life now?”
Her Uncle Nathaniel, Natalie’s father, came to mind. Tiphany smiled, realizing that he had given her another reason for her attraction to him. “That’s good, Jee.”
“So, you’re not going to get rid of me,” he announced in a playfully challenging tone. He slowly slid closer toward her and slipped his right arm around her shoulders. With his left hand, he reached for her left hand and held it.
Tiphany very much wanted to return his sweet embrace. She could see him surveying her face in her peripheral. He seemed to be more anxious for her response during that frozen moment. In her girlish bashfulness, she had intended to resist looking into his eyes. But her actions defied her plans. She was almost enthralled by his parted lips. Her heart’s beat sped up as she noticed his head drawing closer to hers with his eyes fixed on her lips.
“Jimmy, what do you think you’re doing?” She blurted.
His eyes flew open and could have gauged from his face had he been any more flabbergasted by her reaction. “What? What do you think, Girl?” He chuckled with an obvious attempt to restore his confidence within that staggering moment.
Once again, words began spilling from Tiphany’s mouth before she could first think and devise a tactful way of saying them. “I think you think I’m one of your drooling fans,” she scolded. Her own tone stunned her. “I don’t even like basketball.”
“But how do you feel about me?” He squeezed her hand.
“I feel like you’re a player,” she retorted. “I don’t fit into your track record, Jimmy. And I’m not some desperate puppy waiting around for a moment like this with you.”
“Lord, please forgive me for lying to this guy!” She prayed inwardly.
“Then, why did you come out here with me?” He asked her pulling away.
“Jimmy…”
“Call me Jee, Tip,” he reminded her in a gentle tone.
“Jee,” she complied. “Do you know how many years you and I have been dancing together?”
“Two – two and a half. Right?”
“Roughly, yeah,” she replied before pausing to shiver. She didn’t realize how cold the weather actually was until Jimmy pulled away. “And besides saying to me, ‘Hey, Tip, let’s go kick it,’ what else have you ever said to me before tonight? I came out here with you because, for the first time, we were about to have a conversation – a real conversation, uninterrupted.”
Tiphany studied his gape into her eyes but couldn’t determine if the look was blank or conflicted with self-evaluation. She wanted to ask him for a response, but she was afraid, for the first time, that the guy she had a dream-consuming crush on might say something stupid to the extent of sabotaging her feelings. So, she entertained his silence with more of her own words.
“I’m excited about your scholarship choices. And I needed somebody to talk to about moving. I hate that I have to wonder if I’ll ever have another dance partner like you again. Those are things to talk about, Jee. That’s what friends and even dance partners do. They talk. You want to jump the gun and link me into a long chain of experiences that you’ve had with other girls. Well, guess what! I’m not…”
“Woe there, Partner! Okay!”
For a moment, she searched her heart and really wondered if she actually wanted to turn Jimmy down over a kiss that would have meant everything to her.
“Man!” He blurted. “Nobody ever…I mea-.” He coughed out half-laughter as if he were at a complete loss of words. Running his hand over his low-cut, perfectly round afro, he looked out at the blank field like a lost boy in search of something he couldn’t identify. Bewilderment covered his face. “I guess you really don’t like me.