PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

“Where is he?!” I whine, scanning over the growing crowd. “I can’t see him anywhere! He said he’d be here!” I begin to pout thinking that Tech had bailed on me. My girl May and I were supposed to be meeting him here. “He’s supposed to be here!” I stand up on of the cement benches. “He promised he wouldn’t be late!”

  “Maybe it’s a Texan thing, Sweets. Just chill, he should be here at any moment.”

  May was texting one of my friends from Arkansas. She got a bit of a thing for him while we stopped by his home town for a quick visit. I think it’s cute. Just not now.

  “Quit texting Jeffry and help me look for Tech!”

  “Sheesh! Fine,” she stands up on the bench with me and scans the area. “What does he look like anyway?”

  “I don’t know, but he said he looks a lot like his avi from off of IMVU. So just look for slightly tanned, six feet, four, long brown shaggy haired guy, with a gorgeous baby boy smile.”

  Tech and I have been talking with one another for about three years now and today is the day that I am actually going to be meeting face to face. Eee! I cannot wait! He is so cool. We like just about the same stuff, and I think he’s only a couple years older than me. Yes, I know how whacked up that is, but he is really cool…. He actually kinda’ loves me… well not kinda. He does. He’s said it several billion times, wrote me dozens of poems, drew countless amounts of pictures, and sent me countless gifts to prove it. He is so sweet and also understands that I have a few guys I’m trying to decide over right now, and he’s willing to wait and be patient. He is so awesome.

  “I can’t find him! Where is he?!”

Standing across the way, he smiles at his little lover as she desperately tries to find him, but he does not want to be found just yet. What his friend had told him just a few moments before sticks with him and repeats over and over in his head.

  “Dude, she is not going to want to be with you when she figures out how old you are. I mean, think about it. You have told her over a dozen million times that you love her.”

  “So?”

  “So…Has she said it back?”

  “No, but that’s jus-”

  “Just what? Just the fact that she has three guys already that are hers, and around her, own age that is madly in love with her? I mean, think about it Tech. The moment she realizes how old you are and that you’ve been basically lying to her and deceiving her this whole time. The whole three years that you two have known each other. She is going to dump you. Flat out. Hands down.”

  “Dude, you’re nuts. Sweets loves me. I mean, she may not have said it, but just by the way she replies on IMVU to my sweet comments, the way she acts when we talk on the phone, the way she reacts to the gifts I send her, and the way she’s so excited and almost desperately frantic to see me. She truly does love me.”

  “Does she, Tech? Does she really love you? Or is she in love with the guy who she thinks is you?”

  His friend is right. No matter many times Tech tries to deny it. His friend truly is right, and that is what scares him the most. He is so in love with Sweets. She is more precious than gold to him. He just prays that she still realizes that, after she sees who he really is.

“Hey Sweets, sorry I’m late.”

  He steps up behind her and taps her on the shoulder. He smiles as he hears her squeal and jump up and down and holds onto the smile as she turns to face him.

  “Oh my goodness, Tech, I was so worried that you weren’t going to show up!” She engulfs him in a hug, still haven’t yet noticed his face.

  He chuckles against her face. “Sorry for the delay.” He runs his fingers through her soft, dark, somewhat curly, Goth styled hair. “Won’t happen again, I promise.” He kisses the top of her forehead, praying that when she sees his face, she won’t run screaming. “So how has your trip been so far?”

  “It has been…” her voice trails off, as she finally gets a good look at the man standing before her. “I-I’m… sorry… d-do I… know you?”

  Oh no! This is just what he’d feared. Her pretending no to know him. Play it cool, Tech. Just play it cool.

  “I would hope so,” he says, still smiling, grasping onto a thin line of hope. “It’s me! Tech!” He opens his arms out wide and grins wildly.

  She’s hesitant. “Tech?” She looks him up and down, assessing him. She smiles, and he relaxes. “Okay! I get it! You’re Tech’s dad!”

  His smile evaporates completely. “What?”

  “Yeah, I get it now. You are Tech and your son is Tech Jr! So where is he?” She veers her head around him, as she goes unphased, unknowing, for his aching, breaking heart.

  “Sweets,”he says, putting on a less than fooling smile. “It’s me, Tech. There is no Tech Jr. I’m not even old enough to have a son your age. I’ve been the one you’ve been talking to on IMVU for three years now. Our anniversary of the day we first met is today, which is why I chose today to come and see you. I mean, why not see the girl of my dreams on the anniversary of the day we first met on IMVU and let this be the anniversary of the day we first met in person?”He keeps his uneasy smile stitched to his face as she stares up at him blankly. His Adams apple bobbing up and down every few moments, as saliva seemed to be accumulating in his ever drying mouth. He swallows hard. “It’s me Sweets and to prove it’s me, here is only a tidbit of what you told me that no one else knows.”He leans over and whispers the darkest thing about her childhood that he knows she’s told no one else but him.

  She steps back away from him with a mixture of expressions on her face.

  Confusion.

  Curiosity.

  Hatred.

  Sadness.

  Grief.

  Pain.

  Fear.

  Disbelief.

  Reluctance.

  And worst of all…

  Disgust.

  His heart sank as he sees that look of so many mixed emotions. His fears welling up inside of him as his friends words play over and over in his head:

                     “Just what? Just the fact that she has three guys already that are hers, and around her, own age that is madly in love with her? I mean, think about it Tech. The moment she realizes how old you are and that you’ve been basically lying to her and deceiving her this whole time. The whole three years that you two have known each other. She is going to dump you. Flat out. Hands down.”

  “How did you know that?!”Her face twisted and contorted in the pain of that horrid memory. “Did Tech tell?! Did your son tell you that?! H…h-how much did he tell you?!”He could see the fear and disgust rising up within her now.

  No! Please, God, no! Please?! Don’t let her be disgusted with me! Dear God! I beg of you!He didn’t mean his appearance either. He was very good looking. Women practically threw themselves at him, but he never indulged in them. He always politely pushed them away and said he has deep and strong feelings for a gorgeous mocha beauty by the name of Sweets and that her name did her quite a bit of justice too. She was as sweet as her name prevailed.

  He swallows hard once more. “No Sweetsy-Treat, you told me. Remember? It was the day when you called me, crying on the phone about your mother and how she was doing her usual routine of drunken put downs that night. It was just that you never knew she would go as far as to bring back up something that pain striking.”He stood and waited for her reply. Silently begging her to believe and accept him as he was and hug him like she had only moments ago. As she stared him up and down, he saw those adorable wheels in that gorgeous head of her turning slowly, moving a bit faster when things began to click.

  CLICK!

  CLICK!

  CL…

  The third click faded, as the wheels evaporated and a look of realization, and still disgust, appeared on her face.

  He swallowed hard and pretended that he didn’t even notice the look she had just given him. “So do you believe me now, Sweetsy? It’s me. Tech!”The last word barely came out as a whisper. He had to gain back a quick breath and say it again just to make sure she heard him. “Tech.”

  A look of…of…an indescribable look flourishes onto her face, as she shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, Sir.”The smile on her face was so thick with disappointment and denial, even though it was supposed to be friendly and apologetic, and to most it might have, but not to Tech. “I had mistaken you as a very close friend of mine. He was supposed to be here, so we could spend the whole day together. I guess he bailed. I guess that also means that he doesn’t love me as much as he said he did…. Well…anyway…sorry…. Have a nice day.”She turns and faces her, still texting, friend. “Come on, May. Let’s go see if we can grab a quick bite to eat before going over and hanging out with Park.”

  “What about, Tech?”

  She looks back at her friend-turned-stranger, then back at May. “Was a no show, like most guys. So what? You want to grab a meal? I am totally starved.”

  “You are not the only one.”May gladly follows, and Tech is left ultimately heartbroken.

“How could that have been him?” I mumble aloud to myself, as May Wolfs down her grub and asks if I’m finish my fries. I push the basket her way, not wanting to satisfy my… appetite I guess…. I honestly just made up that lie about food to get away from… Tech?… Was that really Tech? Was that truly the guy that I have been talking to for three straight years?…. It couldn’t be… not Tech… he would’ve told me his real age…. That man looked like he was in his early to mid thirties, but I guess that may be because of all the shock, worry, fear, and desperation that I saw on his face. Emotions like that always make people look, like, a million times older than what that really are.

  “…Yo, Sweets!”

  I shake my head, attempting to get rid of the thick mental fog accumulating deep within my brain. “Huh?”

  “Were you even listening to me, Sweets?”

  “No…sorry…brain fog…. What did you say?”

  She sighs and shakes her head the way she does when she usually says “What am I going to do with you?”but not this time. Just the head shake and, “I was asking what you thought Tech’s reason was for being a no show. I mean, isn’t he supposed deep down in love with you or something? I mean, come on! He seemed like a better person than that!”

  Now it was my turn to sigh and shake my head. “Just forget about him, May. I have. He’s not worth all the unused brain power.”I close my eyes, trying to picture how I thought Tech was going to look, but his older version always materializes. I shake my head even harder trying to change his features to fit around my age, but I can’t! I just can’t! Tech, why?! Why did you lie to me?!

  “Hey…Sweets…are you okay? I mean…I knew how much he meant to you…. You were really falling for him weren’t you?”

  I don’t answer. I just stand and lead out the door, knowing May’ll follow.

“So how’d it go with Sweets dude?”

  Jerome knew the answer, but just wanted to give Tech his I-told-you-so speech.

  Tech just goes back to his room and slams the door shut.

  “Not good, I guess.”

For the next month and a half, while May and I are stopping at our designated areas for our road trip, Tech(or whoever this guys name is) continues to send me flowers and gifts and calls, leaving desperate messages. I ignore them all, and send them back to the stranger, and pray I won’t see another gift or hear another message that’s from him. May’s clueless though. She never saw that man out there, while we were talking. She was too bust texting Jeffry the whole time. It’s annoying now. She is always drowning in that phone and when she comes up for air, she is completely clueless as to what’s been going on. I just want to snatch that phone from her hands, break it, and yell at her to come back down to planet her earth for more than a few frickin’minutes. But I don’t, I’m still too stressed about…Whoever he is to worry about her right now.

  Our next stop is Bro’s. A little over due, quality time with my Puerto Rican Bro.

  I drive off the ferry, having told Bro a tad earlier that I got the directions to his house so he didn’t have to freak about meeting me at the ferry on time, of him pacing back and forth at the ferry dock. He could just do that at his house. I wonder what all Bro has planned for me and May, while we’re here. Knowing him, something totally awesome and unexpected. He’s cool that way.

  I pull up to Bro’s house and force May to submerge from her tireless texting, so that I can introduce May to my Bro and so he can introduce us to the rest of my unofficial fam. I knock on the door and am about to hug the person that I think is Bro, ‘til I see his face.

  “Sorry, Sir. I must have the wrong house.”

  “Nope, Sweetsy-Treat, you got the right house. Your brothers inside cooking dinner for you and May. From what he tells me, you guys have a long night of partying ahead of you.”

  I don’t say anything. I just push past the stranger, knowing full well that it’s not Bro’s Pops and head towards the kitchen.

  “What up, Bro?!”I pounce him once he steps away from the stove.

  He stumbles. “Hey, Sis!”

  He turns around so he can hug me better and kiss me all over my face.

  I giggle. “Hey! I thought that was my thing!”

  “Well what if it is?”He continues to kiss me all over my face.

  “Well then I should be doing this!”I hold his face back and kiss all over his.

  He just laughs and says, “Alright, Sis! You win!”

  I smile and say, “I always do.”

  “So who’s old dude?”

  My happy mood instantly disincarnated, I push out of Bro’s embrace a growl, “It was supposed to be Tech. The bastard lied to me about his age and who knows else.”

  “Talk to him.”

  I look at Bro. “Okay, I think the heat from the stove is getting to you Bro, because if you think that-”

  “Sis,”he grabs my face and kisses my lips. “Go talk to him. Trust me. You won’t regret it…in the long run.”

  I sigh. “Fine, Bro, but you owe me big time.”

  He just smiles, as I leave the kitchen and into the living room to find a drown May and a sulking familiar stranger.

  I take a deep breathe. “Tech…can I…talk to you…outside?”

  He instantly springs from the couch and heads toward the back yard.

  I follow reluctantly and take a seat in one of the scattered lawn chairs in the back yard, farthest from the familiar stranger. “I’m only here to ask questions, and I want the truth and no making any moves on me. If that happens or I feel it’s about to happen, I bolt.”

  He nods his head. “Understood. So what’s your first question?”

  “What’s your real name?”

  He take a slow shallow breathe. “Jerome.”

  “Jerome who?”The entire time, I am looking down at the lush green grass.

  “Jerome Alacard White.”

  “The same Jerome Alacard White that has several rape charges, two burglaries, fifteen sexual harassment charges, and is a well known hustler, player, and pedophile? That Jerome Alacard White?”

  I hear him fidget around in his seat and clear his throat. “I see you’ve done your homework; but that is my father’s police record. I have no record…at least not yet….”

  He’s referring to him and I. “So you are Jerome Alacard White Jr.?”

  “Yes.”

  “I can see why you’d want people to call you Tech.”

  “Thank you for understanding.”

  “Who old are you, really?”

  “Twenty-four.”

  “You know I’m still only seventeen years old. You could be charged with being a pedophile and sexual harassment just like you father?”

  He clears hi throat, yet again. “Yes…I know.”

  “Good, but I won’t press charges just so long as you leave me alone from now on.”

  “But why?”He fidgets more in his seat. “Sweets, I love you. I have been in love with you from the first day I met you on IMVU in Clover’s. You doing your usual routine of mother those who were sad, depressed, or just had to get something off their chest. You were helping a male my age. He was crying, because a girl your age had fallen for him but ran screaming once she knew his true age. He said the girl wouldn’t press charges just so long as he left her be. And what did you tell that broken hearted man?”

  I stay silent.

  “Sweets, I may be I love with you, but that does not mean that I have forgotten that I am older than you and that you must answer me, when I am speaking to you. Now, what did you tell that broken hearted man?”

  I sigh, hating how much he’s right in what he said and the point that he is about to make. “I said that, her not telling anyone and not pressing charges meant that she was still somewhat in love with him. He just needed to stand his ground as an adult, but mainly as her determined boyfriend and urge her to get to know the true him. Then, all should be fine. Then, he and her should be back to the adorable little items that they once were, because she wasn’t just going to throw away all they had that easily. She just wants a challenge. She just wanted him to fight for what they had.”

  “Mhm. And did it work?”

  I sigh. “Yes.”

  “And now?”

  “And now they are married on IMVU and in real. They even invited me to both their wedding. I was the one that married them on IMVU.”

  “So…what does that tell you?”

  I sigh, for the millionth time. “That you and I are just like that couple, except for one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That man told her wife everything about himself, his life, and his family, before they broke up. She was just scared once he told her his age. He even told her his real name, no matter what ties to his family history that may bring. You’ve pretty much lied to me about everything that goes on in your life. So I didn’t fall in love with the real you, like she had fallen in love with the real him. I fell in love with a familiar stranger, turned stranger. Jerome, I don’t know the real you. I haven’t fallen in love with the real you. I fell in love with what and who I thought was you. Me finding out about your real age was a break through for me. This, your true life, your family history, your life style, is my breaking point.”

  “What do you mean lifestyle?”

  I finally look up from the ground and dead in his eyes, mine emptied of every single emotion known to man just cold and hard as steel. “I know you search for girls around my age and a bit younger to star in you pornographic movies. I know your family supports it one hundred percent. I know that is not a lifestyle I choose not to make. A path I choose not to take. I plan to lose my virginity, when I get married. No sooner. No later.”I stand, satisfied with the pain, hurt, and disbelief in his eyes. “Now, you have twenty-four hours to erase me from your phone, email, contacts list, IMVU, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and whatever else you have me on, and especially your life. I don’t ever want to see or hear from you ever again.”

  I turn and walk back into the house, smiling as I hear the front door close and the convertible in the drive way rev up and pull out. I walk into the kitchen and hug Bro from behind. “You were right. I don’t regret talking to him, and now he’s out of my life for good.”

  “DO you regret it?”

  I kiss Bro’s cheek. “Not the slightest bit.”

  “Good.”

  “Bro?”

  “Yeah, Sis?”

  Don’t ask me why I ask him, what I am about to ask him. It just feels so right. “Do you want to be my first?”

  I feel him smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “Tonight after the clubs and what not? I have the condoms, and I’m on birth control.”

  “No condoms, but sure.”

  I turn his head to face me, than I kiss his lips. “I love you so much, Bro.”

  His kisses me back softly and passionately. “I love you so much too, Sis.”

To be continued…?