Summer of ‘92

The young boy impatiently tapped his worn black and white Chuck Taylor’s against the parquet floors as he waited for his cousin to appear. Rolling up the sleeve of his flannel shirt, he glanced at his wristwatch anxiously. If they didn’t leave now they would miss the matinee of Batman Returns, the biggest movie of the summer. He would never forgive him if he didn’t see this movie on opening day.

His gaze shifted to watch his older cousin move into the foyer, smiling brightly and skipping too.

What is he so damn happy about?

“Sorry about that Justin. I was on the phone with this fly chick.” He grabbed his converses near the entrance and put them on.

Justin reached for his Polaroid instant camera and looped the black strap around his slender neck. “You ready now Andrew?”

Andrew eyed the camera hanging from his younger cousin’s neck. His brows shot up in disapproval before he spoke, “You’re not going to take that thing along are you?”

He fingered the thin black strap around his neck and nodded. “I wanna take some pictures.”

Andrew rolled his eyes heavenward, “Oh that is so lame Justin. This girl is going to hate me if you bring that stupid camera with you.”

Justin’s ears perked up at the mention of a girl accompanying them. “A girl? What girl?” He croaked.

“My date. Her name is Darrien Simmons and she is so sexy.” Andrew licked his lips and Justin groaned in disgust. Sexy!

“You’re going on a date! I thought we were going to the movies?” He shoved his hands into his stonewashed jeans, clearly angry with his cousin.

“We are. Darrien is bringing her brother Darnell along because I told her that I was supposed to hang out with you tonight.”

“Oh. We’re still seeing Batman Returns right?” Justin tried to hide his disappointment at having his fun intruded by some girl.

“Yeah, but I don’t plan on paying attention to the movie if you know what I mean.” Andrew elbowed Justin in his side, grinning slyly.

He rolled his eyes and followed his cousin out to his car not bothering to remove his Polaroid camera as his cousin had advised.

Andrew turned toward Justin as he fastened his seatbelt and noticed the grimace on his face, “Hey dude, don’t look so sad.” And with that said, he pulled out of the driveway.

*~*~*~*

He sat quietly for a few moments, toying with the “lucky” stone in the pocket of his jeans as they waited in front of the house of Andrew’s date.

At the sound of a long whistle, Justin looked up. Whoa. He watched her walk toward him, her hips swaying ever so slightly and her dark hair glimmering in the sunlight. Her presence captivated him. He had never been attracted to a black girl-woman before, but now he was smitten. She wore a white tank top under a jean jacket, straight-legged Levi’s jeans, and K-Swiss sneakers, and her hair was styled into attractive bangs.

“Hey Andrew.” She smiled shyly at him, and then bent low to peek into the car at Justin. Justin lifted a finger to wave at her, she smiled back and his insides melted.

“Oh this is my cousin Justin.” Andrew gave him a thumbs up and a toothy grin as he watched Darrien walk around to the passenger side.

“Damn.” He swallowed roughly. “Get in the backseat Justin.”

Justin quickly climbed into the backseat, keeping his eyes glued to Darrien as she slid into the front seat and closed the door.

“Uh…where’s Darnell?” He managed to ask despite the frog in his throat.

“Oh here she comes right now.”

She!

Both Justin and Andrew turned to see a young girl that looked like a boy, but she was clearly a girl. Unlike her sister, she wore baggy overalls with one side fastened, a red tank top, green and white Chuck Taylor’s, and a white cap over her braided ponytail. If not for her braids, Justin wouldn’t have known she was a girl from a distance.

Andrew eyed the girl then turned to his cousin with an unmistakable glint in his gaze, “Uh Justin open the door for Darnell.” He flashed a smirk.

Justin reached over to unlock the door and slid into the far right corner of the car.

“Darnell say hi to Justin.” At the mention of her name, Darnell acknowledged him with a slight wiggle of her fingers and a barely audible, “Hey Justin.” She hadn’t even bothered to turn her head to look at him.

Andrew released a deep breath and shifted the car into drive. He watched Justin in his rearview mirror, hoping that he didn’t screw up this date for him. He had been trying to work up the nerve to ask Darrien Simmons out for weeks and now that they were going on their first date, he wanted everything to go smoothly.

Justin didn’t mean to stare, but once she stepped into the car, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He didn’t know why he stared; it wasn’t like she was a miniature version of her sister, whom he continued to sneak glances at through the left side mirror. He’d thought she was beautiful before, but that had been from a distance. Up close, she was gorgeous even though he hadn’t focused on more than what was below the neckline.

Justin shifted awkwardly and focused his gaze back on the sister that would keep his hormones at bay.

Darnell tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear to adjust her headphones, cocked her head to one side, and continued playing her handheld game, oblivious to him watching her. Or maybe not quite oblivious.

He’d thought she had ignored him because she was entranced in her video game, but he quickly realized that she was purposely ignoring his presence when he made an attempt to talk to her.

“Uh…um Darnell?” He whispered and reached to tap her on her shoulder, but thought better of it before completing the action. Fumbling with his “lucky” stone, he cut his eyes at her and found her staring directly at him. He swallowed.

When he lifted his hand to wave, she looked away, resuming her game. He hadn’t missed the roll of her eyes before she’d dissed and dismissed him. What is up with her?

He didn’t know what made him do it, but he quickly snatched the Game Boy from her grasp and sat on it. Darnell’s eyes widened in irritation and she shot him a deathly stare.

Justin cringed inwardly, but he managed to mirror her challenging stance. Yet, neither one of them wanted to be the first one to speak. Instead, Darnell flipped him the bird and stuck out her tongue before pinching him, causing him to yelp out in pain.

“Ow!” She had continuously pinched him until he lifted his body enough for her to retrieve her Game Boy.

“What the hell? Dee why did you do that?” Darrien asked trying to contain the chuckle that bubbled in her stomach. She had quietly watched the exchange between the two of them after Andrew had alerted her of their bickering.

“He took my game and put it under his pale ass and farted on it!”

“What I didn’t fart on it!”

“Did so.”

“Did not.”

“Did so.”

The bickering continued for a while until Justin stole her headphones and escalated the dispute.

Darnell launched herself on him. She had no problem fighting boys her own age, in fact in all her thirteen years, it had become a special hobby of hers. In the midst of their fighting, Darnell suddenly moved away, staring at him with an expression of utter shock.

Oh dear God!

“Darrien I wanna go back home.”

“What- no. What’s wrong?” Andrew spoke up. Damnit Justin!

He and Darrien glanced back and forth between the two of them wondering what the hell had just happened.

“I didn’t mean in it.” Justin blurted out, not aware that he and Darnell were the only ones aware of the swelling in his pants.

“Gross.” Darnell mouthed her contempt, cringing against the door as far away from him as possible.

*~*~*~*

Andrew pulled into the driveway and placed the car in park. He turned toward Darrien to smile at her. Despite the earlier confrontation between Justin and Darnell, the date had managed to go surprisingly well.

“Do you think we can do this again sometime…without them?” He tilted his head to acknowledge the children in the backseat.

“I would like that.” She reached for his hand and fingered the scars along the back of his hand.

Andrew returned the light squeeze lifting her hand to land a kiss against the back, “I’ll call you later on tonight.”

“Darrien come on!” Darnell huffed breaking the flirtatious ambiance that floated in the air. She jumped out the car and slammed the door.

“Okay. Um…well bye Justin.” Darrien slid gracefully out of the car and walked around the left side to meet her younger sister. “Tell Justin bye Dee.”

Darnell shot her older sister a look of incredulity. “Are you buggin’? Why would I say anything to that…ugh. Okay, bye Andrew and Justin.” She obeyed her sister’s orders, but made sure that her tone was laced with disgust especially for Justin.

Justin rolled down the window, “You better watch your back Simmons.” To that, Justin received the middle finger again. Darnell rolled her eyes and stalked off. Darrien followed behind a few moments after.

Andrew waited until they had closed the door behind them before speaking, “What the hell were you trying to do Justin? This was my first date with a black chick and…” He paused focusing his eyes on his cousin, who held a Game Boy in his hand.

“Justin! Why do you have that game?”

“Dee-Darnell left it.” He replied without looking up from the game.

“No, she didn’t. Take it to her and apologize too.” Justin had no choice but to abide by Andrew’s command, unless he wanted to walk a few miles down the road to get back home.

Trudging up the stairs slowly, he thought about the names he could call her once she opened the door, but when an older black man opened the door instead, his throat closed up.

“Can I help you young man? Whatever you are selling the Simmons’ don’t want it.”

“I’m not selling anything sir, um…” His palms became extremely sweaty and he had to relieve the sweat on his hands by wiping them on his pants.

“I need to see Darnell.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Justin had regretted them, especially when the man’s eyes narrowed into slits at the mention of his daughter. Justin was certainly glad he hadn’t mentioned the date.

“Uh I wanted to…um…” Speak up and get it together!

Suddenly Darnell appeared beside the older man, “Daddy, mommy wants your help in the kitchen.”

Her father looked down at her and smiled, “Baby don’t buy anything from this boy he needs to pass English first.” He walked off mumbling incoherent statements about young people and education.

“I thought you had left. What do you want camera boy?” She gave him a smug look, challenging him to come up with a competing statement.

Justin took a step forward, but Darnell stopped him with the palm of her hand, “You and that thing stay right there.” She said then held out her hand, “Give me my Game Boy.”

He placed the object in her hand and stepped back.

“Why don’t you take a picture of this camera boy?” She held up the offending finger for the third time that night and shut the door in his face.

Andrew’s loud laughter echoed in his ears as Justin walked back to the car smiling as well.

Despite the mutual dislike they had for one another, Justin and Darnell saw more of each other that summer than they ever wanted. If Darrien went out with Andrew, their overprotective father expected her to take Darnell along, and then Andrew was forced to bring Justin. When Andrew came to visit, Darnell and Justin were used as chaperones. They teased and fought each other in the basement while Andrew and Darrien played kissy face in the corner. Sometimes, but not often enough, they would be civil to each other during a game of Super Mario Bros. or Street Fighter. Soon, they all fell into a routine. Andrew came to see Darrien. And believe it or not, Justin came to see Darnell.

However, today as Justin stood on the Simmons’ porch waiting for someone to answer the door, his mind wasn’t consumed with Darnell or any game. It was Darrien who fascinated him. She was always dolled up with make up, various hairstyles, and wearing excessive amounts of jewelry. And being three years older than his fourteen years, she had a body more developed than most girls his age. Girls his age barely had any body at all, having more bones than an actual shape. Take Darnell for instance, she surely didn’t have a body that made him have wild dreams at night.

The door finally opened and low and behold, little Darnell filled the entrance. Her plump mouth formed a grimace. Yet, her eyes shone brightly as she said, “I finally got the new Legend of Zelda game and I wanna beat it before school starts next week, wanna play?” She didn’t wait for him to reply as she dragged him towards the basement. Justin clasped onto the banister to prevent her from dragging him further.

“Justin c’mon.” Darnell yanked on his wrist.

“Actually, I already played Zelda and I beat it three weeks ago.”

“What?” She had yet to let go of him. “Well, my daddy just got mine off of layaway.” The frown that she was currently sporting didn’t last long as she continued downstairs.

Justin pulled back again. “Actually, um…” Darnell halted on the stair before him and turned. Her hands were on her hips and her lower lip was tucked between her teeth. Her eyes narrowed. “Is Darrien around?”

“What?”

“Darrien, is she, um, around?” Justin croaked.

“What do you wanna see Darrien for?” Darnell rolled her eyes as if the idea of him wanting to see her sister was ludicrous.

“Uh err, no reason.” He quickly stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Is she here or not?”

“Wait, stop the presses. Are you telling me that you came here just to see Darrien?” Justin nodded. “And not me?”

“No. Darrien is hot, and you’re-” Darnell never let him finish. She landed a shove so hard to his chest that it knocked him on his back. He even slid across the floor.

After checking to make sure his camera was not damaged, Justin stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights. “Darnell, what-”

“Talk to the hand because the face ain’t listening!” With that, she slammed the basement door in his face.

Justin was dusting off his faded jeans and standard flannel shirt when Darrien and her mother entered. He forced himself not to stare up at Darrien’s long legs escaping from her white miniskirt so he focused on her hot pink Converses instead.

“Hey. Mrs. Simmons.” Justin spoke to her first because he couldn’t find the voice to speak to Darrien.

“What is this Mrs. Simmons? You make feel old. Call me Ms. Victoria, honey.” She smiled; politely shaking his hand yet, did not bother to help him up.

“What mom, you make everyone and their mama call you Mrs. Simmons.” Darrien added.

“Justin does not have to as long as he continues to show interest in my daughter.” She turned from Darrien to fix him with a firm stare. “Lord knows I’ll pay him hourly if he can get that child to behave like the girl she is.”

“Mom, you’re kidding right?” Darrien blinked.

“Hmph, I most certainly am not. You and I are not doing the job. And your father, lord he encourages her with those stupid video games and action figures. He treats her as if she is a boy!” Victoria tossed her arm into the air. “You know I have never forgiven him for naming you two after his brothers. My two daughters with boy names? That is unjust.” She scoffed going into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

“I happen to like our names. They’re unique.” Darrien spoke up on her and her sister’s behalf.

“Whatever!” Her mother’s snappish reply traveled from the kitchen. “Help Justin up.”

“C’mon Justin.” The simple action of her stretching out her hand caused her shirt to dip low and expose her cleavage. Justin gulped hard as he grew warm all over as usual. His sweaty palm grasped her delicate one. After she pulled him up, she wrenched her hand away and wiped it dry against her skirt. Embarrassed, Justin folded his hands below his belt and rushed for the basement door.

“Um, I’m gonna go see, what uh, Darnell is doing.” He stumbled into the door until it opened and then hurried downstairs, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Stupid, stupid!” Justin smacked his forehead as he walked towards the couch. He plopped down next to Darnell.

“I thought I was the only one who thought that.” Darnell looked away from her game to add her own two cents. Then her gaze dropped to where Justin was covering the front of his pants with his hands.

“Oh Gross! Not again. Justin you’re gonna have to do something about that or bounce! That is nasty!” She whined, scooting to the other side of the couch, and then resuming her game.

“I’m sorry! I can’t help it. It’s something that happens to guys around girls.”

“Really?” She paused her game to watch Justin nod. “You never react that way around me.”

“Yeah right.” Justin let loose a boisterous laugh. “You dress like a boy and I don’t swing that way.

“But I’m not a boy.” Darnell objected, pretending not to be offended. She tossed aside her game controller to focus her attention on him.

“I know that but you look like a boy.” Justin was grinning until he saw Darnell raise her fist to him. “Wait, don’t hit me again.” He attempted to shield himself.

“Personally, I don’t care what you or those stupid immature boys at school think of how I dress. I’m all girl underneath these boy clothes!” She forced out her chest, bucking at him.

Justin pressed his hands against her thrusting shoulders to prevent her from falling on top of him. “Okay, chill out!”

“Say I’m a girl. Say it!” Darnell lunged on top of him and soon had him in a headlock. “Say it.” When Justin remained silent, her grip tightened. “Boy, you better say it!”

“Okay, you’re a girl! Darnell, I said you’re a girl!”

She backed away. “Thank you.”

“You’re a flat-chested girl!” Justin laughed and then broke out in a run. Darnell chased him around the basement until they both conked out right in the middle of the floor.

~*~*~*~*~

Winter ‘93

“Oh man oh man. Darnell is going to kill me! Why’d your stupid car have to break down?” Justin stopped walking along side his cousin to let him have a piece of his mind.

“Justin, dude chill out! We’re almost at her house. You guys’ll get to the dance on time.”

“Yeah, but this snow is messing up my suit and my hair.” He gently brushed the flurries from his head and clothes.

“J, stop being a girl. You look fine.”

“Hey, don’t call me a girl.” Justin threw his shoulder into Andrew’s stomach.

Andrew pulled him away and they continued walking. “You’re acting all emotional over a date with Darnell. I’m just calling it as I see it. Hey, how did you hook up with Darnell for this dance anyway? I thought you didn’t like her.”

“Err, her mother asked me to take her. I don’t like her.” He diverted his attention to the snow falling from the sky. “

“Yes, you do. You’re over there more than me.” Andrew teased, jabbing his shoulder.

“She’s cool to play video games with, but I like Darrien.” Justin gave Andrew a teasing smile of his own.

“Darrien? You’re trying to take my girl dude. Wait, those dreams you’ve been having are about Darrien?”

“Mmm hmm.” Justin licked his lips just to torment Andrew some more.

“You punk.” Andrew smacked him playfully in the head. “So you think Darnell is going to wear a dress tonight?”

“Yup. She told me she is wearing a black dress.”

“She’ll probably look just like Darrien all dressed up.”

“Hmm I doubt it. Darrien is hot!” Andrew shook his head at Justin’s enthusiastic response before telling him to go knock on the door. Justin did as he was told and then waited on the porch as usual. He could hear all the commotion taking place on the other side of the door.

“I’ll get it, I’ll get it.” That was Darnell rushing for the door.

“Oh no you don’t. Get your hind parts back upstairs and put on those shoes. You have to make an entrance.” That was Ms. Victoria. “C’mon let me put some make up on you. Your father will get the door.”

“Aww mommy.” The voices faded away before he heard the sound of the door unlocking.

“Hey, Mr. Davis.” Justin croaked. The tall man always frightened him.

“That’s Mr. Simmons to you. Is that your cousin out there? You two come in here.”

Justin looked over his shoulder at his cousin with weary eyes and gestured for Andrew to follow him.

As soon as Justin entered the house, he tried to make himself scarce before Mr. Simmons had the opportunity to grill him, but he hadn’t anticipated him blocking the entrance to the next room.

“Who brought your suit young man?” Even the simplest question sounded like a death threat.

“I did sir.” Andrew spoke up saving Justin from becoming a stuttering fool.

“You need to fix your tie and take that damn camera from around your neck.” Justin quickly removed the camera from around his neck but continued to hold it in his hand.

Uneasy footsteps sounded from upstairs and when Justin heard Darnell’s voice he figured the footsteps had belonged to her. She had confessed a couple of weeks ago that her mother would be forcing her to wear heels for the first time.

“Okay…” He could hear the stammering of his “date” followed by a faltered footstep. “Darrien stop stepping on my dress before I fall!”

Justin glanced at his watch wondering how long it would take Darnell to get down the steps. His boredom must’ve displayed on his face because Mr. Simmons eyed him with dislike and walked over to him. Justin could’ve sworn he heard booming footsteps as he neared.

“When my daughter comes down I want you to tell her how beautiful she looks.” Justin swallowed hard and nodded. Why is everyone in this family so demanding, except for Darrien of course?

“You look beautiful Dar-Darnell!” The compliment left his mouth as a screech as soon as her first foot hit the last stair. He wondered if anyone else noticed his faltered compliment. He had almost complimented Darrien instead of Darnell, the one he was forced to compliment. In fact, he hadn’t even looked at Darnell yet.

True to her usual self, Darrien did indeed look very beautiful in minimal amount of makeup and slim-fit jeans.

“Hi Darrien.” He smiled widely, watching her walk over to Andrew and hug him.

After witnessing the flirtatious exchange between the two of them, Justin had no choice but to look at Darnell.

He blinked his eyes several times at the sight she presented. Am I dreaming? Justin figured that he was so freaked out about the date, that he had imagined Darnell coming down the steps looking that good. No, she looked better than good, she looked…like Darrien!

The black a-line gown accentuated her figure; in fact it actually gave her a figure, in Justin’s eyes at least. Where had she been hiding those? The aforementioned thought referred to the breasts Darnell suddenly possessed. When in reality she had had them all along. He was thankful that the neckline displayed a little cleavage to ward off the suspicion that she had stuffed her bra. The gathered bodice extended to just below the hips where the skirt flared out creating a mermaid shape, it created somewhat of an hourglass figure that he had thought only her sister had owned.

At a sudden loss for words, Justin couldn’t form a coherent phrase to say anything more about her appearance.

“I thought Darnell said the boy had learned English.” Mr. Simmons grumbled under his breath adjusting the lens of his camera.

“Okay, time for pictures.” Mrs. Simmons clapped her hands together excitedly and all but pushed Darnell toward Justin.

Justin cautiously laced an arm around her waist and unintentionally toyed with the satin bow. He would have toyed with it a moment longer if her father hadn’t extracted his arm from its resting place.

“Not so close there young man.”

“Davis move out of the way.” Mrs. Simmons reprimanded pushing him aside before quickly repositioning Justin’s arm around Darnell’s waist. Beaming, she stepped back.

“Take the picture honey. Oh Justin give me that stupid camera.” He did as told, reluctantly handing over his precious camera.

After her mother had forced them to strut every possible pose, they were ready to go. However, Justin felt that he should have a picture to add to his collection.

He cleared his throat before speaking, “I’d like to have a picture too.”

Mr. Simmons reached for his camera but Justin shrugged away from him insisting that he’d take the picture himself. “Can you stand against that wall Darnell?”

She inched across the room to avoid tripping over her own feet and stood against the wall. Justin didn’t allow her the time to pose before snapping the picture just as she had looked up.

“What was that for?” She demanded hotly.

“I don’t want you to pose that’ll look so fake.” Mr. Simmons cleared his throat at Justin’s comment, believing that he had taken a stab at his photography skills.

“Oh…well can we go now? My feet are starting to hurt.” Darnell rolled her eyes, which gave Justin the perfect opportunity to snap another classic picture.

“Is that even going to look nice…?” Mr. Simmons whispered in dislike.

“Who cares?” Mrs. Simmons whispered back with a smile.

Darrien walked forward dangling her father’s car keys. “Ya’ll two ready now?” Andrew had explained to her about his car, therefore she had to take over the task of driving.

“Yes.” Justin and Darnell spoke simultaneously followed by Andrew. He was tagging along for the ride so that he could steal some time alone with Darrien.

Grabbing their jackets, Darnell and Darrien followed the men outside to the car.

Darnell adjusted the lapel of her jacket and looked up to find Justin watching her with intense blue eyes, a small smile playing at his lips.

Narrowing her eyes, she combed a loose tendril behind her ear. “Why are you staring at me like that?” She asked as he opened the passenger door for her.

“Err…no reason.” He stumbled over his words as he waited for her to get in. Immediately after he entered the car, he began fidgeting with his tie.

“Justin why are you acting…” She watched how the expressions had changed on his face and then she dropped her eyes to where he held the camera in his lap.

Darnell leaned over to murmur in his ear, “Is that what I think you are hiding?” So much for her attempt at discretion, Justin thought as he nodded.

“Is that because of me?” Her eyebrows lifted at the question.

“Uh…no…yes.” He sighed finally giving up, but he made an attempt to sugarcoat his reaction with a lie, “It’s the clothes and makeup, I swear.”

“Mmm hmm.” Darnell hadn’t said anything further, but a smile appeared on her face anyway.