Tricksters

When I rolled over the next morning my head felt like it was split-in-two the pain was so immense.I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, when I could open them without them feeling like they would pop out of their sockets I did. Tarrence sat on the edge of the bed with some asprin and a glass of water, I took them gratefully. \"What happened to you last night?\" He demanded.

I shook my head, \"We ended up at the Ruff Ryders, Chelsi ordered some drinks.\" I took another sip of water, \"Tarrence, I don\'t even know how I made it here last night, or what time it was.\"

\"It was three a.m. Trick. I was worried sick about you, remember what happened last time you did this?\" How could i forget. It had been at Chelsi\'s birthday party, Chelsi loves to drink, I\'d gotten drunk and gotten myself into a race before I knew what was going on. I barely made it across the finish line.

\"I\'m sorry Tarrence.\" I mumbled.

\"Damn right,\" I heard Alexandria\'s cries from down the hall, \"Just get some rest, I\'ll check on you later.\" I fell back into my pillow as he walked out and shut the door, I sobbed until my eyes and forehead throbbed, I finally fell asleep, exhausted.

It was dark when I felt well enough to get up, I was ravenous, but only took a coke from the fridge and sat on the couch. Tarrence sat beside me watching a movie, \"Feeling better?\" I nodded and sipped the coke, \"You can\'t do that every weekend like you use to you know.\"

\"I know, I don\'t think I will after the way i felt today. I never had hangovers when I use to do this.\"

He put his arm around my shoulders, \"You weren\'t carrying a baby for nine months when you use to do that.\"

I smiled, \"I know, I guess I was glad I wasn\'t drunk when this damn white boy came up and hit on me.\" He frowned and looked in my eyes, \"I sent him packing Tarrence, don\'t worry.\"

He took the coke out of my hand and took a sip, \"I know, it\'s not like I don\'t trust you or anything..in some things, now drinking, lets talk about that.\" I groaned and buried my head in his shoulder, he chuckled, \"I\'m just joking!\"


I sat in the nursery playing with Alex when Tarrence came in, \"Half-n-half is here, she wants to talk to you about the Fresno trip this year.\"

I nodded and waited for Half-n-Half to appear in the nursery. I bounced Alexandria and rocked her when Half-N-Half walked in, I placed Alex in her crib and Half-n-Half smiled, \"She\'s pretty, she\'s got your eyes, and if I\'m not mistaken, which I\'m not, your stubborn jaw.\" I elbowed her and she fell back laughing, \"Listen I came to talk about Fresno, are you going?\"

I watched Alex stare at her walls as the sun shone the sparkles on it, he eyes wide, \"You know I can\'t.\"

\"You never missed a Fresno trip! Except last year, but you were pregnant!\"

I glared at her, \"You know as well as I do that Tarrence won\'t let me go alone after what happened the other night.\" \"I know, he told me, I shouldn\'t of let Chelsi do that, not after you not doing anythin\' like that for about a year.\" Alex cooed and laughed, \"Half, I\'m not going to be able to keep up with this Prez. gig much longer, I\'m thinking of going in conference and namin\' you...\"

\"Whoa! Hold up! I can\'t, I mean you\'ve been...no, Trick, you know the only way is if someone beats you in a race.\" \"Fine.\" \"A fair race trick. You can\'t lose purposely.\"

\"I feel you\'re making this up Half, I\'m stilling calling conference.\"

She gaped at me, \"You\'re serious aren\'t you.\"


I stared back at her, \"As serious as I\'ll ever be, I know representing the Renegades was all I ever wanted, but if it means giving up, Alex..\" I picked her up out of the crib, \"I just want whats best for her.\"

Half-N-Half nodded, \"I understand, I\'ll try and get it to the group, they won\'t take it well though.\"

\"They\'ll understand.\" Half-N-Half left and I laid Alex back in the crib, Tears streamed down my face, it was either give up my racing and the Renegades or give up Alex. It was the toughest Decision of my life.


It rained the next day, the coldest rain all summer, steam rolled off the sidewalk and streets when the rain hit it. I stood in the kitchen looking out the backdoor. Raindrops hit the glass door and rolled down it, I placed my forehead against the cool glass, I sighed and thought about Fresno, the Renegades, and my racing. I felt strong hands squeeze my shoulders, I placed my hand on top of his and breathed a sigh fogging up the glass. \"Whats on your mind?\" Tarrence put his head on my shoulder and stared out at the rain with me.

\"Riding, racing, Fresno, Renegades, Alex, you.\"

\"Ah, Half-n-Half put you to thinking.\" I nodded, \"Are you thinking of hangin\' it up?\"

I kicked the door, \"Damn it Tarrence I can\'t! You know that just as well as I do. I don\'t know what to do, I\'m going crazy here! I don\'t know.. Tarrence, I never planned on having children, I dreamed of it, but never planned it. I guess I should\'ve thought about it more when me and you started...\" I stared off blankly, \"I can try to do both, but then you\'d be left behind and I don\'t want to make you stay here just because I\'m out representing.\"

He hugged me around the shoulders, \"I don\'t care what you do so long as you make up your damn mind soon, I\'m sick of seeing you like this. You toss and turn all night, then you get up and walk around the house for a an hour and come back and fall asleep for about fifteen minutes and repeat the same thing over. You haven\'t been eating and you\'re just starting to scare me.\"

\"Tarrence, I just....\" he was already gone, I quietly slid the door open and stepped out, the concrete was semi-warm and steam rose around me. I stepped out into the rain and let it splash down onto my head, my feet, my jeans, and my blue cotton shirt. The raindrops splashed onto my face and rolled down my cheeks, I looked up at the sky; thunder rumbled and grey-black clouds covered the vast blue expanse. I blinked raindrops out of my eyes and pulled my hair back. Then someone lifted me up. Tarrence picked me up in his arms as the rain fell on both of us. He spun around and slipped in the mud, he dropped me and fell down splashing mud on his white cotton t-shirt. I crawled over and on top of him. He opened his eyes and smiled at me, I leaned down and kissed him, water dripping from my face, hair, and shirt.

I laid on top of his body, and lay my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He ran a hand halfway through my wet and tangled hair, \"I wish you\'d make a decision.\"

I looked at him and took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds and then letting it out, \"I think I have.\" He kissed my forehead and pushed me off of him, he stood up and pulled me up after him. We went inside sopping wet to find the other club presidents and Half-N-Half standing in the living room.

\"The d-door was unlocked.\" She looked at us shocked, \"I tried to call, b-but, you didn\'t answer.\"

Tarrence took off his shirt and threw it at her, \"Next time keep calling before you come crashing in here.\"

He walked down the hall. I looked at Half-N-Half, \"Just give me a few minutes.\" She nodded and I ran off to get a towel, and talk to Tarrence.