The BBF

*Squeeze*.

Nothing.

*Squeeze*.

Nothing. It shouldn’t be this hard to get out some toothpaste. I kept rolling the tube as if there was some type of impediment at the opening trying to deter me from achieving a clean mouth.

“Why won’t this stupid thing-.” In the middle of my sentence, the toothpaste I’d been trying to get out of this stupid tube for the last 10 minutes shot out at me, landing all over my face. At first, I was upset because I had toothpaste all over me, but none on my toothbrush. But when I looked myself in the mirror, I laughed at the paradoxical situation of being cleaner, yet dirtier at the same time. Or was it oxymoronic? I don’t know, I never paid attention in English.

I walked out of the bathroom to grab a towel from the linen closet across the hall. However, when I got to the closet, I noticed someone to my left, someone familiar. He had a depraved, amused look on his face that clearly displayed his effort to hold back his laughter. However, I couldn’t get any words out in order to respond. I was stuck in awe of the fine specimen of a man standing in front of me. It was as if someone committed sacrilege and stole one of God’s angels out of heaven. It was a shame that he was my brother’s best friend. When I came back to reality, I saw a hand waving in front of my face. It was at that moment that I noticed that I had drool coming out of my mouth as well.

“Well, this is awkward. Hey, Corie.” I say as I embarrassingly wipe the drool from off of my chin.

“Hey. I mean, I know I’m sexy but you don’t have to drool over me.” He retorts with a sly smirk.

“Shut it.” I giggle.

“So,” he drags out the word, “are we just gonna ignore the fact that you have an unknown specimen that I’m really hoping is toothpaste all over your face?”

“Yes it is and yes we will.”

“Huh, alrighty then.” He concludes, still amused.

After cleaning my face, I walked back out to the living room where Corie was. He was on the phone.

“Yep. Yep. Alright. Bye.” He sighs and turns to me.

“I’d love to stand here and validate how sexy I am, but I have to bid by valediction.”

“Oh, okay. See you!” I chirp as he walks out the door. As soon as it closes, I plop down on the couch, wondering what could’ve been if I would’ve said something to make him stay.  As I continue to think, I realize, I can still stop him. He’s still in the driveway.

I run out the front door to the back of his car and wave my arms in the air, probably looking as if I just came out of a mental asylum. He steps on his brakes and parks before getting out and looking at me incredulously.

“What’s wrong? You know you just put your life in jeopardy, right?” He says.

“Go on a date with me. The fair is in town, we can go there if you want.” I say, breathless.

“Are we even a good match? I mean, personality wise, I’m a lot more opaque in comparison to your translucency.”

“Opposites attract, don’t they?” I ask, hopeful.

He takes a second to think. “Yeah, let’s go tonight. I’ll be back around 7.”

“Okay! See you then.” I watch him get back in his car and I go back inside with a huge smile on my face.

*After the date, 10 pm*

We walk back into my house after our date giggling and joking.

“Wait what’s that movie called? Convergence?” He asked.

“No, Corie. Divergent.” I giggled as we approached my doorstep. It was then that I started to overthink while looking in his eyes. I liked him a lot, but would he be trying to consummate our newfound dating relationship? I hoped not. I’ve saved myself for 18 years, and I intend to do so until marriage.

“Uh, Eboni? You still in there?” Corie said as he waved his hand in front of my face and brought me back to reality. “I know you’re with the most opulent boy in town, but that’s nothing to swoon over.” He laughed.

“Boy, please. You’re more grotesque than anything.” I laughed along with him.

While we’re laughing together, the front door opens and my older brother, Monte, pops out.

“So this is who you were with. Get in the house Eboni. Why would you date my best friend?”

“Because I’m 18 and you can’t tell me who I can and can’t date.” I step closer to Corie.

“Yeah, chill out man. She’s grown now. You can’t tell her what to do.”

The next thing I knew, they were both on the ground fighting each other, and Corie was losing. I couldn’t do anything but stand there. I was shocked. I was hope for Monte to support the welding together of me and Corie, but instead, he’s doing what he can to cleave us apart. He’s just showing his wanton disrespect for his little sister and his best friend. Punches were thrown, and I couldn’t help but feel wretched because I could do nothing to help.

But then, I had an epiphany. I’d realized my own anagnorisis and decided to do something about it. There was something I could do. I ran into the house and grabbed the fire extinguisher. When I ran back outside, Monte caught the eye of what I was about to do.

“Eboni, what the fu-”

**

I woke up gasping. Was that all a dream? Why would it end right there? Was any part of it real? I had so many questions.

I got up and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and start today. However, once again, the toothpaste wouldn’t come out of the tube. *Squeeze*. Nothing.

Here we go again.