We all walked out of Trevor's place, all with a task to fulfill. "Okay Trevor and Davey, I'll transfer the money to you guys. And you can work on getting the supplies we need and start working on all the technicalities regarding the app", I tell them both. "Leilani and Eric, you guys do the necessary research to get any and every information we need to get this app popping. So that means finding out what people love the most about social media apps, their preferred designs and user interfaces. All that fun stuff. Here, take Lenny with you, he's got a trustworthy face to get people to be more open with you", I tell them while pushing Lenny towards them. "I'll work on things on my side and we'll meet back here in two days. I expect everyone to get the most out of their tasks alright. Any questions", I ask all of them.
"Yeah! Why do we have to meet up by my place", Trevor asks me. "Okay, if there's no serious questions let's get going". We broke off and I made my way back to my apartment to draw out my plans. My phone started to ring in my pocket. I grabbed it out of my pocket and immediately pulled my face at the name that was displayed on screen.
"Speak of the devil, and he starts calling you", I said to myself. "Hello Ethan. What do you want", I ask him. "My brother from another mother! How you been", Ethan asks. "I've been better", I tell him. "Well I can imagine, since I heard from a reliable source that you got fired the other day. How are you dealing with that bro", Ethan asked me. "How do you think Ethan", I tell him while dodging other pedestrians along the side walk. "Well my offer still stands bro. That nice opening for you to be my new PA. All you got to do is ask bro", Ethan says with a laugh. "When you say ask, you really mean beg. Something I won't ever find myself doing just for your entertainment", I tell Ethan in a sharp tone.
"Come on bro". That's just one way of applying yourself. I know you got a beautiful wife to feed. And how's that sweet thing April doing, I bet she didn't take the news too well", Ethan asks me. "That's really none of your business so buzz off", I reply to him. "That's no way to speak to your bro. Anyways my offer will still be standing when your finally ready to grow a pair and take it. Anyways what's your plan till then Jahmal", Ethan asks me. "I'm figuring stuff out at the moment. So don't worry about me", I tell him. "I hope figuring stuff out isn't you doing some ridiculous venture bro. Kinda reminds me of that silly dream book you had as a kid. Remember that", Ethan asks me. I immediately hang up the call and continue on my way back to my apartment.
I was so focused on this app stuff that I completely forgot I had to still dodge my preying landlord. "Mr Baston. You're a hard man to find considering that you live in MY building complex. I hope you're aware that the end of the moth is round the corner, and you have a really long history of making very late rent payments", the landlord reminds me. "Listen, I'll have your money at the end of the month this time okay", I assure him. "Really? If that's the case, why aren't you at work today", he asks me. "New business ventures", I tell him. Right! End of the month Mr Baston. I want my money no later", he tells me.
I get into my apartment, and sit by the kitchen table after grabbing my dream book left on top of the bed. I turn over to the last empty pages and start making notes about what exactly I need to do and how to execute it all. Everything seems to be falling into place so perfectly. So well in fact, that I barely even notice the amount of time that has gone by and the lack of food in my stomach. April arrives home early today and finds her husband deep in his notes.
"Well! I didn't think it was possible, but my husband is focused on something other than me", she exclaims. "You seem a little disappointed, given that it was YOU who started this whole affair", I remind her. "Well, I never imagined me not getting the much needed attention I deserve from you hubby", she replies. I just smile and laugh.
"Did you at least eat something", April asks me. "Uhm. Not anything I remember putting in my mouth today, besides water", I tell her. "Of course", she says while rolling her eyes. She takes out a pot, fills it with water and places it on the stove. She starts looking at me with so much interest and curiosity.
"I can feel your eyes preying on me. So what is it she-wolf", I lift my head up as I ask her that. "Nothing really. It's just. Don't you wish I had met you in this mood, rather than the one I found you on faithful that day", she asks me. I look up at her and roll my eyes. "I really don't need an obvious reminder of that day, okay April", I tell her in a slightly annoyed tone. "Well, I'll never forget that day. The day I met my teary-eyed hero", April states while thinking back to the very moment we first met.
Some years back....
It was my first year at the private high school my stepbrother also attended. Despite my stepmother's obvious hatred for me, she still did me well by sending me to a good school. But it wasn't the best of experience for anyone's average high school life. My stepbrother Ethan was a few classes ahead of me, and he constantly lived on making my schooling days a living nightmare. If it wasn't making fun about me with the pupils in his class, he was probably making it a mission to trip me over at any chance he got. By that time most people knew about my real identity and how I was the bastard child of the Baston family. And Ethan would constantly remind me of the fact.
It must of been an off day for me then, because Ethan's constant harassment finally got to me on that particular day. I ran off into the back of the library after Ethan's less than subtle insults had left their mark. I balled out my eyes while retreating by the history section of the school library. Thankfully nobody else was in there as it was during sports when all of this occurred. Everyone was out on the field, the librarian included. I figured I'd spend a couple minutes in there letting all my emotions get the best of me, and letting it all out. "There was really no better place or time to do it", as I was thinking to myself. But I was wrong about that being the right place.
Someone walked into the library and I failed to notice their arrival due to the flood of my tears.
"Are you crying", a soft voice said standing behind me. I turned to the person to find it was a short white girl standing there. She was really pretty, which made this whole situation a whole lot unbearable to comprehend. "I was! So what!? Everyone cries", I told the girl with a sharp manly tone. "Well I get that, but I don't think this is the right place to do such a thing", she suggested at me. "Well you can't expect me to cry in the boys bathroom. That wouldn't fair any better", I tell her with a high pitch voice. The girl decided to sit right next to me, and I instinctively moved a little further away from her. "Your brother makes a lot of fun of you, which isn't cool. Why don't you stand up to him and put him in his place", she asks me. "He's my stepbrother. And even if I did stand up to him, my stepmother wouldn't let that go past her without giving me a piece of her mind. And of course a harsh punishment", I tell her while wiping off the last of my tears.
"Well you stepbrother and stepmother are just two peas in the same pot. Two idiots stewing together", she claims. That seemed to put a smile on my face, and I was pretty sure that was her plan all along. She puts her hand on my back and starts rubbing it gently in a circular motion. "You shouldn't make those two idiots bring you down. Plus, you can't be crying your eyes out in here", she tells me. She wipes the side of my eyes with her soft hands, grabs the glasses hanging out of my hand, and puts them on for me.
"There we go. Now doesn't that look better and cute", she says as she makes sure my glasses are sitting in their place. "Whats your name anyways. Not this bastard child name everyone calls you by", she asks me. I smile and tell her, "its Jahmal. Jahmal Baston". "I'm April. April Osman. Nice to meet you J", she tells me. "Nice to meet you too A", I tell her back.
We both start smiling stupid. And that was the very start of A and Js beautiful relationship.