Wilson James Taylor

She took Hunter. Rightfully, she's his, but I've raised him the past four years. I didn't want to get the feds involved because his whole life would come crashing down, and I didn't want him in the system. Taking care of him full time wasn't really an option, either. I mean, he has school and I have work. On top of that, my parents would never let that happen with their image and shit.

"You haven't talked all night," Wes said in my ear.

I shoved him out of my face so he tended back to the road.

Meanwhile, Damian and Omar sat in the back, smoking as we headed to the fight party.

After the whole Anna-Hunter thing, I was -- I guess-- bummed out.

"Here, smoke this and chill out," Damian pushed. I forced the blunt in his hand away from my lips and told Wes to stop the car.

"On the side of the fucking road?" Wes argued.

"Yes, pull over," I yelled at him.

Omar stopped choking enough to ask, "Aye, what's going on?"

"Will's trying to leave," Wes told them, frustrated.

"I'm too high for this," Dame exhaled.

Wes finally stopped the car and I got out. Luckily, I knew there was a convenient store nearby.

I grabbed my shit and listened to them speculate about whatever the fuck they thought I was mad about. I couldn't tell any of them because not only were they high, but childish and lacked depth. Morons, all of them.

"What's up his ass?" asked Omar, aloof.

I slammed the door shut and started towards the store.

"I need a drink," I mumbled to myself as I walked into the store. The little chimes sounded when I entered, annoying me.

"Wilson, hi," the clerk said. "always a pleasure. How's your mom?"

"She's, y'know, a mom," I dragged my words, squinting under the twinkling yellow light.

Mrs.Singh was an old family friend, her and my mom went way back. I think she knew me when I was a kid.

The elderly brown lady went on to blab about my mother's latest book, asking questions that went in one ear and out the other.

I felt a headache coming on but to me, that was nothing a bottle of Tito's couldn't handle.

A girl entered, she was a tall brunette and caught my eye. I even did a double take, but continued to the back of the store.

After looking for a minute, I found my drink of choice.

There was a short line ahead of me so I stood there, but impatiently.

I felt a presence behind me and curiously looked over my shoulder to see the stranger approaching.

She smiled warmly, triggering my memory.

Where do I know her from? I thought in my head, mad I could forget a pretty face like that.

It took me another second, then I recalled.

"Delaney's niece," I drawled aloud.

"Hunter's brother," she shook her finger in my face, remembering. I liked how she mirrored my energy.

"Next," Mrs.Singh called. The little woman ahead of me put her beer on the counter.

"W-what're you doing out?"

She tilted her head and shrugged. "Figured I was too cute to sit inside all night."

"I love delusional people," I joked.

Sydney gasped, not able to come up with a good comeback.

"Next," Mrs.Singh vocalized.

I stepped up and let her scan the Tito's. She didn't card me, I just gave her cash.

She was about to hand me the change when I said, "keep it."

"Will, no," she insisted but I didn't accept.

Sydney stepped up and took the bills off the counter. "You owe me a meal, your brother ate all my food and Delaney's making vegan mac and cheese."

I chuckled, almost in disbelief she was so comfortable doing that.

"What," she clicked, waiting at the door.

"I'm not hanging out with someone I just met," I laughed, walking past her thin body.

Sydney stopped and looked around. She then flailed her arms.

"What now?" I exhaled, looking around her glowing face.

"I don't see any cars, so you didn't drive," she gathered.

I laughed in short. "Yeah, well, neither did you."

"Fact," she talked, walking in a circle around me. "so we should stick together. Don't want me getting trafficked, do you?"

"That was low. . . I'll bite. Let's go."

***

Sydney and I went on to walk as far as we could before I got tired and just agreed to Uber to the city.  With nothing really to do, we just went wherever the night took us.

For someone I just met, I learned she was actually pretty cool. We didn't talk about anything that mattered, but that was the beauty of it - she could talk for hours. I always respected people who could start a conversation, I rarely did, but I knew how to carry one.

The bottle was less than half empty when Sydney and I decided to get a pizza. Since the shop was closing, we took it elsewhere.

1:24am

When my phone lit up in my hand, I hoped it was Hunter. It wasn't.

"Your girlfriend know you're out this late?" she teased, swaying on the pole.

"She'll be fine," I played.

I banged my head against the glass of the bus stop and let out a sigh.

Sydney put her lips together and smiled, her chin down. It looked sensual but she's just bubbly and drunk.

"I like your Adam's apple," she giggled. "Can you feel it, like, move in there?"

"Huh?" I laughed.

She walked towards me, one foot in front of the other, and sat on my right.

"W-why is it called that?"

I shrugged. "If women had one, would it be called an Eve's apple?"

"Hm," she sounded, looking like she was actually curious. "you think?"

"I don't know," I burped. "I'm drunk."

She laughed this cute laugh that made me stop and stare.

"What?" asked Sydney, thinking she had something or her face because of my staring.

"Nah, nothing," I said, looking at the bus that just pulled up.

"Well," Sydney squeaked, "let's get on."

*

It was late. Everyone on the bus looked liked they were going to sleep or just waking up from it. Then, there was Sydney and me. And I know, it's Sydney and I, but it's my parents who are proper, not me.

We sat in the seat together, I let her be by the window.

The couple in front of us started arguing and everyone kind of just gave short, curious looks until things got real bad.

"Should we do something?" Sydney asked me in a whisper. I just sunk in the seat and tried to look like I was minding my business.

Her looked shook against mine like she was itching to intervene.

"I don't like this," she grumbled at hearing the big man call his partner a bitch.

I didn't agree either, but there no way I was taking on Terry Crews' lookalike. I mean, same build, bald head, and all.

"Can I help you?" he barked at the stranger.

"I overheard you two arguing and I don't think you should talk to her like that," Sydney boldly asserted. She stood under the man with his chest puffed and didn't budge.

I sat up, hoping this wouldn't go left.

"Thank you," the woman with ginger locs mouthed to Sydney, uncrossing her coffee-colored arms.

Sydney nodded, looking proud of herself, but didn't leave them alone.

"Can y'all just shut up, damn?!" one bus-rider snapped.

"Yeah! Some of us are just getting off work," another bystander shouted.

"Some of us are going to work, pal!" The last commenter made me laugh.

"Chantel, this is between me and you. Don't let some little Karen gas you up," the guy raged, grabbing his girl's arm.

"Okay, I'm not a Karen, but I can turn into one if you don't get your hands off the lady. What the Hell is the matter with you?" Sydney spat, trying to pry his fingers off.

I got up to pull Sydney away. It's not that I'm defending a stranger like she's a damsel in distress but we did come together and if he put his hands on a woman he was supposed to care about, imagine what he'd do to a random girl who's probably no more than a hundred-twenty pounds.

"Sorry about her, Cujo, she's had a few drinks," I nervously laughed, pulling her body down the aisle.

She sat in the seat and angrily glared out of the window.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he remarked. "Now, back to you, Chantel--"

I stopped in the aisle and inhaled deeply, my light brown eyes closed.

Okay, I almost let him slide when I shouldn't have, but I wasn't going out like that. You can't put your arms on a woman and then "that's what I thought" me. Nah.

"Alright, man, let her go," I warned him.

The woman, Chantel, looked at me with worry in her almost black eyes.

"I don't need to be saved," she seethed, snatching away from me as I took her other hand.

"Is there a problem?" asked the bus driver who stopped the bus to address the commotion.

Sydney got up, walking past me. "She doesn't want help, don't help her. Come on, this is our stop," she mumbled.

The woman's lip quivered but she didn't verbally object. So, I let her go, but only after I saw the man throw his hands up and move to a seat in the back.

I followed Sydney off of the bus and it left us in a part of the city I hadn't visited much since graduating college. The hub for college students, a few streets of event spaces - the campus night life. Different groups of friends made crowds outside of the bars and had the streets buzzing as they drunkenly shouted and laughed.

"I forgot it was Friday," I apparently talked to myself.

Sydney swung her Dior purse and walked ahead of me.

"I didn't need you to do that back there, you know," she vocalized, trying to walk in a straight line on the edge of the sidewalk.

"Huh?" I asked, pushing my hair back.

"You heard me," she quickly shot back, never looking up from her feet. "play hero. It's like, one of the worst things your kind can do."

"My kind?" I laughed, catching up.

She stopped and faced me. "Men."

"Ah, you're one of those?"

Her little face curled. "Spare me."

I then walked backwards, smirking as I read her. "Girls like you hate men because you don't know how to pick them, but you can't group me with, say, that guy back there - I'm not nearly that bad."

She didn't look amused, her mouth twisted. "Who?" she asked.

I was confused and questioned, "'Who' what?"

"Cares," she replied, blowing a raspberry.

"You're actually funny," I gave her that.

"You say it like you're surprised?"

I lifted both shoulders. "Haven't met many of your kind who are."

"Touche."

*

3:14am

I put my phone away after checking the time.

Sydney let out a yawn.

"What, are you sleepy?" I teased.

"Very. You're not?" she looked at me crazy.

I sat back on the public bench in the center of a outdoor shopping plaza.

"Nah," I swallowed. "I never really can sleep this early."

"Insomnia?"

"Yeah," I said, picking at my hands.

"You should try lavender," she suggested.

I watched her shake the medium-sized Hi-C and when it was empty, she got up and put it in the trash.

When she sat back down, I asked about the lavender thing.

"Okay, like, I don't know the specifics, but it helps. Trust me. I used to use it."

"You have insomnia, too?"

"I said 'used to', Will, listen."

I laughed at her sass and put my hood up.

"Maybe we should get going?" said Sydney after another small yawn.

"Yeah, I have work tomorrow," I replied, standing first.

"Wanna ride the bus again?" she laughed.

"With you? Fuck no."

***

The Uber was for the most part quiet. I wouldn't even be up driving people around at three in the morning, and I can't even sleep, it's just Hell.

The foreign man kept his eyes on the road and played throwback songs lowly on the bluetooth.

"Sydney?" My voice strained.

She picked her head up from the palm of her hand and looked at me.

"If you hate men so much, why'd you hang out with me tonight?"

"You're a man?" she joked. Even tired, she remained humorous. I liked that.

I chuckled. "Shut up."

"Um," she gulped, trying to articulate her next words well. "Maybe because you were kinda right earlier - about having bad taste."

"I was right? Me, a man?"

"I did say 'kinda', so, relax," she hummed.

I kept my head against the rest and tried to see where she was coming from.

Sydney's hair was now up in a high ponytail and she looked cold. I was sorry I didn't have a hoodie she could wear, not that she'd want it anyway.

"How do you do this?" Sydney asked the man about his driving career.

"It just my job, I make money," he answered, lowering the volume.

Seeing how Sydney could just spark conversation with strangers about anything kind of encouraged me to. Kind of.

"Yeah, but, why? Like, at this time, I mean. Don't you have a wife, family?" I pried.

He looked between us in the rear view mirror.

"Who do you think I work for?" he cackled.

When the driver, named Sunny, came to a red light, he pulled out his wallet and showed us a picture of his wife and four daughters.

"Shit, four daughters?" I croaked, earning a side eye from the woman in the car - Sydney.

The light turned green while Sunny proceeded forward. He dropped his wallet and tried picking it up, causing the car to swerve.

Sydney gasped and held onto to her seatbelt, bracing herself while I just laughed.

"It wasn't that serious," I joked with her.

Her teeth clenched, she looked at Sunny who reclaimed his wallet.

"Can you just... eyes on the road?" she snapped.

"Okay, okay, sorry," he apologized. "sheesh."

With that, he turned the music back up.

"Sorry," she breathed out. Sunny just put his hand up but went on to drive safer.

At long last, we were at Delaney's house, where Sydney was staying now.

"Sorry again," she spoke to Sunny. "Good night, Will."

"You good?" I asked.

"I don't need you to walk me to the step o-or make sure I get in okay, if that's what you mean," she sassed after a hiccup.

"Well it's not what I meant at all, so," I played it off. Yeah it is.

She hopped out and gave a small smile. "Good night, male."

"What's good about it?" I snarked, sitting back in the car.

She put her head against the door and got a good look at me. "Weird. Hey, try lavender."

"Sounds like a safeword."

She laughed at that and then shut the door, the window still down.

In a sensual voice, she dramatically said, "Lavender," and then waved goodnight as Sunny pulled off.

I put the window up and shut my eyes finally.

"Aheh," I laughed quietly. "Lavender. . ."