The Realest Ever

Chapter ELEVEN

THE FORGOTTEN STORY

The next few weeks were filled with progress for Kyra. It felt like God finally took her off the bench and put her in the game of life, saying, “Alright, baby. Show me what you got.”

Kyra got her car out of the shop the day after Donovan’s breakup (which she still didn’t know anything about). With her car came a huge slice of freedom that was better than Kyra ever imagined. No longer did she have to wait in the hot sun for a city bus that was filled with all sorts of strangers, some friendly, some not. Quinell’s school was only ten blocks away, but Kyra now had the option to take him or pick him up on bad weather days.

Best of all Kyra didn’t have to ask her aunt for a ride to the social services office or to the grocery store. Aunt Ruth was a little riled up about that, but Kyra began to care less and less about offending her shifty relative/landlord. When she was in her car, Kyra felt like she could drive anywhere. She felt like she could get away at anytime. She still didn’t have anywhere to go if things reached the boiling point with Aunt Ruth, but at least Kyra could pack up all of her things and leave at a moment’s notice.

And that felt good.

The only thing better was a phone call Kyra received on Wednesday, September 24. It was Robyn Powley, the principal at J.T. Elder Elementary. She invited Kyra to the campus to interview for an office clerk position. Kyra called Donovan when he got off work that day. Donovan confirmed that he spoke with the vice principal at J.T. Elder and asked him to pull Kyra’s file.

Kyra was a nervous wreck when she interviewed for the position, but Mrs. Powley was funny and friendly. She put Kyra at ease, and she didn’t stumble when explaining her spotty work history. She and Mrs. Powley hit it off, and the principal offered Kyra the position before she left the school. Kyra went to the administration building on Thursday for more paperwork and a background check, and she started work at J.T. Elder the following Monday.

It was such a humbling experience, all that had happened since she returned to Overbrook Meadows. Kyra felt like her life was essentially over in Little Rock. Her eyes welled with tears each time her daydreams took her back to those dark and reckless days. She knew things had to be better in Texas, but Kyra never imagined she’d have a job and a car within two months.

She knew she didn’t deserve the favor God continued to show her. And there was no doubt Donovan was an extension of His holy grace.



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On Saturday, October 11 Donovan pulled into Aunt Ruth’s driveway and parked behind Kyra’s Ford Escort. He got out and walked around her car, quickly inspecting the vehicle before he went to the door. The Escort had an okay paint job and nice tires. It needed a trip to the car wash, and Donovan saw that one of the screws holding the back license plate was loose. He knelt and tightened it as best he could with his fingers.

Donovan knocked on the door and was greeted by a handsome young man with a broad grin on his face.

“Hello, Mr. Mitchell.”

“What’s up, Q?” Donovan rubbed the top of his head as he stepped inside the house.

A moment later Kyra appeared in the hallway looking like a ray of sunshine, as usual. She wore a purple cocktail dress that had a cinched waist and a low neckline. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, drawing Donovan’s eyes to her lovely face. She smiled at her best bud as she put on one of her earrings.

“Hello, sir.”

Donovan wore a blood red button-down with faded jeans and casual loafers. He was clean cut. His jeans fit him just right. Kyra didn’t think he could get any more handsome, especially when he smiled. She loved to go out with Donovan.

“You look lovely,” he said.

“Thanks.” Kyra blushed. “Let me tell my aunt I’m leaving.”

“Alright.”

Kyra disappeared down a different hallway, and Donovan took a seat on the couch.

“How you doing in school?” he asked Quinell.

“Fine, sir.”

“You play ball?”

Quinell shook his head.

“You look like you’d be good at football,” Donovan said. “You ever played?”

He shook his head again.

“If you want, I’ll ask your mom to bring you to some of my games,” Donovan said. “My team isn’t any good, but they’re fun to watch.”

The boy smiled.

Kyra entered the room again a lot less cheery than she was a moment ago. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” Donovan rose to his feet. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. We’ll be back,” she told Quinell. She gave him a kiss on the forehead and headed for the front door. “Make sure you brush your teeth before you go to bed, if I’m not back by ten. But I should be.”

“I will,” Quinell said.

Donovan gave the boy a pat on the shoulder before he followed Kyra out. “Hey, what happened?” he asked when they were outside.

“My aunt,” she said. “But I don’t want to let it ruin my night.” She smiled. “Thanks for picking me up. I wish I could pay for dinner, but I haven’t gotten paid yet, from my job, ’cause, you know, I have a job now.” She was beaming, the troubles with her aunt already pushed out of her mind.

“You do have a job, don’t you?” Donovan said as they stepped off the porch. “When you get paid, I want you to take me to one of those fancy steak houses.”

“Okay,” Kyra said. “I get paid next month.”

Donovan opened the door for her and helped her inside his truck.

“I’m just kidding,” he said before he closed it. “I wouldn’t waste your money like that.”

Kyra had to wait until he walked around and took a seat on the driver’s side before she could tell him, “It wouldn’t be a waste, Donovan. I owe you a lot.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Kyra. Stop saying that.”

Grrrr. “You’re so frustrating. But I don’t care what you say, you’re going to let me pay you back for some of the stuff you helped me with – the groceries and my car repairs for sure.”

“Okay, whatever,” Donovan said as he backed out of the driveway. “How’s your car running? Do you want me to take it to the carwash?”

Kyra grinned. “I’m pretty sure I can handle that. Are you trying to tell me something?”

“No. Just wanted to help.”

“What can I do for you?” Kyra asked. “Why don’t you let me help you sometimes?”

Donovan shook his head. “I can’t think of anything I need.”

“There’s got to be something I can do for you…”

Donovan stared into her eyes and then at her lips. Luckily he had to look away, so he could watch the road. “What did your aunt say to you before we left,” he asked.

Kyra frowned, but she didn’t try to keep it from him. Donovan was relentless when he knew she was upset about something. “She said that since I got a job now, I have to start paying her for babysitting. She said she’ll keep track of how much I owe, and for me to let her know when I get my check.”

“Hmmm.”

Kyra waited a few seconds. “That’s all you have to say?”

“She’s definitely looking for a free ride.”

“I’m her free ride.”

“But you can’t keep arguing with someone you live with,” Donovan warned. “I think, like it or not, you have to pay her.”

“What?”

“What would you do if you lived alone? You’d have to pay somebody to watch your kids when you go to work and stuff. Might as well be your aunt.”

For a moment Kyra was upset because he didn’t take her side, but she realized Donovan was right, as usual.

“When I grow up, I want to be just like you,” Kyra said with a smile.

Donovan grinned. “You’re fine just the way you are. Every day I’m more proud of you.”



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Donovan took Kyra to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen where they dined on smoked salmon, fried calamari and crawfish etouffee. It was still light out when they arrived. The friends watched the sun set through the restaurant’s windows as they ate.

Pappadeaux was filled nearly to capacity with more couples than large parties. Kyra hadn’t been on a real “date” in a long time. She knew she wasn’t on a date with Donovan, but the atmosphere almost made it feel like one. She wondered what it would be like if Donovan kissed her when he dropped her off. She laughed at herself. She’d been wondering about things like that since they were children. Clearly it wasn’t meant to be.

“What are you thinking about?” Donovan asked after the waiter took their plates away. He had a knack for asking that whenever Kyra was thinking about the wrong things.

“Just how nice it is to go out like this,” she said. She sipped a frozen margarita through a straw. “I can’t remember the last time I was in a restaurant this nice.”

“What about your last boyfriend in Arkansas?” Donovan asked. “Y’all never went out on dates?”

Kyra put her glass down. “You know I don’t want to talk about that loser.”

Donovan frowned. Kyra told him precious little about Kat’s father. All he knew was the guy’s name was Leonard, and he was in jail for “drugs.” Donovan didn’t know if Leonard was selling or using, but he assumed it was the latter. Kyra said her time with Leonard got really bad towards the end. Donovan wanted to know exactly what happened, but he didn’t want to push her.

“How do you like your new job?” he asked.

Kyra’s smile was immediate. “I like it. I never thought about working in a school, around kids, but it’s really cool. The other ladies in the office are so funny. They have me cracking up.”

“I’m glad you’re fitting in,” Donovan said. “That’s a great school. They always have good pass rates on the state tests.”

“I know. They have posters everywhere,” Kyra said. “You can’t turn a corner without seeing how good they did.”

Donovan leaned forward with his elbows on the table. He stared into her eyes. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you.” Kyra beamed. “Next month I’m giving you half my check.”

Donovan shook his head. “Not this again.”

“Listen,” Kyra said, “you’re going to let me pay you back. You did too much for me.”

“I don’t need your money.”

“It’s not about that. And why don’t you need it? I work in the district now, so I know teachers don’t get paid that much.”

Donovan chuckled. “We do if we’ve been teaching for almost ten years. And I get more because I coach, too. You need to keep your money for the other things on your to-do list, like saving up for furniture so you can move out.”

“You can’t tell me what to do with my money.”

Donovan rubbed his bottom lip. “I like that feisty Kyra. I miss her.”

Kyra’s blood raced as she watched him gently squeeze his mouth. She really wanted to suck that lip! No doubt that was the liquor talking. She hadn’t had a drink in months. She sucked her own bottom lip between her teeth and licked on it instead. It tasted pretty good, with the margarita salt lingering. But she knew Donovan’s lips tasted better.

“What about your girlfriend?” she asked. “Brianna doesn’t care if I pay you back?”

“Oh, we broke up.” Donovan’s brain caught up to his comment a second later. He looked down at his empty wine glass rather than meet Kyra’s surprised eyes.

“What?”

“Yeah, I meant to tell you.”

He looked up at her. She looked upset.

But Kyra was more confused than offended. Why would he not tell her about such an enormous change in his life? And didn’t this say something about how he felt about Kyra? Maybe Donovan didn’t know that she had a crush on him, but if he felt the same way, he would’ve told her he was single, wouldn’t he? Had Donovan never considered that he and Kyra could be more than friends?

“When?” she asked.

“Um, last week.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were, um, you were busy with your new job and stuff. It wasn’t that big a deal. Plus I didn’t want you to think you had anything to do with it.”

“Are you sure I didn’t?”

“I’m positive,” Donovan said. “Me and Brianna were having problems, for a long time.”

“But you didn’t break up until I got here.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you,” Donovan said. “I knew you wouldn’t understand. I didn’t want to put that on your conscious.”

Okay, that makes sense, Kyra thought. “I’m sorry y’all broke up. Are you sure you’re not hurting. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Do you miss her? Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s fine,” Donovan assured her. “I feel at peace right now. Seriously.” He smiled. “We’re both in a better place. Brianna wasn’t good for me. That stuff happens.”

So what about us? Kyra wondered. She knew it was selfish to want to claim Donovan right after his breakup, but she couldn’t help it. They may never get an opportunity like this again. She wanted to ask him outright, but she couldn’t bear it if he rejected her. Donovan was her only childhood fantasy that hadn’t been dashed yet. A few awkward moments passed while Kyra waited for Donovan to broach the subject.

“What about you?” he said. “You haven’t met anyone?”

“No.” Nope. I’m totally single!

“I’m sure you will,” Donovan said.

Okay…. Kyra frowned. Was he really not interested at all? Maybe it was because he was still hurting, from Brianna. Surely that was it.

“What’s up?” Donovan asked. “I see that look…”

“Huh?”

“Somebody has hit on you!” he said. His eyes brightened. “Come on, break bread. Who was it?”

Wow. Kyra couldn’t believe he totally misread her signals. She needed to work on her womanly vibes. “There’s nobody,” she said. “The only person who has asked me out since I been here is the UPS guy who comes to my school.”

Donovan’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. Oh shit! There is someone!

“Did, did you get his number?” he muttered.

“Um…” Kyra’s heart thudded. Did he really want to talk about this, like they were just friends? Were they just friends?

“Come on,” Donovan said. He felt sweat on his forehead, but he was too embarrassed to wipe it away. “Obviously you did, Kyra. Why don’t you want to tell me? We can talk about anything, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, of course we can. I took his number. But I wasn’t going to go out with him, though.”

“Why not?”

“Because, I…” Kyra realized she didn’t have a reason. Roland, the UPS guy, was handsome and polite. Everyone in the office thought he was a dreamboat. Kyra was flattered when he asked her out. She told him she’d think about it. He insisted she take his number, just in case. The only reason Kyra had to reject Roland was Donovan. “I don’t know,” she said.

“I think you should go out with him,” Donovan said. He swallowed. His throat was bone dry. He tried to clear it. “You should get out and have some fun. You deserve to have fun, and be happy.”

Donovan didn’t notice Kyra’s smile crack and fade.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why? Is there something wrong with him?”

Again Kyra had to shake her head.

“Then go, Kyra. You deserve to have a good time. When do you get to enjoy yourself – outside of when you’re with me?”

“I guess I don’t.” She sighed. “Okay. I’ll go out with him. I mean, if you give your approval.”

Donovan felt like he got kicked in the stomach. “Kyra, you don’t need my approval for something like that.”

“But I value your opinion,” she stressed. “I wouldn’t go out with anyone, if you don’t think I should…”

Donovan didn’t understand why she wanted him to make the decision. He couldn’t have been more biased. But he loved her too much to interfere with her happiness. He fought to keep his voice steady as he said, “Go ahead. Seriously.”

Well. Kyra’s shoulders slumped. I guess that settles that.

“Hey,” Donovan said, eager to change the subject. “Do you remember the time we were at the park, and that naked man was hiding in the tree?”

Damn you, Donovan! Kyra almost screamed at him: Hey, do you remember the time we were at your mother’s house, and I told you I liked you, and you said you liked me, too. And we kissed. You kissed me like I’ve never been kissed before, and your hand was under my shirt, and my heart was beating so fast, and I was in love with you. Do you remember that, Donovan? ’Cause it’s fun to remember all of these other stories, but when are you going to ask me if I remember when we kissed? When are we going to talk about that??

Kyra forced a smile. “Yeah, I remember that. That, that guy was wild.”