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The Next Phase
Topic Started: Oct 25 2017, 03:27 AM (210 Views)
Celeste
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Celeste sat on the curb in front of the local convenience store dressed in jeans, long sleeve shirt, and a pair of Converse sneakers. In her hand she clutched a Slim Jim that was already torn open with her teeth. A few bites had already been taken as well. Next to her sat a 32oz Big Gulp filled with wild cherry pepsi.

The sun went down hours ago. The night stayed cool and the smell of rain hung in the air. It was a smell Celeste came to relish. It brought back memories. Some fond, some not as much. She watched random customers come and go from the store. The sound of wheels on pavement caught her attention. They didn't belong to a car.

A young man on a skateboard headed right for her. He kicked back on the board and jumped the speed bump in the middle of the parking lot. He swung his hips to turn the board perpendicular to the curb upon which Celeste sat. The skateboarder halted right in front of her. He cracked a toothy smile down at her. Celeste rolled her eyes, but had a smile to return to him.

His dark hair was finely cut and moussed back from his face, revealing protruding cheek bones and sharp brown eyes. A mustache and goatee outlined the rest of his facial features. The goatee clung to his chin in a dusting of black hair rather than hanging down all Fu-man-chu style. He wore a flannel shirt over his white tank top to still the chill of the evening. And if that wasn't enough of a throwback, he wore baggy jeans complete with a chain wallet.

“Man, Celeste, I seen you sitting here and I said to myself, what is a cute bunny like you doin here alone at night. Where is C to the Jay?”

Celeste pointed to the 7-11 across the street from the actual convenience store she sat in front of.

“I think he is still waiting in line in the store. I got my stuff quicker than he did and a line formed behind me right after I got up to the cashier. So he'll be along in a minute B.”

The skateboarder looked over at the busy chain store and nodded.

“Ah no shit. I hate long lines. I never tolerated them. I swear I just knock everyone over and move to the front of the line. They won't give me any crap either. They all fear Bernard!”

Celeste giggled as Bernard, the skateboarder, shook a fist in the air. She caught his attention with a wave of her arm and said:

“I wish you got here sooner Bernard. I could have sent you in there to get us some beer.”

“Now, now Celeste lets not be hasty. I keep forgetting my I.D. anyway. That's why I grew the tee and stache. Tryin to not look like some youngblood. What you think Celeste?”

Bernard stroked his goatee…more like rubbed his hand over his chin dusting. Celeste examined it from her seat on the curb before replying.

“I think it works, kinda. You could pass for 21.”

“Excellent.”

He dropped his hand and smirked. CJ walked up, catching both of their attentions. He had a baggie full of stuff and a 32 ounce drink of his own. He raised the Styrofoam cup toward the familiar face.

“What's up Bernard?”

“My man. Just chillaxin as usual. Keeping your girl company. I deserve a reward. What you got in that bag?”

CJ rolled his eyes as he took a seat next to Celeste on the curb. He laid the baggie down and fished through it. He tossed Bernard a small bag of candy. The skateboarder snatched it out of the air and brought it up to his piercing brown eyes for examination. He grinned.

“Sweddish Fish! Score!”

Bernard tore open his candy while CJ bit off the end of his own Slim Jim. He looked over at Celeste and they tapped Slim Jims together with a wink before enjoying a bite. Bernard chewed on a Sweddish Fish while talking.

“So how was your B-day dude?”

“It was pretty good.”

CJ nodded then let out a short ‘oof!’ sound as Celeste elbowed him without breaking stride in devouring her Slim Jim.

“I mean it was the best birthday I ever had in all my 19 years on this Earth.” CJ corrected himself.

“Right on. You got everything back in your apartment yet? We gotta hang out there. As fond as I am of this convenience store, its not as secluded a hangout ever since they put up the new 7-11 across the street. I wish the hurricane destroyed that abomination of capitalism.”

“We got mostly everything back in place. Took awhile since we had to do this between wrestling shows.” Celeste said and then took a sip of her soda to wash down the Slim Jim she just finished.

“Ah yeah. That brings back the memories. Sucked driving between shows in the ole station wagon. Only thing it was really good for was shaggin. Heh…ring rats.” Bernard spoke fondly. CJ rubbed his head while speaking.

“Dude, how many times do I have to tell you, me and Celeste don't believe a word of your so called wrestling career back in the 70s.”

“Damn it Jim. I tell you, I wrestled. I faced the great, late Machismo Man once!” Bernard argued.

“Impossible. You're not a day over 21.”

“22.” Bernard corrected CJ.

“And you won your first championship off of Rick Speedboat, right?” Celeste added. It was CJ's turn to elbow her for egging on this impossible conversation.

“That I did. It was a glorious time. You kids have it easier these days. Titles seem to get thrown around like candy. Most of the men are turkeys and all the girls look the same. I mean a nice butt could get you far back then too…of course the sport was mostly men so…”

Bernard shrugged and seemed to shake off a bad memory as he popped another Sweddish Fish in his mouth.

“Anyway! Celeste and I have a big match coming up on Sunday. Then she is going to some dodgeball game on Halloween.”

“What does dodgeball have to do with wrestling?” Bernard asked. CJ looked over at Celeste. This was a conversation the couple had when she sprung it on him out of nowhere, thus interrupting any Halloween plans they may have had previously.

“Hey! It's for a good cause. It gets my name out there and connects me to more people. I might even get a manager out of the deal...”

“Which she doesn't need…”

“…I'm growing my career! You will see how right I am for doing this soon enough CJ. And if you don't I will make you see it. I'm getting some chips…”

With a huff, Celeste pushed herself up from the curb, dusted off the bottom of her jeans and walked purposefully into the mom and pop store behind them. Bernard and CJ watched her go and once she was through the doors, Bernard glanced down at CJ.

“So that whole thing isn't just a persona she portrays on TV? She is really that…headstrong?”

“Afraid so.”

“I'll get you that beer man.”

“You're a bro.”

CJ and Bernard bump fists. The roar of motorcycle engines approaching catch their attention. Then Celeste walks out of the store with her bag of chips, already torn open. She is munching on them when the motorcycles pass right by the store. Her eyes widen and she spits pieces of chips out of her mouth at the sight of them. Celeste dives back into the store with a yelp.

“What is her problem?”

Bernard asked. CJ was already tugging his girlfriend back out of the store.

“She pissed of some biker guy she works with and now every time a bike goes down the street she freaks.”

“I told you they threatened me CJ! Why don't you take it seriously? Those guys just now even had the same patches on their jackets.”

Bernard craned his neck to look down the street. The bikers where gone now. He nodded in agreement with Celeste as he spoke.

“Those were the Reapers in Pride. Miami chapter. Some bad hoods. What she do anyway?”

“Scratched one of their precious motorcycles.” CJ rolled his eyes.

“It was a total accident Bernard. I sat on the bike and didn’t realize the key as still in the ignition. I mean who does that anyway. Someone could have stolen it easy.”

“Heh. Listen, if you knew it was a RIP bike, the very LAST thing you'd ever do is steal it. Unless you have a deathwish. Damn girl, even I know that.” Bernard shook his head.

“Well I didn't know.” Celeste said softly while clinging to CJ to calm her nerves.

“I guess we should get back home. Was good seeing you Bernard. I'll let you know when we can hang out at the apartment.”

“Sure thing. Be careful. Just because you're girl is paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you. Stay safe and keep on keepin on.”

With that, Bernard jumped onto his skateboard and rode away.

“He sure is strange sometimes.” Celeste remarked.

“Yeah. But he is one of the few friends we have here. Are you alright now? I hate seeing you so shaken.”

Celeste plopped back down on the curb. CJ sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She enjoyed the embrace a she explained:

“Yeah. A lot has happened recently. Seems like everything is moving so fast. I feel like I'm going to miss a moment or something. When the hurricane happened it made me not want to waste anymore time. I guess that's why I sat on that bike. Maybe I'll never have the chance to ride one for real. I know it sounds stupid. I'm just too used to everything all of a sudden vanishing on me in my life.”

CJ rubbed her back a bit.

“I think I know what you mean. We came close to having everything get washed away. It got me thinking about a lot too.”

Celeste kept her gaze on the pavement.

“I guess that's why I…rushed things between us. I don't regret it though CJ. It may not have been the ideal place, but the time felt right. Like it had to be done.”

With her eyes averted, CJ took his wallet out of his pocket. After opening it, he pulled out the promise ring and closed his fist around it.

“I know what you mean.” He said again while putting his wallet back. He kept the ring in his wallet out of worry that Celeste would stumble upon the box. He didn't know how right he actually was…

“Listen Celeste, I been having the same thoughts. We've been together this whole year practically and its been one of the weirdest…I mean best years of my life. Meeting you has changed my life. For the better. And I don't want to be another thing that simply vanishes from your life one day. I want to promise you that. I want to promise you that I will be there, no matter what.”

It is then that he moves his hand into her line of sight. CJ opens his fist to reveal the promise ring.

“Oh Conner…”

This is the first time she has seen the ring since the night she discovered it. Plenty has changed since then. Not all for the better either. Celeste remained speechless after saying his name, but CJ had little trouble continuing.

“This is just a promise to you Celeste. That I'll be there. I know we don't know what is going to happen down the line. This isn't me saying I want to marry you, not that I'm against the idea, its just…we are so young yet. But I wanted to do something symbolic of how far we've come. And maybe how far we have to go yet.”

“This is…no one's ever done something like this for me.”

“It's just a promise ring...”

CJ said. He wasn't sure she'd accept it at this point. He could feel his heart slamming into his chest.

“No I…I mean I'll take it CJ. I will. Its so pretty. I just don't know what the right thing to say is.”

Celeste placed her hand over the ring. CJ felt a bit of relief.

“I don't really know either. The important thing is you accept I guess.”

He chuckled and Celeste took the ring from his palm. She slipped it on the ring finger of her right hand. Then her eyes met his. A smile. A kiss.

A promise.
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