The Realest Ever - By Keith Thomas Walker Page 0,15
fourth grade,” Donovan said. “She moved to Arkansas when I was a junior in high school.”
“Why is she all of a sudden calling you now?” Brianna wanted to know. “She found you on Facebook?” She said it like it was a porn site.
“Yes,” Donovan said. “She said she moved back to Overbrook Meadows.”
“That’s just great.”
“I know you’re being sarcastic, but yeah, it really is.”
Brianna had a small, pointy nose. Her nostrils flared, but you could barely tell. She took a seat. Her arms remained folded in a defensive gesture.
“Me and Kyra met at Sunrise Elementary,” Donovan said. “I was in the fourth grade, and she was in the third. I don’t remember how we started talking. I think it was at recess or something. We got along really good. When I found out she didn’t live that far from me, I started visiting her house, and we became close. She was my best friend.”
“A girl was your best friend?”
“I know it doesn’t make sense,” Donovan said. “A lot of people didn’t understand it – especially my mama. But we were little kids, and it really was innocent, so no one told us we couldn’t be friends.”
“Did you ever kiss her?”
“No,” Donovan said. “I just told you we were kids.”
“You said she didn’t leave until you were in high school. You weren’t kids then.”
“Yeah, but after you call someone your sister for so long, you can’t turn around and start dating them. It would’ve been weird.”
Brianna didn’t look like she believed that.
“Plus Kyra really is like a sister to me,” Donovan said. “You know I don’t have any real brothers or sisters. Maybe that’s why things worked out so well with us. Plus Kyra needed help back then. I was always there for her.”
Brianna’s frown intensified. “What do you mean she needed help?”
“Her family life,” Donovan said with a slow shake of his head. “Her mom was on dope, and Kyra didn’t know her father. She had so much against her. She used to say I was the only source of peace in her life.”
Brianna’s eyes widened. Her mouth fell open, too.
“No, not like that,” Donovan said. “It wasn’t that big a deal.”
“How is that not a big deal?” Brianna wondered. “You were her only source of peace? What the fuck, Donovan? That’s a big fucking deal!”
“Okay, but–”
“Why are you trying to downplay it?”
“Alright, Brianna. Okay. You’re right. She didn’t have a lot of hope, and I was a good friend when she needed one the most. Yes, it was a big deal.”
“Sounds like it still is.”
“I am excited to hear from her,” Donovan confirmed. “I can’t deny that.”
“I know you can’t deny it. You were practically jumping up and down when she called.”
“I didn’t leave my seat,” Donovan said. “Anyway, we’re both grown now, so it’s not like we’re going to fall into the same situation we had back then. This means a lot to me because it’s been so long, and I don’t know what happened to her when she left. I’ve been worried sick.”
“You never told me about her.”
“It wasn’t something that was on my to-do list every day, Brianna. But I did look for Kyra a lot. A whole lot. I never forgot about her.”
“Why did she leave?” Brianna wondered.
Donovan already lied to his girlfriend twice in this conversation. He didn’t want to do it again, but he couldn’t tell her the real reason Kyra got sent to Arkansas. Brianna would surely blow a fuse.
“When Kyra’s mom got arrested, her brother and sister had to go live with relatives in Arkansas,” he said. “That’s where most of her family is from. I begged my mom to let Kyra stay with us, and she did. But it didn’t last long.”
“Beverly let her live with y’all?” Brianna couldn’t believe it.
“Yes, but my mama never really trusted her,” Donovan explained. “She thought Kyra would mess up my life just because hers was messed up. The longer Kyra lived with us, the more my mom didn’t like her. It only lasted about five months.
“One day we came home from school, and Mama had all of Kyra’s stuff packed. She said Kyra’s family wanted her to go to Arkansas to be with them. I didn’t believe it, and Kyra didn’t either. She cried so much. I did, too.”
Brianna was still against Kyra’s return to her boyfriend’s life, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her after that story. She could imagine Beverly dragging Kyra’s suitcase to the door while Donovan and