Unspeakable

(X -4) = 7





No matter how many tutors I was given, math was not my subject, and from the looks of things, it will never be. I stood out no matter where I went and whom I was with. I was told that I have a magnitude about myself that draws people in without trying to. Turning eighteen my last semester of high school was proving to be my best year. I had a few more months but counted every day. My father allowed me to do a little more then he had before, as a single father raising me after my mother passed while I was still in grade school. By the way, I am Pride, my parents was overly happy when I was born hence the name, according to my grandmother my father wanted me to have a name that meant the world to him, Pride, His pride and joy. Growing up with that name had me one of the topics of every name conversation that came up and trust me, when I tell you that I have been talked about badly, until I started growing into my women hood and filling out in everyway. making people more aware of my appearance over my name. My appearance will catch your attention while my presence keeps it in awe(so I have been told) I am not one to want attention off my looks rather I would prefer someone want to be a friend because I am a good person. Walking in the mall in New York with friends and family I am often stopped by modeling scouts, mostly because of my height, but I am not interested in that. For a long time my 5”11 frame was a cripple to me. I towered over most of my peers and earned the nickname “Slanky Pranky Pride” that had stumble effect. My dad being a man could not give me the guidance that I needed to bring the young lady out in a respectable manner so he had his girlfriend at the time take me out shopping and give me some pointers.
I was never upset when I seen my dad with other women, I had to tell him that it was all right for him to date again. I knew that he loved my mother but he also missed having someone to hold and talk with if he’d had a stressful day. He didn’t date for two years after my mom passed and I could see the loneliness in his eyes as he watched his football games, something that him and mom use to do when I was younger, and she’s still with us. On my thirteenth birthday I told my dad that he needed to find someone to make him happy.
“Pride, baby you make me happy. Everyday I look at my pride and joy and I smile because your mother and I wanted you so badly we both shared a tear when you entered this world.”
“Dad, I understand that, but I can only make you so happy. I know that you think I am not ready for you to date, but it will not bother me at all. I want you to smile like you did when mom was still alive listening to you talk about what crazy person came into your office that particular day. I love you daddy and I know that you love me, so I want you to go out on a date,” I said, in my best thirteen-year-old voice. Grandma had coached me on what to say after she made sure that it was all right with and I was. Daddy gave me a big smile and hug that lasted for five minutes, and then he thanked me.

Soon after our little talk, I met Brenda, Jamie, Andrea, and Melanie. Melanie won my dads heart and she had been around since I was thirteen and a half. I am now months away from eighteen and their relationship has blossomed. On my sixteenth birthday she had taken me shopping so that I became more acclimated with my stature. She’d advised me on how to wear make-up, dress to my height and she is the reason why I am in love with heels. Even though I spent a lot of time with my dad, I was never a tomboy.
While Melanie and I were out shopping, she was trying on this silver evening gown that fit her body like it was painted on. She had called me into the dressing room with her so that I can zip it up. When I entered the room her peaches n crème body spray met me at the door and caught me under a spell. Her skin looked like silk, thanks to her parents good jeans she had the body of a Barbie doll. As I zipped the back of the dress up her mixed breed skin of Mexican and black was hidden and I for the first time realized how much a women’s body turned me on. Melanie and I had always gotten along and I coming to a realization didn’t stop that. I didn’t have a crush on her; besides, she was my dad’s women.
I was late to math class and I knew that Mr. Humphrey was going to send me to detention after school. Seconds after the bell rang I was one of few in the halls running to get to class and my baby phat boots with the 3inch heel was holding me back from a sprint. Everyone was in their seats flipping through pages when I opened the door. As I was preparing to tell my version of why I was late, her presence muffled my mouth and I was completely silent.
“Hurry and get your seat honey, where are on page 168.”
The board read in huge cursive writhing “Ms. Moore”. As she was discussing variables and other mathematic terminology I was goggled eyed over this beautiful lady standing in front of the dark board teaching. For the first time in as long as long as I could remember the bell rang too soon. It seemed as if we were in class for ten minutes but if the clock was correct, it was time to move on to the next class, which for me was a study hall.
As everyone started filing out of the class trying to make the next class on time, Ms. Moore stopped me.
“Pride, could you come here for a moment please?” she asked in a soft voice that sent chills through my body.
“Yes” I said noticing her green eyes with her hair long and silky, while her skin claimed Indiana all day long. Her slim body that wore a black pants suit with a crème button down silk blouse, chain belt and silver shoes made her look more like a business women then a teacher had my stomach doing cartwheels. I slowly stumbled over to the front of her desk not knowing what she had to say and not caring what, but just wanted to talk to her.
“I am sorry but because you were late, I am going to have to give you detention.”
The detention didn’t bother me not one bit.
“Yeah I know, I was speaking with Ms. Hawk the English teacher about making up a test that I missed last week, and that is why I was late.”
“Oh, well why you didn’t get a note from her, because it would excuse you from this detention.”
“I will try, when I get it, do I bring it back to you or to the teacher running detention for today?”
“Well, either way it will be me, I am sitting in on detention today so whatever you decide to do is fine with me.”
She just let me know that I was not getting that note to excuse me from detention and I would make it my busy to be late for all of my classes today just to get the extra fifteen minutes.
The rest of the day seemed to drag, as I was distracted from my work due to my mind being stuck on Ms. Moore. I headed to detention with a hour under my belt. When I headed my slip to Ms. Moore , she looked at me and smile.
“Pride, how is it, you’ve managed to get a hour worth of detentions?”
“I have no idea Ms. Moore and this is my first time every in here. I just hope my dad doesn’t flip when I come home late.”
“Well, how about you call him now, so that he will not be at home worried?”
“My cell phone is in my locker right now, and I forget to call him after eighth hour.”
“Well take this and call him,” she said handing me her phone.
He was upset but he understood, my first detention and it is my senior year. There were only five of us in detention and I was the only one with a hour under my belt, while everyone else had fifteen minutes. Once the other students left I moved closer to the front.
“Ms. Moore, would you be able to help me with my math. I am not good in it and it confuses me?”
“What about it confuses you?”
“Well, if X-4=7, why put the X there, why not just put 11 and stop all the confusion?”
Ms. Moore smiled and proceeded to explain her theory but I was lost after the first sentence. When my hour was up she was still talking and looked up to find me staring at her.
“If you have any more questions I will be her for another two weeks, but now it is time to go so that your parents will not be concerned. Is your dad coming to pick you up?”
“No, I have my own car, its in the student parking lot.”
“Oh, well you go girl. Well get home safely.
For the rest of that week I had detention and I learned that Ms. Moore was only 26, no kids, lived alone but had a nephew that she called her boy. The second week that she was filling in, she had noticed that I had intentionally gotten detention and in my bashfulness admitted that it was because of her. The Friday that was her last day as our teacher, I wrote her note, telling her how much I liked her and in what ways. I waited until I was heading out of detention before placing the four-page letter in her hands and walking out. My heart was racing, and I had hoped she would not hate me for telling her how I felt and I spoke this to no one not wanting to get her in trouble. I had left all my information for her to get in touch with me.
Months had passed and Ms. Moore was still on my mind although she hadn’t called me or been back to the school, but at twelve midnight on my birthday, my cell phone rang under my pillow. Unfamiliar with the number I answered the phone.
“Hello.”
“Happy eighteenth Birthday Beautiful, how are you?”
I knew at the moment it was, Ms. Moore, I mean Stacey. All the sleepiness that I had felt prior to the phone call had all abolished and I sat right up to talk to her for as long as she would let me.
“I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday, did I achieve my goal?”
“Well, kind of, if you are not counting my dad and Melanie.”
“No, I am not counting them, so I take it that I am. So none of your friends called you yet?”
“Not yet, but I am sure they will, they always do. I didn’t think that you would call, I gave up on you.”
“Well you shouldn’t have done that, but I could not respond because of my position and you were not grown, but you are now and I can express my true feelings. When you walked in the classroom late your beauty and how you carried yourself took me aback. I heard a lot of students mentioning your name before you were due to come into my class and when I finally got to see for my self what the boys kept ranting and raving about I was too drawn to you. I didn’t have to give you detention, but I wanted too, so I did, just to get a chance to look at you. Without you giving me that letter, I would have never thought you liked women. I have something for you, when can you get a chance you can come get it.”
“What is it?” I asked smiling from ear to ear.
“It’s an equation, (you + me = X).
“I like that equation, so if that is true, when am I going to see you”?
“Pride, I will take you to lunch tomorrow, how is that”?
“Yes, that is cool, I will be patiently waiting”.