When Worlds Collide Ch. 02

Her face was closed, her arms were folded under her chest again and that tapping foot was the only sound in the tiny apartment.

"Dylan, that's your girlfriend?" he asked putting emphasis on the word girl.

Her face softened a bit and she looked like she wanted to smile, but didn't.

"Yeah, her mother had a thing for Bob Dylan. Told her he was her father for the longest time, 'cept she black as soot, I don't know how she believed something like that."

Her arms fell to her sides, and her chin quivered for the slightest moment before stopping. She swallowed long, and dug her hands in her front pockets pulling her jeans deliciously low on her waist.

"If it's one thing I know, it's that you can't tell people how to live their lives. You can give people all the advice in the world, 'splain, things to em real easy, make everything clear as day, but you can't stop em from making their own decisions."

He'd surprised himself with that one. Especially since the words came from a place he was trying his best not to visit. She was staring at him, a strange look on her face yet again as she took what he'd said in. He was about to add to his statement when his phone rang. His phone singing a song by Ludacris. Splash waterfalls.

He felt embarrassment creep up his neck as he pulled the phone from his back pocket and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Boi! Where you at?"

He smiled.

"Never mind where um at. Whatchuwant?" he said, his southern drawl thickening that much more.

"You near a TV?"

"Calvin," he said running his hands over his forehead. "I ain't got time for this mess, I ain't gon watch another jerry springer ep-"

"Naw! Go on, find you a television wherever you at! I promise you'll wanna see this!"

Caiden looked up sheepishly at Reign, who was staring at him curiously. He turned the phone away from his mouth and spoke to her.

"Sweetheart, you got a television in here somewhere? My brother has decided to pick now to make me watch something probably very stupid on tv."

She stood, running her hands self-consciously through her hair.

"Yeah, in my bedroom I have a tv."

She showed him into her tiny room and he regarded the space. She'd somehow fit a queen sized bed in this little room. She had a dresser, and a 32 inch tv sitting on top of it. But what this room had that the others didn't was pictures. Picture frames ranging from very small to huge covered her walls. Photos of her, dancing, laughing, photos of what he assumed to be friends and family.

"You find a tv yet?" came his brothers very annoying voice interrupting his survey of her room.

"Yeah I found one, and this better be good too!" he said trying to fake anger.

"Okay," his brother said, ignoring his tone. "Turn it to your local news station. I think it's channel 5?"

"How the hell you know that?" Caiden asked taking a seat on her bed to flip through the channels.

"Nem mind how I know. You there yet? Shit! You gon miss it!"

He turned to channel 5 and watched as the aging news anchor talked about the state of agriculture in Gordon. Absolutely riveting information. He was about to tear into him about his long distance bill when the man switched topics.

"In other news today, the Worthington Warriors got another much needed addition today when they added safety Calvin Williams to their Roster. June lee has the story."

"Well I'll be dammed."

He almost dropped the phone. Reign came and sat down on the bed beside him and he was barely aware of her.

"Thanks Tom. The spirit of the Worthington Warriors has been resting on this mans shoulders for some time now, but the weight of such a responsibility has definitely taken it's toll."

They showed his coach, Don Jackson as he barked orders at his players. He was like a bulldog, all kinds of bark and just as much bite. They then switched to a shot of one of Caiden's away games that he was particularly ashamed of. They'd given up countless interceptions and played like a bunch of pussies. They showed one such interceptions, resulting in him getting his ass tackled. Hard.

"But things are looking up for the 72 year old football team with the addition of this man."

The screen changed once again and there he was, in the middle of Gordy stadium, doing an interview.

"Calvin! you're here? You're in Gordon?" he yelled jumping up from the bed.

"Shooot, you see me on tv? You ain't never seen no nigga fly as um is!"

At the use of that forbidden word realization hit him. He looked down at Reign, a look of pure confusion on her face. It might as well have been a big question mark. He looked back at the television, at his brother. His skin was dark. Real dark. Quarter to midnight dark. He was towering over the little Asian reporter, bending down to answer her questions.

"Where's your brother?" she asked scanning the screen.

He knew it was confusing. They were literally night and day, but that was his brother. The interview was ending and they showed him leanin with it and rockin with it. Caiden bit the inside of his cheek in frustration. He hated that shit, and Calvin knew it. Reign looked between him and the screen comparing the two. She couldn't have been more confused if he'd said the Asian reporter was his mother. He decided to just be straight with her.

"That's him right there. That's my brother."