12. Brain Damage

Nikki's P.O.V.

1989

"Yo Nikki, you've seen Marshall today?" DeShaun asks me, looking kind of worried.

And honestly, so am I. I am kind of worried right now, but for a whole different reason than him most likely.

Marshall and I, we have been doing really good lately. We have been going out for a whole month now, and I have never expected this, but like... I think I really am falling for this white boy, isn't that crazy?

Marshall is literally like the last person I've ever expected to ever fall for ever, but like... it's just something about him, you know?

He is so damn cute... He tries so damn hard to act rough but there's this softness about him that a girl can't help but like. He is way too sweet, and I don't think he even realizes that he is.

The other day, I had found out that he's actually got a day job and that he has ended-up working double shifts on it just so that he could take me out that day on our first date, and if I had known all that back then, I would've honestly just told him forget it, forget the damn zoo, just take me for a ride in your car or something, whatever. I wouldn't even care where we went as long as I was with him, you know?

But he hasn't even said anything to me back then, and he continues to be all selfless like this, and we really click.

The other day though, while I was using the restroom at school, this blonde white girl had suddenly pounced on me, walking right out of one of the stalls.

I immediately recognized her as Kim, and when I tell you she was talking shit, that girl was really talking shit to me.

"So, you are that whore going out with my boyfriend," she said looking me all up and down and shit.

"Your boyfriend? Last I've heard, y'all were broken up," I shrug not really thinking much of it as I apply my lipgloss in the mirror.

"Oh girl, is that what he told you?" Kim asks, continuing to smirk at me in the mirror. "Let me tell you something. He might screw a bunch of you other hoes like yourself when he's bored or something, but at the end of the day... he would always come back home to me!" She exclaims as I smile at her coldly.

"We'll see about that," I reply calmly as I regard her face twisting into an angry scowl.

She walks up closer to me and stares at my reflection in the mirror.

"Just remember what I said you dumb bitch, he's mine!!"

She then spins around on her heels and walks out, slamming the door behind her.

Leaving me standing there thinking to myself what am I even doing with my life?! Why am I over here trying to argue some random ass chick down because of a guy, do I really need this drama, no I don't!!

Problem is, I really do like him!!

I think I might be falling for him even, like really falling for him, I don't even think about my ex back in New York anymore, but I have no idea how Marshall feels towards me, because he never tells me.

So today I was planning to confront him about it, ask him what are we and what his deal REALLY is with Kim, since she seems to think they are not broken up at all. Only problem is that this whole thing about me asking him 21 questions, it was never meant to be.

DeShaun and I both hear these screams coming from the boy's bathroom all of a sudden and we both rush towards it curiously.

There's water running everywhere, that's the first thing we both see.

Then we both hear these cries, more like high pitched wails coming from this blonde long-haired woman that sits in the middle of the boy's bathroom on the floor, cradling a seemingly lifeless teenage boy's body towards her.

"My son!!" She exclaims. "Who has done this to my son?!"

"Oh fuck," DeShaun mutters then as his eyes widen.

And it takes me a few seconds to realize that this boy the woman keeps going on about is... it's Marshall...

And I suddenly feel like I'm going to pass out.

Some hours later, it all becomes clear to all of us.

Apparently, D'Angelo had cornered Marshall in the boy's bathroom and they have had another fight yet again.

And D'Angelo has really went too far this time, he had beat Marshall so badly that he had to be taken to a hospital.

I still can't process this, I don't think my mind can process any of this, because it doesn't make any sense.

Why would D'Angelo do this?!

And more importantly, would Marshall be alright?!

I don't know, I don't fucking know anything because nobody would tell me anything. I don't even know if Marshall is even conscious or not.

The moment I stepped foot into the hospital, Marshall's mother, Deborah, flipped out on me.

Granted, the whole thing was mostly being instigated by Kim who kept right on pointing her finger at me, yelling:

"It's all because of her, Debbie!! That boy beat Marshall up because of her!! That was her thug ex-boyfriend, and she only dated Marshall to make him jealous!! Now look what's happened!!"

I don't even know if she is right or not, I mean, it was never my intention for D'Angelo to harm Marshall, I actually really do like Marshall, and I have no idea what DeAngelo was even thinking!!

I have never meant for any of this to happen... and I just want Marshall to be alright!!

Debbie isn't trying to hear me out though, as far as she is concerned, I am not to see Marshall at all, her and Kim are acting like I might have as well been the one that beat him up, so I get kicked out from the hospital.

The only updates I ever get about his health from that point on is from DeShaun, and none of it is sounding good at all!

DeShaun tells me that once Marshall woke up, all of the doctors kept telling his mom that he now has brain damage and that he would never be the same, that she would have to be put him in special ed or something because he would never function normally ever again.

Apparently though, despite all of that, and despite of what Marshall has previously told me about his momma, she just refuses to give up on him. She continues to try and nurse him back to health. And, according to DeShaun anyway, he is doing a whole lot better than anybody had ever previously thought he would.

Which honestly doesn't even surprise me much because I feel like Marshall is a whole lot stronger than anybody ever gives him credit for and that all of them just underestimate him for some reason!!

I just wish I could see him, but I'm still not allowed to, whenever I so much as try to step foot near his house, his mother is ready to let the firing squad on me, and she keeps on telling me how it's all my fault this happened to her son and eventually the more I hear it, the more I start to blame myself as well. Like, I should've known better, I should've stayed away from him once I saw how DeAngelo was reacting to me leaving him and dating Marshall instead, I think he took it very personally that I had dumped him for some white boy, and maybe I had brought all of what's happened on Marshall after all.

Days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months...

Eventually, Marshall comes back to school.

I kind of avoid him then because, as much as I want to see that he's okay, I also feel so ashamed to even look at him because I feel like it is all my fault!! Kim has been telling me so for months now, whenever her and I had happened to run into each other at school and as much as I'm beginning to dislike the girl, I can't help but think she is right. I should've done something about D'Angelo, I should've fucking talked to him or something, reiterated to him to leave Marshall alone and not bother him, but what have I done instead? That's right, nothing!!

DeShaun has told me that Marshall doesn't want any big deal made out of him coming back to school after all this time, he just kind of wants to sneak right back in and act like nothing's ever happened and like he was never gone.

DeShaun also says he's been asking about me from time to time, but I think it would be better for me to just keep my distance after all of the trouble I have caused him.

Especially considering the fact that D'Angelo is still attending the same school as us!!

I honestly don't even understand how is it even possible, how he hasn't gotten expelled for what he did to Marshall, but somehow, that boy has ended-up with a simple slap on the wrist. They had suspected him for a few days, sure, but that was about it...

"Nikki!" I hear a familiar voice as I'm walking out of the school building at the end of the last period.

I spin around and I see Marshall and I feel like my whole heart is breaking.

"Oh um... hey Marshall," I reply.

"'Hey'?" He frowns as he walks up to me. "Is that all you gotta say to me girl? Just 'hey? You ain't even come to see me once," he accuses.

Does he not realize that his mother and Kim won't let me see him?!

"Well I um... I've been busy," I shrug.

"You've been busy," he slowly repeats my own words back to me.

"Yeah," I reply awkwardly, looking him over.

He looks good now, healthy. He's really bounced back. Like, if I haven't know what's happened to him that day, if I haven't seen him laid out on that bathroom floor in his own blood with his mother crying hysterically over him, then I won't even believe he had almost died that day.

"Aight then," Marshall says bitterly. "Guess Kim was right," he nods. "You really ain't never gave a fuck, have you?"

"What?!" I stutter. "Of course I care, Marshall!!" I feel tears at my eyes and quickly wipe them off. "And I'm so glad you are alright, I've been asking DeShaun about you every day!"

"Save me the face tears, sweetheart," he smirks.

He turns away from me and I just break down and start crying even more.

"I'm so sorry, Marshall!!" I exclaim. "I'm sorry D'Angelo beat you up because of me, I've never wanted this to happen to you, I swear!!"

"Yo what?" He turns back around and walks up to me. "Fuck are you even saying, Nikki? I been told you, D'Angelo ain't never liked me, what's happened had nothing to fucking do with you girl. Wait, hold up, is that what you think?! Is that why you've been avoiding me? Look at me!" He insists when I refuse to meet his gaze and I just shake my head.

"Or was it my mother?" Marshall then asks, shaking his head. "See, this whole time, both her and Kim were all in my ears telling me how you ain't even care that I ended-up in the hospital and I ain't wanna believe that shit and I still don't but I guess they got to you too, huh. Is this what you think, Nikki? You think that I blame you and it's all your fault?"

"Kind of," I whisper still refusing to look at him.

Only to feel his arms wrap tightly around me.

"Nah baby, stop this shit right now cause I don't even think that," Marshall whispers into my ear. "None of this shit matters to me anyway. As long as you are my girl, you know what I'm saying? Ain't you my girl though?"

I look up at him then.

"Yes Marshall, I'm your girl," I smile.

I don't know how but the minute he had called me his girl nothing else mattered.

Soooooo, it seems like they had both really liked each other a whole lot at that point. What could have possibly gone wrong 🤔😈

Also, sorry if this chapter was kind of messy and rushed, I was trying to cram a bunch of things in the same chapter.