Shalisa: Broad brown, black shoulders

On stout brown, black bodies

Carried by brown, black spring-like legs

In, out, lay-up SWISH!

Crossover, pass SWISH!

Half-court SWISH!

I have met perfection.

His name is Damien.

Damien: Perfection has lips like love

Hips like the moon – full and round

My heart skips a beat.

Perfect white smile. Skip!

Hi. My name is – Skip!

You have my – heart skips a beat again!

I have fallen in love.

Her name is Shalisa.

Shalisa: Strong, magnificent, powerful.

He has a voice like God

Strong, toned muscle

I swear he’s from Mount Olympus

Massive brown hands

Sweet hazel eyes

Thunderous laugh

A heart that is mine

I see him with his friends

Boyish charm, manly features

They are what youth is:

Young, Free, and Beautiful

Damien: When I peer into the light

That is her soul,

I can’t help

But feel comforted

Comforted by the way she sounds on my lips.

Shalisa…

Soft and quiet and subtle

Yet iconoclast and anarchic

Fourth period chemistry

That’s all we have.

All we need.

To know…

Shalisa: Lips smack and voices rise

How can I

Feel so strongly

For what isn’t mine?

Bianca: When the music died down

And all had left,

He rested his head

Upon my breast.

I was the drug

That soothed his pain

The rainbow and sunshine

After the rain.

My sheets are wrinkled

Glowing with his scent

Soon, for my gift,

He’ll pay recompense

Damien: Real eyes.


Realize.



Real lies.
Damien: The last chair in the last row-

Empty.

Bright, beautiful chocolate eyes

Missing.

Today, the halls were missing
A vital sense of assurance
Decorated as a
Female.

Shalisa: Drip. Drop. Drip.

The faucet’s leaky again.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Stop.

Time has ceased to exist.

When my name escaped his lips,
The Earth stood still.
His warm skin touched mine;
I exploded.
But still my heart sank
Is it true?
Did you do it?
Did you do her?
I’m too fragile to be lied to.
Too serious to let it happen
Just tell me the truth
And all will be forgotten.
Shalisa: Gums popped, lips smacked.

Teeth sucked, fingers snapped.

Eyes rolled.

She said his name

And I swear,

I saw death.

I smelled her rosy aroma

Saw her sharp, pale face

Adorned by smooth, black silk

Tasting of sweet, brown honey

She seemed so desirable

I can’t blame him for the thought

But I can blame her for the lies.

Damien: Soft, sweet kisses

Stolen in the night.

Tasting like honey

Feeling too right.

No one can know the truth

The truth cannot be known

Sometimes, I don’t know what it is

But whether or not it’s the truth or a lie

It’s always the same.

Shalisa: Shhh.

He whispers.

Shhh.

The wind blows.

My mind is blown.

But still, I cry.

I’m happy that it happened

Because now, I know the truth.

I know the lies, though

Not at all what I had wished,

But instead,

Were exactly, what they were.

Bianca: They say I’m lying

I promise you I am not

But what are my words?

My words are the truth

My efforts will not be vain

Lessons will be taught.

Damien: Lay-up Miss!

Free-throw line Miss. MISS!

Three point line MISS!

Game point. Miss.

State championship. Gone.

Bro, you let some broad get you benched?

We needed you out there tonight.

We lost, Damien. You shoulda been out there.

I was set up.

Bianca lied.

Stop messing with me!

Y’all should be able to win without me.

I am not TEAM

Yes, but US without YOU

Is not WE

But I am just one person.

Bianca: Pitch black nights.

Which racks right?

I don’t know what it truth

And what is fake

I don’t know anything anymore.

Just because it feels right

Doesn’t mean it’s true.

Just because it feels wrong

Doesn’t mean it is.

I must apologize

But I can’t see what is wrong.

I don’t remember that night,

But I know that it happened.

Three months.

Two weeks.

Five days.

Two days.

One week.

Five months.

Shalisa: Tears of joy.

Tears of fear.

Tears of confusion.

Tears.

I thought of the old wives’ tale.

Dream of fish?

Means a baby’s on the way.

Damien: I’m eighteen.

She’s sixteen.

Does she know what she’s doing?

She’s ruining our lives.

Shalisa is my bright and shining star
The breath that I breathe.

And Bianca’s taking it away.

I’m not that child’s father,

And now, I’m no one’s child.

Deny a child ever,

And we’ll deny you.

Jordan: Caramel and mocha

Everything about the way

They look

Is perfect.

I can’t be responsible

For the destruction

Of perfection.

I’m not ready

But I guess,

If I’m gonna let anyone raise my child,

It should be me.

Bianca: Jordan!

It’s him!

How could I have not known?

Of course, it was him!
Bianca: Dear Shalisa,

Forgive me for my disrespect.

I apologize for the harm I have done.

For the trouble I have put you through.

I never had anything against you.

I thought I was doing the right thing.

I didn’t mean to cause Damien so much pain.

Please, forgive me.
-Bianca Bradshaw

Damien: Everything’s better now.

Bianca’s lies aren’t ruining my life anymore.

Shalisa is my heart now.

We are us now.

Now, there are no boundaries.

Our love is flowing free

Like a river

Leading to an ocean.

An ocean of happiness.

Shalisa: Just as it began,

It ends.

Abruptly.

Abruptly,

But beautifully.

I hold perfection at my fingertips.

I palm it in my hand,

I protect it, guard it at my hip

And when I aim for the basket,

I turn away and tuck it under my arm.

Perfection is…

Damien: Mine