Chapter Two
Truly Sincere 1985
The music was blasting as Brooklyn and her girls entered the party. Teenagers were everywhere inside Carmen’s Skating Rink, some skating, some playing the arcade games, others posted up in various areas, trying to get their mack on. They all headed straight for the counter to pick up their skates. Brooklyn loved to skate and was pretty good at it. She was one for showing off, doing tricks on the floor, getting all of the attention. Her friends normally were there to cheer her on.
“Size?” the guy at the counter yelled over the loud music.
“Two sevens, a nine, and a six and a half, please,” Brooklyn shouted back.
He returned a few seconds later with all of their skates. They walked over to the chairs next to the lockers to put them on. Brooklyn continued to look all around the building.
Stacey noticed and questioned her. “What the hell are you looking for? Or, should I say, who, for that matter?” She laughed.
“I’m looking for Sincere. I was hoping he’d be here by now.”
“Girl, you know how guys like him are. It wouldn’t be right if he didn’t make a grand entrance.” Stacey laughed.
“Yeah, that’s true. I’m really hoping he shows.” Brooklyn blushed. Her stomach was all in knots as she continued surveillance of the room.
“He will, girl. Stop tripping. Let’s get out here and have some fun!” Wanda stood up from her seat and began making her way over to the locker to put her sneakers inside.
Brooklyn laughed the comment off, though deep down inside she was about to burst from all of the anxiety.
“Let’s go!” Stacey came over and pulled Brooklyn from the seat.
She got up and within minutes was focusing on showing off on the floor. Everyone was cheering her on as she flew around the rink doing dance moves and tricks good enough for a competition. As the center of attention, she was in her element, and so were her girls, who followed behind her. They soon grabbed onto her waist and formed a line to do their routine. Their favorite song to jam to was playing, “Roxanne, Roxanne” by U.T.F.O. The melody meshed perfectly with their moves.
Brooklyn was leading the pack, singing along, when she felt the hands behind her replaced by a larger pair. The hand switch was followed by a whisper in her ear.
“You’re looking good tonight. I’m glad I decided to stop by.”
She quickly turned her head and saw Sincere behind her. She couldn’t stop blushing for a second. She almost stopped dead in her tracks, which could have sent the ten people behind her tumbling to the floor, but she focused and kept up the pace.
“I bet you didn’t think I’d show up.”
“No, I knew you would. I just thought you’d have a tagalong,” she said with confidence.
Sincere burst into laughter. He loved her attitude. That had him drawn to her like a magnet. He laughed because he knew exactly who she was talking about, and in a way it was true. Maxine was definitely one that liked to hang on his arm every chance she got.
“I know you’ve heard that saying—Don’t bring sand to the beach. I came here because I wanted to spend some time with you.”
By now, the group behind them had dispersed to different areas of the floor. Sincere was still skating behind her, his hands firmly gripping her waist.
“Spend time with me? Why? You hardly pay me any attention.”
“That’s not true at all. I pay close attention. Shit!” Sincere snickered as he looked her up and down. “I can tell you everything you had on this week.”
Brooklyn smiled and again couldn’t contain her blushing. One of the most popular guys around had actually been checking her out. For the past year, all she could focus on was him. This day was like a dream come true. She could barely think of what to say next without sounding like a child.
“That’s pretty funny. I never thought you’d be a stalker,” she replied after a few seconds of contemplating what to say. She laughed.
Sincere joined in the laughter as he slowed down and began pulling her off the floor and over to the tables, where they sat down across from each other, both still smiling.
“So you know you’re going to be mine, right?” He sat up.
“Who said that?” she replied, with a girlish grin and a giggle.
“I did.”
“What about Maxine? That is your girl, right?”
“She is, but I’ll drop her in a heartbeat for you.”
Brooklyn sat there stunned. At least he is being honest about Maxine, she thought. She knew it wouldn’t be that easy though. Maxine wasn’t going to just accept that, and if being with Sincere was what she wanted, she’d definitely have to fight for him.
“So what if I said OK right now, would you drop her?”
“I just said I would, so does that mean you’re mine?”
“That means I’ll be yours when you get rid of her.”
Sincere smiled, pausing to take it all in. He’d been after her for so long, but he also knew it was going to be hard to get rid of Maxine. The feelings he once had for her had long disappeared. Brooklyn was special, and now that he had a chance, he wasn’t about to let it slip by.
Finally, after a minute he said, “I’m going to do that, for sure.”
Rene and Wanda were on their way over to the table area to break up the conversation that was keeping their ringleader away. Still on skates, they startled Sincere and Brooklyn when they bumped into the table.
“Sorry to break up this little union here, but we need our girl,” Wanda yelled, placing her hands on the table to brace herself from falling.
Sincere laughed. “It’s cool. We’ll have plenty of time to spend together, so I’ll let her go for now.”
“Well, excuse me, Mr. Sincere. I hope you live up to your name. If you hurt my girl, we’ll have to kill you.” Rene smiled, her left hand on her hip. Just then, she noticed Maxine walking toward the table. “Let’s go. The wicked bitch of the west is on her way over here,” she said, just before pulling Brooklyn out of her seat.
“I promise it won’t be long,” Sincere whispered as Brooklyn and her friends skated away. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, even as Maxine walked up and stood in front of him, trying to block his view.
“What were you doing talking to her?” she asked, continuing to move her head in front of his every time he tried to get a glimpse of Brooklyn.
From the distance Brooklyn was looking back at him and smiling, confident he was going to do as he’d promised.
“What? I’m a grown-ass man, Maxine. I can talk to who I damn well please.”
“I’m aware of that, but you’re my man, so I want to know why the hell you’re all up in her face?”
Sincere looked at her, his face twisted in a knot. He wanted to just get it over with and drop her at that point, but he knew the outcome wouldn’t be good for any of them, including Brooklyn, and he was trying to avoid bringing drama her way.
Maxine stood there, waiting for his answer, hand on her hip and tapping her foot against the ground.
“Let’s drop this before it gets out of control. I came here to have fun, and that’s what I intend to do.” Sincere began skating away from her, gently pushing her out of the way as he passed her.
“Sin, don’t walk away from me,” she yelled over the loud music. “I’m not done talking.”
But Sincere skated away unfazed by any of the obscenities she yelled. Eventually she’d give up, like every other time he’d ignored her after a disagreement.
Maxine stood there getting angrier by the second as she watched him talking to Brooklyn yet again. They stood there laughing and giggling as she stood in the distance with the screw face.
“So what happened over there? I see your girl’s standing there upset.” Brooklyn knew what she wanted, but she wasn’t in the mood to fight that night. She just wanted to know what the hell had her so upset.
“Nothing. She’s always angry, especially when I’m talking to someone else, but I’m a grown-ass man.” He laughed.
Brooklyn joined in the laughter while still looking over in Maxine’s direction.
“Anyway, I’m about to bounce up out of here. I just wanted to come say good-bye before I left.”
“Well, that was pretty thoughtful.” Brooklyn smiled.
“I’m going to make good on that promise too. Just give me a little time.”
“I’m patient, and I’ll be here.” She reached out and touched the back of his hand.
Sincere smiled before moving toward the lockers to retrieve his sneakers and return his skates. Brooklyn stared at him until he left the building. She turned around with the same huge smile on her face, but it quickly turned to a frown as Maxine and her crew approached her.
“Look, bitch, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but Sincere is mine. He’s not going anywhere, so you need to get that through your head,” she said, pointing in Brooklyn’s face.
Brooklyn could feel the heat rising in her body as she tried to refrain from knocking Maxine upside her head. “Listen, if you have a problem, Sincere is who you need to straighten it out with.”
“No, my problem is with you. You think you can just walk up and steal my man from right under me?”
“I’m not going to sit here and argue with you, Maxine. I have to go.”
“I’m not done talking.” Maxine blocked Brooklyn’s path.
Brooklyn’s friends noticed the commotion and quickly ran over to cover her. Once Maxine and her followers noticed they were outnumbered, they began to disperse.
“This ain’t over, bitch!” Maxine spat. “Not by a long shot!”
Brooklyn thanked her girlfriends for responding when they did. That night they left the party without any more drama and caught the bus home. She was exhausted both mentally and physically by the time she reached her room. It had been an eventful evening. She was happy, though. For once, she could go to bed with Sincere on her mind, knowing that soon they’d be together.