Keegan Confesses

As summer went on, I went out on three dates with Jada. She was nice enough, but she wasn’t Brees. When she talked to me, I wondered what Brees was talking about at that moment. Her perfume didn’t smell the same as Brees’ and she definitely didn’t have the same athletic abilities Brees did. She was a great girl, for someone else. She just wasn’t Brees.

I recall the first night I felt jealous about Brees. She was talking and flirting with some kid from our school named Jeff. I couldn’t even focus on Jada that day because I wanted him to get away from Brees so badly. But then the unthinkable happened and Brees was knocked on conscious when Sterling and his friends threw a football and it hit her right in the temple. I didn’t even think twice. I jumped up and scooped her up. Baylen and I ran as fast as we could to his car while Casey called 911. Brees wasn’t responding to me. She wasn’t moving. As we drove to her house, I could feel her heart beating. I laid her head on my chest and held her tightly. What would I do if I lost her? She had to be okay. As I stroked her cheek, I felt her move. She was confused about where we were and what happened, but I explained it to her as we drove, still not letting her go. I realized in those moments, that she was my heartbeat, my reason for everything. I was so in love and I hadn’t even realized it. I looked to the front seat where Jada was sitting. She had been so kind to me, but she wasn’t my Brees. I needed to let her go now before someone got hurt. I had offered to stay with Brees when the EMTs were with her, but Missy said I should get Jada home. I looked longingly at the ambulance where she was sitting, but I obeyed Missy’s request and took Jada home with Baylen.

I walked Jada to her door, as my dad had always had me do with anyone I have dated. It was being a “southern gentleman”, he had said. My dad is from Southern California, but because he went to school in Louisiana, he thinks he is so southern. We actually lived in California until I was about 7 and we moved back to Louisiana. My parents missed the south. I really think my mom missed Missy, but she wouldn’t admit to it. Louisiana was where the Hamlins were and I was so happy we got to know them.

Jada told me that she hoped Brees felt better and she kissed me goodbye. I hadn’t really kissed her much and when we did it was a quick peck. She said she understood that we were still new to this and that we were moving slow. But that wasn’t it at all. I didn’t want to kiss her in the way I wanted to kiss Brees.