FRENEMIES!

Short-lived situations have the power of producing lifelong lessons... and this is one of those for me!

I attended The University of Memphis in Memphis, TN from 2001-2003! Although I’ve always known about my sexuality, I didn’t officially come out until my first semester of freshman year there!

Much like being the new guy, I didn’t know much about Memphis, its' people, let alone the gays, but I eventually met a group of folk and one of their names was Diamond! Diamond invited me over to his house one day to chill with him and some friends! While there this one dude in particular kept flirting with me and come to find out it was Diamond’s boyfriend... we can call him Brandon! I was all the way confused because I didn’t know what I just got myself into, like were they one of those swinger couples with an open relationship or something or was this a test to see how solid I was? Either way, I rebuffed his advances and kept it cute! It came to the end of the night and I was ready to get back to campus so as I was figuring out how Diamond’s boo said he’d drop me off! I was looking like “Really?” and Diamond was all for it! I knew shxt would get interesting so I just went along with it. Well Brandon did drive me home but he actually sat in the backseat with me while his cousin chauffeured us! Yea, the nigga was a Boss so folk listened to him… obeyed him! He was kind of a big deal, had his own limo company, money, big dick all dat… and before u get to asking how I knew, his print was very visible and during conversations of the night anyone who didn't know was made aware of how packing he was!

So back to the car ride… He kept scooting close to me and I would push him away like “Boy Stop, didn’t we just leave your boyfriend?” He’d smile, laugh it off but wouldn’t stop! I knew then that he wasn’t accustomed to being told No and me doing so just presented a challenge! We eventually made it to my campus and he wanted to walk me to my dorm room to ensure my safety! *slow blink* Yea Ok… I may have been naive but I wasn’t no dummy! I allowed him to walk me to my room tho but I knew I wasn’t gonna let anything happen between us! He did in fact walk me to my room and came inside, but I nipped that shxt in the butt letting him know wasn’t nothing gonna pop off etc… Brandon eventually left, but before he did he took a picture of me off my dresser that was in a frame. I asked him for it back repeatedly and he refused so I just let it be cause I knew I'd get it back one day.

Well the next day I received a phone call from Diamond… it was small talk “Hey how are you” type thing… I knew what was up so I stopped him in the middle of it and said “so why are u really calling me? No I didn’t fxck your man!”… He then said “well I know that when Brandon wants something then he gets what he wants” and I responded “well he didn't get this... so u knew yo man wanted me and still encouraged the situation? What type of time are y'all on?” I eventually hung up and knew I had to watch out for Diamond, his crew and those types!

Our time together was very short-lived and seemed to happen so fast, but the lessons learned from it have remained with me for a lifetime!

This one day as I was sitting in the car with Diamond and his friends on our way to the club they were chopping it up about doing drag etc… I remember them inquiring about whether or not I have done drag before, and when I told them no, they tried to encourage me into it. They said how I should do “Toni Braxton” especially since I favored her in the face, but I just simply wasn't interested! I lowkey felt like our discussion became pressuring, because they didn't seem to the grasp the fact that doing drag wasn't every gay male's rite of passage!

Low and behold I would soon find out that my refusal to do drag was taken offense to! Word around town was that I was “unaccepting of myself”… can y’all believe that… all because I didn’t wanna do Fxckin Drag! The kids be Draaaaaaaggin It! Not only that, but everyone was going around the car speaking about their sexual experiences and when it got to me I was quiet! They questioned me about why I wasn’t telling any stories and I said something to the effect of “I don't always talk about my business”… Chiiiiiiile that car ride basically led to them hating me… and I was perfectly ok with that because I wasn't too fond of them neither.

I was talking to this dude named RJ and he was actually the first fxck boy I’ve ever messed with! He was popular and I remember him telling me that one day he ran into Diamond nem at Overton Park and they said and I quote “we can fxck you better than Denardo can”… *for those of you that don't know, Denardo is my government*. I was all the way confused cause at the time they said that to him, me and him hadn’t even fxcked yet! I mean he eventually got the buns tho and eventually played me and my feelings were hurt because he was my first... and just as a point of reference, Overton Park in Memphis, TN was known as the gay hangout spot on Sundays… much like Piedmont Park in ATL!

Anywho, I remember being extremely pissed off about the situation because of how grimy Diamond nem was being towards me, like damn, y'all hate me that much that y'all wanna intentionally fxck the nigga I'm fxcking with in attempts to snatch him from me? Damn... like to go to such lengths was some high key snake shxt! I honestly wouldn't be surprised if RJ did in fact fxck them, I mean he was a hoe... and hoes rarely pass up on some hoe shxt! I will tell you this tho… I got my lick back!

So remember Brandon, Diamond’s boyfriend? Well me and him still kept in contact and were just coo, nothing sexual, strictly platonic! He always invited me to parties and even picked me up in one of his limos before. Well after I found out about what transpired at the park I eventually hit him up and invited him over… and guess what, We Fxcked! Not one part of me felt guilty cause at that point I was about to play the game better than the ones that introduced me to it! I'm pretty sure Diamond found out, but there wasn't shxt he could do about it because his man was still very fond of me. He also found out that I wasn’t the one to fxck with so him and his minions politely kept their distant moving forward anytime I seen them... Shxt me and Brandon are coo till this day, and he still has that picture of me, actually sent me a pic of it 4 years ago asking if I remember when I gave it to him... *slow blink*... Nigga GAVE? Ummm No, you debo'd my shxt and I jus let it go?

Time had passed and I also remember randomly bumping into RJ in the club! I was looking extra good that night and in true fashion of Niggalations, this nigga wanted what he once had! I obliged, invited him over and turned his life upside down… He was now sprung off me but after our encounter I went ghost… wouldn’t return a phone call no nothing… Payback’s a Bxtch!

The main thing I've observed about myself throughout all my years living, is that I never let anyone stay in my life too long if they're not right! As the saying goes, people come into your life for a reason or a season... and when that time expires, I'm good with that, no closure needed! Keep your friends close and your enemies closer they say... well I say cut the bxtch the fxck off! Time is too short to be providing access to your space to those that disrupt it! Protect your peace... Protect your heart!!!