You Know What I Need

By Terry Brown

This book is about a guy named Pyro and a girl named Tiliana, who lived in the same neighborhood. They got acquainted with each other; they talked and played with each other. When they began junior school, surprisingly, they had some of the same classes. As the years passed, their feelings for each other grew.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664177116

Terry Brown

Hello, people. My name is Terry Brown, the author of You Know What I Need. I am a Jamaican with around 30 percent East Indian background and am a very spiritual person, and I have always been interested in writing to express my thoughts and feelings and writing long and short stories and poems. I came to this country, Canada, at a young age with my younger sibling.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Terry Brown.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/24/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

824836

38874.png

This is unforgettable. Unafraid of sexuality. Explicit, robust, wild, and remarkably engaging. A two-thumbs-up, eighteen-plus story—writing that is a private thing that I haven’t really found the external vocabulary to explain. This story took place on March 24, 2000, in Uptown, San Diego, at 1244 Terry Boulevard.

***

This is the story of a guy and a girl who met and became friends when Tez got transferred from sixth grade to seventh grade at Oakdale Park Middle School; there was an obvious attraction between her and Rico the moment they laid eyes on each other as they sat next to each other in their seventh-grade classroom.

Hi, I’m Rico.

I’m Tez. Nice to make your acquaintance, Rico, she said as they shook hands.

It’s a pleasure to know you as well, Tez.

But Rico and Tez played it cool for two years, keeping their distance but remaining acquaintances—more like 51 percent acquaintances rather than friends.

They didn’t become closer than even friends until they got to, well, high school.

They didn’t talk to each other much, but when they did, it was always Hi! How are you? Flirtation and attraction flowed between them. They exchanged e-mail addresses and would talk over the Internet once in a while just to hang out a bit but not for too long.

Then on Thursday, July 6, 1998, they ran into each other around 10:30 a.m. while both of them were registering at Dante Secondary School. Because Rico had always been on top of his schoolwork and grades, he was able to skip a grade, which put him in tenth grade. After they had both registered, they hung out and talked and laughed, having a good time while getting to know each other better.

Read on. However, be warned; this story is a shocker. It is the roughest ride around. There’s no way to condense a three-year (and counting) friendship into a one-page article, so Rico and Tez will tell the story.

***

After spending a half hour to register in the high school office, Rico and Tez were finished, and Tez thought to herself, Uh, this Rico guy’s kind of exciting. Now we’re talking.

They chatted for a bit as they walked to Rico’s house, which he shared with his brother, to have a beer or two. Sparks began to fly.

Your big brother allows you to drink? Tez asked.

Yes, we drink all the time, but our parents don’t know, replied Rico. It’s cool. He’s twenty years old. His name’s Jade. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.

Thanks, Tez said. Rico, there’s so much I want to say to you—so much I feel. I don’t have the words.

Where I’m concerned, it’s the thoughts that count. And yours, like you, are beautiful, Tez. No more than the woman I love, Rico said.

Where do you guys live? Tez asked.

At 1801 Broadview Road, Rico answered. It only takes a half hour to forty-five minutes to get there by bus and subway.

I’m flirting, Tez thought. What’s wrong with me?

Do you like me? she blurted out.

Uh, I do, yeah.

Would you like to take me back to your place?

I’d love to, which is why we’re doing just that.

He is exciting, Tez thought.

Oh, Tez, I love your smile.

Whatever.

Don’t look so sad and uninterested. You play basketball? he asked.

Yes.

Let’s play a game one day. If you can throw the ball ten meters, I shall leave the court with pride, said Rico.

Challenge accepted, Rico, said Tez, smiling.

***

Rico and Tez got to his big brother’s house and went inside. Jade was playing Mortal Kombat on his Xbox 360. He paused the game, and Rico introduced them to each other, and they shook hands.

Jade had just finished making a garden stir-fry, herbal lemon chicken and noodles soup, and salmon and avocado sushi, so he asked them if they wanted something to eat. Tez and Rico said yes. Jade dished out two plates of food, and they went to the dining room to eat.

Hey, you guys, I’ll show you how to make an alcoholic drink, offered Jade, and he got up and went to his bar. This one is called Cruzan 9 punch. To make this drink, you need one ounce of Cruzan 9 spiced rum, four ounces of orange juice, and one ounce of cranberry juice. Pour everything over ice, then garnish it with a lime wedge.

Jade made two small glasses for Rico and Tez, and they liked it.

I’ll make another one quickly for you to try out, Jade said with delight, proud of his bartending skills. This one is one ounce of Cruzan 9 spiced rum poured over ice in a highball glass. Add cola to taste. Garnish with a lime wedge.

He then offered them two more glasses.

Here you both go. Try it, he urged, and then he watched them taste their drinks. What do you think about this one? Jade asked.

It tastes pretty good, Tez and Rico answered.

Hey, how did you learn to make these, Jade? Tez asked.

He smiled and told her that he used to be a bartender once.

Do you know how to make any other alcoholic drinks? Tez asked.

Jade said yes and started to recite a list of recipes: "Cruzan 9 apple: one ounce of Cruzan 9 spiced rum and five ounces of pineapple juice. Built over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a cherry.

"Or Cruzan 9 root beer: one ounce of Cruzan 9 spiced rum, two dashes of Galliano liqueur, and six parts of cola. Built over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

"Or Cruzan 9 strawberry kiss: one ounce of Cruzan 9 spiced rum, a half ounce of strawberry liqueur or juice, and six ounces of pineapple juice. Built over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a strawberry and/or pineapple wedge.

"Or Cruzan 9 spiced ale: one ounce of Cruzan 9 spiced rum and five ounces of ginger ale. Built over ice in a highball glass and garnished with a lemon twist.

And here we go—the last alcoholic drink that I know how to make. I hope you guys like it.

This is actually very good, Jade, said Tez and Rico.

Thank you, guys, said Jade.

You’re welcome, Jade, said Rico and Tez softly.

So, you guys do whatever. I’m going to use the living-room television.

No problem, said Rico. We’ll be in my room.

Straight talks, though, brother—don’t make me beat you up for any noise.

Not even, replied Rico.

Yeah, word up, dog, said Jade, and then he went to the living room to finish eating and play his Xbox.

What’s wrong, Tez? Rico asked.

Oh yeah, like you don’t know.

But I don’t. That’s why I asked.

Tez thought, There was a time when anyone could make me think that I could cope with being this average girl. But more importantly, how has Rico hooked me into being such a devoted friend for more years than I can count? When we’re away from each other, we chat with each other on the Internet. He’s enthralled with chatting over the Internet. For him, it’s relaxing and entertaining. He can stay in the chat room and eat a meal without losing his typing rhythm.

She remembered that Rico saw himself as a physical comedian in middle school. He fell in love with Shakespeare, she reminded herself, and I think that love ultimately stems from his father’s passion for the wordplay of Monty Python, which he watched while growing up.

Long minutes passed. Neither of them talked until Tez couldn’t take it anymore. Why so silent all of a sudden?

I’ve never been the social type, he said. So sometimes I feel that I have to lie to come up with a good approach. It’s like trying to turn someone into something that they’re not just to fill the empty void you’re feeling. I’ve been intensely lonely for a really long time, and I just want someone who’s willing to love me.

If we end up getting into a relationship, you have my word, bro, that I won’t leave you.

Rico smiled and said, Oh look, that’s in love.

I’m serious.

Rico turned to her and said, Okay, Tez. We’ll see.

Yeah, we’ll see, replied Tez.

Come on. Our chemistry is excellent, he pleaded his case. We smell each other and bite each other. When I slap your ass, you drag me closer to you. I straddle you, we press together, we hug, and we push each other away.

I like your style, Rico, Tez finally admitted. I like our conversations.

He made a little grin, then said, Thank you.

You’re welcome, she replied, and then she thought about the small tattoo of a heart that Rico had on his right hip, which she found to be extremely sexy. It was always an exotic surprise to be discovered while