College Life 101, page 10
“Well, you certainly got rid of him,” Emily murmured. “Weren’t you even a little bit nervous?”
“Girl, no,” Sidra denied, “he was so drunk, he could barely walk straight. He was harmless.”
Alex reached for a bottle of water and turned to Emily. “A word of advice Em. Not all drunks are harmless. So be careful, alcohol has a way of turning some people into monsters.”
“Well, thank you for that advice, Mother,” Malajia mocked. She just heard what Alex had said as she approached them in line. Alex noticed that she took a sip from a red plastic cup.
“What are you drinking?” Alex queried. “There are no cups over on this table.”
“That’s because the corny drinks are over here. I have a real drink.”
Alex went to grab for the cup. “Girl, have you lost your mind?” she chided as Malajia moved it out of her reach. “You’re nineteen, you can’t drink.”
“I’m in college and I can do what I want,” Malajia shot back. “Back off, you’re not my damn mom.”
Alex sighed. “Fine Mel. Did you at least keep an eye on your cup when the drink was being poured?” she asked.
“No. I poured it myself, I’m not stupid.” Malajia took another sip and adjusted her dress.
“What’s the matter?” Mark jeered into her ear. “Dress too tight for ya? You look like you can’t breathe.”
“Where the hell did you come from?” she hissed. “And my dress is just fine, fool. You know you like it and you like what’s in it.”
“No chance in hell,” he fired back. “Now if the body went with a different face and a better damn attitude, then maybe I’d like it. Maybe.”
“You’re an asshole,” Malajia retorted, nudging him away from her. Taking her drink from her, he laughed and ambled along. Jackass, I didn’t want that nasty drink anyway, she thought.
The crowded room started to close in on Chasity. She rubbed her temples and knew she needed some fresh air, or she’d get another one of her tension headaches.
Chasity went outside and sat down on the dorm stoop, relieved to be away from the party noise. The night was clear with only a sliver of moon. Relishing the quiet, and the slight breeze, she let her mind wander.
“Leaving?” Jason asked from the doorway.
She jerked around, annoyed at the intrusion and the intruder. “So what if I am?”
“Well, I would be really disappointed,” he replied with a deceptive calm. All evening he’d been trying to engineer a conversation, but she’d sidestepped every approach.
“That would make me want to leave even more,” she muttered, standing and brushing off her black skinny jeans.
“Still with the smart mouth,” he chuckled, walking to the bottom of the steps.
“Look, shouldn’t you be getting back inside? I’m sure there’s some stank thing in there just waiting to throw herself at you.”
“If I wanted to be in there with another woman, then I would be in there. But I’m not. I’m out here with you.”
“Awe, I’m so touched,” she mocked.
“Really?” he said, ignoring the sarcasm. “When can we go out?”
“When hell freezes over twice,” she fired back instantly.
“You’re funny,”
“And you’re a pain in the ass,” she declared bluntly, “so go away.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” He folded his arms across his chest and stared at her.
“You are determined to piss me off aren’t you?” she hissed.
“No, not really,” Jason admitted, “But it seems to be the only way that I can get any conversation out of you.”
“You’re wasting your time talking to me,” she swore. “You make me sick and that’ll never change.”
Jason stared at her for a few seconds so intensely that she blinked and looked away. “We shall see.”
A high-pitched shriek broke the tension building between them. Chasity frowned, recognizing the voice of her roommate. A moment later Sidra sprinted down the steps. At the bottom, she spun round and stood still, hands on her hips.
“Listen, you drunk bastard!” she yelled. “Get the hell away from me!”
“Quit playing hard to get, you know you want me baby,” he mumbled, lurching forward.
“Enough of this bullshit,” Chasity decided, catching the worried look on her roommate’s face. “Jason, get him.”
“Way ahead of you.” Jason grabbed the guy off the stoop and threw him to the ground. Before Jason could haul him to his feet, he rolled over and moaned. Jason smoothed down his long sleeved shirt and, leaning down, grabbed the guy’s shirt collar. “The lady said leave her alone. Back off, or I’ll kick your ass. Got it?”
“Thanks, Jason,” Sidra said, as they watched the guy stagger off. “I could have handled him, but I’m glad I didn’t have to.”
“Sure, sweetie. Anytime,” Jason assured her with a wink. “If he bothers you again, let me know, okay?”
Sidra winked back, signaling a thumbs-up to Chasity when Jason wasn’t looking. Chasity returned the gesture with the middle finger of her right hand.
Chasity glanced over at Jason. “I bet you feel like the big hero, don’t you?”
“No, I was just helping the lady out,” he responded. “Why? Does that sort of thing turn you on?” he joked.
She couldn’t help but laugh. She was still laughing when she and Sidra turned to walk back inside the dorm. Jason followed their progress and smiled. At least he’d been able to make her laugh.
Sidra groaned when she looked at the clock. It was almost three. She’d had a great time at the party, drunken thugs notwithstanding. She’d actually discovered that her callous roommate had a funny side. The byplay between Chasity and Malajia had her and Alex cracking up laughing. Even Emily managed a giggle or two at their comments.
“So, Chasity, when did you and Jason become an item?” she inquired.
Chasity’s head snapped around. “Look, just because you saw me outside with him, doesn’t mean that we’re going to start dating. I don’t even like him.”
“Sure you don’t,” Sidra retorted. “You were just having an unfriendly chat alone, outside, while a party was going on inside. His party.”
“I don’t!” Chasity protested defensively.
“I think you’re protesting a little too much. That’s a sign, sunshine,” Sidra chimed back.
“Don’t feed me that bullshit,” Chasity spat.
Sidra giggled as she heard someone bang on their door like they were the police. “Damn, is that banging really necessary?” she complained.
Chasity snatched open the door it. “What?” she sneered. The girl from across the hall stood there. Her head was wrapped in a scarf, she was wearing baggy printed pajamas, and her face held a mutinous expression.
“Do you know what time it is?” she hissed. “Keep the noise down. Some people are trying to sleep.”
Chasity frowned down her length. “If you don’t take your fuckin’ ugly ass—” Sidra softly backhanded Chasity, before she got her rhythm and the insults flowed.
“We’re really sorry,” Sidra apologized, barely able to smother a smirk. The girl huffed, threw Sidra a venomous look, and flounced back across the hall. When she slammed the door, Sidra doubled over with laughter. “Oh my god, Chasity. You are so ignorant.”
“No, her face was ignorant,” Chasity frowned. “With those ugly ass pajamas on.”
Chapter 12
“C’mon, guys. Get it together.” David was annoyed, more than annoyed. It was stupid to leave the lab experiment to the last minute. It was even dumber to piss off the lab assistant.
“Kenneth isn’t going to give us another chance at this. He hung around all afternoon waiting for us, and he doesn’t appreciate being blown off.” They’d signed up for a late afternoon session at the lab, but Jason’s football practice had run late. Unfortunately, football didn’t rate high on Kenneth’s list of excuses.
I hate group experiments, David decided, watching Jason, Josh, and Mark stroll into the lab as if they had all the time in the world and not just an hour to finish the experiment. Why are they acting like this isn’t important? At least the girls are here.
Slamming his science notebook down on the lab station, he went over to Kenneth, who mixed up some chemicals in beakers and handed them over. “Nice of you to show up.”
“Uh yeah, right,” David mumbled and hustled over to the supply cabinet to get a Bunsen burner. “Okay, let’s get started.”
Malajia ignored him. She was too busy trying to open a jar of salsa that she had brought to go with a bag of tortilla chips. “Did they superglue this jar shut? I can’t get this damn thing open.”
“Hey, ugly, need any help?” Mark offered.
“No, fool. I need a real man to open this,” she replied, then looked at Alex. “Alex, could you open it for me?”
Alex glared at her. “Funny, wench,” she shot back, casting a quick glance over at Kenneth. “And you know that you’re not supposed to eat or drink in the lab.”
“So what? You’re also not allowed to have animals in here, but you see Mark walking around and shittin’ all over the place.”
Mark glared at her. “Keep talking your shit, you triflin’ sack of rat piss.”
“Eww!” Emily complained.
“Will you two stop with the shit and the piss talk, it’s really nauseating,” Sidra put in, shooting Malajia a disgusted look.
Malajia frowned. “What the hell is your problem?” she questioned. Sidra’s tone was a lot sharper than normal.
Sidra pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers. “I’ve been suffering through these damn cramps all damn day, and now I’m supposed to sit here and listen to you idiots argue over nothing?”
“It’s not our fault that you’re on your damn period,” Malajia fired back.
“You’re skating on thin ice, heifer.”
“Please, nobody else talk to her,” Mark pleaded. “Last time somebody made her mad during this time of the month, she blacked their eye.”
“Yeah, it took a long time to open your eye again, didn’t it Mark?” Josh recalled with a laugh, prompting Mark to give him the finger.
Malajia, bored with their antics, gave the salsa jar a good twist and popped it open. Setting the jar on the lab counter, she picked up the chips and tugged at the top, sending chips flying.
“Nice going, stupid,” Chasity commented, jotting down something in her notebook.
Malajia glared at her and started to sweep the chips into a pile.
Exasperated, David pulled the Bunsen burner forward and began to fiddle with it. “All right, enough,” he interjected. “We have half an hour to get this experiment finished.”
“Could you hurry up and set the stupid juice on fire. My insides feel like they’re gonna fall out,” Sidra complained, clutching her stomach.
“Okay. First of all, it’s not juice. If you drink it, it’ll probably kill you. Second of all, I’m not setting it on fire. I’m going to heat it up and find out what happens,” David replied, setting the beaker full of liquid on the burner.
“Well, whatever you’re doing, just do it,” Sidra responded impatiently. David shook his head and fiddled some more with the burner, but it wouldn’t light.
“What’s the problem?” Alex asked, looking over his shoulder.
“It doesn’t seem to be working,” he replied. “Maybe I should get another.”
“Oh, god,” Sidra moaned, sitting down and cradling her head in her hands. “Are we ever going to get out of here?”
“Now listen,” Alex put in, “I know that it’s late, and we’re all tired. But we have to get this done.”
“David, just light it,” Mark demanded. He didn’t care about the stupid experiment; he just wanted to get it over with so he could go play basketball with some of his buddies from his dorm.
“Man, I told you that I can’t,” David said as he fixed his glasses on his nose.
“COME ON, MAN!” Mark snapped.
“Could you stop being so damn loud?” Alex asked angrily as she covered her ears.
“I’ll take care of this,” Mark said and took a lighter out of his pocket.
“What do you think you’re doing?” David asked, grabbing Mark’s arm.
Mark jerked his arm out of David’s grasp. “I’m turning the gas on, and then I’m gonna light it. Duh.”
“Mark, don’t do that,” David warned. “It’s not going to be pretty.”
“Hey!” Kenneth shouted from across the room and jumped up, knocking his chair over.
“Man, I know what I’m doing,” Mark replied, flicking his lighter.
“Mark, NO!” Alex shouted.
Mark jerked back at the sudden burst of flame. The beaker cracked, spilling fluid all over the lab counter. Within seconds, the surface was ablaze and set off the overhead sprinklers.
“See what you did!” Malajia shouted, dodging out of the way of the water streaming down on the lab.
“Don’t start with me!” Mark shouted back.
Kenneth rushed over and began barking orders. “You,” he pointed at Emily, “get the fire extinguisher.”
“I found it!” Emily ran up with the fire extinguisher. Kenneth took it from her. He turned the nozzle and a thick white spray gushed out, sending bits of black ash flying until the fire sputtered out.
“This is bullshit,” Malajia fumed and stomped her wet high heeled boot on the floor.
“Mark, you never listen,” Josh barked. “What’s wrong with you?”
Mark looked around with a stunned expression “Why is everyone coming down on me?”
“You’re not serious, are you?” Chasity asked with a deceptive calm. She could have choked him right then and there.
“You set the damn project on fire, you dumbass!” Jason shouted at him.
“Man, that was David’s fault. If he had lit the burner in the first place, then I wouldn’t have had to use my lighter.”
“And if you had bothered to read the experiment protocol,” Kenneth interrupted, his voice dangerously quiet, “you would have known you were dealing with combustible substances. They can take slow heating, but no direct fire.” His arctic gaze swept over the group. “Now, I suggest you clean up this mess. The utility closet is over there.”
Chasity drew him aside. After a short exchange, he nodded, and walked back to his desk to supervise the cleanup. Sidra made no move to get up; she gripped the sides of the chair hard, her cramps were so bad she thought she would break down and cry.
“Your friend is an idiot,” Chasity commented and crouched down next to her. “You look like you’re dying over here. You want a ride back to the dorm?”
“Oh god, yes,” she groaned, struggling to stand. “Thank you.” Chasity grabbed her arm to help her up, then turned toward the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Malajia hissed at them.
“Die please,” Chasity shot over her shoulder as she and Sidra continued to walk out of the lab.
Alex ran her hands through her hair and let out a loud sigh. “Okay, we just failed this project, we almost set the building on fire...All in all today has been a really crappy day.”
“I guess we better start cleaning this mess up,” Jason said, bending to pick up some of the scorched papers off the floor.
Malajia was sitting on one of the tables surveying the damage to her boots. “I’m not cleaning up a damn thing.”
“Oh yes, you are,” Jason contradicted, “Last time I checked these were your chips all over the floor.”
“Oh, what are you gonna do if I don’t. You gonna hit me?” Malajia taunted.
Jason looked at her with his eyes narrowed. “First of all, I would never hit a female.”
“But I would,” Alex interrupted, thrusting a mop at Malajia. “Get to cleaning.” They stared at each other for a long minute, then Malajia grabbed the mop.
Mark looked over and grinned. He had been picking up bits of shattered glass from the lab table. “You wanna switch? You can pick up this glass...or eat it, I don’t really care.”
For once refusing to be drawn into an argument, Malajia swore under her breath and gripped the unwieldy mop. “Punk,” she muttered.
Malajia was still steaming the next afternoon. On her way back from Math, she saw Chasity coming out of another classroom and erupted.
“You stupid heifer,” she bit out. “Leaving us to do all the damn dirty work.”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Chasity asked, with a dismissive flick of the hand. “The damn lab guy didn’t care, why should you? Sidra wasn’t feeling good.”
“I’m dead tired,” Malajia groaned, tossing her head back. “We had to clean up the whole lab. There was black shit and water everywhere.”
“You mean ash?” Chasity mocked.
“What-the-hell-ever. I didn’t get to bed until three this morning. So right now, I am seriously hating you.”
“You really have to stop thinking that I care about what’s going on with you.” Chasity shrugged. “My roommate was in pain; I thought she was going to pass out.”
“Right,” Malajia hissed. “I see right through your evil self. You used Sidra’s cramps to get out of helping us clean up.”
Chasity let a sneaky smile creep across her face, giving Malajia the answer that she already knew. “What? No, not at all,” Chasity insisted, voice full of feigned innocence.
Malajia shook her head. “You make me sick,” she declared.
Chasity let out a quick sigh. “Don’t get mad at me. It’s not my fault that your friend set fire to the project. It’s not my fault that you spilled chips all over the floor. So back the fuck off.”
Malajia’s eyes turned to slits. “One of these days I’m gonna tear every damn strand of hair off your head, one by one.”
“Real cute.” Nodding, Chasity turned and walked away.
The student lounge was across campus. By the time Malajia walked in the building, her temper had cooled. She was too tired to waste any more energy. She glanced around the crowded room to see if she could find any of her friends. A laugh rang out, and Malajia jerked around. There was Sidra, chipper as ever, chatting away on a couch. Malajia narrowed her eyes as she made her way over.
