College Life 101, page 14
“Damn,” Malajia complained, “I can’t believe how much this calculator costs. Makes no damn sense.”
“Hey!” Jason called out as he sprinted over to them.
“Hey, Jase. Did you get everything for Mark?” Sidra asked. “He’ll be on your back all night if you forget anything, trust me.”
“Almost,” he sighed, then pointed to Chasity’s bandaged wrist. “What happened?
“I hurt it,” she responded dryly.
“No kidding,” he mocked. “I meant how did you hurt it?”
“I sprained it, if you must know.”
“Well, I can take care of that for you. I’ve had a lot of experience with sprains.”
“No thanks, I’m fine.” Without thinking, she picked a heavy ream of paper off the shelf, wincing as her injured wrist gave way.
Jason quickly picked up the fallen item and returned it to the shelf. “See, you’re not fine. I know that it hurts, but, of course, you think you’re sooo tough and so damn stubborn.” Discouraged, he ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Listen, make sure you ice it; keep the bandage tight, and keep the wrist elevated. That should help.”
“Fine, I will. Thanks.”
“If you need me to ice it for you—”
“That won’t be necessary,” she interrupted so quickly that he chuckled.
“Okay. Gotta go. Take care.”
“Malajia, did you see any graph paper?” Alex asked, only to be treated to a stony silence. “Malajia, did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I heard you,” she retorted. “But I don’t have time to talk to you. As soon as I’m finished here, I’m gonna go find some guys to seduce with my slutty self.”
Malajia stalked off, leaving Alex speechless.
Shopping finished, the girls piled into the car. They were barely out of the parking lot when Sidra pounced. She couldn’t pass up an opportunity to tease her roommate.
“Chasity, I saw you talking to Jason.”
“So?”
“Just know that when you guys get married, I want to be a bridesmaid,” Sidra warned, coaxing a giggle out of Emily.
“Girl, please,” Chasity scoffed.
“Shit. Damn the wedding. If I were you, Chaz, I would look forward to the honeymoon,” Malajia broke in. “That man looks like he can lay some pipe.”
“Malajia!” Sidra scolded as Chasity shook her head.
“C’mon,” Malajia protested. “You can’t tell me that Chasity hasn’t been thinking the same thing.”
“I haven’t,” Chasity confirmed, annoyed by the sound of Malajia’s voice.
“Yeah, whatever you say,” Malajia teased.
Alex glanced at Malajia in the rear-view mirror and shook her head.
“What’s the matter, Alex? You mad I made that comment?” Malajia inquired, eyes flashing. “I’m sure it confirms your opinion that I’m a whore, huh?”
“Malajia, what are you talking about?” Sidra asked, disturbed by Malajia’s anger. She wasn’t just simmering; she was about to boil over.
“Ask Alex,” she answered coldly, folding her arms.
Alex let out a sigh. “Malajia—”
“Don’t you talk to me,” Malajia hissed.
“What’s going on?” Sidra broke in. “Are you two fighting?”
“Alex thinks that I’m a whore.”
“A whorish virgin? That’s new,” Chasity interjected with a laugh.
“Stay out of it, Chasity,” Alex warned. “Malajia, I was angry at my boyfriend, not you. You were just unlucky enough to come along at the wrong time. I realize that I was a bitch, and I’m sorry.”
“Whatever, Alex,” Malajia snarled. “You meant every word. Didn’t you inform us that you always tell it like it is? You are so fake. Deep down, you think that I’m a whore.”
“What? I’m not allowed to be upset? I can’t be human?” Alex shot back. “My boyfriend is cheating on me and when I looked at you, I saw the girl that he was cheating on me with!”
“I am not that girl,” Malajia argued.
“I know that, I just got angry,” Alex stammered, her voice cracking.
“Forget it, I’m just gonna shut my trampy ass up.” Malajia leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.
Back on campus, Malajia, not wanting to be anywhere near Alex, followed Chasity and Sidra. “You two have any food?” she asked once they got to the room.
“Yeah, but it’s junk food,” Sidra cautioned.
“That’ll work.” Malajia tossed her purse on the loveseat and flopped down.
Chasity, checking out her text messages, let out a groan. She half expected to see multiple hits from her aunt Trisha. What she got was equally irksome, but for altogether different reasons. Damn Malajia for giving him her number.
“I wish he’d kill the nonsense,” Chasity muttered and tossed her jacket on the chair. She managed to knock her bad wrist on one of the wooden arms, and hissed in pain.
“Calm down,” Sidra advised, peeking over Chasity’s shoulder at the message. She stifled a giggle when she saw the little red heart and kissy face emoji. “Aww, that is so cute,” she simpered, earning a glare from Chasity.
“Shut up,” Chasity ordered through clenched teeth, but Sidra just laughed and tossed a bag of cookies at Malajia.
“Here child, maybe those will fix your mood.”
“I doubt it,” Malajia sulked.
“So, Malajia, when are you leaving?” Chasity asked, watching Malajia tear open the cookie bag and settle back against the couch cushions. “Or do you plan on gracing us with your presence all night?”
“Yep, all night,” she returned between bites. “I’m not gonna sleep in the same room with someone who thinks so little me.”
“Yet you’re gonna sleep in the same room with me?” Chasity mocked.
Sidra shook her head. “Malajia, you can’t let Alex run you out of your room. Come on, girl. That’s not the Malajia I know.”
“Oh shut up, you just don’t want me to spend the night here,” Malajia scoffed, brushing cookie crumbs off her jacket.
“Honey, you know that’s not true,” Sidra protested.
“Yeah, it is,” Chasity interjected, then ducked as Malajia threw a pillow at her.
“Look, Malajia, I understand why you’re upset at Alex, I would be too,” Sidra confided. “But she’s still your friend, and I know that she’s sorry for whatever she said to you.”
“Don’t want to hear it,” Malajia said flatly.
Sidra sat down on the couch and brushed the last few crumbs from Malajia’s jacket. “Look, maybe I’m confused, but we always laugh and joke with each other, at least we used to. You didn’t take the insults seriously. Why now? Help me understand.”
Malajia sighed. “Well, I’ve always been considered a whore because of the way that I dress and act. I’ve gotten used to it, because it only comes from people who don’t know me. I know we joke and tease each other and I know that I’ve heard worse...but...I don’t know how to explain it...It’s different coming from Alex.”
The look on Sidra’s face told Malajia that she was beginning to get through to her. “You and I have cracked on each other since we were kids, and Chasity is just mean. I know that, and I accept that. But Alex, posed herself as someone who always treats her friends with respect, and she just totally disrespected me today. You should have seen her face—she was really serious.”
Sidra saw how hurt Malajia was and ached for her. She’d had that same look on her face in middle school, when her parents forgot her birthday. Sidra put an arm around Malajia, who sighed and munched on another cookie.
Alex and Emily waited for Malajia, and waited, neither saying much. Finally, Alex gave up, drew back the comforter on her bed, and grabbed her diary off the floor.
“I guess she’s not coming.” Alex switched off the overhead lights and flicked on her reading lamp.
Emily rolled onto her side. She could just make out Alex’s outline in the shadows. Seeing the diary propped up on bent knees, Emily smiled. Recording the day’s events was a nightly ritual for Alex. But today’s entry didn’t seem to be going so well. She wasn’t writing anything, just tapping her pen on the page. “Alex, are you okay?” Emily asked after a while.
“Um...no, not really, sweetie.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“No, not right now.”
“All right then...Good night.”
“Night,” Alex murmured. She’d done some serious soul-searching over the past hour waiting for Malajia, and she didn’t like what she saw. She’d always lambasted people who used criticism as a weapon, and here she was attacking Malajia, taking her anger and frustration out on someone who meant a lot to her. Paul, she finally admitted, brought out the worst in her. After a quick glance to make sure Emily was asleep, she picked up the phone and dialed Paul.
“Hello,” he answered.
Surprised and relieved that she didn’t get routed to voice mail yet again, Alex jumped right in. “Look, I’m not going to bring up the fact that you haven’t returned my phone calls, and I’m not going to mention that you went out with that girl to get back at me for doing something great with my life.”
“Alex, listen—”
“No, you listen,” she barked. “I’m through listening to you. I don’t like the person I am when I’m with you. I called you to do you a favor...this relationship is over. See who you want, do who you want, I don’t care anymore. You stay there and you fail the twelfth grade again, but you will not blame me for your life, because I’m moving on with mine.” As soon as she got out everything she had to say, she hung up. She knew Paul would throw words and arguments at her, and she didn’t want to hear them. Alex was tired of the nonsense.
The next morning, Alex felt lighter, freer than she had in a long time. But she still had a major problem to fix. After breakfast, she was determined to make things right with Malajia. She was not going to let her stupidity, her senseless attack, ruin a friendship. She spotted Malajia on her way to English and ran up to her.
“Malajia, we need to talk.”
Malajia glared at her and turned to walk away. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Alex grabbed her arm. “Listen, I know that I hurt your feelings. What I said was insulting, degrading, and unforgivable. Paul was messing around with some stank ass girl, and I just lost it. My tantrum had nothing to do with you. You were just a convenient target, and I am so, so sorry.”
“Alex, I get that you were hurt, but that’s no excuse,” Malajia chided.
“I know,” Alex admitted, looking at the floor.
“I mean damn, have I ever given you the idea that I’d go around stealing another girl’s man?” Malajia paused, thinking of her provocative clothes. “Wait, don’t answer that.”
“Malajia, seriously? You may be loud and love attention, but you would never do something like that,” Alex assured. “You need to be the center of attention, so a man who already has someone is out of the question.”
“Damn right.” Malajia folded her arms, then a smile crept across her face. “Okay, I forgive you. I hate to admit it, but I miss talking to your nosey ass.”
Alex threw her arms around Malajia and gave her a big hug.
“All right, all right—get off me. You’re gonna mess up my hair.”
Chapter 16
“So who’s riding in the car and who’s taking the bus?” Mark asked.
“Um, the girls are riding in the car, and the guys are gonna hike it on the bus,” Alex stated. “Sound fair?”
“Hell no,” the guys responded in unison.
“Too bad. Better move it, here comes your ride,” Alex advised. Seeing the bus lumbering toward the stop, the guys took off.
“Wait. My pants are falling down!” Mark yelled as he tried to hike up his pants.
“Why do we hang out with them?” Malajia asked and shook her head.
“I still haven’t figured it out,” Alex tossed over her shoulder and slid into the driver’s seat.
“That’s not fair, how come Alex gets to drive again?” Malajia whined.
“Because I asked her to,” Chasity responded nonchalantly. “My damn wrist still hurts, and I just don’t want you driving my freakin’ car.”
“I still don’t believe Emily copped out,” Sidra remarked, strapping on her seatbelt. “I mean it’s Halloween, we’re supposed to have fun.”
“‘But I’ve never been to a haunted house’,” Malajia mimicked. “I almost smacked her right in her damn face before we left. She gets on my nerves.”
“I don’t even want to hear about her pathetic ass anymore,” Chasity hissed. “She needs to get a life.”
“Damn, I guess Emily’s the only one who stayed home. Look at that long ass line,” Malajia complained as they drove up and parked. The queue for tickets snaked around the haunted house, two or three deep in places. The guys’ bus lurched to a stop and promptly emptied.
“This is gonna be off the chain,” Mark predicted, sidling up to Sidra in the line. “I heard that you go from one room to another, starting with the asylum, and that there’s a big surprise waiting for you at the end.”
“I bet you get scared,” Josh stated, voice filled with laughter.
“Please, nothing can scare me,” Mark scoffed.
“Oh yeah, I’m gonna see Chasity get scared, I’m gonna see Chasity get scared,” Malajia chanted, clapping her hands.
“I hope you die in there,” Chasity shot back.
“Anyone who votes for Malajia to be in front, raise your hand,” Mark proposed, then quickly threw his hand up in the air.
Malajia glared at him. “You would do that to me, really?”
“Hell yeah,” Mark said. “Better you getting sliced, than me.”
“Asshole,” Malajia spat, folding her arms.
“God, can we just get through this without you two going at it?” Alex groaned.
“Nope,” Malajia and Mark answered in unison.
“I swear, Emily has no idea what she’s gonna miss,” David said happily.
The line moved quickly. After getting their hands stamped, they walked into the factory. Fog and eerie lights, and sounds filled the dark interior.
“Oh, please,” Mark jeered. A sudden screech pierced the quiet. Startled, Mark jumped behind the girls.
“That’s good, Mark,” Alex put in, “We need someone on the back end.”
Soon, noises of all kinds bombarded them. A blood streaked hand reached out of a wall and grabbed David’s arm. At a fork in the road, they paused.
“Um, which way should we go?” Sidra asked, clutching Josh’s arm.
“Uh Sid, as much as I enjoy you touching me, you’re cutting off my circulation,” Josh joked.
“Sorry,” she replied completely unaware of how tightly she was squeezing him.
“We’re not splitting up,” Alex said with authority as the eerie noises, blood-curdling screams, and insane ranting grew louder and louder.
“Come on, Alex. It’s a haunted house; it’s not real,” Mark said, giving Alex a playful nudge. “Besides, I could never leave you guys anyway.”
Suddenly, the loud speaker crackled to life. “Everyone back to your rooms. The patients have escaped. They’re gonna kill us, they’re gonna kill us all!” The sound of a chainsaw blared from the speakers. At the announcer’s scream, everyone huddled closer together.
“Man, fuck this,” Mark yelped, pushing past his friends.
“Are you kidding me?” Malajia yelled at him as they watched him run away.
“I’ll miss y’all!” they heard him shout. Then, without warning, a crowd of mental patients with blood-stained clothes and chainsaws jumped from the walls. Everyone scrambled to get away. Jason, Malajia, Chasity and Alex ran one way; Sidra, David and Josh another.
Everywhere they turned, things popped out of the walls, and the patients still chased after them.
“Oh my god! Oh my god!” Malajia screamed at the top of her lungs as a heavy-set woman, covered in blood and holding a machete, chased them.
Chasity froze as another crazed patient jumped in her face. She screamed as the blood covered man reached for her.
Jason grabbed Chasity’s arm and pulled her along. “This is crazy,” he concluded as the two of them took off running in another direction.
Malajia and Alex ran until they couldn’t run anymore. “I can’t breathe; I swear to god I’m gonna pass out,” Malajia panted as she leaned against the wall. Something reached out and latched onto her arm. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
“I’m gonna die, I don’t wanna die,” she screamed.
Alex grabbed the hysterical Malajia. “Mel, calm down.” Sensing that Malajia was reeling out of control, Alex slapped her.
“You mop headed bitch!” Malajia shouted, shocked back to normalcy. “I outta drop kick you.”
“I’m sorry, but you had to calm down—you were gonna hyperventilate.” Rounding the corner, they stumbled over a familiar figure.
Mark was crouched in the corner.
“Boy, get the hell up and come on, you punk,” Alex commanded, pulling him up by the shirt collar.
“What! I’m not scared,” he lied as he hopped up, straightening out his shirt.
“You left us,” Malajia spat.
“What?” He exclaimed. “You mean ya’ll weren’t behind me?”
“Oh please! You left us. That was so wrong!” Malajia hollered. While Mark and Malajia were arguing back and forth, Alex heard a slow dragging sound approaching them. She turned her head to see where it was coming from.
“Umm, guys,” she said nervously as she continued to look around. Then the noise started getting closer and closer. “Guys,” she repeated, her voice cracking.
“You are such a punk,” Malajia shot at Mark.
“No see what happened was—when I turned around and saw that ya’ll weren’t there, I went to run back, but something grabbed me and said ‘naw man, don’t go back for them’ and so I was like ‘man you got a point’ and we was cool and everything—”
