College Life 101, page 5
Josh was okay, she guessed, if you liked them tall, brown-skinned and timid. Mark, on the other hand, was a total write-off in her opinion. She couldn’t stand the loud-mouthed jerk with his stupid jokes and dumb pranks, even if he was six-foot-three, dark skinned, and handsome. David, with his silver-framed glasses, she considered a nerd and avoided in the past. His brown complexion, height and athletic build made him attractive and all, but what do you say to a guy who gets straight A’s?
“What’s up baby girl?” Mark inquired with the volume on high.
“Do you always have to be so damn loud?” complained Josh. “I’m sure they heard you across campus.”
“Yes, he does, always,” David quipped, spreading butter on his toast.
“Boys, this isn’t high school. You’d better behave yourself,” Sidra warned, laughing. “Josh, where did you go after the party the other day?”
“Back to my room,” Josh said. “Because Mark and David left me.”
“Tell her why though,” Mark ordered, a glint in his eyes.
Josh frowned slightly. “What?”
“Tell her why we left you,” Mark repeated.
“Whatever, man,” Josh mumbled defensively. “You could’ve waited five more minutes.”
“What’s with all of the secrecy? What were you doing, Josh?” Sidra prompted, intrigued.
“He was looking for you,” David interjected.
Alex, enjoying the play by play, became a quiet spectator. Then she saw the embarrassment flash across Josh’s face, the quick swallow. So, she thought, he has a crush on Sidra, and she doesn’t have a clue.
“Sidra, introduce me.” Alex decided it was time to short-circuit the awkwardness and intervened.
“Oh, where are my manners? Sorry, Alex. These guys are my other old friends from high school, Mark Johnson and David Summers.”
“So, who do you room with?” David asked after pleasantries were exchanged.
“Emily, and this one over here.” Alex pointed to Malajia before taking a bite of her cream cheese covered bagel.
“And I’m the best roommate ever. She’s so lucky to have me.” Malajia chimed in. “Hey David. Hey Josh.”
“What’s up Malajia? Long time no see. How have you been?” Josh asked, picking up his cup to take a sip of his orange juice.
“Great. Since I left Delaware, that is,” Malajia corrected, then groaned as she caught Mark making weird faces at her. “Oh God.”
“Damn it! You’re still alive?” he shouted. The dislike Malajia felt was mutual. Mark thought she was a loud, ditzy, attention-seeking whore.
“You shut the hell up. I’m surprised that you even got into college. Or know how to spell it,” Malajia shot back. She was racking her brains for another insult when Mark let out a loud, phony laugh. Heads turned, and Malajia felt as if everyone in the cafeteria was staring at them. Not all attention, Malajia discovered, was welcome.
“Do you have to do stupid shit like that?” she spat out.
“I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t,” he replied coolly, picking up his book bag, and pointedly turning his attention to Emily. “You going to class?” Mark asked, “I’ll walk you over. You’re cute, how about you give me your number?”
Flustered, Emily stared down at the oatmeal congealing in the bowl in front of her. Sidra grabbed the back of Mark’s shirt. “Back off, boy. We can all go together.”
“Don’t nobody feel like sitting through no damn psychology class,” Malajia complained, tugging up her strapless top. “It’s too nice outside.”
“Girl, just hush,” Alex shot back. She then stood from her seat. “Time to get a move on. First day of class, we don’t want to be late.”
On the way to return their trays, Mark waved a piece of paper in front of Alex. Slamming her tray on the used stack, she grabbed the sheet. Crude stick figures kissed above an inscription in equally crude printing: “This could be you and me.” Alex crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it at Mark.
“Come on now,” he laughed. “You have to admit that was original.”
“Yeah, originally stupid,” Alex returned. Suddenly Mark let out another of his piercing phony laughs right near her face. “Oh my god! My ears,” she groaned.
“Can somebody just shoot him, please?” Malajia pleaded.
Chapter 7
The group filed into the crowded lecture hall. Most of the freshman class were there. Emily summoned up the courage to suggest they sit in front; she wanted to be sure that she was able to catch all of the lecture notes. Mark was quick with a veto, pointing to seats in a row at the back.
“God,” crooned Malajia after the hour was up. “I could watch him teach all day, he’s so sexy. But does he really expect us to do all that reading? On the first day though?”
“He may be cute,” Alex laughed, “but Professor Watson has a reputation for being very demanding.”
“I don’t give a damn,” Malajia replied. “I’m not reading all that.”
Alex shook her head. “Do you guys wanna go to lunch?”
“What time?” Malajia asked, as she looked at her watch.
“Um, now?” Alex chuckled.
“Sure,” Emily put in cheerfully.
“Wow, she speaks,” Malajia teased.
“Leave her alone, Mel,” Alex warned. “Can I call you Mel?”
“Um, no,” Malajia replied, shaking her head. “My name is just fine without you shortening it.”
“Well, Mel,” Alex continued, ignoring her objection. “It’s not nice to make fun of Emily.”
“It’s also not nice to go out in public with a shirt like that on,” Malajia retaliated, pointing to Alex’s mustard yellow, flowy tank top.
“There’s nothing wrong with my shirt,” Alex protested. “At least I don’t have to keep tugging on it to keep my breasts from popping out.”
“Say what you want about mine, but yours is still ugly,” Malajia retorted. Emily just giggled.
After a quick lunch, the three parted ways. Alex headed off to the bookstore. She wanted to get a head start on their psych reading. With so many in the class, she was afraid the books she needed might be gone if she waited around. Not worried by the prospect, Malajia opted to go watch a movie in the dorm lounge with some other students, and Emily headed back to the room to relax while waiting for her next class.
Head down, preoccupied, Chasity was making her way to the science building. Her thoughts were a million miles away, she wasn’t paying attention and walked straight into someone on the narrow walkway.
“Um, my fault,” she mumbled and took a long stride away.
“Hey, wait a minute,” the guy said, blocking her path.
She looked up, startled. It was that football player who was staring at her from the field the other day. She’d forgotten how handsome he was. “What do you want?” her voice was traced with frustration.
“What’s the matter with you?” he asked with a little laugh.
“I just wanna know what it is that you want. I bumped into you, and I apologized. What else could you possibly want?” she replied impatiently.
“You know, you’re too beautiful to be acting so mean.” He returned her glare with a smile. He’d wondered how long it would take for him to track her down. He had to admit, she was pretty hard to miss—or to forget. In a swift glance, he took in the slanted hazel eyes flashing at him, the long black hair, smooth light-brown skin, and slim shapely figure. She’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen, he thought, and straight mean. Odd, but he even found her hair-trigger temper appealing. He was determined to get to know her.
“Boy, please,” she sneered, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” he said quickly, catching her by the arm to halt her departure. “I just want to know your name.”
“Why?” she snapped impatiently. “What purpose would that serve?”
“You’re someone that I would like to get to know, and I’d a least like to know your name.”
She frowned at him. “Who says that I want you to get to know me?”
“I can see that this isn’t going to be easy, but I love a challenge,” he said, running a hand over his short curly hair.
“Well, then you have your work cut out for you,” she promised.
“I’m cool with that; I’m Jason Adams by the way.”
“I’m Chasity Parker. Happy now?”
“Extremely,” he responded. “Now when I see you around campus, I’ll have a name to go with that beautiful face.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere, Jason. I already know that I look good.”
“And you should,” he said, still smiling.
“You’re wasting my time. I have to go.”
As Jason watched her saunter off, one of his teammates walked up. “Jason, we have to meet with the coach now.”
“Okay, let’s go,” he said absently.
His eyes were still tracking Chasity’s progress, but he couldn’t afford to miss his session with the coach. He’d come to Paradise Valley University on a football scholarship. He’d had scouts watching him play long before he graduated high school, and before his tall, lanky frame filled out. He was that good.
“Who was that girl?” his teammate asked, curious.
“My future wife,” Jason replied in quiet confidence.
By Saturday afternoon, they had made it through the first week of classes. To celebrate, Sidra invited Alex, Malajia and Emily to go to the mall to meet up with the guys. “I’m glad that you came, Emily,” Sidra said, boarding the bus for the twenty-minute ride to the mall. “It’s good that you’re getting out more.”
“Yeah. I’m slowly but surely coming along,” Emily replied, taking a seat.
“Extremely slow,” Malajia mumbled.
“I heard that,” Alex said as she playfully backhanded Malajia on her arm.
“Hit me again, and I’ll smack your hair straight,” Malajia threatened, waving a hand in the direction of Alex’s wavy hair.
Within a week, the pair had fallen into the habit of verbal jousting. Alex still thought that Malajia talked too much and let her know it, and Malajia got tired of Alex trying to mother her and Emily, but they were cool with each other. Emily liked being around them, but still she would hang back, still shy and timid. Alex and Malajia were determined to bring her out of her shell. The three were not the best of friends yet, but they were friends nonetheless and were drawing Sidra into their circle. Helped along by Alex’s prodding, Sidra was even starting to rekindle her old friendship with Malajia.
“Anyway, Sidra, how have you and Chasity been getting along?” Alex asked, hoping to hear a bit of progress on that front.
“We haven’t.” Sidra thought for a moment. “Well, it’s not like we haven’t been speaking. Actually, we haven’t even been seeing each other at all. She’s going when I’m coming.”
“It’ll get better,” Emily said, trying to be optimistic.
“I hope so, it’s getting frustrating,” Sidra admitted. She wasn’t satisfied with the situation. She wanted things to be cool. She really wished that they could be friends; it would make her life so much easier. “At least with our schedules, we’re not arguing anymore. We don’t have the chance to.”
“Look, I for one don’t like her. And I don’t see how you people can even consider being friends with her,” Malajia huffed.
“I’m sure she doesn’t like you either,” Sidra replied, glancing out of the window.
“Here’s our stop; get the hell up and let’s go. I need to go to the bathroom,” Malajia ordered after several more minutes of riding.
“Don’t rush us. Nobody told you to drink that big jug of juice before we left campus,” Sidra scolded as she stepped off of the bus.
“Less bitching, more walking,” Malajia countered.
“So, Sidra, where are your friends?” Alex asked, looking around once they made their way inside the crowded mall.
“I don’t know, probably going crazy over some new game system,” she said, keeping an eye out. “Ah, there they are.”
“What’s up, people?” Josh greeted Sidra with a kiss on the cheek and nodded to the others.
“Nothing much. Glad the first week’s over,” Alex smiled. Josh was always so sweet with his greeting.
“Where’s that damn Malajia?” Mark inquired, looking around. “I know she’s slithering her ass around here somewhere.”
“Wow, such hostility,” Alex put in.
“She gets on my damn nerves,” he complained, scratching his head.
“As if you don’t get on mine jackass,” Malajia blurted out. She couldn’t help but hear his comment halfway back from the bathroom. Hell, the whole mall could have heard.
“You make me sick,” he retorted
“And you look like an ass,” she shot back.
“You two need to cut it out. I mean, can’t you at least try to be civil?” Alex asked, shaking her head at the juvenile pair.
“People, can we make moves?” Josh requested. He didn’t want to spend his Saturday standing around listening to Mark and Malajia bicker like children.
“Sure, let’s go,” Sidra shrugged. The mall was huge—and elegant. Skylights lit up the marble interior and fountain gurgling at the center. The group ambled along, window shopping and checking out the stores.
“So Sidra, where’s that bitchy roommate of yours? Shopping for a new broom?” Malajia asked.
“Mel, hush. That’s not right,” Alex rebuked.
“Malajia, you have no right to talk about anybody with your dumb ass,” Mark pointed out.
“I’m not dumb, you ugly-ass jerk!” she hollered back, hitting him on the arm.
“OUCH!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Oh my god, do you have to be that loud?” Alex protested, putting her hand to her ear.
“YES!” he shouted close to her ear.
“You know what?” Alex began, and moved away from him.
“You’re such an asshole,” Malajia ground out, putting her hand in his face. He smacked her hand away and she responded with a sharp punch.
“Stop hitting me!” he shouted, clutching his arm.
“Will you shut up? You’re just loud for no damn reason,” Malajia paused. “You make me sick.”
“I don’t give a shit about how you feel, you fuckin’ fool,” Mark shot back. “Anyway, I’m hungry.”
“Well, genius. The mall has a food court. Knock yourself out,” Malajia said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
“You make me wanna squeeze your head until it pops off,” Mark glared at her.
“Why don’t you squeeze your own head?” Malajia shot back “I’m pretty sure you’re good at that.”
Josh and David cracked up. “Damn,” Josh laughed. “You should see your face Mark.”
Malajia smirked at their reaction to her remark. Alex and Sidra were studiously avoiding eye contact. Mark, on the other hand, was regarding her with a salty look on his face.
“Let’s just get something to eat,” Sidra suggested. Maybe their sour dispositions would improve with some food.
“Hey, Sidra,” Alex broke in, noticing a familiar figure in the distance. “There’s your roommate. Should we ask her to join us?”
“Are you crazy?” Malajia grunted. “Hell no.”
“Maybe she would like to sit with us,” Alex countered.
“So?” Malajia objected.
“Call her over here and see what she says,” Sidra encouraged.
“Girl, you better not call that she-devil over here,” Malajia warned.
“Wait,” Alex raised an eyebrow, “did you just say that I better not call her over here?”
Malajia narrowed her eyes at Alex. “You heard what I said.”
“I’d smack her,” Mark offered.
Alex looked at Malajia, her expression bored as she fiddled with the curls on her hair. Then she called out, “Oh Miss Chasity, could you come here for a minute?”
“Seriously?” Malajia huffed.
Chasity crossed the marble floor, resignation in every step. “What?” she answered. She thought about ignoring Alex, but Chasity had a feeling that if she did, Alex would only shout her name louder.
“We’re about to go to the food court,” Alex explained. “We were wondering if you would like to get something to eat with us.”
“No, we weren’t,” Malajia slid in smartly.
Chasity shot Malajia an angry glare. “Nobody wants to sit with your stank ass anyway,” she snapped. The comment and sudden retaliation had Malajia’s jaw dropping; Emily’s eyes widened in shock.
“Whoa,” Josh commented. Not many people got the last word in with Malajia around.
“Wow,” Sidra echoed, a laugh bubbling up.
“Did you hear what she said to me?” Malajia demanded.
“Uh, yeah,” Alex said.
“Well, defend me, damn it.”
“You’d better defend yourself on that one,” Alex responded. Noticing that Chasity was about to slip away, she motioned to her. “Hold on a second.”
“I wasn’t planning on staying anyway,” Chasity said, anxious to be away from all of them. She was going to buy something expensive, something very expensive. Maybe it would make her feel better. “I have things to do.”
“Chasity, come on. Stop being so stubborn. Shut your mouth and chill with us for a bit,” Alex commanded.
Alex’s boldness caught Chasity off guard, and it showed on her face. Most people were too afraid to talk to her like that, or so put off by her attitude that they didn’t bother, which was just the way she wanted it.
“Will you stop talking to me if I go? Because hearing your voice is making my fuckin’ face hurt,” Chasity sneered.
“Oh, sure,” Alex lied without a qualm.
Chasity shook her head. “Freakin’ liar.” Not having the energy to argue, she followed Sidra’s lead into the food court.
“Yeah, I lied,” Alex admitted. “It’s not in my nature to not speak to people.” Chasity took a seat as far away from Alex and Sidra as possible. Across the table, Mark was staring at her hard.
“What the hell are you staring at?” Chasity hissed.
