The Crossfire | Revised | Sample

i | 8 | the c h e c k - u p

❝ THE CHECK-UP ❞
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───── ⋆⋅Chayanne⋅⋆ ─────

|| Wednesday. . .

School did so hectic today, mi neva get fi see Chezzy until lunch. Sitting across from her now, mi leggo waa burdened sigh as she shell dung her box lunch and wait for me to start talking.

In all honesty, me neva waa tell Chezzy bout what happened. Me did waa pretend as if the brief interactions with the crosses a did nun more than a wistful dream. But Chezzy being Chezzy, she pick up seh sum did wrong wid me - I'm jumpy and I didn't get any sleep last night.

"So-" mi clear mi throat fi rid the hoarseness. "So yesterday after we drop yu off, Trav carry we a waa place. Me and the man did leff ina the car and me ask him a question and mi guess him-"

"Wa yu ask him seh?"

"Mi ask him why him a be nice to me."

Chezzy snort and motion wid her plastic fork fi mi continue talk.

"So yea, me ask him a question and I guess I struck a nerve. The man. . . the man draw gun pon mi, Chezzy."

"Wa?" her mouth drop open and her eyes get wide.

Mi nod. "Yea. . . Mi life flash before me eyes round three times."

"Mi jesas. . ." Chezzy shake her head in disbelief.

"Yea. Mi still nuh get wa did ina dat fi so upset bout but-" mi sigh and straighten mi shoulders. "It's whatever at this point. Mama always tell me, 'if yu get yu hand ina devil mouth, tek it out', and a dat me ago do."

"Girl, yu know damn well mi nuh understand alla you and yu granny sayings."

Mi give her a dry laugh. "It means if mi get miself ina waa sticky spot, mi fi tek miself out before things get worse," I explain and Chezzy nods in understanding. Mi sigh again. "Mi know seh violence a get so normalized these days but it feels so different actually being in the situation, you know?"

Chezzy nods. "Mi get wa yaa seh," she hands me a cucumber because she nuh eat it. She watch as me swallow it before she seh, "Mi happy nun worse nuh do yu. Yaa do the right thing by leaving him alone."

I nod and one of Chezzy's friends - aka big front Abigail - come siddung at the table wid we. Ignoring me, she start chat off Chezzy ears. Mi cya stand the likkle mix-up gyal isi and she eva insist pon itching up pon Chezzy like she a ticks. A probably that's why me spirit cya tek her.

"-a so comes she gwan like she more than anybody else," Abigail finish ar rant.

Chezzy instantly agree. "A so some a dem gorilla looking gyal ya behave, mi love."

Shaking mi head, mi get up from round the table and tell Chezzy me wi see her later. Mi start walk towards me next class and my mind unconsciously drifts to Favio.

Me still feel shaken up. It felt different when I was in the situation with Trav. Mi cuda fake bravery knowing seh him wuda protect me. But yesterday. . . my God. That man handle me like mi come a him yaad and thief ripe mango.

Even now I can vividly remember how his eyes were so dark and how he looked different from the easy-going person who drove me to school and made me smile here and there.

Glad mi bend the tree from it likkle, as my Mama wuda say. Right now if me see the dutty bwoy me a run like pitbull a chase me. Maa leff the fast life to people weh love gwan like dem nav nun a live fa. Cause me, Chayanne Arya Bailey? Young and have nuff fi live fa.