Bad For You

prologue

August 15th | 2:34pm

"Nyla, get your butt downstairs. We got to get on the road to make it in time to move in."

I heard my mother Joie scream up the stairs as I was backing my last bag. The summer was over and I was going back to the HBCU I attended Shaw University, which was almost three hours away from my home in Charlotte, NC. This would be my junior year of college and I was absolutely dreading it. You see I didn't really have friends at Shaw. I didn't really get along with my last two roommates and I was so focused on school that I never really went out and socialized. But all that would soon change. This was my year.

" Ny do you hear me calling you?" my mom said as she walked into my room. " Yeah, sorry mom I'm just having trouble zippering my suitcase. Can I get a hand?"

She walks over to my bed where my floral suitcase was laid out, spilling over with clothes.

" Hear, let me see." She opens the suitcase and sighs, "Well the problem is you don't know how to fold your clothes properly so they can fit."

As she started to re-fold my clothes and put them in the suitcase I decided to look for my dad downstairs. I approached the kitchen and could hear him whispering on the phone to someone. He must have heard me come in because he quickly ended the call.

"Hey daddy! Who was on the phone?" I questioned

"Oh that was just Sister Dawn asking about bible study this upcoming week. Nothing to worry about sweetie." That's suspicious.

"Oh okay." Not thinking much of it since my dad is the lead pastor at our church. My family was very religious which is why I have been so hesitant on partying while I'm away at college. I feel like they would find out how since everyone in Charlotte knew who my parents were.

"Are you ready to go sweetie?" my dad said just as my mom was coming down the stairs with my suitcase. "You got everything you need?"

"Yup. I just need to stop at Walmart or Target once we get to Raleigh to get cleaning supplies and some other small things." This year I was moving into a house that was close to campus with two other girls I was acquainted with. I'm super nervous to move in with two other girls since my last two roommates and I didn't really mesh well together. Hopefully these girls are chill.

My dad went outside to pack up both cars that we were taking to Raleigh. I decided to bring my Toyota Camry with me this year so I have a way to get around campus.

I texted my roommates, Nicole and Yasmine, in our group chat to tell them I was on my way to the house. They both were from Raleigh so they were already there getting the house together.

"Nyla, are you excited for your junior year?" My mom asked as my dad came back in the house from putting the last of my bags in the car.

"I don't know. I feel like it's gonna be the same as the last two years."

"Well hopefully you keep them grades the same. Don't want to ruin that 4.0 gpa of yours and like I've been telling you for the last couple of years, I don't you partaking in any kind of partying, drinking, or drug use because I will not be driving almost three hours in the middle of the night to bail you out of jail. You are a woman of God and you need to conduct yourself as such, especially when we're not there looking out for you." My dad can be such a mood-killer sometimes. We've had this same exact conversation for the last three years now and it's getting kind of played out. Not that I am about to go crazy and have an orgy, but a girl can have fun right?

"That also means no boys Nyla." mom chimed in.

"Yes, I understand. Can we leave now so I can get to the house at a decent time. I don't want the other girls waiting too long for me.

"Come on, let's go."

My parents got into their SUV while I got into my car and we were off to Raleigh.