𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋, d. swing

𝐈

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
OCTOBER 23RD, 1995

"Class is dismissed. Make sure you read chapter three in your book!" Professor announced. Everyone gets up, and I put all my pens and pencils in my bag. I walk out of class and begin to wander out of the building. 

"Devyn!" I hear someone call out. I glimpse back, and it's my childhood friend, Tiffany. I stop and watch her rush towards me. She looks at me and says, "So do you have anything planned for this weekend?" 

We start to walk, and I open the door. Tiffany walks out with me following behind her. I say, "The homework." Tiffany Freeman--my boujee roommate. A blind person would be surprised she is black with the way she acts. She doesn't mean any harm. It's just how she was raised. I can see she has good intentions...sometimes.

"That's it?" she inquires, looking me up and down.

I nod, and then I feel a buzzing in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I see the number, and a small smile grows on my lips. Looking up at Tiffany, I say, "I'll catch up." She waves goodbye and walks off. I answered the phone, and before I could say anything. I was interrupted. 

"Hey, Devyn!" Layla beams.

"Hey, Layla, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you were up to anything this weekend."

"You know I'm teaching classes today," I say, walking to my dorm.

"Oh yeah, that's right! How is it?"

"It's good!" I burst with the broadest smile on my face. "Students are pouring in after the news covered it." My yoga studio is the second most important thing to me. It's covering my intuition, and I'm doing things I love. I also have the advantage of instructing all the things I know. I noticed I'd been biting my lip and released it.

"It sounds like you love it. So how's you and Omar?"

"We're good actually," I lie, "I just talked to him not too long ago." My voice naturally gets high-pitched for a moment, and I clear my throat. Omar and I aren't talking. We got into an argument last week and haven't spoken since then.

"Mhmm," Layla hums, "I'm going to act like you didn't just lie to me. Imma let you go, College Girl."

I cringe, "Don't call me that."

Layla laughs, and we say our goodbyes. I hang up the phone and go inside the dormitory. Walking up to the elevator, I frown at the paper on the doors. The sign reads, "OUT OF ORDER" in big red letters. Rolling my eyes, I go in the direction of the stairs. "Hey, Devyn!" I hear someone call out. I turn around and smile at the girl who is walking towards me. She opens her arms and pulls me into an embrace. It's Alexia, my other friend. "Don't you gotta do that yoga thing today?" she asks, popping her gum.