That's Good, That's Bad ~ Chris Brown

"No Chris, that's good, that's bad."

~

- Chris

I looked to my left then to my right as I scanned the all white crowd for one black face. There were a few, but they already had their own groups of friends they were sitting with. I don't think I'm in the hood anymore, I thought to myself.

"Excuse me," a small voice said. I checked behind me and saw a small light skinned girl with dark brown hair trying to squeeze past me. She was pretty, delicate looking.

I moved over some and watched as she found a seat in the auditorium at the very front. I never sat in the front, but there were no empty seats in the back.

I squeezed my book bag straps tighter and then slowly walked down the isles and found a spot next to a Puerto Rican girl in the third row. She moved her book bag from the seat and then blew a bubble with her gum.

"Thanks shawty," I said sitting down. She looked at me up and down with a stank face.

"Mhmm," she relied rolling her eyes.

"You a freshman here, shawty?" I asked putting on a flirtatious smile.

"Yeah and you obviously not from here, don't call me 'shawty'," she shot back moving her neck.

"My bad, damn," I said furrowing my eye brows. "Where I come from, it's okay to--"

"Well you not there anymore, you in my city. Don't call me 'shawty' please and thank you," she said cutting me off. I closed my mouth quickly before I said anything that would cause her to smack me. But still, this ho.

The dean sauntered across the stage and all conversations came to a hush. I shifted in my seat and waited for him to speak. It felt like I was in the principals office at school.

He spoke about the rules and regulations of attending Syracuse University and the consequences of breaking one of the rules.

Sounded like a bunch of bullshit in my opinion. Who expels a person for cheating? It's JUST cheating. Fighting leads to being arrested? What the hell!?

I started to doubt my ability to survive here. I knew how to survive in the streets but this shit is completely different. I had gotten suspended dozens of times in Virginia, but they could never let me go over a fight. My grades were too good. Here they'd suspend and expel you over anything.

He moved on to campus safety, something I was a little interested in. I needed to know where I could smoke weed, and where I couldn't smoke weed.

I had so many other questions besides that. All on topics completely different than what he was talking about. Women, God I loved women, were they allowed in the male dorms? Parties, another gift from the man upstairs, what was the rules for parties? Curfew, was there a curfew? I need to know what time I have to sneak around.

Too engulfed in my own thoughts, I didn't realize that it was time for the guys to leave so that the girls could watch the video about rape. How a man could do that and not kill himself afterwards I'll never know.

Yeah I mean, girls do have those type of bodies that you can't resist but raping them? Nah, I'm fine. Before I could even get close to the door, I was shoved out by an older group of boys.

"Damn man!" I yelled furiously. I hate when people touch me, especially boys. The boy who looked like the leader of the group smirked at me.

"My bad, bro. These fools were gawking over some girl." He scoffed at his boys and turned to me. "You new here?" I smiled finally feeling like maybe I'd have some friends.