Consequences

28

Monica hadn't left her room since going to her mother's house. She didn't know what to do to get Taraji back. She laid on her bed listening to Patsy Cline's "Crazy" over and over as loudly as the radio could play. She heard a knock on the door but didn't respond.
"Monica, this is Kim, the RA. If you don't answer the door, I am going to come in."
Monica continued to ignore the door. Kim unlocked the door and walked in. The smell of rotting food caused Kim to cover her nose.
"Oh, hell no! Girl, you can't have this room like this,"
she said as she turned the music down.
Monica snapped when she didn't hear Patsy anymore.
"What the fuck are you doing in my roooommmm?" she screamed. Other people started coming around.
"What are you doing here?"
"Chill out, Monica,"
Kim said, putting her hands up.
"I'm resident assistant. I can come in whenever I think there's a problem, and there is."
"Get out of my room!"
Monica pointed to the door.
"Monica, you need to drop the tone. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Get out! Get out!"
Monica continued to yell. Kim knew the situation could get volatile.
"I'm calling security on you."
Kim walked out the room.

Monica slammed the door. She looked around her room. She knew she was about to be in trouble. If security came she would be shipped back to the mental health facility for good. She followed Kim into the hallway.
"Kim, please don't call security. I'm just going through something. I was dumped."
Tears rolled down Monica's cheeks.
"Monica, we all have been there. I've been dumped before. But you can't let your room get like that. If you get bugs, we all get them."
"T'll clean it up immediately. Thank you."
Monica walked away. Kim walked to Monica's suite mate's room.
"Hey, Dayza."
The thick, red-boned woman looked at Kim.
"Is she gonna stop?"
"Yeah, I talked to her."
"Thank God. 'Cause I thought I was going to have to kill the crazy bitch."
Dayza smiled and closed her door.

"You know I'm supposed to be kicking your ass right now."
Mckenna laughed as she walked in Nic's dorm
room.
"Mckenna, it's been three days. She hasn't contacted me. What's going on?"
"She's pissed off. Man, what the hell happened?"
Mckenna said, sitting in the desk chair.
"Larissa kissed me. I was talking to her about Zaria going to see Jasmine and she fuckin' kissed me. I pulled away immediately and came back here."
"So you didn't fuck her?"
"Hell, no. I didn't even kiss her. She kissed me."
"Man, I'll talk to Zaria. You know she got issues."
"Yeah, but why she taking shit out on me? I ain't Jasmine,"
Nic complained.
"She actually compared me to her."
"Man, just let her cool off. I'll talk to her. Now that I know you didn't fuck the girl, things will be aight. Let me grab some of her clothes, and I'm outta here."
Mckenna picked clothes out of Zaria's closet.
"Tell her I love her."
"I will."
Mckenna closed the door behind her. Nic felt her world falling apart.

Taraji opened the door and smiled as Sidra walked in.
"You wanted to see me?"
Sidra smiled.
"Yeah, I did. Um, I wanted to talk to you about... well, you know."
Taraji smiled back.
"T, there is nothing to explain. I understand where you were coming from. It actually made me respect you more. No love lost. But, trust, when school is out, I'm gonna get you,"
Sidra boasted. Taraji laughed.
"I hear ya."
"So, are you ready for the games?"
Sidra asked as she sat down on the couch.Taraji sat down next to her.
"I guess. I really don't seem to care one way or the other."
Sidra looked at Taraji in disbelief.
"You don't care? Dee, these are the last games of our college careers. For some it's the last time to truly play ball. And you don't really care?"
Taraji thought about Hazel.
"I guess I just have a lot on my mind. But I feel you on that."
Sidra sighed.
"Man, this is my last time to shine. My last time to make a good impression. I want it so bad, T."
"I know you do, and I'm going to do all I can to make sure you get your shine on."
Taraji leaned over and kissed Sidra.
"Damn, my bad. I just really wanted to do that."
Sidra blushed.
"Well, by all means, continue."
They embraced each other, sensually kissing until they were interrupted.
"Now that's what I am talking about. That's some Love and Basketball type shit,"
Mckenna teased as she walked into the room.
"It's about damn time. Now let me go save this other damn relationship."
Mckenna walked out of the room.
"Not as glad as I am."
Sidra kissed Taraji again. She stood up.
"I better get back to the dorm. I got to get some studying and packing done."
Taraji walked Sidra to her car.
"Look, as much as I wanted to do that back there, we probably shouldn't do it again until after the last game."
"Well, in that case..."
She hugged Taraji and kissed her again.
"I just needed one more."
Taraji watched as she drove off. Monica hit her steering wheel.
"I knew that bitch was trying to take my girl,"
she said, looking at Taraji going back toward her apartment. Monica had been watching from across the street for weeks, waiting to get proof. She watched Sidra drive off.
"Bitch, you got me fucked up."
She peeled off, leaving skid marks on the pavement.

"Zaria, go get ya girl,"
Mckenna said.
"I knew you were going to be on her side,"
Zaria said and snatched her clothes from Mckenna.
"Z, you buggin'. Nic didn't do shit wrong. Now you on the other hand...How the fuck you gon' go see that bitch when you know how Nic feels about it? How you gone put her in that situation."
"I just had unfinished business."
"You realize the last time you had unfinished business you ended up getting back with Jasmine? How is Nic supposed to feel, knowing you did it once before? Put yourself in her shoes."
Zaria knew Mckenna was right.
"Was she OK?"
"Hell, naw. That girl look like she ain't had a bath in days."
Mckenna looked around the room.
"Hey, where's Armani?"
"She left for Atlanta yesterday."
Zaria could see the hurt in Mckenna's eyes.
"So when are you two going to work things out?"
"That ship has sailed. We can only be friends, maybe fuck every now and then. I'm not opening myself up to her again."
"To just her, or anyone?"
Zaria said. Mckenna didn't respond.
"Well, go get ya girl."
Mckenna kissed Zaria on her forehead and walked out the room. Zaria picked up her keys to go to Nic but paused. The image of Nic kissing Larissa entered her head again. She put her keys down. She couldn't do it.

Armani looked at Roman. He was definitely a handsome man. She knew she was wrong for letting Mckenna sex her, but she felt so good. She wondered if Roman was going to be enough for her, or if she would always want to sleep with women, especially Mckenna.
"Armani, is something wrong?"
Roman said, noticing she wasn't eating her dinner.
Armani quickly snapped back to reality.
"No, baby, everything is fine. Just one of my friends is going through a lot right now. Her mother is dying."
"Damn, baby, I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do for them?"
"No... but, Ro, I think I'm going to take a break from coming down every weekend. All my friends are trippin' about me not being around. It's our senior year and they hardly see me. And with this going on, I need to be there for her and them."
Roman didn't like Armani's decision, but he respected it.
"I understand, baby. How about I come up there every weekend?"
"Rome, you have work, and you know they are going to trip if you aren't available and something important happens. You spend most of your time when I'm here in the office."
Roman took a sip of his beer.
"You're right. I guess I can go a few weeks without you. And in a few weeks I'll come down. I think it's time for me to meet your crew anyway. I really want to meet Kendall and Taraji."
Armani knew that he couldn't meet them.
"Baby, we'll see, but don't make any plans yet. They're both very busy people."
Roman studied Armani's facial expression.
"Armani why don't you want me to meet your friends?"
Armani was shocked.
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. When Fantasia was in town, you didn't want me to meet her then. And now you're telling me I can't come and meet them. Why are you trying to hide me? Or is it you're the one hiding
something?"
Roman responded. Armani could hear the concern in his voice.
"Roman, it's not that. I would love for you to meet Zaria and Fantasia. There is something that I haven't told you, and I didn't know how you would react. Zaria is gay. Nic is not a man, but her lover."

Roman couldn't believe it.
"Are you saying that fine-ass woman is a dyke? Damn."
His words cut her like a knife.
"Can you please not use that word? And, yes, she is gay."
"I'm sorry about the dyke thing, but hell, I just never would have thought such a beautiful woman would be gay. That's a shame."
"Why is it a shame?"
Armani was waiting for this. She could see what he truly thought.
"Nothing, baby. I'm just shocked. Tell me, have you ever been with a woman?"
Armani almost choked after that comment.
"What!"
"I'm just kidding. I know you would never go that way. But, seriously, I do want to meet them all. Maybe around graduation, since it's only a month and a half away."
"Maybe."
Armani took a bite of her food, unsure of what to do. She knew now that she had to keep it from Roman. She hoped she didn't have any more lapses. She was going to have to try to stay away from Mckenna, the main girl who still knew how to get her hot.