Jav in media
Skai Jones
It had been a minute since the person tending to my wounds left.
I picked up my book, "Initiation," and was getting into it when a knock came at the door. I glanced at the clock, saw it was almost five, marked my page, and headed over.
Cece was standing there with a bright smile. She was looking sharp in a black suit. "Hey, you ready? Boss don't play about being on time," she said.
"Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go," I replied, stepping out and closing the door. I followed Cece down the hall, then down a long flight of stairs.
We passed two rooms full of people working at desks and computers before we got to what looked like an elevator. "This place is something else," I thought.
Two dudes were standing guard. Cece showed them an ID, and they nodded, letting us through. When I went to step in, they stopped me.
"ID," one of them said. I was confused. "You tryna go against the boss's orders?" Cece asked sharply, and the men immediately waved me through.
Inside the elevator, Cece pressed a button. "Dang, ten floors," I said.
"Don't be scared or nothing when you get down there, aight?" Cece said, chuckling. I looked at her, confused. Why would I be scared to eat?
"Sure, whatever," I replied, shaking my head.
"I'm serious. And don't be saying nothing out of pocket.
Watch your mouth," she warned.
"What you talking bout? I don't do riddles. What's gonna happen?" I asked, a little disoriented.
"Just be cool, and everything will be good," she repeated.
"Alright, I hear you," I said, still uneasy. I guess I looked nervous because Cece took my hand, which startled me.
"Don't stress about it. You'll be straight," she said, looking me in the eye.
I didn't say nothing, just looked at our hands.
She quickly let go. "Thanks," I mumbled.
The elevator stopped, and we stepped out into a room. We walked up to a receptionist.
"Purpose?" the woman asked Cece.
"Meeting with the boss," she replied.
The woman glanced at me. "Boss's orders," Cece added before the receptionist could say anything else.
The woman wrote something down and gave Cece the okay.
We walked up to a door, and Cece scanned her ID. "They got a whole lot of security up in here," I said. "Is this like the Mafia or something? Y'all ain't playing."
Cece just shrugged, which made me wonder… was this really the Mafia? My heart started beating faster.
I remembered what Cece said in the elevator.
We walked up to two more guards.
Cece showed her ID, and they nodded us through.
The room was lit up by LED lights under a big table and in the corners, with chandeliers and lamps on the walls. It was fancy.
"Boss, I brought her," I heard Cece say before she walked off and sat down, leaving me standing there by myself.
The table was full of people I kinda recognized, with the boss at the head.
She looked at me, and everybody else followed suit. I hated this.
Her stare was intense, and I got a little scared.
Why they all looking at me like that?
I looked at Cece for some help, and she gestured for me to sit next to her. I did.
The boss stood up and walked slowly over to me. I got fidgety.
Her hands landed on my shoulders, and when I tell you I jumped. Cece chuckled, and I mugged her.
I felt the boss's warm breath on my neck as her hair tickled my face.
My breath hitched.
"Welcome to Toxique," she whispered, her words sending shivers down my spine.
I could feel my heart pounding. Everybody else was suddenly busy with something, and even Cece was acting like she didn't see me.
I frowned at the boss's words. She let go of me and stepped back. Everybody stood up, and I instinctively stood with them.
They gave her a low bow, arms at their sides, before she left the room. I looked at Cece, confused. Everybody sat down again.
"It's a sign of respect. You better do it next time," she whispered.
Somebody else stood up. "That's Jav. Boss's right-hand. They tight like that," she added, watching him.
"Everybody's probably wondering who she is," Jav said, gesturing towards me. "Well, she's our newest member. She's gonna be the boss's personal bodyguard, and that comes with special training.Y'all should look out for her."
I had a million questions. "What—" I started, but Cece nudged my foot. I looked at her, confused, then remembered what she said. Oh.
"Introduce yourself," Jav said to me. Rude, I thought. Nobody here seemed to like me, and I didn't know why.
"I'm Skai," I said, looking at Jav with a "you happy now" look. She chuckled and shook her head.
"Meeting adjourned," she announced before everybody bowed to him and left.
"Skai, I know you here against your will, but you working with the boss now. You gotta drop all them faces and that attitude. It be saying stuff you don't mean," Cece said as she walked me to my room.
"How they know I'm here against my will and still ask me to work with your boss? And why put me to work with your boss? And what is Toxique?" I asked, frustrated.
I'm gonna be a bodyguard? I liked working at the coffee shop better.
"You in the trap, so that should tell you something," she replied.
"And I'm trying to figure out why they picked you to be the boss's bodyguard when there's way more qualified people. They put in a newbie," she added, sounding genuinely confused.
"People would kill to be in the boss's good graces. I can see them already looking down on you," she said, chuckling.
"I ain't even do nothing! I can't even hold a gun," I said, embarrassed.
"That's why they gonna train you. Special training means you ain't gonna get regular training. Jav's gonna train you," she replied as we reached my door.
"Oh… I see," I said, feeling resigned. "I'm just down the hall. You can hit me up anytime," she said, pointing to a door nearby.
"Thanks for today," I said, feeling grateful. I might have been in trouble if it wasn't for her.
"Yeah, I got you. See you later," she said before leaving.
I went inside my room and locked the door. I flopped onto the bed, letting out a big sigh. I was drained, mentally exhausted.
It be ma first time attempting to write a book....bare wih me. I appreciate y'all few who be reading and for those of y'all who be voting, damn uu be giving ur girl motivation. Thank uu again.
