Ones Trust

Part 2

 Her phone is now going off like crazy and i want to answer it so i answer  

When  she pops up like she seen a ghost changing the subject 

“Your hair’s long enough for me to braid now,” she say.

“Yeah?”

“C’mon, let me do it now.”

“I ain’t got time today. Next time, okay?”

“Alright.” She go back to rubbing my head which feel real good.

It’s nice just being like this, here in this room. I been coming to the apartment forever, and this living room ain’t never changed. That’s what I like ’bout it. Ms. Jenkins still got that same big ol’ console TV that ain’t never worked and the little 19 inch TV on top of it. She got the same couch and chair with the same plastic things on it, and them same Jesus and Mary paintings still covering the water stains on the wall. And everything is real clean like it always is. That’s another thing I like ’bout Ms. Jenkins apartment. When I’m here, I could forget I’m in the projects.

Even though me and Kalah  is relaxing together, I could tell she still got something on her mind. “What’s up with you?” I ask her. “You acting all quiet today. What you wanna talk to me ’bout?”

She shake her head. “Nothing. I just, you know, wanted to see you. And be with you.” We kiss. kayla the first girl I really like kissing. She wear this cherry lip gloss, and her lips always taste all sweet and juicy.

But even while we kissing, I feel like she ain’t really into it, so I stop and just look at her. She look away.

“Come on, kalah ,” I say. “You the one that always, like, we need to talk and all that. You keeping secrets? ’Cause I got too much on my mind these days and I don’t need my girl keeping things from me. 

“I’m not keeping anything from you.” She take a deep breath. “It’s just, well, there’s this new guy at school and he... She shake her head again. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, but this guy is always bothering me.

Now I’m mad. “Bothering you how? I don’t wanna hafta kick some nigga ass today, but I will.”

She sigh. “That’s why I didn’t wanna tell you. I don’t want you acting like some thug who’s gonna....

“What he doing to you?”

“Nothing.” She look at me, and she know I don’t believe a word she saying. “Okay. He asked me out a few times. But I told him I have a man.

I like when she call me her man. That kinda calm me down for a second

Then last week  I was standing at the candy machine and he comes up and puts his arm around my waist and tells me he’s gonna buy me anything I want.

I can feel my blood pumping through my body fast again.

“I told him to get his nasty hands off me, and he did. Then after that I keep finding these notes in my locker, saying he wants to, you know, get with me and stuff. I know it’s him. Then yesterday  I’m walking down the hall and I feel someone grab my butt. I turn around and see him just smiling at me like a dog.

I can see that she getting tears in her eyes, and I don’t like to see that. I’ma hafta do something to this guy. I can’t have some dude thinking he can touch my girl whenever he want.

“You got them letters?” I ask her.

She get up and go to her room, then come back with two letters all folded up. She give them to me. One of them say, “I fantasize about you every night.” The other one say, “When are you going to get with me? Let a brother know.” My blood feel like it’s on fire now.

“There were more, but I threw them away.”

“You know where he live at?” She shake her head, but I can tell she lying. “What, you trying to protect this guy?”

“No. I’m trying to protect you.” She grab my hand. “I don’t want you to end up like ” She stop talking and look away. Then she whisper, “I’m sorry  bae 

I push her away from me and stand up. “I gotta go.” I’m outta there before she can say anything else to piss me off. I fly down the hallway and keep punching the down button for the elevator ’til it come. In the elevator, I punch the lobby button over and over ’til my hand hurt.

When I get outside I walk ’round the projects trying to cool myself down. Even though it’s real cold, it’s still a nice sunny day for the end of January. But the weather ain’t helping me none. I wish I knew who this guy is and where he live at. I swear.

I walk  round some more buy a loose cigarette from the homeless  on the corner smoke it and feel myself calming down a little. kalah  right. I know she just looking out for me. She don’t want me ending up like my pops. In jail. Again.