After Class (Janet and Aaliyah)

Chapter 12

Aaliyah

  "So I guess you done acting all weird now, right?" I was sitting in Pac's car while he rolled up a blunt for us in a vacant parking lot. Besides being by myself, I loved smoking with him the most. We started talking to each other so deep when we got a little weed in our system, sometimes even got a  melody or lyric out of it. We just vibe with each other and it's quiet and it makes me feel good.

  "What you mean?" He licked the paper one time. I fidgeted with the lighter, just igniting it real quick and then letting go. Pac could roll a blunt better than anybody I knew, but damn he took his sweet ass time. I still had work, and I wanted to make sure I was back to normal again by the time I had to leave, about 4 and a half hours later.

  "I mean, last time I saw you and I started talking about how Jaz was talking some shit about you and you got freaky on me just like her. What's really good?"

  "Nah, see, don't worry about it." He handed the blunt to me, packed and rolled tight to perfection. He wiped the dashboard off of the little bit he spilled while I lit up. It was loud today. It would be no time til I started to feel it. I took two long hits, the smoke filling up my lungs completely and exiting through my nose. It was just what I needed. I leaned back and handed it to Pac, who examined the blunt first the way he always did, then took a couple hits too. It went on like that for a while until I felt I was where I wanted to be in the clouds.

  "No, see, I can't just let this go. Y'all know something that I don't know, and that's not cool," I pouted.

  "Don't worry about it, sis." He playfully punched my shoulder. I looked over at him, and his eyes were getting low and a little red now.  "We cool."

  My body was tingling from head to toe and the music was bumping. The life. And I couldn't even be mad at them right now. I had my hot cheetos and my weed and my day 1 nigga. So what could I complain about? I couldn't even remember now.

  "Pac, how come you ain't never been in love?" I asked him after about what seemed like 2 hours, but only 5 minutes had passed.

  "What you mean?" His eyes were closed and he took off the bandanna that was on his head.

  "I mean, I know you getting it in, but you don't never talk about girls, let 'em come around us, nothing. So I guess I just thought it was because you've never been in love with none of them."

  He was quiet for a while. "What makes you think I'm smashing bitches all the time, Liyah?"

  "Nigga, I know you. I know how you are and how the girls around here think you all that, so why wouldn't you be smashing? You got a dick don't you?"

  "Because I am in love," he mumbled.

  "What?"

  "You heard me." Pac looked straight out the window.

  "Who? Who you in love with, Pac?" I was leaning over the center console, all in his face.  I knew I annoyed the shit out of him. But he couldn't just spring this kind of shit on me so nonchalantly without expecting a reaction.

  "You, Liyah, Damn! Get off of me." He swatted me away. I slumped in my seat.

  "What the fuck did you just say?" I made a face but he didn't see it because he wouldn't look at me.

  "You know exactly what the fuck I said."

  "You joking, right Pac? It's me, Aaliyah. You realize what you saying?"

  "Yeah. I got it."

  "I think it's the weed talking. You don't mean that." I shook my head.