Love Lock Down

Chapter 12 (Navette)

I was only nice to her cause I felt bad about beating her up. I went into the office to see if my schedule was made up yet, but the receptionist told me to wait in the study hall and she would call me on the intercom. I sighed and got some directions I really didn't  understand.I was coming  back around towards the bathroom when I heard Leroi's voice.

"Mr. Grenada it's not what it looked like. I was just getting...."

"He was getting my bookbag for me." I said interrupting him.

Mr. Grenada looked over his glasses at me. " Young lady you think I can't see that this is a boy's book satchel."

I threw my hands on my hips. 'Um excuse me, but my daddy bought that for me. I got lost and I asked Leroi to help me retrace my steps to find my book bag. Thank you Leroi." I said snatching his book bag from him and walking toward what I hoped was the study hall. Mr. Grenada said something to Leroi and threw up his hands walking away. When he walked back to the office Leroi ran up to me.

"Here." I said handing him his book bag.

"Look I appreciate......"

"Save it. I only helped you cause you was in a tight spot and we used to be friends.

He slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Oh we ain't friends no more?" he said looking hurt.

"Nah, we ain't and when I get my stuff out the office I will give you back your phone. I wouldn't want your girl to get the wrong idea." I said walking away.

"Vette you gonna be like that? You ain't gonna hear me out?"

I just kept walking because tears threatened to fall and I was not ready for that. I found the study hall and layed my head down on the hard, wood t was table. I was sleep for a while cause when I woke up and looked at my watch it was 2:00. Damn school let out in 30 minutes and I had missed lunch. I walked back to the office and the receptionist Tifah handed me a schedule.

"I never heard the intercom go off." I said folding up the paper.

"Oh I had a call and I had forgot to call you." She said poppin her gum. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my back pack from under the chairs across from her desk. I stormed out the office hungry as hell. I just walked out of that school. I walked for about half an hour before my legs started gettin tired, but I kept on walking. I was 3 blocks away when I heard my name being called.

"Navette is that you?!!"

I turned and smile to see Ms. Judith parked in the parking lot of a nail shop.

I waved to her and crossed the street. I leaned down into the window.

"I had a rough day."

"You gonna have a rougher one if you don't tell me why you ain't in school. Get on in here."

I got in the car and she pulled off and out into traffic.

"Child what you doin out of school?

"It's kinda a long story.

"I got time."

"Well me and Leroi's girlfriend got into a fight cause she thinks we were talkin. I tried to let it go, but she spit on me."

 Oh I no she didn't!! I can't stand that lil fast tail lil girl." She turned to me to roll her eyes for emphasis.

"He brought her home to meet me last Thanksgiving and that girl embarassed me."

"What did she do?" I asked putting on my seatbelt.

"Well for starters my husbands mama is a Christian woman and that girl had on a skirt short enough to count the hairs on her coochie!"

"Ms. Judith you are a mess!!"

"No she was a hot mess. She was all bent over making Leroi's plate and she had more breasts and legs than the turkey!"

I was laughing harder than I had in a long time as she went on and on about Ari. We turned into a place called Bamboo Palace.

"Come on we bout to eat lunch cause you too skinny for me." She said parking in the handi-cap space.

We walked in and I was surprised to see a black hostess.

"Will it just be you too?"

"yes just me and my daughter." She replied which surpised me.

We went to a booth in the back of the restaurant and I looked at all of the satin dragons and chinese zodiac characters painted on the wall.

Ms. Judith ordered the buffet for us and we washed our hands.I was starving so I loaded my plate with lomein, bourbon chicken, fried rice, pepper steak, crab rangoon.

"That's what I'm talkin bout a girl that like to eat like me."She said walking back to the table. 

She just didn't know that at home I rarely go to eat til I as full.

When we got to the table she grabbed both of my hands.

"Lord you are so merciful and so deserving of all glory honor and praise. All good and perfect gifts come from you. You are the sustainer of life, the bread of heaven, and the source of our strength. You are the author and the finisher of our faith. You are the alpha and omega, you are the rose of Sharon. Halleujah! You are the one that is there when all else fails and you are the one that provides for us in times of need. We want to bless your holy name now and forever more. Please bless the food we are about to eat as well as the tiny hands that prepared it. Lord please let it not be a cat or a dog in it and let it be enjoyable.Father please let it be prepared sanitary and let people wash their hands as they come out of the restroom. In the most wonderful name I know I ask these blessings and all belssing in your holy name. Amen

When she looked up I was staring cause I never heard a prayer so long. She just laughed at me cause she knew I was starving.

"That was for leaving school early." She said sipping her water.

"So Navette what is your story? We all got one."She asked biting into a piece of shrimp.

"I took a few bites of rice and cleared my throat.

"wel I don;t know where to start. I never really knew my mama she left when I was about 2 years old. Daddy say that she got caught in the house with a man and even though he forgave her she still left. I wouldn't doubt that he pushed her away. Shayla's mama was real nice and she was real pretty. She was trying to do right by daddy, but he didn't trust her either and he was real mean to her. He would make her have fodd ready when he got home and then he would throw it at her if it wasn't hot enough.He used to embarass her in front of his friends when they came over. Plus he used to hurt her at night real bad.........I think he may have even raped her before, and me and Shayla heard her screaming."

I stopped eating for a second to dab my tears before they fell.

"It's okay baby you don't have to talk about it."

"I can talk about it. He started to beat on me real bad when Diamond left. She didn't want to leave, but he forced her to when Shayla was born a crack baby." I can deal with it long as he don't touch Shay.

she started crying with me and I saw the mascara running down her cheeks. The waitress stopped short when she saw us crying and brought us back tissue. "Thanks" we said at the same time.

We ate and talked a llittle more and realized it was getting close to 4:30 which is when Shayla's bus came. She paid for our food and tipped te waitress then sped to get me home in time. "Thank you for everything." I said as I got out if the car and crossed the street to Shayla's bus stop.

I was standing there for about five minutes when I heard the bus coming down the street. I crossed my arms and turned around when I saw Leroi walk out of the door to help his mother up the steps. He didn't even look at me before he closed the door and that was fine.

The bus stopped and "Shayla jumped out and into my arms.

"Sissy look what I drawed!!"She said holding up a picture of me her and.......................Leroi. wow really?