Before I Bury You | Book I of The Burial Series

Blood Over Brethren.

Mohatu

Thursday Morning.

"Remember, your Igbo Landing Mass Suicide papers are due tomorrow morning when class begins. You will turn it into this basket at my desk upon your entry. I am very excited to read these. Make my life worthwhile for once, yeah?" Ms. Carter addressed promptly as she swung her average sized feet above the ground. She was sitting comfortably on her desk with each hand clutching either side of the edge. Class was just about to end, and our star still had yet to grace us with his presence.

"Tomorrow, after you turn in your assignment, I will give you the choice of watching a movie or sitting and doing nothing with your lives. Either way, I expect to be left alone to finish rereading Harry Potter. How you young people say...bet?" she lowered her head jokingly, lifting her head in satisfaction when she heard faint chuckles of some students in the classroom. "Bet." She concluded.

The bell rang.

"Get out!" she belted as she hopped from the top of her desk, fetching to accumulate her things neatly as did we, scrambling to get to the door. Adjusting my backpack onto my bag shoulder, I walked toward the door into the crowd, examining my surroundings as everyone else did.

The familiar masculine frame that leaned languidly against a row of lockers snatched my attention quickly.

He was here, he just didn't come to class.

Without any conscious thought, I strode toward his direction with a smile. Another entrancingly handsome boy stood in front of him, eyeing me as I headed toward him while they conversed. He took me in with a fierce glint of caution, his slime green eyes peeling me like the skin of Adrian's fingernails. He nodded toward my direction, "Bro," gesturing for him to turn around. "Adrian.." I called to him.

Jolting his head back at me, my heart sank at the look resurgence and disappointment plastered on his face. He wasn't as happy as I anticipated to see me.

I pushed it aside. 

"I, um, I got your--" he cut me off by stepping passed, rolling his eyes as if he was annoyed by my presence. "Aight, cool. So the project is over, right? Lit." he said rudely. Scrunching up my face in befuddlement, I followed him with one step as he walked down the hallway. The boy beside him crusaded behind us quietly, studying Adrian as he avoided eye contact with me. Putting my hand on his arm, I fought his contemptuous behavior by attempted to soften my tone. "Hey, wait, I just wanted to--" He interrupted me once more, shoving my hand from his arm with unnecessary force. Glancing at the hand he pushed away, he glared at me with an ungenerous review, the look of resentment spilling rapidly from his expression, "The project is over, my nigga, so you can get lost." He affronted sassily, wiggling his head at me, "Ain't nothin' more to discuss." he stated passively as he geared to turn his back to me one more time.

The boy continued to watch him with God's eye. Shaking my head slowly, I waved my hand in the air as I spoke in a brief battled to understand, "Wait, if this is about the movie, I didn't know you--" Again, he wouldn't let me finish. "Don't nobody give a damn about your stupid ass movie, my nigga just go." he bashed harshly in a low tone. I had never felt so unwanted, so disregarded.

"I understand, Nguvu, for I see you now." the words of the letter kept me pushing, kept me trying.

"But the lett--" He spun to face me in aggravation, being down to my level in a belittling move of mockery. 

"YO." He belted at me in irritation, compelling my heart to bead down my chest. The raise of his voice startled me, causing my body to jump uncontrollably in response to his hard base. With my hand in my pocket, I suffocated the folded letter in between my sweaty palms, squeezing it with the frustration and pain one would with a stress ball. "Are you slow or something, my nigga? It was a fucking project." he verbally dismantled me, staring blankly into my eyes, not a splint of remorse to be detected.