Infatuation

Chapter | 2

The end of the day came rather fast. I found out I have three classes with Langston and Julian, and one class with Day-Day. Loren, Rosa, Randy and I were walking to the student parking lot.
"How was your first day, Randy?" Loren asked.
"Lo, you act like this my first year at East Los. I'm straight, girl." He replied.
"Excuse me for asking how my little brother day was." She unlocked the doors to her car. "Bri, practice still at 5?"
I threw my bags into my passenger seat and sat in my car. "Yep. What y'all finna go do?"
"Drop Randy off at home and we'll be at your house." She replied.
"We gotta go by my house to get my dance bag." Rosa said, getting in the passenger seat of Loren's car.
"Well, get Rosa stuff then come by there."
"Nah, just meet me at the gym at 5. I got some stuff to go handle." I started up my car and closed my door.
"Hey Bri." Rosa yelled out the window.
I rolled down my window. "Yeah?"
"Your ma alright?"
My mama had a bad seizure 3 months ago and been at the hospital since. My dad haven't been handling it that real well and been really down, even though he thinks I haven't noticed. The doctors say my momma is brain-dead and the life support machine is the only thing keeping her alive. My dad and I just can't bring ourselves to pull the plug.
"Yeah, she good." I cracked a small smile. "I'll see y'all later at practice."
I pulled around to the front of the school to see Langston and his boys standing there. I rolled down the window.
"Waiting for mommy, aren't we?" I smirked.
He smiled and leaned into the window.
"A Benz, huh? Must be balling." He joked.
I shook my head no. "Ma wanted a new car but didn't want to sell this one, so she gave it to me."
"What a gift. You headed home?"
"Nah, not now. I got some business to take care of. Why? You following me or some?" I smiled.
"Not at all, ma. Just drive safe. I'll see you tomorrow." He walked off.
I drove the half hour drive to the hospital. I waved at the woman at the desk. She knows my face now, considering the fact I come here often. I walked to the elevator and went to floor 3. I walked into room 311. There on the bed, my momma laid, motionless like all the other times I come see her.
"Hey ma." I sat on the side of her bed. "You look so beautiful." I pulled a string of hair away from her face.
"My first day of my senior year was today. It was the same as always, bunch of hoodlums and as you say 'fast little girls who can't keep they skirts down.'" I giggled at the thought of her telling me that whenever she dropped me off at school.
"I remember you used to be so excited to see me make it to my senior year. You had all of these plans about what we were going to do. Like going to prom shopping, doing basketball homecoming and me make captain of the dance team." I wiped a tear as it fell from my eye.
"Daddy has been doing real good these past few months without you. He even made spaghetti last night. It didn't taste like yours but he's trying." I laid next to her. "He's really trying, ma. He really is."
I just laid there for a few minutes before I heard the door open.
"I figured I'd find you here babygirl."
I looked up to see my daddy, carrying a bouquet of 12 pink tulips. He always buys them since they're her favorite flowers and they'd been married for 12 years.
"Hey daddy." I wiped my tears. "I was going to come home but-"
"It's okay. I wasn't home, I was at work and I couldn't stop thinking about her."
I got up and hugged my dad. "It'll be okay." He said.
I lifted my head to see my pink lipstick on his suit. I giggled. "At least she knows it's not from another woman."
He laughed. "Yeah. It's 4:30. Don't you have practice soon?"
"Yeah, I had to come see her though. I'm finna leave." I walked over to my mom, her still sitting motionless.
"Bye ma." I kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back soon. I love you. I love you so much."
I sniffled and wiped my tears. "I'll see you at home, daddy."
He kissed my forehead. "Alright. I love you babygirl."
"I love you too." I walked out the room to leave them alone.
"Hi Briana." Nurse Amber said.
"Hi Ms. Amber."
"How are you doing?"
"Good, considering." I replied.
"How's school? Senior this year right?"
I nodded.
"That's good. Your mother would be so proud of you." She smiled.
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. "I have dance practice, Ms. Amber. I'll see you later." I headed towards the elevator.
"Alright, be safe Briana."
20 minutes later, I made it to the boys and girls club. I walked in to see everybody stretching.
"Why you not changed yet, Bri?" Coach Middleton said, walking up behind me.
"I just made it. I'll go change."
I went to the locker room and quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a white tee. I walked out to the gym.
"Okay, girls! On your feet!"
A hour and a half later, practice was over.
Loren, Rosa and I sat on the gym floor, drinking a water bottle.
"I'm so beat." Loren said.
"Me too."
"Me three." I said.
"Y'all want to go out and eat tonight?" Loren suggested.
I shook my head no and stood up. "Daddy's cooking tonight."
"Ma already made plans to take us out. Sorry Lo, you on your own." Rosa said, laughing.
I giggled and picked up my bag. "You always want to eat out. Eat at home for once." I said, walking to the door.
"Wait!" Loren grabbed her bag and ran behind us. "I do eat at home too."
"Bringing food home from restaurants doesn't count." Rosa replied, walking to Loren's car.
I popped my trunk and sat my bags inside. "We can meet up tomorrow night. I think my daddy working late."
"Good, so we are going out?" Loren said, smiling.
I giggled and got in my car. "Yes Loren, we're going out."
I made it home fifteen minutes later. I unlocked the door and walked in.
"Dad?" I yelled. I sat my bags down and took my shoes off.
"Daddy?! You here?" I yelled again.
"In the living room!" He answered.
I walked into the living room to see him watching Monday Night Football and drinking a beer. I kissed his cheek.
"Hey daddy. You cooked?" I asked.
"Just some grilled steak and potatoes." He replied, his eyes still glued to the television. "Go wash up and eat."
I just nodded my head and walked into the kitchen and washed my hands. I warmed up my plate and went upstairs to my room. I was eating and watching a rerun of Law & Order: SVU when my phone rang. I grabbed it from my nightstand.
"Hello?" I answered, still eating my steak.
"Bri, I miss you baby."
I rolled my eyes at his voice. "Amari, why are you calling me?"
"Dang baby, I can't call you?"
"Stop fucking calling me baby and don't call me again Amari." I hung up on him.
***
"So he just called out the blue?" Rosa asked, eating her pancakes.
"Yep." I replied, sipping my orange juice.
"Amari crazy, y'all." Loren said, pointing her syrup-covered fork at us. "Y'all ain't believe me when I told y'all that last year. That crack got him on some other shit." She went back to eating her pancakes.
"I don't see why he gotta sell crack anyways. He act like his momma ain't got money." Rosa stated.
"She don't. Last time I seen her beauty shop, it was boarded up." Loren said.
"Forreal?" My eyes widen.
"Yeahhhh. You didn't think he woke up one day and was like 'I wonder what being a drug dealer feel like.'"
I rolled my eyes at Lo's sarcasm.
"Uh-oh, here come that lightskinned dude from yesterday." Rosa said.
"And he brought his homeboys." Loren stated.
I looked up and saw Langston, Julian and Day-Day walking towards us.
"What's good, ladies?" Julian smirked, sitting his McDonalds bag on the table.
"So y'all decided to be like us and get McDonalds?" I asked Langston as he sat next to me.
"Not at all, babygirl. We just didn't know what this school food tasted like." He replied.
"Says the transfer from All-Mighty Private School." Rosa replied, eyeing him.
"It ain't even like that, shawty." He smiled. "You know folks always say they school lunch nasty. Didn't wanna take any chances."
"Good choice." Loren chimed in.
"So Briana, who your friends?" Day-Day asked, drinking his coffee.
"Well, this is Loren. We call her Lo." I pointed to Loren.
She smiled in response.
"And I'm Rosa. Just call me Rosa." She replied, sipping her frappé.
"Ah, the feisty Latina." Julian chuckled.
"I'm not feisty." She said, standing up, as the bell rang. "And by the way, I'm Puerto Rican." She shot him a smile.
Everybody besides Day-Day went to African American Studies. We sat in our same seats, even though we didn't have assigned seats.
"Good morning class!" Ms. Hill said, walking into the class early. "Today we're going to assign partners. And yes, this will be your partner all year."
Half of the class groaned.
"Uh-uh, don't start. I've already paired you up in pairs of boy and girl. So when I call your name, go find your partner and take a seat next to them." She stated, grabbing her clipboard. "Landon and Rosa, Tiffany and Jeff, Marcus and Renee, Julian and Loren, Langston and Briana, Kelton and Kelly and Justin and Moesha. Turn to page 12 in your book when you find your partner."
"Guess I got Landon." Rosa smirked before picking up her bags and walking to his section.
"Look like you got your boo." Loren smiled, grabbing her bags.
"Langston? Not at all, we're friends." I reassured her.
"Mmhmm, sure y'all 'friends.'" She air quoted.
I sat next to Langston. "So we partners."
"I guess so." I grabbed my book and turned to the page assigned to us.
He put his arm on the back of my chair. "So we gone be around each other a lot in here?"
I giggled. "You love stating the obvious, I see." I began to fluff my curls in my hair.
"And you love to pamper yourself."
"Okay class! Read from page 12 to page 20 with your partner and discuss it. Complete all the reading checks and turn it in before the end of class." Ms Hill stated from her desk.
"So do you like here so far?" I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. "It's straight. A lot different compared to All Mighty Private School." He laughed, referring to Rosa's comment earlier.
I giggled. "You'll have to excuse her, she's so used to it just being us three."
"Eh, she's not that bad. Seems like she like Julian though." He looked to the back of the class. "Or that guy."
I turned around. I looked to see Rosa giggling with Landon.
"No, Landon a real good friend to all of us. He's nothing to take seriously." I shrugged, turning back to my work.
He turned around too and glared at me. I looked up to see him staring at me.
"What?"
"Why you so serious? You should let loose."
I turned my head to the side and glared at him. "And you figured I was serious how?"
"I can see it. You all about school, dance and that's it. You don't look like you have fun at all."
I scoffed. "I do. My grades just come first. Education is the key to success." I said, quoting what my dad always tells me.
"Well, let's not focus on schoolwork this weekend. Wanna do something?" He suggested.
"Sorry, I have plans."
"Doing what, studying?"
"If you must know, there's a back-to-school party Saturday that me and the girls are going to." I smirked.
He nodded. "Cool, guess we'll go too. Where's it at?"
The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
"I'll text it to you." I grabbed my bags and our worksheets. "See you later." I sat the worksheets on Ms. Hill's desk and walked out the door.
I was walking out the door when Amari was walking in. Now I can't lie, Amari still looked good. He had his hair in a nice low cut, his teeth were white and sparkly and his eye from his car accident healed a lot better than when I last seen him.
"Hey Bri." He smirked. "You look good."
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Can you move so I can leave?"
"What's wrong baby? You don't miss me?" He grabbed my waist.
I pushed his hands off me. "Amari, seriously? I haven't seen you in 6 months because you just up and left school. Then before you left, I found out you were selling drugs?" I hissed at him.
"I don't do it for fun, Bri. I do it because I have to."
"No one has to sell drugs. It's a million other things you do. The money might not be as fast but at least it's legal." I pushed past him and into the crowded hallway.
I walked downstairs to the second floor to Calculus. The class went by fast and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I walked into the lunchroom to see Loren and Rosa at the salad bar. They noticed me and waved me towards them.
"So, guess who popped up in my Chemistry class?" Loren said, piling some lettuce onto her plate.
"Amari? Yeah, I ran into him after 1st period." I said, rolling my eyes, walking beside them.
"You know I can get Rodney to take care of him. They already got beef and even though we don't go together no more, Rodney worship the ground I walk on." Rosa chimed in.
"Girl please." Loren held her hand up to silence Rosa. "He did look good though, you can't even stunt. I was too tired of that Afro."
I giggled. "He did, but Amari ain't no good now." I shook my head. They paid for their salads and we sat at a table near the center of the lunchroom.
"Where your lunch?" Rosa asked, looking up from her salad.
"Langston getting it." I pulled my phone out my purse to see if he texted me. Nothing yet.
"Ooo, he got to be your new boo." Loren gushed.
"No, we're friends. I told y'all this." I said, as I seen him and the boys walking towards us.
"Hey y'all. I ain't know if you wanted nerds in your slush or not, but I asked them to put them in there." Langston said, sitting my Sonic bag in front of me and my slush.
"Thanks. I actually do." I smiling while pulling my coney out the bag. "I been craving one of these for like three days."
"I wish I would've known y'all was going to Sonic. I don't want this damn salad." Loren said, throwing her fork on her plate.
"You got a car, why you didn't leave?" Julian said, eating his chili cheese tots.
"I ain't think nobody else was going and Bri made it down here all late, so I thought she was eating here." Loren pouted.
"And I just didn't get no money from my ma this morning." Rosa said, drinking her water.
"Well, I could've paid. I paid for Bri's." Langston smiled. "How about tomorrow, we all meet up in the parking lot and go somewhere to eat?"
"Okay, where we going?" I said.
"That's up to y'all. We chose Sonic today so y'all choose for tomorrow." Day-Day said.
"Okay, how about McDonalds?" Rosa said.
We all mugged her. "I ain't leaving campus for no McDonalds." Julian said.
"What about Steak n Shake?" Day-Day said.
"We'd have to sit in and lunch only 45 minutes." Loren stated.
"How about Dairy Queen?" I said. "It's a 5 minute drive and we can take out."
"Cool, I'm down with that." Julian said, stacking four of his tots on his fork.
"Ugh, do you have to eat like that? That food ain't going nowhere." Rosa said.
"Dang ma, you certainly worried about me and what I be doing. If you want to take me out, just come out and say it." He smirked.
She held up her hand. "Don't flatter yourself."
I brushed them off and drank some of my slush. We were all eating lunch and enjoying each other's company.
"Oh shit." Loren mumbled, looking down.
"What?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together.
"Ex coming in hot." Rosa said.
As if on cue, Amari walked near our table.
"What's up Bri? Girls, y'all look amazing as always." He smiled at Lo and Rosa.
"Mmhmm." Rosa mumbled, sipping her water.
"Bri, I thought we could finish our conversation from earlier." He looked at me and held out his hand. "Follow me?"
I looked at his hand in disgust. "No thanks, I'm eating my lunch. And that wasn't a conversation, it was more of a run-in."
He put his tongue on the side of his mouth and gritted his teeth. He leaned down to my ear so only I could hear. "Look Bri, I'm trying to be cool about this but don't start stunting in front of your new boyfriend." He looked at Langston up and down before continuing. "This nigga ain't no me. I bet he can't flip $20 and make it $200 in less than half a hour like I can."
I mugged him. "What the hell, Amari? Who are you? I'd never take you to be that guy to brag about drugs and his dirty drug money. You have your nerve." I shooed him off. "You can leave now."
"Yeah, you can go partna." Langston stood up.
Amari looked him up and down again. "Boy, you must not know who I am." He laughed. "You got me all kinds of fucked up if you think I'm gone let you disrespect me."
I knew Amari was getting upset because the Atlanta accent in his speech was getting stronger. I stood up between the two.
"Okay, seriously you guys stop it."
"Nah, get your boy. Nobody ain't call for Captain-Save-A-Hoe."
I looked at Amari in shock. "And just who is the hoe that need saving?"
He looked at me then Langston and back at me again. "Fuck this, I'm leaving. I ain't gotta beg no hoe." He walked off.
I sat down in my seat in anger.
"Girl, you know Cornbeard and nem ain't nothing but a call away. I can have his ass handled." Loren said, referring to her ghetto cousins who are big name drug lords.
I shook my head. "Nah I'm good. He just putting up a front."
"You okay?" Langston said.
I nodded and gave him a small smile. "I'm good. Thanks for saying something."
He smiled. "It's all good, ma. I take it that must be your old nigga?"
I nodded again. "Yeah, he's nothing to worry about though and I don't want you waste your time arguing or fighting him."
He laughed. "Nah, he ain't worth it. Now if he disrespect you or touch you, then that's another story."
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but you are not Bri's man." Rosa intervened. "So thanks but no thanks, we got her."
"I didn't see neither one of y'all jump in that, so what was he supposed to do?" Day-Day said.
Loren shooed him. "That ain't nothing new; they always argued like that and made up five minutes later. We became immune to the shit."
I rolled my eyes, even though she was right. Me and Amari argued 24/7 over the pettiest stuff. He was so overprotective and irrational.

Amari to the side.