After Class (Janet and Aaliyah)

Chapter 32

Aaliyah

  "You getting busy with her, ain't you?" Jazmine asked me. My mouth dropped. I'd just stepped in her room after weeks of not hanging out with her the way I normally would. Pac was tagging along too, but not until later. I couldn't believe she'd just jumped to a conclusion like that.

  "Okay, first of all, who is 'her'?"

  "Miss King! That's why you not giving me the time of day." She pushed my shoulder. "Don't even try to lie to me."

  I sighed. I didn't want to give us up. Not this easy. "Jaz, look. I know I joke about her a lot, but do you really think she would go there with me? She's the god damn teacher. She fine, but she not crazy."

  "I swear y'all be studying more and more." She put on our mixtape to hear back. This weekend we were finally going to put the finishing touches on it, and then start selling it.

  "You should see my grades right now, Jaz. It is not looking good for me." I played with my nails. I didn't want to lie to her.

  "Why, though?"

  "I don't know, maybe my parents? The point is that I need help, and that woman is literally saving my life. My momma's gon kill me come finals if I keep up. So you should stop tryna diss her."

  "Ain't nobody dissing her, you dissing me. Acting like you don't know me." She sucked her teeth. She wasn't joking anymore. I sighed and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

  "Listen, Jaz. I'm sorry I've been neglecting you. It's just been a lot... I don't know what else to say."

  "A lot like what, Aaliyah? You've never shut me out like this before. I don't know what's going on with you, where you be at, nothing."

  "I'm okay. I've been alright."

  "Where the party at—woah, what's this? Do I need to step outside?" Pac came strolling in lazily with a beenie hanging on the the back of his head, while he was flicking a lighter on and off.

  "Nah, we good. What's up witchu, Pac?" Jazmine moved away from me and gave him a hug instead. I didn't move from my seat; I just waved from a distance. Something still felt off between us. We hadn't talked since the day in my room when he kissed me for the last time. I thought we'd be cool, but I guess not. I didn't know if he felt it too, but I was uncomfortable.

  "What was that? Dry ass wave, that's not how we do it round here. Wassup, A?" He came over to me and wrapped his arms tightly around me. I could feel him kiss the top of my head. "What's wrong?" He asked so that only I could hear. It was comforting, but something just wasn't right. He had to know.

  "Nothing, man. Get off me. Messing up my silk press." I smoothed my hair down, only for him to rough it up in a noogie. I shot him a dirty look. "Stop, nigga!"

  "Y'all hostile as fuck. What's going on?" He plopped down next to me and kicked his shoes off.

  "Pac, has Liyah been giving you the cold shoulder lately too?"

  I furrowed my eyebrows and gave him another look. If he said anything less than no, I would go off and air all of his dirty laundry. But if he didn't say yes, I knew Jazmine would feel totally left out. I was curious to know where he would go with this.

  "Uh..." he looked back and forth between us.  "I plead the fifth."

  "Okay, goodbye. The fuck is that? Where you get that from?"

  "That's the only thing I got from high school history. That's what you say when you don't want to answer a question." He scratched the back of his neck. I shook my head.