Killmonger's One-Shot Collection

Mirror, Mirror

Part 1

Ken slurped the overflow of her grape crush soda from the top of the aluminum can and wiped the spill from the counter with her hoodie sleeve before pouring it into a red solo cup to fizz down. Erik, Shawn, and Travis were already in the living room with the TV on CBS and she could hear the superbowl commercials. “Ken, bring the nachos and hurry up,” Travis yelled and she snatched up the tray of cheesy chicken and jalepeno goodness balancing it on top of the pizza box.

“Why is Erik the only one in here who knows how to cook anything beyond ramen,” Ken wondered aloud dropping the goods onto the living room table before pushing her glasses back up onto her nose and taking her seat on the couch next to Shawn.

“Because y'all filthy niggas useless outside of good company,” Erik smirked grabbing a hot slice of pepperoni pizza while everyone else went for his homemade chicken nachos. Gnawing on a well-seasoned piece of chicken, Ken belched but continued her chew, watching the screen.

“Aye, but why can’t you cook, Ken, wasn’t your mom real traditional? I remember she made you wear them loafers and them catholic dresses with the tights when we were in middle school,” Travis chuckled reminiscing.

“Oh yeaah, them Throwback Thursday pics she posted. I seen em, she had the James Brown perm and then the two stick out braids like Snoop Dogg,” Shawn cackled and the room broke out into jokes.

“Akiki,” Ken mocked not finding any of it funny. “My hair was stiff because it was damaged that’s why I cut it to my scalp. It grew back..” It was pulled straight back into a low bun at the back of her head as they spoke. She always wore a headwrap, however, so to their credit, they probably forgot she had hair.

“Oooo, aye Erik, remember when that girl you was with last year around February thought she was a nigga and tried to get at her? Big Ken almost took your girl,” Travis grinned as the football game finally returned. Ken sighed at the memory. It hadn’t been so funny to her when it happened. It was confusing because as far as she was concerned she presented herself as a woman and it was obvious what she was. Irritated, she stuffed her mouth with a pizza slice and licked her fingers, wiping the residue on her baggy wide-legged jeans.

“I tried to forget. That one hurt my pride,” Erik scoffed.

“It’s cool man, you still that nigga. You’ll get her next time. She still on campus,” Shawn laughed good naturedly, elbowing Ken in the side, which was practically titty meat too. He didn’t seem to notice then an odor hit Ken’s nostrils and her face twisted in disgust. “My bad,” Shawn laughed, “It’s the cheese.” Ken tried to fan the foul odor back in his direction.

“That’s okay, I’ll do you one better,” she said lifting an asscheek off the couch and ripping a ripe one.

“Dammit, nigga,” he coughed and Travis and Erik laughed. That was Sunday night.

A few weeks later, she was at the mall leaving Old Navy and saw a fine dude from her school’s campus shopping in the Footlocker looking at a pair of New Balance sneakers. He caught her eye because he was tall and brown with a track runner’s build, and had nice thick curly hair. She hesitated on whether she should approach him, afraid to be turned down and embarrassed. She knew for a fact that some men could be cruel when it came to women they weren’t attracted to. Finally, she worked up the courage and she walked over to him. “Hey, um, you go to MIT.. So do I. I saw you from outside of the store and I thought you were attractive so I came over to see if I could get to know you and get your number.. something?” she spoke hopefully with a friendly smile on her face. His eyebrows rose as his mouth opened and closed, a bad sign.