"So what happened to you last night?" I asked Elijah, my eyes fixed completely on him. We were sitting in the cafeteria a couple minutes before the bell rang for first period. He had just sat down next to me and was leaning over to give me a kiss when I interrupted him with my question.
He gives me a dimples smile that's meant to ease my worries but all it does is make him more suspicious. "I um, I got caught up wit some shit."
I frown. "You coulda called or texted me and told me that you weren't coming. I waited for you." I know I must sound needy and stupid but I couldn't help it.
He scouts closer to me, putting an arm over my shoulder and placing a quick kiss to my cheek. He fingers the necklace around my neck, the sterling silver one that has a lot of karats. His nickname for me, BabyGirl, was displayed in pretty lettering and featured all those karats. I loved it and have worn it nearly everyday since he gave it to me on my birthday. "I'm sorry babe," he kisses my lips then, long and sweet. A couple of the people at the table make playful remarks at our kiss but we ignore them.
I was content as the bell for first period rings and he helps me down from the high stool. But then I see the dark purple and reddish mark on his neck. The fresh hickey that I most definitely didn't do. And suddenly it all makes sense. Him standing me up last night, his changed passwords and hidden phone. The guilty eyes and sweet perfume. It all makes sense because this mother fucker has been cheating on me. And the worst part was he let that bitch give him a hickey then came smiling in my face like shit ain't happen.
Well two can play that game.
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I spend the rest of the day mad as shit. I wanted revenge, I wanted him to hurt like he keeps hurting me. So my mind was swirling with ideas for that revenge as I go through my morning senior classes. It wasn't until I was signing out to go co-op, which just means I can work while also being in school, and I see Jamal that a complete idea forms.
He smiles when he sees me standing in the long line in the main office. Elijah left a couple minutes ago. He wanted us to go get brunch together before going to work but I lied and told him that my aunt needed me to come in early. I didn't trust myself to not kill him if I was alone with him.
Thoughts of my stupid ass boyfriend make me upset so I shake them from my mind and focus on my mission. Jamal was behind me in the line so I wait by the doors for him when I'm finished signing out. "Hey Mal," I beam up at him when he was standing in front of me. I open my arms and he hugs me without any hesitation, his smile bigger and happier then before.
"Wassup Jaelynn," he says back. He keeps his arms wrapped around me for longer then what was appropriate for friends but I don't mind. It only showed that my plan would work.
When we pull away I keep one arm around his waist and he keeps one around my shoulders as we walk out Howard and towards the student parking lot. "Nothing much," I reply. "You doin' anything tomorrow?"
He looks down at me suspiciously for a split second before it was gone and he was back to being his naive and carefree self. "If you wanted to link then I'm not."
I knew he was gonna say that. I was counting on the love I know Jamal still has for me to make this plan a success. I give him my sweetest smile, my eyes trained completely on him. He grin back. We were at my red car now and after I unlock it he opens it for me.
"What did you want to do?" He asks as I throw my book bag in the backseat.
I shrug. "I can come over your house and we can watch movies or something. It doesn't matter, I really just wanna spend some time with you." I don't even feel bad about lying. I mean, it wasn't a complete lie because I really did enjoy hanging out with Mal before our sophomore year. He was always a really good friend of mine and I was a little upset when we stopped talking as frequently as we used to this year because of my relationship with Elijah. He heavily disapproved of us for multiple reasons. Jamal felt that Elijah was a bastard who would only do me wrong, and I guess he was right because look at me now.
