Salted Wound

Chapter 11 Zamari- Sep 5, 2018

The lights in the living room are off when Marcus and I walk in the house, but I don't bother flipping them on, the sunlight that envelops me being bright enough to make the ache thumping behind my eyes continue. Jade calls hello from down the hall and Marcus heads to my room to get a game I had borrowed, and continually forgot to give back. I hear him talking to Jade and I take the opportunity of being alone to pull my phone out of my pocket for the thousandth time, checking the time and hovering over Ana's name in my contacts.

Guilt twists my stomach and I sigh. The dinner with my dad fucked me up more than I'm willing to admit and I took it out on her. Knowing she's smart, and actually going somewhere, when my own father sees me as nothing more than a thug left a bitter taste in my mouth. Now guilt over lashing out at her leaves me feeling hollow. I sit on the couch and pull my shoes off, glancing down the hall for Marcus. He's still talking to Jade, so before I can second guess the decision I tap her name in my contacts and bring the phone up to my ear, my heart pounding unnaturally fast. I remind myself she's just my tutor, I shouldn't be hoping she wants to talk to me as much as I want her to answer. I blow out a breath when it keeps ringing, and I'm about to hang up when I hear a hesitant voice on the other end.

"Hello?"
    I clear my throat and respond, "Hey Ana, Its um, Zamari." I cringe slightly. She has my number, she knows who it is.

"Oh, hi. Is this important?" She asks, sounding distracted.

I rub a hand over the back of my head, more hesitant than ever to continue.

"Not really, I wanted to apologize for earlier."

The line is quiet for a minute, the only sound being what sounds like movement on the other end before she responds, her voice tight.

"I appreciate it, can we talk about it some other time? I'm busy right now."

I'm taken aback at the abrupt end of the conversation, and before I can say anything, she's hung up. I drop the phone onto the couch and roll my eyes. This is what I get for playing the good guy.

"You got a girl I don't know about?" The sound of Marcus' voice startles me, and I look up to see him smirking at me and leaning against the wall next to the kitchen. God knows how much he had heard.

"Nah, Luis' girl actually,"

Surprise raises his eyebrows and he pushes off the wall to join me on the couch.

"You fucking with Luis' girl now? That the wisest thing to do?" He gestures to my nearly healed face and I roll my eyes.

"It's not like that man, she's my tutor."

"Make sure it doesn't run any deeper than that man, you know better than I do the consequences of complications like that."

Before I can respond, Jade bounces in.

"What are y'all talking about?" She asks.

"Ana," I respond.

"Your tutor? What about her?"

Marcus rolls his head against the back of the couch to look at her.

"Her meathead boyfriend is the one who beat up our boy a few weeks ago."

"Luis, yea I know," she rolls her eyes and Marcus looks at me.

"How come she knows everything before me?" He sounds wounded and I can't help but snort at how much like a little kid he looks.

"I live here, news reaches me faster," Jade jokes, and the two of them start bickering.

I space out of the conversation, letting them go on while my thoughts wander. I had tried to be nice, to extend a peace offering of sorts through my apology, but if Ana wants to continue the way we are, fighting constantly that's her prerogative. I ignore the part of me that wants to keep trying to make peace and harden my resolve. If she wants to fight, that's what we'll do.