Teenage Love Affair (9 page)

As Gladys Knight sang about a midnight train going to Georgia, I flashed back to what happened last night. I was pissed and hurt all over again. I felt like fire was in my chest as I made a right instead of making a left toward school.

“What are you doing?” Asha asked.

“School isn't this way,” Courtney said.

“Relax,” I said, “I need to see something.”

I drove down a few blocks until I arrived in front of Ameen's building and spotted a hot-pink Toyota Corolla. I don't know what came over me or what took over my body, but if I'd had a gun I would've taken Ameen's whole building out. I thought about running upstairs until Asha said, “I'm not letting you go upstairs.”

“You see that car.” I pointed. “That's the trick's car from the club last night.”

“Touch the hood,” Courtney said, “and see if it's cold.”

“Why are you encouraging her?” Asha snapped at Courtney.

I double-parked, got out of my car, and touched the hood. “It's cold,” I said while looking at Courtney. “Damn near ice cold.”

Courtney batted his eyelashes and said, “Dang, homie, two snaps up and a fruit loop, I hate to break it to you but mami spent the night.”

“Oh, yeah?” I said to myself more than to him. “Oh…okay…” I went to my trunk, took out my club, and wrote, “Love Zsa-Zsa” on the handle in permanent marker.

“What are you doing?” Asha said, getting out the car. “Forget Ameen. We're going to get in trouble out here!”

“No, we're not,” I said. “We're in the hood and nobody snitches. Plus this gon' be quick.” I reared the club back like a bat and rammed it into the windshield. The first hit put a spider's web in the glass, but the next one was a home run and jagged edges of glass rained into the front seat. Then I proceeded with the side windows.

“Would you stop!” Asha screamed. “You could go to jail!”

“You sure
could
go to jail, Zsa,” Courtney said as he got out of the car and stood next to me, “but I'm gon' let the air out the tires for you first before we worry about the cops.”

I shot Courtney a high five. “This mofo think he can just play me!” I screamed. “Like I'm nothin'. Like he doesn't even care. Like I'm something to play with…and all for this trick! Oh…okay.” I slammed my club into the back windows. “Let's see how they get around now! Since I'ma joke and she's up in his crib, well, take this as a house-warming gift.” I tossed the club through the busted windshield and said, “Courtesy of Zsa-Zsa.”

Courtney shot me another high five.

We piled back in my car and I took off like a bat out of hell. Once we pulled into the school's parking lot Asha was fuming. “What, Asha?!” I snapped. “What?”

“What you just did was so dumb! We could've all gotten locked up and then what? Don't do that anymore! 'Cause bottom line, the girl is still there with Ameen and where are you? Looking like a fool. You my girl, I love you, but you trippin'.” She got out the car and walked over to Samaad, who had just pulled up.

“Don't worry, Zsa,” Courtney said, “I won't testify against you.”

Malachi parked his blue 2000 Xterra. I guess since it was the beginning of October it was too chilly for his motorcycle, but the truck didn't take away from his sex appeal—it actually added to it. He threw his Northface backpack over one shoulder and clicked the alarm to his truck. I knew I owed Malachi an apology but I didn't exactly know what to say or how to approach the situation.

So, I hatched the plan of blocking the school's entrance because then I figured it would force him to say excuse me and then I could rush to apologize. As Malachi approached the door he walked up to me, placed his hands on my waist, moved me out of the way, and continued into the building. I was floored.

Forget it, I'ma say something to him.
At first I didn't see him when I entered the building, and then I noticed he was at Staci's locker talking to her. I hesitated at first and then I figured, what the hell ever. I boldly walked over and said, “Excuse me.”

Staci looked at me like I was crazy. “I'm getting so tired of you. Why are you always around?” she spat.

For real, for real, I started to give it to this chick. I wanted to say we have a connection that you could only dream of having, but since I wasn't in the mood for another day of unrelenting drama I simply said, “Listen, I just need to speak to Malachi for a moment. You can have him back after that.” Before she could respond I continued on, “Malachi.” I turned to him. “Can I speak to you for a moment, please?”

He looked at me, and I could tell that he was beyond pissed. “Staci,” he said, turning back to her, “I'll catch you at lunch. One.” He walked away and left us standing there.

“I need to know this,” Staci said. “Are you in love with him or something? Are you two messing around?”

I looked at Staci as if I could've slapped her. “No dis, but not today. Trust me.” I walked away and passed by Samaad, who was giving Asha a peck on the lips as I headed to class.

For the next two periods I tried to focus on my school-work. I hated that daydreams of Malachi kept invading my mind and confusing me when I should've been thinking of Ameen.

It bugged me how Malachi played me in the hallway. Not that I could blame him. I looked up from my desk and caught a glance of myself in the window. I hated what I saw and I couldn't believe that it was actually me sitting here in sunglasses.

The bell rang. I went to my locker to exchange my books and Malachi walked past me. He didn't even look my way. He just continued on.

I couldn't take it. So I was determined that the next time the bell rang he was going to acknowledge me. Somehow and some way we were going to talk.

I headed to my next class, attempted to focus, and when class ended and the bell rang again, I went looking for Malachi, only to come up with nothing.

As the day went on I didn't see Malachi at his locker for the next couple of periods so I prayed that when lunch came he would be in the cafeteria.

When I walked into the cafeteria I spotted Samaad, Courtney, and Asha sitting at the same table, but I didn't see Malachi anywhere.

“Diva!” Courtney yelled. “Over here!” He motioned for me to come over to the table where they were.

I grabbed a bottle of water and walked over to them. “Hey y'all.”

“Wassup, Zsa,” Samaad responded.

“Nothin', wassup with you and my girl?” I smiled at Asha, who, although she was mad with me earlier, couldn't help but smile at my question.

“I don't know,” Samaad said, “you have to ask her where I stand.”

I laughed. “So where does he stand, Asha?”

“Wherever.” She blushed. “It's up to him.”

“Two snaps up and a fruit loop,” Courtney said, aggravated. “Write a damn note or something.” He looked at Asha. “Y'all are getting on my nerves. You can't stay away from one another. Every period between classes, you're stealing kisses, and now you're sitting here talking about, ‘I don't know. It's up to him and up to her.' You know how many of us want to be in love and you two are acting silly?”

“You feeling some kind of way, Courtney?” I asked.

“Know what,” he said, “I'll perform the ceremony. Asha”—he looked at her—“do you take this man as your one and only boo? To love and to cherish and to do boo things with?”

She smiled. “You're so silly, Courtney.”

“That's a yes,” Courtney said. “Now, handsome, I mean, Samaad, do you take Asha for your wifey, to love and to cherish and to do wifey things with?”

“Word. That's wassup,” Samaad said.

“So y'all kiss and make this official. Otherwise I'ma scream.”

Samaad looked at Asha. “Wifey?”

She pressed her lips against his. “Yes.” She kissed him. “I'm wifey.”

I took a shredded napkin and tossed it at them like rice. After a few minutes of well wishes and telling the new couple how cute they were together, I excused myself from the table. I was determined to find Malachi. I walked into the hallway and he was standing at his locker. I walked over and stood in front of him. “Can I speak to you for a moment?” I grabbed his hand. “Please.”

He sighed. “What, Zsa?”

I shifted from one foot to the next. “I'm, you know, sorry about what happened at the club—”

“Save it.”

“I can't believe you're acting so stank.”

“And I can't believe you.”

“Believe what? That I won't drop my boyfriend and be with you!”

“You know what?” He took my glasses off and pressed his forehead against mine. “Seeing as though you turned out to be just like your mother, I don't want you.”

Immediately tears fell from my eyes.

“I'm sorry,” Malachi said quickly. “I love you, you know that.”

I snatched my glasses back from him and slid them on.

“Zsa,” Malachi said as he reached for my hand and his eyes filled with a thousand apologies, “I'm sorry. My fault, I shouldn't have said that.”

I snatched my hand back. More tears filled my eyes but I'd had enough of crying. I was not a babbling fool. I was Zsa-Zsa La-Shae Fields, the queen of flyness, and I had been knocked off my hustle for a moment too long. I had cussed Malachi out a thousand times in my mind but for some reason I couldn't get any words to come out of my mouth. So, I gathered the tail end of my heart, rolled my eyes, and as Malachi reached for my hand again I looked at him and said, “Don't.”

By the time I got home from school I felt as if I'd been in a war. I parked my car and walked to Ms. Lucinda's to pick up Hadiah, who said she'd rather watch game shows with our neighbor than spend one minute with Cousin Shake and Ms. Minnie alone. I couldn't blame her.

“Thanks, Ms. Lucinda,” I said once Hadiah came to the door.

Hadiah waved as we walked away. “I don't think they're home,” Hadiah said. “All the lights have been off for about an hour.”

“How do you know?” I asked as we stepped onto our porch.

“'Cause I was watching them. I even threw a couple of rocks at the window hoping they would think it was bullets, say Newark was too wild for them and leave.”

“Hadiah.” I opened the front door and walked into our pitch-black hallway. “Something tells me they are not going anywhere.”

Once we walked into the living room I realized that Hadiah was right. All the lights were out and the house was midnight black.

This was eerie, especially since we always kept at least one light on. As I walked over to the light switch Cousin Shake and Ms. Minnie jumped from behind the couch and said, “Freeze!”

“Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!” Hadiah and I screamed and held our chest. “What the hell are you doing!” I yelled.

“Homework police. So put your book bags down and your pencils up. If you do what we tell you”—Cousin Shake held up the supersoaker filled with blessing oil—“won't nobody get hurt.”

The homework police? Are they crazy?
“Are you kidding me coming in here like this!” I said. “Attacking us.”

“I don't think this is funny,” Hadiah whined. “I almost peed on myself.”

“Do I look like I'm laughing?” Cousin Shake said. “I want the homework done. Seems to me, being as though your mama go to work and don't come home until she thinks it's a good idea, that you two been running around here a li'l too grown and running your own household. Well, I don't like it. You two need structure, discipline, and somebody here when you come home from school. Children start to feel alone when no adult is around. So ya Cousin Shake and Ms. Minnie is here 'cause we love you.

“But your asses is too grown. Now I want to see the homework, make sure it's right, and then you can do what you want until dinner is done. And you may not know this but Minnie can burn.”

“My mother cooks dinner and leaves it for us,” I said.

“Shut up, Zero! You 'spose to eat a hot dinner, not no cold stuff. I got this, and when ya mama get home I'ma handle her too, believe me. Shake is here now and things around here gon' change.” He started doing the crip walk. “Shake—shake—shake is home. Yeah, baby! Now do that dang homework.”

We sat down at the dining room table and I said to Hadiah, “Just roll with it. Seven and Toi said the way to survive Cousin Shake is to just act as if you are listening to him.”

“I'm scared straight,” Hadiah said. “I don't know what I did, but I won't be doing it again.”

Within the hour we finished our homework and afterward Ms. Minnie dressed the table with roast beef, gravy, rice, collards, fried apples, and biscuits. I felt like I was at Homestyle Buffet. “Dang, Ms. Minnie.” I smiled. “This smells delicious.”

“Thank you, baby. That's how Ms. Minnie hooked your cousin Shake.”

“And you know you got me sprung.” Cousin Shake laughed.

Just when I am almost able to tolerate these two they paint me a disturbing visual.

“You ain't the only one sprung, honey.” Ms. Minnie laughed.

Is it me or did the visual just get worse?

Cousin Shake said grace and we all sat down to eat. “So what happened to your eye, Zinzalay?” Cousin Shake asked.

“It's Zsa-Zsa, Cousin Shake,” I said

“That's what I said. Now what happened to it?”

“Shake, leave the child alone,” Ms. Minnie said.

“I'm just asking.”

“I walked into the door at school,” I said, eating my food.

“You said pink eye this morning,” Hadiah whispered.

“Would you shut up?” I whispered back.

“What y'all think we can't hear?” Cousin Shake said. “I just asked a question which apparently the truth is allergic to. All I got to say, Zimbabwe, is don't let me have to hurt nobody 'cause you being a dumb-dumb and got somebody puttin' his hands on you. It's no secret what your mother went through.”