Obsession 3
Page 24
“That’s because you went to church when you were little. You had faith.”
“I had faith, but faith wasn’t enough. I had to put some action behind it, otherwise I’d still be lying in there on that couch.”
“Smelling like death.” Shawndiece turned her nose up and pinched it with her fingers.
“Girl, I felt like death. I lost my child.” Secret bit her lip to keep from crying. “I lost my baby because of some old street bullshit I got caught up in.”
“And I feel so guilty about that,” Shawndiece admitted.
“Why in the world would you feel guilty? You weren’t the one who left your baby in a running car, the dude you were messing with jumped in it and drove off into the path of a semi truck. That was my doing.”
“But you had no business even being caught up in this life. But I taught you how. I groomed you to be something you were not instead of telling you that even with a baby you could have made it. I think a part of me didn’t want to lose my best friend. I knew you’d run off to college and forget all about me, just like you are about to do now. So all this fucking shit was in vain?” Shawndiece yelled and then broke down in tears.
“Shawn, don’t.” Secret went and hugged Shawndiece. “Don’t blame yourself. No one had a gun to my head. I’m responsible for the choices I made. I can’t bear leaving knowing you are carrying this burden.”
Shawndiece lifted her head up and smiled. “Oooh, then it worked? ’Cause, girl, you know I don’t be crying.”
Secret play slapped Shawndiece on the arm.
“I’m just kidding,” Shawndiece said, wiping tears away. “You go on off to college. But, girl, I am going to miss you.”
Secret’s eyes watered. “I’m going to miss you too.” Secret swallowed her tears. “Well, I guess I better go lock up.” Secret looped her arm through Shawndiece’s and they headed to her apartment. They took one last walk-through to make sure Secret had everything then they made their way back down to the door. Shawndiece walked out onto the porch while Secret took one more look around the place and then closed the door shut. She locked it and then dangled the key in front of Shawndiece. “You’ll drop this to my landlord for me?”
“Yep,” Shawndiece said, taking the key. “And since I did help you clean up the place, can I get that deposit?” Shawndiece laughed.
Once the laughter died down there was a moment of silence. It was obvious neither girl wanted to say that final good-bye. But the clock was ticking and Secret had about a four-hour drive ahead of her.
“Good-bye, friend.” Shawndiece spoke before Secret did.
“Will you not say it as though we are never going to see each other again or talk again?”
“I’m just being real,” Shawndiece said. “Keeping it one hundred, like I always do. I believe I served a time and a purpose in your life, Secret. I was there to hold you down, to teach you what you needed to know for such a time as this.”
Secret pulled her head back and looked at Shawndiece with surprise. She’d remembered that scripture from the Bible.
“Mmm, hmmm. Didn’t know I knew a little somethin’ somethin’ about the Bible, did you?”
“You go, girl,” Secret said.
“But anyway, what I taught you, you don’t need anymore. You are about to live the life you are supposed to live. Five years from now when you are living it up in some suburb, your life in Flint and everything about it will be like some bad nightmare you are going to forget all about.” Shawndiece’s face saddened. “That includes me.”
“Shawn—”
“No.” Shawndiece put her hands up to halt Secret’s words. “It is what it is, Secret. But it’s all good. I get it. And like always, I’ve only wanted what’s best for you. What’s best for you is getting your ass in that U-Haul truck and getting to that campus before they take that scholarship again.”
Secret laughed, wiping her fallen tears away. “You’re right. I need to get going.” She gave Shawndiece a hug. “I love you, girl.”
“I love you too,” Shawndiece said.
The two best friends separated. Secret went and got inside the truck as Shawndiece stood off on the sidewalk watching.
The truck started and then slowly pulled off into the street. Shawndiece stood on the corner waving as the truck drove away. After the truck was about four houses down, Shawndiece stepped off the curb to cross where her car was parked. There was the loud screeching sound of tires. The last time that sound had been heard, someone had died.
“Secret, don’t forget, study group is tonight at seven,” said the geeky-type girl with long blond hair and black-framed glasses.
“I know, I know. I’ll be there,” Secret replied then headed her separate way across The Ohio State University campus.
Secret took in her surroundings. She admired the campus halls, bike racks, other students coming and going from class, right down to the landscaping of the trees and grass. She’d made it. She’d fought her way through to her dreams and was now living them out. Shawndiece had been right: Flint life had been just a nightmare so that she could wake up and appreciate what she had just that much more.
“Shawndiece.” The name of her best friend floated across her lips. There was a girl walking in the distance who looked like Shawndiece. Secret squinted at the uncanny resemblance. The closer she got to the girl, the more and more it looked like Shawndiece.
“Shawndiece,” Secret said again as she got closer and could recognize her completely. “I thought that was you. Girl, what are you doing over here?”
“Duh,” Shawndiece said, throwing her hands on her hips. “Did you forget that you were supposed to tutor me at the library?”
Secret thumped herself upside the head. “Ugghh, that’s right. You didn’t want to do it back at the apartment because of Trina.”
“Honey, yes. That girl is so nerve-racking. I can never get any real studying done when she’s around. She talks loud, she plays her music loud, her television is loud.” Shawndiece rolled her eyes.
“Well, you do remember she has a hearing impairment, right?” Secret reminded her about their third roommate.
“How can I forget?” Shawndiece sucked her teeth. “Damn upgrading her cell phone, she needs to upgrade her hearing aid to the Galaxy 6 or something.”
Secret tried not to laugh but she couldn’t help it. Perhaps she’d convinced Shawndiece to move out of the hood, but clearly the hood took up permanent residence in Shawndiece.
“Beggers can’t be choosey,” Secret said. “I begged the scholarship committee to reinstate my scholarship. They’d already given out the ones for this year so there were no dorms. My only option was apartment housing. Part of my dream had been to live on campus in a dorm, but I’m willing to give that up if it means having my best friend here with me.”
“Aww really,” Shawndiece said fake blushing.
“Cut it out,” Secret said, play hitting her on the arm.
“Seriously, though. Girl, I appreciate all you’ve done for me.” Now Shawndiece was the one looking around, taking in and admiring her surroundings. “I can’t believe I’m a frickin’ college student.” She looked back at Secret. “Well, not at this college. But the community college will help me get here one day.”
“That’s the spirit,” Secret said. “Now aren’t you glad that day I was leaving Flint I slammed on my breaks and came back and forced you to come with me?”
Shawndiece smiled. “I really am. You told me I could get an education and make something of myself just like you. And I really appreciate you helping me and my mom fill out the college app, the financial aid forms, studying for those placement tests and everything. It was a lot.”
“What can I say? Remember all the time you took teaching me what I needed to know? Let’s just say now I’m returning the favor.” Secret winked.
It was ironic that once upon a time Shawndiece had made it her own special task to take Secret up under her wing and teach her how to operate in the hood life. Well now S
ecret was making it her own special task to take Shawndiece up under her wing and teach her how to operate in the good life.
“It’s funny how everything worked out, huh?” Secret said. “Now I’m the teacher and you’re the student.”
“Yep, pretty funny indeed.”
The two best friends headed toward the library.
“I bet you never thought in a million years all my school smarts and girlie ways would ever come in handy, huh?” Secret said to Shawndiece as they walked side by side.
“I can honestly say I didn’t. And I’m so glad all my ghettoness, hood and ratchetness I taught you didn’t take the place of who you really are, your own super powers. ’Cause even though they drove me crazy over the years, looks like they truly came in handy.”
The girls looked at each other and said in unison, “For such a time as this.”
“Amen,” Secret said to her friend. “Amen.”
Urban Books, LLC
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Obsession 3: Bitter Taste of Revenge Copyright © 2015 Treasure Hernandez
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ISBN: 978-1-6016-2648-6
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