The Roof is on Fire

by Brenda Hampton

  What I didn’t expect was for Jeff to ask us to vote someone out of the house today. I didn’t give it a single thought. Sylvia had to go. She was fake. With her going back and forth between Roc and Jaylin, that wasn’t working for me. The next person I wanted to go was Jada. She was too much! I didn’t care much for Prince either, but I preferred to be left in this house with three men and no other women.

  My plan to get Jada out of here would be difficult, only because Jaylin and Roc seemed to like her. I wasn’t so sure about Prince, though. I couldn’t read him like the others, but I did peg him as being a no-good crook that would stab a best friend in the back. I wasn’t sure how he felt about Jada, so I intended to pay more attention to him. Maybe he could help me get her out of here—who knows?

  The breaking news about Sylvia leaving had everybody watching their backs and on edge. We all seemed distant, but when Jada recommended that everyone join her in the living room area for a late-night movie, we agreed. She popped popcorn and separated it into two round bowls. The movie we decided to watch was a horror movie. With a blanket covering me, I scooted over on the floor and sat next to Roc. Jada was only a few inches away from Jaylin on the couch and Prince was relaxing on a beanbag.

  “Somebody needs to turn out the lights and start the movie,” Prince said.

  “You’re the closest to the TV,” Jaylin replied. “And besides that, I can’t touch anything with all this hot butter on my hands. Without mentioning any names, somebody thought it was a bright idea to pour two sticks of melted butter over the popcorn.”

  Jada sighed and snatched the bowl from his hands. “Yo ass is always complainin’ about somethin.’ I would hate to be yo damn woman ’cause you ain’t never satisfied. This popcorn is delicious. If you don’t like it, you can always go get an apple.”

  Roc reached out to bump his knuckle against Jada’s, approving of her buttered-down popcorn. “You did good, ma. I don’t know what Jaylin gripin’ about. This is exactly how I like my popcorn.”

  “You’re you and I’m me,” Jaylin countered while holding out his hands. “This shit is too buttery and greasy. Look at my hands. I can jack myself off with hands like these.”

  “I’d be happy to watch,” I said with a wide smile on my face.

  Jaylin ignored my comment, but Jada didn’t. “Didn’t you learn anything from what happened to Sylvia? She came up in here sanctified and prayin’ over meals, but left out of here a scorned ho. Stop bein’ so desperate. If a man don’t want you, he just don’t want you. It’s apparent that Jaylin ain’t interested.”

  “Shhh,” Prince said, dimming the lights. “I’m gettin’ ready to start the movie, so y’all need to be quiet.”

  I paid Prince and Jada no mind. No words could describe how I felt about her. I turned around to question Jaylin.

  “Am I coming off as being desperate to you? And if you’re not interested, wouldn’t it be wise for you to say so? That way, people aren’t likely to assume anything, as Jada clearly has.”

  “Look, keep me out of it,” Jaylin said. “I’m trying to watch the movie, but not before I go wash my hands.”

  He got up and stepped over Jada on his way to the kitchen to wash his hands. She frowned at first, but then smiled as her eyes followed the cargo shorts that hung at his waist.

  “Daang.” Jada licked her lips. “What’s up with all that junk in yo front? Why don’t you go put on a long shirt to cover all of that up, ’cause you may mess around and get raped up in here.”

  “Looking forward to it,” Jaylin said while washing his hands.

  I couldn’t help but to laugh. It was a good thing that I wasn’t the only one who noticed the mountain-sized bulge in his shorts. I wondered if he was hard. If so, who or what was possibly on his mind? Not to give it too much attention, when Jaylin returned to the couch, I scooted even closer to Roc. He seemed annoyed and looked straight ahead at the TV. I guess I had some making up to do, so as the movie got started, I crossed my leg over his and held on tight to his bicep.

  “Have you seen this movie before?” I whispered to him.

  “Nah. I don’t do movies that often.”

  “Neither do I. But this should be fun.”

  Fun was an understatement. Midway through the movie, Roc and I had tuned it out. We took shots of Patrón, and I kept rubbing and touching on his goods underneath the blanket. He continued to move my hand away from his package, but he finally gave in and let me have my way. I was doing my best to make him bust a nut, but he wouldn’t do it. His fire-red eyes fluttered, he squirmed around, and he kept on clearing his throat. A deep breath escaped from his mouth, helping to keep him calm. I was amazed by his control. Maybe I needed something more than butter from the popcorn on my hands to stroke him, but I was trying to keep our playtime as undercover as possible.

  “Here.” I passed the remaining popcorn in the bowl back to Jada so she could eat it. If she knew where my hands had been, she would’ve slapped me. Obviously, she didn’t care and gobbled down the popcorn so quickly that she was about to choke.

  “Mmmm,” she said, smacking her lips and licking her fingers. “Y’all popcorn taste awfully salty. It could use a little more butter, though.”

  She hopped up from her seat, but Jaylin removed the bowl from her hand. “Sit down and watch the movie. You don’t need any more popcorn, and all this moving around and talking is a damn distraction.”

  “Hold up, Curly Top. My daddy died when I was three years old. I would appreciate if you wouldn’t go there like that with me, and no man is goin’ to tell me what I shouldn’t be eatin’. And for the record, yo ass the one distractin’ me by tryin’ to have control.”

  Prince turned around with a twisted face. “Shhh. Shut the hell up so I can hear the damn movie.”

  Jada snatched the bowl of popcorn from Jaylin’s hand and stormed off. She was such a brat. Jaylin asked her nicely to come back. From the smirk on his face, he appeared to get a kick out of her foolishness. Prince, however, went off.

  “She’s a silly-ass bitch, I swear. I’ll be so glad when she get out of here.”

  It was good to know that we were on the same page. I made a mental note to hook up with him about making sure that happened.

  For now, I got back to Roc, who had my hand full with his hard meat. I couldn’t wait to find out what his pipe felt like inside of me. I whispered near his ear, sharing how wet I was.

  “Umph. That wet, huh?” he said.

  “I would rather show you than tell you. Why won’t you let me?”

  “In due time, I will. Just sit on that for a while and think about how good it’s going to feel when you get a chance to take it all in.”

  I smiled with seduction in my hazel eyes. “I’ve been thinking about it since day one. This waiting game is depressing. I’m not quite sure what it is that we’re waiting for. I said it once and I’ll say it again—if you won’t tell, neither will I.”

  “That’s good to know, because the one person I can’t stand is a snitch.”

  “Well, my lips are sealed…until you have something better to put between them.”

  Roc nodded, then filled our shot glasses with more Patrón. “Here’s to me bustin’ a nut when the time permits it to happen.”

  “I’ll definitely drink to that.”

  We clinked our glasses together, then shot the alcohol to the back of our throats. By now, Jada had returned to the couch and was resting her head on Jaylin’s shoulder. She pretended to be so frightened by the movie and was damn near sitting on his lap.

  “I can’t look!” she shouted and covered her face with a pillow. “Is he goin’ to kill her or not?”

  Prince was irritated by her ongoing nonsense. “If you would silence the noise by closin’ your big-ass mouth, you’ll see what’s gon’ happen.”

  “Do you have a problem with me, little boy?”

  “Yes, I do. But now ain’t the time for me to go there with you ’cause I’m tryin’ to see what’s up with this movi
e.”

  “That makes two of us. So do me a favor and don’t say anything else to me.”

  Prince mumbled something like “stupid bitch” underneath his breath and that about did it for the movie. Him and Jada started going at it. I was so surprised when Jaylin took up for her.

  “Listen, man. All I’m saying is cool out with the ‘bitch’ thing. That ain’t no way to refer to a woman, and you’ve been going there since we’ve been here. Your words are starting to rub me the wrong way. They’re insulting.”

  Prince stood and shrugged. “I don’t give a fuck. Tell that bitch to keep her distance from me, or else I can promise the both of y’all that blood will shed. I ain’t ever had respect for no chick with that much mouth. Where I come from, you can get knocked on yo ass for makin’ that much noise.”

  “And where I come from, stupid fools are capable of dyin’ from the hands of an angry black woman. Keep on talkin’ yo mess and threatenin’ me, Prince. I’mma introduce you to how I play Show, Not Tell.”

  Roc and I had heard enough. We were pretty messed up from drinking Patrón, so we went outside to chill on a lounging chair. I could still hear Jada and Prince arguing, so I eased on top of Roc, straddling him. As he dropped the chair back, I brushed my fingertips down his carved chest and traced my fingers along his numerous tattoos. I then lifted his wifebeater to suck and bite at his nipples.

  “Why…why are you goin’ to make me do this with you?” Drunkenness was trapped in his narrowed eyes and his voice slurred. “Why can’t you just let a nigga be good and stay on the right track?”

  I backed away from his nipple and sat up straight. The strap to my silk pajama top had fallen off my shoulder, exposing my firm, left breast. Roc gazed at it without a blink.

  “Damn, ma, you got me wide open right now. Did you put a li’l somethin’-somethin’ in my drink?”

  “No,” I said with a smile. “And only if you were willing to have me wide open. You want me to let you be, but unfortunately, I can’t. I want you, Roc. Want you more than I have ever wanted any man in my life.”

  That wasn’t the truth, but I felt like saying it. I could see him getting weak for me.

  “Is that right? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’d be sayin’ the same shit to Jaylin if he was out here with you, instead of me. With that in mind, I need to pull back on this. Maybe it will happen, just not tonight.”

  Roc placed my strap back on my shoulder, covering my breast. He sat up and I had to remove myself from his lap. Before going back into the house, he kissed my cheek and squeezed my ass at the sliding door. I said not one word. Deep inside, I knew that tonight wasn’t looking good for me, but the days ahead were promising.

  Another week inside of Hell House had passed us by. The cooking and cleaning schedules were all jacked up. Many of us hadn’t been following the rules. I’d been keeping my distance from Jada, but the dirty looks she kept giving me had me swoll.

  As I left the bathroom the other day, Chase caught up with me. She wanted to know if we could work on a plan to get rid of Jada. My suggestion was that we do whatever it took to make it happen and I was down with Chase’s ideas.

  I was also down with Chase leaving, but that little task was left up to that nigga Roc. He’d been slipping. To be frank, all Jaylin, Roc and me had to do was vote her ass out of here. Then it would be a done deal.

  “Who says that Jeff will let us vote like that again?” Roc said as we sat outside eating breakfast. “I doubt that he gon’ make it that easy for us.”

  “We really don’t know what that white boy will do, but if we have to vote again, are you down with votin’ Chase out of this mutha or not?”

  “Fool, what do you think? Why would you even think that I wouldn’t be?”

  Jaylin spoke up before I did. “Because you’ve been on her these past few days like flies on shit. Wherever she goes, you go. You ain’t caught up, are you?”

  “Is that what you niggas think? Y’all think I’m slippin’ over some twat? Let me clear this shit up right here and now. I intend to be the last man standin’. When all is said and done, I will be. I have plans for Chase; plans that require me not to utilize my dick to get her to vacate the premises. I know that was your strategy, Jaylin, but I’m travelin’ a different route because I got a lot to lose goin’ there. Chase ain’t worth me fuckin’ up my shit at home. So I’mma keep playin’ my cards how I wish to, whether you niggas like it or not.”

  Jaylin hurried to speak again. “I don’t give a damn how you play your cards. All I’m saying is the clock is ticking. I did my part, now it’s time for you and Prince to step up and do y’alls. If not, the game will change, and when we start playing solely by my rules, everyone will lose. Including you, Roc. You won’t be the last man standing—I can promise you that.”

  He guzzled down his orange juice, awaiting a response from me or Roc. I sensed an argument brewing, so I stood to go inside.

  “Sit down,” Roc said, sucking his teeth. “I need to say this to both of y’all.”

  I hesitated, but sat back down at the table.

  “I got Chase, Prince got Jada, and, Jaylin, you can do whatever the fuck you want to. When the three of us are the last ones in this house, I’mma need you niggas to be ready for what’s gon’ swing y’all way. It will get ugly, but that’s because I really don’t like either one of you muthafuckas. But my word is bond, and Chase will be out of here by the end of this week.”

  This time, Roc stood to walk away. Jaylin shouted loud enough for him to hear. “The feeling is mutual. But I have a feeling that when all is said and done, Chase leaving here will be left up to me. You’re too weak, Roc. This game may be too hard for a man who keeps choking up about the love he has at home. You may want to scrap this and hurry back to all that love you insist you’re missing out on. By all means, I’m sure it’s waiting for you.”

  Jaylin had Roc’s attention. He came back over to the table and folded his arms in front of him, displaying a devious smirk. “Weak? Nah, ain’t nothin’ about me applies to that definition, but I can show you better than I can tell you. As I continue to do me, I’mma need for you to sit back, chill, clip yo loud mouth shut and learn somethin’. That goes for you too, Prince. If y’all know what’s good for you, y’all will stop slippin’ at the mouths about me and Desa Rae. Meanwhile, suckers, I have a job to do. One that will pay off for me, as it always does.”

  I didn’t say shit and neither did Jaylin. Both of those fools had too much mouth for me. Talk like that always got brothas caught up. The less said, the better. I already knew who the victorious one would be, so there was no need for me to run around here boasting about it. Instead, I went inside with Jaylin and listened to him complain about how nasty the house was. He’d been sending Jeff emails almost every day, begging and pleading for him to send a maid service to come clean up.

  “I don’t see how people live like this,” Jaylin fussed, then tossed one of Jada’s pink house shoes in the trashcan. The shoe was in the middle of the kitchen floor. I didn’t understand why he was so hot—to me, the house was clean. Yeah, we had a few items here and there, but it was nothing to get swoll about.

  He rushed over to the computer to see if Jeff had responded to his emails about the maid service. Jeff had responded and attached several links in the email for Jaylin to reach out to the maid service of his choice.

  “It’s about damn time,” Jaylin said, clicking on the links and going to each of the web sites. This fool was anal and he took cleaning too serious. I didn’t have time to entertain his issues. Instead, I went into the bedroom to change clothes so I could lift some weights.

  Dressed in jean shorts and an oversized Bob Marley T-shirt, I made a move to the workout room. But as soon as I got to the kitchen, I saw Jada standing in a red sweat suit with the refrigerator open. She looked like Santa Claus, without the beard. I ignored her and started whistling. She closed the refrigerator and called my name.

  “What?” I replied.
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  “I found my house shoe in the trashcan. Did you throw it away?”

  “No, I didn’t. But what if I did?”

  Her neck started to roll. “If you did, then we got ourselves a big problem. Did you or didn’t you?”

  The sassiness of her voice, and tone reminded me too much of the women in my past, especially my mama’s. I didn’t like to be talked to any kind of way and Jada was about to find herself in unfamiliar territory.

  “I don’t give a damn about your raggedy pink house shoe. That’s what you get for leavin’ it in the middle of the floor. Stop bein’ so fuckin’ lazy. Then you won’t find yourself with those kinds of problems.”

  As I moved toward the sliding door to exit, Jada charged after me. She grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling it so tight that it nearly choked me. Double my size, she slung me around, almost causing me to skid on the floor. I caught my balance, though, and transformed myself into the madman I hadn’t been in a long, long time. Anger crept up on me like a thief in the night. This time, I wasn’t tripping like I was when Jaylin had fucked me up. I was fully alert to what was going on, and when she pushed my face with her hand, I tore into my bottom lip, preparing myself to go after her like I was battling in the streets. Before I knew it, I tightened my fist and hit her with an uppercut to the chin. It was enough to stand her up straight, but not to silence her.

  “Motherfucker!” she shouted while holding her chin. Before she said anything else, my face twisted beyond recognition. I landed a straight punch directly to her right eye. Her head jerked back, and as I saw her eyes roll to white, that was when she fell back. She hit the floor—hard. But in no way was I done with her yet.

  “You want some of me!” I yelled while punting her midsection like a football. “What you got to say now, bitch! If you want to act like a nigga, I’mma treat you like one!”

  As Jada shielded her head with her arms, I tried to stomp the life out of her.