by Iris Bolling
"Genesis has a 4.3 GPA," Vernon stated. "The test is the least of her worries."
From that moment on, Connie was jealous of Genesis. She had a problem with any time Vernon spent with the team. Soon he found himself avoiding Connie because every time they were together, they would argue about Genesis. The funny thing was Genesis never once said anything about or against Connie. She was very confident with who she was and what she wanted out of life. The little smirks she received from Connie did not faze her, but they did bother Vernon. Genesis became his confidant. She was down to earth, loved to laugh, and was easy to talk to. On campus when they would run across each other, Vernon would always stop and talk with Genesis and that would piss Connie off.
As the mock trial competition came to an end, Vernon began to spend less time with Connie and more time preparing for the LSAT. Connie thought he was spending time with Genesis. He was, but they would meet up to talk or study. Him on the LSAT and her on the FBI entrance exam. One evening, they were working on case studies when Genesis called him out.
"Hey, what's going on? You aren't concentrating. You usually have this stuff on a dime."
Vernon shook his head. "Sorry, my mind is on other things."
"Connie...again?"
"Yeah, we are having a difference of opinion quite often these days."
Genesis closed her eyes and sighed. "Vernon, I may be stepping out of bounds here, but what is it about her? I mean she's pretty. I get that. But her value system is nothing like yours. She's snotty and down right mean."
"I've been neglecting her."
"You've been studying for your law school entrance examination. She should understand that."
"She does."
"Does she?"
"She loves me and knows how important this is to me."
“Are you sure it's not your money or status she loves?"
"Thanks, Genesis. Is it so hard to believe someone could love me just for me?"
"No. Not at all, Vernon. You are a remarkable man." Genesis smiled. "I can see you becoming a top notch attorney. One of the best. You are a gentleman." She nodded. "One of the noble men who take care of all the people in the kingdom."
Vernon laughed. "You've been reading too many romance novels."
"I'm serious. You're one of the good ones. Not like that butt hole I’m with."
"He is an ass. Why don't you leave him?"
"Why don't you leave Connie?"
They stared at each other for a long moment. The tension began to mount in the room. Suddenly they were in each other's arms kissing, and kissing some more. Thoughts of Connie or Genesis’ boyfriend all faded. It was in that moment that Vernon felt passion. Something that went much deeper than the lust he felt when he was with Connie. He pulled away.
The two stared at each other as they let their racing hearts settle down. "We can't do this." Vernon stood. "I have a girlfriend and you have a boyfriend."
Genesis stood and gathered her books. "Yes, we do."
"You don't know Connie. She can be sweet and loving."
"I know Connie better than you think."
"I love her." He shrugged.
Genesis gave him a look. "Okay." She walked to the door. "But if she screws you over I'm going to kick her ass."
"That means I get to kick butt hole's ass too?"
"Deal," they laughed. Genesis kissed him on the cheek. "You're a good guy, Vernon Brooks.” She turned and left.
For hours Vernon couldn't sleep. The kiss with Genesis had his body and mind running. Things with him and Connie had been strained. He’d chalked it up to him spending too much time away from her. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized, they were different people who wanted different things. Connie was materialistic, where he was a humanitarian. Connie looked down on people, where he reached out to help. He realized he had been seeking Genesis out because she was easy to talk to and laugh with. When he closed his eyes, it was Genesis who appeared in his dreams.
Three hours later Vernon’s telephone awakened him. "Vernon Brooks," the caller asked.
"Yes," a groggy Vernon replied.
"We have a Constance Abernathy in the emergency room. She asked us to call you."
Vernon jumped out of bed. "What happened?"
"It appears she was attacked."
"I'll be right there." Vernon ran every red light between his apartment and the hospital. When he arrived, he told the nurse who he was looking for and she pointed him toward one of the curtains. Vernon walked in the section and his heart dropped. "Connie."
"Vernon." Connie began to cry as he wrapped her in his arms and held her. "I don't know why she did this. She just went crazy."
Vernon pushed her hair away from her face to examine her bruises. "Oh Connie." He kissed her un-bruised cheek. Then he looked down at her face. One eye was just about closed, her face on the right side was black and blue. "Connie, what happened?"
"I was walking home from the library. Somebody jumped me from behind and kept punching me," Connie cried. "She told me to stay away from you."
"What?" Vernon held her at arm’s length. "Who?"
"I don't want to make you mad."
"Connie, I'm already mad that someone did this to you. Now who was it?" Vernon was getting a little frustrated, but held it in. She shook her head. "Okay." He held her. "Did you report it to the campus police?"
"No, Vernon, I don't want to get anybody in trouble."
"Connie, you were attacked. It should be reported."
"We can't report it, Vernon."
"Why not?"
"Because I think it was your friend," she cried into his chest.
"What friend?"
"I think it was...Genesis."
Vernon stared at her in disbelief. Then he pulled her to him and held her for a long moment. Genesis’ words came back to him, but he couldn't believe she would do this. She was capable, but... he stopped thinking. "Let's get you dressed and out of here."
Vernon paid the hospital bill, then took a sedated Connie back to his apartment. He held her as he lay wide-awake wondering why Genesis would do this.
The next morning he took Connie back to her dorm room. Her roommate was there when they arrived. She gave Connie a weird look, then left the room. "Are you going to be okay here by yourself?"
She hugged him. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm going to skip classes today."
"I think that's a good idea. Get some rest." He kissed her temple. "I'll check on you later."
Connie laid down on the bed and Vernon closed the door behind him. He drove to Genesis’ apartment off campus. She was coming out of the door.
"Good morning. What are you doing here so early?"
"Why did you do it?" He was angry.
"Do what?"
He took her by the elbow and walked her away from the people coming out of the building. "Why did you attack Connie?"
Genesis frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Connie was attacked last night."
"Oh my God, is she all right?"
Vernon hesitated. "She said it was you."
"Me? Vernon, if it was me she would be in the hospital." Genesis smirked.
"She was." Vernon glared at her.
"Well I didn't put her there. What reason would I have?"
He just stared at her.
"Vernon, I just applied to the FBI. Do you think I would jeopardize my future on someone like Connie?" She pushed him in the chest. "She’s playing you."
He grabbed her hands, causing her books to fall. He looked at her knuckles for bruises. There were none. She pulled her hands away.
"Why would she lie?"
"Look at your reaction." Genesis sighed. "She got your attention."
"So what, she beat herself up to get a reaction out of me?"
"I have no idea. But I will tell you this, if she takes this any further and messes up my chance at the agency I will kick her ass and yours too."
"She didn't report it," he said in a confused wa
y. He shook his head. "Why would she do that?"
"She's afraid she is going to lose you. Damn, I'm putting her in the category with butt hole." She picked up her books.
Vernon bent down to help. "This is crazy."
"Crazy or not, your girlfriend’s lies better not mess me up." She stepped away.
"Wait." Vernon caught up to her. "It won't." He sighed. "I'll make sure of it."
"How are you going to keep her from filing a false report? Just the mention of an arrest warrant with my name on it could ruin my chance at acceptance."
"I'll take care of it."
"You better."
Vernon watched as Genesis stomped off.
Vernon couldn't believe Connie would lie to him like that. He went back to his apartment, but instead of going to his door he knocked on Wade's.
"Hey, man. You got a minute."
"Yeah, what's going on?" his friend asked as Vernon slumped onto his sofa. "Let me guess, Connie saw Genesis leave your place last night?"
Vernon’s head snapped up. "What?"
"I went to the bar and she was outside watching your place like she always does."
"What are you talking about?"
"Man," Wade laughed. "Connie watches your place like a hawk. I've seen her out there a couple of times."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you've been blind about Connie from the beginning. I tried to tell you to walk away from that chick, but you wouldn't listen. Look, man, I value your friendship." He shrugged. "So I mind my business."
"She was attacked last night. She said Genesis did it."
"Last night? Genesis couldn't have done it. After she left your place I ran into her at the bar. She told me what went down between the two of you and that she was going to leave butt hole."
"She told you about last night?"
"Saw it coming three months ago and so did Connie. Why do you think she was giving Genesis such a hard time? Man, you need to wake up. That girl’s been playing you like Madden."
That night Vernon went to Connie's dorm to talk to her, but she wasn't there, her roommate was.
"Connie went out," she said as she was rushing out the door. "Vernon..." The girl stopped and shook her head. "Look Connie should be back in an hour. You can talk to her then."
"Cool, I can do that. Or, you can just say what’s on your mind."
The girl hesitated. "What the hell. Look, Vernon, Connie's been playing you. Day one when we ran into you at your class, she had already scoped you out as her target."
"Target. Target for what?" Vernon asked.
"Her reason for coming to this school was to catch a wealthy man, get pregnant, married and live happily ever after. You fit the bill."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, that is so. And about the Genesis chick, Connie set all of that up. She paid her boy from B-more to rough her up and blamed it on your friend. She knew you were about to break up with her, that's why she moved up her game plan."
"Up her game how?"
"That's for you to talk to her about."
"You've told me this much. Why stop now?"
"I told you what I did because what she is doing is wrong. That Genesis girl doesn't deserve that. And rich boy or not, you don't either." She put her backpack across her back. "You are welcome to wait for her, but I got to go." With that she was gone.
Vernon stood rooted in the spot for several long minutes trying to take in what the roommate was not saying.
The door opened.
"Vernon, what are you doing here?"
"Did you set Genesis up?"
"What?"
"Did you lie on Genesis?"
"About what?" She turned away and placed her bag on the desk.
Vernon stood. "You said Genesis did this to you."
"I said I think it was Genesis." She glared at him. "Did you go see her?"
"Hell yeah I did. What did you expect?"
"I expected you to believe me and take care of me. Not to go running to her."
"Where have you been, Connie? I thought you were going to stay in bed today?"
"I did." She turned away. "I just had to take care of something."
"You had to pay your boy from Baltimore?"
She snapped around at him. "What are you talking about?"
He saw it then. The look in her eyes that let him know she was caught. "Why, Connie? Why would you do such a thing to yourself...to Genesis?"
"I didn't do anything to myself. How am I going to beat myself up, Vernon?"
"Genesis did not do this, Connie."
"You believe her over me?"
"Yes. I do."
"Vernon," she cried out. "How can you say that?"
"I'm not playing this game with you, Connie. This is it. It is over. I can't believe you would stoop so low. Do you realize you could have ruined her future?"
"She was trying to ruin mine!"
"How? How was she doing that, Connie?"
"She is trying to take you from me, Vernon."
"Genesis and I are just friends." He looked away when he said that.
"Just friends my ass. Vernon, I see the way she looks at you. The way you two finished each other’s sentences when we were at dinner. I know when someone is after my man."
"Connie." Vernon tried to calm down. "Genesis was not after me and I refuse to have this ridiculous argument. What you did was borderline crazy. I can't deal with that." He turned to walk out the door.
"Wait, Vernon." She grabbed his arm. "Just wait. You can't leave me," she cried. "I'm pregnant."
He staggered backwards sitting on the bed. "What?"
"I'm pregnant."
He thought back to every time he was with Connie. Over the last few months, there weren't many. "When?"
"What?"
"When did you find out you were pregnant?" He stood.
"A few months ago."
"A few months ago," he yelled. "And you're just telling me?"
"I thought you would ask me to have an abortion."
"Shit." Vernon sat on the bed with his head back. "You knew I would never ask you to do that." He shook his head. "They were right." He looked up at her. "You played me all along, didn't you?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Yes, you do. You wanted a rich boy to get pregnant by so he would marry you."
Vernon stood, more disgusted with himself than with her. "Nine months, Connie. We've been together for nine months and all this time you were playing me."
"No." She lowered her head. "I wasn't."
He glared at her. "So, now what, Connie? What do you think we should do?" He knew her answer before he asked the question. But he had to hear it from her.
"Well." She took a step closer to him. "What do you think?"
"You already have your plan in place, Connie. So why don't you lay it all out for me."
Her eyes narrowed. "I don't plan, Vernon. But I don't want my child raised in a single parent home wondering about his or her father."
Vernon sneered. "There it is." He shook his head. "You're using my family history against me." He took a step closer to her. With the bruises and the new information he had, he did not see the girl he thought he was in love with. He saw a manipulative woman in front of him. "I'll take care of you financially, and my child will know me. You better believe that."
Connie stepped back as if he had slapped her, then her entire body relaxed. "I know you will, Vernon." She stepped away and stood by the desk. "I guess this would be a good time for me to meet your family."
"Excuse me?" He glared at her back.
She turned to face him as she held a piece of paper in her hand. "Your friend Genesis applied for the FBI. Well you know if she has anything on her record she will not be accepted. This is a police report. I haven't signed it yet. But if you walk out that door and leave me to have this baby on my own I will sign it. She will be arrested."
"What?"
"Oh, they will eventually find out she did
n't do it. But it will take months and well, it will be too late. Her application will be rejected."
Vernon slowly walked towards her. "Let me get this straight. If I don't agree to marry you, you will sign a complaint against an innocent person." His glare bore into her. "You would ruin her future over something you did?"
"Better than mine being ruined. Here's what we are going to do. You are going to call your parents and tell them we are getting married right after your graduation. I don't want to interfere with your studies." She touched her stomach. "Or our future." She smiled. "Don't look so sad, Vernon. We are going to be extremely happy together. I promise you we will."
"How is that possible when I can't stand the sight of you right now?"
"That's because you are angry right now. But that will change." She placed the palm of her hand on his chest. "We're going to have a baby. Babies make everyone happy."
Vernon knew he had to step away from her. He knew if Connie was pregnant he didn't have a choice, he was going to marry her. He was not going to have a child of his go through life wondering about his or her family. "If you are pregnant, we'll get married." He grabbed her wrist. "You better pray it comes out mine."
She tried to pull away. "You're hurting me, Vernon."
"You haven't experienced hurt yet." He stepped away from her and walked towards the door.
"I'll hold on to this report until we say I do."
Vernon continued to walk down the hallway. He could not believe this was happening, but he did it to himself. He would graduate in two weeks and his life was already over before it began. How in the hell was he going to explain this to his parents? As he got into his car, he looked up at Connie standing in her window. Yes, he believed she was pregnant. The roommate's words came back to him. You were her target. He started his car and pulled off. He would marry Connie, but he would never trust her again.
#
The first time Vernon met Bernice Abernathy was at his wedding. By that time, he had more respect for her than he had for the woman he was about to marry. The day he spoke with his parents about his decision to marry Connie he did not go into details about how stupid he had been, but he had a feeling his parents knew.
"Is she pregnant, son?" Avery asked.
"Yes," Vernon sighed as he looked at the disappointment in his mother's eyes.