Coldhearted & Crazy

by Michel Moore

  Some of the guys in the bunch were ashamed that they ever kicked it with Shannon let alone spent some loose change on her. London felt bad for her also, but deep down inside she knew she had it coming. Yet, at that moment, no one felt as bad as Shannon, who had no defense for the slaughter. Her girls had eased away and faded back into the background. It was obvious they didn’t want any of the verbal beat down their so-called homegirl was getting, who was staring down at the ground with tears starting to form in her eyes.

  “Oh hell naw, you stankin’ trash bucket! Why you got your head down now? With them ran-over shoes! Did you walk over here from Africa?” Kenya still never cracked a smile as she twisted up her face. The girl was cold-blooded, just like her daddy, and wouldn’t stop going until she was satisfied in totally humiliating Shannon. “You want it with me for real? Girl, you better get your life!”

  Most of the students standing around were almost in tears from the entertainment Kenya was providing. Carmen was begging her best friend to stop running Shannon’s name through the mud because her side was beginning to hurt. She, like the many other spectators, just couldn’t stop laughing at Shannon’s expense. London, cut from the same cloth as her sister on the other hand, was just like her twin, not cracking a smile either. She knew Kenya much better than anyone else and could tell that the girl had “blood in her eyes.” Poor Shannon, was all she could think at that point.

  “All bullshit aside let’s tear this court up,” Kenya, aggravated, spoke in a cold, callous tone, following her taunting words with a sock dead to Shannon’s jaw, who just stood there, speechless, holding her face.

  Just then, luckily for Shannon, the school security arrived, breaking up their one-sided battle before things grew worse. The crowd slowly dispersed, including the twins and their friends. As they made their way down Linwood Avenue, Carmen and Allan couldn’t stop making jokes about what had just jumped off. They both were taking turns pretending to be Shannon. Even the normally quiet Amber was cracking up. Hell, she and London had been on the receiving end of Shannon’s insults time and time again. It felt good to see the bully get a small taste of her own medicine for once.

  While the others went on with the jokes, finally going their separate ways, London walked alongside her sister. She placed her hand on Kenya’s shoulder, attempting to calm her down. When Kenya got heated, it was hard for her to let stuff go. Luckily, the sisters finally made it to their house without any further incidents. Kenya sat down on the concrete stair and London followed. As soon as they looked at one another they both burst out laughing.

  “Dang, girl, you really let her have it. I was trying hard as heck not to laugh all in her face.” London giggled. “But she deserved every bit of it. She’s a bully!”

  Kenya couldn’t wait to roast her sister. “What about you? You came bursting all through the crowd like Freddy fucking Krueger! Shiiit, you even scared me.”

  In the midst of all of the laughter, they didn’t even notice Gran pulling in the driveway.

  “Hey, Gran!” London yelled out, running off the porch to help her grandmother with her bags.

  “Hey, baby, how are you and how was school?” Gran hugged London tightly.

  “It was the best day of the entire year!”

  Kenya, acting out of character, cut in, actually hugging Gran too. They all walked to the porch arm in arm, smiling. Today they were a happy family, even Kenya, who was for once not being a pain. It’s surprising what an ass kicking would do, especially when it’s not your ass that got kicked.

  Chapter Four

  Seniors

  “Summer came and went so quickly. I can’t wait. We’re finally seniors! I hope we have a few new teachers, maybe someone to teach English or math.” London was going on and on for what seemed like forever. She loved school, even if it was Central High.

  “New teachers, forget all that! Girl, we’re seniors now, queens of the school! It’s our turn to be running thangs up in there. It’s gonna be a new sheriff in that motherfucker!” Kenya was too excited also as she thought about her impending spot as HBIC of the school. She was spinning around with her hands in the air. “I can’t wait!” Kenya was cheesin’ from ear to ear.

  The girls had become a lot closer during the summer months. Gran had suffered a mild heart attack while she was at work and had to stay in the hospital for almost two weeks straight. The twins had to rely on each other much more for everything from moral support to sharing the responsibility of the household. It was then, even more than before, that they learned of the special bond the two shared. A little bit of maturity on both their behalves had settled in. If they ran into a problem, London figured out the solution and Kenya executed the plan, putting it in motion. They now woke up daily on their own and instead of Gran making them breakfast they in turn would cook for her. While the twins still hung out with their old friends at school, for the first time in three years they walked to Central together. Sometimes it was Linwood Avenue, and others it would be the side streets.

  As the months started to go by and the seasons changed, so did Kenya. She just couldn’t help herself. As much as she was fighting her alter ego, she’d unfortunately slipped back into her old, wild, carefree ways she was so infamous for. School and turning in homework assignments on time had once again become a second priority in her young, reckless life. All of Kenya’s grades she struggled so feverishly to get up to par were rapidly falling, and lastly she returned to skipping class most of the time. She was heading downhill rapidly and nothing anyone said or did could seem to slow her intentions of being “not shit” down.

  London, disgusted at what she was watching take place and couldn’t stop, blamed her sister’s spiral on that stupid foolish-oriented boyfriend of Kenya’s. London knew Ty was nothing more than a car thief clown who had dropped out of school in tenth grade and ran the streets of Detroit on a nickel-and-dime adventure trying to sell drugs for the next man when he could get put on. Like most young dudes in their neighborhood, he wasn’t smart enough or had enough game to have his own sack to risk getting knocked and going to jail for; he hustled to make the next nigga’s pockets fat. Ty, in all his ill-witted wisdom, was always busy putting different kinds of dumb, idiotic ideas in Kenya’s gullible mind. Kenya always had delusions of grandeur and escaping hood life no matter how she could do it, hook or crook. Engulfed by nothing but getting off Glendale Street and out of Gran’s strict and spiritual household, Kenya was starting to cut off everyone in her small circle of friends, even Allan and Carmen. At night she was either on the phone plotting the demise of her current lifestyle situation or sneaking out of the house to meet up with Ty.

  “Hey, boo, it’s me, baby,” whispered Kenya as quietly as she could. “I can’t talk long. My sister is bugging out on me about my grades so I gotta at least do some of my homework.”

  “Why she be all actin’ like a book gonna help you eat out in these streets? She needs to be trying to hook up with my boy. You know for some reason he dig her plain-Jane ass! Plus he’s paid, I ain’t bullshitting!” Ty cleared his throat after choking on some Kush. “He be pulling in major ends almost every day with these hot box cars we been getting off this lot and he got a sack of this good shit I’m blowing on.” He coughed once more. “For real, Kenya, seriously your sister needs to wise the fuck up and get some of this bread from ol’ boy!”

  Kenya was beginning to get irritated and annoyed with his conversation and the disrespectful direction it was taking. After it was all done and said, that was her twin sister he was badmouthing and tripping on. Since she had an emotional attachment to him, Kenya didn’t pay much attention when he talked shit about her—she could overlook that for the sake of young puppy love—but fuck him dogging London just because he thought he could. He was going too far with his comments and suggestions and she wasn’t trying to hear any more of it.

  “Listen, Ty, I already done told you I was on the clock with talking to you in the first damn place! Now I got a bright idea for your dropo
ut-ass to process: why don’t you stop riding your boy’s nut sack so hard, leave my sister’s name out your mouth, and show me some fucking attention? How about that, nigga?” Kenya twisted her face up as she spoke each word like she meant it, and of course she did.

  Ty, who always thought much more of himself than anyone else ever did, immediately got caught in his feelings, wasting no time going ham. “You know what? Fuck you, Kenya, and your stuck-up-ass ugly sister. I was trying to turn both you bitches on to some real game, but I see once again your ho ass ain’t trying to respect my gangster!”

  Before Kenya had a chance to respond to that lame-ass bullshit knowledge he was kicking, he’d already slammed the phone down, hanging up on her. She couldn’t help but laugh. True enough Ty was her so-called man, so to speak, but he also was a little punk and just about everyone on the west side knew it. He was scared of his own shadow and here he was trying to go for bad.

  Whenever they were at the mall or out to the park, he would always stand mute when this guy or that guy tried to push up on Kenya. Later on when she would ask him how come he ain’t say shit, he would make up excuses and try to play that shit off like he wasn’t low-key terrified of getting his ass handed to him on a platter. Kenya started to think, Why isn’t he just honest with me and himself and speak the truth? He could have just simply said, “Damn, baby, you know I ain’t say shit back to them cats ’cause I’m a coward and was scared that nigga was gonna chin check me.”

  She almost fell on the floor from laughing so hard at the sheer thought. Tears were rolling down her cheeks from thinking about that entire crazy scenario playing itself out. He’d call back tomorrow, begging as usual. He always did. “Different day, same idiot,” she said out loud. When she finally looked up, Kenya saw her sister looking at her, shaking her head.

  “I hope that you’re still laughing when you get your grades at the end of this semester,” nagged London in a maternal tone.

  Kenya opted not to let her sister in on the joke she found so hilarious. “Yes, Mom, I got you. I’m about to hit the books now.”

  The school year seemed to drag on for what seemed like forever and a day. Ironically both girls were growing bored with school and what it had to offer. London, the smartest book-wise, had received the highest GPA semester after semester. She was top of her class in every honor class they offered and that still was not enough to challenge her brain. The devoted scholar often let her mind roam about what the next year would be about and how college campus life would be. London was more than ready to graduate and leave for the university of her choice on a full scholarship. Most of her teachers were incompetent in her eyes and were going to be happy to see her cross that stage. London had this thing for correcting the teachers so much they should have paid her to teach the class. There was no question, hands down, as to who the valedictorian would be that school year: Ms. Amia London Roberts.

  Meanwhile, on the other hand, Ms. Amoya Kenya Roberts was also making a name for herself at Central High School. Of course, the self-proclaimed diva was named both homecoming queen and prom queen. That was expected because she was always fly and sociable with her peers. Not to mention after all the flirting she did, every boy at school voted for her, hoping for a date or at least the attention she gave them during the election process. Kenya was also voted “class smile,” “class legs,” “class body,” and what shocked even Kenya was that she, not her academically industrious twin London, was voted most likely to succeed! However, the question that swam in London’s mind was, Succeed at what?

  Chapter Five

  Farewells

  Graduation day had finally arrived and both of the girls were dressed to kill. The girls’ uncle had taken both of them on a shopping spree to New York to get them gear to look perfect for their special day. The twins respectfully had on pink Armani tailored cut suits. The buttons were gold and trimmed in the same pink that was in the fabric. They each had open-toed gator sandals with a small heel on them. London and Kenya, for the first time since they were small children, wore their hair in the exact same style. It was in a French roll tightly tucked with soft sandy-brown curls cascading down across the sides of their faces. Each had also gotten their nails manicured and a pedicure the day before.

  Gran, proud as any grandmother could be, had let them sleep in an extra thirty minutes while she made them a breakfast fit for a queen. Lovingly, she helped London get dressed and ready, and tried her best to keep an always-hyper Kenya still. The girls then left Gran at home to get herself together for one of the biggest days of all of their lives.

  “I love you two very, very much and I’ll see you at the school. I’m proud of you both and promise me you’ll never ever forget that.” Gran hugged both of her grandchildren tightly and kissed them, before letting the two leave out the door.

  The twins made their grand entrance into the packed auditorium, and all eyes were definitely on them. Both were getting mad crazy attention. Everyone, students, teachers, and counselors were all confused as to which twin was London and which twin was Kenya. The girls, each being who they were meant to be, quickly removed all doubt when they opened their mouths and began to speak. That was always a dead giveaway with the twins.

  Kenya was loud and off the chain and her sister was noticeably quiet when it came to anything other than schoolwork. London was more than a little nervous about the speech she was slated to deliver. She had worked hard all four years and rightly deserved to be rewarded standing behind that podium. All of the late nights she spent lying awake reading and the days she stayed in the house studying were all getting ready to pay off for her. London was proud of herself. She had a wide smile plastered on her face and a nervousness shaking inside. The dedicated teen knew her next step was college, then acquiring a degree, making all her dreams come true.

  All the graduating seniors scrambled around posing for pictures with their classmates and parents and signing yearbooks. Kenya, vain as always, broke free from the excited, energized crowd, posting up in front of the wall-length mirror backstage. Turning from side to side, she kept adjusting her cap and checking her makeup. There was no one in the world Kenya admired more than herself. She was stuck on herself and knew that she was a straight-up dime. She was feeling herself, even in a cap and gown.

  The girls’ uncle, his girlfriend, and a few of their distant cousins were seated in the far back row. The twins weren’t cordial with their cousins at all. In fact, they barely spoke to them even if they saw each other in passing inside the mall. The girls knew their uncle probably had to strong-arm them into coming to represent, but they really didn’t care if they were there one way or another. Everyone, their uncle included, was a sidebar to them today. The twins had saved Gran, the most important person in both their lives, a seat front and center. With love, respect, and devotion they placed two single pink roses on it for her. Gran had fought hard and sacrificed a lot to get them to this point. They wanted her to know when she arrived in the auditorium that this was her day also.

  Time was ticking. It was close to eleven o’clock and the principal was yelling for everyone to get in line so that they could march in and begin the sure-to-be long, drawn-out commencement ceremony. It was time to start what the entire senior class had been anticipating for four years ever since they were freshmen.

  “I still don’t see her, do you?” London held her sister’s hand, shaking, still extremely nervous about giving a speech in front of all the boisterous people.

  “No, but you know Gran. She probably couldn’t find the right outfit to wear.” Kenya chuckled while trying to conceal her equal worry for their grandmother’s tardiness.

  Everyone backstage was hyped, anxious to get underway; however, the girls continued to peek out from behind the burgundy and gold curtains every few seconds, but still no Gran. Trying to find excuses for her absence, each started to think of what could be possibly keeping her, especially on this day.

  “The telephone must have rung and, you know Gran, she w
as probably too polite to rush one of her church lady friends having a problem off the phone. She’s almost here, I bet.” London shrugged her shoulders. She was almost in tears.

  Kenya continued to hold her sister’s hand trying her absolute best to calm London down. Little did the distraught twins know that at that very moment in time the phone did ring. Sadly it was God and He had decided to call Gran home. Up in age, the devoted mother and grandmother never completely recovered from the heart attack that she’d suffered the previous year. With the determination of a lion, the elderly God-fearing senior citizen’s weak heart barely held on until London and Kenya were both grown. Gran fought a hard fight but was truly tired.

  “Ms. Roberts and Ms. Roberts would you two like to join the rest of us, so that we may begin?” snarled the frazzled-minded principal. He was running around on edge trying to stay on schedule but it was not happening. The girls peeked out in the crowd one last time before the ceremony started. They were still holding hands. They both still felt uneasy.

  “Well, this is it,” they both said in unison, staring at one another for comfort and moral support while each wondered where Gran was at.

  “I love you, London.”

  “I love you too, Kenya.”

  “Say U Promise!” They each laughed as they dropped hands.

  Kenya walked over to the line that was forming and took her spot in line with the other Rs; and London, of course, took her place on stage so that she could make her speech and receive her honors scholarships declarations and hard-earned certificates of merit. The girls smiled at each other from opposite sides of the room. They were overjoyed at the occasion, but solemnly knew this would be the beginning of being their own individual selves, not a twin, as they had been since conception. As the ceremony started each twin wondered constantly throughout, Where is Gran?