Reasonable Insanity

by Cynthia Freeman Gibbs

  “Yeah, right. Did you have company last night?”

  “Company?” Nicole asked.

  “Yes, I heard you talking to someone when you arrived.”

  “Oh, yeah. Right. I needed help with my Statistics class, and I asked Gary from work if he could tutor me. I know it sounds crazy to study after being on the late shift. It’s the only time Gary could be available. He’s extremely smart and helped me out a lot.”

  Liar. “You were getting tutored by Gary last night in your bedroom? Nicole, why are you making that up?” Savvy folded her arms and tried to keep her cool.

  “Yes, I figured we could work at the desk in my bedroom. I didn’t want to disturb you. Why are you questioning me like I’m on a witness stand?” Nicole focused on washing the dishes.

  “Well, perhaps you have your classes mixed up. I think you must have been studying Anatomy instead of Statistics.” Savvy glared at the side of her face.

  “Girl. You’re trippin’. Why would you say such a thing?” Nicole stopped washing the dishes, put a soapy hand on her hip and gave Savvy an exasperated look.

  “I heard you in your bedroom. You weren’t in there studying. I heard you having sex. I guess you don’t realize how thin the walls are in this apartment. So, were you and Gary having sex?” Savvy asked. Gary had big warts on his hands and face and was not an attractive guy in any way, shape, or form.

  “Well, okay, Savvy, aren’t you the Private Investigator? You figured it all out,” Nicole said and clapped her soapy hands together, causing a poof of bubbles to float into the air. “Yes. I had sex with Gary. This is embarrassing. I had no idea you could hear us. I felt sorry for him. He’s such a sweet guy. He has a hard time getting anyone to go out with him. You know, with warts and all.”

  Liar. “You mean to tell me; you had sympathy sex with Gary?”

  “Yes. Sympathy sex. That’s what happened. I know, it’s crazy. I admit I did it.” Nicole proceeded to wash the dishes.

  “Interesting story.” Savvy scowled at Nicole. “Considering I saw Carl Greer leaving out this morning and you kissing him on the front porch. I’m trying to figure out if Gary is still in your bedroom or did he leave before Carl?”

  Nicole stuttered, “Carl? Wuh? Wha? What do you mean?”

  Savvy wasn’t about to play this game. “Look, Nicole, I thought I could trust you since we’re friends. Now, I see you’re not the person I thought you were. You stood here and told lie after lie to me. I know you had sex with Carl.”

  “Savvy…let me explain,” Nicole began.

  Savvy cut her off. “I never would’ve thought you would fake like you were going to set us up. I can’t believe you slept with him yourself. I realize it takes a special kind of liar to do something like this to her friend and roommate. I don’t know anyone conniving like you. I hope it’s worth you losing a friend who loved you like the sister you never had.”

  Nicole’s face turned bright red from shock and embarrassment. She dropped the glass she’d been washing. It shattered into pieces when it hit the kitchen floor. She covered her face with her soapy hands and began to cry.

  Savvy shook her head in disgust and turned around to leave the kitchen. She stomped back into her bedroom and slammed the door. She heard Nicole’s sobs. She can cry her way to hell if she wants to. I don’t care about her anymore.

  CHAPTER 16

  The hospital released Olivia two days later. Thankfully, she didn’t have a concussion, and there weren’t any fractures or internal bleeding. She still had pain when she touched the back of her head. Black and blue bruises covered her face and body. Her body felt like it had been in the boxing ring with Muhammad Ali.

  Savvy, Dwain, Lil’ Bud, and Andrea visited with her in the hospital. They lifted her spirits with their laughter and stories. Their presence prevented her from getting bored or focusing on what those girls did to her.

  Olivia couldn’t wait to leave the ugly, unfashionable hospital gown behind and finally have access to her clothes, makeup, and hair products. She hated the fact Dwain had to see her like this.

  Olivia couldn’t help noticing how Savvy quickly left the room every time Dwain visited. She chalked it up to her imagination and exhaustion from everything.

  Since Dwain and Savvy were in class at the time of her discharge, Olivia caught a taxicab back to her apartment. She didn’t want them to skip class to bring her home. She knew they wouldn’t be happy with her for not calling them.

  As she shuffled slowly from the taxi to her apartment, she noticed a red stain on the sidewalk where the girls beat her up. Her eyes grew teary when she recalled how they attacked her.

  Dwain evaded her questions about Isabella when he visited with her at the hospital. He kept saying she was a girl who has a big crush on him. But Olivia couldn’t dismiss the sinking feeling that he wasn’t telling her everything.

  Her house phone rang right when she opened her apartment door. Still, in pain, she headed slowly to the phone in the kitchen and breathlessly said, “Hello” on the last ring.

  “Olivia. What are you doing home?” Savvy asked. “I called the hospital, and they said you were discharged. I planned to borrow Andrea’s car to pick you up. How did you get there? Did Dwain come and get you?”

  “Hey, Savvy. No, I called a cab. I didn’t want to disturb anyone,” Olivia explained.

  “Girl, please. You know you shouldn’t have taken a taxi ride home by yourself,” Savvy exclaimed.

  “I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

  Savvy shook her head. “Look, I’m glad you are home. Are you still going to file a police report?”

  “Yes, I figured I’d give them a call after I get settled in.”

  “Okay. Make sure you tell them everything that happened to you,” Savvy demanded. “Also, there are a couple of things we have got to discuss. I didn’t want to talk about it until you left the hospital. You won’t believe what Nicole did to me. Anyway, I’ll fill you in on everything when I see you. I can catch the bus to your place in about an hour. Is that okay with you?”

  “Yes. That’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon. Oh, and Savvy, thank you for being there for me. I know you were mad at me the other day at the mall. I appreciate all you’ve done for me,” Olivia said.

  “Girl, no matter how crazy you are, I still had to be there for you,” Savvy laughed. “We’ll talk later when I get there. See you soon.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Savvy rang the doorbell and Olivia peeked out. “Open up. It’s me.” Savvy noticed a sense of relief on Olivia’s face. She gently hugged her when she let her in.

  “How are you doing my friend?” Savvy questioned and looked Olivia over. Despite her injuries, she was still amazingly gorgeous, even though she was skinnier than ever.

  “I’m making it. Thank you for coming over,” Olivia said and led Savvy to the kitchen table.

  “I still can’t believe those girls did this to you. This is crazy,” Savvy said and sat in a chair at the table. “Is that red stain on the sidewalk from your blood?”

  Olivia cringed. “Yes, Beverly left me a message to let me know she tried to clean it up, but the stain is still there. It makes me sick to my stomach.”

  “There are some insane people in this world,” Savvy said.

  Olivia lamented. “It creeps me out to know someone followed me home and had the nerve to ring my doorbell and jump me.”

  “I know, it doesn’t make any sense,” Savvy agreed. “What has Dwain said about all of this? Has he been here yet?”

  “No, he hasn’t. He had classes and practice. He’ll probably come by later this evening,” Olivia said.

  Savvy rolled her eyes. She contemplated if she should just jump in and tell her about Dwain and ultimately decided to tell her about Nicole first.

  “Well, you know I mentioned I had something to tell you. You won’t believe what Nicole did to me,” Savvy exclaimed.

  “What did she do?” Olivia asked.

  “Girl, you kno
w how much I like Carl Greer, the track star at FAMU, right?”

  “Of course. You made it clear you have a crush on him. He’s your future baby’s daddy.”

  “Exactly. He works with Nicole. She told me she would put in a good word for me with him to see if he would ask me out. Instead of hooking me up, this heffa put in a whole lot more word for herself.” Savvy clinched her fists in anger.

  “What do you mean? What did she do?” Olivia asked.

  “She brought him home with her the night you landed in the hospital. They were having sex in her bedroom. She didn’t know I happened to be in the living room, napping. I overheard everything. I thought she had some new guy she started seeing or something,” Savvy explained. “But when I got back to the apartment after visiting you, I peeked out the window and Carl kissed Nicole before he left. Can you believe that?”

  “No way. No, she didn’t. She wouldn’t do that to you. She’s like a big sister to you,” Olivia said in shock.

  “Yeah, she did do it. I never thought in a million years she could be conniving and dirty,” Savvy said and shook her head. “I mean, I know Carl wasn’t my man or anything. Why did she pretend to plan to introduce me to him? She could’ve told me she was interested in him herself. On top of that, she even lied and told me Gary from her job, was the person she had sex with.”

  “You mean that guy with all of the warts? That’s nasty,” Olivia said in disbelief.

  “Yes. Obviously, a lie.”

  “That’s messed up. What are you going to do now?” Olivia asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m thinking since I leave for my internship this summer, I’ll find someplace for when I return in the fall. I may get my own apartment and not have to deal with crazy roommate mess like this,” Savvy said.

  “Well, you know we can be roommates like we said we would before,” Olivia suggested.

  “I thought about that too, but, I’m still mad at you for what you did at the mall. I don’t know if we’ll make good roommates.” Savvy wagged her finger at Olivia.

  “Oh yeah, that,” Olivia smirked. “Well, think about it in case you change your mind. In the meantime, I wouldn’t trust Nicole with anything else.”

  “You can best believe the trust is completely gone,” Savvy agreed. “You know, I can’t ever forget what she did to me. I don’t have much to say to her. It’s like I won’t believe a word coming out of her lying mouth anymore.”

  Olivia nodded. “I completely understand how you feel. That’s hard to forgive. She’s a backstabber.”

  “By the way, I’m being insensitive. I’m laying all of this on you right after you got out of the hospital,” Savvy apologized. “I should’ve waited until you’re better. Do you have a lot of pain right now?”

  “It’s like I’ve been hit by a truck. Thankfully, the pain pills are helping a lot.” Olivia rubbed the back of her head. “Believe me, it helps to hear about something else to get my mind off this craziness.”

  “By the way, have you called your parents to let them know what happened?” Savvy questioned. “I asked the nurse at the hospital and she said you didn’t want them informed. My parents would be furious if someone jumped me.”

  “Girl, no. I would never tell them about anything like this. They’d accuse me of doing something wrong to deserve it,” Olivia said, shaking her head.

  “They wouldn’t believe what happened?” Savvy was surprised at Olivia’s response.

  “Nope. They always think I must have provoked someone, and it had to be my fault. I don’t have the patience to deal with any of them right now,” Olivia said. “They’ll never know this attack happened.”

  “I understand.” Savvy stood and scrounged around in the cabinets. “What do you have to eat anyway? I can make us some Ramen noodles and sandwiches.”

  “Yuck. Ramen noodles. Those are the nastiest noodles ever. They’re loaded with sodium. I’m not trying to get bloated from all of that salt,” Olivia said.

  “Just drink a ton of water after eating them to flush the salt out of your body,” Savvy laughed. “By the way, when you mentioned taking pain pills, it reminded me that I have a question for you.”

  “Ask away,” Olivia said.

  “Well, I wasn’t snooping or anything, however, when you were in the hospital, I had to go into your purse to get your phone book to for Dwain’s number,” Savvy said and sat back at the table.

  “Oh, you know that’s no problem. I don’t mind you going in my purse. I trust you,” Olivia replied.

  “Well, I came across a prescription for something I’ve never heard of before called hydrochlorath-something. Do you have a serious disease or problem?” Savvy asked.

  “A serious disease? Girl, no. Those are only water pills,” Olivia laughed.

  “Water pills? For what?” Savvy asked.

  “For situations like eating those nasty Ramen noodles.” Olivia laughed again. “You have to get excess water off you to keep from getting bloated and gaining weight.”

  “You’re using them for weight loss?”

  “Well, it helps. Do you want to use some? I found this doctor who can hook you up.” Olivia said.

  “No, I’m not interested in using any. I’m concerned about you,” Savvy continued. “I know I mentioned how it seemed like you’ve lost a lot of weight when we tried on the swimsuits. You’re not healthy anymore. What’s going on?”

  “Savvy, I don’t know why you’re getting all concerned about me losing a few pounds. I’m good, okay?” Olivia responded.

  “No, it’s not simply a tiny amount of weight. You were already skinny when we met, and now your skin is starting to hang off you. I know you eat since I see you stuff yourself whenever we go to a restaurant. Are you binging and purging?” Savvy asked.

  “What? Eat and throw up? Are you serious?” Olivia scoffed. “Why would you ask me that crazy question?”

  “Well, how else can you explain what is going on with you? Your face looks bloated and yet, your body is skinny. I don’t know all the signs of an eating disorder, however, after discovering you’re taking water pills, I know something is not quite right. Also, I noticed you keep complaining about your gums and your mouth hurting. I read when people vomit a lot, their gums may bleed and erode. It can affect your heart, too. I hope you’re not bulimic.”

  “Savvy, you’re trippin’. I only increased my exercise time to work out twice a day. I’m trying to get ready for the Black Beach party.” Olivia stood to fill two glasses of water from the faucet.

  “Working out twice a day? For what? Why do you feel the need to work out to the extreme? You were looking great and now you’re too thin, Olivia.” Savvy began to get frustrated.

  “That’s your opinion. Look, I need for you to back off the weight issue. There’s nothing going on and you need to leave this alone,” Olivia snapped.

  “Is it Dwain? Is he the reason you’re losing all of this weight?” Savvy pressed on.

  “Savvy, I told you to leave this alone. I’m doing this for me and it has nothing to do with Dwain,” Olivia lied.

  “Okay, fine. I’ll leave it alone for now. I’m glad you aren’t doing this for Dwain anyway. He doesn’t deserve you.” Savvy leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.

  “Excuse me? What are you saying?” Olivia asked and returned to the table with the glasses of water.

  “Well, I didn’t want to tell you this now, but, you need to know the truth about Mr. Wonderful,” Savvy said.

  “Oh, first you attack me about my weight, and now you’re going to start lying about my boyfriend,” Olivia said, frowning.

  “You need to hear me out, Olivia. I’m not lying,” Savvy pleaded.

  “What? What could you possibly say is wrong about Dwain?”

  “Olivia, when you were in the hospital, Dwain said he had to call his coach about missing practice. I left your room when you were sleeping and headed to where Dwain went to use the payphone,” Savvy said. “He didn’t know I stood right behind him and hea
rd his conversation.”

  “What? You overheard everything he said to his coach? What are you trying to say?” Olivia began to sound impatient.

  “Not to his coach. To Isabella.” Savvy paused and stared at Olivia. “Dwain called the girl who beat you up.”

  “Isabella? What are you talking about? He doesn’t even know her,” Olivia exclaimed. She slammed her bruised hand on the table in front of Savvy, causing her to jump in her chair.

  “No, Olivia. He does know her. He’s dating Isabella and I heard him say he loves her. He got mad with her for coming to your house and jumping you. He knows her extremely well. He’s been lying and cheating on you,” Savvy said softly.

  “Dwain wouldn’t do that to me. He loves me and I know he wouldn’t cheat on me. You didn’t hear him right. You need to stop saying those awful things about my boyfriend,” Olivia yelled.

  “Look, I know this is upsetting and you don’t believe me right now. I wouldn’t lie to you about something like this. I even told Dwain I planned to tell you. He begged me not to,” Savvy explained. “You’re my friend and I care about you too much to not tell you. You can do whatever you want with this information. It’s the truth, whether you accept it or not.”

  “Savvy, this is too much. You’re making my head hurt. I think it would be best if you leave now.” Olivia stomped toward the front door.

  “Don’t be mad at me for being real with you,” Savvy said and followed Olivia. “That’s what real friends do. We tell each other the truth even when it’s painful. I’ll go. Know I’m here for you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

  “Leave, Savvy.” Olivia opened the door.

  Savvy walked outside and turned back to Olivia with sadness in her eyes. “Goodbye, Olivia.” Olivia slammed the door in her face.

  CHAPTER 18

  Olivia paced around the living room trying to process what Savvy told her. How dare she say something crazy like that about Dwain. She must be jealous of our relationship since she doesn’t have a man. That must be it. She hates the fact that Dwain loves me and treats me like a queen.