Download Drama

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  @Cassie4u seriously, i’m not even talking to you and i don’t have beef with you or your younguns. so do me a favor and stay out of my business. what is your problem?! 1 minute ago

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @kenishi_wa my problem is YOU! you always trying to take something that don’t belong to you. 1 minute ago

  kenishi_wa K Lewis

  @jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels whatever. jewels/jas, later. too much chatter—i’m out. 1 minute ago

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @kenishi_wa you’re such a skanky bitch. 1 minute ago

  kenishi_wa K Lewis

  @jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels skype @ 11. 1 minute ago

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @Mya_nomoreBS see, I told you she was gonna act all innocent as soon as I called her ass out. she always do shit like that. told you. she did gia the same way when she took terrence and then sierra when she took darien. 1 minute ago

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @Mya_nomoreBS now look what’s she doing to you. she trying to take your man, too. she think she got everybody fooled cause they think she all nice. i told you i don’t buy her shady shit. skank heffer. you need to just jack her ass up. 1 minute ago

  Mya_nomoreBS Mya

  @Cassie4u you think? 1 minute ago

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @Mya_nomoreBS hell, yeah. kick her ass. but i just want to be there when you do. i want to see her hurt bad. So yeah. do it. 1 minute ago

  Mya_nomoreBS Mya

  @Cassie4u yeah. okay. i will. she mess with the wrong bitch this time. i’m gonna kick her ass. 1 minute ago

  So even though I type and tweet in my last words on the subject and decide to let it drop, the tweets keep coming. I don’t type anything. They get more and more aggressive and hurtful talking about me. I’m getting more and more pissed off. Cassie and her girl are seriously messing with me and I’m tired of it. I never did anything to her, so I have no idea what her problem is. But stooping to their level with a bunch of Twitter bullshit isn’t gonna get them off my back. I need to step up my game and make this public.

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @Mya_nomoreBS so when you gonna do it? 1 minute ago

  Mya_nomoreBS Mya

  @Cassie4u i don’t know. when do you think I should? 1 minute ago

  Cassie4u Cassie

  @Mya_nomoreBS as soon as possible. when we go back to school after spring break. everybody needs to see this. don’t worry, i got your back. 1 minute ago

  Mya_nomoreBS Mya

  @Cassie4u bet. 1 minute ago

  All right, enough of this bullshit, I’m not going down like this. I shadow in the tweet conversation including Cassie’s part and then press the copy key. I drop the text down on a white document page and then create a file. Six pages of mostly bullshit appear on screen.

  I look at the printed pages and then read it over. I’m tired of dealing with these fools and I’m not playing their game anymore. They’re all cowards dressed like bullies hiding in cyberspace and I don’t have any more time for this stupid shit. In the span of nine minutes my mood changes from hooking up with friends and feeling good to totally pissed off. I don’t know what’s wrong with some people. They just need to get their drama off any way they can. “Enough of this stupid stuff,” I say, then turn my phone off.

  Seventeen

  Unstill Waters

  kenishi_wa K Lewis

  It’s all nice and calm on the surface, but that’s all for show. Beneath, there’s mud and rocks and it’s a lot deeper than it appears. Diving in headfirst can be a mistake… Splash.

  5 May * Like * Comment * Share

  shit. I fell asleep last night and missed Skyping with my girls. I also missed the eight text messages, four emails and two phone calls—all from Jalisa and Diamond. Plus I missed a text message and phone call from Terrence. I guess I was just plain tired. So I wake up early Saturday morning knowing that I have a crazy day ahead of me. I shower, dress and head downstairs. My grandmother is already in the kitchen. She’s drinking her coffee and reading the newspaper. “Good morning, Grandmom.”

  “Good morning. I see you’re ready for your run,” she says.

  “Yep,” I say, grabbing a water bottle from the refrigerator. “I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”

  “Okay, be safe.”

  “I will. See you later.” I leave out the back door. I stretch, then turn on my music and put in my earbuds. I walk around to the front of the house, then down the path to the sidewalk. I look around. The street is empty except for a few people walking their dogs and someone rolling a shopping cart. I turn toward my usual route and start running. As soon as I get half a block I remember why I love doing this. It feels great to be out in the fresh air feeling my heart beat faster and faster. Fifteen minutes later I’m on a roll. My breathing is paced and my stride is long and steady.

  I get to a traffic light and stop, but still keep running in place. The music I’m listening to is fast paced and I keep running to the beat. A few seconds later someone comes up beside me. They don’t say anything and I don’t look to see who it is, but the first thing I think is it’s Darien. My heart jumps, then races. I get ready to run and dash in between the moving cars. Then I hear my name. I pull an earbud out and turn, seeing Terrence running in place beside me. I smile instantly. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  “Is that the greeting I get?”

  I stop running and throw my arms around his neck and hug him hard. “You scared me.”

  “Scared you?” he repeats, questioning.

  “Yeah, I didn’t expect to see you. I’m glad you’re here. I didn’t know your were coming home this weekend.”

  “I called to tell you last night, but when you didn’t pick up I decided to just surprise you. I saw you running.”

  The light changes and we walk across the street, then on the other side we start running again. As we run we’re talking about our plans for the day. He’s gonna do some tutoring and then get back to mowing a few lawns in the neighborhood. I told him about the birthday party I was invited to, but didn’t add that Troy would be there.

  “Do you want company?” he asks.

  I start laughing. “Okay, now, can you really see yourself at an all-girls birthday party with, like, fifteen or sixteen eleven-year-olds running around? Nah, that’s okay. Somehow I can’t see that happening.”

  He laughs, too. “Are you sure?” he asks.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. Why don’t we catch up afterward? I’m gonna head over to Freeman, then go to my dad’s place.”

  He nods. “Okay, sounds good. I’ll meet you at Freeman.”

  We finish our run and head back to my grandmother’s house. We walk up to the front porch and stand there a minute. “You okay?” he asks.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I don’t know. You seem kind of off today. Then last night you didn’t answer your cell phone.”

  “I turned it off.”

  He looks at me. “Seriously, you turned it off. I didn’t know that was possible. Aren’t you, like, addicted to your cell?”

  “No, I’m not addicted to my cell phone,” I say, swatting his arm and missing because he moves away quickly. He heads back down the front path, waving. “See you later.”

  I go back inside and start my day. My grandmother heads to one of her seniors’ church group meetings and then to bingo. I do some homework and catch up on studying for my SATs. I take a break and leave text messages and voice messages to Jalisa and Diamond, but since both of them have to work today, I assume they’re already at their jobs. So I get back to homework and studying. After a while studying word meaning and taking practice SAT tests online gets monotonous and I guess I fall asleep. I wake up when my cell phone rings. I grab it fast. “Hello.”
>
  “Kenisha.”

  “Hi, Dad,” I say, still a little groggy.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess I fell asleep while I was studying.”

  “Is your grandmother home?”

  “I don’t think she’s home right now, but she’s home from Georgia. She got back yesterday when I got home from school.”

  “Good. I spoke with your dance instructor yesterday. I agreed that it was okay for you to work there on weekends only. I don’t want this job interfering with your school work.”

  I start smiling. This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time. “Thanks, Dad. I’m going over later, so maybe I can start today.”

  “One more thing. Courtney wants you to come over to the house for dinner. She’s planning a family meal this evening.”

  “What?” I say, totally stunned.

  “She’s been cooking all day, so I think it would be a good idea for you to come.”

  “Dad, I can’t. I already have plans for tonight.” The idea of eating food that Courtney cooked is revolting. She can’t cook tap water. And if I know her, and I do, she’ll probably try to poison my food and then blame it on me.

  “Kenisha, whatever plans you have for this evening, change them. This is more important. Courtney’s going through a lot of trouble to do this for you. She’s trying to make this work and you need to do your part and support her.”

  Okay, seriously, I have no idea what this is all about, but I know it ain’t about being friends. I know Courtney and she doesn’t just roll over and be nice to me. She’s up to something and it probably has to do with me getting into trouble so that she makes me look bad to get money from my father. “Are you going to be there tonight or are you going out?” I ask.

  “What do you mean? What kind of question is that? Of course I’m gonna be here this evening. It’s Saturday night with the family,” he says indignantly, then continues. “You need to change your attitude.…”

  I almost laugh out loud. I can’t believe he just said that, and to act like he’s all offended is just way too over the top. For real, it’s a valid question given my father’s actions. He’s never home on Saturday evenings. He doesn’t even know what a Saturday night at home with the family looks like. So chances are he’s gonna find a way to slip out and do his thing, anyway.

  “…so like it or not this is it. We’re a family, Kenisha, and you’re a part of it. I think it’s about time you start acting like you are, understand?”

  Okay, I have no idea what he’s been smoking, sticking or snorting, but all this “we’re a family” is total bullshit. We’re not a family.

  “Do you hear me?” he says louder.

  “Yes, I hear you. Can I bring Terrence with me?” I ask.

  “What part of ‘family’ do you not understand?” he asks rhetorically, then pauses a few seconds. “Look, I know you and Courtney have had your problems in the past, but if she’s willing to make amends and meet you halfway I don’t see why you can’t do the same.”

  I don’t say anything. After a while he gets it.

  “Are you still there?”

  “Yes.”

  “This isn’t a request, Kenisha. I insist you come.”

  “What time?” I ask.

  “Seven o’clock.”

  “Fine, is that it?” I ask resentfully.

  “Yes, and be on time, please.”

  “Bye,” I barely mutter, and then end the call.

  I change my clothes, pack and grab my dance bag, then head out. As soon as I lock the door behind me and step outside on the porch I see Li’l T across the street hanging with his friends. I don’t bother saying anything to him. I just start walking. Actually, I have nothing to say. He took the video down from YouTube, but now it’s everywhere else, so whatever. He shouldn’t have made in the first place, but it’s too late for all that.

  Out of the corner of my eye I see one of his boys hit his arm and nod over to where I’m walking. He turns and yells across the street, then comes over. “Perfect timing,” he says. “I was just coming to see you. I’ve got some news and you’re gonna—”

  “I don’t have time to play with you,” I abruptly interrupt.

  “Aw, see, why you gonna be like that? I was just trying to tell you about your boy Darien.”

  “You can stop right there. I don’t even want to know.”

  “I’ma tell you, anyway. I heard his boys are supposed to be after his ass—he owes them a lot of money and he ain’t got it. They’re gonna kick his ass when they find him.”

  “When they find him,” I repeat.

  He chuckles. “Yeah, he’s all of the sudden nowhere around.”

  “Whatever,” I say, then my cell phone rings, thank God. I pull it out and answer. At this point I really don’t care who it is. “Hello.”

  “Kenisha.”

  “Yeah, who’s this?”

  “It’s Hannah. Are you coming to my birthday party today?”

  I have to stop a second and think. Then I glance at my phone to check the time. Its twenty minutes after two and I guess I’m already late. I forgot all about her birthday party. So my first thought now is to say no, but I can tell she really wants me to come. “Um, yeah, sure, but just for a little while, okay? I have to practice. Has it started yet?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Okay, what’s your address?”

  “Troy can pick you up and drive you. Here, hold on…”

  “No, wait, that’s okay. Just give me your address,” I say.

  Then I hear Troy’s deep voice in the background and a muffling sound. Apparently Hannah is giving him the phone. “Hey, it’s Troy. I need your address.”

  I don’t say anything at first. Li’l T is still walking beside me. He’s pretending like he’s not interested in my conversation, but I know he is. He’s the biggest gossip in the neighborhood. I can just see Troy picking me up and him telling everybody, including Terrence. “No, that’s okay. I can get there.”

  “Actually, you can save me from all this pink craziness. It’s like a bottle of Pepto-Bismol exploded up in here. I need to serious cut out for a while, so let me pick you up, please.”

  I have to smile. I can just see him surrounded by a bunch of ten- and eleven-year-olds all dressed in pink. “All right, meet me at Freeman.”

  “Okay, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  We hang up and a second later Li’l T is right on me. “So, what up with you and my man Troy?” he says.

  “What?” I say, totally surprised.

  “I thought you were kicking it with T?”

  “I am, so don’t be starting any mess. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I’m just asking, that’s all,” he says, “because T’s my boy and you’re my girl and all. I just don’t want to see all that get messed up with Troy.”

  “Look, I’m going to Troy’s sister’s birthday party. Terrence knows all about it. So drop it.”

  “A’ight, a’ight, I’m just lookin’ out.”

  “Goodbye, Jerome,” I say, using his real name like I do when he gets on my nerves and I’ve had enough of him.

  “A’ight, see you later—oh, wait, one more thing. So what’s up with Troy’s sister? She cute or what?” he asks, interested.

  I smile playfully. “Yeah, she’s cute. She’s really cute—and she dances, too.”

  “Really,” he says with added interest, “so a’ight, a’ight, why don’t you do me a favor and hook a brotha up.” He leans in closer as if to whisper, “You know, get me those digits.”

  “All right, I will. How about in another ten years.”

  “Ten years, why ten years?” he asks.

&n
bsp; “’Cause today’s her birthday—she’s eleven,” I say nicely.

  He jerks back and scrunches his face up. “What!”

  I start laughing ’cause his expression is just too funny.

  “I see you got big jokes, huh—not funny,” he proclaims.

  I just keep laughing, then watch him shake his head as he ignores me and hurries down the street calling after two girls. I can hear them telling him to go away. I shake my head. Li’l T will never change. I sit down on Freeman’s front steps to wait. My cell phone rings. I see that it’s Jalisa and answer. “Hey, girl, what’s up? I thought you have to go to work today.”

  “Hey, yeah, I do, but not until later. Diamond’s working just about all day long today and tomorrow. She wants the extra cash. Her mom’s taking her on some college tours next week. So what happened to you last night?”

  “I know. I missed the Skype. I turned my phone off and fell asleep. I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

  “No, uh-uh—I’m not buying that. You’ve been tired a whole lot lately. Seriously, Keni, what’s up with you? You don’t want to hang out and barely even talk on the phone. And now you’re not even Skyping with us anymore. You’re like a whole other person. I know you’re not working at Freeman yet, so don’t tell me that. What’s up? What’s going on?”

  I consider for a split second telling her what’s going on, then quickly decide against it. The last thing I want to hear is a lecture from Jalisa. She’s my girl and all, but she can be an I-told-you-so know-it-all sometimes. “For real, Jalisa, it’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

  “I told you I’m not buying that, so don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I know something’s up. Please, I’ve seen these signs before with my brother Brian. I couldn’t stop him, but I’m not letting you go out like that.”