***
My final exams were a breeze. I am so happy I am done. As I logged in to see my grades, I was anxious and excited. I received an A in Psychology, Anatomy I, Anatomy lab and in Speech. I was disappointed because I received a B in Calculus. I worked my butt off in Dr. Gilbert’s class. Overall, I am proud of myself because Dr. Gilbert is a tough professor. On RateMyProfessor.com she has a 1.8 overall. However, at the moment she was the only professor at the University that taught Calculus. My GPA for the term is a 3.8—my overall GPA is a 3.9. I have to get all A’s next semester because I want to have at least a 4.0!
I had to make sure I passed all my classes before I registered for the Spring term. Since I am good to go—I immediately registered for my classes which are: Anatomy II, Anatomy II lab, Calculus II and Economics. I will have more than enough credits to graduate with an Associate’s degree! I am excited. I went on the RateMyProfessor website to check out my Economics professor, which said, “Dr. Samuel is a joke. He doesn’t teach. He tells us to read the chapters on the syllabus and dismisses class.” I thought to myself, well, that doesn’t sound that bad. There was another comment that said, “How did I flunk Dr. Samuel’s class and he never taught us anything? I got an F for what? Showing up to class?” I said to myself, damn that’s messed up. Another comment said, “Dr. Samuel is a jerk! He talks about himself and his problems all day. I think he is insane. I got a C in his class. Until this day, I am in awe because I always showed up to class just to hear about his problems. He should have given the entire class an A for being his psychiatrists.” I had a good laugh at that student’s comment! Overall, Dr. Samuel got a 1.0 score. That sucks. The other professor’s name is Dr. King; overall score is a 2.5. His comments were better, but he is a hard teacher like Dr. Gilbert. Ugh, if I get two B’s next term, I will not have a 4.0. A student said, “Dr. King is so boring and his exams don’t cover anything we lecture in class.” Another student said, “Dr. King take his classes too seriously. Hello! Economic is an elective, yet a requirement to graduate. Why? I do not know. Eighty percent of the university take this class just because it’s a requirement. It is not our major. Needless to say, I got a C in his class. Glad I have to take him only one time.” Their other comments were similar to hers. I do not have any good options to choose from. Gosh, why do some professors have to be so difficult? Looks like I will be registering for Dr. King’s class. I submitted my schedule and I’m good to go for Spring semester.
***
Since I’m on break, I am going to take advantage of my time and with hopes to move into the attic. I do not know if I really want to move up there since I am going to be staying up there for about seven months or so. Moving seems like it would be a bit too much. I think I might unpack everything and stay in my room.
I heard my parents yelling my name. I ran down the stairs and walked into the family room. My daddy was standing up and my mother was sitting down, holding the remote control. Their eyes were glued to the television. My daddy pointed to the TV and said, “Look, Bree. Look!” Summer ran downstairs saying, “Goodness gracious, what is all the commotion?” My mouth was open and my eyes were getting wider and wider. The news reporter said, “We are here at the Correctional Center. Dr. Rodney Wright has been arrested at his home. As of right now, they just pulled up. They haven’t got out of the car yet.” My eyes didn’t blink. The reporter said, “Wait. Wait. They are now escorting him from the police car. He is keeping his head down as the police officers walk him into the Correctional Center.” There were people protesting, saying, “We are standing with Breana! We are standing with Breana! We want our voices to be heard! We are not apologizing for what he did to us. We are unapologetic for our flaws and all. We are human beings and we matter!” I looked at my parents with concern in my eyes and said, “I need to be down there!” My daddy said, “No, baby girl, not tonight.” I yelled, as tears formed in my eyes, and said, “Daddy, yes I do! I need to be there down there fighting with them! I need to be protesting with them!” My mother said, “No, sweetheart, not tonight.”
It started to rain and the reporter said, “I just got the word that so far Dr. Rodney Wright has been charged with twelve counts of verbal harassment and sexual assault. With two additional counts of sexual conduct with a minor. He also is charged for a sexual assault on a minor as well. In all, he has been charged with fifteen counts.”
I dropped to the floor. I was shaking because I couldn’t believe what was being said. Dr. Wright’s secret verbal and sexual assaults all of those women, including me. I balled up my fist and I screamed at the top of my lungs. I cried because how dare he think he had the right to take from us? He really thought he was going to get away with it.
The reporter said loudly, “It looks like there are people still coming forward. However, so far it is fifteen and counting.”
My daddy hugged me as I was curled up into a ball, crying and saying, “We got him, Daddy. We got him. He isn’t going to get away with touching or talking to women any kind of way ever again. We got him, Daddy. We got him.” He rocked me back and forth and said, “Yes, we got him. It took a brave little girl to stand up to burst the door wide open. There’s no turning back, everything is out in the open now and justice will be served.”
***
For a couple of days, I had a hard time sleeping because my mind was roaming a million miles per hour. My mother gave me some tea to relax. It wasn’t disrupting to the point I had nightmares. My sleep was disrupted because I could not understand why Dr. Wright thought he could get away with hurting people.
I cleared my chakras on a daily basis to stay balanced. Got myself together and prepared for work. As I arrived at work it was busier than usual. Like always, I put on my apron and got to work. It was strange because I felt awkward. I ignored the feeling and kept working. My coworker Leeann said, “Breana, I heard what you did, and you are an amazingly strong woman.” She lifted up her apron and she had on a Standing with Breana shirt.” I smiled and said, “Thanks, but it wasn’t all me. I give credit to all of the women who stood up as well.” Leeann flipped her long bone-straight blond hair back, smiled, and said, “Well it took one person to speak up for them to stand up.” I smiled and asked her, “Did you make the blueberry crumble cake?” She said, “I didn’t.” I said, ‘Okay, cool, I’ll stay back here and make it.” Leeann said in a joking manner, “Breana, wants to stay in the back, that is a first.” I smiled slightly and said, “Yeah, only for today. I need time to clear my mind. Plus, baking is therapeutic for me.”
After I baked three pans of our famous blueberry crumble cakes I stayed in the back to wash dishes. My supervisor came to the back and asked, “Breana, are you okay?” I smiled and said, “Yes. I just wanted to be in the back for a while. I’m ready to go to the front now to get some fresh air. Has the crowd died down?” My supervisor rubbed my back and said, “It’s okay if you want to stay in the back for the rest of the day. I understand. As of right now, there isn’t a line. There are only a few people out and about, sitting down eating.” I said, “Thank you for understanding, but I am tired of being isolated.” My supervisor looked at me with great concern and asked, “Are you sure?” I smiled and said, “I am positive.”
I took off the kitchen apron and put on a dining apron to help serve the customers. My coworker Tony asked me would it be okay if I took orders out to the numbered tables. I didn’t mind and said, “Sure.” He said, “Thanks, Bree. This order here goes to table 21.” I said, “No problem.” As I gather the silverware I said, “Tony, by the way, I love your new do! …Did you get a tan?” He said, “Really? I got tired of the bronze color and straight hairstyle so I decided to perm it to make it curly. Since my boyfriend and I’ve been on fire lately with so much passion, I dyed it red to show my affection.” I laughed and said, “Well, damn, you did that!” Tony laughed and replied, “Yeah, my man loves it, so that’s all that matters.” He added, “Yes, girl, I got a tan because I was too pale.” I looked at Tony and he said, �
�Bree, oh gosh, what is that face for?” I said, “It’s good to know your boyfriend loves it, but what matters the most is that you love it too.” Tony said, “Of course, I love it!” I smiled and said, “I love it too!” As I walked off, I said, “Do not change your eye color, your blue eyes are perfect!” He waved his hand and said, “Child, I won’t. Thanks!’
I begin looking for the number 21 table in the dine-in area but it wasn’t there. I walked over to the mini-library, as we call the cozy couch area, however, nobody was sitting there. I walked outside, and I’ll be damned! It was Brian and Angel sitting at a table with the number stand 21. I had to be polite because I was at work. I said, “Good evening, I hope you all are doing well today. If you all need anything let me know. Enjoy your meal.” Brian said, “Well…Well… Well… Breana the Brave. Or should I say, Breana the celebrity?” I didn’t respond to his comment. I said, “Enjoy your meal and have a good evening.”
As I looked straight ahead and walked away, I heard Angel laughing and I felt her looking at me. She had on a skanky outfit—a fishnet shirt with only her bra under it. Eww, how disgusting. It’s chilly outside and she had on some cut-up booty shorts. Hello, it is December. Who wears shorts in the winter time? Her hair looked like she just got into a fight and lost. I had a good laugh when I walked back into the coffee shop! I couldn’t help myself. I thought to myself, what in the world was I thinking, going out with that fool and being so in love with a dude that doesn’t have any class. I should slap myself in the face for being such an idiot. I laughed again and said to myself, Breana the Brave, yeah okay, I should call myself Breana the idiot for being his fool. Oh well, I dusted myself off and said to myself, not my shit, not my problem anymore.
Tony said, “Bree, what’s so funny?” I was tickled when I said, “I’m laughing at myself for being a damn fool and an idiot.” Tony started to laugh, “Yeah, been there and done that shit. Not ever again.” Leeann, Sage and I stared at Tony because he was about to get started. He looked at us and said, “Oh, okay, here y’all go.” We laughed. Leeann said, “Ugh. No. Here you go.” Tony said, “What? I am lost?!” Sage retorted, “As you should be.” We all started laughing. My supervisor Marie walked in as I said, “My ex is out there with his girlfriend.” I was about to say something else, but everyone stopped what they were doing to take a peek. My supervisor said, “Oh my sweet honeycomb, God bless her soul, that child doesn’t know any better. It’s freezing outside and that child came out the house naked.” Tony laughed so hard and said, “She must think she’s Olaf from Frozen.” We all looked at him and said, “What?” Tony said, “Never mind. Look at the movie and you guys will understand.” Leeann said, “Why didn’t her man tell her she looks like pure trash? He must be blind, or maybe he just doesn’t care?” Sage was putting her hair in a hairnet. As she put a string of purple hair in the net she said, “She knows she’s cold.” Sage tied up her black boots and said, “They are stupid. They came here because they know Bree works here. If they’re coming here to start some shit, I am going to stomp both of them with my boots.” We looked at Sage and busted out laughing. I said, “I do not think it will come down to that. If it did, I wouldn’t let you do that.” Sage looked at her black fingernail polish as she washed her hands. She dried them, put gloves on and prepared to make the next order and said, “Just because I’m a brunette, they better not get it twisted, they are not coming up in here starting shit.” As she got the croissants off the shelf she said, “I got your back, Bree.” Tony said, “Wait. They are getting up. It looks like they are about to come inside.” I looked at them and said, “I wouldn’t be surprised because they want to either give me a hard time or show off their toxic relationship. It’s all good, though. I’m good. Shoot, as Lil Wayne says, “No love lost, no love found.”
I clocked out to take my break. Since my daddy had dropped me off, I sat in my supervisor’s office and called Chloe. I told her Brian and Angel were at my place of work. Chloe said, “Yin, no way in hell.” I said, “Well…Hell must have opened the door because they are here.” Chloe said, “Yin, do you want me to come up there because you know they are up there to start some senseless shit. Brian never came up there to your job—all of a sudden, he wants to show up. He is such a virus.” I laughed! Chloe said, “Bree, I am serious, he knows you are getting over him and he wants to get the best of you and flirt with Angel around you. What makes matters worse, she is so clueless. She doesn’t know she is being used.” I was about to comment on what Chloe said, but she continued and said, “You sure you’re good? If you want me to come up there, I will.” I said, “Thank you, Yang, but I am good. I am not paying attention to Brian.” Chloe said, “You know you haven’t talked about that dude who came up to your job. What is his name?” I replied, “Oh… Eli. Girl, he isn’t any good. He didn’t know I saw him at the park with some girl when I was playing soccer with Summer. He was all hugged up on her, touching her butt and kissing all over her.” Chloe paused and said, “What! Damn, Bree, what an ass. These dudes ain’t shit. They just want some fast ass. We are not the ones. With that being said, he needs to keep it moving.” I laughed and said, “You know it. Shoot, he kept calling and texting me. After I saw him with that girl I never answer any of his calls or responded to his text messages. Ugh, been there, done that, and most definitely not going back.” Chloe said, “Yin, I hear you. My ex keeps calling me. Girl, he really thinks I am going to take his ass back. Nope. A person has one time to screw me over. One time and one time only.” I laughed again, “Your ex. You are not going to say his name.” Chloe said, “Hell no, he is not worth it. I was just telling you because we have to keep each other on a straight path.” She continued, “I am about to get ready to go to my meeting. One day you have to come. You know I started a club that helps young girls work on their self-esteem.” “Look at you, Chloe! I am so proud of you!” I said with excitement. I continued, “I am going to come soon.” Chloe said, “Thank you. I know you are busy, but you have to be a special guest. I want you to talk about yourself because Yin, you are so smart. A lot of us do not have parents that are still together in a loving, healthy, marriage or a relationship for that matter. I would like for you to talk about your parents too.” I replied, “I got you! I always make time for my girl!”
Brian and Angel came and sat near the entertainment stage where a guy was setting up for karaoke night. Brian came up to the counter and asked if I could make his jerk chicken sandwich over. He said it was cold. Angel came to the counter as well and asked me if I could make her tuna sandwich over too. She said it was cold too. Clearly, she’s a dumbass, tuna is supposed to be cold—because she didn’t ask for a tuna melt. My supervisor said, “That is not Breana’s job. I will be more than happy to make your sandwiches over.” She added, “Do you all want your bread to be toasted? Cheese? Wheat or white bread? Both of them said it didn’t matter. I stood there shaking my head because they knew there wasn’t anything wrong with their sandwiches. They thought I was going to be the one who had to make them over and wait on them hand and foot. Boy, were they wrong!
As time passed, karaoke started. There were couples dancing and having a good old time. There were people on the floor having a ball. Most of the people singing couldn’t follow the words. It was too funny because the words were up front and center for them to read. Brian and Angel were still here. He was feeding Angel with his fingers. I was like, hello, the fork and spoon are next to your plate. He kept looking at me and from time to time I kept looking at him too without him knowing. Not because I wanted to be with him. More so, because he looked disgusting.
Leeann said, “Breana you have company.” I thought it was Eli since he knew it was karaoke night. However, it was T’eo. He walked up to me and said, “Hey, Breana the Brave.” I gently tapped him on his chest, smiled and said, “Stop.” Since he’s taller than me he looked down at me and said, “Well, it’s the truth.” He asked, “Is it karaoke night? I smiled and said, “Why are you asking? It’s not like you can sing
.” He busted out laughing and said, “Breana the comedian. You are not funny.” He had a suspicious look on his face as he raised his eyebrows and smirked. He added, “You didn’t tell me it was karaoke night.” I laughed and said, “Don’t even think about it.” T’eo said, “Come on, Breana. What are you scared of? You danced all night at the pizza joint.” I laughed and said, “T’eo, that was dancing, this is singing. I can’t sing.” He pulled my arm gently and said, “Come on, girl, that’s why the words are on the screen for us to follow along as we sing the song.”
Brian was looking like he had fire boiling in his eyes. He kept looking; I’m more than sure he wondered who T’eo was to me. T’eo ran onto the stage and looked on the computer to find a song. He was smiling as he said, “Oh yeah, this is perfect!” He looked at me as the song started to play. It was Can I take You Out Tonight by Luther Vandross. He looked over at me, pointed and said, “This song is dedicated to Breana the Brave. One of the first songs we danced to. I might add we danced the night away and I enjoyed every step!” He attached the mic to his shirt and started to sing. “Yeeeaaahhh… Here is it…” His voice was cracking. People were looking like, is he serious? I covered my face for a second. I walked up to the stage and rocked from side to side with the beat. He knows I love me some Luther! I couldn’t help but smile, laugh and blush because I loved how he took a chance of not caring if he embarrassed himself for me. He was walking across the stage singing,
Unapologetic for My Flaws and All Page 18