by Ms. Bam
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6.The Breakdown
(Three Years Earlier)
“ Girl I think Marquise likes you!” Rayna said excitedly.
“ Why do you think that? I mean I just helped him on some homework. Other than that he doesn't say a word to me.” Mia said flipping her long black hair towards her face so Rayna couldn't see her blush. She had a deep mocha complexion but you better believe black girls do blush and right now her cheeks were hotter than hell! She knew Marquise liked her,she had a note from him in her back pocket telling her so. Even though she usually told Rayna everything,just for a moment she wanted to keep this to herself. She couldn't wait to get home,lock herself in her bedroom and read the sweet words Marquise had written her at least a hundred times. Then she would share the news with Rayna that Marquise had in fact asked her to go out with him this Saturday night and that for once , she might actually go.
Mia had spent most of her high-school years fending off the attention of boys. All she wanted to do was graduate,get into a great college and make her mother proud. Her mom deserved that after all the sacrifices she'd made raising her all on her own...and her mother never let her forget it either. Mia had seen far too many of her classmates distracted by boys whose only objective was to get in their pants and run and tell their boys. Mia had higher dreams and aspirations for herself and none of them include being ran through by every boy at Sam Houston high-school and pregnant before she walked across a stage at a college and having a degree placed in her hand.
Marquise was cute though. It would be nice to have a date lined up for prom.
“ Whatever girl! I know that nigga is feeling you. Aint that much “homework” in the damn world. He's just making up excuses to be around your ass. You two ain’t fooling me. Aww SHIT! Girl look,your fine ass step-daddy is home. Do I need to come over for some milk and cookies? I already know my mama ain’t went shopping.” Rayna said pointing to Mia's mothers boyfriend Quinton's car parked in their driveway.
“ Please girl stop! Let me remind you once again. Quinton is NOT my step-daddy and he is NOT fine!” I said rolling my eyes at her. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how Rayna could be my best friend yet not pick up on the obvious vibes I put out daily that I did not like Quinton. It was probably due to the fact I didn't have a concrete reason yet.
He'd actually never been anything but nice to me but it was overly nice. I mean my mom had already let him move in months ago without so much as even talking to me about it. So why was he always bending over backwards trying to win me over? Sometimes I'd wake up in the morning and there would be money on my nightstand. I mean I'm almost 18 and love to wear the latest fashions and have extra money in my pocket, but why the hell are you creeping into my bedroom while I'm sleeping? I'd never had to lock my bedroom door in my own home before but now? Anytime I was in my room I tried to remember to locked my damn door. Sleep or no sleep. It didn't make it any better that my mom worked nights at the hospital. Lately she'd been working a lot of doubles which meant instead of her being at work from 3pm until 11pm my mom wasn't coming home until after 7am the next morning.
“ Umm I know it may be hard for you to see it since it's your mama's man and all but make no mistakes about it boo...your step-daddy is fine as hell! Yo' mama know she's robbing the cradle right now. What is he...20?”
“ Girl he's 26”
“ Still that's young! That nigga damn near need to be dating us! How old is your mama? 100?” Rayna asked busting out laughing.
“ Fuck you bitch!” Mia said unable to hold in her laughter.
“ My mama is almost 40. You are right about one thing though, I really do wish she had found a man older. I mean she should have at least found a man in his forties. Younger for her is a man in his mid-30's. Quinton doesn't even have anything going for himself. It's pretty desperate if you ask me.”
“ Oh he got something your mama want all right. Your tender ears ain’t ready for me to school you yet!” Rayna said looking at her with a smirk.
Mia stopped mid-stride.
“ Bitch don't go there with me. Tender my ass. I'm saving my cookies for someone special. If I can't make it until I'm married, it will at least be until I'm in college. I want my first time to be with someone special. You know at least be in a real relationship”
“ Now see you didn't have to rub the shit in though! I thought Eric and I were in a serious relationship...hell I found out he was in a serious relationship with Tika Martin as well after I'd already given it up.”
“ Awww I love you bestie! I ain’t trying to rub it in your face. You know I love you...but you coulda found that shit out if you had waited!” Mia said laughing and hooking arms with her as they continued their walk home.
They were quickly approaching Mia's house.
“ So are you really coming in? Come over for a little while pleeeaaase!” Mia begged. Quinton was home and the very last thing she wanted to do was make small talk with him. He stayed trying to be all up in her business,acting all buddy-buddy.
“ Girl I really wish I could. Like I said I know it ain’t nothin' sweet to eat at my house but I did promise my mom I'd pick up and start dinner before she got home so I better just get to it. I'll call you later though.”
“ Aww. Okay then.” Mia said as they waved good-bye and parted ways. Rayna lived the next block over. Mia looked at her driveway and saw two cars parked. I see he has friends over.
I need to tell my mama about this bullshit again. I could barely get to sleep the other night they were so loud,Mia thought frowning.
All Quinton does is lay up, go to his little part-time job....when he even has one and chill up in my mama's house. Mia had never met her real father. All her mother would say about him was that he'd left her once he found out she was pregnant. All they needed was each other and to stop asking about “ that man” and his family. She was all Mia needed. Eventually Mia did stop asking. You could only wish for your daddy so many birthdays and write it on your Christmas list so many times before it sunk in. Her mother had been right though, in all her almost 18 years her father was the only thing she'd gone without. She was provided with all the material things a child could ask for. Her mother wasn't the most affectionate person but during her earlier childhood her grandmother had provided her with all the love and attention a child could ask for.
Unfortunately her grandmother had passed two years ago. Which gave Mia a crash course in independence. After all her mother did work a lot of long hours to keep them with all the extras. Life had been as perfect as she could expect until her mother had hooked up with Quinton. I mean come on. 26? She was embarrassed to admit it to Rayna but she was right! At his age he really was damn near in her age bracket and the way he acted with his friends showed Mia he wasn't even a mature younger man.
She tried to keep all those negative thoughts to herself though. Her mother really did seem happy with him and Mia truly wanted her mother to have someone in her life to love. All her mom did before meeting him was work and take care of her. When I go off to college I do want my mom to have someone.
Mia walked up the steps of her porch and turned the knob,once the door was open she was hit with the smell of weed. Quinton and his friends were sprawled all over the living-room and kitchen area.
“ Hey baby-girl,how was school today?” Quinton asked cutting his eyes her way and smiling as he took a pull of his blunt.
“ It was fine thanks.”
Mia was actually hungry but instead of going into the kitchen where she could see several of Quinton's friends were also hanging out, she decided to just go to her bedroom. Mia looked around her room and began picking up her mess from this morning. She was neat but without a doubt every morning her room looked like a tornado had ran through it because she wanted the perfect outfit. She had the first period tardies to first period to prove it too. Her room was located on the second floor over-looking the driveway.
I know one thing they better hurry up and leave. I'
m hungry as hell and I'm not trying to go sit up around Quinton and his friends!
Mia thought walking to her window to look out. Not one car had left. Matter of fact there was another car in the driveway.
Fuck this I'm calling my mama.
Mia grabbed her cell phone and dialed the number to the floor her mother worked on.
“ May I please speak to Terri King please?”
As she was waiting for her mother to come to the phone she looked around. Spotless. She thought smiling.
“ This is Terri King?”
“ Hey mama it's me.”
“ Mia what have I told you about calling me on the floor? I'll check in with you when I go on break I was with a patient! What is it?”
“ I know mama but Quinton has a whole lot of friends over here. I don't even feel comfortable going into the kitchen to get anything to eat!”
“ Well what do you mean by that? Has anyone said anything to you?”
“No but....,”
“ No but shit! Mia grow the fuck up. You're almost 18 years old! If no one has said anything to you,why the hell are you uncomfortable? Don't sound like your ass is too hungry to me! Ol' bougie actin' ass. I swear to God,you ain’t never even met your daddy's family and you're just like them! Think you're better than somebody. We ain’t getting into it now because I'm at work but Quinton's mentioned to me SEVERAL times how nice he's been to you and how rude you are. He's even left money for you and you can barely thank him. Take your ass down to the kitchen, eat and don't call here with this nonsense again either.”
“ Well can I just go to Rayna's house since he has all his friends over here?”
“ NO! Stay your black ass at home. You ain’t gon' be running over Rayna's damn house all the time like you ain’t got no goddamn home. I noticed how her mom was looking at me funny the last time I picked you up. That bitch think she's better than me just because she's married. Bye.” her mother said hanging up on her.
Mia had no idea why her mother always talked about Rayna's family the way she did. They'd never been anything but kind to the both of them. Truth be told a lot of the time they were her substitute family for what her own mother wasn't doing. Mia never thought to make a big deal about it because usually when her mom couldn't show up to support her activities,she was at work.
Let me just go make myself a sandwich and some chips and hurry back up to my room. Maybe I'll call Marquise.