Hoodwinked

by Desiree Granger

  “What the hell?” I muttered, closing my eyes trying to think back to the last thing I remember. All I could see was Tallulah, and I rushing down a set of old black stone steps. Loud music pulsating, bumping with bass, and laughter. I could even remember the smell of body heat and sweat. Hair products, and hear bathroom noises but that was it. Just that memory replaying over, and over with her, and I hand in hand rushing down the steps. I remember meeting her, and Indigo...I remember the Underground, but...anything after those steps grew grim and dark.

  Opening my eyes, I looked at my hands. Flipping them over to study my palms before looking around our apartment with a small gasp. My body grew cold with chills as I slowly got up, cautiously looking around like any second somebody could come around the corner with a gun, and creep over to Percy.

  Everything from paintings, to my things that usually sat on the dining room table. The kitchen! Our TV, and his intricate game system with controllers, and collectibles in their designated spots gone. Everything was wiped clean.

  “Oh my God,” I let out, breathless as I stumbled to get to Percy, shaking his arm. “Percy wake up. Wake up.”

  The apartment door was cracked open as I heard footsteps down the hallway. I violently began to shake Percy, causing him to snap out of his sleep with a hard snort before jumping as he looked around. Fumbling to get his glasses back on his face.

  “What is it? What’s going on?”

  He asked in a groggy voice, brows coming together in a strict expression as he looked around before jumping to his feet to see his things were taken. “No, no, no, no NOOO! What the fuck happened last night?! How did---What---WHO IS SHE?!” He pointed to Tallulah on the floor. “What happened?!”

  “Tallulah, get up,” I said quickly, shaking her. “Get up!”

  “Who the fuck is she?!” He croaked in panic, gripping his head as he stared at the empty entertainment system. “My games! We’ve been robbed! WHO IS SHE?!”

  “What’s going on?” Tallulah let out, sitting up as she flipped her hair back, looking around with swollen eyes before gasping. “Oh my God, oh my God. How did we even get here, where are----?”

  “WHO THE HELL IS SHE JASMINE?!” Percy yelled as I snapped.

  “STOP ASKING THAT! CLEARLY, I KNOW HER!”

  “WELL, I DON’T!” He screamed, rushing to the back room before he screamed. “ALL OF OUR THINGS ARE GONE! EVERYTHING! MY CLOTHES! FILES! SHOES!”

  “Where’s my phone?” Lu asked, looking around as she reached inside her top. Feeling around before panic officially settled in. Her wide eyes, and clay brown skin that once looked flawless under makeup the night before was now full of growing raised bumps, and acne scars.

  “Who did we talk to last night? Did you take a drink from anybody that wasn’t at the bar?”

  “I barely remember meeting you!” I declared as she gripped her forehead.

  “Did you sign anything?! Did you talk to anybody other than me?!”

  “No! I don’t think so! I stayed with you the entire time!”

  “Oh my God,” getting up as Percy came running back into the living room.

  “GET HER THE HELL OUT OF HERE! Better yet?! I’M CALLING THE POLICE!”

  “You followed Jasmine to the club last night, didn’t you?” Tallulah asked as Percy’s eyes grew wide with his phone in hand. Guilty expression was apparent as I gasped. “Nigga no you did NOT! I can’t believe you---!”

  “I wanted to see who she was meeting up with! She’s my fiance! I have a right to know who she’s seeing behind my back the way she knows about Nasia!”

  “You’re stalking me now!?” I accused. “YOU HAVE SOME NERVE PERCY!”

  “How did this turn on me!? We just got robbed, and you’re blaming me?!”

  “You went by yourself?! Who did you talk to?! Who---!?”

  “I don’t remember----! How am I supposed to know?!” Throwing his hands up.

  “Ohhhhh my gaaaah!” Lu groaned, sitting back on the couch with a drop as she gripped her forehead. Trying to think, but I searched for the closest thing I could find before reaching down to take off my already broken heel to hurl at him.

  “AYE?! JASMINE?! WHAT THE FUCK!?”

  “You sorry excuse for a man!” I screamed, coming at him as I struggled to take off the second heel. “All I asked was for me to do what you’ve been doing all along! YOU CAN’T EVEN STAND THE THOUGHT OF ME SEEING SOMEONE ELSE!”

  “I don’t care who you’re with, as long as I know who it is! Don’t!” Crouching as I threw my second heel at him. “STOP IT!”

  “Did you talk to anybody?!” Lu yelled, getting up again. “Did you drink anything that didn’t come directly from the bar?!”

  “I thought all the drinks came from the bar?! People were passing trays around with drinks---.”

  “Ohhhhhh my gaaah my niggggguhhhh!” Tallulah cried, gripping her hair as she dropped back to the couch, distraught. “What the fuck kind of city is this?!” Looking around like she suddenly had no idea where she was.

  “You’re putting on this act like you had no part of us getting robbed----!”

  “Nigga you got yourself robbed by following Jasmine to the damn club! Whatever the fuck kind of energy attached to you, attached to her and I wasn’t….” Wiping her face as she tried not to cry. “I wasn’t able to pick up on it.”

  “Energy? What is she talking about? What---?!”

  “Nigga energy, entity, spirits, whatever the fuck you wanna call it!”

  “WHAT?!” Percy let out, beyond confused as I glared at him.

  “I let you have Nasia, and you can’t let me have one damn night to myself!?”

  “Why is this suddenly turning into my fault?! Your things are missing too! Not just mine! If I’m the only one that cares about theft----!”

  “My best friend Percy! She was my only damn friend!” I screamed with fresh tears in my eyes as I nearly clawed at him with hard slaps against his shoulder before landing one right on the side of his face. “HOW COULD YOU!?”

  “JASMINE?! JA----JASMINE?!” Gripping my wrist as he jerked me back against the wall. His glasses fell to the tip of his nose, eyes widening at his own strength when he took a shaky hand to push his frames back up.

  “I’m not trying to hurt you!”

  “In what way are you not trying to hurt me, Percy? Huh?! Bringing Nasia into the bed I sleep in? That we sleep in? I have to roll around in those same damn sheets with her perfume in it?!”

  “Nasia? My cousin’s girlfriend, Nasia?” Tallulah let out, standing up as she stared Percy down. “Light skinned know it all? Short?”

  “Homer’s Nasia, yes,” I said, keeping my eyes on Percy who looked from Lu, to me. “I’ve kept quiet for far too long, but I don’t care anymore. I don’t care anymore! You stalking, following me last night because the thought of me doing what you’ve been doing to me for years is something you can’t handle! You---!”

  “YOU DON’T MAKE IT ANY EASIER JASMINE!” He shouted suddenly, chest heaving like he was vomiting. “YOU DON’T MAKE IT EASY TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU!”

  “And Nasia is your best friend?!”

  I ignored Lu’s shock and continued to aim for Percy. Now that we were laying it out on the table, and getting it off our chest.

  “I stand by your side! I kept quiet! I did what every good girlfriend groomed to be the good wife does! I’ve done everything that’s asked of me! All I want is love! That’s it! I want love in return! Love and loyalty! I want what my parents have! I don’t want this!” Throwing my hand out in the air like I was letting go of filth. “Whatever this is! I don’t want it!”

  “Love isn’t real Princess! The sooner you realize that the sooner you will see----!”

  “I was raised under love! My parents---!”

  “How long has this been going on with Nasia?!” Lu barged in. “I need answers!”

  “My parents fell in love the moment they met! I watched my father shower my mother with flowers every morning! Hu
gs, kisses, random nights out! He used to decorate the entire house with white roses and candles! Take her to the movies! Hold her at night! He did so much to show that he loved her, and made sure we grew up seeing----!”

  “Your father and mother are rare, I’ll give you that but even he had rumors dealing with him cheating on her so spare me! Fucking spare me, and cry to someone else about that fairytale bullshit! My parents made it work because of us! Not because they loved each other! They made it work for their children, to keep money and wealth within the families! That’s what love is! Love is making sure your children’s children will be okay for generations to come! Especially being black in this world!”

  “Oh please, save your black man speech for the courtroom. I’m not a judge or juror. I’m the woman you’re supposedly about to make a vow to honor, cherish, never CHEAT, love, and----!”

  “How y’all let that Nasia shit happen for this long?!” Lu continued on. “What the fuck?!”

  “You don’t even care that you slept with Nasia, you don’t care how that affects me, but the one night I get to myself? You have to follow me out to see who, and what… As if you haven’t been the cause of our relationship never working in the first place! Anybody but her Percy, but look at you! You don’t care! I’m wasting my breath! When all is said and done, you’re going to crawl back in her bed. Bring her to my bed---.”

  “Jas---.”

  “Why did you follow me, Percy?! Huh?! Why couldn’t you let me have my night the way I let you have yours?!”

  “I wasn’t following you----!”

  “Oh, now you’re lying?!” I screamed as Tallulah rolled her neck at him.

  “Nigga I know you not finna sit here and lie---!”

  “Who are you?! Why are you STILL here?! I don’t have to answer to you---!”

  “But you followed us last night!”

  “You’re the reason we got robbed! You’re the reason we’ll never work! You---!”

  “NO! NO! You’re not going to put this all on me, Jasmine. I tried to make it work with you. I tried! You rather fake being happy around me than actually attempting to get to know me! You cringe, and look sick every time I even say your FUCKING NAME! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT’S LIKE?! BEING IN A HOUSE WITH A GIRL WHO HATES YOU FOR NO REASON!? I can’t impress you! I’ve tried! There are women out there that think I’m funny! They like being around me! Like me for me! Meanwhile, you sit high and mighty! Pretty and used to being waited on! A FUCKING PRINCESS WITH NOTHING TO OFFER BUT YOUR LOOKS! No personality! Nothing but your fucking looks and money to get you by! I tried holding your hand! You get cold and stiff! I tried cooking dinner for you! You act like it's poison! You CAN’T STAND THE SIGHT OF ME AND IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY, and even if I did believe in love? WHY WOULD I WANT TO FALL IN LOVE WHEN YOU MAKE ME BELIEVE THERE’S NO SUCH THING! HMMM?! Don’t put this all on me like it's my fault! Yeah, I slept with your best friend. I enjoy her company a whole lot better than yours----.”

  “Are we really seriously talking about Nasia?!” Tallulah let out. “This hoe has been fucking around on my family for how long?!”

  “For years,” Percy spat with no remorse as he stared at me. “Maybe it was to get your damn attention for once Jasmine. Sleeping around on you to get your attention, to check for a pulse, to see if you even care or because I’m bored with you. Meanwhile, you’re out looking for the impossible. You want to fall in love when you yourself aren’t worth falling in love with. You ever thought about that?”

  I stood with budding tears, body trembling against the wall with my lips sucked in as Percy continued on his wrath, driving his point home.

  “Truth? You want the truth baby girl?” He asked, voice growing cold. “You’re hard to impress. You’re hard to make laugh or smile. You come off like you’re stuck up, and everything is beneath you including me. I can’t compete with you, and I’m not going to even try. Truth on why I’m really marrying you?” He asked. “Not for money like everyone thinks. Don’t need it. You’re the one without a job and a career. Not me. You bring nothing, absolutely NOTHING to the table other than your family name. It’s because my mother thinks you’re the dream daughter she never had. Instead of working things out with my sister, you are her dream replacement. She’s more excited than anyone, and I would never do anything outside of making her happy. She’s ready to claim you as her own the same way your father is desperate to have a son like me because his turned out to be a fuck-up like him,” he said, shoving his glasses up his face. “I love my mother just like you love your father. One thing neither of us wants to do is disappoint our parents, and carry that with us for the rest of our lives. Anyone I find after you will never measure up to her standards so I won’t even bother trying to look for love like you foolishly are. I cheated on you to find my own happiness outside of that. I assumed you would have done the same a long time ago.”

  The apartment grew quiet, thick with cold tension as Tallulah came to me at that moment, as if she knew I was about to break down, and cry. Not because of our stupid relationship or Percy, but of what he said about me not being worthy of falling in love with.

  “She was trying to do that last night before you, the creep lame nigga that you are stalked, and followed her,” Tallulah let out angrily. “It was you that came up to her last night, wasn’t it…”

  “I don’t know, and I don’t care anymore,” he said, walking towards the kitchen. “I’m calling the police to report this.”

  “It was you. You came up to Jasmine like you was a whole different nigga with yo leeching ass side kicks beside you, scamming on you...Oh my Gah this shit would not have gone down back home...Somebody woulda been shot by now… Jasmine it's okay,” she cooed, rubbing my back as I turned away, trying to cough over my cries. “It’s okay. See what you did! It ain’t enough that you sleeping around on her, but you gotta go off on her?! Make her cry!? Boi be glad my nigga ain’t here, swuh to Gah he would fuck yo ass up on sight!”

  “Get the hell out of my damn apartment before I have you arrested----.”

  “Boi call dem cops!” Tallulah clapped. “I’m not going nowhere! Jasmine is stuck with me till da’ day we die! Call dem’!”

  Tallulah faced me once more, cupping my face as she looked me square in the eyes. Thumbs gently smoothing under my eyes like wipers on a windshield.

  “Don’t pay him no mind chile,” she cooed, seeing her eyes blur at the sight of my tears. I studied her face, seeing her in a new light with her acne apparent, and her gap in the middle of her smile. Her long dark brown hair was split down the middle like a native woman as her high cheekbones raised in a smile.

  “I look different without makeup, go head and say it. I’m still cute. Just got fucked up skin.”

  “Stop it,” I coughed, hearing Percy on the phone with the police. I tried to avoid her intense gaze, feeling like a wolf was staring me down in the wild before sniffing with a stuttering heaving chest. “You think Delilah was right?”

  “About what?” She asked, eyes never leaving mine.

  “About my soulmate being…”

  “Percy?” She finished with a suck of her teeth. She looked back at him, watching him walk out into the hallway. “She might be wrong this time around…”

  “But she’s never been wrong before,” I let out as my eyes began to swell with new tears.

  “No, Delilah doesn’t usually make claims as strong as that unless it's true, but there is always a possibility that she’s wrong…”

  “And you thi--you think he’s----.”

  “I think,” wiping around my eyes. “You’ll find real love one day soon. We all deserve it in this life we live. To be with someone we can connect with on all levels.”

  “I don’t want to---.”

  “You won’t be with that nigga, trust me,” she assured me. “Come on, and fix yourself together. We riding out later on to see a man about a horse.”

  “A what?” I coughed as she laughed.

  Hoodwinked

 
Jasmine

  After speaking with the police and local news station that undoubtedly stopped by to get the scoop on the story. I was able to ease my parents' worries when I grabbed an overnight bag full of clothes, and shoes. Showered, and changed while Percy handled everything from theft to Nasia, I’m sure. I was standing outside of a McDonalds with a duffle bag with a dark blue sweater, and jeans. My hair was tied up in a curly ball with makeup-free skin while Tallulah stood on the curb with one foot propped up like a pirate eating ice cream. Long thick black hair braided down to her waist with leggings, white air force one sneakers, and an oversized white shirt. She looked so cool, almost like a gangster Indian girl with the henna tattoos on both arms, and hands. Large hooped earrings and a look that dared any man to approach her while she licked her ice cream.

  Surely my outfit cost more than anything she had on, and she still managed to look better, and cooler than I as she turned her head towards me. Strands of her long hair freeing from the braid as she wiped her mouth.

  “What are we waiting on?” I asked as cars drove around to get to the drive-thru. It was starting to turn into the evening as I watched car after car pull up or pull out. Honking our way with dread heads sticking out with a smile full of gold.

  “Indigo lives around here somewhere. She don’t want nobody to know where she stays so she said to meet her at the McDonalds,” she shrugged, swiping her tongue on the bleach white ice cream.