The Wild Child

by Nicole Jackson

  “Man, come the fuck on,” Jeremy snapped, as his brother hugged me tightly.

  Jared chuckled. “Jerrod, you aint learned yet. You know how that man is, but you do the same shit. I aint breaking up no fights today.”

  Jerrod released me and chuckled. “Aint nobody worried about that nigga.”

  “You better be, nigga,” Jeremy fumed, as we headed towards the building.

  My brother would’ve noticed this exchange if he wasn’t already preoccupied with some groupies, who’d spotted him in the lot. They were now traveling with us, all trying to flirt. By the time we reached the entrance of the cafeteria we had a whole entourage with us. Several bopping girls and dick riding niggas had joined the crowd, as everyone loudly chattered.

  A few girls were in Jeremy’s face, while I could feel him glaring at me. I thought about asking him what the hell he was looking at, when she approached him.

  Yep, Jeremy had a girlfriend and her name was Lexi. In typical suburban black boy fashion, Jeremy had grabbed himself a mixed girl; half black and Hispanic. Of course, she was light skinned and had curly hair. She was cute to me, but nothing extraordinary. She was slim with miner curves, but had the right complexion for the connection and talked like a white girl from the Valley.

  “Jeremy!” she exclaimed excitedly, while running up and wrapping her arms around his neck.

  Looking up, he locked eyes with me, as he pressed her up against the lockers in the hallway.

  I gritted my teeth, thinking of ways to make him pay.

  Chapter 5

  Jeremy

  “Babe, I missed you,” Lexi cooed, while her arms were wrapped around my neck.

  I gazed down at her. “Is that right?”

  She nodded. “Like, I was really about to lose it back in Cali. I hate my mom for sending me there. If my dad wanted to see us, he should’ve stayed in Texas. You know?”

  I nodded.

  “But anyway. I’m so glad to be back in school. I was counting down the days, because I was ready to get back to you. Are you coming over tonight? My mom will be at work by the time we get out of school,” she rambled, in true Lexi fashion. She was blabber mouth, for sure.

  “I don’t know,” I answered, as I cut my eyes at Jhyrah. She was still standing a few feet away, watching us. Her expression was blank, but I could see it in her eyes. She was heated.

  It had been two weeks since I’d popped her cherry, and I hadn’t seen her since. Had I thought about calling her? Hell, yeah, but I’d fought to stay away. Jhyrah was beautiful, if I was being honest with myself. Even when I didn’t lay eyes on her, I could always feel her when she was present. The shit was weird, but I could handle it. My problem with her was the fact that we were practically family. No, I didn’t feel like we were committing incest or anything. She was just too close to proximity of me. Our parents were super close, and we lived right down the street from each other, in the same gated community. In a situation like that, dating Jhyrah would probably feel like prison. She’d be everywhere I turn and then I’d have to deal with her overprotective daddy and brothers. They’d probably tackle me down for simply kissing her and would kill me if they’d known that I’d taken her virginity, before she’d technically made it to high school. It was all too much, when I could just deal with any other girl, without all the scrutiny and drama attached.

  I’d told myself over and over that Jhyrah was more trouble than I needed or could afford, but that was while I hadn’t been physically around her. Now, we were at school together and her brother was my boy, which meant that she’d never be too far behind. I was hoping that I could switch whatever she had brewing in the pit of my stomach off, but it hadn’t happened. Just this morning I’d jacked off, thinking about her. This shit was frustrating to say the least, because Jhyrah was everything my pops had talked about…when dealing with my mama. My pops would move a mountain for that lady and I always said that I wanted the opposite. My chick was supposed to be running around here chasing me, dreaming about me. Not the other way around. The other way around would have a nigga going through sleepless nights and sitting outside of a broad’s house. I know this for a fact, because pops was batshit crazy over my mama. That wasn’t want I wanted for myself…but I was beginning to believe that Jhyrah had seeped into my blood stream. Like when people shoot up dope and shit. I’d gotten a hit and my body was craving more, even as my brain told me to stay away.

  “Babe, did you hear me?” Lexi questioned, breaking into my thoughts.

  “Huh?”

  “I asked if you were gonna walk me to class.”

  “Nah, not today. I gotta do something before I go to class myself,” I claimed. Hell, she was getting beside herself. We’d been dating since last year and I never walked her to class. That wasn’t my style and she knew that. However, it wouldn’t be Lexi if she didn’t push.

  Honestly, I don’t recall ever asking Lexi to be my girl. We would just kick it at school and go to her house and fuck after. Her mama was a nurse and worked second shift, so we could always do whatever at her crib. We’d hooked up from the beginning because Jerrod was with her sister Emily. All four of us kicking it somehow turned into me having a girlfriend. I’d been alright with it because Lexi was cool. She wasn’t super crazy and was a real freak on the low. She was two years older and was a dick-sucking champ and could swallow like a porn star. So, I kept her around. For some reason, my mama didn’t really like her, and my pops would always remind to strap up with her. He said that he didn’t care if I went down to the doctor with her and saw her get the birth control shot. No matter what, I shouldn’t fuck her raw. The way he kept stressing that, I knew that it was something that didn’t sit right with him, either, but he chose to go about it a different way. He told me that it wasn’t up to him to figure out my taste. He was just all about making sure that I didn’t do anything stupid, while figuring myself out.

  “Jeremy, what has your attention now?” Lexi pried, as she sweetly stroked my chin, before trying to kiss me.

  I leaned my head back, hating public displays of affection. “What you mean?” I furrowed my brows, while glancing to my left.

  Tilting my chin, she had me face her. “I’m right here, yet you’ve been looking over there every few seconds.”

  Without thinking, I glanced to the left again, and realized they Jhyrah was giddily hugging her little friend, as they disappeared into the crowded cafeteria.

  “Jeremy!” Lexi shouted, shoving me back. “I can’t with you, right now!” she seethed, before stomping off.

  Chuckling to myself, I tugged at my sagging jeans. Thinking about it, I decided to make the shit right. “Lexi, man, come here. You know that I was just fucking with you.”

  ***

  “Let me tell you. I am super excited about prom. I know that the year just started, but I can see it now. Me and Jeremy will definitely be prom king and queen,” Lexi predicted.

  It was lunch time and we were sitting in the cafeteria. Everybody was catching up since several people hadn’t seen each other over the summer vacation. I played football while Lexi was a cheerleader, so we had the same circle of friends for the most part. Our friends…or should I say associates, were of mixed races. There were a few white kids that I deemed cool, one Asian cat, and a couple of Mexicans. We’d kick it at school here and there, but I didn’t really fuck with any of them outside of that, besides two white boys. Jake and Liam threw the best parties around, and really knew how to have fun. Therefore, me, Jah, and my brothers would often chill with them.

  “Lexi, are you cool with Jahrein’s little sister?” Liam’s girlfriend, Amy, questioned. She was a skinny blue-eyed blonde.

  Lexi hesitated. “Umm, we’ve met…but I wouldn’t say that we’re cool. Why?”

  “I was asking, because Ms. Chance said that she was going to be on the cheering squad. She’s supposed to be some kind of phenom. They’re saying that she’ll probably be captain or co-captain even as a freshman.”

  “Captain?
Oh, I doubt that.” Lexi rolled her eyes.

  Amy shrugged. “I’m just telling you what Ms. Chance said.”

  Lexi narrowed her eyes. “Why’d you ask me that, anyway?”

  “It crossed my mind, when I saw her walk past, just now. No biggie.”

  Everyone turned around and spotted Jhyrah standing in the lunch line with her friend, Nancy.

  “Damn,” Tay, a fellow black football player, stressed. “Jah’s sister has a fat ass.”

  I shook my head. “You wouldn’t be saying that if that man was sitting here.”

  Tay’s lame ass glanced around. “Well, I don’t see him anywhere. Do you?”

  “Nope,” Lexi co-signed.

  I glared at her.

  “What?” she shrugged.

  “Yeah, matter of fact, I’m about to scoop her up. She’s fresh meat around here, and I call first dibs,” Tay grumbled, as he stood up, before strolling over to Jhyrah.

  Instead of her acting bougie and unapproachable, Jhyrah stood there laughing at whatever line he came at her with. Tay was coming on strong, touching the small of her back and shit. After he began whispering in her ear, I couldn’t watch anymore. Without thinking, I hopped up and marched over to them.

  “Let me talk to you for a minute,” I addressed Jhyrah, while standing shoulder to shoulder with Tay’s bitch ass.

  She frowned, as she gazed up at me. “What’s up?”

  I shook my head. “We need to talk in private.”

  “Well, that’ll have to wait. I’m hungry as hell.” She held her stomach.

  “Nancy can grab your food for you. Right, Nancy?”

  Nancy nodded. “Yeah, I know what you like, Jhyrah.”

  “Okay, but I was chopping it up with her,” Tay cut in. “You stepped up like you didn’t see me standing here.”

  “Nigga, I saw you. I just didn’t give a fuck. Whatever you got to say don’t fucking matter to me,” I spat.

  Tay gulped. “I’m saying, though. I was talking---”

  “I don’t give a fuck,” I cut him off, putting my hand in his face. “Go sit your bitch ass down somewhere.”

  Tay had fire in his eyes, but that didn’t move me. He knew me. I didn’t mind knocking a nigga off their feet, and then I had a whole army behind me, ready to go whenever I say the word.

  “Jeremy.” Jhyrah grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s go talk.”

  Locking eyes with Tay, I allowed her to guide me out to the nearest hallway. Once we were alone, she released my hand.

  “Jeremy, what is all this about?” she folded her arms over her breasts.

  “This is about you entertaining these lames. It’s the first day of school. You gotta learn that you can’t keke with every dude that crosses your path. You don’t wanna send out the wrong message.”

  She frowned. “And what message is that?”

  I licked my lips as I glowered down at her. “You know, man.”

  “Nah, I don’t,” she pursed her lips. “You tell me.”

  “Niggas will think that you go,” I snapped.

  “And what’s wrong with me going?”

  “What?” I snarled. “Do you hear yourself?”

  “Yeah,” she sassed. “I know exactly what I’m saying. This is a new school and people want to get acquainted…and flirt. I’m cool with that. I’m free to mingle. There’s no handcuffs on me.”

  “Nah,” I shook my head. “It aint gonna be none of that. And that’s on everything I love. I don’t care if I gotta tell your daddy myself. I’ll do that shit.”

  “But why?” she opened her arms and bucked her eyes.

  “You know why!” I roared.

  “No, what I know is that you’re into playing games. If you wanna move like certain shit didn’t happen, then fine. I’m cool with that, but that means that you can’t say shit as I do my thing. Nigga, you aint finna run off any boy who approaches me, while you wander around here with that ditzy ass girl on your arm. That’s what we’re not about to do.”

  “What?” I grimaced. “This aint got nothing to do---”

  She placed a hand up. “Save that damn lie. Don’t fix your mouth to tell me what this aint. You can’t run me down about who I got in my face, and then try to play off why you’re doing it. This aint got nothing to do with your relationship with Little Jah or anything else. This is about us. And I guess that somewhere your dumb ass got confused, but let me remind you of who you’re dealing with. Nigga, I am Jhyrah Braxton. The one and only, and I am second to nobody. So, get rid of that rag doll you call a girlfriend and then come talk to me.”

  ***

  The last half of school breezed by as I was preoccupied with my thoughts. I was attempting to come to terms with what I felt. In every class I’d attended lame niggas were buzzing about Jah’s little sister. I mean, they were acting like she was some type of celebrity as everyone swore that she’d be theirs. As a junior I was an upperclassman, and most freshmen just weren’t on our radar, but of course, those rules simply didn’t apply to Jhyrah. So, I asked myself if I could get through the school year, watching her juggle prospects.

  After the last bell sounded for the day, I stepped out into the crowded hallway. With my head down, I really wasn’t paying attention to much, until I felt someone tug at my shirt.

  “Babe,” Lexi called out to me.

  I gazed down at her. “What’s up?”

  “You never answered me question earlier. Are you coming over today?”

  I tucked my lips into my mouth. Before I could respond, I felt someone slightly bump me. Snapping my head up, I realized that it was Chaz. He played basketball with Little Jah and had just as many bitches. Naturally, he was tall, dark, and slim. The girls loved the nigga, but usually he kept a snow bunny on his arm. However, there was something different in the air today. Apparently, Jhyrah had him reexamining his taste, as he had an around hanging around her neck.

  Watching them from the back somehow infuriated me. Jhyrah’s long hair swung across her back, while her wide hips swayed right to left in her skin-tight jeans. Chaz’s hand rested at the small of her back, while she seemingly leaned her body into his. That alone had my mind racing. Chaz played ball with Jah and maybe he’d come over to Jah’s crib a few times and had gotten cozy with Jhyrah on the low. Maybe she’d given him some, right after I’d broken her in. Shit, I didn’t know.

  I guess Jhyrah wanted to really play with me, as she and her buddy Chaz posted up against some lockers that were just a few feet away from me and Lexi. We’d come to a halt, as all the other students traveled around us.

  “Jeremy, why does your mind seem to take flight every time you see her?” Lexi quizzed. “It’s like you’re not listening to anything I say.”

  I refocused on her face. She was a cute sweet girl, which made me feel guilty. I licked my lips, as I grabbed her hand. “Look, come’ere.” I guided her to the lockers, which were directly across from the ones Jhyrah and Chaz leaned against.

  Lexi naïvely, smiled taking my gestures as signs of affection. Forgiving everything else, now that I was giving her the time she’d been begging for. “What’s up, babe?”

  I tucked my lips into my mouth. “We gotta cool off.”

  I noticed Jhyrah’s head snap up, as the hallway cleared out, magnifying my words.

  Lexi’s little cute face scrunched up. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m saying. We need to chill. This relationship thing is not what I’m on, right now.” My eyes trailed over to Jhyrah as she openly stared at me. Chaz was speaking into her ear, as she locked eyes with me.

  “So, you’re breaking up with me?” Lexi questioned, appearing to have an anxiety attack.

  Jhyrah gave me a slight nod.

  “Yeah,” I sighed, while keeping my eyes trained on Jhyrah. “We gotta pause this, man. You a good girl. I aint tryna hurt you.”

  “But why, Jeremy?” Lexi asked, before pausing. She whipped her head around. “Oh, I see what this is. Don’t worry. I won’t stand in your w
ay. I hope she’s worth it,” she fumed, before storming off.

  I shook my head, as I watched Jhyrah whisper into Chaz’s ear. I don’t know what she said, before he immediately stomped off, looking like he could spit nails. Jhyrah then leaned her shoulder against the locker, while placing a hand on her hip.

  Stroking my waves, I made my way over to her. She gazed up at me. “So, what’s up?” I enquired.

  She shrugged. “You tell me.”

  “I’m saying. I did what you told me to do. You happy now?”

  She smirked. “What you think?”

  Chapter 6

  Jhyrah

  “I can’t believe that he’s coming to see me,” Kia squealed, as we stood in the middle of her living room, doing everything but practicing cheer routines.

  I offered a fake smile, pretending to be excited with her. She was acting like Jared was the best thing since sliced bread. Every and anybody knew that he was a male whore. Every pretty girl around got some action. He didn’t discriminate, and it was now simply her turn. Ordinarily, I’d put her up on game, but I couldn’t have my blunt honesty interfering with destiny.

  Kia was a friend of mine. I wouldn’t classify her as my best friend, but we were pretty cool. Her daddy was a d-boy who was currently in the FEDS. Her mama was beautician and was never at home. Therefore, hanging out at her house was ideal for me. My parents weren’t the strictest, but my daddy watched me like a hawk. Fortunately for me, my parents didn’t know that Kia’s mama would leave shortly after we’d arrive. Kia’s brother and sister were younger, so she couldn’t leave until Kia showed her face. Luckily, Kia’s mama never revealed the fact that she wouldn’t be home the entire time, whenever one of my parents would confirm my visits.