The Wild Child

by Nicole Jackson

  “Terio, you tripping,” I pouted. “I’m definitely not high, and how are gonna say that this man is a stranger? He’s my fucking friend,” I defended, while ole boy stood saying nothing.

  “Girl, who do you think you’re talking to? I been in the streets since I was thirteen. I know a high muthafucka when I see one. Tell me this man’s name and why your fucking pupils are dilated. And I’ll let yall go’on ‘bout your business, right now.”

  Ole boy shook his head. “Terio, my nigga, you got it.” And then his bitch ass walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

  “Really?” I stood with my mouth agape, in shock. “Did that nigga just really leave me standing here?”

  “Hell, yeah. He knew what was coming next. If he would’ve stepped out of this club with you, he was gonna get the life stomped out of him. Chain snatched. All that good shit.”

  “Whatever,” I rolled my eyes. “Get you some business, okay,” I offered, before sauntering off.

  Feeling a sudden urge to piss, I headed to the bathroom. Judging by the way so many people stood near the entrance of the bathrooms I expected it to be packed. But to my surprise, I stepped in and there were only two chicks inside, washing their hands. So, I scurried directly to a stall. I was taking a piss in squatting position, because I refused to let my ass touch the toilet seat. I heard the girls who were washing their hands leave out, but I could also hear that other girls had entered.

  I was about to leave the stall, when I heard a familiar voice.

  “Bitch, I think she left with that nigga. I kept telling people that she was a low-key hoe.”

  Peeping through the crack in the stall, my suspicions were confirmed. That was Roxy. I could clearly see her reflection in the mirror. There was somebody standing not too far from her, but I couldn’t see her face from the position I was in. I could’ve walked out to be nosy, but something in the pit of my stomach told me to stay in the stall and see who she was talking about.

  “Bitch, I had my phone out on that ass too,” the girl with Roxy cackled. “I got her on camera letting that nigga stick his hand in her shirt.”

  Right then, my heart plummeted down to my stomach. They were talking about me?

  “Yeah, send that to me,” Roxy urged. “I’m sending that shit to my girl. She’ll definitely break me off with a little piece of change for the scoop. Theshaderoom, here Jhyrah comes,” she giggled.

  “Again,” her friend co-signed, laughing with her.

  “Aye, that bitch is probably out there getting her knees dirty. I heard that she can suck a mean dick,” Roxy carried on. “And if she aint, I’ll just go kick it in the section with her and slide her a little pick-me-up.”

  Her friend snickered. “No, you mean a lay-me-down. With ya old Bill Cosby looking ass. Drop a Quaalude for a little fun, looking ass.”

  “I know, right,” Roxy tittered. “But in that hoe’s case it was Rohypnol. And if her bitch ass cousin hadn’t shown up, I was gonna get paid. Latrell was willing to pay two racks to smash her loose ass.”

  My heart rate sped up.

  Roxy’s friend laughed hysterically. “Bitch, I still say that you’re the real MVP. The way you was able to finesse that situation and have everybody believe that your drink was spiked too. You deserve a fucking Oscar.”

  “Bitch, you know me. I can sell snow to a Eskimo,” Roxy bragged.

  “Well, I can’t lie. You did that. And then you killed two birds with one stone. You exposed her for the hoe that she is and helped Jeremy to see that he needed to be fucking with a real bitch.”

  I didn’t need to hear another word, as I snatched the stall’s door open. Of course, Roxy looked like she’d seen a ghost, while Jeremy’s tack-head looked ready for war.

  “Aint that something. This bitch was in here the entire time,” Jeremy’s thot smirked.

  I was feeling so jumpy that I thought about attacking both bitches right then and there, but it was one of me and two of them.

  Roxy pulled her friend’s hand. “Come on, Vita, let’s go.”

  My eyes brightened when I realized that this was the name she’d been slinging around for a minute, dating all the way back to before she implied that she knew something about Jeremy. And now it was becoming clear. That bitch hadn’t been bluffing. My nigga had just been lying. Figuring this shit out gave me a completely different outlook. Jeremy had been the real demise of our relationship. Playing on the sidelines had brought these hateful bitches my way. None of this probably wouldn’t have happened had he not been entertaining the next bitch, and she didn’t later vie for my position.

  “Go for what?!” Vita snatched her hand out of Roxy’s grasp. “I promised that it was on sight, and I meant that.”

  “No!” Roxy wrapped her arms around her, as Vita tried to lunge at me. “If you fight her…this shit will never be over. I’ve met her people. They’ll come see you, and Jeremy won’t be able to stop it. Trust me. You can’t do this. And then her cousin nem are running this club. We’ll never make it out the door. Let’s just go!”

  “Yeah, you better listen to her,” I growled. The cocaine had my mind at work. Yeah, I could’ve popped those hoes in their mouths, but this was deeper than a little cat fight. These hoes had callously tried to destroy me. A little dragging wouldn’t suffice. Nah, those bitches had to pay. In blood.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Roxy urged, as she pushed Vita’s clearance rack weave wearing ass out the door.

  I stood there for a few seconds, trying to gather my thoughts. That’s when it dawned on me. I could have Terio stop those bitches from leaving, until I could get my daddy on the scene to handle this. So, waltzed out of the bathroom, and stumbled across pure chaos. Several fights had broken out and the club was in pandemonium. Unquestionably, that was my cue to abort mission and haul ass.

  I wasted no time jogging towards the exit. I don’t know what the hell I’d been thinking when I’d decided to club in the hood. I figured that I would be safe, because my people were running shit, but not even they could control a gang of ignorant people when they were riled up. In the hood, seeing a fight was the first sign that it was time to go. Nine times out of ten, gunfire would soon follow, and bullets didn’t have names on them.

  People were pushing and shoving, all trying to exit the club at once. Thinking quickly, I noticed a side exit, and eased right out the door. I was tripping over myself trying to get to my car, when shots exploded into the night’s air.

  BLOW! BLOW! BLOW!

  “Shit, shit, shit,” I hissed, as I skipped to my Beamer. Thankfully, I was able to park in the front, since the club didn’t have valet.

  Not wanting to get caught in bumper to bumper traffic, I skirted out of the lot while people were still trying to get to their cars. Pulling out onto the street, I remembered that I needed to call my daddy. So, I reached my clutch, which held my phone. Accidentally, I knocked the clutch onto the floor. Kneeling over, I stretched my arm out, attempting to grab my clutch.

  BUUUUMMMPPP!

  My head popped up, only to realize that some lame ass niggas had pulled up beside me and were trying to get me to roll down my window. Shaking my head, I gave them the finger, before focusing on the road again. That’s when I noticed that I was speedily approaching a non-moving car. I stamped on the brakes, and my Beamer slid sideways, slamming into the car, anyway. It all happened too fast to react and somehow my head slammed into the steering wheel, before I was immersed into darkness.

  Chapter 32

  Jhyrah

  Lying in the hospital bed, I gazed up at the ceiling. For about an hour, I’d been trying to drown out my mama’s sniveling, but it was impossible. I’d fucked up majorly, and it was only by the grace of God that I wasn’t handcuffed to this bed.

  Two nights prior, I hit a stalled vehicle. Miraculously, the owner of the car wasn’t injured, because she’d walked off to find help, since her car had broken down in the middle of the street. Fate was clearly on my side, as the commanding officer on the scene
knew me. Years back, him and my daddy had some business dealings, and because of history I was never checked for alcohol or drugs. Yes, I was held liable for the wreck, but my insurance would handle all of that. With a concussion, I was taken to the hospital. The officer had dropped me off personally, ensuring that my hospital stay wouldn’t be linked to the wreck. However, the officer did tell my daddy about my dilated pupils and how I reeked of alcohol.

  Needless to say, my parents rushed to the hospital, where I was being treated for minor injuries. All hell broke loose when my parents were informed of the cocaine found in my system, and for hours after, I Googled about hospital lawsuits. It had to be illegal to divulge that kind of information, without my consent. Fucking snitching ass doctor. I had half the mind to remind him that snitches got stitches, but my mama was always there in the room, whenever he’d make his rounds.

  Anyway, now, the dust was settling, and I was anticipating them discharging me at any moment. I was dreading the hell out of that, because I’d have to really deal with my parents. I figured that my daddy was gonna be on some crazy shit, like locking me in the house like I was still a damn baby. Who knows? And I wasn’t trying to find out.

  Turning my head, I sighed. “Mama, can you please stop crying?”

  She shook her head.

  “Well, why not?”

  “Because I’m trying to figure out where did I go wrong. I thought that I was raising yall right, but you out here tooting powder and shit. I mean, what did I miss?”

  “Mama,” I groaned. “You didn’t miss anything. I swear that you’re the best mama in the world. I’m thankful for you. This had nothing to do with you. I promise.”

  “But it does,” she insisted, as she finally stopped all the sniveling. “I should’ve been more open with you and talked about my old coping mechanisms.”

  I sat up. “Mama, what do you mean?”

  “I dibbled and dabbed in cocaine and pills,” she confessed. “I can’t say that I was addicted to the drugs. But I got used to using whenever I had problems. It took me to realize that not knowing how to deal with my problems was a problem. Getting high to deal with shit usually only exasperates the situation. Shit can get out of control without the people around you even realizing it, until something big happens to expose you. And that’s usually God’s way of intervening before you lose yourself.”

  I closed my eyes, while listening intently.

  “Baby, what pushed you to do these things you’re doing? Or is there no real reason to it, and you just like the feeling?” she enquired.

  I kept my eyes closed. “At first I tried it strictly for the feeling. But then I was asked to stop, so I did. I picked it back up once stuff got too heavy for me. Social media. Jeremy. It was all too much.”

  “Okay, I can somewhat understand the Jeremy part. He’s your first love. He broke your heart. I get it. But social media, Jhyrah? That shit should never be a factor in your life. If its wearing you down, then do away with the shit. You aint those other girls. You don’t need that platform to be somebody. You’re a fucking Braxton. Your daddy hustled hard so you’d never know the meaning of struggle. So, if that shit is detrimental to your mental, then deactivate and re-center. And stop acting like you aint a damn trust fund baby. You can spend a bag, on or off social media.”

  I smiled for the first time in days. “I got you, mama.”

  Just then, the room’s door swung open, and my daddy stepped in. “Did you tell her yet?” he asked immediately.

  “Tell me what?” I wanted to know.

  My mama rolled her eyes, before diverting her gaze to the wall.

  “Well, I guess, she didn’t,” my daddy huffed, as he sat next to my mama. “When you leave here, you’re going to rehab for 90 days.”

  “What?” my heart skipped a beat.

  “You heard me. This shit aint up for debate. You need to sit your ass down somewhere. This will be good for you. I found a real nice place that will also facilitate some group counseling sessions for us.”

  “So, I don’t have a say in this,” my voice cracked. I wanted to breakdown. Going to rehab for that long sounded like a jail sentence.

  “Nah, you don’t.”

  “But mama,” I whined, glancing at her with tears in my eyes.

  She cut her eyes at my daddy, and he gave her a stern look. She then rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, as tears slipped out. “It’s only for three months, Jhyrah.”

  Hearing that, I broke down. I watched my daddy dab his eye and avoid looking at me. I knew that having to go through this with me wasn’t the easiest for him. Forever, he had been my superman, and would always swoop in to save the day. He was a fixer. And I guess now, he had to fix this situation, even as I was crying my eyes out about it. He was sticking to his guns, even though my tears were his kryptonite.

  It took me a while, but I eventually simmered down. I was drifting off to sleep, when the messy white doctor entered the room.

  “Ms. Braxton, we’re about to get those discharge papers filled out in just a second,” he announced, staring down at a clipboard. “I just have a few things I want to discuss with you, before you go.”

  My stomach did flips. “Okay.”

  His eyes wandered from me to my parents. “Okay, this is technically confidential, so do you want mom and dad to step outside, or can they stay?”

  I glanced at my parents and they both gave me looks, letting me know that I’d better not dream of making them leave the room. I sighed. “It’s fine. They can stay.”

  “Okay,” the overly cheerfully doctor started. “I don’t know if this is good or bad news to you—"

  Jeremy

  “So, you wasn’t gonna bother telling me?” I asked as I approached my mama in her kitchen. As usual, she was having a cocktail in the middle of the day.

  She locked eyes with me, while her lips still kissed the glass. “Bother telling you what?”

  “That Jhyrah is in rehab.”

  “Nope,” she popped her lips.

  “No?” I repeated in confusion.

  “You heard me right the first time.”

  “Okay, why not?”

  She sassily blinked her eyes. “Because it aint your business.”

  “Mama, come on. Be for real.”

  She pursed her lips. “Oh, I am being for real. You told me to stay out of your business. You was done with her. Don’t mention her name, yada, yada.”

  I exhaled. “You know that I said most of that out of anger.”

  “Umm, okay,” she poked out her bottom lip. “So, were you still made when you started fucking her again?”

  I scratched the side of my head. “Maybe.”

  “But you fucked with her anyway, right?”

  “I did.”

  “So, playing games and not telling her about your little hood rat was some form of punishment, right?”

  “Hood rat? Really, mama? What did that girl ever do to you?”

  “I’ve heard some stories, but I’ve learned to let live and learn. You gotta see shit for yourself. Me saying something won’t change anything. And it probably shouldn’t because I’m biased.”

  “That you are.”

  “Um hmm, that’s why you need to know that bringing her to my house wouldn’t be wise.”

  I sucked my teeth. “Aint nobody bringing that girl through here, and it aint because of you. You’re lightweight compared to your daughter. Jermany posts pictures of me and Jhyrah every Thursday. Then when she calls to facetime me, she talks about Jhyrah when she knows that Vita is sitting right there. One day we were riding in the car, and I told Jermany that she was on Bluetooth. She still decided to ask me if I thought that Vita steals.”

  My mama pettily cringed. “Ewe, you sure do spend a awful amount of time with her.”

  I chuckled. “Not really, lady. I might see that girl once or twice a week.”

  “You better strap up,” my pops advised, coming out of nowhere.

  I shook my head, knowing at this point
that statement meant that he wasn’t too fond of the idea of Vita, either. It was funny how he’d never told me that when it was regarding Jhyrah.

  Nixing their pettiness off, I re-focused on the matter at hand. “So, you’re not gonna share the details of Jhyrah’s situation, mama?”

  “No,” she insisted. “I’m trying to figure out what is it to you.”

  “I can’t be concerned about her wellbeing?”

  “I don’t know. Can you?”

  I sucked my teeth. “Can she have visitors?”

  “Yeah, but not you.”

  I frowned. “Not me? How is that so?”

  She cut her eyes at me. “You don’t think that you contributed to Jhyrah’s behavior?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” she arched a brow.

  “Okay,” I breathed. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure that whatever happened between me and her contributed to the situation. I was mad at her, and maybe I didn’t handle a lot of things right.”

  “No, let’s call this shit what it is. You were being an emotional bully.”

  “If that’s what you wanna call it.”

  “No, that’s what it is. And we’ve all decided that she needs to go through this process without you. Yall have been on some co-dependent shit, and she needs to learn how to deal whether yall are together or not.”

  My scowl deepened. I didn’t like the sound of this shit. “I mean, is that what she wants? Maybe she wants to see me.”

  “It don’t matter what she wants,” my pops interrupted, as he sat at the kitchen’s island. “She’s overruled. Both of yall are. You need to chill out and get your head straight. Stop chasing after her, if you aint got no intentions of doing right by her. It’s time for you to man up, cause you got some grown man shit coming your way—”

  “Jay,” my mama hissed, hushing him. “We’ll let her address that when she’s ready, right?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. It’s however yall wanna do the shit. It don’t make sense to me, but whatever.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What are yall talking about?”