WESLEY
Keysha got me kicked out of the hospital after the fight she’d had with Lori. The nurse reported the incident and within an hour my doctor came by and gave me a quick examination, wrote a prescription and told me to follow up with an orthopedic doctor and dismissed me from the hospital. My dad, who wanted to know why Keysha was there and why she was so upset when he saw her getting on the elevator, grilled me once we got back to Grandmother Lorraine’s house.
“Did something happen with that young lady that I should know about?” he asked.
“Dad, it’s okay. I took care of it,” I said, not wanting to give up any details about the fight. I sat down at the round walnut table in the kitchen.
“Took care of what, Wesley?” he asked, pressing the issue.
“Keysha just showed up unexpectedly, that’s all.” I tried to downplay her visit, but he wasn’t buying it.
“Did you send for her, Wesley?” Dad asked, trying to get to the truth.
“No, I had no idea she was coming. I was happy to see her, but she got the impression that Lori and I were dating. She got a little upset over nothing,” I explained. It was enough to give my dad a sense of what had gone down.
“Well, are you and Lori dating?” he asked.
“No,” I answered. “She’s just a friend.”
“Okay.” He seemed to accept my answers to his questions. “So where is Keysha now?”
“I don’t know. I’ve called her a number of times, but she refuses to answer my calls,” I said as I stood up and walked over to the cupboard. I opened it up and removed a box of microwave popcorn. I removed the plastic wrapping and placed the bag in the microwave. I set the timer for five minutes and then turned back toward my dad. I rested my behind against the countertop and tried to figure out a way to get in contact with Keysha.
“The police picked up that Percy kid,” Dad said, changing the subject.
“Oh, yeah?” I responded, wanting to know more.
“Yup. They picked him up and formally charged him, but the police didn’t find the gun he shot you with. The state prosecutor, a woman named…” My dad paused and pulled out his wallet. He removed a business card and read the name on it. “Amber Mullins says that they still have a good case, though, because Lori is testifying as an eye witness.”
“Well, I’m glad Lori finally came around and agreed to help.” I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, if she didn’t come around on her own, I was certainly going to have a talk with her myself. Anyway, Attorney Mullins wants the judge to deny Percy bail because she feels he is a danger to himself and society. He goes before the judge in the morning. Hopefully, he’ll be denied bail. However, if by chance he isn’t, and he’s able to make the bail payment, you and I are going to head down to the police station and file a restraining order against him.”
“They should throw him under the jailhouse as far as I’m concerned,” I said just as the kernels in the bag began popping. I removed the popcorn and skillfully opened the steaming bag before sitting back down at the table with my dad.
“You want some?” I offered.
“No, I’m not hungry.”
“What’s up with the rumor I heard about you and me staying in Indianapolis for good?” I wanted to know if Dad had a sudden change of plans without notifying me.
“Your grandmother has mentioned it to me a few times. She wants me to sell our home and move down here with her.” He repositioned himself in his chair.
“You’re not seriously considering it, are you?” I asked.
“No. The last thing I want to do is move back into the house with my mother. I love her, but moving back here is not a realistic option.”
“Then I wonder why she told Keysha that—”
“Has your grandmother been going around spreading that lie?” Dad interrupted.
“Yeah, I think so.” I scooped a handful of popcorn out of the bag.
“Well, I’ll go talk to her and make myself very clear. How does your shoulder feel?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I’m okay, just a little achy right now.”
“Well, Grandmother should be back any minute with your prescription.”
“Good, because I can feel the pain medicine wearing off,” I said, being honest about the discomfort I was feeling.
“I’ll be sure to contact an orthopedist in the morning and schedule you an appointment,” Dad said as he glanced out of the window. “Looks like your grandmother has just returned.” He stood up to head toward the door.
“I’m going to go lie down for a little while.” I picked up my popcorn bag and headed toward the basement.
I sat on the edge of my bed and finished eating. As soon as I was done, I called Keysha, but her phone went directly to voice mail. “Dang, girl, are you going to at least give me a chance to explain myself?” I spoke to her voice mail. “Give me a call back. Please,” I requested before hanging up the phone.
I hated the way I felt. I felt as if I’d hurt her in such a way that she’d never want to speak to me again. Hurting Keysha was the furthest thing from my mind and I certainly wanted her to know and understand that. I let a few minutes go by and phoned her again, hoping that she’d pick up the phone. However, once more I was dumped into her voice mail where I left yet another message. Frustrated, I slipped off my shoes and rested on my back and glanced at the ceiling. I wondered why my life was in such a tailspin. Being shot was certainly no fun, and dealing with a girl as complex and unique as Lori was both challenging and exciting at the same time. Admittedly, I didn’t know exactly how I felt about Lori and that left me in a strange state of confusion. I wasn’t trying to be a player and see more than one girl at a time, but there was something about Lori that attracted me to her. I reached out and removed my iPod from the nightstand. Just as I was about to put the ear buds in my ears, I felt my cell phone vibrating.
“It’s about time,” I said aloud because I thought Keysha was finally returning my phone call. Without looking at the caller ID I picked up and answered.
“Hello.”
“Do you miss me yet?” It was Lori. I had to give it to her; the girl was persistent.
“Did you make it home okay?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m here. Just washing my hair after being attacked by that pit bull you call a girlfriend. I swear, Wesley, you sure know how to pick ’em.” Lori didn’t have very high regard for Keysha. She continued her criticism. “She is all wrong for you. In fact you guys don’t even look like a cute couple.”
“I could say the same thing about you and Percy. You hooked up with a guy who is a little on the crazy side.” I reminded her of her poor judgment call.
“Okay, point taken, but I honestly think that fate led us to each other,” she said.
“Fate. How do you figure?” I asked as I rested one hand behind my head and got more comfortable.
“The way you rescued me from Percy was the first sign that we belonged together. Then when you protected me from getting shot and killed was the second sign. Then when we kissed each other at the hospital. That kiss was so sweet I think destiny has brought us together. There is no denying it, Wesley. For some reason we’re drawn to each other the way stars are drawn to the moon. Don’t you agree?”
“I’m not too sure about all of that, Lori,” I said, not fully accepting her theory of fate.
“You may not want to believe it and that’s okay. But I do and I think that destiny will bring us together.”
“I think that’s kind of a long shot. You don’t even like me that much,” I reminded her.
“Well, my horoscope says that a new and very different love interest will enter my life and my relationship with this person will be both passionate and complicated.” Lori summarized the astrology message she believed to be true for her.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” she asked. “Well, here is more proof for you. According to your sign, you are torn between two lovers. However, your most recent love interest is more compatible and is perfect for you. You shouldn’t hesitate and you should let your feelings be known. Now I know this may all sound a little on the bizarre side, but a lot of astrological stuff is true. I even heard that Missy Elliott consults the stars all of the time, and you know how successful she is. I’m telling you, Wesley. This stuff is powerful. So tell the truth and shame the devil. Were you thinking about me before I called?”
“Umm…” I said, not sure how to respond.
“See there. You need to stop fighting your feelings for me. You need to dump Keysha and give our relationship a chance.” Lori was absolutely convinced that she and I belonged together and needed to hook up at all costs.
“Lori, just chill out for a minute, okay? You’re talking a mile a minute,” I complained. “There is so much going on. They’ve arrested Percy. We’ve got to testify in court and make sure that he’s put behind bars for what he’s done.”
“I know. I’ve heard. I think that by going through this trial together, we’ll become closer. Don’t you think?” Lori asked.
“It’s possible, but let’s take one step at a time. The main thing right now is making sure that fool gets locked up,” I said with a bit of anger in my voice.
“Okay. We’ll take it one step at a time.” Lori paused. “Do you want to come over and keep me company while I wash my hair?”
“No, my shoulder is still bothering me,” I said.
“Oh, that was so insensitive of me. I’m sorry. I should come over to see you.”
“No, don’t do that. I’m about to take a nap,” I said, preparing to end the call.
“You should let me take a nap with you,” she teased.
“I’ll talk to you later,” I said, not wanting to exchange flirtatious comments with her.
A few days later when I returned to school it seemed as if everyone who saw me wanted to kick my ass just on GP…General Principle. Dudes I didn’t even know glared at me, bumped into me and boldly called me a punk-ass snitch. The resentment and animosity toward me hung in the air like a cloud of black smoke from a burning inferno. For the first time in my life I actually feared for my own safety. I was defenseless and if some dude decided to swing a punch my way, I certainly had no way of properly defending myself. I tried to be as invisible as I possibly could, but no matter how hard I tried, I stood out because my arm was in a sling. I finally arrived at my locker and was having a difficult time opening it because I had to use my left hand. It took me a total of six tries before I got the lock opened. Then, suddenly some guy slammed the palm of his hand against the locker next to mine.
“You better watch your back!” said this dude, whom I didn’t even know. He was slightly taller than me, had dark brown skin and a tattoo of a teardrop beneath one of his eyes.
“Look, man, I don’t have a beef with you,” I said, trying to defuse any aggression this dude had toward me.
“Percy is my cousin and if he gets locked up over some bogus lie about him shooting you, I’m going to dig a grave for you.” Dude had a crazy, wild look in his eyes that made me believe every word he said. He slammed the palm of his hand against the locker once more and then walked away. I exhaled and tried to shake off the threat on my life. I reached for my English book and then closed my locker.
“These people are crazy, Wesley,” Lori said as she approached my locker. “Two girls told me that they plan on beating me down as soon as the dismissal bell rings.”
“Do you know them? Do you know their names?” I asked.
“Hell, no!” Lori was clearly upset.
“It’s probably about Percy,” I said.
“Duh! I know that much. I’m going to call my mom and tell her about this,” Lori said. She glanced down the hallway in search of the two girls who were after her earlier. It was clear that she was a little paranoid.
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Maybe your grandmother can come pick you up.”
“She’s going to have to because I’m not about to get double-teamed by two girls. I didn’t even do or say anything to these chicks.” Lori and I stepped away from my locker.
“Don’t let them scare you. They want you to be afraid of them, but you shouldn’t be,” I said.
“Too late because I am afraid of them. I told you, I’m the type of girl who likes to be protected from this sort of thing. And you only having one good arm isn’t going to be enough.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said, feeling as if she’d just slapped me on the cheek.
“Don’t take it personal, babes. It’s not your fault. It is what it is. I’m just not going to get stomped over this mess with Percy.”
“I feel you on that note. I just received a threat from Percy’s cousin,” I said.
“Who?” Lori asked.
“I don’t know the guy’s name.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“What did he look like? Did he have a tattoo of a teardrop on his face?” she asked.
“Yeah, he did.”
Lori raised an eyebrow. “You know the teardrop means that he’s killed someone, right?”
“I know, but what I don’t understand is why he isn’t in jail for it, or at least in some type of reform school.”
“I’m not sure if he’s really killed anyone. And even if he did, who knows how everything went down? It may be a case where the police found a John Doe and haven’t been able to solve the murder case,” Lori explained.
“How do you know so much about that lifestyle?” I wanted to know if she was ever involved in some type of female gang.
“I know about it from a lot of places. The news, Percy, and even some of my own family members have gotten caught up in some mess. Anyway, the dude that threatened you is Percy’s cousin, Claude. Percy and I hung out with Claude and his girlfriend on occasion and all I have to say is Claude is crazy. I’d stay away from him if I were you. Claude’s a ticking time bomb.”
“Trust me. I want nothing to do with the guy,” I reiterated. “He seems like a really crazy dude.”
“Crazy may be an understatement. Percy’s dad is in jail and his mom is in rehab. Percy lives with his grandmother, who has one foot in her grave. Let’s not talk about them anymore. I just want to focus on getting home without getting beat down. Do you want to get a ride with me? I know my grandmother won’t mind.”
“Cool. Meet me at my locker when the last bell rings,” I said. Lori pulled me to the side and gave me a hug and planted a kiss on my cheek before turning down the hallway and heading to her class.