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Alex woke up feeling uneasy. She was also cold. Sometime during the restless night, she’d kicked off her comforter. Alex rolled over and punched her pillow. Pieces of a weird dream kept swirling around in her head. She pulled the comforter up and dove under, hoping to shake the images of Paul cheating on her, but she couldn’t. They’d been on edge with each other for weeks, ever since he’d hung up on her.
She’d never be able to go back to sleep, Alex realized, and quietly got up, careful not to disturb Emily, who was still suffering the aftereffects of the abundance of junk food from the other night.
When the telephone rang, she scrambled to answer.
She smiled, recognizing her friend Victoria’s voice, but the smile soon froze as she listened to the information spilling from Victoria’s mouth.
“Vicki, are you sure? I can’t believe this. He’s really cheating?”
“Girl, I wouldn’t lie to you. I saw him. I even approached him.”
“Well, what the hell did he say?”
“That she was just a friend, and it shouldn’t matter who he’s out with, because you’re up there with a bunch of college guys, and it’s not like you’re thinking about him.”
“The bastard, he said that?” Alex hissed into the phone. “He’s mad at me because I’m in college. It’s not my fault that he didn’t graduate on time.”
“I haven’t told you the worst part.”
“Huh?”
“The girl that he was with...it was Sherry Armstrong.”
“What? The girl that slept with half our graduating class? No way. He said he would never date someone like her.”
Alex had always known that Sherry had the hots for Paul, but she never dreamed Paul would go for it. They’d been together for three years, for God’s sake, and he’d throw it all away for some cheap thrill.
“Yep, and believe me that girl was looking all stank. She had on this skintight hooker looking outfit too. I’m surprised she could breathe.”
“You know what,” Alex said, seeing Emily stir, “I gotta go.”
“Okay, give me a call if you want to talk, girl.”
“Yeah. Thanks for looking out for me.” She stood by the phone for a minute and felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m not gonna cry. I’m not gonna cry, he’s not worth it,” she murmured. After all of the arguments, all of his threats, he had actually cheated on her and with someone she despised.
Malajia walked in, catching Alex by surprise, and sprinted over to her dresser. “Hey girl, I need a jacket. It’s chilly out.” Malajia foraged around in her closet, and pulled out a red coat. “What’s with you? No ‘hello, how you doin’?” she jeered when Alex didn’t acknowledge her.
“Malajia, I’m not in the mood okay,” Alex responded, unenthusiastically.
Malajia frowned. “Well, Ms. Sunshine. What the hell got into you?”
Alex looked up and saw only the short, tight red-and-black dress paired with six inch high heels—an outfit Sherry would happily wear to advertise her wares. “I said that I’m not in the mood, okay!” she yelled.
“Why are you yelling at me? What did I do to you?!” Malajia shouted back.
Alex snapped, losing the last ounce of control she had. “I’m sick of cheating men, I’m sick of arguing, and I’m sick of women like you.”
Emily rolled over in the safety of her blankets and looked at them. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice still fuzzy with sleep.
Malajia ignored her and watched Alex angrily grab her robe and bathroom essentials.
“Wait a minute,” she ordered, blocking Alex’s way. “What the hell do you mean by women like me?”
Alex spun around, enraged. “I mean women who walk around in their skimpy little outfits, parading their tits and asses in guys’ faces, willing to do anything for a guy’s attention. Women who go out with a guy even if he already has a girlfriend. You just want the satisfaction of knowing that you can get any guy that you want. You just want to add another guy to your little list of conquests—that’s what I mean by women like you.”
Malajia stared at her, stunned at the venom pouring out of the girl who was usually the voice of reason. “Are you kidding me? You’re implying that I fit into the same category as a whore? Is that what you’re implying, Alex?” Malajia’s fists clenched around the jacket and she paused, looking Alex up and down. “Because if that’s what you’re implying, then you know where you can put that bullshit!”
Malajia stormed out and slammed the door. Alex stood there, shaking. She felt betrayed, sore deep down, and too angry to care if Malajia’s feelings were hurt.
Emily hid her face in her pillow. Until the dispute, she was actually feeling better, ready to join the land of the living.
––––––––
After she showered and dressed, Alex escaped outside. She wandered around, looking for someone with a cell she could borrow. She wasn’t going to let this go without giving Paul a piece of her mind, but this was one conversation she didn’t want Emily to hear. Alex had already embarrassed herself enough, losing control and lashing out at the first victim she saw.
She spied Chasity sitting on a bench outside the science building, and walked up to her. “Can I use your cell phone?”
Chasity looked up, irritated at the interruption, particularly when it was Alex. They were barely on speaking terms, and now she calmly asked for a favor? “Wow, no ‘hi’ or nothing?”
“Chasity, I’m not really in the mood for your smart comments right now,” Alex sneered. “Can I use your cell phone or not?”
“Is the phone in your room broken?” Chasity mocked.
“Forget it,” Alex hissed.
“What the hell is your problem?”
“I’m just going through some things right now and I need to make a private call,” Alex stated, frustrated.
“And you know all about privacy.” After subjecting Alex to a long, measured look, Chasity fished her cell out of her bag and handed it to her.
Alex hurried down the path and dialed Paul’s number. After five rings, she got switched to voice mail. “Paul, this is Alex. Victoria told me that she saw you the other day. We need to talk, and I mean now. So call me back.” Frustrated, she stomped back up the path, and shoved the phone at Chasity. “Don’t bother asking me, because I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“You better not have broken my damn phone, I know that much,” Chasity warned, dropping the cell back into her bag.
––––––––
“Yes, Mark, we have your list...I understand that your mom is going to kill you if you don’t pass this class...Okay...Stop yelling in my ear! I said we’d get them.” When Mark called, Sidra was waiting for Chasity. They were taking her car to Mega-Mart to pick up some food and supplies for a class project.
“Where is Chasity? She knew we were going to be out here.” Malajia craned her neck around, searching the parking lot. “Finally! It’s about damn time.”
“Don’t start with me,” Chasity shot back, fumbling with the keys.
Sidra noticed that one of her hands was tucked away in her jacket. “Why are you hiding your hand?” she asked, amused. “Don’t tell me your hands are cold already.”
Chasity let out a heavy sigh, and slowly, painstakingly, pulled her hand out of her jacket. The entire area from palm to four inches up her arm was wrapped in an Ace bandage, with a few pulls between the thumb and index finger to secure it in place with a small metal clip.
Sidra changed from amused to concerned. “What happened? Why is your hand all bandaged up?”
“I was in that stupid health and wellness class, and we had to lift fuckin’ weights. I picked up a barbell that was too heavy, and my wrist bent back.”
“Ouch,” Malajia commiserated, rubbing her own wrist.
“They said that I sprained it. But now I can’t drive.”
“I would offer to drive, except I left my license in my other purse,” Sidra apologized.
Malajia stomped her foot on the ground. “Chasity, you’re messing up our damn plans,” she joked.
Chasity shot her a confused frown. “How the hell is my hurt wrist messing up your plans?”
“We need you to drive, and you could have if you hadn’t tried to be all extra hype and prove how strong you’re not and ended up spraining your damn wrist.”
Sidra couldn’t make head nor tails of Malajia’s tortuous explanation, and neither could Chasity; her eyes had glazed over.
“Girl, I don’t know what that fool is talking about, so don’t even ask me,” Sidra said, picking up on Chasity’s confusion.
“She’s your damn friend,” Chasity pointed out.
“She’s yours too,” Sidra laughed.
“Fine, I’ll just drive,” Malajia offered, holding her hand out for the keys.
“That would be a fuckin’ no,” Chasity declared bluntly, earning a glare from Malajia.
Alex and Emily came up just in time to see Chasity move her hand out of Malajia’s reach. As soon as Malajia saw Alex, she froze. “I am not riding in the car with her.”
“What happened?” Sidra asked.
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Malajia said, turning away.
“Okay.” Sidra shrugged and turned her attention to Alex. “Alex, do you have your license on you?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Chasity hurt her wrist and can’t drive.” Sidra sent Chasity an apologetic look. “Is that okay with you?”
“Sure, whatever,” she said and tossed Alex the keys.
Without another word, Alex walked over to the driver’s side of the car, and slid behind the wheel.
As Malajia climbed into the back seat, Sidra nudged Emily. “What’s wrong with Alex?”
“She and Malajia got into it this morning, maybe that’s it. But something has definitely upset her. She didn’t say a word on the walk over here,” Emily whispered.
They’d almost reached the Mega-Mart when Chasity’s cell phone beeped.
“Yeah?” she answered, juggling the cell in her good hand.
“Hey, it’s Jason.”
She frowned. “Jason? How did you get my number?”
“Malajia gave it to me.”
“Oh she did, huh?” Chasity turned, glaring over her shoulder at Malajia. “Well, what do you want?”
“I just wanted to ask you to let Sidra know that she doesn’t have to pick up the supplies for Mark’s project. I’m already at Mega-Mart, so I’ll pick them up. Mark called me a few moments ago, he was afraid that Sidra was going to forget.”
“So why call me? You should’ve called Sidra.”
“It was a good excuse to hear your voice,” he replied with a laugh.
“Whatever,” she drawled, and promptly hung up on him. “So, you gave Jason my cell phone number, huh?” She hissed at Malajia.
“Yes, I did,” Malajia admitted frankly. “The man likes you, cut him a damn break. Besides, he asked me for it, and who am I to deny someone that gorgeous?”
“No,” Chasity argued, “I bet he didn’t ask you for my number. I think that you offered it to him.”
“So what if I did?” Malajia retorted “Get over it.”
––––––––
Alex pulled into Mega-Mart’s immense parking lot. “We’re here,” she announced, breaking her silence. She hadn’t said a word in the car. Once inside the mammoth store, they headed straight for the stationery aisles.
“Damn,” Malajia complained, “I can’t believe how much this calculator costs. Makes no damn sense.”
“Hey!” Jason called out as he sprinted over to them.
“Hey, Jase. Did you get everything for Mark?” Sidra asked. “He’ll be on your back all night if you forget anything, trust me.”
“Almost,” he sighed, then pointed to Chasity’s bandaged wrist. “What happened?
“I hurt it,” she responded dryly.
“No kidding,” he mocked. “I meant how did you hurt it?”
“I sprained it, if you must know.”
“Well, I can take care of that for you. I’ve had a lot of experience with sprains.”
“No thanks, I’m fine.” Without thinking, she picked a heavy ream of paper off the shelf, wincing as her injured wrist gave way.
Jason quickly picked up the fallen item and returned it to the shelf. “See, you’re not fine. I know that it hurts, but, of course, you think you’re sooo tough and so damn stubborn.” Discouraged, he ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Listen, make sure you ice it; keep the bandage tight, and keep the wrist elevated. That should help.”
“Fine, I will. Thanks.”
“If you need me to ice it for you—”
“That won’t be necessary,” she interrupted so quickly that he chuckled.
“Okay. Gotta go. Take care.”
“Malajia, did you see any graph paper?” Alex asked, only to be treated to a stony silence. “Malajia, did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I heard you,” she retorted. “But I don’t have time to talk to you. As soon as I’m finished here, I’m gonna go find some guys to seduce with my slutty self.”
Malajia stalked off, leaving Alex speechless.
––––––––
Shopping finished, the girls piled into the car. They were barely out of the parking lot when Sidra pounced. She couldn’t pass up an opportunity to tease her roommate.
“Chasity, I saw you talking to Jason.”
“So?”
“Just know that when you guys get married, I want to be a bridesmaid,” Sidra warned, coaxing a giggle out of Emily.
“Girl, please,” Chasity scoffed.
“Shit. Damn the wedding. If I were you, Chaz, I would look forward to the honeymoon,” Malajia broke in. “That man looks like he can lay some pipe.”
“Malajia!” Sidra scolded as Chasity shook her head.
“C’mon,” Malajia protested. “You can’t tell me that Chasity hasn’t been thinking the same thing.”
“I haven’t,” Chasity confirmed, annoyed by the sound of Malajia’s voice.
“Yeah, whatever you say,” Malajia teased.
Alex glanced at Malajia in the rear-view mirror and shook her head.
“What’s the matter, Alex? You mad I made that comment?” Malajia inquired, eyes flashing. “I’m sure it confirms your opinion that I’m a whore, huh?”
“Malajia, what are you talking about?” Sidra asked, disturbed by Malajia’s anger. She wasn’t just simmering; she was about to boil over.
“Ask Alex,” she answered coldly, folding her arms.
Alex let out a sigh. “Malajia—”
“Don’t you talk to me,” Malajia hissed.
“What’s going on?” Sidra broke in. “Are you two fighting?”
“Alex thinks that I’m a whore.”
“A whorish virgin? That’s new,” Chasity interjected with a laugh.
“Stay out of it, Chasity,” Alex warned. “Malajia, I was angry at my boyfriend, not you. You were just unlucky enough to come along at the wrong time. I realize that I was a bitch, and I’m sorry.”
“Whatever, Alex,” Malajia snarled. “You meant every word. Didn’t you inform us that you always tell it like it is? You are so fake. Deep down, you think that I’m a whore.”
“What? I’m not allowed to be upset? I can’t be human?” Alex shot back. “My boyfriend is cheating on me and when I looked at you, I saw the girl that he was cheating on me with!”
“I am not that girl,” Malajia argued.
“I know that, I just got angry,” Alex stammered, her voice cracking.
“Forget it, I’m just gonna shut my trampy ass up.” Malajia leaned back in her seat and looked out the window.
––––––––
Back on campus, Malajia, not wanting to be anywhere near Alex, followed Chasity and Sidra. “You two have any food?” she asked once they got to the room.
“Yeah, but it’s junk food,” Sidra cautioned.
“That’ll work.” Malajia tossed her purse on the loveseat and flopped down.
Chasity, checking out her text messages, let out a groan. She half expected to see multiple hits from her aunt Trisha. What she got was equally irksome, but for altogether different reasons. Damn Malajia for giving him her number.
“I wish he’d kill the nonsense,” Chasity muttered and tossed her jacket on the chair. She managed to knock her bad wrist on one of the wooden arms, and hissed in pain.
“Calm down,” Sidra advised, peeking over Chasity’s shoulder at the message. She stifled a giggle when she saw the little red heart and kissy face emoji. “Aww, that is so cute,” she simpered, earning a glare from Chasity.
“Shut up,” Chasity ordered through clenched teeth, but Sidra just laughed and tossed a bag of cookies at Malajia.
“Here child, maybe those will fix your mood.”
“I doubt it,” Malajia sulked.
“So, Malajia, when are you leaving?” Chasity asked, watching Malajia tear open the cookie bag and settle back against the couch cushions. “Or do you plan on gracing us with your presence all night?”
“Yep, all night,” she returned between bites. “I’m not gonna sleep in the same room with someone who thinks so little me.”
“Yet you’re gonna sleep in the same room with me?” Chasity mocked.
Sidra shook her head. “Malajia, you can’t let Alex run you out of your room. Come on, girl. That’s not the Malajia I know.”
“Oh shut up, you just don’t want me to spend the night here,” Malajia scoffed, brushing cookie crumbs off her jacket.
“Honey, you know that’s not true,” Sidra protested.
“Yeah, it is,” Chasity interjected, then ducked as Malajia threw a pillow at her.
“Look, Malajia, I understand why you’re upset at Alex, I would be too,” Sidra confided. “But she’s still your friend, and I know that she’s sorry for whatever she said to you.”
“Don’t want to hear it,” Malajia said flatly.
Sidra sat down on the couch and brushed the last few crumbs from Malajia’s jacket. “Look, maybe I’m confused, but we always laugh and joke with each other, at least we used to. You didn’t take the insults seriously. Why now? Help me understand.”
Malajia sighed. “Well, I’ve always been considered a whore because of the way that I dress and act. I’ve gotten used to it, because it only comes from people who don’t know me. I know we joke and tease each other and I know that I’ve heard worse...but...I don’t know how to explain it...It’s different coming from Alex.”
The look on Sidra’s face told Malajia that she was beginning to get through to her. “You and I have cracked on each other since we were kids, and Chasity is just mean. I know that, and I accept that. But Alex, posed herself as someone who always treats her friends with respect, and she just totally disrespected me today. You should have seen her face—she was really serious.”
Sidra saw how hurt Malajia was and ached for her. She’d had that same look on her face in middle school, when her parents forgot her birthday. Sidra put an arm around Malajia, who sighed and munched on another cookie.
––––––––
Alex and Emily waited for Malajia, and waited, neither saying much. Finally, Alex gave up, drew back the comforter on her bed, and grabbed her diary off the floor.
“I guess she’s not coming.” Alex switched off the overhead lights and flicked on her reading lamp.
Emily rolled onto her side. She could just make out Alex’s outline in the shadows. Seeing the diary propped up on bent knees, Emily smiled. Recording the day’s events was a nightly ritual for Alex. But today’s entry didn’t seem to be going so well. She wasn’t writing anything, just tapping her pen on the page. “Alex, are you okay?” Emily asked after a while.
“Um...no, not really, sweetie.”
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
“No, not right now.”
“All right then...Good night.”
“Night,” Alex murmured. She’d done some serious soul-searching over the past hour waiting for Malajia, and she didn’t like what she saw. She’d always lambasted people who used criticism as a weapon, and here she was attacking Malajia, taking her anger and frustration out on someone who meant a lot to her. Paul, she finally admitted, brought out the worst in her. After a quick glance to make sure Emily was asleep, she picked up the phone and dialed Paul.
“Hello,” he answered.
Surprised and relieved that she didn’t get routed to voice mail yet again, Alex jumped right in. “Look, I’m not going to bring up the fact that you haven’t returned my phone calls, and I’m not going to mention that you went out with that girl to get back at me for doing something great with my life.”
“Alex, listen—”
“No, you listen,” she barked. “I’m through listening to you. I don’t like the person I am when I’m with you. I called you to do you a favor...this relationship is over. See who you want, do who you want, I don’t care anymore. You stay there and you fail the twelfth grade again, but you will not blame me for your life, because I’m moving on with mine.” As soon as she got out everything she had to say, she hung up. She knew Paul would throw words and arguments at her, and she didn’t want to hear them. Alex was tired of the nonsense.
––––––––
The next morning, Alex felt lighter, freer than she had in a long time. But she still had a major problem to fix. After breakfast, she was determined to make things right with Malajia. She was not going to let her stupidity, her senseless attack, ruin a friendship. She spotted Malajia on her way to English and ran up to her.
“Malajia, we need to talk.”
Malajia glared at her and turned to walk away. “I don’t want to hear it.”
Alex grabbed her arm. “Listen, I know that I hurt your feelings. What I said was insulting, degrading, and unforgivable. Paul was messing around with some stank ass girl, and I just lost it. My tantrum had nothing to do with you. You were just a convenient target, and I am so, so sorry.”
“Alex, I get that you were hurt, but that’s no excuse,” Malajia chided.
“I know,” Alex admitted, looking at the floor.
“I mean damn, have I ever given you the idea that I’d go around stealing another girl’s man?” Malajia paused, thinking of her provocative clothes. “Wait, don’t answer that.”
“Malajia, seriously? You may be loud and love attention, but you would never do something like that,” Alex assured. “You need to be the center of attention, so a man who already has someone is out of the question.”
“Damn right.” Malajia folded her arms, then a smile crept across her face. “Okay, I forgive you. I hate to admit it, but I miss talking to your nosey ass.”
Alex threw her arms around Malajia and gave her a big hug.
“All right, all right—get off me. You’re gonna mess up my hair.”
