| |
––––––––
“So who’s riding in the car and who’s taking the bus?” Mark asked.
“Um, the girls are riding in the car, and the guys are gonna hike it on the bus,” Alex stated. “Sound fair?”
“Hell no,” the guys responded in unison.
“Too bad. Better move it, here comes your ride,” Alex advised. Seeing the bus lumbering toward the stop, the guys took off.
“Wait. My pants are falling down!” Mark yelled as he tried to hike up his pants.
“Why do we hang out with them?” Malajia asked and shook her head.
“I still haven’t figured it out,” Alex tossed over her shoulder and slid into the driver’s seat.
“That’s not fair, how come Alex gets to drive again?” Malajia whined.
“Because I asked her to,” Chasity responded nonchalantly. “My damn wrist still hurts, and I just don’t want you driving my freakin’ car.”
“I still don’t believe Emily copped out,” Sidra remarked, strapping on her seatbelt. “I mean it’s Halloween, we’re supposed to have fun.”
“‘But I’ve never been to a haunted house’,” Malajia mimicked. “I almost smacked her right in her damn face before we left. She gets on my nerves.”
“I don’t even want to hear about her pathetic ass anymore,” Chasity hissed. “She needs to get a life.”
“Damn, I guess Emily’s the only one who stayed home. Look at that long ass line,” Malajia complained as they drove up and parked. The queue for tickets snaked around the haunted house, two or three deep in places. The guys’ bus lurched to a stop and promptly emptied.
“This is gonna be off the chain,” Mark predicted, sidling up to Sidra in the line. “I heard that you go from one room to another, starting with the asylum, and that there’s a big surprise waiting for you at the end.”
“I bet you get scared,” Josh stated, voice filled with laughter.
“Please, nothing can scare me,” Mark scoffed.
“Oh yeah, I’m gonna see Chasity get scared, I’m gonna see Chasity get scared,” Malajia chanted, clapping her hands.
“I hope you die in there,” Chasity shot back.
“Anyone who votes for Malajia to be in front, raise your hand,” Mark proposed, then quickly threw his hand up in the air.
Malajia glared at him. “You would do that to me, really?”
“Hell yeah,” Mark said. “Better you getting sliced, than me.”
“Asshole,” Malajia spat, folding her arms.
“God, can we just get through this without you two going at it?” Alex groaned.
“Nope,” Malajia and Mark answered in unison.
“I swear, Emily has no idea what she’s gonna miss,” David said happily.
The line moved quickly. After getting their hands stamped, they walked into the factory. Fog and eerie lights, and sounds filled the dark interior.
“Oh, please,” Mark jeered. A sudden screech pierced the quiet. Startled, Mark jumped behind the girls.
“That’s good, Mark,” Alex put in, “We need someone on the back end.”
Soon, noises of all kinds bombarded them. A blood streaked hand reached out of a wall and grabbed David’s arm. At a fork in the road, they paused.
“Um, which way should we go?” Sidra asked, clutching Josh’s arm.
“Uh Sid, as much as I enjoy you touching me, you’re cutting off my circulation,” Josh joked.
“Sorry,” she replied completely unaware of how tightly she was squeezing him.
“We’re not splitting up,” Alex said with authority as the eerie noises, blood-curdling screams, and insane ranting grew louder and louder.
“Come on, Alex. It’s a haunted house; it’s not real,” Mark said, giving Alex a playful nudge. “Besides, I could never leave you guys anyway.”
Suddenly, the loud speaker crackled to life. “Everyone back to your rooms. The patients have escaped. They’re gonna kill us, they’re gonna kill us all!” The sound of a chainsaw blared from the speakers. At the announcer’s scream, everyone huddled closer together.
“Man, fuck this,” Mark yelped, pushing past his friends.
“Are you kidding me?” Malajia yelled at him as they watched him run away.
“I’ll miss y’all!” they heard him shout. Then, without warning, a crowd of mental patients with blood-stained clothes and chainsaws jumped from the walls. Everyone scrambled to get away. Jason, Malajia, Chasity and Alex ran one way; Sidra, David and Josh another.
Everywhere they turned, things popped out of the walls, and the patients still chased after them.
“Oh my god! Oh my god!” Malajia screamed at the top of her lungs as a heavy-set woman, covered in blood and holding a machete, chased them.
Chasity froze as another crazed patient jumped in her face. She screamed as the blood covered man reached for her.
Jason grabbed Chasity’s arm and pulled her along. “This is crazy,” he concluded as the two of them took off running in another direction.
Malajia and Alex ran until they couldn’t run anymore. “I can’t breathe; I swear to god I’m gonna pass out,” Malajia panted as she leaned against the wall. Something reached out and latched onto her arm. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
“I’m gonna die, I don’t wanna die,” she screamed.
Alex grabbed the hysterical Malajia. “Mel, calm down.” Sensing that Malajia was reeling out of control, Alex slapped her.
“You mop headed bitch!” Malajia shouted, shocked back to normalcy. “I outta drop kick you.”
“I’m sorry, but you had to calm down—you were gonna hyperventilate.” Rounding the corner, they stumbled over a familiar figure.
Mark was crouched in the corner.
“Boy, get the hell up and come on, you punk,” Alex commanded, pulling him up by the shirt collar.
“What! I’m not scared,” he lied as he hopped up, straightening out his shirt.
“You left us,” Malajia spat.
“What?” He exclaimed. “You mean ya’ll weren’t behind me?”
“Oh please! You left us. That was so wrong!” Malajia hollered. While Mark and Malajia were arguing back and forth, Alex heard a slow dragging sound approaching them. She turned her head to see where it was coming from.
“Umm, guys,” she said nervously as she continued to look around. Then the noise started getting closer and closer. “Guys,” she repeated, her voice cracking.
“You are such a punk,” Malajia shot at Mark.
“No see what happened was—when I turned around and saw that ya’ll weren’t there, I went to run back, but something grabbed me and said ‘naw man, don’t go back for them’ and so I was like ‘man you got a point’ and we was cool and everything—”
“Oh please,” Malajia interrupted.
“Guys!” Alex shouted as the noise stopped.
“What is it?” Malajia asked.
“Something’s here.” Suddenly a light flashed on a huge guy carrying an axe dripping with blood. “Okay, I’m done,” Alex cried. “We’re outta here.”
Panting and coughing, they threw themselves onto the grass outside the haunted house.
“We missed the funhouse,” Mark moaned.
Malajia shot him a glare. “Shut up, with your scared ass. Leaving us and shit.”
“You still on that?” Mark questioned.
“How was the funhouse?” Alex asked as the rest of the group sat down on the grass.
“Alex, don’t ask me about that stupid funhouse. I freakin’ hate clowns,” Sidra scoffed.
“The guy hanging on a hook in the meat room, with his insides hanging out wasn’t a good time either,” Jason laughed.
Chasity glared at Malajia. “Let’s go to the haunted house, Chasity. It’s gonna be fun, Chasity. Stop being so mean, Chasity,” she mocked, mimicking Malajia coaxing. “Getting stuck in a room with spinning mirrors and crazy people was such an awesome experience,” Chasity drawled, “thanks for the invite.”
Malajia rolled her eyes at Chasity’s sarcasm.
Rather than wait for the bus, the guys all piled into Chasity’s car.
“Chasity screamed like a girl,” Sidra said, relishing the rare chance to tease her roommate.
“At least she’s not scared of clowns,” Josh pointed out with a grin.
“Emily is gonna be so salty she missed this,” Malajia laughed.
––––––––
“Halloween’s over. Now Thanksgiving’s just a couple of weeks away,” Malajia observed. “So what are you heifers gonna do for the break?”
“Always with the name calling,” Sidra huffed, “You need to broaden your vocabulary.”
Alex chuckled at the half-hearted glare that Malajia shot at Sidra. “Anyway, I think that we’re all going home for Thanksgiving.”
“You gonna see Paul?” Emily asked. Alex had finally told everyone what was going on with her. Keeping the news bottled up had backfired, big time.
“Probably,” Alex said. “Our families are close. It’ll be okay. We were headed for a split anyway.”
“Well, for someone who just broke up with her boyfriend of three years, you sure seem chipper,” Sidra put in.
“Look, I’m not gonna let one fool ruin my life,” Alex said with a shrug.
“Enough with Alex’s drama,” Malajia joked. “We should do something for the holiday.”
“Um, no,” Chasity said, shaking her head emphatically.
“Why not?”
“Because my aunt is making me stay with her the whole damn time,” Chasity bit back.
“What?” Sidra feigned astonishment. “Someone is making you do something?”
“She’s the only one who can,” Chasity stated flatly. “Not to mention that I can’t stand you people.”
Malajia sucked her teeth. “You people are making me sick with your boredom.”
“What Malajia? What do you wanna do, huh?” Sidra asked. She was beginning to become annoyed with Malajia’s whining.
“Look, I’m trying to suggest we do something fun during our break. I don’t know about you, but I don’t wanna spend the whole time with my dull ass family.”
“Sounds like a personal problem to me,” Chasity ventured.
Malajia stomped her foot on the ground. “Look, if you don’t wanna listen to me, just get up and leave!”
Alex, Sidra and Chasity looked at Malajia, and stood at once.
“You know what?” Malajia hissed, “I’m about sick of your attitude toward me.”
“Don’t care,” Chasity responded flippantly.
“Ooh, I should pull your hair right out your head,” Malajia snapped.
“Do it and die, bitch,” Chasity threatened.
Sidra shot her a disapproving look. “Must you two be so nasty and belligerent all the time? Can’t you act like ladies, just once?”
“No,” Chasity responded nonchalantly.
“For what?” Malajia asked, turning her nose up. “What’s the fun in being all stuck up and prissy?”
“Call me prissy all you want. But, at least I know how to act like I have some sense,” Sidra ground out, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
Malajia leaned in close to Chasity. “Was flipping that ponytail supposed to scare us?” she asked.
“Malajia, I swear to God, you need to get out my face,” Chasity snapped.
Sidra tried to stifle her laugh at the look of embarrassment on Malajia’s face, but was unsuccessful. “Mel, you should see your face.”
Malajia waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, like I was saying, we should meet up during break,” she persisted. “We don’t live that far apart; we could pick somewhere central.”
“Ummm,” Emily started.
“Oh what, Emily? Mommy’s not gonna let you out of her sight?” Malajia mocked, anticipating Emily’s excuses.
“Malajia, will you leave the girl alone?” Alex protested.
“Listen, my mom is going to want to spend the whole holiday with me.” Emily hugged her books to her chest. “I don’t think that’s such a bad thing.”
“Come on, Emily. You are such a damn child,” Malajia barked.
“I am not,” Emily whispered.
Chasity’s face frowned in confusion. “What the fuck are you whispering for?”
The brusque question made Emily look down at her pink boots in embarrassment, which succeeded in bringing Malajia to burst out laughing.
Alex sucked her teeth as she adjusted her book bag on her shoulder. “Emily sweetie, pay evil one and evil two no mind. They have no sense whatsoever”
“Emily, you really need to toughen up a little. If one of us cracks on you, just tell us off,” Malajia advised, turning to Chasity. “See, watch this...Chasity you’re a bitch.”
“Screw you,” Chasity retorted.
“See what I mean?” Malajia asked.
Sidra shook her head. “Sweetie, don’t take after them. Please don’t.”
“Just shut up,” Chasity muttered.
“Hey,” Sidra shot back, “I heard that.”
Chasity rolled her eyes. “I’m leaving.”
“Wait, we still haven’t made any plans for Thanksgiving,” Malajia wailed at Chasity’s departing figure.
“Relax,” Alex put in, stifling a laugh. “You have two weeks to work on it. But right now, I’ve got to go study for my math test.”
––––––––
Two hours later, Alex was still at her desk, puzzling through calculations. “Limits, huh; well I’ve just about reached mine,” she muttered.
The door swung open and Malajia came in, dropping a bag of groceries by the door.
“Hey Al—”
“Shut up, I’m studying,” Alex cut her off.
“Oh, sorry,” Malajia whispered. Then, hearing the phone ring, she dashed for it. “Don’t get up. I’ll get it.”
“Okay, thanks,” Alex mumbled, trying to regain her focus.
“Hello?” The exaggerated cheerfulness with which Malajia always answered the phone was followed by an ear-piercing scream. “It’s my friend Erica from high school,” Malajia exclaimed as she held her hand over the receiver.
“How nice,” Alex responded tartly, thumping her pencil on her workbook.
“Oh, you’re studying. Sorry,” Malajia apologized, but then a stream of chatter gushed into the phone, punctuated by gurgles of delight.
Exasperated, Alex slammed her workbook shut, and gathered up her papers. “You are so lucky that I’m in a good mood. I’m going to find someplace quiet.”
By the time she reached the library, her good mood had soured. It didn’t improve when she noticed Chasity about to go into the stacks.
“Oh my goodness. You’re actually in the library?” Alex teased.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Chasity demanded.
“Shhhhh,” students nearby scolded.
“Oh, shush your damn self,” Chasity barked.
Alex pulled Chasity down into the seat next to her. “Girl, shut up before you get thrown out of here.”
“So what, it’s not like I really want to be in here anyway.”
Alex chuckled, “Girl, who you tellin’? I would rather be in my room, but Malajia is running her loud mouth on the phone.”
“No surprise there,” Chasity commented, pulling a book from her book bag and putting it on the table.
“Graphic design?” Alex looked at the title of the book. “You like computers?”
“No, but I like to design websites. I did them for my aunt Trisha when she started her real estate company.” Chasity’s eyes narrowed at Alex’s look of surprise. “What? Just because I’m a moody bitch, doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to do anything.”
“You’re taking the intermediate class?”
“Yeah, I’ll really get into my major next semester.”
“Wow Chaz, that’s really great.” Alex was impressed. “I’m going to major in English and go into editing,” she tossed her pencil down. “But I’ve been stuck with this damn math for hours. Why do I need math for editing?”
“I don’t know, Alex.” Chasity shook her head. “The majority of our classes this semester don’t have anything to do with our major.”
“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “Sidra is a Criminal Justice Major, Emily’s is Education...”
“Education? Don’t tell me she wants to be a teacher,” Chasity muttered, aghast.
“Uh huh.”
“Her scared ass? A teacher? She can’t even tell people to shut up. How in the hell is she gonna control a classroom full of bad-ass kids?”
“Will you leave the girl alone? She’s lived a sheltered life. I bet by the time she graduates, she’ll be over her shyness,” Alex predicted.
“Yeah, whatever.” Chasity remained unconvinced.
“Anyway what was I saying?...Oh, yeah. Malajia’s major is fashion...well more like Design and Business.”
“God help the world of fashion when that idiot graduates,” Chasity jeered.
“Stop it,” Alex scolded, giving Chasity a poke. “She’s really talented. You’ve seen what she can do with a T-shirt, glitter, and some scissors.”
Jason crept up behind Chasity and put his hands over her eyes. “Guess who?”
“Fuck my life,” she complained.
“It’s your future husband and father of your children,” he teased, prompting a giggle from Alex.
“Guys, please,” Alex begged. “As much as I’d like to be amused, I’ve got to finish going through these math formulas. Can you two take your conversation elsewhere?”
“I’m not even talking to him,” Chasity exclaimed, pointing to Jason.
“Less talking, more moving,” Alex teased. “Jason please, can you take it elsewhere?”
“Sure,” Jason agreed, pulling Chasity away. “Let’s go out Friday,” he asked her when they reached a secluded spot.
“No.”
“Damn, do you have to be so evil about it?” he rebuked.
She folded her arms. “What is it that you want from me, Jason?”
“I want you to lighten up a little.”
“No. Stop bothering me. You’re annoying,” she hissed.
“Am I really?” he asked, staring at her intently.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she questioned after a few seconds. “Is that look supposed to make me want you?”
“You know what?” He laughed. “I can honestly say that you are the most challenging, stubborn women that I have ever met.”
“And your point is?”
He closed his eyes for a moment. “You keep me on my toes,” he said quietly. “I also know that if you didn’t like me at all, you wouldn’t even speak to me.”
Chasity glared at him. Damn it, he was right. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of admitting it.
“Jason, get out of my face.”
“Okay I’ll go...for now,” he said. “But you’ll be mine one day.”
“Don’t hold your breath...Better yet, go ahead and hold your breath. That way you’ll die, and I won’t be bothered anymore.”
“Ooh, is that all you got?” he asked playfully, holding his hand over his heart. “It doesn’t faze me. I’m a very patient man, Miss Parker.”
“Whatever,” Chasity muttered. She turned on her heel, and left him in the stacks to return to her studies.
