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Jason stayed with Chasity until she finally fell asleep. It was after midnight when he slipped out of the pool house and went back into the main house.
“She’s asleep,” he told Trisha and Alex, rubbing his neck and stifling a yawn.
“Did she agree to go?” Trisha asked anxiously.
“Yeah, after some persuading.”
“I bet,” Alex put in. “The last thing that she’s gonna want is to be around a bunch of people.”
“What Chasity thinks she wants and what she really needs are not always the same,” Trisha observed with a tired gesture. “Can you get everything ready? Get in touch with your friends?”
“I’ll let the guys know,” Jason offered, “and Alex can handle the girls.”
“All right. By the time you get back up this way, she’ll more than likely be at our house since she has to pack up her stuff,” Trisha stated, grabbing a notepad from a nearby side table. Chasity had spent Wednesday evening at home before heading over to her grandmothers on Thanksgiving, so all of her belongings were where she left them. “Here is the address, I’ll see you later.”
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Jason had barely pulled away, before Alex hurried into her house. “Ma, you up?” she called.
“In the kitchen,” Mrs. Chisolm responded, then grinned as her daughter ran in and hugged her tightly. “What was that for?” she asked, swatting her daughter on the behind with a dish towel. “You think a hug is going to make up for missing Thanksgiving dinner? You weren’t avoiding Paul, were you?”
“No, Ma,” Alex apologized, with a sharp shake of the head. “One of my friends is in trouble and we’re taking her away for the rest of the break.”
Mrs. Chisolm frowned as Alex grabbed a piece of leftover turkey off of a plate and popped it into her mouth. “Trouble? Do you need to call the police?”
“No, no, no. Nothing like that. It’s a family problem,” Alex clarified. “It was hard to watch actually. I mean I had no idea the crap that she was dealing with from her mom.” She then shook her head as if she were trying to get last night’s images out of her head. “Anyway Ma, I’m sorry to be skipping out again.”
“And just where are you skipping to?”
“The Wyngate Hotel downtown. My friend’s aunt is putting a group of us up.”
“Well, I hope the trip makes your friend feel better, and I hope that you have fun,” Mrs. Chisolm said with an attempt at a smile.
Alex gave her mother another hug. “Thanks, Ma.”
“For what?”
“For being you and not asking too many questions.” Alex bent forward and kissed her mother’s cheek. After the close encounter with Brenda, Alex realized just how lucky she had been in the mother department. “Now, I’ve got some arrangements to make.”
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“Malajia’s house of boredom, home of the bored, Malajia speaking.” Malajia’s tone was dry.
Alex laughed into the receiver. “Girl, get up.”
Malajia twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she lay in her bed. “Shut up, Alex. What’s going on?”
“Well, I have good news for you. Chasity’s aunt Trisha has booked us into a suite at the Wyngate Hotel, all expenses paid.” Alex held the phone away from her ear; Malajia had begun to scream into the phone.
“Malajia, shut up!” Geri could be heard yelling to her loud sister.
“Are you serious?” Malajia exclaimed, ignoring Geri entirely.
“My ears,” Alex complained, laughing.
“I’m so hype, this is awesome,” Malajia yelled, standing up on her bed. “I’m gonna call Sidra right now.”
“Okay, I’ll call Emily.”
“Alex, please. Her mom is never gonna let her go,” Malajia pointed out. “But forget her, this is gonna be so much fun!”
“Mel, remember—you all have to make your way to Philly. The hotel is here,” Alex informed.
“That’s no problem. David will probably drive his father’s car. He can pick those Delaware fools up, and I’ll get Daddy to drive me.”
“All right, girl,” Alex agreed. “Jason is picking me up, so if you have any more questions, call Jason’s cell.”
“See ya, girl,” Malajia said happily, bouncing up and down on her bed. After giving the mattress a real workout, she picked the phone back up and dialed Sidra’s number.
“Hello,” a groggy Sidra answered, rubbing her eyes.
“Sidra, you won’t believe what I just heard. Get up, get up, get up,” Malajia screamed.
Sidra moved the phone away from her ear. Malajia’s high pitched voice was not what she wanted to wake up to. “Oh God,” she moaned, glancing at the alarm clock on her nightstand. “Girl, it’s seven thirty in the morning. What do you want?”
“Guess what? We are all going to the Wyngate Hotel in Philadelphia.”
“Malajia, what are you talking about? Those plans fell through.”
“No listen, Chasity’s aunt is paying for everything. Do you hear me? Everything,” Malajia informed.
“Why?”
“Who cares? Just call the guys, and get ready.”
Sidra, suddenly wide awake, sat up straight in her canopy bed. “Okay, let me get this straight. We have reservations to stay at the Wyngate Hotel for the weekend, right?”
“Yep. You just need to call the guys and get to Philadelphia.”
“Wait. What about Emily?” Sidra asked, rubbing her eyes.
“What about her?” Malajia scoffed.
“You know she’s not going to be able to go,” Sidra pointed out, dragging her suitcase out of the closet. “She’s going to feel bad.”
“That’s not my problem,” Malajia retorted.
Sidra sighed as she began to pack, “Mel, that’s not right.”
“Okay, okay, we’ll think of something. Geez,” Malajia temporized, “I have to get ready. Call Jason for the directions, all right?”
“Bye.”
As soon as Malajia hung up, she ran into her parents’ bedroom.
“Daddy!” she shouted.
“What? What happened?” Mr. Simmons popped up in bed. Noticing the big grin on Malajia’s face, he sighed. “Malajia, what is it?”
“I need you to do me a favor,” she said, doing a little dance.
“No,” he groaned and put a pillow over his head.
“Daddy, listen. My friend’s rich aunt is paying for us to stay in a hotel suite for the weekend. The thing is, it’s in Philly, so I need you to drive me.”
“Malajia, are there going to be boys in this hotel suite?” her father asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Malajia put her hands on her hips. “Just stupid Mark, Josh and David, and you know them. And Jason. But he’s only interested in my friend Chasity, not me, so you don’t have to worry about a weekend orgy.”
“Mel, you just got here,” Mrs. Simmons objected, hoisting up on one elbow and regarding her daughter sternly. “Don’t you want to spend more time with your family?”
“No,” Malajia responded instantly and then just as quickly regretted it, catching her parents’ glare. “Um...well...okay I couldn’t think of anything nice to say. Listen I’ve been around you guys for nineteen years already. I want to spend time with my friends.”
“All right child, you can go,” her mother relented and settled back into her pillows.
“But I was going to go anyway,” Malajia put in. “I just need a ride.”
“Malajia,” her father rebuked. “Don’t be a smart ass.”
“All right Dad, dang. Can you give me a ride or not?”
“Not,” he responded in even tones. “You know the van is in the shop.”
Malajia’s mouth fell open. “The shop? How was I going to get back to school then?”
“The train,” he retorted. “Same way you came.”
Malajia let out a groan and stomped out of the room. Mr. Simmons looked at his wife.
“That’s your child,” she said before he could get a word out.
Malajia stormed into her room and slammed the door. “What’s wrong? Daddy yell at you again?” Geri smirked, ducking when Malajia threw a pillow at her.
“Mind your business,” Malajia hissed. At least she had Sidra on speed dial.
“Hello?” Sidra answered.
“Sidra, you have to help me! You would not believe—”
“Okay Malajia, you’ve got to stop screaming,” Sidra demanded, dripping water on the floor. “I was in the shower. What’s going on?”
“You guys have to pick me up.”
“But that’s going in the wrong direction,” Sidra complained. “What happened to your dad?”
“The stupid van is in the stupid shop,” Malajia yelled.
Sidra looked at the phone. “Did you just yell at me? Again?”
“I’m Sorry Sid,” Malajia pleaded in a whisper. “Come and get me. Pleeaasssseee. I can’t take this house anymore.”
“All right, all right, stop whining,” Sidra relented. “I’ll call you when we’re close to your house.”
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Chasity headed down the steps and placed a few last items into one of her packed bags. Trisha, who was fixing breakfast as she patiently waited for Chasity to come from upstairs, was relieved to see her bags packed. She didn’t know what to think after Chasity snuck away from her mother’s home and back to their house earlier that morning without a word to her. “Chasity?”
“Yes?” Chasity replied, turning to face her.
Trisha flinched at the monotone, curt reply. “Are you going to go straight to school from the hotel room?”
“Probably.” Chasity’s tone had not changed.
“I’ll miss you.”
Chasity rolled her eyes. She would rather sit in the car and wait for Jason and Alex, than to have to listen to Trisha talk. “Whatever,” she threw out, heading for the door.
“Chasity, wait,” Trisha urged, halting Chasity’s progress. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
Chasity sighed. “I’m trying not to be. But I don’t like being lied to. And you’ve done that my whole life.”
“I know, sweetheart, I know. But if I had gone behind Brenda’s back and told you the truth, she...” Trisha couldn’t get the words out. It was too hard for her to talk about anymore. As much as she wanted to be honest with Chasity, she was convinced the truth would hurt her even more.
“Look, I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me, but—”
“Stop it,” Trisha interrupted. “Nothing is going to change between us. Okay? I’ll make this right, I promise you. You’re my family and that is the bottom line.” Chasity stared at her with cold hazel eyes as Trisha wondered if she should attempt to hug her or not.
Trisha didn’t get a chance to decide either way. She heard three taps on the front door. “That must be Alex and Jason.”
“Must be. Bye,” Chasity said abruptly. She had no desire to stand around while her aunt exchanged chitchat with her friends. She just wanted to get out of the house.
“Nice to see you both again,” Trisha called after them. “Chasity, I’ll call you, all right? Enjoy yourselves.”
No one spoke as they walked to the cars. Jason popped the trunk of a white Mazda sedan. “Let me put our stuff in your car; then you can follow me so I can get my dad’s car back to him.”
“Fine,” Chasity agreed, sliding behind the wheel of the Lexus.
As Chasity adjusted her rearview mirror, Alex shot her an appraising look, not liking what she saw. “Are you sure you’re...?”
“Yes, Alex. I’m okay,” Chasity hissed.
“I’m sorry. I was worried about you.”
Chasity let out a loud sigh as she turned the key to her car. “Look, please stop asking me how I’m doing. I’m already mad at you for staying last night anyway.”
“I don’t care if you’re mad. I’m your friend, and I wasn’t going to leave.”
“Whatever,” Chasity said with a dismissive wave of her hand as she pulled off after Jason.
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“Come on, Sid,” David urged. “We still have to go pick up Malajia.”
“I’m coming! Bye, Mama. Bye, Daddy!” she tossed over her shoulder as she ran out the door.
Her parents were disappointed that Sidra was leaving early, but they wanted her to have a good time. They didn’t think she was silly enough to do anything stupid. David certainly wouldn’t try anything. Mark, they weren’t so sure about. But Josh was always the gentleman, her mother thought, watching him jump out of the car to help her daughter with her bags.
“Damn Josh, don’t fall out of the car,” Mark joked.
“Man, shut up,” Josh said as he slammed the door.
As Sidra walked up to the car she noticed Mark was sitting in the front seat. “Um, excuse me,” she drawled, “but you’re in the wrong seat. I always ride in front.”
“Not today you’re not,” Mark argued. Sidra raised her eyebrows, staring at him.
“Mark, man, get in back,” David chimed in, pointing to the back seat.
“What?”
“Mark, just move your ass to the back,” Josh shouted from outside.
“Man, this is bullshit,” Mark groaned, snatching off his seatbelt. “Now I’ll have to sit in the back with stupid Malajia.”
Sidra smiled as she hopped in to the front seat of the car. “Thank you, love.”
“Shut up,” he shot back as he scrambled into the back seat and shut the door.
“Anybody talk to Emily?” David asked, pulling off.
“Yeah. She can’t come,” Sidra replied, fastening her seatbelt. “Her mother is being a jerk.”
“Damn,” Mark said, exasperated. “The girl is in college and she can’t do anything.”
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After Jason returned his dad’s car and keys, Chasity unlatched her seatbelt and got out. “Jason, you drive.”
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yeah, I don’t feel like driving,” she replied. “Alex, move your ass to the back.”
“All right, all right,” Alex grumbled and hopped out of the front seat. “You two didn’t do anything last night, did you?”
“Alex, what the hell are you talking about?” Chasity demanded.
“Well, things seem a little awkward between you two.”
“Alex, she asked me to drive her car, there’s nothing awkward about that,” Jason snapped.
“Look, I’m used to you cracking jokes and her cursing you out, that’s all,” Alex explained and sat back in the seat.
“Alex, nothing happened between us all right, so shut up,” Chasity barked.
“Well,” Jason grinned, “it would’ve been nice if—”
“You shut up too,” Chasity interrupted, cutting off the smart remark that she just knew Jason was about to make.
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“Man, it’s hot in this damn car,” Mark complained after an hour on the road.
“Look, I already told you that I can’t turn the heat down,” David said as he looked at Mark through the rear view mirror.
“Well, do something,” Mark grumbled. “There’s too many black people in this car, it’s hot.”
Sidra giggled. “Boy, just roll down the window,” she suggested.
“But it’s cold out there,” he quibbled.
“You know what?” Josh broke in, leveling a sharp look at Mark. “The complaining has got to stop.”
“I’ll bet you anything that this is Malajia,” Sidra predicted when her cell rang. “Hello?...Yes, Malajia...We’ll probably be about another hour or so...David is not going to floor the gas, just be patient...Chill the hell out...I don’t care if your Dad is threatening you...Well, you shouldn’t have yelled at him...Malajia, get off my damn phone.”
“What’s she talking about?” David asked.
“She wants you to floor it and get there faster,” Sidra said, pocketing the phone and rolling her eyes.
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Malajia spent the next hour and a half pacing up and down in the living room, alternately checking her watch and looking out the front window every five minutes.
“Geez,” Maria observed, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were anxious to get away from us.”
“And? A day is more than enough,” Malajia retorted, “I’m sick of you people, I’m ready to go.”
Maria shook her head. “You’re so rude,” she concluded.
Malajia broke into a huge smile when she heard a car horn. “That’s them, gotta go!” she exclaimed and grabbed her bags.
“Aren’t you gonna say goodbye to Mom and Dad at least?” Maria asked.
“Nope!” Malajia hollered, sprinting out of the door. She grimaced when she saw Mark in the back seat. “Ugh. Sidra, can I ride up front please?”
“No, get comfortable,” Sidra advised, “We have three long hours ahead of us.”
“Don’t touch me, Malajia,” Mark warned as Malajia crawled over him.
“You want to sit in the middle?” she challenged. “If not, shut the hell up.”
