THIS STUPID DAY IS finally over. Took long enough! Symphony was glad to head down the hall to her locker for the last time today.
“Sym-phony!” Roman yells her name from a distance.
She acts as if she didn’t hear him and kept walking towards her locker. She’d be damned if she was about to carry any books home today. Symphony refused to walk around with a backpack like most of the lames looking like grade-schoolers.
The amount of homework these dumb teachers gave her were entirely too much. It had to be against the law. What are they doing in these teachers’ meetings? They need to be discussing who giving out homework on what day and how much. Then again, maybe they do. I betchu’ they all have it in for me, Symphony thought.
She neatly aligned all of her books in her locker according to her classes so that way she can just go and grab them within the little five minutes they give them to get to the next class. She slams her locker shut and roll the combination a few times. Don’t ask why, it’s just a habit she had.
“Oh, so you ain’t hear me call you huh?” Roman was standing there waiting.
Not giving a damn, she didn’t lie but kept it short. “I heard you.”
“So why the heck didn’t you stop, turn around, or acknowledge your ears were working then?”
“What, Roman?” She was still agitated, and it showed but knowing Roman, he didn’t care. He had the nerve to invite that chick over to her table again. He knew that was her table and has been since they first started Westbrook. But the worst part about it is he knew how she felt but acted as if he didn’t care.
“What is your problem? I know you ain’t that mad about the girl?”
“Naw! I ain’t mad about the girl, Roman!” Symphony said sarcastically. “You know I don’t like her and yet and still you seem to keep inviting her to my table.”
“So, you getting all out yo hook-up for what? It doesn’t bother you to see someone constantly sitting by themselves? You of all people should know what it feels like to be alone, Symphony.”
Symphony cocks her head and looks at Roman sideways. She felt like he was hitting her below the belt and she had no idea why. “You know what-” Symphony stops herself in mid-sentence and lets it go.
“So, what up with you? What you trying to get into?” He flashes his pearly whites at her. “Want to hang out?”
“I don’t know. I got a lot of homework.” She knew what kind of hanging out Roman wanted to do. She really wanted to tell him to go find that Amber chick and find out what she was doing. But she fought against it, jealousy never really looked good on anybody.
“Naw, really?” Roman responded sarcastically. “We pretty much got the same classes, so we might as well do it together.” He places a strong emphasis on the two words do it. “Besides, I know you ain’t about to carry no books home, so you might as well use mine.”
He said exactly what she wanted him to say. Roman was far from being stupid or lazy. He knew how to get down with the books and always put his schooling first. Symphony knew he’d be making it easier for her and she wouldn’t have to use up all her brain cells to get all that homework done. Besides, why think if someone would do it for you.
Symphony loved looking at Roman and admired his sense of taste, but she wouldn’t let him know all that. If you want a man, you gotta play hard to get. But sometimes, it was hard trying to play hard, Symphony thought to herself. Roman had that good hair that was naturally curly but he kept it shaved close to his head. You could tell he had nice hair by the way it lay down so smooth and thick and his waves can make a person seasick. He always dressed in the latest fashions and kept his kicks fresh and free from any dirt or creases.
The only thing Symphony thought was lame about Roman was that he carried an all-black backpack. At least it was Nike and not one of those $5 or $9.99 Wal-Mart Roll Backs. Plus, he wore his hanging off one shoulder, so she thought that was kind of cool.
“Here, put my folder in your bag.” Symphony figured, why not be totally hands free. She took out her Win-Win pink lipstick from her bag and refresh her lips. Just as she was applying a thin layer of lips shine, she was interrupted.
“Hi, Symphony.” An all too eager freshman runs up to her. She couldn’t help but shake her head. “It’s me, Amber? We sat together at lunch.”
“Please don’t remind me.” She whispers to herself. “What the hell is up with your hair? You need to seriously kill that backpack, fo-real tho.” The freshman looked as though Symphony hurt her feelings. Symphony didn’t give a damn, it wasn’t like nobody give a damn about her feelings.
“Symph!” Roman calls out to get her attention and gave her a look that said, leave the little girl alone.
“What!” Symphony looks in Roman’s direction. “You don’t roll up in Westbrook speaking to me with no pink and purple backpack and to make matters worse, it’s on her back! … and it’s a Roll Back!” Symphony expresses to Roman as if Amber wasn’t standing right there.
“Take it easy Symph.” Roman said getting his laugh on. “She’s just a freshman and having a little hard time fitting in.” He touched Amber’s shoulder and said, “You have to excuse her, she has “back-pack-aphobia”… a fear of backpacks.” Roman sees his cousin Jaylen and run to catch up with him leaving Amber and Symphony standing there.
“Can I ask you a question?” The freshman continues without Symphony’s permission. “Why do you hate me when you don’t even know me?”
“Listen here little girl, you don’t fool me. I peeped your game before you even thought about playing it.”
“Huh?”
“See… why’d you even step to me and think you could even hold a conversation with me? Everybody up in here…” Symphony twirls her index finger in circles. “… want Roman. I see how them twins be disrespecting you… and you don’t do nothing about it… because you're weak.”
Symphony looks at Amber and rolls her eyes. This little chick didn’t have a clue who Symphony was or what she was capable of but Symphony had a feeling she was definitely going to try her.
♥♥♥
All Hunter wanted to do when she got home was to sleep. In American Government, Mr. Morrison, was so boring she couldn’t help but to catch some Z’s in his class. Hunter thought she was safe sitting in the back. She propped her head in her left hand and kept her pen in the other hand on her notebook as if she were taking notes. Suddenly her eyes closed. It had to be a few minutes before her head dropped full speed heading for her desk. Thank God, she caught it before her face and desk were rudely introduced.
Hunter looked around the room embarrassed and hoping that no one had witnessed what just happened. No one had seen her except Quincy. He was over there shaking his head. Hunter knew he wanted to fall asleep just as she had with Mr. Morrison’s monotone speaking self. She looked down at her notebook and discovered she had taken no notes at all, just a bunch of scribble scrabble from her trying to fake as if she was awake.
As always, Symphony saves Hunter a window seat in the back with her. Hunter was still rather heated at Symphony for that stunt she pulled at lunch. Hunter thought, it just wasn’t like Symphony to be so thirsty and over a freshman at that. She lay her head up against the window and close her eyes to rest while everyone else continued to board the bus.
“Aw Man! Hunter watch out!” Quincy’s voice screams in Hunter’s direction jerking her awake.
“What!?” She yells back startled.
“O, nothing. I thought your head was going full speed toward that window.”
Hunter glares at Quincy. “Shut up!” Even more agitated than before, she regains her position alongside the window and closes her eyes again and listen as Quincy retells the events of what had taken place in Mr. Morrison’s class.
Hunter didn’t care, and she wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed. She was too sleepy for all the nonsense. Quincy could be so immature sometimes. If he wasn’t so annoying and always had to one up on Roman, he might have been a great catch to Hunter. She was too young to
know if Quincy was Mr. Right… but she knew he was Mr. Right Now. He had a dark-skinned complexion and had grown his hair out for the past six months so he could get dreads. Hunter didn’t mind the way Quincy’s hair looked right now, she just didn’t like if they got longer and turned into the big Rastafarian dreads. She like them on most people, she didn’t think they were the right look for Quincy.
Spirit and Jaylen, Roman’s cousin, has been together since forever. For a young couple, they were doing the dang thang. Let Spirit tell it, they haven’t even done the do yet. Symphony and Hunter try to tell Spirit, “If you ain’t doing it with J, we guarantee you, he doin’ some other chick you don’t know about.” But Spirit swears up and down he’s faithful and committed to their relationship.
Spirit and Jaylen both come and plop down in an empty seat in front of Symphony and Hunter. “Did you see her?” Sprit turns around and whispers to them.
“Who?” Symphony answers back.
“The girl I was telling Hunter about. The one I said I think she’s crushing on Roman.”
“Please don’t even get that girl started.” Hunter mumbles out loud referring to Symphony.
“O, you talking ‘bout that freshman.” Just then, Amber boards the bus with her two friends. “There she goes right there.” Symphony nudges Hunter until she physically had to look.
“Okaaay?” Hunter questions wondering why looking at a freshman was more important than her shut-eye experience.
“Tell her to come sit back here with us.”
“You tell her! You probably want to just kick it on the girl, anyway.” Hunter turns her body so she was face to face with Symphony. “Are you that pressed over a freshman?”
Spirit was on her knees facing Hunter and Symphony all up in their conversation. “Turn around and quit gossiping.” Jaylen pulls Spirit by her shirt. She did as he said but kept her ears glued to the back of her.
“Pressed!?” Symphony repeats three more times, as if she couldn’t believe Hunter had even thought about letting those words pass through her lips. “When the hell have you ever seen me or known me to be PRESSED about anything, or anybody?” She cocks her head to the side and wait for Hunter to answer. Hunter kept silent trying to diffuse an already heated situation. “Oh, okay. I’ma remember that!” Symphony hissed and looked at Hunter and squinted her eyes as if they were about to secrete venom.
Hunter knew Symphony was not the kind of person she wanted to have on her bad side. It wasn’t as if she was scared of her, Hunter was just not in the market for making any enemies. Besides, Symphony and her have been friends for too long and she knew too many of Hunter’s secrets. She wouldn’t want Symphony to run her mouth so Hunter motions for Amber to come to the back. She was sure Symphony would have a field day with the girl but it was out of her hands.
♥♥♥
Roman knew he was the smoothest brother at Westbrook High. Every girl wanted to get with him and every guy wished they were him. Everyone knew Roman, or rather, what they thought they knew or what he wanted them to know. Even though he stayed mingling with the squad, they never knew what he was really feeling or what he was dealing with on the inside.
Yeah, everyone knew his mother had left him with his grandmother without leaving a note, saying goodbye, or telling them where she was going. But what they didn’t know was how bad the incident had hurt Roman. Sure, he made everyone believe he didn’t give a damn and that it didn’t bother him one bit, but deep down inside, it cut deeper than a machete slicing across his throat.
Symphony thought she was slick, always having to have her little minion crew… her flunkies that always did everything she said, Roman thought as he watched Symphony and her friends call Amber to the back. Roman knew Symphony tried to control him, but he was way too slick for that. He wasn’t about to have a chick running him. That’s why Symphony was always salty; Roman wasn’t one that could be controlled by the hands, thoughts, or words of another.
Sometimes, Roman just liked to piss Symphony off just because he could. He got amused seeing her come out of her hook-up because she always tried to be so cool as if she was untouchable. Like now, the only reason why she told Hunter to call Amber to the back was to mess with her, but Roman had another trick up his sleeves to mess with Symphony and get inside of her head.
As Amber approach the back, Roman stands up and say, “Sup. What’s your name again?”
“Amber.” Roman could tell she was shy and as inexperienced as they came. He peeped her out real quick. Virgin. Definitely a virgin. Had to be. She was too scared to even look him in the face. She was cute though, Roman thought. Would be even cuter if she had a shred of confidence. It was probably all those bumps on her face.
“Move Roman and let her by!” Symphony yells with extreme pisstivity in her voice. Symphony knew Roman, and he knew her. That’s why he ignored her and kept on with his plan. He moves to the side and in an usher-like manner, offers Amber the window seat of where he was sitting.
“Oh! So that’s the game you trying to play?” Symphony says as she sits with her girls becoming loud and obnoxious. “I see somebody want to get fucked up!”
Roman could tell that Amber was becoming uncomfortable, so he tried to make small talk to ease her nerves. “So what you think about Westbrook High?”
“I like it.”
Damn that was it? He was waiting on her to say something more or try her best to make the answer a little longer than that. Roman licks his lips and readjust himself sitting a little closer to Amber. He could feel her shaking. He laughs a bit and touches her arm but she snatches away from him with the quickness. Now, Roman was sitting there baffled. No chick has ever not wanted him to touch her.
He continues with the conversation and let her know it didn’t faze him none. “What you like about it so far?”
“I dunno.”
It was literally like pulling teeth to get her to talk to him. As he’s trying to talk to Amber, Symphony gets louder and louder.
"I should go over there and snatch the rest of her hair off her bald ass head!"
Amber felt self-conscience by Symphony’s threat because she sank down into the seat and fidgeted with her hair. That's one thing Roman hated about Symphony, she always had to be this big tormenter for no reason at all.
"Calm down. You lookin’ real thirsty right now. You must be ready to start breaking those nails off.” Hunter says to Symphony.
"Nah, fuck that! You wouldn't be saying that shit if Q's ass was doin’ that mess, now would you? You got a lot of nerves calling somebody thirsty! Was you thirsty last year when Q broke your heart so bad ya ass had to leave town for the rest of the school year?"
“Symph!” Roman looks over and yells at her. "You need to calm all that down! All that ain't even called for!"
"Nah, what you doing ain't even called for!” She yells back.
Amber gets up but Roman holds her arm for her to sit back down. "What are you doin?"
"I'm just going to sit back in the front. It's too much drama back here for me."
“I got yo drama thotianna!” Symphony yells overhearing Amber’s comment. "Don't get to happy sittin’ where the hell you sittin’. He only got you sitting there because he knows it will piss me off!” Symphony looks at Roman and winks her eye. "He loves the make-up sex which he won't be getting when we get off this bus!” Like I said, Roman knows how to push her buttons and she knows how to push his.
A car pulls up alongside the bus with bass bumping. Roman is grooving to the beat until he sees whose driving. Amber see them too because she ducks down even further. It’s Remy in the car with the twins sitting in the back. Remy sees Roman, taps his watchless wrist, and points his index and thumb at Roman as if pointing and shooting a gun. Roman looks back and sees Quincy shaking his head.
“I’m telling you… that right there, ain’t no idle threat.” Quincy leans forward and whispers to Roman.
“Man please, I don’t know what he’s doing that for… I didn’t make a deal
with the devil, you did.”
9 CHAPTER NINE
AMBER STYLES
Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.
~Sai Baba