Josephine
My aunt ended up picking me up and since I been here Iâve gotten a lecture from her, my granny and my uncle. That was well over three hours ago and theyâre still talking! I eventually tuned them out; well I tried to anyway. âYou know yo Momma gonâ beat yo ass.â My uncle snickered and I rolled my eyes ignoring them and their remarks.Â
Eventually I migrated outside and sat on the porch before my mouth wrote another check my ass couldnât cash. âFlo Jo whatâs shaking baby.â I smiled somewhat before my eyes fell on Abel. Heâs like the local big brother around here.Â
My mother and his mother are best friends and have been for years. He was about six when I came into the picture and since then weâve never really separated. Heâs like a leaf in fall. Blowing wherever the wind pushes him until another breeze comes along.
âAbe you have to save me!â I pouted with a slight laugh.Â
âI canât help you. Auntie crazy as hell and I ainât even about to dodge no punches today,â He chuckled loudly; I whined in response. âShe might take it easy on you. Didnât you fight chicken heads daughter?â He inquired and I nodded.Â
Toniâs mother and my Momma hated each other for as long as I can remember. I donât know what happened between them I just know when Toni and I got called to the principalâs office in middle school Momma told me if she bothers me to beat her ass.Â
From then up until this point I never really fought back. Momma hated that, but she also said she donât want me to get into any trouble this year since Iâm a punk.
âWalk with me.â He nodded his head towards the gas station. I had my purse and phone with me so I just got up and went. Abel asked me about school and I gave him a quick run down before telling him about the fight.Â
âI hear you whooped her ass and broke her finger,â He dapped me with a chuckle. âRemember what I say âbout them power hits.â He pointed and nodded. I know I can fight because he taught me since elementary school. He brought him some swishers and got me a cup of ice, juice, and chips.
I swear I feel so safe with my big brother! I hate when he leaves because thatâs when shit seems to hit the fan. Six o'clock seemed to roll around and right on the dot my Mommaâs car pulled into Grannyâs driveway. Talk about a dead girl walking.
âOh shit. She look mad as fuck.â He sucked in air through his teeth.
âNo she just got resting bitch face.â I sighed rising off his porch. He laughed and patted my shoulder. His mother works crazy shifts at White Castle so he goes back and forth between there and his girlfriendâs place just to make sure ainât nobody messing with his Momma or her shit. I made my way across the street sluggishly and inhaled deeply before walking into the house.
âJosephine Yvette Jenks!â
I know youâre wondering how much trouble I got into. At first it wasnât bad until Toniâs Mom wanted to press charges thatâs when shit got bad! Momma beat my ass I swear I could not sit for entire week I was out of school. When I got to school this morning I sat in the car with Abel for a few minutes before I had to get out.Â
Like the first day I went straight to my locker and got out what I would need for Language Arts and headed straight to that class. âGood morning.â Mr. Brown said before taking a sip from his thermal cup.Â
âMorning.â I went to take my seat in the back in the last row near the chalk board. âJo we have a seating plan now and youâre right here.â He pointed to the desk right beside the podium.Â
âOh okay.â I trailed off taking my new seat. I pulled out my spare notebook and started to draw something random. I settled for a portrait of a random girl I saw on tumblr.
I felt his presence at the podium, but I continued drawing. Voices started to get louder signaling more people came in. âThatâs really good, Josephine.â Mr. Brown complimented as he walked past. âThank you.â I smiled softly starting to do some shading for her hair.Â
The bell rang and he closed the door. If you arenât here when the bell rings you have to get a pass. âAlright pass up yesterdayâs homework to the front. Then start your bellringer.â He instructed then cut the lights off. I took out a loose piece of paper and copied the bell work.
___
My last class of the day and Iâm so ready to go home! I did and turned in all the work from last week so thatâs off my to do list. Mr. Brown smiled at me as I entered the art room. âYouâre always early.â He noted and I shrugged. âThere isnât anything out there for me.â I laughed somewhat honestly.Â
I mean I could socialize and attempt to make some friends, but for what? Some of the females in here donât know how to be a real friend and I will not put myself in a position to have to whoop someoneâs ass because theyâre being fake. âYou donât have or donât want to make any friends?â He polled somewhat in shock.
âI donât trust people honestly. I observe and I can tell right off the bat if I like a person. Everyone here is fake as hell and so are the teachers.â
âOuch.â He put his hand on his chest faking a pain.Â
âI wasnât talking about you, but if the shoe fits.â I shrugged with sly smile.Â
âFair enough,â he chuckled putting his hands up in defense. âDid you finish the picture you started earlier?â He asked and I nodded and flipped open my notebook. I showed him the page and he got up from his desk to get a closer look.Â
âYouâre really good girl. Serious talent.â He admired the drawing. âThank you.â I felt an unknown emotion course through me. Besides Abel I donât let other people see my drawings.
Momma calls it mindless garbage. A couple years ago I drew her a picture of her as a African Queen. She hated it and tossed it in the basement. I had it blown up and put it in a gold frame for her. So now I just get her a card and turtles from Fannie May.
âCan I keep it?â He looked at me and it caught me off guard a bit. âYeah be my guest.â I smiled and he gave it back to me to peel out the notebook. âSign it for me?â He asked and I smiled.
âI did. Itâs just hidden.â
âNot telling. You have to find it.â
He grinned at me and nodded before taking it to his desk. Everyone seemed to be coming in last minute because there was a fight in the hallway. Because the room is set up with tables with four chairs to each table a group of three guys sat at the table with me.Â
The one that sat beside me was dark skinned and he had a pretty smile and handsome chocolate orbs. Most people donât see the beauty in dark brown eyes, but his has this twinkle to them that matches his smile. Mr. Brown continued to go on to recap what they did last week while I drew in my notepad as I listened.
âHey, how you doing baby?â A voice asked lowly, but I didnât think they were talking to me until it felt like someone was staring at me. I glanced around and noticed the guy beside me was looking dead at me. âWeâre you talking to me?â I asked and he nodded with a chuckle leaving his full lips. âIâm sorry I didnât know.â I apologized completely embarrassed and confused. âWhatâs your name baby girl?â He licked his lips and shifted in his seat.Â
âJosephine.â I shook his outreach hand.
âKenneth.â He smiled a toothy grin.Â
His bottom lip embedded itself between his teeth. I instantly had the urge to swipe my tongue across my lips slowly. I looked down shyly at my drawing and nibbled on the inside of my bottom lip. âYou drew that?â He spoke again and I nodded looking down to see what I was drawing.Â
Sometimes I forget what Iâm drawing and just draw out of habit. This time it happened to be a rose. Kenneth went to open his mouth, but the sound of someone clearing their throat grasped our attention.Â
âMr. James and Miss Jenks. Do I need to separate you two?â Mr. Brown scolded; my head hung low slightly and I shook my head no. âNah you ainât gotta do that. I canât promise to behave, but Iâll try.â Kenneth looked me up and down and my cheeks grew warm. It didnât help that other people were ooohing and going oh snap! Mr. Brown dimmed his eyes at us, his state firmer on me, before going back into his lesson.Iâm so embarrassed!!
___
After class Kenneth told me he was new here and the two guys with him are his brothers. Theyâre new here obviously and he thought heâd speak to a friendly face. I donât know if thatâs him flirting or what. According to Abel I got resting bitch face like my Momma. âWhere you stay?â Kenneth leaned against some lockers beside mine. âOver by Kennedy. Iâm a couple blocks away from Anthonyâs.â I referred to the restaurant on the boulevard.
âNo bullshitting I live over there too. You wanna walk with us? Or we can ride the bus.â
âI donât think I can my brother is supposed to pick me up and before I even attempt to hang with anyone he has to meet them. Itâs mandatory.â I giggled shyly because anyone who comes near me heads for the hills once they realize heâs my brother.Â
âI ainât scared to meet yo brother. Iâll meet him now.â I laughed at his confidence.âYouâre so confident! Thatâs cute!â I cooed patting his shoulder. âCute? Baby girl Iâm sexy.â He smoothed his brows and posing. Indeed he is. I laughed and looked at my iPhone 6 Plus Abel gotten me.
Big Bruh đȘđ: Iâm outside c'mon a nigga hungry. Iâm tryna get to Pepeâs!
âWell heâs outside. If youâre serious about meeting him lets go.â I gestured for them to follow me. Sure enough he was right behind me his brothers decided to take the bus. I spotted Abeâs car right out front of the double doors. When he saw me he instantly got out of the car; âWho this?â
âAbel this is Kenneth. Kenneth, Abel.â I introduced the two. Ken stuck his hand out for a shake but Abe just looked at his hand. I narrowed my eyes at him telling him to be nice and he reluctantly shook his hand.Â
âHe wants to be my friend and I told him the rule. He had to meet you first.â I informed and a wicked grin came across his face.
âYup and you will only hang with her if I say so. Is that clear?â He directed his attention to Kenneth. âGood. C'mon Iâm hungry as fuck and I gotta get you home before both our Mommaâs beat my ass.â He waved us over to the car. I hopped in the front and Ken hopped in the back. Abel gave me a look and I smiled big.
He better be nice or Iâll whoop his ass.