Epiphany

Chapter 7 ~

I sat in the back of English, dozing off before I felt a light push on my shoulder.

It was this nerd in my class, Harold. "Cassi, she finna call on you to answer the next question."

"Ahh, so when we were younger, we learned about imperative, interrogative, declarative, and exclamatory sentences. One of them gives a command, but which one .. uh .. ah, yes! Ms. Logan?"

I dapped Harold up and answered the question, "Imperative."

"That's right .. next time don't go sleeping in my class." She said, and then the bell rang.

"Yes ma'am." I said, picking up my stuff.

I went to my locker to take out me & Speedy's project, because after lunch, I had Geometry.

I closed my locker to see Speedy's face, almost looking depressed.

"Wassap baby?" He asked, leaning down and kissing me.

"Hey, Speedy. Wassap? You look like you been crying." I replied, laughing.

He slightly grinned and then went back to a frown, "Principal changed my lunch to 3rd lunch instead of 4th, cause all my thugs in 4th."

I sighed, but hid my sadness with a smile, "Oh .. that's cool." I attempted to walk off, but Speedy grabbed my arm.

"Don't leave me, yet." He said, wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his forehead on mines.

"You gotta get to class, and I'm hungry." I replied, simply.

He sighed and released me, "Alright, whatever."

I watched him as he walked away. He kept turning back to look at me with this sad ass face. I couldn't help but laugh.

I went to lunch, and saw Akia and Lamar already sitting down at our table.

"Where the hell you been?" Lamar asked me.

"She was with her boooo!" Akia answered, winking at me.

"Boo who?" Lamar asked, dipping a fry in some ketchup.

"Speedy." I answered, in a low voice.

"Who?!" Lamar yelled, causing a couple of faces to turn our direction.

"Spe-"

"Naw, nigga, I heard you! You must can't hear? Do you not remember what I told you?!"

"I do, Lamar. Can I just get one chance? Please?"

"Naw, bruh. He gone hurt you, Cassi. And, you my lil sister. Why the fuck would I let a nigga hurt you?"

"If he does, I'll just leave, Lamar."

"It's not that easy." He said, in a lower voice.

"Trust me, it will be." I said, standing up to give him a hug.

He hugged me tightly and said, "Just remember what I said: he touch you, I kill him."

I smiled and Akia said, "Okay, all the lovey dovey shit over. Now, let's talk about me."

I sat down and said, "Alright, wassap Alex?"

She smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but someone spoke before her.

"Aw, look at lil Speedy!" I heard Nikki's ratchet voice say. I guess they took Speedy and a couple of his thugs out this lunch and put Nikki them in.

I looked up at her and smiled, "Live in the flesh, baby."

"Aw, Nikki. You remember a few of minutes ago, Speedy was all down your throat?" One of her girls said.

"Listen, you gay ass trick! If you don't get your 4 eyed ass outta here, I'ma whoop yo shit!" Akia said, standing up to Nikki homegirl. She bucked at her, and homegirl almost fell. Lamar busted out laughing, and he pulled Akia down by her waist.

I laughed too, and turned my attention towards Nikki, "Even if the nigga was down your HIV filled throat, why you telling me? I must pose to be mad?"

"I don't know .. but lemme tell you, we got a great set of lips that taste like cherry. And when I say WE, I mean us and all the other bitches he cheating on you with." She replied, smirking and walking off, with her bitches following her.

I sighed and looked at Lamar. Nikki was right .. Speedy's lips did taste like cherries.

"Don't worry bout them bitches, I'ma get um for you." Akia said, bobbing her knee up and down.

Lamar just shook his head.

**

I sat at the second table, on the second row in Mrs. Vicky's class, with my head down.

"Damn, bitch we been sitting herrr' for bout the whole damn class hour and yeeen say shit! Yo period on?" Lia asked me.

I laughed a little and said, "Naw girl .. I'm just a little sad."

"Owee, is it cause of that bitch Nikki? I can't stand her with a passion. Yeen go here for freshman year, I had got da' fighting with that bitch .. hell naw, I raised hell. The polices started macing bitches and shit. That was the fight of the year! Somebody got that bitch on record for me, you wanna see it? I still got it." She began pulling out her phone.

I laughed, "Nah, lemme see it later."

"Alright, but if you want that bitch ass whooped again, you know where I be at."  

 I smiled and looked at the board. Through my peripheral vision, I could see Speedy staring holes through my skin.

"Okay, class. I want you to get with your partner so you all can put any last minute touches to your project."   Mrs. Vicky said.

"I'ma see you later, trick." Lia said, walking to her partner.

I pulled me & Speedy's project out and put it on the table, and put my head back down.

"Baby .." I heard Speedy say, and then putting his arm behind my neck.

I didn't say anything.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"Nothing." I mumbled. He shifted his arm from my neck to my waist, adding his other arm too. I lifted my head up, and he put his chin in the crook of my neck.

"Cassi, what's wrong with you?" He whispered in my ear, causing me to tingle a little.

"I wanna talk about it later." I replied, nonchalantly.

He nodded, and I felt his forehead move into my neck instead of his chin. I looked up to see Nikki and two of her girls looking our way.

I smiled at them, and Nikki rolled her eyes and so did the girls.

I remembered when Nikki said Speedy's lips tasted like cherries, and immediatly got irritated.

I took Speedy's arms from around me, and put my head back down.

"What now, Cassi?" He asked. I could tell he was as irritated as much as I was.

The bell rang, and I grabbed my stuff. I put our project in the little basket.

I walked out of the classroom, before looking back at Speedy.

Nikki was all in his face, smiling and shit. She grabbed his hand, and he followed her lead.

I shrugged my shoulders and made my way to track tryouts.