The Only Exception

25

"She just decided that she didn't want to move out of our dorm, so I'm moving. I just needed a place to crash til I get an apartment but Essence said I can crash at her place. So I'm on my way there."

"No you aren't. Just go to mines."

"But I'm already—."

"Letoya." She called out warningly and I noticed how her tone firmed. "Wasn't a question. Shawn's already there so I'll have her looking for you."

Rolling my eyes, which I was thankful that she couldn't see, I replied as I turned my car around and headed in the other direction. "Alright. I'm on my way there."

"Thank you." She had a attitude when she said that like I wasn't a grown ass woman but I still bit my tongue. "So she just walked into the dorm and stated her residency?"

"No. I'll tell you whenever you get off."

"No. Tell me now." She mumbled back.

"Her and her friend approached me and her friend made her announce this weak apology my way. I told her I forgave her so I could walk away and next thing I knew she was announcing that she wasn't leaving the dorms."

Jo sighed. "Well, you know you are welcomed at my place for as long as you want. You don't have to get an apartment."

Knowing how easily Jo and I could piss each other off, me not having an apartment was not the wisest choice in the matter. Plus I wanted something on my own. I deserved at least that much to give myself.

"But I want to. I just need to get my own place. Graduations coming up anyways, so this is long overdue."

"True. True. Well how—." Jo stopped talking and I heard someone come into her office. "What can I do for you?" They mumbled something back and I listened as she commented something under her breath before speaking louder. "Webber, every time you touch my office you bare bad news. What do you mean you don't have her?"

I chuckled to myself. Jo always called this man by his last name even though he'd rather be called David.

David answered where I could hear him that time. "We lost her—."

"How do you lose a person?" I could already imagine Jo's face as she asked him that in disbelief and I shook my head as I continued driving.

"I guess she left the lobby before anybody could see Miss Jackson."

"She left before anybody could see? Do you hear yourself right now? It's a whole freaking human! They don't just walk out and nobody sees them. Whose working my front desk?" Jo asked him.

He replied. "Jen."

"Jen let her walk out? Alright tell Jen that today's her last day. She let her leave, she's fired."

"No ma'am. I'm not saying that—."

Jo cut him off as she yelled. "Make up your damn mind! Who let her walk out?!"

"Come on now, don't yell at David, Jo. It's not all his fault here." I spoke to her.

Jo grumbled back. "Why didn't I take you off of speaker phone? Don't take up for him."

"Thats my buddy. Hey David!"

"Is that Letoya?" He asked and Jo mumbled yes. He shouted back. "Hey Toya!"

"You two finished having this love fest?" Jo asked both of us.

"Sorry Miss Jackson." David apologized quickly but I didn't. Shit, I wasn't sorry for anything. I didn't do nothing but speak.

Jo spoke to me. "Letoya let me call you back."

"Alright." I replied before she hung up. My radio came back on just for me to pull into Jo's driveway and turn it back off. Honking the horn, a few seconds later Shawn appeared. I got out and yelled. "Help me get this stuff please!"

She nodded as she came outside and when she opened my trunk she made a face. "Hell no. This too much shit. All of this was in your damn dorm?"

"Yeah." I replied back.

Shawn shook her head. "You can get ya girlfriend to help you out with this one. I'm going finish watching reruns of Grownish."

She walked away and I yelled. "Shawnette! Seriously?"

She turned and looked back at me. "Yes kid. Seriously."

"Stupid self." I mumbled as I grabbed two of my duffels and threw them over my shoulder and hauled it into the house. She wasn't no help at all.

My phone buzzed and I saw that it was Essence texting me.

Essence 💜
Monica is at my fucking door looking for you. You need to bring your ass before I stump this bougie ass hoe down a few inches. You gone put money on my books?

With widened eyes, I dropped the duffels on the floor and spoke quickly to Shawn. "I'll be back. Tell Jo I went to my sisters." Leaving, I closed my trunk and got back into my car. My sister wasn't playing. Her dislike for Monica was heavy. Heavy enough for Essence to catch a case over it.