ｈｏｏｄｂａｂｉｅｓ(hood niggas pt2) [DISCONTINUED]

9.

the class was arranged in a semi-circle so that everyone could engage. i laid back as ms. greenwich started reading.

shut it down! shut it all down!
listen, do you not hear me? shut it down!
hear me, hear my heart, it's losing time.
i've got to go!
my heart is running out of time and it needs help.
help? what help?
was it not i that allowed you to stab it?
was it not you that twisted the knife? shut up, you know what i mean.

please be careful with it doc, it's my last one.
he ran with the others and came back empty handed and like a fool, i gave him a new one.
not anymore, no!
i'll fix this one and wear it with pride.
pride?
why, yes pride.
why?
because it's my last one.

"like always, i won't say the name but i really liked it. so what do you think?" she put the paper down and smiled.

"she a bitch." a guy said. i chuckled softly.

"language mr. forbes but why's that and why do you think it's a female?"

"because only a female gone cry like that. aight, he broke yo lil heart, move on then." he shrugged.

"sometimes it's not that easy, she been giving this guy her heart and he kept breaking it." a girl argued. i sat up, watching everyone chip in.

"mr ali, you have anything to say?" greenwich nodded at me.

"i mean, i get what homie is saying about moving on but lil mama got tired of being playing like a dummy. she told everyone to shut everything down just to save her heart, that's coming from a place of hurt. ion blame her, i would've rocked that broken heart like a g too." i chuckled.

"personally i don't think it's a relationship thing." angelica looked at greenwich.

"and why's that?" she asked. we all got quiet. angelica barely spoke in class so whenever she did, we all paid attention.

"i mean, 'he' doesn't necessarily need to be a man, it could be the world. she probably has so much on her plate it hurts her, hence shutting everything down just to go get her heart checked by the doctor. sometimes people put their all into something and when it doesn't work out, it hurts so we try again. i just think she's fed up about life in general." she shrugged.

i licked my lips and leaned back. ain't no way you can't tell me that ain't her poem.

"nice perspective ms. banks. okay, we've got time for one more poem, let's go." she pulled out another paper.

"that was yo poem right?" i whispered to angelica as everyone left class.

"why you think that?" she smirked.

"ion think, i know that's yo poem. but aye, if you need to talk to anybody, i'm right here." i said as we walked out the class.

"it's not my poem." she smiled before walking ahead of me.

i smirked watching her walk away. i lightly jogged to biology and sat at my desk in the back. i wasn't even paying attention, my mind was going a mile a minute. i pulled out my english notebook and started writing.

i know you hurting, i see it but you're so strong.
you've got the strengths of a thousand moons
beautiful dark skin with a sparkling glow
you are the ancestral map we've been crying for

so complex like genetics, you're raw
you've been created with no wrongs, no flaws, no edits.

i

can't

even

begin to describe what you do to me it's different, you give me spaceship vibes. you're so out of this world i'm surprised you can breath our air.

the little constellation we mere beings call beauty spots that scatter your body, shine like gems.

you're the whole gem mine.

i'm here, with my arms open, ready to catch that diamond when it falls,

to make it mine.

ms. greenwich was turning niggas into poets, ian like it. i scratched out her name at the end because i felt dumb. i put my notebook down and attempted to pay attention but my mind wasn't even here.

the bell rang and i shot out my seat and went back to my english class before lunch. "come in mr ali." she nodded.

"i just thought you might wanna read it tomorrow." i gave it to her.

"you want it read?" she looked surprised.

"yeah, i like it so why not." i shrugged.

"very well then, i'll be sure to read it." she took the paper. i walked out her class and went to the cafeteria.

darnell and omari were laughing and angelica was eating grapes, "wassup y'all." i gave omari dap and hugged darnell.

"hey angel." i nudged her, sitting next to her.

"you're girlfriend was here, told me to tell you that she left her panties at your place." she chewed her grapes, eyeing me.

"what? kenya ain't been to my place." i raised my eyebrow.

"hey, that's not my business, i just passed on the message." she laughed, joining darnell amd omari's conversation.

(a/n: all poems in this book are MINE! yes we're poetic or whatever 🤧)