"Hi, Shana," I smile into the phone as my eyes stay glued on Michael. "How are you doing?"
Michael fidgets nervously and stares back at me.
Why does he appear guilty?
"I'm fine." She smiles into the phone. "How are you?"
"I'm lovely." I grit then hum. "Umm, Shana, this is Michael's fiancée, umm, maybe you've heard of me?"
"Oh, yeah, your name's Jazmyne, right?" She asks and her voice is filled with sarcasm.
"Yes, that's my name, sweetie." I smack my lips. "So, umm, you're returning Michael's call?"
"Yes, uhh, my publicist told me he called me earlier, but I wasn't around. So, yes, I'm returning his call."
"He called you earlier?" I giggle, still staring at Michael. "Have any clue what he wanted?"
Michael swallows deeply and loudly.
"Probably just to talk. We've been talking a lot lately." Shana proudly informs me.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh." I chuckle. "You've been talking a lot lately? You and Michael have been talking a LOT lately?! So you're friends?"
"Yeah, you could say that."
"I could say that!!" I laugh hysterically and Michael fidgets more. "Ummm, you're a girl, right?"
"I'm all woman, sweetheart, just ask Michael." Shana snaps back.
No, she didn't!
Mood changes and the eyebrow goes up!
"Look, bitch," I hiss into the phone. "let's assume you're a woman, I--"
"Bitch, Michael knows I'm a woman." Shana interrupts. "All woman!!"
"I got yo bitch you stupid cun--"
Michael snatches the phone from me before I can finish my sentence.
"I'll talk to you later, Shana. Bye!" He speaks into the phone before hanging it up.
"Talk to her later? You'll talk to her later?" I shriek, standing up. "Really, Michael?!"
"She's just my friend, Jazz." Michael sighs.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, your friend?" I sarcastically smile and clap.
"Yeah." He nods, looking down at the floor.
"Okay." I smack my lips together. "She's your friend, but Will can't be mine?"
"Jazz, don't--"
"You know what, Michael?" I interrupt as a pained look crosses my face. "I've wondered who kept you occupied while I was in a coma, but now it seems I know."
"Jazz--Jazmyne!" Michael calls as I walk towards my door.
I walk out and close my room door softly behind me.
I wipe tears and sigh heavily before making my way into the living room.
"Hey Jazz, look who's here." Kendra marvels, pointing at Trey.
"Hey, Jazzy." Trey smiles.
I walk past him and his outstretched arms.
"Whatever, dude." I grab my keys off the key hook and walk over to the front door.
"Jazz, where are you going?" Janet asks, walking over to me.
"Janet, when did you get here?" I squeak, trying to hold back tears.
"I came with Michael, but why are you leaving? Where are you going?" She asks again with more concern.
"I just," I began as Michael appears in the hallway. "I need some fresh air."
Everyone looks at Michael.
"Jazmyne." Michael sighs and there's a plea in his voice.
"I'm gone." I say, rolling my eyes at him.
"I'll come with you." Janet offers.
"No." I refuse her company. "I need and want to be alone, Jan."
I open the door and walk out as Michael's footsteps approach me.
"Don't follow me, Michael, or any of you!" I warn all of them as I close the front door behind me.
As I walk down the the front steps, the tears start to pour.
*
"Michael, what did you do to her?" Teyonna hisses as Jazmyne closes the door behind her.
"Nothing." Michael shakes his head. "Teyonna, I didn't do anything to her."
"Bullshit."
"Teyonna, don't." Siggy shushes her.
Teyonna raises an eyebrow at him.
Siggy gives her the same look as she rolls her eyes at him.
"Whatever, Michael, I know you did something to her," Teyonna accuses as she walks towards the front door. "and I'm going to find out what it was."
Michael rolls his eyes as Teyonna opens the front door.
"I didn't hear any yelling, Tey, so they couldn't have been arguing." Kendra says as Teyonna peeks outside.
"Just because you don't see the lightning doesn't mean there isn't thunder, Kendra."
Kendra squints then looks at Trey confused.
Trey shrugs as Teyonna walks out of the apartment.
"Mike, what happened back there?" Janet walks over and asks him softly as Teyonna yells loudly for Jazz. "Did you say something wrong, Mike?"
"Let me go after Tey." Siggy says, standing up, before walking over to his aunt and uncle. "I'm sorry for whatever's happening with you and Jazz, Uncle Mike. She'll be back. She loves you and you know that. It'll be all good."
"I don't know about that." Michael mumbles and Janet stares at Michael's guilt ridden face as Siggy and Kendra walk out of the apartment.
"I'm gonna leave you two alone." Trey points at Michael and Janet. "It was good seeing you again though."
"You too, Trey." Michael nods politely as Trey leaves the room.
"Mike, what happened? Why did Jazz leave?" Janet asks again once Trey is gone. "What's going on now?"
Michael looks at his little sister and sighs again.
*
"He can have "friends" but I can't?" I mumble to myself as I walk to the park behind my apartment. "That's some bullshit. Some crazy bullshit."
I clang two swings together and continue mumbling to myself.
I can't believe him!
I think I know him, but it's like everyday he's someone different.
Where's the Michael I fell in love?
How can he--
"Ugh, this is some stupid bullshit!!" I hiss louder to myself.
"What's some stupid bullshit?" A familiar voice asks from my left.
"Devonte?" I lightly chuckle and look around me.
What is he doing out here?
"Yeah, it's me." He smiles and walks closer to me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, looking around again.
"I live over there." He points to the apartment complexes across the way. "I was washing my car when I saw you. So I decided to come over and speak."
"Oh." I nod when I spot his car with soap suds still on it.
"Yeah, so why are you out at this time?" Devonte asks with a slight chuckle. "I know it's dusk, but Jazz, you're never outside."
"I needed some air." I shrug, walking over to an empty swing to sit down.
"Mind if I get some with you?"
Devonte sits in the swing beside me and I stare at him for a minute.
"I guess, I mean it is free." I jest, standing from the swing.
Devonte chuckles as he stands too. "Well, let's go sit on the bench. The air is fresher over there."
"Alright." I agree and we walk over to the bench to sit down.
"So how are you?" Devonte asks as we sit.
"I'm fine." I answer politely. "And you?"
"The same."
I nod. "Still producing?"
"Yeah, I'm trying to get my own studio now." He smiles. "You know what? I think you should be my first official production on DeezCrazyProductions."
"I don't know about that." I blush.
"Jazz, you can blow. And you know Jackie is gonna try to get you into the studio with me anyways."
"I've heard this."
"Then why don't you just come over so we can lay.." He winks at me suggestively. "something down."
"You don't have a studio yet." I point out.
"I have one at my house though." He states, pointing across the way at his place. "Come over so we can do something."
I smile and stare at him as he licks his lips.
*
"What happened, Mike?" Janet asks again.
"Shana called." Michael whispers.
"Shana?" Janet ask. "Shana who?"
"Shana Shana."
Janet rolls her eyes and throws up her hands.
"Michael, I thought she was in your past once you and Jazz got together."
"She was, Dunk, but I ran into her one day while Jazz was still in the hospital. I needed someone to talk to and we started talking. I forgot how much I liked being with her."
Janet stares at her brother's dumb smiling face.
"That's all you did, isn't it?" She questions curiously.
Michael wipes the smile from his face and looks down at the floor.
"Michael, you didn't!" Janet scolds him.
"I did." Michael sadly and softly confesses.
"You had sex with Shana while Jazmyne was in a coma?!"
Michael nods slowly confirming.
Unbeknownst to the siblings, Teyonna's listening from outside on the porch and Trey's listening from the hallway.