Chapter 25 - The Whole Truth
It was the last week of school at Dunbar. After the camping trip, everything sorta changed. Nebbie hasn't talked to Adonis the whole weekend. She was afraid of speaking to him and how she left him there. It's not like she didn't like the kiss it just that she didn't want to ruin their friendship. But also because she was insecure about herself she didn't think that he would actually like her.
Nebbie put her headphones in and was listening to Bryson Tiller. She really didn't want to go to Chemistry this morning and sit next to Adonis. But when she got into the class he was not there yet and besides she was a little early. She at down in her seat and pulled out a coloring book and some crayons and began to color.
Adonis came into class late. His head wasn't in the right place. The whole thing with Nebbie kinda set him off track. He thought they had something they thought they connected at the lake. He knew since the first day he saw her that he liked her and had something for her. Adonis took his sit next to her but he saw that she was already busy. Of course he wanted to talk to her but he could tell when he was being ignored.
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Nebbie was at her locker getting all her stuff together before lunch. Today for her was okay she was ignoring Adonis and it seemed to be working. At least she thought, because Adonis was on his way to talk to her at the lockers.
"Nebbie! Why you trying to ignore me?" Adonis asked her.
"Leave me alone. I just want to by myself," Nebbie said. Adonis was getting a little upset he thought it was himself who did wrong but maybe it was her.
"I'm sorry for kissing you if that's why you're mad," Adonis said.
"Well Adonis you can't just do that," Nebbie said.
"I thought we had something I know I'm not the only one who felt it," Adonis said.
"I don't know what you are talking about," Nebbie lied.
"So that's how it is? You just gon stop talking to me," Adonis said.
"I don't know I just don't want to be around you at this moment," Nebbie said.
"Can I ask you this question? Why? Why are you so distant toward me? Are you hiding something?" Adonis asked.
"You know what why don't you ask your football captain. Why don't you ask Brianna? Shit just ask anybody about me and they'll tell you," Nebbie said. Adonis was confused. He wondered about what she was talking about. But before he could even ask Nebbie walked away. Adonis was just standing there by her locker.
Brianna saw the whole argument and she decided this was her opportunity to get with him.
"Adonis...Are you okay?" Brianna said.
"Don't front like you wasn't watching what happened. I saw you," Adonis said.
"I did...It's a lot you don't know about Nebbie," Brianna said.
"What do you mean?" Adonis asked.
"Well she kinda has thing for Lance. They dated all last year," Brianna said.
"Lance?" Adonis said. That crushed his ego. She goes out with Lance but not me Adonis thought.
"Yeah Lance. They broke up because she was so quick to pressure him to sex. She's not as a sweet girl as she seems. So at this party we had she slept with one of his friends. Then Lance exposed her the next school day and she was embarrassed," Brianna explained.
"I don't believe you. Not Nebbie she wouldn't have went with Lance," Adonis said.
"You weren't here last year so you wouldn't know. We were friends once but things changed she got mixed in the wrong crowd," Brianna said.
"What are you saying?" Adonis asked.
"She's a hoe and I just don't want you to get hurt," Brianna said.
"If anybody a hoe it's you. Trying to talk to me when you got somebody," Adonis said while walking off to lunch. He was pissed off he didn't want to believe Brianna and he knew better not too. It was a little piece of him that believed that Nebbie did one of those things she mentioned.
❀
Adonis went into the cafeteria lunch line. He was still angry and people was trying to skip him and all that. One of them was Lance but he used that as opportunity.
"Lance? What's up with you and Nebbie?" Adonis asked.
"She asked?" Lance said.
"No I did," Adonis said.
"Well it's a long story...You see Brianna came up to me with this plan. Apparently her and Nebbie had beef for a while and she wanted me to bring her down. I thought since I knew Brianna a long time that maybe I could do this before. So I went out with Nebbie for her. Things got out of head between us we ended up...you know. Then the next day I brought her underwear to school and waved it in there and it was so funny. People through it all around the hallway," Lance said while laughing. Lance told Adonis the truth because he knows that Adonis like Nebbie. But Lance wanted to rub it in his face that he already had her.
"So you took her virginity because Brianna said so," Adonis clarified.
"Yeah she even told she loved me," Lance said while laughing. Adonis was pissed off then he was before. No wonder why she won't give me a chance because of this fuck nigga. I bet she was mortified about it Adonis thought. It's one thing you should know about Adonis you should never hurt people you care about.
Adonis got his tray and Lance still laughing till the point where he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his tray and then swung around hitting Lance in his face. Lance didn't expect that it caught him off guard. Adonis took this opportunity to sent a hard blow to his jawline. Lance stumbled backwards and then Lance came back up and punched Adonis in the arm to the point where it ended up leaving a bruise. Adonis, really pissed, throw a blow on the bridge of his nose.
Nebbie and her friends were at the lunch eating when they saw everybody standing up.
"YO! They fighting," Benjamin said as he stood up.
"Who?" Jessica said.
"I see dreads in the air," Benjamin said. Nebbie stood on top of a chair. She saw Adonis and Lance and her mouth dropped.
"Oh my god," Nebbie said. Adonis was whooping his ass like Lance had no choice. Lance punched in the face was but Adonis punched him back in the bridge of his nose.
"That's Adonis though," Benjamin said.
"I have to stop this," Nebbie said as he dropped down from the chair and began to walked toward them. It was hard for her to push through the fight. She heard them yelling. Lance was begging him to stop but Adonis was silent. Nebbie was pushing through the crowd but she saw Brianna trying to break them apart.
"You guys stop..." Brianna said. Adonis stop fighting Lance. Lance was roughed up but he wasn't bleeding he couldn't get up at all.
"You a bitch. Don't ever talk to me no more," Adonis told Brianna.
"But I," Brianna began.
"You really have nothing else to do. Don't you?" Adonis asked. The principal came in the lunch room and told Adonis to come into his office while motioning with his hands. Adonis sighed and left the cafeteria.
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Adonis was in the car with his uncle. He had to leave school early due to the fight.
"So we getting into fights now," His uncle said.
"It was for a reason, Unc," Adonis said.
"It doesn't matter. You not in Compton anymore you can't just fight anybody," His uncle said.
"I won't get into more fights," Adonis said trying to avoid the conversation. He was calm now and he didn't want to deal with it right now.
"The school called your mom," He said.
"WHAT!!" Adonis yelled.
"Yep she was the one who told me," He said.
"Oh my god...It's over for me," Adonis said. They arrived at the house and Adonis went on to his room. He sat on the bed. Adonis didn't regret fighting Lance. He really deserved it. He was thinking about Nebbie at the time. He thought of times she kissed him and how it was a lie or how she probably cried afterwards. That hurt him deeply. Nebbie was a sweet girl and deserved to be treated so he couldn't understand why they do that to her.
Adonis phone ringed and he grabbed it and saw his mom was calling him. Adonis sighed and answered the phone.
"Hey mommy I missed you," Adonis said sweetly.
"Adonis Russell Wright! Don't play with me," His mom said.
"Yes ma'am," Adonis said. He knew he was in trouble when she said his full name.
"Why you fighting at school? I put you over there for a reason. For you to get a better education a better life. You just how you was Compton. Getting into fights. What's wrong with you? I expect you do what you're supposed to do," His mom said.
"I'm sorry...I'll never do it again," Adonis said hoping she would let him off easy.
"Why did you do it? You're not answering that question," His mom said.
"I was mad and things escalated," Adonis said.
"Why are you getting mad?" His mom asked.
"I told you ma," Adonis said.
"Adonis be honest with me. I know you not fighting for no reason," His mom said.
"Ma, I was defending a friend of mine. I got angry and I couldn't control my actions so I fought him," Adonis said.
"Donnie I understand that. You care for people I know that. But sometimes you gotta think about yourself too," His mom said.
"I get it ma but I was only thinking about her," Adonis said.
"Her? Now I really get it," His mom said.
"Yeah I care about her ma," Adonis said.
"Just...just be careful ok?" His mom said.
"Ok I love you," Adonis said.
"Love you too, bye," His mom said. She hanged up the phone. Adonis sighed. He didn't get in that much trouble as he once thought.
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Nebbie was in her mother's car. The whole day everybody was talking about Adonis and Lance. That was really unexpected for her. She never seen him so angry.
"Mom can you drop me off at Kevin's house?" Nebbie asked.
"Sure I'll pick you at 8," Veronica said.
"Thanks," Nebbie said. Veronica turned around her car and drove to Kevin's house. They arrived in a little under 10 minutes. Nebbie got out the car and walked to Kevin's house. Nebbie knocked on the door. Kevin's dad opened the door.
"Hi Nebbie How are you?" Kevin's dad said.
"Great is um... Adonis here," Nebbie said.
"Yes he is in room. You can visit him if you want," Kevin's dad said.
"Thanks," Nebbie said as she entered. She knew where Adonis room was and his door was closed. Nebbie knocked on his door.
"It's open!" Adonis yelled through the door. Nebbie slowing opened the door.
"Hey," Nebbie said.
"You ok?" Adonis asked. Nebbie sat next him to on the edge of his bed.
"Why you ask? I should be asking you that," Nebbie said.
"You know 'ole Donnie don't get hurt. His face was kinda hard though. But forreal Are you ok?" Adonis asked.
"I'm fine," Nebbie said.
"Be honest with me Nebbie I know. Lance told me about you two," Adonis said.
"Oh that like I said I'm fine now. That was last year."
"You don't have to lie to me."
"Alright! I'm still hurt. I trusted him and he lied to me. I was mortified. He did that in front of everybody all for her. They kissed in front of me that day."
"What the fuck is wrong with them?"
"I don't know but I don't care anymore."
"Well he told me about like it was a joke and I was so pissed and I snapped."
"You didn't have to do that."
"I care about you and I felt bad that I wasn't there for you."
"Why are you upset? You didn't even go to Dunbar yet."
"I know but still I wanted to be there and I blame myself."
"It's not your fault. It's mine I should've known better. Him and me."
"What does that mean?"
"He's a football player and popular and I'm just Nebbie."
"There's nothing wrong with you. You're everything and bring joy to a lot of people."
"You can say that but it's a lot harder for me to believe it."
"Nebbie..." Adonis knew that he couldn't continue. He wanted tell her that she mattered to him. That she was the only person he really cared about since he got her. But he couldn't he didn't want to be turned down. He now knows the full truth Nebbie is insecure about herself all because of that incident last year.
"Maybe things would've been different if you were there that day. You probably would've been beat his ass."
"Nah if I was there last year you probably wouldn't even think about Lance. You would've be been with me." Nebbie blushed but it was true. Nebbie and Adonis would've been together but things didn't happen that. Plus Nebbie's not sure if she could be in another love.
"So...um. How long you're going to be suspended?"
"3 days but I'm not coming back. What's the purpose of going back?"
"Who knows?"
"So are people talking about me."
"Yeah you should've seen Lance. He was so shocked and angry. Everybody was talking about him and making fun of him. Brianna looked shocked and she got mad at Lance."
"I wish would've seen that."