Old classic records and pieces of abstract art were scattered across the walls of the small grungy coffeehouse. It was only early evening and the venue was already filling up with diverse groups of people. In fact, it was surprising to Raine that the space was dominated with more darker skin folk than lighter.
Raine and Chris sat side by side at small round table facing the worn down stage. Chris sat with her legs open and her back slumped against her wooden chair as if the place was her second home. Meanwhile, Raine pulled her basketball cap down as she happily munched on a stack of grilled cheese sandwiches cut perfectly into triangles.
The aroma of Ethiopian coffee beans and freshly baked cookies seeped through the place. How could she resist all this amazing food? Raine blinked as Chris chugged her coffee out of a neon-yellow mug that seemed brighter than the dim lighting of the room.
Chris' unzipped jean jacket hung open, which allowed for Raine's eyes to sneakily follow the silver chain Chris sported. It went over her chest and on it hung a thick shiny ring to highlight the black t-shirt behind it. In between buttery bites of steamy cheese, Raine couldn't help but smile. Food and girls. She nearly drooled. This is the life.
Suddenly a pair of light-skinned arms covered Raine's view of Chris' chain. Raine tilted her head up so that her cap would allow her to see who wrapped their arms around Chris from behind.
Raine thought the woman behind Chris resembled a doppelganger of Lucy Liu when she was in the movie Charlie's Angels. Whoa. Her long wavy hair completely covered one of Chris' shoulders as she leaned down and smiled wantonly at Chris.
It was as though Raine had front row seats to a movie she didn't want to see. Raine felt the features of her own face pull into an unimpressed sullen expression that made it seem like she was staring at a picture of two children that had too much candy to eat.
"Wai, I missed you stranger," The woman's alluring voice complimented her demeanor.
Rude. Raine kissed her teeth. Luckily, she wasn't heard between the espresso machine, the clinking of cups, and chatter in the room.
Chris turned and said in a slightly higher pitched voice, "Ah Chun!" but quickly recovered from the initial shock with a smirk and turned to give her an awkward seated hug, "How've you been?"
Raine crossed her arms and unconsciously raised an eyebrow. Chun... Urgh, her name is Spring... I'm surprised her name isn't 'flowery fragrant' from all the perfume she's wearing.
Chun shrugged and pulled her hair to the side almost as dramatic as a shampoo commercial before she responded, "Mah mah day..."
Raine fought everything in her to not roll her eyes. Do we have to speak Cantonese everywhere we go? She felt herself sink into her chair.
Chun continued nonchalantly as she shifted her weight onto her hand on back of Chris' chair, "The girlfriend is jealous as always."
Although Chris nodded and let out a sigh as if she knew the context of Chun's relationship, Raine could have sworn that Chun had looked up and glanced in Raine's direction.
"Well -" Chris started, but was interrupted as Chun took a seat on her lap.
Chun swung an arm over Chris' shoulder and smiled, "Hi, I'm Chun," as she extender her hand out for a shake.
Chris squirmed uncomfortably as Chun continued on like nothing was out of place and that her mannerisms were quite normal when it came to interacting like this with Chris. Oh hell no. Raine's eyes widened before she forced a smile and pointed to the chair on her side, "Raine."
Did I just touch a hand, or a baby's butt cheek? Raine pondered and then motioned towards the chair next to her, "Did you want to sit with us?"
She shot Raine a small smile and continued, "Thanks for the offer, but I have to touch up my makeup and get ready for my performance soon anyway," Chun shrugged as Chris moved her chair back to make room for her.
"You already look great," Chris shot Chun a friendly smile and proceeded explain to Raine, "Chun was one of the first people I met when I moved to Wellington."
Chun's big pillowy breasts seemed like they were about to pop out of the low-cut dress she was wearing and despite the fact that she was competition, even Raine couldn't stop staring.
"Cool," Raine nodded and seemed to take interest in her own cup of tea on the table.
The next several minutes took forever to go by. Chun went on and on about her newly published book. Meanwhile, the irritation bubbled inside of Raine as she saw Chris' eyes oggle the other woman's chest.
On the other hand, Chris made an effort to force her eyes to away from Chun's chest and up to her strong jaw. I remember when I came on her face... Chris ran the length of her index finger over her own lower lip before she said, "You're absolutely amazing."
Chun giggled, "No, you are."
Disgusting. Raine recognized the sultry look on Chris' face. What a douche. She stopped paying attention to the pair and pulled out her phone. Raine glanced down at the text she had received.
Quin at 5:24pm: What are you up to?
She started to type.
Raine at 6:09pm: With Chris at a coffee shop. We were gonna hang out til our interview starts but some bitch is crashing the party.
Raine looked up at the two lovebirds chatting as if they were Anum and Eve. Her phone vibrated in her hand and she looked down.
Quin at 6:09pm: Took you long enough to respond. Someone you know?
Raine at 6:10pm: No, one of Chris' Asian friends.
Quin at 6:10pm: You know you're one of her Asian friends right? =/
Raine scrunched her lip over to one side and pulled her cap a little lower as if it could hide all of her long black hair before she responded to Quin.
Raine at 6:12pm: Apparently she's performing tonight. Urgh her tits are practically falling out of her dress. Wonder if she's gonna strip... lol
Raine looked up from her phone with a smirk, but realized that Chun had left.
"Raine?" Chris drew her eyebrows together in concern.
"Huh?" Raine blinked and tilted her head.
Chris rubbed her brow and asked, "Are you okay? You're rather quiet."
"I'm fine," Raine replied quickly and looked back down at her phone as it vibrated and lit up.
Quin at 6:14pm: Omg there's nothing wrong with sex work. Also, quit it with the slut shaming meanie =P
Raine at 6:15pm: ...you know what I mean -_-
Raine rolled her eyes and shoved her phone in her pocket. Suddenly the lights dimmed and the host announced that they had the honor of having Chun as a guest. After a long list of Chun's accomplishments, the audience welcomed Chun to the stage as if she were an old friend. A few even shouted her name in between the howls.
Chun smiled, widely and graced the stage in her short red dress and black stilettos. She adjusted the microphone stand upward with ease to match her height.
"Wow, you're all so rowdy tonight! I love it! I have to say it feels really good to be back in Wellington," Chun scanned the crowd as the reacted enthusiastically.
"As some of you know, I've been on tour to promote my book of poetry called Broken Open. So if you dig some of the poems I'm sharing with you tonight, there are copies that will be available by that table over there," She smiled and motioned with her hand to the table near the back.
Chun leaned against the microphone with both hands, "I can also assure you that you'll find all of my most intimate feelings in there," she smirked in Chris' direction and then carried on, "I sectioned them off based on emotions because often times when I vent, there is one prevailing emotion that dominates my thoughts."
Of course, Chun began with lust. The way the words flowed out of her matched the flow of her tigress-like movements.
Raine watched as Chun practically undressed Chris with her eyes every time her gaze lingered in the corner they were seated in. I wonder if Chris takes off her binder when she's with her... The thought of that made her stomach curdle.
Luckily, the vibration in Raine's pocket jerked her out of her thought. Shake it off Raine. Stay cool.
Chun approached the microphone and paused to collect her thoughts before she spoke again, "So this next poem is a work in progress. It's about the colonial racist bullshit that I was taking in from the people around me, once upon a time. I think it's rather suitable as the city of Wellington is undergoing a massive movement happening with Black Lives Matter and Idle No More. I think at a time like this, it's important for people of color to come together in solidarity, to resist, and to fight!"
The audience let out cheers, roars, and shouts of 'yaaaas' as Chris joined in with them.
Chun expertly waited until the cheers settled down before she continued, "It's important to be angry. Anger fuels action and action fuels change. But what I love seeing most though, is that these movements are going out of their way to put queer, trans, and two spirit voices at the heart of their movement so not one person is left behind."
A few folks snapped their fingers while others let out sounds of agreement. Chun seemed to take that as the queue to start her next poem.
Chun's voice projected throughout the space,
"This one is called Golden.
I'm golden.
All that I am is a burning sun,
A yellow warrior full of off-hand comments like 'You're so Asian.'"
Her eyebrows furrowed together as if she were processing the comment in her mind and then responded,
"Well fuck yeah, I am.
I'm already full of it – bloated with too much rage
Built up from hearing your bullshit.
You want me to talk in my accent?
What - to mock my parents?
A refugee and an immigrant?"
Chun's nostrils flared and her open palms moved as if they were each weighing one against the other with calculated precision. She continued as if she were talking to someone,
"The moment your comments touch my ears, a gong is struck
And your words added to a flooding pot.
Warning signs go off..."
Her hands moved in a way that seemed like each one of the following words were the headlines to a newspaper clipping,
"'Caution: Burning Hot'
She paused again and looked around her as if it weren't safe and then said in a near whisper,
"But given the context, our relationship's just too complex
For me to blow off steam so I don't."
She continued louder as if it would help make her believe that what she was about to say was true,
"After all, it's just another joke."
Chun's tone screamed angst as she recited the next verses through clenched teeth,
"But I need to choke.
I need to choke.
Suffocate my voice; box it in my throat,
Bottle the feelings shoved in my neck,
Trap the screams banging in my chest,"
She hit her own chest with a closed fist right against the microphone to mock the sounds of the screaming chest.
Raine looked over to find Chris completely mesmerized. Chris' mouth was slightly ajar and her face was cupped between her hands as she stared at Chun in awe.
Raine leaned into Chris, "Do you think that-"
"Shhh..." Chris said softly and placed her free hand on Raine's arm lightly without diverting her attention away from the woman on the stage.
Did she just shush me? Raine raised her eyebrows at Chris, who was totally not paying attention. If Raine's face were an emoticon, it would have been the one with the lines for eyes and flattened lips. While the poetry was interesting, she was highly unimpressed with Chris.
Chun paused and her voice softened,
"And hope that the fire doesn't burn in my eyes.
Most of the time they don't.
'Cause two pairs of boulder-like hands
molded me into the soldier I am."
Raine got up and grabbed her pack of smokes off the table which caused Chris to look up at her and ask, "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, it's cool," Raine shrugged as she squeezed her way through people to get to the exit.
Once she was outside of the coffeehouse, she pulled out her phone to find an unread text from Quin.
Quin at 6:20pm: Are you JEALOUS? =O
Raine rolled her eyes as she pulled out a cigarette, stuck it between her lips and lit the only thing she craved in the moment. She took a drag, held it in just enough to feel it burn in her throat, and then blew out the smoke.
She looked down at her phone and expertly held the cigarette as she typed.
Raine at 7:04pm: What do I have to be jealous of? Anyway, Chris is fucking getting on my nerves. Can't wait for our interviewee to show up so I can get out of here.
Sorry for the delay folks. To make up for it, this chapter was extra long. I also included a recording of the poem that Chun performs in the media section at the beginning of this chapter. If you want more poetry, check out my book of poetry called Broken Open.
So what's the verdict? Is Raine jealous or what? Let me know your favorite part below! If you want the next update to come faster (no pun intended), leave me a vote and a comment.