Cuddy Buddy - Chapter 4
Five weeks later...
It was the first day of school for the students of East Pointe High School and they were dressed to impress in their new clothing and shoes. As a part of the orientation assembly the school had requested someone from the health department to come and speak to the students. Hence the presence of Sierra standing on the stage.
Sierra's nerves were a wreck. At her last employment, she managed a medical office. This was a different ball game speaking in front of large groups of people. She made sure that she wore her best dress and heels to build her confidence. Her hair was on point and make up was subtle but also smashing.
She moved around the stage observing the group of teenage girls sitting in front of her. She was there to give a presentation of the importance of abstaining from sex. As she critiqued the young women that were present Sierra knew that majority were already getting dicked down. What she wanted to do was give the fast ass heifers some condoms and talk to them about birth control but the school wouldn't approve. The staff couldn't be naive enough to believe that any of these kids were abstaining. A male co-worker was speaking to the young men inside of the gymnasium.
Sierra went through all the facts and statistics surrounding sexual transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy rates. She was told to stray away from bringing religion into the discussion. Sierra instead spoke to the kids about their reputations and social standing if they were labeled promiscuous.
They didn't care. Apparently, it was cool to be a hoe.
Some of the immature girl's snickered and giggled when she displayed photos of the female and male genitals. She made the mental note to delete those slides before going into her next high school to speak.
"If any of you have any questions please feel free to email me or call me at my office." Sierra pointed to the power point slide. "This is my contact information. Remember my name is Sierra Adams and I'm a Certified Health Educator with the Health Department. Don't be afraid to reach out to me. I'm here to help. It wasn't long ago that I was a teenager so I know they type of things you're going through."
"How old are you?"
"I'm in my mid-twenties."
"When did you lose your virginity?"
Sierra's eyes zeroed in on the young girl in the third row. "I meant that you can ask questions referring to the program. Not personal questions." It was the same voice that had asked the first question.
Sierra would be admitting to being a hypocrite if she told the girl that she lost her virginity at 16 inside of a barn on top of a barrel of hay. It was a waste of ten minutes.
"I bet you were in high school."
This little bitch. Sierra rolled her eyes. "Like I said, no personal questions." Sierra was trying her best to stay professional but this girl was pushing her patience. She was about to become real ghetto in 3, 2, 1.
When no one else said anything, Sierra dismissed the group to return to class. She watched some of the girls throw away the handouts Sierra gave them. One petite blonde lingered around so Sierra got the hint that she wanted to talk privately. "Can I help you honey?"
The young looked around nervously. She shuffled her feet and looked towards the ground. "Can I come to your office?"
The girl was a terrified thing. She dug a business card out of her purse and wrote her personal number on the back of the card "Come anytime. If I'm not there, call my cell." Sierra had never given her number out before but something about the girl pulled at her heart. She couldn't put her finger on it.
"Thanks." The girl accepted the card from her hand. Sierra noticed that she was shaking. Red flags immediately started going off in Sierra's head.
"Wait," Sierra called out. "What's your name?"
"They call me snowflake," she replied before walking out the auditorium.
Sierra shook her head. "I done heard it all." She gathered her materials and went to the office to sign out. This was one of the first group assembly's she had completed on her own. She didn't think it went the best but she was proud of herself.
"How did it go?"
Sierra turned to see the principal walking her way. He was a good-looking man and he was giving her the eye but the ring on his finger kept Sierra away. She liked dick but not married dick. She wasn't that type of woman.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Everything I said went through one ear and came out the other. Most of the chicks were on their phones or laptops. They weren't listening to me."
"I bet you touched a few of them."
"Maybe, but I should've been handing out condoms instead of standing on a stage and talking."
Principal Warren frowned. "I hear what you're saying but we can't. We would get too many complaints and phone calls from parents complaining that we're promoting sex to their children."
Sierra shook her head. "There was one girl that approached me. She didn't give me her real name but told me to call her snowflake. Short, petite and Caucasian. She had bleach blonde hair but had the flavor of a sista. Do you know her?"
The principal shook his head. "No but most of the kids have nick names. I can check in with the guidance counselors to see if they know her."
Sierra got the impression that he wasn't going to follow through. "Thanks. Well let me know if you need any more help here. The way some of those girls were walking it looks like they can teach me a thing or two."
"I can teach you."
Sierra rolled her eyes. You must be kidding me. "Nigga you married. I don't have time for your foolishness. You not going to have me looking like boo boo the fool when your wife pops up." Sierra said it loud enough that the whole office could hear her. Principal Warren walked away when his staff started to stare.
Sierra strutted away chuckling to herself. It's been a minute since she told someone off and it felt good.
Truth be told she was lonely but she wasn't lonely enough to have the company of a married man. She missed her family. No one had come to visit her and except for the people she worked with, she hadn't made any friends here. She hated to admit it but moving to Dallas was starting to feel like a mistake.
The only Austin based friend that stayed in contact with her was Johari. Everyone disappeared as soon as she left Austin. Sydney and she talked every day and texted often. Her sister was busy setting up her second store. Sierra enjoyed getting pictures of Teddy. He was fifteen weeks old and was starting to develop a personality.
Feeling homesick she decided to give her sister a call. Sydney answered right away with a hello.
"Syd, you wouldn't believe what happened to me. The damn principal at the school tried to hit on me. Do I have a sign on my head saying that I like fuck boys?"
Sierra expected a single giggle from her sister but she instead got a room full of laughter. Syd wasn't alone and she had her on speaker phone.
"Where are you?" Sierra asked as she unlocked her car in the school parking lot.
"We're at the store," Sydney replied with another laugh.
Who is we? "It's crazy noisy. Is it busy today?" Sierra was feigning ignorance.
"No, it's slow. We're all having lunch in the office. Hold on."
"O-kay." Sierra heard some moving around.
"Everyone say hello."
Sierra frowned when she heard the group of hellos. It made her a little said when she recognized Johari, Jonathan and Zeke's voice. She realized that she was missing out on the fun. "Hey my peoples," she said with fake enthusiasm. "Why are you all together?" she wondered. It was 1pm on a Monday.
"We all got together for lunch. We were just finishing up," Zeke answered.
"You miss us yet?" Jonathan asked.
"Nope," she said with a pop of the p. "I'm having the time of my life. I haven't even thought of home," she lied. "I got to go, deuces." Sierra ended the call quickly and started her car up. She was too prideful to admit that she needed them.
≅
Back in Austin there was an awkward silence in Sydney's office. No one expected Sierra to end the call so quickly. They were only teasing her but it was obvious that they had touched a nerve.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Johari asked. She was sitting next to Ethan on the couch. "You stayed quiet during the call."
"Because I'm the last person she wants to hear from. I've tried many times to call her and she just sends me to voicemail. But something isn't right with her. I'm worried," Ethan announced to the group. He noticed it right away.
Zeke who was sitting at Sydney's desk nodded his head. "I picked on it too." He tapped Sydney on the hip, who was situated on his lap. "Is she okay?"
"Last time I checked she was fine. Right Jo?"
Johari nodded her head. "Yeah."
Ethan stood and threw his trash away in the small garbage can. "I know that woman and she isn't happy" Ethan gathered his belongings. "I'll catch you later. I have a house to show."
Ethan left Sydney's store through the back door and called Sierra as he walked to his vehicle. Once again it went to voicemail. "CeCe, if you need anything, I mean anything don't hesitate to call or text me. Even if it's just to talk." He ended the call hoping that she took him up on his offer.
"Are you headed to Dallas?"
Ethan wasn't surprised to see that Zeke had followed him outside. Suitcase in hand his brother was probably going back to work.
He put his phone in his pocket. "Not unless she tells me to. I want to feel wanted. I don't want to force her to be with me." He had gotten Sierra's address from Sydney and thought about showing up but always changed his mind at the last minute.
"I feel you." Zeke wanted to say more but held his tongue. He didn't have time to give his little brother a lecture. "Come by later for dinner."
"Are you cooking?" Ethan asked cautiously.
"Forget you man. I can cook but Mrs. Coleman will be handling the food tonight."
Ethan raised his hands up and praised the sky. "Thank the man above."
Zeke playfully hit his brother with the suitcase and headed towards his vehicle. Ethan looked at his phone again before going to his car. He went on to show a few houses but his mind never drifted from Sierra and he often checked his phone but she never called or texted him back.