Intensity
Zaidee Carter
I furrowed my eyebrows and nibbled on my bottom lip as I slowly yet intently, searched through the mail a second time. My check hadn't came yet and it was supposed to be here a couple of days ago. I needed to pay my phone bill next week and I needed my check in order to do so.
I sucked my teeth and turned around, hearing footsteps indicating that someone had entered the kitchen.
I looked and noticed the person was my aunt Jenna. She held her Samsung Galaxy S9 in her hand, and I'm more than sure that she was busy lurking on Facebook.
"Hey Auntie..." I called out as I looked through the mail again. This check was my money for the month. I was gonna have to buy tampons, deodorant, whitening strips, and more hygienic products, not to mention I would need to buy some clothes that I could fit and still try to buy some good shoes and pay my phone bill, and buy some hair products, and some of my facial cleansing wipes.
"What?" My Aunt made her way over to the fridge and opened it up, probably looking for something to eat or cook.
"My check... I think it's late. Do you have it?" I asked her. I know she wouldn't take her part of my check without me getting mine out first. And then she would've had it for days now...
"Child no." She shook her head. "I don't have nothin' to do with that." She closed the fridge holding a bowl of potato salad.
Yuck.
I nodded. "I know... Should I call up there? Because my phone bill has to be paid next week. And I have things that I need to buy for my own health." I spoke before sitting the pile of mail down on the small dining table. I let a frown grow on my face.
"You don't need to call up there. They'll let me know in time since I'm your guardian. Just leave it alone."
I furrowed my eyebrows again. "How am I supposed to ignore it? I'm not trying to sound disrespectful or rude at all Auntie but they know that I use that money for stuff that I actually need."
"Just. Leave. It. Alone." She said before walking out.
Obeying her orders I decided to just leave it alone. Maybe they'll contact her because she is my guardian.
********
"Hey Deja." I spoke flatly while sitting beside her in the cafeteria. I was still in an iffy mood about my check being almost a week late and my auntie telling me to just ignore it. Does she not want her half of it?
"Hey boo. What's wrong?" She asked with concern laced in her voice.
"My check hasn't came and I was asking my aunt if I should call up there and she was telling me to ignore and don't worry about it." I explained to her.
"That sound fishy as hell." Deja said and I nodded in agreement.
"I'll worry about it at home." I shrugged.
"Okay. If you need to borrow any money let me know." She said.
I nodded even though I wasn't gonna ask her for any money.
"Guess who I talked to." She smirked.
"Mr. Jenkins?" I asked with a smile. She finally talked to him about getting her D up.
"Girl Hell no. I talked to Kofi and his friends."
I rolled my eyes.
"Did you have fun?" I asked.
"Did I?" She smiled. "It was nice. I think we on a friendly level."
I nodded. "Sounds like you're in the safe zone."
"I guess. Let's go talk to them."
"Nope." I shook my head. No way I'm talking to him. That guy is terrifying.
"Ugh. I figured you'd say that. That's why I told his friend Ant that they should come sit with us." She smirked.
"Oh okay." I nodded.
"Here they come." She shook in her seat.
"That's my cue." I raised from my seat.
"No it's not." She pulled me back down causing me to mug her unintentionally.
"Wassup Deja?" The guy I'm guessing is Ant smiled as he sat down across from her.
He was a bit tall, pretty muscular, tattoos, brown skin, waves, brown eyes, he was an okay guy.
"Hey Ant." Deja blushed and her cheeks were a little red since she was light skinned. "Hey Kofi." She spoke to him.
He was sitting across from me and his iPhone 8+ had his full attention.
"Wassup." He mumbled, not taking his eyes off of his screen for a second. I thought it was pretty rude of him but I wouldn't dare say anything to him.
Deja and the Ant guy started their own conversation leaving me both feeling and looking awkward.
"My bad y'all. This my girl." Deja smiled over at me and I stared at her like I wanted to kill her.
"Wassup? I'm Antwon." The guy nodded at me.
"Zaidee." I gave him a small smile before throwing my attention to my nails.
"We'll be right back Zai." Deja tapped my shoulder before her and Antwon got up and left the whole cafeteria before I could even say anything.
Great. That's my best friend. Never leaving me in front of the scariest guy in our whole freaking school. She right by my side. Great.
My heart beat picked up a little and my eyes landed on the guy sitting across from me. As bad as I wanted to, I couldn't look away.
I studied his features. His pretty caramel skin was flawless, his brown orbs looked cold and ruthless, his bushy eyebrows were perfect, he had a nice beard that I'm guessing he grew while he was locked up, his lips were pink and plump and his tattoos were beautiful, his body was very muscular but I'm guessing that's from working out while being locked up.
I just don't understand why he gets into so much trouble-
"The fuck you starin' at me for?"
My eyes widened as his voice came out low and cold. Even the way he was looking at me was cold and careless.
I thought he was so caught up in his phone that he had shut the world around him out and whatever was on his screen was his main focus. Maybe my stare was too intense?
I quickly shifted my gaze elsewhere not wanting to start anything with him.
I didn't even have an answer to his question. I didn't know why I was staring at him. It just happened.
"Sorry." I mumbled, feeling like I owed him an apology.
He didn't respond and I didn't bother looking his way to see why he didn't.