[Did you miss getting all soapy with Suds?? SORRY I left you hanging for so long, but I'm pleased to announce that I finally wrapped up Season 1 with this uber long post. You might need a snack for this one...
Season Recap:
Leilah and Darien are beau and geau which makes Shantel a little nuts-o-crazo. Shantel's ex-beau Terrance has been duped by his ex-best friend Darien before, and now he's out for vengeance. Leilah's best friend Mira (and Shantel's soror) may or may not have contracted HIV from a 'personal friend.' And Leilah is the eldest of a struggling family including: 18 yr old sis in Chicago - Lalique, 16 yr old sis - Xeniyah (Zen), 15 yr old bro - Jack D. who has been in with the wrong crowd - 6 yr old twin bros, Ty and Tyler, and 2 yr old baby sis - Tutu. And to wrap the large package, mom is a heroin addict. Can we see why Leilah would rather not be bothered with Shantel's college games?
So, here's your soap fix, jump in :o) ]
~~
Jack D. stomped into the apartment, slamming the door behind him.
“What the heck is wrong with you,” Lalique spat. Her fingers twirled between Tutu’s soft hair, twisting and braiding her thick strands into two pig tails.
He stormed past her and into his room.
“Get out,” he screamed at the twins.
Ty and Tyler started; barely looking into Jack’s piercing eyes. They dropped their remote controls, and ran out of the room.
Jack locked the door behind them, and headed for the closet. The stomping sound from his Timberland boots was muffled by clothes littered across the aged hardwood floor as the music from the paused video game tinkered. Jack yanked open the sliding door forcing it off the hinge. He reached up to the back of the top shelf. His fingers grazed the edge of a box. He grabbed the edge, slowly pulling the unmarked box from the shelf.
Cradling the box in his hand, he backed down onto his twin sized bed. He glanced around the small room, making sure no one was on the twins’ bunk bed before he opened the lid. The bundled old t-shirt was wound into a lump. He carefully lifted it out and pushed the box aside. Jack glanced up at the door again to make sure it was locked, and then slowly unwound the material.
He swallowed hard when he saw the gun… his gun.
~~
Darien pushed open the student center door and stepped into the sunny afternoon. He shielded his eyes with a hand.
“Hey Darien.”He recognized the voice. “What’s up, Shantel?” His eyes squinted from the glare of the sun.
She smiled, sweetly, “That’s all I get? I don’t get a hug?”
“Uh…” He quickly tried to run through what she might be thinking.
“Darien,” she playfully scolded him. “I already know about you and Leilah, and I’m happy for you.”
Darien stared at her, confused by her sudden change of heart.
“Really, I am,” she grinned, “So, is everything going alright?”
“Uh yeah,” he answered. “Everything good with you?”
“Yes,” her eyes sparkled with delight. “I have so much to tell you, but I got to get to class. Maybe we can catch up later?” Shantel stepped forward and embraced him, tightly. “It’s so good to see you.”
He patted her back awkwardly and pulled away, glancing around for Leilah.
He noticed Shantel was still smiling, but the sweetness had turned sour and conniving.
~~
Jack folded his fingers around the handle, feeling the weight. Somehow it felt heavier with the bullets carefully lodged into place. The music from the video game grew louder. Jack glanced up at the frozen screen, and around the empty room. His fingers traced the gun, etching across the smooth and roughness.
He stood and aimed at the window, holding the gun sideways, his face rough and smooth like the gun. He rotated sideways, then vertically, held it with one hand, and then two. His hands felt heavy. Jack lowered the gun, staring at his reflection in the mirror. I ain’t nobody punk, he sneered, clenching his fist and fingering the trigger.
Jack stared at the reflection of his steely, hate-filled eyes in the window. Then, he saw his braids, the way they zig zagged, and draped down his neck. And he remembered what Darien said to him after church. “If you ever need anything, Lil D, no matter what it is, just hit me up.”
Jack D. pulled his phone from his pocket, and sat on the bed. He scrolled through the numbers until he found Darien’s number, and pressed the call button.
~~
Darien’s cell phone rang at the same time he was shoved into Shantel. The phone fell to the ground. Shantel braced him from falling.
“Terrance,” she yelled. “You don’t have any right. We are over.”
Darien regained his balance and turned to see Terrance charging toward him again.
“You messing with my girl again, chump?” Terrance snapped.
“Man, T, it ain’t even like that,” Darien corrected.
“Ain’t that what you said the last time when I caught you with Trina?” Terrance pushed Darien back again.
“I’m not about to do this with you T. I’m sorry about Trina, but I’m not on that. I swear I’m not messing with your girl.”
“That’s right,” Shantel screamed, rushing to Darien’s side. “I’m not your girl, and what we do is none of your business.”
Terrance’s anger flared and he charged at Darien, pushing Shantel out of the way.
Terrance swung.
Darien dodged and doubled back with jabs to Terrance’s ribs before weaving and connecting with his jaw.
The two traded blows, wrestling each other the ground.
Shantel smirked with satisfaction.
~~
No answer.
Jack flipped his phone shut and dropped it back into his pocket, leaning back on the bed. He wasn’t as angry as he was when he first heard the news. Jack rubbed his eyes, hoping to gouge out the image of his boy, Trayvon, getting jumped by twelve dudes.
Go visit him at the hospital.
Jack sat up and looked around the room. The door was locked. The TV was muted. But he heard the words playing in his mind. They weren’t his thoughts.
His cell phone rang, and he answered it before the second ring.
“Yo Darien ,” Jack answered, eagerly.
“Naw, it’s Mike. You ready?”
Jack winced, “Yeah.”
“Meet me at the spot and let’s go do this.”
“Alright.”
Jack closed his phone and looked at the gun. An image of Trayvon’s blackened eyes and swollen face flickered. He stood, and carefully slid the gun into the back of his pants, hiding it behind his shirt. He unlocked the bedroom door and walked out. He walked through the living, passing by his siblings with a scowl etched on his face.
Xeniyah rolled her eyes at him and said to the twins, “Ya’ll might as well go back in your room cause I’m not changing the channel.”
The boys hesitantly glanced up at Jack as he exited.
“Jacky,” Lalique called out before he closed the front door. His dark eyes settled on hers. “Please, don’t do anything stupid.”
His face hardened and he slammed the door.
Lalique smoothed Tutu’s hair into place.
~~
The loud, popping sound echoed through the house.
“Get down,” Lalique screamed covering Tutu’s body with her own. The twins huddled behind the love seat with Xeniyah.
More shots fired.
Tires squealed across the pavement.
And then it was silent.
Tutu cried.
Lalique clutched the toddler to her chest as she crawled across the room.
“Take her,” she said to Xeniyah.
“No, don’t leave me,” Tutu screamed.
“Baby, it’s okay. I’ll be right back.”
Tutu sobbed. Her shivering body huddled against Xeniyah’s hardening belly. The boys sat close, frozen, as they stared at the back of the chair.
Lalique crept across the floor to the window. The shots sounded close. She peered out of the blinds and saw that a crowd was already gathering. The late afternoon sun gleamed down on the shiny black hair of women who covered their mouths, screaming in shock. Guys rubbed their low cut fades, mumbling with wide eyes. They all kept glancing back and pointing at her house.
“No,” Lalique gasped as she jumped to her feet and ran out the front door.
Sirens blared in the distance.
Voices mumbled.
Wet eyes.
Blurry faces.
They all parted, clearing a path for her to see what she already knew.
Her eyes watered, raining down her cheeks as the final step confirmed what she feared the most. The shrill scream caught in her throat. She fell to her knees, and collapsed in a pool of her brother’s blood.
“Wake up, Jacky! Wake up!” She cradled his limp body, slapping his face.
Frantically, she listened for breathing, pressing her ear against his lips. “Jacky wake up! Somebody call an ambulance!” she yelled, oblivious to the cell phones already glued to ears in the crowd. “Jacky, NO!”
~~
Leilah gently smoothed through Mira’s silky hair. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“I’ll be fine,” Mira whispered. “Either way, I’ll be fine. Worse things could happen, right.”
Leilah’s cell phone rang. “It’s Lique,” she announced before answering.
“Hey Lique, can I call you back…”
Lalique yelled frantically into the phone. “What,” she gasped with disbelief, afraid of Lalique’s answer.
~~
“He got shot,” Lalique screamed through the phone at Leilah, “like a million times. There’s blood everywhere.”
“No cell phones,” the guy in white said to Lalique.
“Is he gonna make it?” Leilah asked.
“He’s not breathing.” Lalique rubbed her forehead.
“Miss,” the man in white said.
Lalique snapped. “Stop talking to me and make him breathe! Stop him from bleeding! Why you all up over here? I’m conscious, he not! Do your job!”
The man held her jittery eyes with calmness in his own. “Your cell phone makes it harder for me to help him.”
Lalique took a deep breath, and nodded. “I’ll call you when we get to the hospital.”
The calm, sad eyes thanked her, and returned their attention to her brother. Maybe, she thought. Maybe everything will be fine.
~~
Darien slid into his car, flexing his pulsating hand. His knuckles were bruised and bleeding. "I can't stand that girl," he yelled, wincing in pain and cupping his swollen jaw.
Calm down, he thought and took a deep breath.
The voice message reminder on his cell phone buzzed. He opened the phone and saw the missed call was from Jack.
~~
I wonder if this is what heaven looks like, Lalique thought as she stared down the long, white hallway.
His cell phone rang. She looked at it blankly, still covered in his blood.
“This is Darien. Can I talk to Jack?”
“Dead on arrival,” Lalique responded in a lifeless tone.
“What?”
“Dead. Shot. Gone. Never coming back.” She closed the phone and sat, staring at the long, white hallway.
[Suds is officially on break. Sadness makes me sad :o( I need time to recuperate. In the meantime, you can read Suds from the very beginning. I'll be editing previous posts during the break.]
Showing posts with label Suds - It's not your average soap opera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suds - It's not your average soap opera. Show all posts
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Season 1, Episode 30
[Last time on Suds, Darien's dad gave him reason to wonder about his relationship with the lovely Leilah. And then, light years ago around episode 28, Shantel had another devious little plan in the works.
Meanwhile, Mira still hasn't been feeling too great. Let's check in on her.]
~~
Leilah jammed her emergency key into the door and twisted it open.
“Mira,” she called.
Groggily, a voice from the sofa answered, “What?”
Leilah closed the door and rushed to her friend’s side. She noticed that Mira's bed was stripped of it's covers before she tip toed around the sofa. Mira sat upright with her eyes were glued on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns on the muted TV screen. Her cocoa brown skin was pale, and her disheveled hair was tucked into the thick, cotton bathrobe she wore.
Leilah sat next to Mira, and smoothed her hair. She blinked away a flashback of smoothing her mother's hair during one of her many withdrawl periods. Leilah remembered cleaning up vomit, and cradling the frail, shaking body of her mother in her arms. She remembered being yelled at, and kicked out of the room in bouts of anger. And then she took a deep breath and remembered Mira, instead.
“What’s wrong? I saw Sylus on my way to class. He said that you needed me.”
“There’s too much noise,” Mira whispered. “Too many voices. Laughing. Screaming. Too much.”
Her dead eyes remained fixed on the mid sized screen. Leilah looked over at the screen. A young Will Smith and Carlton were doing the 'jump on it' dance on stage. Mira didn't crack a smile even though it was her favorite episode.
“Why do you think we’re here,” Mira asked. “Why would God put us here if we’re only gonna die anyway?”
Leilah opened her mouth to answer, but didn't have one.
Mira's blood shot eyes met Leilah’s. A peaceful smile lifted the corners of her lips. “I’m going to die, Leilah.”
“You're going to die, " Leilah eyes bulged with astonishment. “Why would you ever say that?”
A breathy laugh escaped Mira’s lips, but didn’t reach her lifeless eyes. “I have HIV, that's why. I’m going to die sooner than you think.”
Leilah’s heart contracted. She felt every muscle in her body tense. HIV? Mira? No, that’s impossible.
Mira studied the expressions of denial on Leilah’s face: the anger laced with confusion, and scouring for logic in the illogical. Mira had felt the same until she accepted her fate.
“I thought it was a cruel joke,” Mira laughed. “God’s way of telling me my pants were too tight or something crazy like that.”
Leilah’s brain scrambled through possibilities, meeting a dead-end each time. “How? Who? When?”
“Sylus and a busted condom.”
“Sylus has HIV?” Leilah panicked.
Mira’s eyes flickered with a hint of compassion. She whispered, “He doesn’t know it yet.”
“Let’s just get tested. I’m sure that you’re not… I mean, you’re the safest person in the world. This isn’t the first time that a condom has broken. Come on, get some clothes on, we have to get tested.” Leilah stood, heading toward Mira's bedroom.
“Window period,” Mira murmured, returning her gaze to the silent screen, and sighed. “It’s possible to test a ‘false negative’ from three weeks up until six months after infection.”
Leilah stopped in the hallway, registering the information slowly. How could anyone go six months wondering if the were infected? “Well what about Sylus? If he gets tested then we’ll know if you’re... you know.”
Mira slouched deeper into the suede-like sofa. “He tested negative.”
Leilah sighed in relief. “That’s great! We don’t have anything to worry about, then!”
“It’s probably a false negative,” Mira said flatly. “They told him to come back in three months to be tested again.”
Leilah headed toward the computer next to the television“Maybe we can find statistics on three months after infection?”
Mira answered before she reached the computer. “It’s rare that someone will test a ‘false negative’ three months in. Usually there are detectable antibodies present at that point.”
“Okay, so you’re probably not infected.” Leilah winced at the word.
Mira looked at her friend as though she were an incredibly naïve child. “I said rarely, not impossible.” Mira gulped hard, feeling spastic. She clutched her chest, breathing deeply.
Tears formed puddles in Mira’s reddened eyes.
Leilah rushed to her side embracing Mira's body as it heaved, and her wails grew louder.
“Shhh,” Leilah whispered. “It’s going to be alright.”
“You don’t know that,” Mira wailed.
“There’s always hope.”
Meanwhile, Mira still hasn't been feeling too great. Let's check in on her.]
~~
Leilah jammed her emergency key into the door and twisted it open.
“Mira,” she called.
Groggily, a voice from the sofa answered, “What?”
Leilah closed the door and rushed to her friend’s side. She noticed that Mira's bed was stripped of it's covers before she tip toed around the sofa. Mira sat upright with her eyes were glued on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reruns on the muted TV screen. Her cocoa brown skin was pale, and her disheveled hair was tucked into the thick, cotton bathrobe she wore.
Leilah sat next to Mira, and smoothed her hair. She blinked away a flashback of smoothing her mother's hair during one of her many withdrawl periods. Leilah remembered cleaning up vomit, and cradling the frail, shaking body of her mother in her arms. She remembered being yelled at, and kicked out of the room in bouts of anger. And then she took a deep breath and remembered Mira, instead.
“What’s wrong? I saw Sylus on my way to class. He said that you needed me.”
“There’s too much noise,” Mira whispered. “Too many voices. Laughing. Screaming. Too much.”
Her dead eyes remained fixed on the mid sized screen. Leilah looked over at the screen. A young Will Smith and Carlton were doing the 'jump on it' dance on stage. Mira didn't crack a smile even though it was her favorite episode.
“Why do you think we’re here,” Mira asked. “Why would God put us here if we’re only gonna die anyway?”
Leilah opened her mouth to answer, but didn't have one.
Mira's blood shot eyes met Leilah’s. A peaceful smile lifted the corners of her lips. “I’m going to die, Leilah.”
“You're going to die, " Leilah eyes bulged with astonishment. “Why would you ever say that?”
A breathy laugh escaped Mira’s lips, but didn’t reach her lifeless eyes. “I have HIV, that's why. I’m going to die sooner than you think.”
Leilah’s heart contracted. She felt every muscle in her body tense. HIV? Mira? No, that’s impossible.
Mira studied the expressions of denial on Leilah’s face: the anger laced with confusion, and scouring for logic in the illogical. Mira had felt the same until she accepted her fate.
“I thought it was a cruel joke,” Mira laughed. “God’s way of telling me my pants were too tight or something crazy like that.”
Leilah’s brain scrambled through possibilities, meeting a dead-end each time. “How? Who? When?”
“Sylus and a busted condom.”
“Sylus has HIV?” Leilah panicked.
Mira’s eyes flickered with a hint of compassion. She whispered, “He doesn’t know it yet.”
“Let’s just get tested. I’m sure that you’re not… I mean, you’re the safest person in the world. This isn’t the first time that a condom has broken. Come on, get some clothes on, we have to get tested.” Leilah stood, heading toward Mira's bedroom.
“Window period,” Mira murmured, returning her gaze to the silent screen, and sighed. “It’s possible to test a ‘false negative’ from three weeks up until six months after infection.”
Leilah stopped in the hallway, registering the information slowly. How could anyone go six months wondering if the were infected? “Well what about Sylus? If he gets tested then we’ll know if you’re... you know.”
Mira slouched deeper into the suede-like sofa. “He tested negative.”
Leilah sighed in relief. “That’s great! We don’t have anything to worry about, then!”
“It’s probably a false negative,” Mira said flatly. “They told him to come back in three months to be tested again.”
Leilah headed toward the computer next to the television“Maybe we can find statistics on three months after infection?”
Mira answered before she reached the computer. “It’s rare that someone will test a ‘false negative’ three months in. Usually there are detectable antibodies present at that point.”
“Okay, so you’re probably not infected.” Leilah winced at the word.
Mira looked at her friend as though she were an incredibly naïve child. “I said rarely, not impossible.” Mira gulped hard, feeling spastic. She clutched her chest, breathing deeply.
Tears formed puddles in Mira’s reddened eyes.
Leilah rushed to her side embracing Mira's body as it heaved, and her wails grew louder.
“Shhh,” Leilah whispered. “It’s going to be alright.”
“You don’t know that,” Mira wailed.
“There’s always hope.”
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Season 1, Episode 29
[Let’s get back to Suds: I always forget how relaxing a bath is until I spend way too much time taking quick showers. That’s what these weeks without Suds have been like for me: Ten minute showers, scrambling to get clothes on, and rushing out the door because chances are I’m late for something… again. But somehow a nice bubble bath sprinkled with chamomile bath salts in a Jacuzzi bath seems to make everything better. How sudsy is that?
Since we’re slowing things down, let’s indulge in another episode of Suds.]
~~
Darien plopped down on Leilah’s bare twin-sized bed after tossing the last box of her belongings onto the floor. She thought about poking fun at him, but her mind rambled from thoughts of providing for another child. Why did Zen have to go and get pregnant? She probably won’t finish high school now, and even if she does, she may not go to college. Leilah had been thinking about Xeniyah’s future for most of the drive back to campus. Her preoccupied mind didn’t register that Darien was also distant.
~~
Darien traced his fingers across his braids while staring up at the popcorn ceiling. Leilah should be cool now, he thought. He skipped class to help her move into her new dorm, two floors up in the same building. At least now I won’t have to worry about Shantel doing anything stupid, he thought.
There was only one thing troubling him. Darien had introduced Leilah to his father, and while the deacon laughed with Leilah and enjoyed conversing with her, he told Darien that he was ‘concerned.’
“Concerned about what?” Darien asked when Leilah was in the kitchen with his mother.
“Aren’t you supposed to be taking some time away from girls?” His dad asked shuffling down the stairs into the basement, his hideaway.
“I was, but there’s something about her. I feel a real connection to Leilah. Like this is the girl I’m going to marry.”
His father nodded and pressed his lips together as though trying to bite back words.
“This ain’t nothing like Shantel,” Darien reasoned, “I think I love her.”
Mr. Thompson loosened his tie, and stepped out of his church shoes. Darien followed him to the sofa of the dimly lit room.
Mr. Thompson sighed, “I’m not discrediting how you feel about Leilah, but you are getting into a close relationship with this girl…” He hesitated before turning to face his son, and then scratched his graying beard. “How are you going to avoid sleeping with her?”
“Oh, it’s cool,” Darien’s confidence beamed through as he sat back on the brown sofa. “She already knows about me and God.”
“Well let me ask you this. Do you know about her and God?”
Darien paused. “Not really, but she came to church. So there has to be something there.”
“See, that’s what I’m concerned about. It’s hard enough to follow God, especially when it comes to sex. You’ve been doing well and I’m proud of you because it takes a big man to follow God instead of his desires.”
Mr. Thompson clasped his hands together. Then squinted his eyes as he met his son’s gaze, “But what happens when you are weak spiritually? Is her relationship with God strong enough to keep you from sin? Or will you both get buried under the pressure of temptation?”
Darien rubbed his braids and looked away. His father nodded and reached for the remote control. He flicked on the television and allowed his son to consider his words of wisdom.
The entire drive back to campus, Darien thought about Leilah and God. He wondered if he could be a positive influence and teach her how to deepen her relationship with God. Another part of him feared that he would sink in his efforts to hold onto her. I’ll just have to be strong enough for the both of us, he thought. God wouldn’t send me the right girl if she was wrong for me. And he prayed for strength.
[Stay tuned: Another bubble is always about to burst on Suds]
Since we’re slowing things down, let’s indulge in another episode of Suds.]
~~
Darien plopped down on Leilah’s bare twin-sized bed after tossing the last box of her belongings onto the floor. She thought about poking fun at him, but her mind rambled from thoughts of providing for another child. Why did Zen have to go and get pregnant? She probably won’t finish high school now, and even if she does, she may not go to college. Leilah had been thinking about Xeniyah’s future for most of the drive back to campus. Her preoccupied mind didn’t register that Darien was also distant.
~~
Darien traced his fingers across his braids while staring up at the popcorn ceiling. Leilah should be cool now, he thought. He skipped class to help her move into her new dorm, two floors up in the same building. At least now I won’t have to worry about Shantel doing anything stupid, he thought.
There was only one thing troubling him. Darien had introduced Leilah to his father, and while the deacon laughed with Leilah and enjoyed conversing with her, he told Darien that he was ‘concerned.’
“Concerned about what?” Darien asked when Leilah was in the kitchen with his mother.
“Aren’t you supposed to be taking some time away from girls?” His dad asked shuffling down the stairs into the basement, his hideaway.
“I was, but there’s something about her. I feel a real connection to Leilah. Like this is the girl I’m going to marry.”
His father nodded and pressed his lips together as though trying to bite back words.
“This ain’t nothing like Shantel,” Darien reasoned, “I think I love her.”
Mr. Thompson loosened his tie, and stepped out of his church shoes. Darien followed him to the sofa of the dimly lit room.
Mr. Thompson sighed, “I’m not discrediting how you feel about Leilah, but you are getting into a close relationship with this girl…” He hesitated before turning to face his son, and then scratched his graying beard. “How are you going to avoid sleeping with her?”
“Oh, it’s cool,” Darien’s confidence beamed through as he sat back on the brown sofa. “She already knows about me and God.”
“Well let me ask you this. Do you know about her and God?”
Darien paused. “Not really, but she came to church. So there has to be something there.”
“See, that’s what I’m concerned about. It’s hard enough to follow God, especially when it comes to sex. You’ve been doing well and I’m proud of you because it takes a big man to follow God instead of his desires.”
Mr. Thompson clasped his hands together. Then squinted his eyes as he met his son’s gaze, “But what happens when you are weak spiritually? Is her relationship with God strong enough to keep you from sin? Or will you both get buried under the pressure of temptation?”
Darien rubbed his braids and looked away. His father nodded and reached for the remote control. He flicked on the television and allowed his son to consider his words of wisdom.
The entire drive back to campus, Darien thought about Leilah and God. He wondered if he could be a positive influence and teach her how to deepen her relationship with God. Another part of him feared that he would sink in his efforts to hold onto her. I’ll just have to be strong enough for the both of us, he thought. God wouldn’t send me the right girl if she was wrong for me. And he prayed for strength.
[Stay tuned: Another bubble is always about to burst on Suds]
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Suds - Season 1, Episode 28
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds, Mira and Sylus were becoming friends again, or maybe not. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on there, but I do know that Sylus tested negative for HIV. On the other hand, he was told he had to return for a more conclusive test in three months.
Meanwhile back in Chicago, Leilah’s seemingly perfect new beau, Darien, invited her entire family to church. Her fifteen year old brother, Jack D., and Darien became fast friends which couldn’t have happened at a better time considering Jack D.’s poor choice in income generating activities. But the show stopper in the sanctuary was the big news about Leilah’s sixteen year old sister being with child. Get ready, get set, get Suds…]
“She’s pregnant,” Leilah hissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Lalique whispered, “You had that big test coming up. Besides, I was waiting for you to be in a peaceful place.” She gestured at the altar. “This is about as peaceful as places get.”
“She’s pregnant!” Leilah leaned forward, craning her neck to study her baby sister.
Zen clutched her midsection and averted her tear-filled eyes.
“How is she pregnant,” Leilah scowled.
“Well, sometimes when a guy and a girl…”
Leilah smacked Lalique’s thigh.
“Owww,” Lalique hissed rubbing her stinging thigh. “Would you stop? That girl is faster than all of Nascar. Are you really that surprised?”
“You think this is funny?” Leilah snapped.
Aunt Lisa leaned her head back signaling for Leilah’s attention.
Leilah rolled her eyes, but sat forward in her pew until she was close enough to hear the stern whisper.
“Drop it. We will talk about it at home,” Aunt Leilah said.
Leilah huffed as she sat back in her seat.
~~
Terrance joked with Jermaine as they walked through the student center.
“It’s about time you got of lockdown,” Jermaine teased, scanning the dining tables for familiar faces.
“Yeah, whatever,” he replied with a smile.
Just then Shantel clicked down the wide hallway in a pair of brown high heel boots and fitted fuchsia dress. Her smooth hair was swept up into an up do with frayed bangs.
Terrance inhaled her presence as she stomped past them without a glance. He turned to watch her walk away. He stared until the sound of her heels grew faint.
Jermaine punched him in the arm, “Come on man. That girl got you whipped.”
Terrance walked away, but Shantel continued traipsing through his mind.
~~
Shantel pushed the doors of the student center open, and stepped out into the warm spring air.
Jerk, she thought. I almost forgot about him. What am I going to do? She walked around the bend, through another building, and was back outside again. I could date Jermaine. Shantel giggled at the thought of Terrance glaring at her in Jermaine’s arms. No, she reasoned, putting up with Jermaine’s childish ways would be punishment for me. I need to rip Terrance’s heart out of his flabby chest.
Shantel walked along the path to class, and then stopped.
“That’s it,” she squealed with excitement. “That’s it, that’s it, that’s it.”
She swirled around and headed back to the student center. I hope he’s still there.
[Stay tuned: Hmmm, what is Shantel up to now? Find out tomorrow on Suds.]
[Last time on Suds, Mira and Sylus were becoming friends again, or maybe not. I’m not sure exactly what’s going on there, but I do know that Sylus tested negative for HIV. On the other hand, he was told he had to return for a more conclusive test in three months.
Meanwhile back in Chicago, Leilah’s seemingly perfect new beau, Darien, invited her entire family to church. Her fifteen year old brother, Jack D., and Darien became fast friends which couldn’t have happened at a better time considering Jack D.’s poor choice in income generating activities. But the show stopper in the sanctuary was the big news about Leilah’s sixteen year old sister being with child. Get ready, get set, get Suds…]
“She’s pregnant,” Leilah hissed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Lalique whispered, “You had that big test coming up. Besides, I was waiting for you to be in a peaceful place.” She gestured at the altar. “This is about as peaceful as places get.”
“She’s pregnant!” Leilah leaned forward, craning her neck to study her baby sister.
Zen clutched her midsection and averted her tear-filled eyes.
“How is she pregnant,” Leilah scowled.
“Well, sometimes when a guy and a girl…”
Leilah smacked Lalique’s thigh.
“Owww,” Lalique hissed rubbing her stinging thigh. “Would you stop? That girl is faster than all of Nascar. Are you really that surprised?”
“You think this is funny?” Leilah snapped.
Aunt Lisa leaned her head back signaling for Leilah’s attention.
Leilah rolled her eyes, but sat forward in her pew until she was close enough to hear the stern whisper.
“Drop it. We will talk about it at home,” Aunt Leilah said.
Leilah huffed as she sat back in her seat.
~~
Terrance joked with Jermaine as they walked through the student center.
“It’s about time you got of lockdown,” Jermaine teased, scanning the dining tables for familiar faces.
“Yeah, whatever,” he replied with a smile.
Just then Shantel clicked down the wide hallway in a pair of brown high heel boots and fitted fuchsia dress. Her smooth hair was swept up into an up do with frayed bangs.
Terrance inhaled her presence as she stomped past them without a glance. He turned to watch her walk away. He stared until the sound of her heels grew faint.
Jermaine punched him in the arm, “Come on man. That girl got you whipped.”
Terrance walked away, but Shantel continued traipsing through his mind.
~~
Shantel pushed the doors of the student center open, and stepped out into the warm spring air.
Jerk, she thought. I almost forgot about him. What am I going to do? She walked around the bend, through another building, and was back outside again. I could date Jermaine. Shantel giggled at the thought of Terrance glaring at her in Jermaine’s arms. No, she reasoned, putting up with Jermaine’s childish ways would be punishment for me. I need to rip Terrance’s heart out of his flabby chest.
Shantel walked along the path to class, and then stopped.
“That’s it,” she squealed with excitement. “That’s it, that’s it, that’s it.”
She swirled around and headed back to the student center. I hope he’s still there.
[Stay tuned: Hmmm, what is Shantel up to now? Find out tomorrow on Suds.]
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Suds - Season 1, Episode 27
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds… Let’s start at the very beginning, shall we? Shantel is stunning, neurotic, conniving and needy. She barely talks to her roommate, Leilah – who could care less about Shantel because she’s busy working two jobs to help take care of her six younger siblings. Leilah also has a mother who is an on again-off again drug addict, and a grandmother with dementia. Can we see why Leilah doesn’t think twice about Shantel’s superior air?
Well, Shantel started caring about Leilah when her man, Terrance, gave the weary roommate a much closer look. And Shantel literally flipped out when she witnessed her ex-boyfriend slash her heart's true desire, Darien, kissing Leilah. Dum, dum, dum.
That’s not all folks, Leilah’s best friend, Mira, is like the walking dead because she may or may not have contracted HIV from her special friend, Sylus. And in the midst of her crisis, her presence was required at a mandatory sorority meeting where Shantel lead her sisters to believe that Leilah clobbered her with a two by four.
But we know better than to believe this tall tale because Leilah was actually headed to Chicago with Darien for the weekend, and not playing Babe Ruth with Shantel’s forehead.
Wow, 29 episodes, recapped in four paragraphs. Keep up because there are only four more episodes left.]
Darien’s fingers smoothed over her palm, tracing over the lines like brail before locking firmly between her fingers. He gripped her hand tight.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too,” she answered.
Leilah rested her head on his shoulder.
~~
Sylus cradled Mira’s body against his own as he walked her to her apartment, and although she willed her legs to support her weight, they wouldn’t.
At her front door, he guided the keys in her shaking hands into the key hole, and locked the door behind them when they stepped inside the apartment.
Mira sank onto the sofa, burying her face into her hands. Breathe, just breathe, she coached herself silently.
Sylus stood beside the sofa and looked down the hallway to her bedroom. The bed was bare, stripped of all coverings. He hung his head and sat next to Mira.
“I got tested,” he said.
Breath, Mira, just breathe.
“Negative.”
She didn’t move. Breathe, Mira.
“They told me to come back in three months. Supposedly it’s still a chance I could be infected.”
Breathe.
“I wasn’t gon tell you at first, but you should know.” Sylus massaged his temples. “This is nerve-wrecking.” He looked over at Mira. She hadn’t moved. He could only hear her inhale and exhale, deeply. “You need me to get you something?”
She shook her head.
“Alright then, I’ll catch you later.”
“No,” she gasped, grabbing his arm. Her big eyes pooled with tears. Mira wanted to feel relieved, but the looming possibility had her at the edge of sanity. Please don’t leave me, she thought. She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again. She released his arm and hid her face in her hands.
She heard his boots walking toward the door. Dishes clanked. Water rushed. The faucet squeezed shut, and the boots clunked across the aged hardwood floors again. The couch groaned under his weight.
“Here,” he said and handed her a glass of water.
Mira’s shaking hands reached for the glass. Sylus helped guide the glass to her lips, and then rested it on the wooden coffee table.
She leaned back on the couch, waiting for him to leave.
Sylus bent over, untied his laces, and slid his feet out of his boots. He moved them to the side, and sat back next to Mira.
“I’ll stay as long as you need me to,” he said.
Grateful tears tricked down her cheeks.
~~
“I can’t believe you invited me to church, and you won’t even sit with me.”
“Come upstairs, you can watch me in action with the teens,” Darien said.
“Why, so I can have a group of lil girls rolling their eyes at me because I’m with their crush?” Leilah teased.
“It ain’t even like that,” Darien laughed.
“Maybe next time.”
Darien wrapped Leilah into a tight hug. “I’ll meet you right here after church.”
The stained glass windows and confessionals in the sanctuary were reminiscent of a Catholic church. She searched the large room with her eyes until she saw Lalique waving at her from a pew exactly in the middle of the room. Aunt Lisa sat one pew ahead with TuTu and the twin boys sitting next to her, while Xeniyah sat all the way at the end of their row.
“Why is she sitting over there,” Leilah asked Lalique as the choir sang.
Lalique flipped through the bulletin. “She wanted some space.”
“We should have made her go upstairs with the other teenagers. She’s sixteen, she should be around other teens, and Jacky is up there too. She might like it.”
Lalique shrugged, and clapped along with the singing choir.
~~
Leilah paid close attention to Lalique during the service. She took notes, laughed and nodded along with the pastor a several times. Then Leilah glanced over at Xeniyah. The lethargic expression on her little sister’s face overpowered all signs of life.
“Zen looks sickly.” Leilah whispered to Lalique when the collection plate passed them. “She might need to go to the doctor.”
Lalique slid her tongue across her bottom lip. “I already took her.”
“Is it some kind of virus?” Leilah asked wrinkling her nose at the thought of feverish chills trickling through the house.
“Not quite.” Lalique scratched her head, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, and hooked her right leg over the left. She fixed her eyes on the announcements scrolling on the plasma screen. Lalique gathered a deep breath, and said, “She’s pregnant.”
“What?” Leilah’s scream echoed. Every pair of eyes in the sanctuary scrutinized her bewildered expression. Her own eyes bounced from and embarrassed Lalique to a shamed Xeniyah, and back to the altar.
[Stay tuned: I’m speechless. SO, if you have any thoughts feel free to post them.]
[Last time on Suds… Let’s start at the very beginning, shall we? Shantel is stunning, neurotic, conniving and needy. She barely talks to her roommate, Leilah – who could care less about Shantel because she’s busy working two jobs to help take care of her six younger siblings. Leilah also has a mother who is an on again-off again drug addict, and a grandmother with dementia. Can we see why Leilah doesn’t think twice about Shantel’s superior air?
Well, Shantel started caring about Leilah when her man, Terrance, gave the weary roommate a much closer look. And Shantel literally flipped out when she witnessed her ex-boyfriend slash her heart's true desire, Darien, kissing Leilah. Dum, dum, dum.
That’s not all folks, Leilah’s best friend, Mira, is like the walking dead because she may or may not have contracted HIV from her special friend, Sylus. And in the midst of her crisis, her presence was required at a mandatory sorority meeting where Shantel lead her sisters to believe that Leilah clobbered her with a two by four.
But we know better than to believe this tall tale because Leilah was actually headed to Chicago with Darien for the weekend, and not playing Babe Ruth with Shantel’s forehead.
Wow, 29 episodes, recapped in four paragraphs. Keep up because there are only four more episodes left.]
Darien’s fingers smoothed over her palm, tracing over the lines like brail before locking firmly between her fingers. He gripped her hand tight.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too,” she answered.
Leilah rested her head on his shoulder.
~~
Sylus cradled Mira’s body against his own as he walked her to her apartment, and although she willed her legs to support her weight, they wouldn’t.
At her front door, he guided the keys in her shaking hands into the key hole, and locked the door behind them when they stepped inside the apartment.
Mira sank onto the sofa, burying her face into her hands. Breathe, just breathe, she coached herself silently.
Sylus stood beside the sofa and looked down the hallway to her bedroom. The bed was bare, stripped of all coverings. He hung his head and sat next to Mira.
“I got tested,” he said.
Breath, Mira, just breathe.
“Negative.”
She didn’t move. Breathe, Mira.
“They told me to come back in three months. Supposedly it’s still a chance I could be infected.”
Breathe.
“I wasn’t gon tell you at first, but you should know.” Sylus massaged his temples. “This is nerve-wrecking.” He looked over at Mira. She hadn’t moved. He could only hear her inhale and exhale, deeply. “You need me to get you something?”
She shook her head.
“Alright then, I’ll catch you later.”
“No,” she gasped, grabbing his arm. Her big eyes pooled with tears. Mira wanted to feel relieved, but the looming possibility had her at the edge of sanity. Please don’t leave me, she thought. She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again. She released his arm and hid her face in her hands.
She heard his boots walking toward the door. Dishes clanked. Water rushed. The faucet squeezed shut, and the boots clunked across the aged hardwood floors again. The couch groaned under his weight.
“Here,” he said and handed her a glass of water.
Mira’s shaking hands reached for the glass. Sylus helped guide the glass to her lips, and then rested it on the wooden coffee table.
She leaned back on the couch, waiting for him to leave.
Sylus bent over, untied his laces, and slid his feet out of his boots. He moved them to the side, and sat back next to Mira.
“I’ll stay as long as you need me to,” he said.
Grateful tears tricked down her cheeks.
~~
“I can’t believe you invited me to church, and you won’t even sit with me.”
“Come upstairs, you can watch me in action with the teens,” Darien said.
“Why, so I can have a group of lil girls rolling their eyes at me because I’m with their crush?” Leilah teased.
“It ain’t even like that,” Darien laughed.
“Maybe next time.”
Darien wrapped Leilah into a tight hug. “I’ll meet you right here after church.”
The stained glass windows and confessionals in the sanctuary were reminiscent of a Catholic church. She searched the large room with her eyes until she saw Lalique waving at her from a pew exactly in the middle of the room. Aunt Lisa sat one pew ahead with TuTu and the twin boys sitting next to her, while Xeniyah sat all the way at the end of their row.
“Why is she sitting over there,” Leilah asked Lalique as the choir sang.
Lalique flipped through the bulletin. “She wanted some space.”
“We should have made her go upstairs with the other teenagers. She’s sixteen, she should be around other teens, and Jacky is up there too. She might like it.”
Lalique shrugged, and clapped along with the singing choir.
~~
Leilah paid close attention to Lalique during the service. She took notes, laughed and nodded along with the pastor a several times. Then Leilah glanced over at Xeniyah. The lethargic expression on her little sister’s face overpowered all signs of life.
“Zen looks sickly.” Leilah whispered to Lalique when the collection plate passed them. “She might need to go to the doctor.”
Lalique slid her tongue across her bottom lip. “I already took her.”
“Is it some kind of virus?” Leilah asked wrinkling her nose at the thought of feverish chills trickling through the house.
“Not quite.” Lalique scratched her head, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, and hooked her right leg over the left. She fixed her eyes on the announcements scrolling on the plasma screen. Lalique gathered a deep breath, and said, “She’s pregnant.”
“What?” Leilah’s scream echoed. Every pair of eyes in the sanctuary scrutinized her bewildered expression. Her own eyes bounced from and embarrassed Lalique to a shamed Xeniyah, and back to the altar.
[Stay tuned: I’m speechless. SO, if you have any thoughts feel free to post them.]
Friday, March 7, 2008
Suds – Season 1, Episode 26
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... Mira left Shantel’s room the same way all real emotion escaped her body. She walked across campus until she reached the clinic and found Sylus, the source of her anguish, leaving the building.
Meanwhile, back in the Chi, Leilah learned from Lalique that her fifteen year old brother, draped in all the latest designer duds, was rolling with the wrong crowd. You know ‘bad company corrupts good character.’ Let’s see how Leilah handles her reality check after stepping out of Car 9 (Get it – Cloud 9) with Darien …]
The long two-story building was once her favorite place. She handed out condoms, taught the importance of safe sex, and counseled those who tested positive for HIV. ‘It’s not the end of your life,’ she would say. ‘People are living long, healthy lives even with HIV.’ The assuring phrase she often used felt more like the last nail being hammered into her coffin.
Mira gulped hard and forced her feet to move up the stairs. The door opened less than five feet away.
She looked up and saw Sylus.
~~
A tornado of emotions twisted through Mira as Sylus stood before her. Still and expressionless, she examined his movements searching for evidence of her greatest fear. His jaw twitched and tightened as though he was straining to bite back words. His steely eyes were empty of affection.
Minutes passed in silence. Sylus pulled his keys from his pocket, and walked around her. Mira watched him until he disappeared around the corner. Her head spun. She inhaled deeply, gasping for air. Not again, she thought, rushing to the stairs where she collapsed. Her palms grated against the concrete as she pushed her weight onto her knees, sucking for air. Why is this happening to me? The panic attacks hit her often like birth pains.
Centering her energy on breathing, Mira knelt with her face toward the sky, shoving away all feelings of despair.
~~
Lalique celebrated her birthday with her friends, Leilah put the twin boys to sleep in the bottom bunk of the boys’ room, and she lay on the sofa with TuTu asleep on her chest.
She flipped her cell phone open.
“I told him to be back by ten,” she groaned as she struggled to sit up with the chubby girl.
Leilah carried her baby sister to the girls’ room.
“Why are you on my bed,” she asked Xeniyah as she placed the youngest on the bottom bunk.
“This my bed when you ain’t here,” Xeniyah complained. “TuTu be wetting the bed.”
“I thought Lique slept here when I was gone,” she said sitting next to Xeniyah on the twin sized bed.
“Naw, she sleep on the top bunk.” Xeniyah snuggled under a thick comforter.
“Aren’t you hot, Zen?”
“Uh uh, I got the chills or something.”
Leilah pressed her hand against the sixteen year old’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”
“I know, but I can’t stop shivering.” The bed vibrated as her teeth chattered.
“Poor baby. Do you want some juice or something?”
“Naw, I just want to go to sleep.”
Lelilah closed the bedroom door, and paced across the living room. 10:05, she thought, I am going to kill him. Dialing his cell phone number, she yanked open the blinds, searching the area for Jack D.
“I’m here,” he said.
“I must be blind because I don’t see you.” She scanned the area again from their second floor apartment.
He stepped back from the front porch into her eye sight.
Leilah breathed a sigh of relief, “Did you lose your key?”
“Naw, I’m out her talking to your boy, D.”
“Who is D?”
Jack D glanced toward the front stoop, but the awning blocked her view of the person. Darien stepped out of the shadows, and waved. Leilah panicked, snapped the blinds shut, and crouched down, hiding. Somehow she managed to keep the phone to her ear.
Jack D. laughed, “What kind of kindergarten mess is that?”
“What is he doing here?” Leilah whispered. Her eyes bounced around the cluttered living room. There were toys everywhere and enough cups and plates sprinkled around to host a Tupperware party. Why didn’t I clean up earlier, she moaned.
“He brought your purse over, but we ended up talking and stuff. He cool peoples, Lei.”
Leilah scurried around the room, scooping up the dirty dishes first.
“We’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay, take your time,” Leilah answered. She slammed the phone shut, and hurried to clean the living room. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use the bathroom.
~~
Mira the hands squeezing her were his before she turned around.
Sylus gripped her shoulder, “Mira,” he called, concern leaked through his stone façade.
“I’m fine,” she panted. Part of her wanted to loathe him until he withered away from the disease she diagnosed him with, but another part of her cared for him too much to bear the thought.
He swept her up into his arms. “Let me take you inside.”
“No, no, no.” Mira clenched his t-shirt into her fists. “I’m fine. I don’t want to go in. I’m just going home.” Her breath stopped short in her throat. Her head rolled back.
“Mira,” he yelled.
She rolled her head back onto his chest. “I have to stand.”
Hesitantly, he placed her feet on the ground, bracing her. Her forehead dropped against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her breathing and the familiar strokes of his massive hands against her back made her feel safe.
Mira stepped back from his embrace avoiding eye contact, “Thanks,” she said and turned to walk away.
Sylus caught her hand, pulling her back toward him. “Let me take you home.”
Mira glanced away and then back at Sylus. She still couldn’t read him, but she decided it didn’t matter. She needed her bed, and he could get her there faster than her feet.
~~
Leilah tried her best to look natural after over-febreezing the room. Everything was in its place, and everything else was thrown carelessly into the bedrooms and closets.
She turned the channel to Punk’d and pretended to be entertained by Ally and AJ accidentally killing a bear. The entrance door opened, and she heard them laughing as their boots clunked up the stairs. Jack D. walked into the room first, and although she thought she was prepared for the moment when Darien stepped into her house, her heart stopped.
Darien rolled his lips between his teeth as he surveyed the room. The hunter green sectional was against one wall, and a large wooden entertainment center against the other. She clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking as she wondered what he thought.
“Man, Lei,” Jack D. said as he plopped down next to he on the sofa. “I’m tired. Can we talk tomorrow?”
Leilah nodded and combed her fingers through her hair.
He kissed her on the cheek.
“Good night, Jacky,” she said barely above a whisper, and then cleared her throat.
“Alright D, see you on Sunday, man.” He slapped Darien five.
“Alright JD,” Darien said. Jack D. went to his room and closed the door.
Darien handed Leilah her purse and sat next to her on the sofa.
“He’s going to church with you?” Leilah asked, amazed.
“Yeah, you are too,” he reminded her.
“I know, I just thought I would have to force him.”
“Naw, he’s a good kid.”
Darien sat back watching the images flicker across the screen. Then he leaned forward, “I don’t mean any disrespect to your aunt by coming here so late.”
“Oh, she’s not here.” Leilah said, leaning back. “She’s out with her girlfriends. I won’t be surprised if she takes the whole weekend off.”
“What, auntie be kicking it like that?” he joked.
“Yeah, she’s only like 31 or 32.”
“For real?” Leilah could tell Darien was doing the math in his head.
“She was around 13 when I was born.” Darien nodded and Leilah scrambled through her mind for any topic other than those that rated her family on a scale of dysfunction.
Then she tried the magical thing he always did that simplified everything. She placed her hand on the cushion between them with her palm up, and waited for him to accept the invitation.
His fingers smoothed over her palm, tracing over the lines like brail before locking firmly around her fingers. He gripped her hand tight.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too,” she answered.
[Stay tuned: Because the love is definitely here on Suds. Can you feel it?]
[Last time on Suds... Mira left Shantel’s room the same way all real emotion escaped her body. She walked across campus until she reached the clinic and found Sylus, the source of her anguish, leaving the building.
Meanwhile, back in the Chi, Leilah learned from Lalique that her fifteen year old brother, draped in all the latest designer duds, was rolling with the wrong crowd. You know ‘bad company corrupts good character.’ Let’s see how Leilah handles her reality check after stepping out of Car 9 (Get it – Cloud 9) with Darien …]
The long two-story building was once her favorite place. She handed out condoms, taught the importance of safe sex, and counseled those who tested positive for HIV. ‘It’s not the end of your life,’ she would say. ‘People are living long, healthy lives even with HIV.’ The assuring phrase she often used felt more like the last nail being hammered into her coffin.
Mira gulped hard and forced her feet to move up the stairs. The door opened less than five feet away.
She looked up and saw Sylus.
~~
A tornado of emotions twisted through Mira as Sylus stood before her. Still and expressionless, she examined his movements searching for evidence of her greatest fear. His jaw twitched and tightened as though he was straining to bite back words. His steely eyes were empty of affection.
Minutes passed in silence. Sylus pulled his keys from his pocket, and walked around her. Mira watched him until he disappeared around the corner. Her head spun. She inhaled deeply, gasping for air. Not again, she thought, rushing to the stairs where she collapsed. Her palms grated against the concrete as she pushed her weight onto her knees, sucking for air. Why is this happening to me? The panic attacks hit her often like birth pains.
Centering her energy on breathing, Mira knelt with her face toward the sky, shoving away all feelings of despair.
~~
Lalique celebrated her birthday with her friends, Leilah put the twin boys to sleep in the bottom bunk of the boys’ room, and she lay on the sofa with TuTu asleep on her chest.
She flipped her cell phone open.
“I told him to be back by ten,” she groaned as she struggled to sit up with the chubby girl.
Leilah carried her baby sister to the girls’ room.
“Why are you on my bed,” she asked Xeniyah as she placed the youngest on the bottom bunk.
“This my bed when you ain’t here,” Xeniyah complained. “TuTu be wetting the bed.”
“I thought Lique slept here when I was gone,” she said sitting next to Xeniyah on the twin sized bed.
“Naw, she sleep on the top bunk.” Xeniyah snuggled under a thick comforter.
“Aren’t you hot, Zen?”
“Uh uh, I got the chills or something.”
Leilah pressed her hand against the sixteen year old’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”
“I know, but I can’t stop shivering.” The bed vibrated as her teeth chattered.
“Poor baby. Do you want some juice or something?”
“Naw, I just want to go to sleep.”
Lelilah closed the bedroom door, and paced across the living room. 10:05, she thought, I am going to kill him. Dialing his cell phone number, she yanked open the blinds, searching the area for Jack D.
“I’m here,” he said.
“I must be blind because I don’t see you.” She scanned the area again from their second floor apartment.
He stepped back from the front porch into her eye sight.
Leilah breathed a sigh of relief, “Did you lose your key?”
“Naw, I’m out her talking to your boy, D.”
“Who is D?”
Jack D glanced toward the front stoop, but the awning blocked her view of the person. Darien stepped out of the shadows, and waved. Leilah panicked, snapped the blinds shut, and crouched down, hiding. Somehow she managed to keep the phone to her ear.
Jack D. laughed, “What kind of kindergarten mess is that?”
“What is he doing here?” Leilah whispered. Her eyes bounced around the cluttered living room. There were toys everywhere and enough cups and plates sprinkled around to host a Tupperware party. Why didn’t I clean up earlier, she moaned.
“He brought your purse over, but we ended up talking and stuff. He cool peoples, Lei.”
Leilah scurried around the room, scooping up the dirty dishes first.
“We’ll be up in a minute.”
“Okay, take your time,” Leilah answered. She slammed the phone shut, and hurried to clean the living room. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to use the bathroom.
~~
Mira the hands squeezing her were his before she turned around.
Sylus gripped her shoulder, “Mira,” he called, concern leaked through his stone façade.
“I’m fine,” she panted. Part of her wanted to loathe him until he withered away from the disease she diagnosed him with, but another part of her cared for him too much to bear the thought.
He swept her up into his arms. “Let me take you inside.”
“No, no, no.” Mira clenched his t-shirt into her fists. “I’m fine. I don’t want to go in. I’m just going home.” Her breath stopped short in her throat. Her head rolled back.
“Mira,” he yelled.
She rolled her head back onto his chest. “I have to stand.”
Hesitantly, he placed her feet on the ground, bracing her. Her forehead dropped against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her breathing and the familiar strokes of his massive hands against her back made her feel safe.
Mira stepped back from his embrace avoiding eye contact, “Thanks,” she said and turned to walk away.
Sylus caught her hand, pulling her back toward him. “Let me take you home.”
Mira glanced away and then back at Sylus. She still couldn’t read him, but she decided it didn’t matter. She needed her bed, and he could get her there faster than her feet.
~~
Leilah tried her best to look natural after over-febreezing the room. Everything was in its place, and everything else was thrown carelessly into the bedrooms and closets.
She turned the channel to Punk’d and pretended to be entertained by Ally and AJ accidentally killing a bear. The entrance door opened, and she heard them laughing as their boots clunked up the stairs. Jack D. walked into the room first, and although she thought she was prepared for the moment when Darien stepped into her house, her heart stopped.
Darien rolled his lips between his teeth as he surveyed the room. The hunter green sectional was against one wall, and a large wooden entertainment center against the other. She clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking as she wondered what he thought.
“Man, Lei,” Jack D. said as he plopped down next to he on the sofa. “I’m tired. Can we talk tomorrow?”
Leilah nodded and combed her fingers through her hair.
He kissed her on the cheek.
“Good night, Jacky,” she said barely above a whisper, and then cleared her throat.
“Alright D, see you on Sunday, man.” He slapped Darien five.
“Alright JD,” Darien said. Jack D. went to his room and closed the door.
Darien handed Leilah her purse and sat next to her on the sofa.
“He’s going to church with you?” Leilah asked, amazed.
“Yeah, you are too,” he reminded her.
“I know, I just thought I would have to force him.”
“Naw, he’s a good kid.”
Darien sat back watching the images flicker across the screen. Then he leaned forward, “I don’t mean any disrespect to your aunt by coming here so late.”
“Oh, she’s not here.” Leilah said, leaning back. “She’s out with her girlfriends. I won’t be surprised if she takes the whole weekend off.”
“What, auntie be kicking it like that?” he joked.
“Yeah, she’s only like 31 or 32.”
“For real?” Leilah could tell Darien was doing the math in his head.
“She was around 13 when I was born.” Darien nodded and Leilah scrambled through her mind for any topic other than those that rated her family on a scale of dysfunction.
Then she tried the magical thing he always did that simplified everything. She placed her hand on the cushion between them with her palm up, and waited for him to accept the invitation.
His fingers smoothed over her palm, tracing over the lines like brail before locking firmly around her fingers. He gripped her hand tight.
“I missed you,” he said.
“I missed you too,” she answered.
[Stay tuned: Because the love is definitely here on Suds. Can you feel it?]
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Suds - Season 1, Episode 25
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... dear Darien and lovely Leilah kissed again, and she told him that she couldn’t become involved in a sex-free relationship. Awwww, I thought they would make the perfect couple.
Meanwhile, Mira provoked Shantel to the point where the girl had pinkish-red eyes, but Shantel didn’t say or do anything… unless you consider her folding to the ground, rocking back and forth, and balling up her fists as notable reaction. No use crying over spilled bubbles, the anger has already risen and love has been stirred…
New imaginary cast member! Blow some bubbles for the adorable Lil Romeo, son of Master P., who will be playing the imginary role of Leilah's fifteen year old brother, Jack D. Did you know I used to love Master P's, "Bout it Bout it" song back when I was sixteen? Of course you didn't, but I thought I'd share.]
Leilah pushed her hair away from her face, stealing a glance at Darien from the corner of her eye. He appeared to be deep in thought. I’ll catch the train back to school, she thought and returned her gaze to the highway signs, counting the seconds of silence before they parted ways for good.
Darien reached over, placing his hand on hers. She turned her palm up, gripping his, and rested in his comfort.
~~
Darien smoothed his fingertips across the back of her hand before fanning them around, and interlocking his fingers with hers.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but I can’t let you go.”
“Right here, the building on the left,” Leilah said pointing at her Aunt Lisa’s two-flat.
He released her hand to parallel park and then turned the car off.
Leilah loitered in the parked car unwilling to leave him, but more unsure of her ability to be involved in a restricted relationship.
“It might not work,” she mumbled reaching for his hand.
“We’ll never know if we don’t try.”
“Aren’t you supposed to pray about major decisions like this, or is that the old school way?”
“I already did,” he smiled. “God gave me a green light.”
Leilah studied the sincerity in his face, sighing, “I wish He would fill me in.”
“Have you asked Him yet?”
“Um, no,” Leilah blinked, considering the oddity of the question. “God and I don’t really get down like that.”
Darien lifted his brow quizzically. “I thought you believed in God.”
“I do. I just don’t believe he takes time out of his schedule to talk to me.”
Darien nodded, “You should come to church with me on Sunday.”
“I don’t know if I can. I’ll be spending time with the kids.”
“Bring em. It would be cool to meet your kids,” he teased.
Darien suppressed the urge to kiss her hand and feel her soft skin against his lips when she avoided his gaze.
Leilah grinned, “You won’t have to wait until Sunday.”
Darien followed her eyes to two teenagers. The girl had the younger boy, hunched over in a headlock. She let him go when they saw Leilah, and skipped toward the unfamiliar car.
~~
Emptiness settled inside Mira. Hollowed of all emotion, she walked across campus ignoring everyone that spoke to her. She walked for nearly half an hour until she stood in front of the clinic again.
The long two-story building was once her favorite place. She handed out condoms, taught the importance of safe sex, and counseled those who tested positive for HIV. 'It’s not the end of your life,' she would say. 'People are living long, healthy lives even with HIV.' The assuring phrase she often used felt more like the last nail being hammered into her coffin.
Mira gulped hard and forced her feet to move up the stairs. The door opened less than five feet away.
She looked up and saw Sylus.
~~
Lalique and Jack D. approached the car. Leilah stepped out, and ran to hug her siblings.
“Get off me, G,” Jack D. complained when Leilah squeezed him into a hug.
“Don’t you miss me Jacky boy,” Leilah kissed him on the cheek.
Jack D. struggled out of the hug and she rocked into a tight embrace with Lalique.
“You know Jacky is always worried about his lil image,” Lalique teased.
“What image,” Leilah chimed in. “He’s too young to have an image.”
“Yeah, whatever, G, I’m old enough for more than you think.” The fifteen year old smoothed his Avirex jacket into place.
“Who got you that jacket?” Leilah asked estimating the value at about two hundred dollars.
“Nonya,” he smirked.
Lalique met Leilah’s questioning eyes and nodded. Leilah assessed her brother. He wore the latest Jordan’s. His jeans were crisp, and he dusted off his flashy cap before securing it over his rough braids.
“I’m gon need you to braid me up when I get back,” Jack D. said to Leilah.
She looked at the time on her cell phone, 7:30 pm. “Where are you going?” she asked.
“Nonya,” he grinned, licking his lips.
“Don’t let him go,” Lalique admonished.
“Man, I wish you would get out of my business,” Jack D. said glancing around.
“What’s up, Jacky?” Leilah asked suspiciously.
“Nothing, Lei,” he answered, and then pointed at Darien, “Who is this?”
“Yes,” Lalique said, momentarily distracted as she sized up Leilah’s companion. “Who is your friend,” she smiled and flirting with Darien, “I’ll be legal tomorrow.”
Leilah elbowed her.
“It was a joke,” Lalique laughed, then whispered, “Dude is fine, though.” Her cell phone rang. “Jacky, please tell those stupid lil girls to stop calling my phone looking for you.”
He snatched the phone from Lalique’s hand. “What’s up girl? Let me give you my new number.”
“What’s going on,” Leilah whispered to Lalique.
“He’s been hanging around with the wrong crowd. You should see his closet. He got into it with Aunt Lisa yesterday, and she kicked him out.”
“Where is he staying,” Leilah gasped. She glanced over at Jack D. and Darien while they spoke a few feet away.
“We’re staying at Mom’s. I told Aunt Lisa I’ll try to keep an eye on him.”
“Why did she kick him out?”
“She thinks he’s been selling drugs out of the basement.”
“What?” Leilah screamed, glaring at her brother.
He glanced away. “Alright man, I’ll holla at you later.” He slapped Darien five and turned to walk away.
“Where are you going?” Leilah demanded.
“Lei, man, ya’ll be getting all worked up over nothing.”
“Where – are – you – going?”
Her eyes darkened, instantly masking her in a maternal light. Jack D. hung his head in defeat. He walked toward her, and whispered in her ear. “I know I messed up,” he said. “But I not on that anymore. I’m bout to go chill with my girl.”
He stepped back allowing her to see the sincerity swirling in his eyes.
“When will you be back,” she asked.
“About eleven.”“Make it ten, we need to talk.”
“Cool,” he said, punching Lalique in the arm before he ran away.
[Stay tuned: Only few more episodes left in Season 1… so sad, but true.]
[Last time on Suds... dear Darien and lovely Leilah kissed again, and she told him that she couldn’t become involved in a sex-free relationship. Awwww, I thought they would make the perfect couple.
Meanwhile, Mira provoked Shantel to the point where the girl had pinkish-red eyes, but Shantel didn’t say or do anything… unless you consider her folding to the ground, rocking back and forth, and balling up her fists as notable reaction. No use crying over spilled bubbles, the anger has already risen and love has been stirred…
New imaginary cast member! Blow some bubbles for the adorable Lil Romeo, son of Master P., who will be playing the imginary role of Leilah's fifteen year old brother, Jack D. Did you know I used to love Master P's, "Bout it Bout it" song back when I was sixteen? Of course you didn't, but I thought I'd share.]
Leilah pushed her hair away from her face, stealing a glance at Darien from the corner of her eye. He appeared to be deep in thought. I’ll catch the train back to school, she thought and returned her gaze to the highway signs, counting the seconds of silence before they parted ways for good.
Darien reached over, placing his hand on hers. She turned her palm up, gripping his, and rested in his comfort.
~~
Darien smoothed his fingertips across the back of her hand before fanning them around, and interlocking his fingers with hers.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “but I can’t let you go.”
“Right here, the building on the left,” Leilah said pointing at her Aunt Lisa’s two-flat.
He released her hand to parallel park and then turned the car off.
Leilah loitered in the parked car unwilling to leave him, but more unsure of her ability to be involved in a restricted relationship.
“It might not work,” she mumbled reaching for his hand.
“We’ll never know if we don’t try.”
“Aren’t you supposed to pray about major decisions like this, or is that the old school way?”
“I already did,” he smiled. “God gave me a green light.”
Leilah studied the sincerity in his face, sighing, “I wish He would fill me in.”
“Have you asked Him yet?”
“Um, no,” Leilah blinked, considering the oddity of the question. “God and I don’t really get down like that.”
Darien lifted his brow quizzically. “I thought you believed in God.”
“I do. I just don’t believe he takes time out of his schedule to talk to me.”
Darien nodded, “You should come to church with me on Sunday.”
“I don’t know if I can. I’ll be spending time with the kids.”
“Bring em. It would be cool to meet your kids,” he teased.
Darien suppressed the urge to kiss her hand and feel her soft skin against his lips when she avoided his gaze.
Leilah grinned, “You won’t have to wait until Sunday.”
Darien followed her eyes to two teenagers. The girl had the younger boy, hunched over in a headlock. She let him go when they saw Leilah, and skipped toward the unfamiliar car.
~~
Emptiness settled inside Mira. Hollowed of all emotion, she walked across campus ignoring everyone that spoke to her. She walked for nearly half an hour until she stood in front of the clinic again.
The long two-story building was once her favorite place. She handed out condoms, taught the importance of safe sex, and counseled those who tested positive for HIV. 'It’s not the end of your life,' she would say. 'People are living long, healthy lives even with HIV.' The assuring phrase she often used felt more like the last nail being hammered into her coffin.
Mira gulped hard and forced her feet to move up the stairs. The door opened less than five feet away.
She looked up and saw Sylus.
~~
Lalique and Jack D. approached the car. Leilah stepped out, and ran to hug her siblings.
“Get off me, G,” Jack D. complained when Leilah squeezed him into a hug.
“Don’t you miss me Jacky boy,” Leilah kissed him on the cheek.
Jack D. struggled out of the hug and she rocked into a tight embrace with Lalique.
“You know Jacky is always worried about his lil image,” Lalique teased.
“What image,” Leilah chimed in. “He’s too young to have an image.”
“Yeah, whatever, G, I’m old enough for more than you think.” The fifteen year old smoothed his Avirex jacket into place.
“Who got you that jacket?” Leilah asked estimating the value at about two hundred dollars.
“Nonya,” he smirked.
Lalique met Leilah’s questioning eyes and nodded. Leilah assessed her brother. He wore the latest Jordan’s. His jeans were crisp, and he dusted off his flashy cap before securing it over his rough braids.
“I’m gon need you to braid me up when I get back,” Jack D. said to Leilah.
She looked at the time on her cell phone, 7:30 pm. “Where are you going?” she asked.
“Nonya,” he grinned, licking his lips.
“Don’t let him go,” Lalique admonished.
“Man, I wish you would get out of my business,” Jack D. said glancing around.
“What’s up, Jacky?” Leilah asked suspiciously.
“Nothing, Lei,” he answered, and then pointed at Darien, “Who is this?”
“Yes,” Lalique said, momentarily distracted as she sized up Leilah’s companion. “Who is your friend,” she smiled and flirting with Darien, “I’ll be legal tomorrow.”
Leilah elbowed her.
“It was a joke,” Lalique laughed, then whispered, “Dude is fine, though.” Her cell phone rang. “Jacky, please tell those stupid lil girls to stop calling my phone looking for you.”
He snatched the phone from Lalique’s hand. “What’s up girl? Let me give you my new number.”
“What’s going on,” Leilah whispered to Lalique.
“He’s been hanging around with the wrong crowd. You should see his closet. He got into it with Aunt Lisa yesterday, and she kicked him out.”
“Where is he staying,” Leilah gasped. She glanced over at Jack D. and Darien while they spoke a few feet away.
“We’re staying at Mom’s. I told Aunt Lisa I’ll try to keep an eye on him.”
“Why did she kick him out?”
“She thinks he’s been selling drugs out of the basement.”
“What?” Leilah screamed, glaring at her brother.
He glanced away. “Alright man, I’ll holla at you later.” He slapped Darien five and turned to walk away.
“Where are you going?” Leilah demanded.
“Lei, man, ya’ll be getting all worked up over nothing.”
“Where – are – you – going?”
Her eyes darkened, instantly masking her in a maternal light. Jack D. hung his head in defeat. He walked toward her, and whispered in her ear. “I know I messed up,” he said. “But I not on that anymore. I’m bout to go chill with my girl.”
He stepped back allowing her to see the sincerity swirling in his eyes.
“When will you be back,” she asked.
“About eleven.”“Make it ten, we need to talk.”
“Cool,” he said, punching Lalique in the arm before he ran away.
[Stay tuned: Only few more episodes left in Season 1… so sad, but true.]
Suds Season 1, Episode 24
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... I just have to say that I am fully aware of Shantel’s “ways” but I am a smidge surprised that Mira seemed like she enjoyed seeing Shantel distraught. It’s almost like she knew Shantel was thinking of jumping off a cliff and Mira was pushing her off the edge. What’s going on there?
Meanwhile, I wonder what’s happening with Darien and Leilah. Don’t you think it would be nice to take break from the psych ward and peek in on their budding romance? Good, because that’s exactly where we’re going. Ain’t I a sap? :o) But not to worry my drama-holics, trust there is always room for situations to get slippery on Suds.]
Mira laughed harder, “You really are crazy.” Kneeling down beside Shantel, her flat voice silenced the frantic cries. “If you keep lying on Leilah, I will make sure you hear every bit of the truth. Every hug, every kiss, everything, and I will enjoy watching it tear you apart.”
Shantel’s bitter eyes rolled open meeting Mira’s taunting glare. She felt her insides twitch uncontrollably as she watched Mira’s full lips slink into amused smile.
People should not hurt me, Shantel thought squeezing her fists tight until her fingernails pierced into her palms. People should not hurt me.
~~
Darien opened the passenger door, smiling at Leilah as she stepped out. Gasoline lingered in the air as the occasional car whizzed by on the nearby highway.
He pressed her body against the car, “Is it done?” Darien cupped her elbows, leaning against her.
“Oh, you’re talking to me again?” Leilah mused. “And all it took was an emergency roommate change. Is there anything else I can do for you, your majesty?”
Her sarcastic curtsey was interrupted by his lips grazing hers. “There is one thing,” he said with warmth tickling her lips while he spoke. Then he kissed her leisurely, taking his time to explore the contours of her lips as they shaped against his own. A fresh coat of raspberry plum lip balm coated his lips, the same way that his happiness lined her heart.
Darien opened the door for her, she slid in, and they continued their trip back to Chicago.
~~
Mira hawked Shantel like a predator. They rose simultaneously, holding each other’s glare. Standing face to face, Mira sensed Shantel’s silent rage, her smile extended further.
Mira laughed, “That’s it? You’re just going to ball up your lil fists and pout?”
Shantel didn’t flinch.
“Whatever, you can be pathetic. I don’t mind.” Mira turned her back on Shantel and walked toward the door. Part of her expected Shantel to pounce when her back was turned, but she knew Shantel wouldn’t. She was too crafty.
“Hey Shantel,” Mira said as she opened the door.
Shantel seethed in anger. Her fists balled tightly enough to draw blood.
“I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say at the next meeting, especially the part where you clarify that Leilah did not attack you.” Mira paused, tapping her index finger against her chin, “Hmm, but that still leaves the question of what happened to you. Was it Terrance? Or will you lie and say it was me?” Mira laughed. “This is like a messed up game of Clue. Whatever, whoever, wherever, it better not be Leilah.” Then Mira left the room, and sang as she walked down the hallway, “Bye Soror.”
Shantel’s hands were numb. She didn’t notice the pressure shooting up her finger tips. When she finally unclenched her fists, her hands were a pinkish red, the same color as her eyes.
~~
Traffic was the first indicator that they were nearing the city. She vaguely heard him. Perhaps it was because he barely spoke. Leilah traced her lips, reminiscing about the two times she and Darien kissed. The first, she was able to play off as nothing more than a first kiss, but the second burned with undeniable intensity.
Leilah shook away the thoughts, and rested her head against her seat, closing her eyes. She imagined his lips pressed against hers, his hands roaming, her toes curling. She sank deeper into the dream, wishing it were reality.
“Leilah?”
Her eyes sprang open.
Darien’s golden brown eyes were filled with concern, “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah… yeah,” she rubbed her eyes open, and pressed her palms against her cheeks.
“Are you sure,” Darien asked, reaching over to rub the back of her neck.
“Yeah,” she said, pushing his hand away, “But could you please not touch me.”
Stricken, he pulled away, placing his hand on the steering wheel instead. Leilah stared out of the window, gathering her confused thoughts.
“What’s up?” he asked.
She shook her head, hesitantly before unleashing her concerns. “I just… I… I don’t know if I can do this. I think it’s great that you’re getting right with God, and on the no sex kick, but… I don’t think… I mean, I can’t… I just.” Leilah forced air out of her lungs and stared out of the window. “I like you a lot. And when we kiss it’s amazing.”
Darien smiled, but as she continued, his smile disappeared.
“But then my mind defaults to a place where you’re not trying to be. And I don’t see how I can be involved with you without being involved... intimately.”
Leilah glanced over at him.
He nodded but said nothing else.
The green highway signs occupied her eyes while her thoughts cluttered her brain. It is what it is, she thought. He needs a church going girl anyway. The kind that actually believes God listens to her prayers. I have enough to worry about without getting on God’s bad side by tempting Darien.
Several green signs with white lettering passed by as Leilah tried to convince herself that it was best to let Darien go. The thought wouldn’t stick. Instead, she saw how his fall-colored eyes would squint when he smiled, she remembered how the slightest glance from him made her blush, and she wanted to cry because she would no longer feel the warm comfort of his hand wrapped around hers.
She watched the exit signs lower from the hundreds to the sixties, less than half an hour from her house.
Leilah pretended to push her hair away from her face, glancing at Darien from the corner of her eye. He appeared to be deep in thought. I’ll catch the train back to school, she thought. This was just silly crush anyway. She returned her gaze to the highway signs, counting the seconds of silence before they parted ways for good.
Darien reached over, placing his hand on hers. She turned her palm up, gripping his, and rested in the comfort.
[Stay tuned: “Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is right – and you are ready.” Songs of Solomon 2:7]
[Last time on Suds... I just have to say that I am fully aware of Shantel’s “ways” but I am a smidge surprised that Mira seemed like she enjoyed seeing Shantel distraught. It’s almost like she knew Shantel was thinking of jumping off a cliff and Mira was pushing her off the edge. What’s going on there?
Meanwhile, I wonder what’s happening with Darien and Leilah. Don’t you think it would be nice to take break from the psych ward and peek in on their budding romance? Good, because that’s exactly where we’re going. Ain’t I a sap? :o) But not to worry my drama-holics, trust there is always room for situations to get slippery on Suds.]
Mira laughed harder, “You really are crazy.” Kneeling down beside Shantel, her flat voice silenced the frantic cries. “If you keep lying on Leilah, I will make sure you hear every bit of the truth. Every hug, every kiss, everything, and I will enjoy watching it tear you apart.”
Shantel’s bitter eyes rolled open meeting Mira’s taunting glare. She felt her insides twitch uncontrollably as she watched Mira’s full lips slink into amused smile.
People should not hurt me, Shantel thought squeezing her fists tight until her fingernails pierced into her palms. People should not hurt me.
~~
Darien opened the passenger door, smiling at Leilah as she stepped out. Gasoline lingered in the air as the occasional car whizzed by on the nearby highway.
He pressed her body against the car, “Is it done?” Darien cupped her elbows, leaning against her.
“Oh, you’re talking to me again?” Leilah mused. “And all it took was an emergency roommate change. Is there anything else I can do for you, your majesty?”
Her sarcastic curtsey was interrupted by his lips grazing hers. “There is one thing,” he said with warmth tickling her lips while he spoke. Then he kissed her leisurely, taking his time to explore the contours of her lips as they shaped against his own. A fresh coat of raspberry plum lip balm coated his lips, the same way that his happiness lined her heart.
Darien opened the door for her, she slid in, and they continued their trip back to Chicago.
~~
Mira hawked Shantel like a predator. They rose simultaneously, holding each other’s glare. Standing face to face, Mira sensed Shantel’s silent rage, her smile extended further.
Mira laughed, “That’s it? You’re just going to ball up your lil fists and pout?”
Shantel didn’t flinch.
“Whatever, you can be pathetic. I don’t mind.” Mira turned her back on Shantel and walked toward the door. Part of her expected Shantel to pounce when her back was turned, but she knew Shantel wouldn’t. She was too crafty.
“Hey Shantel,” Mira said as she opened the door.
Shantel seethed in anger. Her fists balled tightly enough to draw blood.
“I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say at the next meeting, especially the part where you clarify that Leilah did not attack you.” Mira paused, tapping her index finger against her chin, “Hmm, but that still leaves the question of what happened to you. Was it Terrance? Or will you lie and say it was me?” Mira laughed. “This is like a messed up game of Clue. Whatever, whoever, wherever, it better not be Leilah.” Then Mira left the room, and sang as she walked down the hallway, “Bye Soror.”
Shantel’s hands were numb. She didn’t notice the pressure shooting up her finger tips. When she finally unclenched her fists, her hands were a pinkish red, the same color as her eyes.
~~
Traffic was the first indicator that they were nearing the city. She vaguely heard him. Perhaps it was because he barely spoke. Leilah traced her lips, reminiscing about the two times she and Darien kissed. The first, she was able to play off as nothing more than a first kiss, but the second burned with undeniable intensity.
Leilah shook away the thoughts, and rested her head against her seat, closing her eyes. She imagined his lips pressed against hers, his hands roaming, her toes curling. She sank deeper into the dream, wishing it were reality.
“Leilah?”
Her eyes sprang open.
Darien’s golden brown eyes were filled with concern, “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah… yeah,” she rubbed her eyes open, and pressed her palms against her cheeks.
“Are you sure,” Darien asked, reaching over to rub the back of her neck.
“Yeah,” she said, pushing his hand away, “But could you please not touch me.”
Stricken, he pulled away, placing his hand on the steering wheel instead. Leilah stared out of the window, gathering her confused thoughts.
“What’s up?” he asked.
She shook her head, hesitantly before unleashing her concerns. “I just… I… I don’t know if I can do this. I think it’s great that you’re getting right with God, and on the no sex kick, but… I don’t think… I mean, I can’t… I just.” Leilah forced air out of her lungs and stared out of the window. “I like you a lot. And when we kiss it’s amazing.”
Darien smiled, but as she continued, his smile disappeared.
“But then my mind defaults to a place where you’re not trying to be. And I don’t see how I can be involved with you without being involved... intimately.”
Leilah glanced over at him.
He nodded but said nothing else.
The green highway signs occupied her eyes while her thoughts cluttered her brain. It is what it is, she thought. He needs a church going girl anyway. The kind that actually believes God listens to her prayers. I have enough to worry about without getting on God’s bad side by tempting Darien.
Several green signs with white lettering passed by as Leilah tried to convince herself that it was best to let Darien go. The thought wouldn’t stick. Instead, she saw how his fall-colored eyes would squint when he smiled, she remembered how the slightest glance from him made her blush, and she wanted to cry because she would no longer feel the warm comfort of his hand wrapped around hers.
She watched the exit signs lower from the hundreds to the sixties, less than half an hour from her house.
Leilah pretended to push her hair away from her face, glancing at Darien from the corner of her eye. He appeared to be deep in thought. I’ll catch the train back to school, she thought. This was just silly crush anyway. She returned her gaze to the highway signs, counting the seconds of silence before they parted ways for good.
Darien reached over, placing his hand on hers. She turned her palm up, gripping his, and rested in the comfort.
[Stay tuned: “Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is right – and you are ready.” Songs of Solomon 2:7]
Monday, March 3, 2008
Suds - Season 1, Episode 23
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... Leilah’s radar picked up signs of anxiety in her BFF, Mira. Meanwhile, isn’t it cool how best girls can tell almost instantly when something is wrong with one another? True friends really do hear the unsaid. Awwww. Alright back to the update… oh yes, it appears we’re in time for a confrontation between Mira and Shantel. Shantel better watch out because a true BFF bond is thicker than anything written in Greek... or is it?]
Good, they’re gone, Shantel thought. Now, I can think this through. Darien lied to me, Leilah stole from me, and Terrance left me. I’m hurt. People should not hurt me. She bit her bottom lip as she stared into the mirror. I’m still pretty though. She smiled as she applied another coat of lip gloss. How can I fix this? Shantel twisted the cap shut and dropped the gloss into her bag.
She walked across the room, slid on her trench coat, and opened her door to leave.
Mira scowled at her in the open doorway.
Shantel clutched her heart. “Oh my goodness, Mira you scared me.”
Mira’s glare sliced through Shantel.
Repositioning her handbag nervously, Shantel chuckled, “I’m really not up for talking, Mira. Actually, I’m heading out…” She attempted to step out of the room, but Mira blocked the doorway like massive stone structure. Her marble eyes scrutinized Shantel.
“What?” Shantel asked innocently.
“What do you think?” Mira snarled. “You think can lie on Leilah and get away with it?”
“I did not lie on…”
“Shut up.” Mira’s soft soprano voice deepened, startling Shantel. “If you want to talk so bad, tell me why you’re involving the sorors in your child’s play.”
Mira stepped forward.
Shantel warily took a step back.
“What did Leilah do to you?” Mira asked in a low tone. “Huh? What did she do?”
“I don’t have time for this,” Shantel said, attempting to walk around Mira.
Mira closed the gap between them, speaking through clenched teeth. “I could care less about what you have time for.” The hate-filled glare bore holes into Shantel.
Shantel inched back, trying to remain calm in spite of Mira’s somberness.
“Tell me about your plan, Shantel. What is it? Do you want to girls the jump Leilah because you’re not woman enough to keep your men? Is that what it is?”
Shantel folded her arms in front of her.
“How did it make you feel to see Terrance drooling all over your roommate?”
“Terrance was not...”
Mira cut her off, “No, well then when did you stomp over ready to fight like Ms. Piggy?”
Shantel sighed rolling her eyes, “Are you finished?”
“You know he wanted her,” Mira continued, “Even I could see that.”
“Okay, he wanted her, whatever,” Shantel said unconvinced. “Now get out of my way.”
“You better believe he wanted her, but he’s not the only one, is he?”
Shantel’s body stiffened, her fists tightened, and she averted her gaze. Her eyes steamed.
“No, he’s not the only one,” Mira continued. “Dear, sweet Darien, can’t get enough of her. Can he?” Mira circled Shantel, whispering while she paced. Concern drained out of Mira, leaving behind shell void of consideration. “I wonder what they did last night. It must have been something noteworthy considering that she never came back.” Mira stopped pacing and stood in front of Shantel. She could tell Shantel was fighting back tears, but she kept pressing.
“You know I spoke to her, right?” Mira tilted her head to the side. “She was still with,” Mira paused when Shantel squeezed her eyes shut. A devious smile slithered across Mira’s face. She emphasized every syllable of the name, “Da-ri-en.”
Shantel gripped her head, burrowing her fingers across her scalp, weaving them through her hair.
Mira smirked, “Everyone knows he left you. I guess I can understand why you would lie about Leilah. She has the one thing you can’t have…”
“Get out,” Shantel screeched folding to the floor.
Mira laughed, “Don’t you want me to tell you what she has?”
“Get out, Get out, Get out,” Shantel curled into a ball, rocking back and forth.
Mira laughed harder, “You really are crazy.” Kneeling down beside Shantel, her flat voice silenced the frantic cries. “If you keep lying on Leilah, I will make sure you hear every bit of the truth. Every hug, every kiss, everything, and I will enjoy watching it tear you apart.”
Shantel’s bitter eyes rolled open meeting Mira’s taunting glare. She felt her insides twitch uncontrollably when she watched Mira’s slink into smile.
People should not hurt me, she thought.
[Stay tuned: Notable quote, "Hurt people, hurt other people"]
[Last time on Suds... Leilah’s radar picked up signs of anxiety in her BFF, Mira. Meanwhile, isn’t it cool how best girls can tell almost instantly when something is wrong with one another? True friends really do hear the unsaid. Awwww. Alright back to the update… oh yes, it appears we’re in time for a confrontation between Mira and Shantel. Shantel better watch out because a true BFF bond is thicker than anything written in Greek... or is it?]
Good, they’re gone, Shantel thought. Now, I can think this through. Darien lied to me, Leilah stole from me, and Terrance left me. I’m hurt. People should not hurt me. She bit her bottom lip as she stared into the mirror. I’m still pretty though. She smiled as she applied another coat of lip gloss. How can I fix this? Shantel twisted the cap shut and dropped the gloss into her bag.
She walked across the room, slid on her trench coat, and opened her door to leave.
Mira scowled at her in the open doorway.
Shantel clutched her heart. “Oh my goodness, Mira you scared me.”
Mira’s glare sliced through Shantel.
Repositioning her handbag nervously, Shantel chuckled, “I’m really not up for talking, Mira. Actually, I’m heading out…” She attempted to step out of the room, but Mira blocked the doorway like massive stone structure. Her marble eyes scrutinized Shantel.
“What?” Shantel asked innocently.
“What do you think?” Mira snarled. “You think can lie on Leilah and get away with it?”
“I did not lie on…”
“Shut up.” Mira’s soft soprano voice deepened, startling Shantel. “If you want to talk so bad, tell me why you’re involving the sorors in your child’s play.”
Mira stepped forward.
Shantel warily took a step back.
“What did Leilah do to you?” Mira asked in a low tone. “Huh? What did she do?”
“I don’t have time for this,” Shantel said, attempting to walk around Mira.
Mira closed the gap between them, speaking through clenched teeth. “I could care less about what you have time for.” The hate-filled glare bore holes into Shantel.
Shantel inched back, trying to remain calm in spite of Mira’s somberness.
“Tell me about your plan, Shantel. What is it? Do you want to girls the jump Leilah because you’re not woman enough to keep your men? Is that what it is?”
Shantel folded her arms in front of her.
“How did it make you feel to see Terrance drooling all over your roommate?”
“Terrance was not...”
Mira cut her off, “No, well then when did you stomp over ready to fight like Ms. Piggy?”
Shantel sighed rolling her eyes, “Are you finished?”
“You know he wanted her,” Mira continued, “Even I could see that.”
“Okay, he wanted her, whatever,” Shantel said unconvinced. “Now get out of my way.”
“You better believe he wanted her, but he’s not the only one, is he?”
Shantel’s body stiffened, her fists tightened, and she averted her gaze. Her eyes steamed.
“No, he’s not the only one,” Mira continued. “Dear, sweet Darien, can’t get enough of her. Can he?” Mira circled Shantel, whispering while she paced. Concern drained out of Mira, leaving behind shell void of consideration. “I wonder what they did last night. It must have been something noteworthy considering that she never came back.” Mira stopped pacing and stood in front of Shantel. She could tell Shantel was fighting back tears, but she kept pressing.
“You know I spoke to her, right?” Mira tilted her head to the side. “She was still with,” Mira paused when Shantel squeezed her eyes shut. A devious smile slithered across Mira’s face. She emphasized every syllable of the name, “Da-ri-en.”
Shantel gripped her head, burrowing her fingers across her scalp, weaving them through her hair.
Mira smirked, “Everyone knows he left you. I guess I can understand why you would lie about Leilah. She has the one thing you can’t have…”
“Get out,” Shantel screeched folding to the floor.
Mira laughed, “Don’t you want me to tell you what she has?”
“Get out, Get out, Get out,” Shantel curled into a ball, rocking back and forth.
Mira laughed harder, “You really are crazy.” Kneeling down beside Shantel, her flat voice silenced the frantic cries. “If you keep lying on Leilah, I will make sure you hear every bit of the truth. Every hug, every kiss, everything, and I will enjoy watching it tear you apart.”
Shantel’s bitter eyes rolled open meeting Mira’s taunting glare. She felt her insides twitch uncontrollably when she watched Mira’s slink into smile.
People should not hurt me, she thought.
[Stay tuned: Notable quote, "Hurt people, hurt other people"]
Friday, February 29, 2008
Suds - Season 1, Episode 22
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... the pretty n prissy girls gathered to determine how to best resolve Shantel’s ‘problem’. Some of the girls, Angel for example, were ready to rumble, while others like Teneille, the chief beauty in their sorority, sought a reasonable solution. A distracted Mira learned that the pesky problem up for vote was actually her best friend, Leilah. But get this, Shantel never said Leilah attacked her with a two by four, but she never refuted the theory either.
Meanwhile, Darien and Leilah left the looming lies behind and drove back to Chicago together. Sweet, ain’t it? Except, Darien is a little too concerned about what might happen to Leilah as a result of Shantel’s neurological imbalance. It just keeps on bubbling…]
“Private affairs are spats with boyfriends,” Angel countered. “When one of us is physically attacked, we have to make it clear that we don’t roll like that.”
“Wait a minute,” Mira said halting the dispute and turning her attention to Shantel in the crowded dorm, “Terrance hit you?” she asked.
“No,” Shantel screamed pacing across the floor guiltily, “Can we please not do this?”
“You ain’t got to be scared of her,” Angel said.
“Scared of who,” Mira asked in an annoyed tone, and every pair of eyes in the room with the exception of Shantel’s stared at Mira like she had been living under a rock. Shantel closed her eyes to stop them from dancing. She waited for dissention to stir against Leilah, and it did.
“Your girl attacked Shantel last night,” Angel growled.
Shantel covered her face dramatically and plopped down on her bed. She was instantly sandwiched into a compassionate hug. “It’s fine,” she whimpered. “Please, don’t try to get involved,” she sobbed.
Mira’s mouth dropped open to deny the accusation, but the words jammed in her throat. She wasn’t sure what Leilah did after Darien dropped her off. She was angry enough, Mira thought, but Leilah didn’t want to fight. She would have if Shantel pushed her, and Shantel is known to push. Mira ran through the possibilities in her mind, and then glanced over at Shantel who was staring up at the ceiling, fanning her tears dry.
Teneille carefully detailed Mira’s uncertain reaction, awaiting an alibi, and when Mira didn’t offer one, she turned to Shantel. “We need you to tell us what happened. We can’t make decisions based on a hunch.”
Shantel pursed her lips together. “Well,” she started, down casting her eyes nervously for show. She fingered her bangs into place over the bump on her forehead. “I was…” Shantel paused, gulping hard before trying again. “I was…” This time her voice cracked, and she broke into a crying fit, shrieking and heaving while trying to explain.
Angel rubbed her back. “This is too much for her. We need to handle this now.”
Sharia closed the gap between her and Teneille, and whispered something into her ear.
Teneille nodded and then addressed the group. “We have to be very careful. It is clear that something dreadful has happened to Shantel, but since we don’t know exactly what that something is, it is in the best interest of all involved to postpone all decision making until Shantel can provide us with more information.”
“What?” Angel snarled. “That is not even right. We all saw what happened at the club last night. That trick almost jumped Shantel.”
“Almost,” Sharia interjected, “Is not enough. And we need to know exactly…”
“This is ridiculous,” Angel yelled, jumping to her feet. “How much more do you need to know?”
Teneille’s lips shaped into a polite smile. “Angel,” she said. “You don’t have to agree with my decision, but you will respect our organization enough not behave in a sloppy manner. We are not a gang, and we will not act like a gang.”
Angel crossed her arms across her chest, pressing her lips together firmly.
Tenielle continued. “Meeting is adjourned until Shantel is better able to share details.” She walked over to Shantel and embraced the trembling body of her sorority sister. “Pack up your things and come stay in the guest room at the house. We’ll talk when you’re ready.”
Shantel nodded.
Hugs and kisses were exchanged as the girls filed out of Shantel’s room in several ringlets of prattle. Mira said quick goodbye’s and retreated to the study room at the end of the hall. She left the lights off in the empty room, and closed the door.
~~
Leilah was glad when her phone rang. Darien was about as much fun as her last dentist appointment. He only broke his worried gaze from the road to smile at her. Well, he can look as worried as he wants, but nobody is making me change rooms, she thought.
“Hi, Mira,” Leilah sang.
Mira was curt. “Hey Lei. What happened last night?”
“Not much. Just hung out, watched movies, fell asleep. Why?”
“And when Shantel came home, what happened?”
“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t at home.”
“Where were you?”
“At Darien’s. What’s up with the third degree?”
“You were with Darien?” Mira sounded relieved, “All night?”
“Yes,” Leilah said defensively, “Why, what’s up?
Mira mumbled under her breath. “I can’t believe this.”
“You can’t believe what, that I was with Darien?”
“No, no, no.” Mira sighed deeply. “Shantel has everyone in our sorority thinking that you attacked her last night.”
“Attacked her how?” Leilah couldn’t hide the astonishment in her voice.
“With a two by four. She has a huge knot on her head that everyone thinks is your handiwork.”
“You can not be serious,” Leilah mused.
Mira sighed again. “I need you to do me a favor, and don’t go getting all She-woman on me.” She drew in a deep breath and blurted out, “Please call housing and request a change in roommate. I know it’s late in the year. I know that you don’t care about Shantel, but please just do it. I don’t know what she’s up to, but I do know she is putting me in the middle. So please, Lei, please request a roommate change. Tell them it’s an emergency or something. Just…please,” she begged.
Leilah’s stopped laughing long enough to her the string of anxiety in Mira’s voice.
“Fine, I’ll do the roommate change,” Leilah said. Hope flickered in Darien’s eyes, and he squeezed her hand again. Leilah wondered, why is everyone so worked up about this chic?
“Good. One more thing. Find somewhere else to stay over the weekend.”
“I’m heading to Chicago now.”
“Even better. I’ll call you later.”
“Wait, Mira.”
~~
“What?” Mira answered, suddenly feeling exasperated.
“You don’t sound okay. Is everything, I mean everything else, alright?”
Tears rushed into Mira’s eyes before she could fight them away. She sucked in a deep breath, and answered quickly. “Fine, I’m fine,” she rambled with a nervous laugh. “You know, I just don’t like drama,” Mira lied.
“Are you sure, Mir?” Leilah pressed.
“Positive.” The word pierced through Mira’s entire body, condemning her. She clutched her abdomen, biting back squealing tears. Quickly she answered, “I gotta go. Talk to you later.” She hung up before Leilah could dig any deeper into her pain.
True friends hear what you don’t say, she thought.
She forced back her tears, knowing that no matter what Leilah would be at her side. And she was determined be the same type of friend for Leilah.
~~
Good, they’re gone, Shantel thought. Now, I can think this through. Darien lied to me, Leilah stole from me, and Terrance left me. I’m hurt. People should not hurt me. She bit her bottom lip as she stared into the mirror. I’m still pretty though. She smiled as she applied another coat of lip gloss. How can I fix this? She twisted the cap shut and dropped it into her bag.
Shantel traipsed across the room, slid on her trench coat, and opened her door to leave.
She found Mira scowling at her in the open doorway.
[Stay tuned: Friends and Foes clash on the next episode of Suds]
[Last time on Suds... the pretty n prissy girls gathered to determine how to best resolve Shantel’s ‘problem’. Some of the girls, Angel for example, were ready to rumble, while others like Teneille, the chief beauty in their sorority, sought a reasonable solution. A distracted Mira learned that the pesky problem up for vote was actually her best friend, Leilah. But get this, Shantel never said Leilah attacked her with a two by four, but she never refuted the theory either.
Meanwhile, Darien and Leilah left the looming lies behind and drove back to Chicago together. Sweet, ain’t it? Except, Darien is a little too concerned about what might happen to Leilah as a result of Shantel’s neurological imbalance. It just keeps on bubbling…]
“Private affairs are spats with boyfriends,” Angel countered. “When one of us is physically attacked, we have to make it clear that we don’t roll like that.”
“Wait a minute,” Mira said halting the dispute and turning her attention to Shantel in the crowded dorm, “Terrance hit you?” she asked.
“No,” Shantel screamed pacing across the floor guiltily, “Can we please not do this?”
“You ain’t got to be scared of her,” Angel said.
“Scared of who,” Mira asked in an annoyed tone, and every pair of eyes in the room with the exception of Shantel’s stared at Mira like she had been living under a rock. Shantel closed her eyes to stop them from dancing. She waited for dissention to stir against Leilah, and it did.
“Your girl attacked Shantel last night,” Angel growled.
Shantel covered her face dramatically and plopped down on her bed. She was instantly sandwiched into a compassionate hug. “It’s fine,” she whimpered. “Please, don’t try to get involved,” she sobbed.
Mira’s mouth dropped open to deny the accusation, but the words jammed in her throat. She wasn’t sure what Leilah did after Darien dropped her off. She was angry enough, Mira thought, but Leilah didn’t want to fight. She would have if Shantel pushed her, and Shantel is known to push. Mira ran through the possibilities in her mind, and then glanced over at Shantel who was staring up at the ceiling, fanning her tears dry.
Teneille carefully detailed Mira’s uncertain reaction, awaiting an alibi, and when Mira didn’t offer one, she turned to Shantel. “We need you to tell us what happened. We can’t make decisions based on a hunch.”
Shantel pursed her lips together. “Well,” she started, down casting her eyes nervously for show. She fingered her bangs into place over the bump on her forehead. “I was…” Shantel paused, gulping hard before trying again. “I was…” This time her voice cracked, and she broke into a crying fit, shrieking and heaving while trying to explain.
Angel rubbed her back. “This is too much for her. We need to handle this now.”
Sharia closed the gap between her and Teneille, and whispered something into her ear.
Teneille nodded and then addressed the group. “We have to be very careful. It is clear that something dreadful has happened to Shantel, but since we don’t know exactly what that something is, it is in the best interest of all involved to postpone all decision making until Shantel can provide us with more information.”
“What?” Angel snarled. “That is not even right. We all saw what happened at the club last night. That trick almost jumped Shantel.”
“Almost,” Sharia interjected, “Is not enough. And we need to know exactly…”
“This is ridiculous,” Angel yelled, jumping to her feet. “How much more do you need to know?”
Teneille’s lips shaped into a polite smile. “Angel,” she said. “You don’t have to agree with my decision, but you will respect our organization enough not behave in a sloppy manner. We are not a gang, and we will not act like a gang.”
Angel crossed her arms across her chest, pressing her lips together firmly.
Tenielle continued. “Meeting is adjourned until Shantel is better able to share details.” She walked over to Shantel and embraced the trembling body of her sorority sister. “Pack up your things and come stay in the guest room at the house. We’ll talk when you’re ready.”
Shantel nodded.
Hugs and kisses were exchanged as the girls filed out of Shantel’s room in several ringlets of prattle. Mira said quick goodbye’s and retreated to the study room at the end of the hall. She left the lights off in the empty room, and closed the door.
~~
Leilah was glad when her phone rang. Darien was about as much fun as her last dentist appointment. He only broke his worried gaze from the road to smile at her. Well, he can look as worried as he wants, but nobody is making me change rooms, she thought.
“Hi, Mira,” Leilah sang.
Mira was curt. “Hey Lei. What happened last night?”
“Not much. Just hung out, watched movies, fell asleep. Why?”
“And when Shantel came home, what happened?”
“I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t at home.”
“Where were you?”
“At Darien’s. What’s up with the third degree?”
“You were with Darien?” Mira sounded relieved, “All night?”
“Yes,” Leilah said defensively, “Why, what’s up?
Mira mumbled under her breath. “I can’t believe this.”
“You can’t believe what, that I was with Darien?”
“No, no, no.” Mira sighed deeply. “Shantel has everyone in our sorority thinking that you attacked her last night.”
“Attacked her how?” Leilah couldn’t hide the astonishment in her voice.
“With a two by four. She has a huge knot on her head that everyone thinks is your handiwork.”
“You can not be serious,” Leilah mused.
Mira sighed again. “I need you to do me a favor, and don’t go getting all She-woman on me.” She drew in a deep breath and blurted out, “Please call housing and request a change in roommate. I know it’s late in the year. I know that you don’t care about Shantel, but please just do it. I don’t know what she’s up to, but I do know she is putting me in the middle. So please, Lei, please request a roommate change. Tell them it’s an emergency or something. Just…please,” she begged.
Leilah’s stopped laughing long enough to her the string of anxiety in Mira’s voice.
“Fine, I’ll do the roommate change,” Leilah said. Hope flickered in Darien’s eyes, and he squeezed her hand again. Leilah wondered, why is everyone so worked up about this chic?
“Good. One more thing. Find somewhere else to stay over the weekend.”
“I’m heading to Chicago now.”
“Even better. I’ll call you later.”
“Wait, Mira.”
~~
“What?” Mira answered, suddenly feeling exasperated.
“You don’t sound okay. Is everything, I mean everything else, alright?”
Tears rushed into Mira’s eyes before she could fight them away. She sucked in a deep breath, and answered quickly. “Fine, I’m fine,” she rambled with a nervous laugh. “You know, I just don’t like drama,” Mira lied.
“Are you sure, Mir?” Leilah pressed.
“Positive.” The word pierced through Mira’s entire body, condemning her. She clutched her abdomen, biting back squealing tears. Quickly she answered, “I gotta go. Talk to you later.” She hung up before Leilah could dig any deeper into her pain.
True friends hear what you don’t say, she thought.
She forced back her tears, knowing that no matter what Leilah would be at her side. And she was determined be the same type of friend for Leilah.
~~
Good, they’re gone, Shantel thought. Now, I can think this through. Darien lied to me, Leilah stole from me, and Terrance left me. I’m hurt. People should not hurt me. She bit her bottom lip as she stared into the mirror. I’m still pretty though. She smiled as she applied another coat of lip gloss. How can I fix this? She twisted the cap shut and dropped it into her bag.
Shantel traipsed across the room, slid on her trench coat, and opened her door to leave.
She found Mira scowling at her in the open doorway.
[Stay tuned: Friends and Foes clash on the next episode of Suds]
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Suds – Season 1, Episode 21
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... Mira got a call from her sorority sister mandating she attend the meeting in Shantel’s room, but Mira had much more serious things on her mind than Shantel’s latest freak fest. Speaking of Shantel, I wonder what’s going on in that pretty bruised up little head of hers. She hasn’t said much since Terrance dumped her. And when she saw Darien kissing Santa Claus… I mean, Leilah, it was a like adding a heap of salt to her open wound. Meanwhile, Darien is extra concerned about Leilah’s well being with respect to Shantel’s psychotic moments. I wonder why. So, without any further a due, let’s mix up soap and water and make it Sudsy…]
Darien pursed his lips together, choosing his words carefully, “I know her well, and I don’t doubt you, but she’s a little… off.”
“I don’t care if she’s on, off, in, or out.” Leilah snapped, “You better put your money on me cause I am not one to be played with.”
Leilah attempted to snatch her hand away, and again Darien gripped it in place. Then he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her softly. “Just think about it,” he said.
She nodded, knowing she would do no such thing.
~~
Teneille flat-ironed Shantel’s newly cut bangs, feathering them gently over the evident bruise on her forehead. She placed the flat iron on the bathroom counter.
“So, are you going to tell me what this is all about,” Teneille asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Shantel mumbled.
“Fine, but you’re only going to be able to use that excuse up until everyone gets here.”
Shantel’s room was already humming with the chatter of fifteen of her sorority sisters.
“You guys are just making a big deal out of nothing,” Shantel calmly stated as she appraised her new hairstyle. “Bangs work for me.” She wisped them in place, and then turned to face Teneille. “See, I’m fine,” she flashed an unabashed smile at the chief beauty of their chapter. “Can’t you just make this go away?”
“Not really,” Teneille smiled back. “Angel made a real big deal out of how banged up you were, and come to find out she was actually right. Now, inquiring minds want to know.”
Shantel sighed as Sharia appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, “Mira’s the only one missing. Should we proceed?”
“Uh-uh, she has to be here,” Teneille stated matter-of-factly. “Get her on the phone.”
Less than a second later, Sharia was on the phone with Mira.
~~
Mira stood outside the clinic, knowing there was nothing they could tell her for at least three months, but still she had to hear them say nothing could be done.
Her cell phone rang. She didn’t answer.
It rang again. She ignored it.
Still it rang again.
“What,” Mira barked.
“Man-da-tory,” Sharia said.
“Shar, this is not a good time.”
“Really, tell me why, and then I’ll let you get back to whatever is so much more important than a sister in need.”
Mira rubbed her head. What would she tell them, that she feared she was infected with HIV? Never.
Mira slammed her eyes shut, forcing air from her lungs. “Fine.” She slapped her phone shut and walked toward the dorms.
~~
Shantel sat on her bed with her legs crossed, lips glossed, and a princess-worthy poise when Mira walking into the room. Fifteen pairs of eyes met her at the door. Mira firmly planted her feet to avoid storming away from the stew of pettiness where she was being forced to simmer for the sake of solidarity.
Mira looked at the faces, some neutral, others spewing with contempt, and still other that were just happy to see her. The girls sat on Shantel’s bed, leaned against the wall, or stood. Leilah’s bed remained empty.
“Nice of you to join us.” Teneille smiled pleasantly from Shantel’s computer desk.
Mira fashioned an artificial smile, and sat on Leilah’s bed. Several eyes bulged at Mira’s audacity to sit on the enemy’s bed, but Teneille proceeded without missing a beat.
“Thank you ladies for taking time out of your schedules on such short notice to remedy this situation…”
As Teneille’s voice droned on, Mira wondered how people would treat her if she tested positive for HIV. Would people stop breathing when I walk by? Would my sorors still see me as one of them? She blinked back tears. I would never be able to have a family. Never be able to name my little girl Miranda. She closed her eyes, rubbing her head. Not now, she thought. Get this over with and get out. She tuned back into the discussion.
“I’m fine,” Shantel said with a smile.
“Girl, you did not look fine less than an hour ago,” Angel said in a riot worthy tone.
“It’s nothing really,” Shantel insisted.
“W-what’s nothing,” Mira asked wearily.
“That lump on her forehead,” Angel growled.
Mira stared at Shantel. She looked beautiful as always.
“This ain’t cool,” Angel said, standing. “It’s not right. People should not be able to step to any of us and get away with it.”
Mira’s eyes bounced around the room as she followed the conversation.
“We don’t get involved in each other’s private affairs,” Sharia stated. “And I don’t think we should start now.”
“Thank you Shar,” Shantel said. “I can handle this on my own.”
“Private affairs are spats with boyfriends,” Angel countered. “When one of us is physically attacked, we have to make it clear that we don’t roll like that.”
“Wait a minute,” Mira said, “Terrance hit you?”
“No,” Shantel screamed pacing across the floor guiltily, “Can we please not do this?”
“You ain’t got to be scared of her,” Angel said.
“Scared of who,” Mira asked in an annoyed tone, and every pair of eyes in the room with the exception of Shantel’s stared at Mira like she had been living under a rock.
“Your girl attacked Shantel last night,” Angel said.
Shantel covered her face dramatically and plopped down on her bed. She was instantly sandwiched into a compassionate hug. “It’s fine,” she whimpered. “Please, don’t try to get involved,” she cried.
Mira’s mouth dropped open to deny the accusation, but she didn’t know what happened after she said goodbye to Leilah. She was angry enough, Mira thought, but Leilah didn’t want to fight. She would have if Shantel pushed her. And Shantel is known to push.
[Stay tuned: Lies about Leilah, full steam ahead…]
[Last time on Suds... Mira got a call from her sorority sister mandating she attend the meeting in Shantel’s room, but Mira had much more serious things on her mind than Shantel’s latest freak fest. Speaking of Shantel, I wonder what’s going on in that pretty bruised up little head of hers. She hasn’t said much since Terrance dumped her. And when she saw Darien kissing Santa Claus… I mean, Leilah, it was a like adding a heap of salt to her open wound. Meanwhile, Darien is extra concerned about Leilah’s well being with respect to Shantel’s psychotic moments. I wonder why. So, without any further a due, let’s mix up soap and water and make it Sudsy…]
Darien pursed his lips together, choosing his words carefully, “I know her well, and I don’t doubt you, but she’s a little… off.”
“I don’t care if she’s on, off, in, or out.” Leilah snapped, “You better put your money on me cause I am not one to be played with.”
Leilah attempted to snatch her hand away, and again Darien gripped it in place. Then he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her softly. “Just think about it,” he said.
She nodded, knowing she would do no such thing.
~~
Teneille flat-ironed Shantel’s newly cut bangs, feathering them gently over the evident bruise on her forehead. She placed the flat iron on the bathroom counter.
“So, are you going to tell me what this is all about,” Teneille asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Shantel mumbled.
“Fine, but you’re only going to be able to use that excuse up until everyone gets here.”
Shantel’s room was already humming with the chatter of fifteen of her sorority sisters.
“You guys are just making a big deal out of nothing,” Shantel calmly stated as she appraised her new hairstyle. “Bangs work for me.” She wisped them in place, and then turned to face Teneille. “See, I’m fine,” she flashed an unabashed smile at the chief beauty of their chapter. “Can’t you just make this go away?”
“Not really,” Teneille smiled back. “Angel made a real big deal out of how banged up you were, and come to find out she was actually right. Now, inquiring minds want to know.”
Shantel sighed as Sharia appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, “Mira’s the only one missing. Should we proceed?”
“Uh-uh, she has to be here,” Teneille stated matter-of-factly. “Get her on the phone.”
Less than a second later, Sharia was on the phone with Mira.
~~
Mira stood outside the clinic, knowing there was nothing they could tell her for at least three months, but still she had to hear them say nothing could be done.
Her cell phone rang. She didn’t answer.
It rang again. She ignored it.
Still it rang again.
“What,” Mira barked.
“Man-da-tory,” Sharia said.
“Shar, this is not a good time.”
“Really, tell me why, and then I’ll let you get back to whatever is so much more important than a sister in need.”
Mira rubbed her head. What would she tell them, that she feared she was infected with HIV? Never.
Mira slammed her eyes shut, forcing air from her lungs. “Fine.” She slapped her phone shut and walked toward the dorms.
~~
Shantel sat on her bed with her legs crossed, lips glossed, and a princess-worthy poise when Mira walking into the room. Fifteen pairs of eyes met her at the door. Mira firmly planted her feet to avoid storming away from the stew of pettiness where she was being forced to simmer for the sake of solidarity.
Mira looked at the faces, some neutral, others spewing with contempt, and still other that were just happy to see her. The girls sat on Shantel’s bed, leaned against the wall, or stood. Leilah’s bed remained empty.
“Nice of you to join us.” Teneille smiled pleasantly from Shantel’s computer desk.
Mira fashioned an artificial smile, and sat on Leilah’s bed. Several eyes bulged at Mira’s audacity to sit on the enemy’s bed, but Teneille proceeded without missing a beat.
“Thank you ladies for taking time out of your schedules on such short notice to remedy this situation…”
As Teneille’s voice droned on, Mira wondered how people would treat her if she tested positive for HIV. Would people stop breathing when I walk by? Would my sorors still see me as one of them? She blinked back tears. I would never be able to have a family. Never be able to name my little girl Miranda. She closed her eyes, rubbing her head. Not now, she thought. Get this over with and get out. She tuned back into the discussion.
“I’m fine,” Shantel said with a smile.
“Girl, you did not look fine less than an hour ago,” Angel said in a riot worthy tone.
“It’s nothing really,” Shantel insisted.
“W-what’s nothing,” Mira asked wearily.
“That lump on her forehead,” Angel growled.
Mira stared at Shantel. She looked beautiful as always.
“This ain’t cool,” Angel said, standing. “It’s not right. People should not be able to step to any of us and get away with it.”
Mira’s eyes bounced around the room as she followed the conversation.
“We don’t get involved in each other’s private affairs,” Sharia stated. “And I don’t think we should start now.”
“Thank you Shar,” Shantel said. “I can handle this on my own.”
“Private affairs are spats with boyfriends,” Angel countered. “When one of us is physically attacked, we have to make it clear that we don’t roll like that.”
“Wait a minute,” Mira said, “Terrance hit you?”
“No,” Shantel screamed pacing across the floor guiltily, “Can we please not do this?”
“You ain’t got to be scared of her,” Angel said.
“Scared of who,” Mira asked in an annoyed tone, and every pair of eyes in the room with the exception of Shantel’s stared at Mira like she had been living under a rock.
“Your girl attacked Shantel last night,” Angel said.
Shantel covered her face dramatically and plopped down on her bed. She was instantly sandwiched into a compassionate hug. “It’s fine,” she whimpered. “Please, don’t try to get involved,” she cried.
Mira’s mouth dropped open to deny the accusation, but she didn’t know what happened after she said goodbye to Leilah. She was angry enough, Mira thought, but Leilah didn’t want to fight. She would have if Shantel pushed her. And Shantel is known to push.
[Stay tuned: Lies about Leilah, full steam ahead…]
Suds – Season 1, Episode 20
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... ready, set, go… Mira was a no show; Terrance told Shantel to hit the door – she took it literally and ended up crying on the floor.
Darien and Leilah put on a show of a smoochy-smooch while he opened the car door. Meanwhile, Shantel watched in disbelief from her bush-view seat, and was abso-certain-lutely not pleased… Can you tell I’ve been reading Dr. Suess to my four year old?
Anywho, grab a bar as soap, and let’s get in the tub…]
Leilah blushed.
“Ready?” he asked resting his forehead on hers.
She nodded, and slid into the seat.Darien closed her door, scanning the area with his eyes as he walked around the car. Something jostled in the bushes less than twenty feet away. Standing with his door open, he stared at the bush as it shifted slightly with the breeze but otherwise remained undisturbed.Darien got into his car and drove away.
When the car was out of sight, a disheveled Shantel emerged from behind the bush.
Shantel walked over to the spot where Darien and Leilah kissed. She stood in disbelief, vacant of emotion. Hollowed and alone, detached and incomplete, Shantel raked her fingertips through her unkempt hair. Shards of pain shot up into her fingertips. Shantel stared at the dried blood and cracked fingernails on her hands and dropped them to her sides.
“Shantel,” Angel screamed in shock as she rushed toward her sorority sister. “Girl, what happened to you?”
Shantel vaguely recognized the chubby neophyte as she babbled rapidly, causing Shantel’s head to pound. Raising her hand to her forehead, Shantel grimaced.
“Girl, are you okay?” Angel whispered, glancing around as students walked past them. “Come, let’s go to your room.”
Shantel, in no condition to disagree, allowed her fuming soror to guide her to her room.
~~
“Mira,” Angel barked into her cell phone while Shantel showered. “We have a mandatory meeting in Shantel’s room. Be here in an hour.”
“Look, Ang, I’m not gon be able to make it,” Mira said faintly.
“Mandatory, Mira. Teneille, Sharia, everybody including you will be here in an hour. Make it happen.”
Angel hung up, and Mira folded her phone shut. She cradled her knees against her chest as she sat in the corner of her bedroom with drained tear ducts. Her damp hair lay limp against the bath towel around her body.
She was only on the wrong side of the table once, a couple years ago when she was in training to become a testing counselor, the exercise in compassion steamrolled through her mind continuously.
Her counseling partner was Marie. Marie looked at her with a blank expression and said, “Mira, you tested positive for HIV.”
Mira remembered how the world stopped.
Her eyes watered, instantly blurring her vision.
She clutched her chest and blurted out in laughter.
Marie raised her brows in confusion and everyone in the room stared, but Mira kept laughing as the words replayed in her mind.
The rolling laughter quieted into unsteady whimpers.
Her tongue became swollen.
Her mouth dried, and her breathing grew faint.
“Mira,” Marie had called as Mira swirled into a panic. She hyperventilated and tumbled to the floor in tears.
“Mira,” the instructor said, rushing over with a bottle of water. She fanned her with a folder. “Look at me, Mira. Look at me. This is only a test. It’s okay.”
Mira stared at her counseling teacher in disbelief.
She continued assuring her, repeating, “It’s only a test.”
Mira took a deep breath and pushed the memory away. This time, it’s real, she thought.
Feeling the brewing tears, Mira stood and walked to the bathroom. She dropped her towel, stepped into the shower, and turned the water as hot as she could bear. At least then, she wouldn’t have to feel the tears, only the scorching hot water against her skin.
~~
“Do you expect me to do all the talking,” Leilah asked.
“Uh… naw,” Darien answered, reaching for her hand. Securing hers in his own, he continued driving, lost in thought. Leilah stared out of the window at fields of nothing, certain that they were something like wheat or some other agricultural product she cared nothing about. Annoyed by his silence, she attempted to pull her hand from his, but he tightened his grip.
“Maybe you should change rooms,” he finally said.
“For what,” Leilah asked. “I’m not about to run from Lil Ms. Priss. If she has a problem with me, she can move.”
Darien pursed his lips together, choosing his words carefully, “I know her well, and I don’t doubt you, but she’s a little… off.”
“I don’t care if she’s on, off, in, or out. You better put your money on me cause I am not one to be played with.”
Leilah attempted to snatch her hand away, and again Darien gripped it in place. Then he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her softly.
“Just think about it,” he said.
She shrugged, knowing she would do no such thing.
[Stay tuned: Mandatory meetings and talks about moving next time on Suds]
[Last time on Suds... ready, set, go… Mira was a no show; Terrance told Shantel to hit the door – she took it literally and ended up crying on the floor.
Darien and Leilah put on a show of a smoochy-smooch while he opened the car door. Meanwhile, Shantel watched in disbelief from her bush-view seat, and was abso-certain-lutely not pleased… Can you tell I’ve been reading Dr. Suess to my four year old?
Anywho, grab a bar as soap, and let’s get in the tub…]
Leilah blushed.
“Ready?” he asked resting his forehead on hers.
She nodded, and slid into the seat.Darien closed her door, scanning the area with his eyes as he walked around the car. Something jostled in the bushes less than twenty feet away. Standing with his door open, he stared at the bush as it shifted slightly with the breeze but otherwise remained undisturbed.Darien got into his car and drove away.
When the car was out of sight, a disheveled Shantel emerged from behind the bush.
Shantel walked over to the spot where Darien and Leilah kissed. She stood in disbelief, vacant of emotion. Hollowed and alone, detached and incomplete, Shantel raked her fingertips through her unkempt hair. Shards of pain shot up into her fingertips. Shantel stared at the dried blood and cracked fingernails on her hands and dropped them to her sides.
“Shantel,” Angel screamed in shock as she rushed toward her sorority sister. “Girl, what happened to you?”
Shantel vaguely recognized the chubby neophyte as she babbled rapidly, causing Shantel’s head to pound. Raising her hand to her forehead, Shantel grimaced.
“Girl, are you okay?” Angel whispered, glancing around as students walked past them. “Come, let’s go to your room.”
Shantel, in no condition to disagree, allowed her fuming soror to guide her to her room.
~~
“Mira,” Angel barked into her cell phone while Shantel showered. “We have a mandatory meeting in Shantel’s room. Be here in an hour.”
“Look, Ang, I’m not gon be able to make it,” Mira said faintly.
“Mandatory, Mira. Teneille, Sharia, everybody including you will be here in an hour. Make it happen.”
Angel hung up, and Mira folded her phone shut. She cradled her knees against her chest as she sat in the corner of her bedroom with drained tear ducts. Her damp hair lay limp against the bath towel around her body.
She was only on the wrong side of the table once, a couple years ago when she was in training to become a testing counselor, the exercise in compassion steamrolled through her mind continuously.
Her counseling partner was Marie. Marie looked at her with a blank expression and said, “Mira, you tested positive for HIV.”
Mira remembered how the world stopped.
Her eyes watered, instantly blurring her vision.
She clutched her chest and blurted out in laughter.
Marie raised her brows in confusion and everyone in the room stared, but Mira kept laughing as the words replayed in her mind.
The rolling laughter quieted into unsteady whimpers.
Her tongue became swollen.
Her mouth dried, and her breathing grew faint.
“Mira,” Marie had called as Mira swirled into a panic. She hyperventilated and tumbled to the floor in tears.
“Mira,” the instructor said, rushing over with a bottle of water. She fanned her with a folder. “Look at me, Mira. Look at me. This is only a test. It’s okay.”
Mira stared at her counseling teacher in disbelief.
She continued assuring her, repeating, “It’s only a test.”
Mira took a deep breath and pushed the memory away. This time, it’s real, she thought.
Feeling the brewing tears, Mira stood and walked to the bathroom. She dropped her towel, stepped into the shower, and turned the water as hot as she could bear. At least then, she wouldn’t have to feel the tears, only the scorching hot water against her skin.
~~
“Do you expect me to do all the talking,” Leilah asked.
“Uh… naw,” Darien answered, reaching for her hand. Securing hers in his own, he continued driving, lost in thought. Leilah stared out of the window at fields of nothing, certain that they were something like wheat or some other agricultural product she cared nothing about. Annoyed by his silence, she attempted to pull her hand from his, but he tightened his grip.
“Maybe you should change rooms,” he finally said.
“For what,” Leilah asked. “I’m not about to run from Lil Ms. Priss. If she has a problem with me, she can move.”
Darien pursed his lips together, choosing his words carefully, “I know her well, and I don’t doubt you, but she’s a little… off.”
“I don’t care if she’s on, off, in, or out. You better put your money on me cause I am not one to be played with.”
Leilah attempted to snatch her hand away, and again Darien gripped it in place. Then he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her softly.
“Just think about it,” he said.
She shrugged, knowing she would do no such thing.
[Stay tuned: Mandatory meetings and talks about moving next time on Suds]
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Suds - Stopping the Bubbles
People, People: Do not be alarmed. Episodes of Suds will continue as scheduled until the season finale... yes there will be a season finale as well as a prequel to Season 2, but not to worry, the time has not yet come for such things to happen.
In the meantime, I'd like to redirect your attention to Episode 18. I have added a new integral insert to clarify the depth of the relationship between Darien and Leilah. How I missed that necessary ingredient is beyond me. The insert is highlighted in orangey-brown.
Special thanks to Wubes for calling my attention to the discrepancy. What would I do without my Wewey ;o)
Happy Reading!
Love 1 Cor. 13,
Makeda
In the meantime, I'd like to redirect your attention to Episode 18. I have added a new integral insert to clarify the depth of the relationship between Darien and Leilah. How I missed that necessary ingredient is beyond me. The insert is highlighted in orangey-brown.
Special thanks to Wubes for calling my attention to the discrepancy. What would I do without my Wewey ;o)
Happy Reading!
Love 1 Cor. 13,
Makeda
Monday, February 25, 2008
Suds – Season 1, Episode 19
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... oh oh, spaghetti o’s… There was a major incident involving a defective condom and Mira and Sylus that swirled our HIV advocate into a painful panic. Can you imagine something more dreadful than an unplanned pregnancy or a curable STD? I can, and I’m in excruciating pain just thinking about the horrid possibility!
On the more lovey-dovey side of things, Darien and Leilah are sooo cute together… let’s take a break to soak in the mushiness…awwww. But when Shantel finds out that they ARE still together in spite of the impossibility… well, who knows what will happen next? I do … sort of :o) And if you stay tuned, you will too!]
Mira tugged the roots of her hair. She closed her eyes to concentrate, blocking out his rant. Fishing through her memory, she searched for recent rumors of Sylus, but couldn’t find any. God, please don’t let this be happening. Not to me. Her eyes swelled up with tears. Please, don’t let this be happening.
She heard his boots stomp toward her front door. He slammed it shut.
Relax, she thought. Just relax. What are the chances?
~~
Shantel stayed in the bathroom another fifteen minutes before flushing the toilet to complete her ruse. She picked up her bag, turned off the light, and opened the door. Terrance stood in the doorway.
“Terrance,” she screamed, dropping her purse. Her contents scattered across the floor. Shantel gripped her heart to soothe the furious pounding.
“Why are you so jumpy?” He asked through a stern mask.
“I don’t know, maybe because you’re lurking at the door like a knife-wielding psycho,” she screamed. “What is wrong with you?” Her hands shook as she clambered to gather her items. Frazzled and discombobulated, Shantel dropped the items back into her purse and stood.
“Why did you take your purse in the bathroom?”
“Why did I take my purse into the bathroom,” she repeated as she thought quickly. “What kind of a question is that?” Shantel pushed herself to become angry, and pulled a tampon from her purse, then threw it at him. The tube-like package hit his chest and fell to the floor.
His stone face chipped away as he returned his gaze to hers apologetically. She cut her eyes, casting them away from his face. And when they returned, they were filled with angst. “How long do you think I am going to put up with this,” she growled. “I am not your ex-girlfriend, and I am not cheating on you.”
“Baby, I…”
Shantel cut him off as she pushed him out of her way and grabbed her boots. Sitting on his unmade bed, she forced her feet into her boots and zipped them up. “I can not believe that you have the audacity to mistrust me when just last night, you were cheesin all up in my trick roommate’s face. The same roommate that you ignored all my calls for because you were being mister knight in shining armor…”
“Baby,” he pleaded.
“Don’t baby me. Go, baby, that cow in the girl’s bathroom at the student center, and while you’re at it, question her about why she’s there,” she fumed as she shoved her hands into her jacket. Shantel turned dramatically to face him ensuring that her heels stomped to convey her wrath. Then her breath caught.
Terrance clutched her iPhone in his massive hands. His concerned facial expression morphed into a porous mask of hatred as he saw Darien’s name repeatedly listed in her call history. Instantly, she felt herself deflate.
“Get out,” Terrance said in an inaudible voice.
“Baby,” she whispered.
“Get out, Shantel,” his voice thundered, and then crackled into a stream of profanities.
Shantel grabbed her purse and fumbled toward the door, begging him to listen.
“Please, baby please, just let me explain…”
He grimaced when she reached the front door, gritting his teeth to fight back the rage.
Her hand trembled against the doorknob. Then she turned away from him, facing the door. Her mind raced. I can’t be alone. Don’t let me be alone. Please don’t let me be alone. She clawed at the wooden door, breaking her nails as she scratched. They bled. Please, no, I can’t be alone. Tears began steaming down her face like the river of loneliness she would soon come to face. Unable to bear the thought, Shantel pounded her head against the door, and wailed as her body collapsed to the floor.
Terrance nearly jumped to her side, but was grounded by the lucid memory of her betrayal. He stood still watching the tears flood over her face, and the swelling lump on her forehead. Torn between his desire to protect her and the impulse to further maim her, he screamed out in agony.
Clutching her ears, she cried, “just let me explain. Please, just let me explain.”
“Naw, Shantel. Just leave,” he said solemnly.
~~
Darien searched the lobby with his eyes as he exited the elevator with Leilah, carrying her large duffle bag.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said distracted.
They walked in silence until he hurled her bag into the trunk of his car. He opened the passenger door for her, but she didn’t move.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said. “I can drive myself.”
“No no, I want to. I gotta see my pops anyway.”
They stood in silence as Leilah looked for traces of uncertainty in his almond eyes. There were none. He focused in on her unspoken question and answered it with a gentle kiss. It lasted less than a moment, but sweltered with the promise of absolute certainty.
Leilah blushed.
“Ready?” he asked resting his forehead on hers.
She nodded, and slid into the seat.
Darien closed her door, scanning the area with his eyes as he walked around the car. Something jostled in the bushes less than twenty feet away. Standing with his door open, he stared at the bush as it shifted slightly with the breeze but otherwise remained undisturbed.
Darien got into his car and drove away.
When the car was out of sight, a disheveled Shantel emerged from behind the bush.
[Stay tuned: Dum, Dum, Dum…I know, I know, the suspense is killing me too!]
[Last time on Suds... oh oh, spaghetti o’s… There was a major incident involving a defective condom and Mira and Sylus that swirled our HIV advocate into a painful panic. Can you imagine something more dreadful than an unplanned pregnancy or a curable STD? I can, and I’m in excruciating pain just thinking about the horrid possibility!
On the more lovey-dovey side of things, Darien and Leilah are sooo cute together… let’s take a break to soak in the mushiness…awwww. But when Shantel finds out that they ARE still together in spite of the impossibility… well, who knows what will happen next? I do … sort of :o) And if you stay tuned, you will too!]
Mira tugged the roots of her hair. She closed her eyes to concentrate, blocking out his rant. Fishing through her memory, she searched for recent rumors of Sylus, but couldn’t find any. God, please don’t let this be happening. Not to me. Her eyes swelled up with tears. Please, don’t let this be happening.
She heard his boots stomp toward her front door. He slammed it shut.
Relax, she thought. Just relax. What are the chances?
~~
Shantel stayed in the bathroom another fifteen minutes before flushing the toilet to complete her ruse. She picked up her bag, turned off the light, and opened the door. Terrance stood in the doorway.
“Terrance,” she screamed, dropping her purse. Her contents scattered across the floor. Shantel gripped her heart to soothe the furious pounding.
“Why are you so jumpy?” He asked through a stern mask.
“I don’t know, maybe because you’re lurking at the door like a knife-wielding psycho,” she screamed. “What is wrong with you?” Her hands shook as she clambered to gather her items. Frazzled and discombobulated, Shantel dropped the items back into her purse and stood.
“Why did you take your purse in the bathroom?”
“Why did I take my purse into the bathroom,” she repeated as she thought quickly. “What kind of a question is that?” Shantel pushed herself to become angry, and pulled a tampon from her purse, then threw it at him. The tube-like package hit his chest and fell to the floor.
His stone face chipped away as he returned his gaze to hers apologetically. She cut her eyes, casting them away from his face. And when they returned, they were filled with angst. “How long do you think I am going to put up with this,” she growled. “I am not your ex-girlfriend, and I am not cheating on you.”
“Baby, I…”
Shantel cut him off as she pushed him out of her way and grabbed her boots. Sitting on his unmade bed, she forced her feet into her boots and zipped them up. “I can not believe that you have the audacity to mistrust me when just last night, you were cheesin all up in my trick roommate’s face. The same roommate that you ignored all my calls for because you were being mister knight in shining armor…”
“Baby,” he pleaded.
“Don’t baby me. Go, baby, that cow in the girl’s bathroom at the student center, and while you’re at it, question her about why she’s there,” she fumed as she shoved her hands into her jacket. Shantel turned dramatically to face him ensuring that her heels stomped to convey her wrath. Then her breath caught.
Terrance clutched her iPhone in his massive hands. His concerned facial expression morphed into a porous mask of hatred as he saw Darien’s name repeatedly listed in her call history. Instantly, she felt herself deflate.
“Get out,” Terrance said in an inaudible voice.
“Baby,” she whispered.
“Get out, Shantel,” his voice thundered, and then crackled into a stream of profanities.
Shantel grabbed her purse and fumbled toward the door, begging him to listen.
“Please, baby please, just let me explain…”
He grimaced when she reached the front door, gritting his teeth to fight back the rage.
Her hand trembled against the doorknob. Then she turned away from him, facing the door. Her mind raced. I can’t be alone. Don’t let me be alone. Please don’t let me be alone. She clawed at the wooden door, breaking her nails as she scratched. They bled. Please, no, I can’t be alone. Tears began steaming down her face like the river of loneliness she would soon come to face. Unable to bear the thought, Shantel pounded her head against the door, and wailed as her body collapsed to the floor.
Terrance nearly jumped to her side, but was grounded by the lucid memory of her betrayal. He stood still watching the tears flood over her face, and the swelling lump on her forehead. Torn between his desire to protect her and the impulse to further maim her, he screamed out in agony.
Clutching her ears, she cried, “just let me explain. Please, just let me explain.”
“Naw, Shantel. Just leave,” he said solemnly.
~~
Darien searched the lobby with his eyes as he exited the elevator with Leilah, carrying her large duffle bag.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said distracted.
They walked in silence until he hurled her bag into the trunk of his car. He opened the passenger door for her, but she didn’t move.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said. “I can drive myself.”
“No no, I want to. I gotta see my pops anyway.”
They stood in silence as Leilah looked for traces of uncertainty in his almond eyes. There were none. He focused in on her unspoken question and answered it with a gentle kiss. It lasted less than a moment, but sweltered with the promise of absolute certainty.
Leilah blushed.
“Ready?” he asked resting his forehead on hers.
She nodded, and slid into the seat.
Darien closed her door, scanning the area with his eyes as he walked around the car. Something jostled in the bushes less than twenty feet away. Standing with his door open, he stared at the bush as it shifted slightly with the breeze but otherwise remained undisturbed.
Darien got into his car and drove away.
When the car was out of sight, a disheveled Shantel emerged from behind the bush.
[Stay tuned: Dum, Dum, Dum…I know, I know, the suspense is killing me too!]
Friday, February 22, 2008
Suds – Season 1, Episode 18
… a mini soap opera that bubbles with Love & Drama
[Last time on Suds... pause... I must confess that I am soooo into Darien right now. I mean, the man just has a way with words. So effortless, so sincere, so… me, LOL!!! Allow me a moment to get over myself. Woooo-saaa and I’m back. Mira revealed that Darien was driving Leilah home, and both Terrance and Shantel were unable to hide their festering contempt. Leilah was 100% correct in episode 14 when she predicted that this situation was “bound to get messy.”
Meanwhile, I was right about that Mira / Sylus connection. I’m guessing… well you just have to see for yourself. The bath water is ready, so jump in...]
Darien’s hypnotizing eyes captured her heart and took her to a tranquil place. Leilah forgot about everything that happened, and accepted the private invitation to be lost in the sincerity of his eyes.
~~
Shantel sat in the passenger seat of Terrance’s SUV contemplating her next move.
“Baby, I’m tired," she said sweetly as she turned to face him. "Can you take me home?”
He smiled, reaching for her hand and weaved his fingers between hers. “You can sleep at my crib. Most of your stuff is there anyway.”
Shantel bit her bottom lip, and turned to look out the window as they drove past the entrance to her dorm. Anxiety gripped her. I need to know if Darien is still with that hussy. Maybe he just took her home, but what if they are still together. She looked at the time on her cell phone. 3 am, there's no way they're still together... but what if they are? That's ridiculous, Darien would never choose her over me.
~~
[Clarifying insert: Question after question, story after story, they revealed their happiness and hurts. Leilah allowed her protective wall to crumble. Likewise, Darien removed his universal mask and together they swam into a deeper level of understanding.
"Wow, so you really are into God?" she asked in amazement.
He nodded and lay back on the sofa, propping his feet upon her lap.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," she said sarcastically, then teased, "Isn't touching a no-no for you."
Darien cracked his knuckles like a pro and said, "It's all about self control. I can control myself. You're the one on the shaky side." He grinned, "Though, I should move and sit over on that chair to help you out. Being close to all this goodness you can't have must be tearing you apart."
Leilah laughed, "Please, get over your self." She rested her hands at her side, afraid to touch him, and watched the movie. In a daze, she imagined what it would be like to be with him... like a girlfriend of sorts.
"Are you alright," he asked.
Startled from her thoughts, she stammered, "Y- Yeah, I'm fine."
Slowly, he lifted his legs from her lap, repositioning himself so they could dangle off the sofa instead.
"You don't have to move," she said, although her body stiffened.
"It's cool," he smiled, "A brother is on the alluring side."
"Really, get over yourself," she gratefully laughed as the joke minimized the awkwardness.
Watching the movie, Leilah glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His braided hair was rough and his squared jaw sloped each time his smile etched into his cheek. He laughed at the comedian on the screen, enveloped in the joke. Leilah noticed that even when his eyes weren't focused on hers, they still managed to hold her attention.
Nervously, Leilah inched closer to Darien until their knees touched. She clasped her hands into her lap, picking her nails as she pretended to watch the movie. Thoughts of possibilities and fears raced through her mind, but Darien calmed them all when he sat up beside her and touched her hand. She allowed his hand to slide between hers.
Leilah looked at their joined hands, then finally met his waiting gaze.
They stared in silence until he said, "I always wanted to be like my pops."
Leilah laughed at the unexpected subject.
"I'm serious," he laughed.
"I know," she said, regaining her composure. "I'm ready, tell me more."
Darien leaned against the back of the chair, and sighed, "He's a good man. A good father. A good husband. The kind of man I thought I could never be."
"Why not? Shouldn't it be easier since you have an example?"
"Should be," he shrugged. "But, some people always mess up."
"Are you that type, the one that always messes up," she asked warily.
"I'm trying not to be." Darien covered his eyes, partly expecting her to walk away.
Leilah nodded, squeezing his hand in hers, "I look a lot like my mom," she said. And without any further explanation, she rested her head against his shoulder, and settled to watch the movie.
Darien recounted Leilah's description of her mother's character from her difficulty breaking away from drugs to abandoning her children.
After a long pause, Darien answered, "You don't look like her," he said. "You look stronger."
Tears dripped from Leilah's eyes, moistening his shirt. "You probably look a lot more like your dad than you think," she said.
~~
Darien and Leilah soaked in conversation through two movies, sharing tidbits about their lives, and enjoying each other's company.
“Man, I can’t believe you’re leaving me already,” he teased, pulling her into his arms as sunlight peeked through the windows of his apartment. Leilah rested her chin on his chest as he circled his finger on her back, stirring the oversized tshirt into circles.
“Well, come with me,” she said, excitement seeping through her voice unintentionally. Shielding her over excitement, she mimicked the last movie they watched, “It’s Fri-day. You ain’t got no job. Stimulate your mind, Craig.”
Darien chuckled. Then his smile slowly faded and was replaced by deep thought.
“What?” Leilah asked.
Darien shook his head, “Nothing.”
“What?” she insisted.
“I don’t have any classes today.”
“And that means?”
“It means I could ride with you… if you really want me too.”
Leilah grinned, “And I do.”
“But,” he said, “We should take my car.”
“Good cause my car is iffy,” she laughed. “We should probably get some sleep. I’m good if I can get four hours.”
“I need all eight hours of my beauty sleep.”
Leilah giggled, “Alright Princess, we’ll leave around two o’clock then.”
Her smile brightened her face allowing him to zero in on her natural beauty. He pushed her hair away from her face, returning her cheerful grin. And despite the absence of sex in their embrace, Darien felt closer to Leilah than he ever felt with anyone else.
She drifted into sleep as his fingertips grazed the side of her face. Darien stared at her soft features. God, why am I so drawn to her? Her lips twitched into a faint smile as she nestled into his chest. His heartbeat quicked and he possesively folded his arms around Leilah.
~~
Shantel slid out of Terrance’s bed at six in the morning. She tiptoed over to the chair, scooping up her purse, and snuck into the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet seat, she dialed Darien’s phone number. It rang four times before the voice mail picked up. She hung up and called the number two more times. No answer.
Shantel dropped her phone in her bag, cradling her face in her hands. She panicked. Why isn’t he answering?
Shantel stayed in the bathroom another fifteen minutes before flushing the toilet to complete her ruse. She picked up her bag, turned off the light, and opened the door.
Terrance stood in the doorway.
~~
“You’ve been tested right, you’ve been tested?” Mira horrified scream echoed throughout her apartment. “When was the last time…” she bent over clutching her chest, gasping. “When was the last time you were tested?”
“A few months ago,” Sylus snapped. “Chill Mira, everybody in the world doesn’t have AIDS.”
“Everyone doesn’t need to have AIDS,” she snapped back, “just one person with a busted condom!”
Sylus stretched into his shirt, shaking his head in disbelief. “This is crazy. That’s why I stopped messing around with you. I’m surprised you didn’t try to douse me in Clorox.” He muttered a string of unintelligible protests.
Mira sat at the edge of her bed, wrapped in her bedspreads. Her entire body shook as various stories of how people contracted HIV raced through her mind. Calm down, she reasoned with herself, bending her chest into her thighs to brace her shivering body. Don’t overreact. Six months. Things couldn’t have changed that much in six months.
Sylus snarled, pounding at his chest, “This is me, Mira, and you acting like I’m some diseased dude up off the street.”
Mira tugged the roots of her hair. She closed her eyes to concentrate, blocking out his rant. Fishing through her memory, she searched for recent rumors of Sylus, but couldn’t find any. God, please don’t let this be happening. Not to me. Her eyes welled up with tears. Please, don’t let this be happening.
She heard his boots stomp toward her front door. He slammed it shut.
Relax, she thought. Just relax. What are the chances?
[Stay tuned: Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast…]
[Last time on Suds... pause... I must confess that I am soooo into Darien right now. I mean, the man just has a way with words. So effortless, so sincere, so… me, LOL!!! Allow me a moment to get over myself. Woooo-saaa and I’m back. Mira revealed that Darien was driving Leilah home, and both Terrance and Shantel were unable to hide their festering contempt. Leilah was 100% correct in episode 14 when she predicted that this situation was “bound to get messy.”
Meanwhile, I was right about that Mira / Sylus connection. I’m guessing… well you just have to see for yourself. The bath water is ready, so jump in...]
Darien’s hypnotizing eyes captured her heart and took her to a tranquil place. Leilah forgot about everything that happened, and accepted the private invitation to be lost in the sincerity of his eyes.
~~
Shantel sat in the passenger seat of Terrance’s SUV contemplating her next move.
“Baby, I’m tired," she said sweetly as she turned to face him. "Can you take me home?”
He smiled, reaching for her hand and weaved his fingers between hers. “You can sleep at my crib. Most of your stuff is there anyway.”
Shantel bit her bottom lip, and turned to look out the window as they drove past the entrance to her dorm. Anxiety gripped her. I need to know if Darien is still with that hussy. Maybe he just took her home, but what if they are still together. She looked at the time on her cell phone. 3 am, there's no way they're still together... but what if they are? That's ridiculous, Darien would never choose her over me.
~~
[Clarifying insert: Question after question, story after story, they revealed their happiness and hurts. Leilah allowed her protective wall to crumble. Likewise, Darien removed his universal mask and together they swam into a deeper level of understanding.
"Wow, so you really are into God?" she asked in amazement.
He nodded and lay back on the sofa, propping his feet upon her lap.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," she said sarcastically, then teased, "Isn't touching a no-no for you."
Darien cracked his knuckles like a pro and said, "It's all about self control. I can control myself. You're the one on the shaky side." He grinned, "Though, I should move and sit over on that chair to help you out. Being close to all this goodness you can't have must be tearing you apart."
Leilah laughed, "Please, get over your self." She rested her hands at her side, afraid to touch him, and watched the movie. In a daze, she imagined what it would be like to be with him... like a girlfriend of sorts.
"Are you alright," he asked.
Startled from her thoughts, she stammered, "Y- Yeah, I'm fine."
Slowly, he lifted his legs from her lap, repositioning himself so they could dangle off the sofa instead.
"You don't have to move," she said, although her body stiffened.
"It's cool," he smiled, "A brother is on the alluring side."
"Really, get over yourself," she gratefully laughed as the joke minimized the awkwardness.
Watching the movie, Leilah glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His braided hair was rough and his squared jaw sloped each time his smile etched into his cheek. He laughed at the comedian on the screen, enveloped in the joke. Leilah noticed that even when his eyes weren't focused on hers, they still managed to hold her attention.
Nervously, Leilah inched closer to Darien until their knees touched. She clasped her hands into her lap, picking her nails as she pretended to watch the movie. Thoughts of possibilities and fears raced through her mind, but Darien calmed them all when he sat up beside her and touched her hand. She allowed his hand to slide between hers.
Leilah looked at their joined hands, then finally met his waiting gaze.
They stared in silence until he said, "I always wanted to be like my pops."
Leilah laughed at the unexpected subject.
"I'm serious," he laughed.
"I know," she said, regaining her composure. "I'm ready, tell me more."
Darien leaned against the back of the chair, and sighed, "He's a good man. A good father. A good husband. The kind of man I thought I could never be."
"Why not? Shouldn't it be easier since you have an example?"
"Should be," he shrugged. "But, some people always mess up."
"Are you that type, the one that always messes up," she asked warily.
"I'm trying not to be." Darien covered his eyes, partly expecting her to walk away.
Leilah nodded, squeezing his hand in hers, "I look a lot like my mom," she said. And without any further explanation, she rested her head against his shoulder, and settled to watch the movie.
Darien recounted Leilah's description of her mother's character from her difficulty breaking away from drugs to abandoning her children.
After a long pause, Darien answered, "You don't look like her," he said. "You look stronger."
Tears dripped from Leilah's eyes, moistening his shirt. "You probably look a lot more like your dad than you think," she said.
~~
Darien and Leilah soaked in conversation through two movies, sharing tidbits about their lives, and enjoying each other's company.
“Man, I can’t believe you’re leaving me already,” he teased, pulling her into his arms as sunlight peeked through the windows of his apartment. Leilah rested her chin on his chest as he circled his finger on her back, stirring the oversized tshirt into circles.
“Well, come with me,” she said, excitement seeping through her voice unintentionally. Shielding her over excitement, she mimicked the last movie they watched, “It’s Fri-day. You ain’t got no job. Stimulate your mind, Craig.”
Darien chuckled. Then his smile slowly faded and was replaced by deep thought.
“What?” Leilah asked.
Darien shook his head, “Nothing.”
“What?” she insisted.
“I don’t have any classes today.”
“And that means?”
“It means I could ride with you… if you really want me too.”
Leilah grinned, “And I do.”
“But,” he said, “We should take my car.”
“Good cause my car is iffy,” she laughed. “We should probably get some sleep. I’m good if I can get four hours.”
“I need all eight hours of my beauty sleep.”
Leilah giggled, “Alright Princess, we’ll leave around two o’clock then.”
Her smile brightened her face allowing him to zero in on her natural beauty. He pushed her hair away from her face, returning her cheerful grin. And despite the absence of sex in their embrace, Darien felt closer to Leilah than he ever felt with anyone else.
She drifted into sleep as his fingertips grazed the side of her face. Darien stared at her soft features. God, why am I so drawn to her? Her lips twitched into a faint smile as she nestled into his chest. His heartbeat quicked and he possesively folded his arms around Leilah.
~~
Shantel slid out of Terrance’s bed at six in the morning. She tiptoed over to the chair, scooping up her purse, and snuck into the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet seat, she dialed Darien’s phone number. It rang four times before the voice mail picked up. She hung up and called the number two more times. No answer.
Shantel dropped her phone in her bag, cradling her face in her hands. She panicked. Why isn’t he answering?
Shantel stayed in the bathroom another fifteen minutes before flushing the toilet to complete her ruse. She picked up her bag, turned off the light, and opened the door.
Terrance stood in the doorway.
~~
“You’ve been tested right, you’ve been tested?” Mira horrified scream echoed throughout her apartment. “When was the last time…” she bent over clutching her chest, gasping. “When was the last time you were tested?”
“A few months ago,” Sylus snapped. “Chill Mira, everybody in the world doesn’t have AIDS.”
“Everyone doesn’t need to have AIDS,” she snapped back, “just one person with a busted condom!”
Sylus stretched into his shirt, shaking his head in disbelief. “This is crazy. That’s why I stopped messing around with you. I’m surprised you didn’t try to douse me in Clorox.” He muttered a string of unintelligible protests.
Mira sat at the edge of her bed, wrapped in her bedspreads. Her entire body shook as various stories of how people contracted HIV raced through her mind. Calm down, she reasoned with herself, bending her chest into her thighs to brace her shivering body. Don’t overreact. Six months. Things couldn’t have changed that much in six months.
Sylus snarled, pounding at his chest, “This is me, Mira, and you acting like I’m some diseased dude up off the street.”
Mira tugged the roots of her hair. She closed her eyes to concentrate, blocking out his rant. Fishing through her memory, she searched for recent rumors of Sylus, but couldn’t find any. God, please don’t let this be happening. Not to me. Her eyes welled up with tears. Please, don’t let this be happening.
She heard his boots stomp toward her front door. He slammed it shut.
Relax, she thought. Just relax. What are the chances?
[Stay tuned: Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast…]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
