Broken

\\2. Flesh\\

>>Kamari>>

After waking up early and going for my jog, I walk back into the house to prepare for school. I shower real quick and put on my clothes.

I walk down the stairs, taking it two at a time, until I finally get to the kitchen. Mom’s in it, sipping on her coffee as she goes through some paper.

“Morning mom,” I say as I kiss her cheek.

“Good run?”

“Yeah,” I say as I open the fridge in search of the milk carton.

When I find it, I grab a bowl and the box of cereal. I pour the milk and the cereal into my bowl and start eating.

“How was school yesterday?”

“It was okay, the normal.” I answer her.

I finish my cereal, grab my things from my room and kiss my mom goodbye.

“Have a good day,” she says.

“I will,” I say and walk out the door.

I get to school after a while of driving; I pull up in the parking lot and hop out of the car.

“Yo KJ,” someone hollers at me. I look around and find Dante and Rashad.

I walk up to them and do our special handshake.

“We was just talking about that new girl.” Dante says.

“She got cakes men,” Rashad says as he licks his lips.

“Yeah, big cakes,” Dante says and we laugh.

“Bet I can bag her in a minute,” I say.

“I don’t think so bro, not after what she did to you yesterday,” Dante says.

“Yeah, she’ll just flip you off, I think I have a better chance baggin’ her,” Rashad says.

“Nah, I’m pretty sure I can bag her easy-”

“Nobody’s gonna bag her,” a voice cuts me off and we turn around to see Zeus.

“Why?” I ask. “Saw you talking to her yesterday at the field, you tryna bag her?”

“I’m not baggin’ anybody. And you guys ain’t baggin’ Isis either. She’s my cuz,” Zeus says.

“Oh really?” I ask.

“Yeah, stay away from her. She ain’t like some of the other girls.” He says and I’m suddenly intrigued.

What does he mean?

“All right, imma respect that and stay away from her, even though it’s gonna be real hard, considering that donk,” Rashad says with a sigh.

“Yeah me too,” Dante says.

Zeus raises his eyebrows at me, silently asking if I’m gonna stay away from her like the rest of the guys.

“Fine, I’ll stay away.” I tell him.

But I don’t think I mean it.

∞

I walk to AP Chemistry class and finally get there. I smile when I see Isis and walk over to the table deciding that I’ll be sitting with her for today. And probably for the rest of the year.

“Oh God, now you the one stalking me,”

“I ain’t stalking you. I have this class too,” I retort.

“Just make sure you shut up during the class,” I ignore her comment and say,

“Didn’t know you were Zeus’ cuz,” I whisper because the teacher’s already in the class.

“Well now you know,” she says with a frown.

“It’s so hard to get a smile from you,”

“You barely know me, and stop talking to me, I’m tryna concentrate.”

“But I know you haven’t smiled since I met you yesterday.”

“I said stop talking to me,”

“Let me just ask one question,”

“Ask,”

“Where you from?”

“London,” she replies, finally looking at me.

I take in her features; her hair is in two puffs like she had them yesterday, her baby hair slicked down real nice, she has high cheekbones, full eyebrows, long lashes, long slender nose, nice full eyes and plump lips that are glossed to perfection.

“I don’t mean where you came from, it’s quite obvious you from London, you know the accent and everything.”

“Ok, I’m from Jamaica, I was born here but moved to London a year later,” she says.

“I’m Congolese, born and raised here.” I tell her

“You said one question and I answered already, why you still talking to me?”

“Well, I find you interesting. You different,” I tell her.

“Don’t I know it,” she doesn’t say this in a proud way, she just says it and goes distant and lost in her thoughts.

I wonder what she’s thinking about.

“How ‘bout I show you around on Saturday?” I say suddenly and she flinches the minute I say Saturday.

“I’m busy,” she says in a flat monotone.

“With what?” I ask.

“I’m just busy,”

“How ‘bout Sunday?” she doesn’t say anything for a while and I know she ain’t gonna be busy on Sunday.

“I know you free on Sunday,” I tell her.

“You don’t know that,”

“Judging from your silence two seconds ago, I can tell you were thinking of lying to me,”

“I wasn’t thinking of lying,”

“Then tell me you’ll let me show you around. It’s just a day, I don’t bite,” I grin and she doesn’t say anything for a while.

“I’ll think about it,” she says finally.

“I’ll take that,”

“Now can you not talk, I’m tryna to listen,”

“Okay,”

 We sit in silence and listen to Mrs. Murray as she rants on and on.

The bell goes at the end of the period and Mrs. Murray dismisses us.

I’m having English which also means I’m having it with Isis and Zeus.

Isis starts walking out of the class, I gather my books and shove them in my bag and catch up with her.

“So, why did you move here?” I ask her and she stops walking and tenses up. Her gaze is distant again, I tap her shoulder and she flinches a little.

∞