Rhonda's Lesson

Chapter Two: A New Start

The breeze blew across Rhonda’s face as she walked her brother’s dog. It was the longest two weeks since she arrived in L.A. and she was tired of being cramped up in her brother’s condo. The only reason she walked the little mutt was to have a reason to leave the house. In actuality, she really hated Roscoe. He was too hyper and thought he was bigger than the little 3 pound poodle he really was.

The last few years had been very trying for Rhonda. It had been six years since she saw Skylar. They both bounced around so much it was hard to catch up face to face. Although they spoke every day, it wasn’t the same. It was about time that the girls settle down and finally make good on the promises they made to each other years ago. Rhonda didn’t know how but she was going to vindicate her failure and get revenge on the man who displaced her and her friend, and this was her year to do it.

She was a Johnson! Johnsons are supposed to be strong. Yet all she felt was defeated. She was a college dropout, living with her brother Devin, and his flamboyant boyfriend Mickey. How low could she possibly get? Her brother was cool and all, but Devin was a perfectionist. Not only did it drive her crazy but his boyfriend also. It was so bad that Mickey often referred to the condo as the insane asylum with one nut. So, she leaped at the chance to get out of the Clorox scented condo.

“Hey batty, you need to take your rat outside to pee before the little rodent messes up your fresh asylum floors!” Mickey joked with Devin pursing his lips and rolling his neck.

“Well boo, I’m the only one that cleans these damn floors, so why don’t you take yo’ ass outside and walk OUR dog.” Devin said with an aggravated tone.

Mickey turned on the sass, bouncing on the ball of his foot. “You know what? I try to do it but nooooo, Mickey doesn’t do it right.” From the tone in Mickey's voice you could tell he was starting to get heated.

“Well if Mickeeeey wasn’t a little DIVA, he would know how—”

Rhonda stepped between the two before s**t got to real between them. “I’ll do it.” She quickly grabbed the leash, clipped it on Roscoe, and headed towards the door.

“Thanks bookie!” Mickey blew a kiss at Rhonda. “Lord knows that dog could use some time out of this nut house. Poor little mu…dog is probably drunk from all the fumes.”

Rhonda nodded at Mickey who had his best smile plastered on and rushed out the door. “s**t, s**t, s**t,” Rhonda mumbled as the wind hit her. She was in such a hurry she forgot to bundle up good. “Damn! This fuckin’ wind ain’t no joke out here! I thought Cali didn’t get cold?” She cried out talking to Roscoe like he could actually understand her ass. As soon as she realized how crazy she must’ve looked, she glanced around to see if she had been caught. Rhonda noticed a skinny blond girl laughing. The closer she got to the girl she noticed her holding the cutest tiny brown baby she had ever seen. “I promise you, I’m not crazy!” She said, giggling to the girl.

The girl laughed back and replied, “Trust me, I don’t judge, girl.”

Rhonda noticed something intriguing about this chic. She had the body of a 13 year older but her long black and blond hair paired with dark Gothic style makeup, short shorts and long legs just had an “I’m grown” vibe. The way she spoke was with an, “I’ve been in the hood too damn long, now I think I’m black type ish.”

She extended her hand to Rhonda, balancing the baby with the other. “I’m Becca!”

The two girls got acquainted and instantly clicked. After a few minutes, the baby started to whine. “Damn girl, I’ma give my baby pneumonia, messin’ with yo ass! I forgot how damn cold it was.”

Rhonda quickly pulled her pink jacket off and laid it on the baby. “I’m sorry boo, take her in.” She said with a soft smile.

“It’s cool boo, you wanna come in? I can make you some coffee or tea or some s**t like that.”

“Alright, just for a sec though, I gotta take the mutt back to the loony bin."

They laughed as they made their way inside of Rebecca’s spot.

Becca’s place was a far cry from the spotless place her brother kept, but it felt more like a home to Rhonda. “I thought California was bikini weather all year around. It’s fuckin’ brick city out there.” Rhonda stood, checking the place out.

“Girl don’t believe that s**t you see in movies. I mean… it doesn’t get cold that often but it does happen.” Becca hands her a cup of tea, sitting down on the bed in her makeshift bedroom, patting beside her to signal Roe to take a seat.

Rhonda sits, taking a sip before spitting it out.

“Damn girl, is it hot?” Rebecca asked with a shocked look scrolled across her face.

“No, but you tryna kill me, ain’t you? What you put in this tea? Diabetes?”

Becca couldn’t help but laugh at the seriousness in her voice. “Ha-ha! Girl I thought black people loved their tea sweet. I love it!”

“And I thought white people didn’t have good taste buds or season their food. Frankly, I think this just proved my stereotypical point, or blew it out the water. I’m not quite sure yet.”

After a quick silence, they both laughed it off.

“Well maybe I gotta little more black in me than you.” Rebecca joked.

“Hell, I have been called white before, so maybe. You might just have a rare pigment problem like Michael Jackson…you sure yo’ momma don’t like black dudes?” Rhonda noticed the expression on Rebecca’s face slowly turn somber.

“Girl, who the hell knows what she likes? The only thing I know for sure is that she cares about money.”

The conversation got so deep on the first night, it was like they were sisters separated at birth. Becca told her all about her rocky relationship with her two-week-old Alexa’s dad. He had basically disappeared when he found out she was pregnant and still hadn’t seen his child, and a phone call seemed almost impossible. She went on about her there but absent mom, and the lifestyle she was forced to live at only 16. Rhonda had formed respect for the girl, but she couldn’t help but feel sadness for her too.

“Damn girl, you really have been through it.” Rhonda looked down at her shoes, trying not to show her sadness, but it was too late.

“Oh hell nah!” Rebecca leaped up off the bed.

“What? What, is it a bug? Where is it?” She said looking around in a panic.

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you be feeling sorry for me! It’s been a rough life, but I’m for damn sure making it work. I need a lot of s**t in my life, but pity is not one of em’.”

Rhonda could tell that Becca was getting upset, but she didn’t do well with her tone, and if they were going to be friends that s**t needed to be nipped in the bud quickly.

“Okay now b***h. One, bring it all the way down, and two…I have no pity to give you because I need my own.”

“But I saw your express—”

“I don’t care what you thought you saw, I don’t pity you. If anything, I admire you. You have been through a lot, yea! But you made it. Not a whole lot of grown ass women could have done it. That s**t would have eaten them alive and they would be junkies or dead, but yo lil’ ass made it! You did it all on your own too with a beautiful healthy happy baby girl. So, no pity here honey, just admiration.” Rhonda playfully pinched her.

“I’m sorry boo. I tripped out just a tiny bit, but I ain’t gonna be too many more bitches.”

The new friends burst out in laughter.

“Girl, I’m gonna take this mutt in the crib before my brother sends out a search party…for the dog, not me!” Laughter came once more.

“Okay. You can come back though. I mean, if you want to.” Now it was her turn to look down.

“Awe booboo you gonna miss me?”

Rebecca rolled her eyes playfully, but she knew she had found an angel, just like Rhonda knew she wanted to protect this complete stranger; and, she would do just that at any cost.