Playing The Bad Boy

Chapter Two

Aniyah’s POV

I pushed open the door of my new home with my elbow, my arms screaming from the weight of the boxes that were in my hands. Dropping them onto my bed, I pushed my thick sweaty black hair out of my eyes, the tightly curled strands a gift from my mother’s side.

I glanced around the room; it was tiny with two beds crammed inside along with a rickety wardrobe that I assumed my new roommate and I would have to share. There were two chests of drawers, one on each side of the room, and two desks between the beds, each with its own chair.

OK, it wasn’t huge, but it was still a step up from home where I had shared a room with my two younger sisters. I came from a family of five kids, my mama is a single mum with a string of failed relationships behind her. Mama worked three jobs to get me and my siblings through school and as the oldest, a lot of pressure was on me to make something of myself.

As I packed up my suitcase and headed toward the bus station, mama’s words echoed in my head, the same words that she had been uttering since I was old enough to listen.

‘Baby, mama is so proud of you, you keep that head in them books, study hard and you’ll reap the rewards. No drinking, no smoking and absolutely no relations with men! They only want one thing Baby and it ain’t to put a ring on it.’

I had done exactly what my mama had suggested, I’d spent my nights studying as my friends went to parties and had fun and just as Mama had promised, it had paid off. I was here on a full scholarship with a 4.0 GPA under my belt.

I had also held firmly onto my V card, Mama was adamant about that, I wasn’t to go down her route, thinking a man was going to save her. She’d fallen pregnant with me in Junior year of high school to a guy she thought loved her. Unfortunately, the moment he saw that pregnancy test he’d turned his white ass around and run, leaving my Mama to raise me alone. Seems his love didn’t run deep enough to risk losing his trust fund over telling his parents that he was having a kid with a black girl.

She’d had other relationships, some had run at the first sign of commitment, and others just weren’t right for her. She’d had my four siblings through those relationships, Deena and Terrell’s daddies were not in the picture either, but Darnell and Brianna’s daddy comes round twice a week to take them out and supports them both. I kind of wish Mama had worked out with their daddy, Deshawn, as he’s a great man, but they just weren’t in love.

Mama had drilled into me that I didn’t need no man to save me, I was a strong woman and I’d save my damn self! Just like my Mama had done. She stopped waiting for Mr Right a long time ago, and picked herself up, providing for us in any way she could. We weren’t rich, but we never went without, and our house was full of love.

Behind me the door swung open to reveal a tall white girl with freckles and shiny mahogany hair that fell down her back in a wave that made me jealous. I love my hair, don’t get me wrong but this girl obviously just needed a bit of conditioner and a few minutes with a hair dryer to get that perfection.

‘Hey! You must be Aniyah’ she said as she walked over to me, her hand outstretched. I took it hesitantly, eyeing her, but her enthusiasm seemed to be genuine. ‘I’m your roomie, Beatrice but everyone calls me Bea.’ She rolled her eyes, ‘my mum wanted a ladylike name for me, I’m not sure if she held hope that I’d attract some prince from a distant land with it, but so far, it’s not working.’

I laughed, I liked this girl, she was fun, ‘yeah, I’m Aniyah’ I agreed, ‘I’ve never had a nick name so I can’t give you a shortened version I’m afraid.’

Bea laughed, throwing her head back, ‘I like you, you are funny’ she gushed, ‘we are going to get on soooo well!’

Releasing my hand, Bea sat down on her bed that had a huge hand-knitted multicoloured throw on it. ‘This all your stuff?’ she asked pointing to my one suitcase and three boxes.

I nodded, colour rising in my cheeks, ‘yeah, I didn’t bring much’

Bea shrugged, ‘you have the right idea, I brought waaaay too much with me, and had to fit it in those tiny drawers, there are boxes under my bed’ she added conspiratorially, pointing downwards.

Opening the first box, I pulled out my coursework books that Deshawn had been kind enough to buy for me. Another reason I loved my youngest siblings’ dad, he never treated any of us differently from his own.

It took me less than half an hour to empty my few belongings, when I’d opened the wardrobe I noticed that Bea had taken over three quarters of the space with her clothes, so I crammed my few items in next to hers.

‘Sorry! I said I had too much’ she groaned behind me, ‘but if you want to borrow anything, just help yourself’ she added with a grin.

Surprised, I gave her an uncomfortable smile, was she serious or just being nice? Some of these outfits looked like they cost a fortune, I was a little embarrassed to hang my clothes next to them.

Heading back to the bed, I sat down as Bea studied me openly, ‘I just have to come out and say it’ she groaned, ‘you have like, the most AMAZING skin tone! I am legit jealous right now.’

I glanced down at my exposed arms, taking in my light brown colour, a straight mixture of my mum and dad. ‘Uh, thanks?’ I replied questioningly, seriously, how do I reply to that?!

Bea dropped back against the wall behind her bed, holding out her arm to me, ‘look! I’m pasty! There is milk with more colour than me and you are just all sun kissed yumminess! Ugh! I’m going to have to hope that the cute guys that chat you up have a friend for me when we go out.’

I laughed at her dramatics, ‘we’re going out?’ I asked, were we now BFF’s or something?

Bea looked at me incredulously, ‘uh duh!’ she replied, ‘we are like totes besties, we are going to hit up all the parties, get our flirt on and have the guys following us around like lost lambs.’

I nodded slowly, avoiding her gaze as she tilted her head, watching me, ‘you not into guys?’ she asked bluntly. ‘It’s totally fine, no judgment here girl, tacos or sausage, it’s all good. Personally, I prefer me some big thick sausage but if you like the girls, I’ll totally be your wing woman, sniff out the hottest female talent with you.’

I was left gaping at her; this girl seriously has no filter! ‘No no, I’m not gay’ I replied quickly.

Bea stared at me for a minute before shrugging, ‘shame’ she sighed, ‘that would have been off the charts awesome having a lesbian roommate. We could have hit up all the gay bars together, I would have pretended to be a jilted lover picking a fight with you so the girl you were eyeing up could swoop in and fix your broken heart . . ‘

I couldn’t help it, laughter bubbled up in me as Bea beamed widely at me, ‘sorry’ I giggled, ‘I like guys but I’m sure we can find a lesbian friend somewhere that can take you to gay clubs as her backup.’

My roommate’s smile widened, ‘yeah!’ she agreed, ‘we are definitely getting us a lesbian friend in our group and a gay guy, they always know where the best parties are.’

Shaking my head, I study my new friend, ‘do you have siblings?’ I asked curiously.

Bea nodded as she twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, ‘older brother’ she pouted, ‘major buzz kill, he’s two years older and you’d think he was my dad. He warned his teammates away from me in high school. I mean, how embarrassing is that?’ she moaned.

I giggled, ‘what did you do?’ I asked, having a feeling that Bea was not one to take orders from anyone, especially an overprotective brother.

She smiled wickedly, ‘lost my V card with the captain of his team’ she replied with a wink.

‘Oh my god!’ I gasped, covering my mouth to try and smother the laughter.

She shrugged, ‘it wasn’t my best decision’ she confided, ‘he rented one of those $29 a night rooms at a motel and made me pay half, talk about being unromantic. Oh, and he may know how to handle a ball, but he had no idea where my endzone was.’

I stuffed my fist into my mouth as she pouted before shrugging and laughing with me.

‘How about you? any annoying older brother in your life?’ she asked.

I shook my head, ‘no, I’m the oldest, I have four brothers and sisters’ I replied.

Bea’s eyes widened before she squealed, ‘WOW! Four! That must be so cool! I’d love to have had younger siblings. What are their names? How old are they?’ she demanded excitedly.

Smiling, I counted them off on my fingers in front of me as I reeled them off, ‘there is Terrell who has just turned twelve, Deena who is ten, and then the twins, Brianna and Darnell, who are six and just adorable.’

Bea’s face lit up, ‘that is so cool, you are like their super cool and smart big sister!’

Shrugging, I picked at the blanket on my bed, ‘I try to be a good role model for them, let them see that you get rewarded for working hard, I just hope they find their paths.’

My roommate leaned forward, inching across her bed until she was sitting facing me, her hand reaching out and resting on my arm, ‘they will, they have you to help them. Look at you, you’re here, at college, smashing it in life! How can they not be inspired by you girl?’

I give my new friend a little smile. I like her a lot. She’s blunt, but she’s the kind of girl that builds you up instead of tearing you down. I can tell that she’s going to be an important part of my life pretty quickly.