Casting Down Imaginations (6 page)

“Come
on, baby,” Reese said. “Let me get you out of here so you can go ahead and get
to your next class.”

“Are you
sure?” I asked him. “You haven’t finished eating your food.”

He
looked down at his half eaten tray of food. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “That
kiss you just gave me can last me until tonight.”

I gave
him another kiss and we stood to our feet to leave. On our way out I gave Tasha
a look that told her what used to be hers now belonged to me.

seven

ANAYA

I
flipped through the thick stack of notes in my hand, trying to sort out the
definitions that I didn’t know so well in order to go over them more. I’d been
sitting backstage for hours, trying my best to tune out the fuzzy microphones
and thumping speakers that were part of Reese’s show. I tried to show him a
little bit of support earlier by standing in front of the stage so that he
could see me. But all of that noise gave me a headache, so I retreated back to
my original location. It was almost two o’clock in the morning and I was
exhausted. I just wanted to go home, take a nice hot shower, and get in the
bed.

Adam
walked in. He looked tired, and he had sweat dripping all over him. The lights
from the stage were bright and hot. All of the dancing and shouting on stage
had drained him.

“Can you
pass me a towel?” he asked, pointing to the stack of towels on the table next
to me.

I passed
him a towel and one of the bottled waters from the cooler on the floor.

“Thanks.”

He
chugged the water down with almost one swallow and wiped his face.

“Are you
guys almost finished?” I asked.

“Yeah,”
he said. “Reese on there doing his last set.”

More of
Reese’s entourage walked in, all dripping with sweat.

“Let’s
go on ahead and start loading the truck so we can get outta here,” one of them
said.

The room
filled with chatter about the after party they were all in a hurry to get to. I
was glad Reese already agreed not to go. I was ready to go home.

Adam
turned to me. “You gon’ help us out, Anaya? Or are you just gonna sit there
looking pretty?”

“Ha,” I
laughed aloud, standing to my feet. “You’re funny.”

Just for
kicks I decided to give him a show by twisting my hips and flicking my hair as
I walked across the room. When I reached the door I turned to see if he
watched. He did.

I walked
out of the room and back to the front where the show was. Reese was on the stage,
walking back and forth, speaking into his microphone.

“I got
something for the ladies,” he said.

The room
filled with applause and screams from all the women enjoying the show. Most of
the men walked to the back while the women ran to the front, all trying to get
closer to my man.

“How
many of y’all wanna be my lady?” he asked.

The
girls whooped and hollered, trying to be the loudest one in order to steal his
attention.

“How
about you?” he asked, pointing to one of the girls in the crowd.

She
jumped up and down and yelled, excited.

“Do you
wanna be my lady?”

She
nodded and threw her arms up in the air.

“I been
seeing you watching me, girl,” he said. “Haven’t you?”

“Yes!”
she shouted. One of the spotlights from the stage landed on her.

“Come on
up here, girl,” he instructed.

She ran
onstage as fast as she could.

I gave
her a review. She was dressed in a short black halter mini dress that looked
like latex, it was so tight. She wore a pair of black stiletto heels and a
single slick flowing ponytail that went halfway down her back. She was the only
girl in the room that almost had something on me. Her outfit made the cut off
shirt, hot shorts and pumps I was wearing look like it came from the Bargain
Barn. All of a sudden I didn’t like the way this was going.

When she
got next to Reese she threw her arms around him and hugged him.

“Not yet
mama, not yet,” he slowed her down.

She
pouted and mouthed the word ‘sorry’ to him while the crowd laughed.

“I’m
gon’ do a song for you,” Reese told the girl. “Would that make you happy,
baby?”

She
nodded.

A
song for her? What about me? I thought I was… his baby.

The beat
to the track dropped and Reese started his song. The lyrics went on and on
about how she was the finest thing that he laid eyes on in such a long time and
how he wanted to know what was up with her. Her eyes grew big with delight as
she danced in front on him and grinded against his body. I was shocked to see him
on stage with her acting in that manner, groping her the same way that he had
me so many times before.

I turned
around and stormed backstage. I couldn’t believe he had the nerve to do this to
me. After I came all the way up here to watch his stupid show. I could have
stayed home and gotten a lot more studying done and could have been in the bed
asleep by now.

“Alright,
Nya,” Adam said when he saw me. “I knew you wasn’t that cold. You gon’ help us
out after all?”

I looked
at him as if he had STUCK ON STUPID stamped on his

forehead.

“Boy…”

“Boy? I
ain’t been a boy since I was thirteen years old, girl. You better recognize.”

A few of
the fellas laughed.

I
smacked my lips. “Whatever,” I said, and rolled my eyes.

Adam
turned around to face his friends. “Hey y’all, I need a few minutes alone to
talk to Nya.”

Irritated
moans and groans came from the group of men as they picked up supplies and
equipment to take to the cars outside. A few warned him not to touch Reese’s
girl or he was going to get hurt. Adam didn’t seem to care though, and waited
for them all to leave.

I sat
down on top of the table that I was at earlier and waited for him to say
whatever was so important that he had to clear the room.

“What’s
up with you, girl? Why you got such an attitude?”

I
ignored him.

“I think
I asked you a question, lil’ girl.”

“Lil’
girl?”

“That’s
right, lil’ girl.”

“Man, I
ain’t got time for this.”

“At
least that’s what your man says, anyway.”

A pang
went through my body. What did he know about Reese and me? Reese didn’t tell
him anything, did he?

“What
did you say?”

He stood
in front of me and for the first time I realized how short he was.

“You
heard me,” he taunted. “That’s what Reese said you were. Just a lil’ girl.”

I was
irritated. “What are you talking about?”

He
leaned in close. “Reese told me everything.”

My eyes
narrowed as I evaluated him. He had to be lying. No, not Reese. He wasn’t the
type to kiss and tell. Was he?

“Look, I
don’t know what you’re talking about, Adam.”

He
chuckled. “You can play silly if you want to Nya, but we all know. Reese tells
us everything about you. How you ain’t good for nothing but getting on your
knees. That’s cool for a while, but nobody gets in a relationship with a jump off.
And that’s all you are.”

He
leaned over and touched my face with his hand. I smacked it away.

“What
are you doing?” I asked him, ready to fight. The last thing I wanted right now
was him touching me. There was no telling where his hands had been.

“I’m
just trying to make conversation, love.”

“Yeah,
well, you talk with your mouth, not with your hands.”

He
backed away and laughed. “
Gaw-lee
, that boy got you messed up.”

I was
getting pissed.

“You
know what, Adam? I don’t know what you think you know, but you don’t know crap
about me, okay. So just shut the hell up.”

He
laughed again. “You are so silly, girl. I know more than you think.”

I hopped
off the table and began walking toward the door. “I ain’t sitting here
listening to you. I’m going to find Reese.”

“He’s
done with you.”

I froze.
Every ounce of me tensed at those words. As much as I didn’t want to, I turned
around and faced my accuser.

He
snickered. “Yeah, that’s right.” He was laughing now. “I told you, girl. Reese
tells us everything. He don’t love you. He was just getting his, and now he’s
through. On to the next broad.”

I walked
back to the table, fighting through his laughter. I was already defeated, but I
tried to be strong. I was so hurt that I was shaking. How could Reese do this
to me?

“I know
why you mad, too,” he added. “You just saw the man who you thought was all in
love with you on stage feeling up another girl. He played you again, silly
girl. I know. I saw the whole thing. But get this. This ain’t the first time.
He does it at all the shows you ain’t at. But he did this one especially for
you tonight. And you wanna know why?”

I was
too humiliated to speak.

“Because
he wanted you to see that there are girls out there willing to do whatever it
is that you won’t, or are too scared to do. You ain’t the only one. I don’t
even know why he keeps you around. Oh yeah, I know. He say you got skills.”

I knew
he was telling the truth. Reese went and told all his little friends about the
things I did for him. But why did he have to go broadcast it to everybody? This
whole time I was trying to be nice to his friends, and behind my back they were
talking about me like I was a ho.

“I don’t
care what you say,” I told him, trying my best to defy the emotions that were
attempting to subdue me. “You don’t even know me.”

He put
his hand on top of my thigh. “Not yet.”

I shoved
his hand away but he put it right back, this time with force.

“Come on
girl, stop playing,” he said, running his hand up my thigh.

I was
getting scared. “Get off me!” I screamed.

He stood
in front of me, pulling my legs apart, grabbing at what was mine. I threw
punches, but they were no use. He was stronger than me, and every time I got
his hands away he put them right back.

He was
getting mad. He grabbed me by my shoulders and pinned me down to the table.
“You know you want it, girl,” he muttered through tight teeth. “Always prancing
around here like you all that. You gon’ give me some.”

“Let go
of me!” I screamed.

“Shut
up!” he yelled, spit flying out of his mouth and onto my face. His hand ran up
my stomach and groped one of my breasts, then ripped my bra, exposing me.

“Let go
of me!” I screamed again.

Jesus,
please help me!

Suddenly
I was able to get free from his grasp. I scurried away, pulling my shirt down,
then rolled off the table backwards and used it as a fort to hide from him.
Adam stood tall and grunted, then flung the table across the room with one
hand. It hit the wall and crashed with a loud clatter.

I
realized then that he was going to hurt me. No one else was in the room with
me, and no one was going to come save me. It was just me and him. I had two
options. I could either sit and be taken, or I could fight. I chose to fight.

I shoved
my foot into his stomach with all of my might. He reeled backward, gasping for
air. His eyes bugged as he doubled over into a ball.

“You
bastard!” I yelled. I ran over to him and dropped my right elbow hard into the
middle of his back. He collapsed into a pitiful pile on the floor, then rolled
over, still gasping for air.

I could
still feel his hands all over me, trying to take me.

“Don’t
you ever put your hands on me!” I screamed and kicked him in his stomach.

He
yelped in pain.

The door
to the room opened. The two of us looked up to see Reese and the girl he
entertained onstage walk in. They were so busy looking into each other’s eyes
that they didn’t notice us at first. It wasn’t until Adam tried to catch his
breath again that they realized something was wrong.