Raunchy 2 (79 page)

Over Olive’s

Jayden was lying on Olive’s bed with her smoking weed. They were face up looking at the blue-sky mural that Olive had painted on her ceiling. Jayden forgot all about how good weed made her feel because she hadn’t had any since she met Olive.

“So what’s up?” Olive said looking at her. “You look like you got a lot on your mind.”
“A lot of shit is up.”
“Did things get better back at your house?”
“Not even close. My mother was almost killed and my sister hasn’t been home in weeks. Stuff just seems to be falling apart.”
“What you gonna do?”
“Take one day at a time I guess.”
“Anything else bothering you?”
“Yeah…my friend Passion been tripping too.”
“How?”
“Well I gave her some money so she’d do some things for me. Now that she got the money she ain’t been doing shit and she ain’t answering my calls. Her or her friends.”
“You gave all of them money?”
“Yeah. It was a strange arrangement but they broke it.”
Olive rolled over on her side and said, “Next time don’t give a bitch shit until after the work is done.” She said. “That’s rule number one in the game. Any game.”
Jayden took notes. “I guess you’re right.”
“I know I’m right.” She paused. “Now what’s up with you and Shaggy? Why you guys beefing?”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“Naw, ever since Toni and them came into his mother’s party on some bullshit, he been mad with me. That’s why I don’t fuck with them bitches right now.”
“Really? I thought ya’ll were close.”
“Who?”
“You and Toni.”
“Not really. She mad because I told her even if she was beefing with you, I wasn’t getting involved and that she should’ve never carried shit like that over Shaggy’s house.” Then she paused and said, “So why are you and Shaggy not talking?”
“I don’t know. I mean…for the longest he kept telling me he didn’t want a relationship, so I didn’t press him. And then out of nowhere, he puts me out of the hotel he was paying for just because I hung out with Xion one night.”
“You hung out with Xion?”
“Yeah.”
Olive shook her head. “You know you can’t do no shit like that, Jayden. That boy was feeling you.”
“I don’t understand.” Jayden frowned. “He kept telling me he wasn’t my boyfriend and that he didn’t want a girl. How was I wrong?”
“Jayden,” Olive said playing with a few strands of Jayden’s hair, “boys do stuff like that all the time. But you gotta know when they feeling you despite what they say outta their mouths. Girl, if every bitch took what a nigga said at face value all the time nobody would be in a relationship. Or procreate!!! Shaggy the type of nigga who wanna know you want him!”
Olive stared in Jayden’s eyes seductively and it made her uncomfortable. She’d seen Harmony look at men like that so she was pretty sure what it meant. “Olive, I gotta tell you something.”
“What’s up?” She smiled.
“Uh…I’m not like that.” She said softly. “I mean, I like when you touch my hair and talk to me real nice, but I’m not into girls. Will never be in to girls.”
Olive released her hair strands and laughed. “If you took it the wrong way by me playing with your hair, I see you don’t know how to read women or men.”
Jayden smiled from embarrassment, “I guess not.”
“Don’t worry, Jayden, I’m not into women either.” She paused. “At least not anymore. I use to be but they too much trouble and keep up too much shit.” Then she played with Jayden’s hair again. “And I touch you because I think you’re pretty and I think you need it from me.”
“Need what?”
“Love. Attention. All that.” Olive shrugged.
Jayden stood up. “I’ma call a cab.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
“Naw…I think its time for me to go. I’m high enough as it is.” Jayden made the call and sat in a chair within the room.
“What is wrong with you, Jayden? You different from anybody I ever met before and that makes you unique. Because I’ve met a lot of people.” She paused. “But, don’t you want people to love you?”
“No! I don’t want love anymore. I use to.”
Olive sat up straight in the bed and said, “Why not? Without love you might as well die.”
“I can’t love. If I love, and it’s taken from me, I don’t know how I would react at this point in my life. I just wanna make money and take care of myself. I don’t want people promising to do stuff for me and taking it back. I don’t want to depend on anybody.”
“Your life must’ve been some shit.” Olive said shaking her head. Then she got up and stood in front of her. “But if you gonna live, Jayden, you gotta learn to love and let people love you back. I’m just letting you know.” Then Olive popped an ecstasy pill and smiled. “God is love.”
“Fuck God!” Jayden spat, forcing Olive’s eyes wide open. “I use to pray for God every night when I was a kid. I prayed that he’d love me and prayed that he’d take care of me and my sister when our mother burned us with irons, but it never happened. So God can’t do shit for me but stay the fuck out my way.”
Her anger startled Olive. “You more fucked up than I thought.” When Olive’s phone rang she left Jayden where she stood to answer it. Looking at the number she said, “Hey, Shaggy.” She saw Jayden’s expression change at the mentioning of his name. “Yeah I’m home.” She paused. “You’re here?” She paused again. “Alright, let me open the door for you.”
When she hung up she looked at Jayden. “That was Shaggy. He called out of the blue and is at the door.”
Jayden got her phone and her wallet. “I’m ‘bout to leave.” She heard a horn and looked out the window. Her cab was there. “My ride here anyway. I’ma talk to you later.”
“Okay, but make sure you call me, girl. I don’t like the way this conversation between us ended.”
“Aight…I’ll hit you later.”
Jayden hoped she’d be able to leave without running into Shaggy but when Olive opened the door Shaggy was there and he had Passion by his side.