I turned on the shower and let the hot water caress my body. It was something about a hot shower that just released tension and stress from my body momentarily. I grabbed my sponge and lathered it well with my tropical body wash.
After washing my body, I hopped out of the shower and brushed my teeth. I wiped my hand across the foggy bathroom mirror and stared at my appearance. I was a pretty girl standing at 5’6’, 130 pounds, with skin the color of butterscotch candy. I had slanted brown eyes, a small button nose, and plump lips like Fantasia Barrino.
I had the type of eyelashes many females paid to get. They were bone straight, curled at the end, and stuck out like a sore thumb – so much so that people often asked me if they were real. I rocked my natural hair twenty-four seven. My hair was thick and curly like the actress Tracee Ellis Ross.
My eyebrows were thick as hell, too. I often had to shave the middle to prevent them from becoming a unibrow. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to get them waxed and arched. Mama wouldn’t let me get them done.
After I had finished my morning ritual, I threw on some hip-hugging, ripped, denim jeans with a tight plain white shirt and some basic black flats. I accessorized my look by wearing my silver hoop earrings and my charm bracelet Daddy had bought me before he relocated.
Since I didn’t sleep well throughout the night, I woke up extremely early. I decided to fix my brother a bowl of cereal and some toast. Kennard was never a morning person. He was hard to wake up in the mornings during the week, but he was always up bright and early on the weekends.
“Come on Ken, it’s time to get up!” I roughly shook my brother as he tossed the cover over his head and moaned.
“Kennard, I’m not playing with you! Get up now,” I said, pulling the covers off and tossing them onto the floor.
He still didn’t budge and curled his body up into the fetal position. I walked to the bathroom and ran cold water on a washcloth. I walked back into his room and placed the cold rag on his face. He shot up in bed with a scowl on his face. I smirked and chuckled at his facial expression.
“I told your butt to get up for school. Now come on and get dressed. Breakfast is on the table.”
I walked out of the room and went towards Mom’s room. I could hear her snoring loudly. That was just like her to sleep in, expecting that I would get Kennard up and ready for school. I rolled my eyes as I trotted back to my brother’s room to check on him. To my surprise, he was up, dressed and looking handsome as ever.
Kennard was a spitting image of our Daddy. He had skin the color of honey with our Daddy’s best known physical trait – long eyelashes. He rocked cornrows but had hair so curly and soft that his braids had to get often redone.. I smiled at him.
“You look nice, bro. Now, let’s hurry. Eat so we can walk to the bus stop. I don’t want us to be late because Mom will not take us to school.”
“Yeah, Mom hates being awakened in the morning,” added Kennard.
After he had finished his breakfast, we walked to the bus stop together.
**
As we approached the bus stop, the sun was beginning to make an appearance. It was rising higher and higher into the sky. I loved seeing the sun rise. It had a beautiful, radiant, orange glow to it. I looked down at my brother and attempted to give him a hug goodbye.
“Sis, don’t! Not in front of my friends!” he squealed as he attempted to block my hugs and kisses.
I snickered. “Well, I love you, Ken.”
“You, too,” he said, scurrying off towards his friends and giving them dap.
I laughed, seeing how cool he was trying to be in front of his peers. I turned around and began walking in the opposite direction to my bus stop.
**
As soon as I stepped off the school bus and onto school grounds, my nerves were in a panic. My stomach was in knots and sweat beads formed on my forehead. I didn’t want to be at school today and these cramps were still killing me. I made my way to my locker and bumped into my best friend, Gabriela.
Gabriela and I had been close since our elementary school days. She was a feisty Puerto Rican and Dominican chick with long curly tresses down to the small of her back. She had an Adrienne Bailon type of aura about her since she was born in New York City.
“Hey, chica,” beamed Gabriela.
“Hey, boo,” I replied as we hugged.
“You feeling better, mama?” asked Gabriela, as she pulled out her chemistry book from her locker.
“I guess. These cramps are serious though,” I said while I entered my combination locker code.
“It’ll get better. You will get used to it. You’re a woman now,” she joked.
“I hate it! I feel like I’m being punished for not being pregnant,” I said, opening my locker.
“You’re so stupid, girl! Well, I’ll holla at you during lunch, doll,” said Gabriela as she slammed her locker shut and walked in the opposite direction to her class.
I grabbed my World History textbook and a notebook and sauntered my way to class. Before I turned the knob to go inside, I blew out a raspberry, inhaled and exhaled. I hoped class went smoothly. Hopefully, nobody had remembered what happened.
When I walked into class, Neron wasted no time glancing at me and snickering. I rolled my eyes and sat down at my assigned desk. Our regular teacher was back, so the substitute teacher was long gone. Mrs. Forest’s glasses were sitting on the edge of her nose as she walked around the classroom. She was married, but she gave that appearance that she lived alone with like eleven cats or something. She was creepy.
“Class, as you all know we’re almost at the end of this quarter, and that means it’s final exam time. I’ve taken the liberty of pairing you up with someone, and I want you all to write a five-page essay on an important African-American figure that has impacted our lives. It must be typed and written in your own words. You will present your project in front of the class. You have three weeks to complete it.”
She walked around the classroom and stopped to pull off Neron’s hat from atop his head and place it on his desk.
“Mark and Melissa, you two are partners. Dalton and Tameka, Lynette and James, Kimora and Neron, Jeffery and Courtney…”
I didn’t even hear anything after she called my name. My breathing became labored and I couldn’t focus. Why, out of all people, did she have to pair me with this guy? Neron made my life a living hell. He was an absurd class clown and conceited jock that bullied any and everybody.
For the remainder of the period, we did vocabulary words and worksheets. I kept looking up to see Neron staring at me as he tapped his pencil on his desk. He made my skin crawl.
I needed to talk to Mrs. Forest because this wasn’t going to cut it. Fuck that! Excuse my language, but seriously! I glanced from Neron to my worksheet on my desk and my hands instantly got clammy. He was winking at me. I felt like he was taunting me. I decided to focus on working on my assignments instead of making any more eye contact with Neron.
Eventually, the bell rang. I was relieved that nobody mentioned my traumatic experience yesterday. I grabbed my supplies and shot up out of my seat. Neron must’ve been thinking the same thing because he bumped right into me, causing my notebook and textbook to fall to the floor. I hissed in anger.
Neron bent down and we both grabbed my textbook at the same time, our hands touching one another. I quickly pulled my hand back while Neron smiled his million-dollar Colgate smile. I turned my lips up at him as he passed me my notebook and textbook.
“I got it,” I said annoyingly.
“Dang, you ain’t gotta be snobby. A simple thank you would be nice.”
I narrowed my eyes as we both stood up.
“We’re gonna have to talk one way or another because we’re partners,” said Neron.
“Not by choice,” I replied with my lips twisted up. He set his notebook on the desk as he took out a pen.
“Number?” He simply said.
“Why?”
“We’re partners. W
e need to be able to get in touch with each other,” he said pulling the top off of his pen with his mouth.
I exhaled and rolled my eyes. I didn’t want him to have my number, or even to be this close to him.
“Come on before you’re late for your next class, Kimora.”
I gave in.
“555-0678.”
“Thanks, I’ll holla at cha,” he said smiling as he exited the classroom.
I immediately walked over to Mrs. Forest. “Mrs. Forest, I have an issue with Neron being my partner.”
The teacher stopped wiping the dry erase board, turned around, and looked at me with her beady eyes. “I’m not changing anyone’s partners. When you get out into the real world, things aren’t always going to be easy, and you’re going to have to work with some people you don’t care for. This is preparing you for the real world.”
I hated when teachers gave you that real world speech crap! I wasn’t trying to hear all that hogwash. I wanted a new partner. Anybody but Neron!
I didn’t say another word as I turned on my heels and made my way towards my next class. Reality set in that I had to work with this jerk!
Chapter 3
Kimora
“I can’t believe I have to work with Neron,” I whined as I talked to Gabriela on the phone in my bedroom.
“Chica, you know that he’s feeling you. Neron and Kimora sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Gabriela sang.
“Ew, over my dead body. I’m so not feeling him,” I said, painting my toenails with the phone resting between my ear and shoulder.
“Whatever, mami. I don’t believe it! I’m your best friend, and I know you better than you know yourself. Honestly, you two would make such a cute couple. Te ama,” Gabriela squealed into the phone.
“You’re more excited than I am! Let me find out that you have a crush on him yourself, and bitch, stop speaking Spanish to me because I don’t know what you just said,” I joked as I painted my pinky toe and laughed at my comment.
“I said he loves you! Plus, you know I don’t like them pretty boy jocks! Well, look I gotta go. Ma is making some paella, and you know it’s calling my name.”
“You’re lucky you get home cooked meals. Tell your Mom I said hi. I’ll holla at cha later,” I said, fanning my toenails to help dry the paint faster.
“Okay, smooches,” replied Gabriela as we both hung up the phone.
I lay back on my bed, closing my eyes when, suddenly, my house phone began ringing. I sat up, picked up the cordless phone, and saw that the caller ID showed a number with the last name being Lopez. I already knew it was Neron. I blew air out of my lips and answered the phone.
“Hello,” I said dryly, as I walked and stood in front of my full-length mirror and eyed my body frame.
“Ay, what’s up Kimora? This Neron. How you doing tonight?”
“I’m fine. What’s up?” I wanted to cut the bull and get straight to the point.
“Well, it’s been a few days, and we haven’t started on our project. Are you free tomorrow? Let’s say around one o’clock? I can come by your house, and we can start brainstorming some ideas at least.”
“Why are you trying to act like you care so much about your grade? All you do is rank on people in class, you class clown,” I said as I walked back over to my bed and sat down Indian style.
“Nah, you don’t know me, baby. I’ll have you know that my G.P.A. is a 3.8. I take my grades very seriously.”
I was speechless. Damn my G.P.A. wasn’t even that high.
“Hello?” said Neron, interrupting my thoughts.
“Yeah, I’m here. Um, well I guess you can come by tomorrow. I have internet so we can research some things online, if we need to,” I replied, scanning my fingernails to see if my nail polish was dry.
“Alright, bet. Well, I’mma let you go. Text me your address. Goodnight.”
“Okay, goodbye,” I said hanging up.
I was not looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.
*
I woke up the next day with butterflies in my stomach. I was not ready to see Neron. I turned the shower on to my preferred setting and ran my fingers through the water. Satisfied with the hot temperature, I stepped in. The water felt amazing on my body.
I grabbed my favorite body wash from my shower caddy, lathered my sponge with it, and washed my nervousness away. I let the water cascade down my body while I thought about the most popular guy in 9th grade being in my house.
Wow, Neron Lopez was going to be in my house! Who would’ve thought?
After my shower, I applied my cocoa butter body cream and decided to throw on my favorite baby blue stretch high-waisted skinny jeans with a sleeveless, white, flutter-front blouse with embellished neckline. I tiptoed into my mother’s room to find out that she wasn’t home, so I invaded her dresser,
I sprayed on some Chanel No.5 behind my ears, as well as on my neck and wrists. I placed the bottle back exactly in the same place so my mother wouldn’t know that I’d been using her stuff. She would flip! Then, I teased my natural curly hair, and put on some heart shaped gold dangle earrings.
I was looking too cute. I didn’t know why I went all out for someone like Neron, but I wanted to dress to impress. Deep down, I guess I did kind of care about what he thought about me. After all, he was going to be in my house. I wanted to make a good impression.
“Kennard, stay in your room and, if you come out, please don’t be all embarrassing and acting silly,” I warned my brother as I stood in his bedroom doorway.
“Man, I’m playing my game. I’m not worried about y’all,” said Kennard, refusing to take his eyes off the television screen, his fingers moving rapidly on his video game controller.
I cleaned the entire house from top to bottom, so it was spotless. As I was spraying air freshener, the doorbell rang. I was nervous. I did a quick once over in the mirror by the door, and then looked out the peephole.
I opened the door, and there was Neron in the flesh. I had to admit that he did look very good. His mom honked the horn, and I waved as she pulled off. He stood before me wearing True Religion jeans with a white and black skull and bones shirt and some black and white Jordans. He had a gold chain with a cross pendant around his neck, and he sported a clean, short haircut that I could tell he just freshly tapered up.
Neron was the color of the candy Sugar Babies. He always had a great dress code and was very cautious of his looks. He had a Steve Harvey piano-key smile that would light up any room.
I didn’t even realize that I was staring at him until he spoke.
“What’s up, Kimora? May I come in?” he asked, standing before me with his hands in his pockets
“Um, yeah. What’s up? Come on in,” I said, stepping to the side while he entered the house.
“Nice place,” Neron complimented as he walked inside.
“Thanks. Did you find the house okay?” I asked, motioning him to have a seat on the leather sectional.
“Yeah. I did,” he replied as he sat down on the sofa.
I proceeded to ask him if he wanted a soda, but he declined.
“Let’s get started then,” I said, sitting down next to him on the sofa as I powered on my laptop.
We spent the next two hours brainstorming and taking notes. To my surprise, Neron was cool as hell. He was actually really funny, too. In fact, my cheeks were hurting from laughing. He was smart as well. I pegged him to be some stuck up, annoying, and smug guy, but he was completely the opposite. He was real down to earth.
“So, my parents have been together since before I was born. I have no siblings. My parents want me to go to college to become a doctor, but I want to be a barber,” Neron explained as he wrote down some information from off the internet.
“That’s what’s up. I would have never guessed that. Well, my parents are divorced, and I have a younger brother. He’s in the room playing some video game thingy. I’m not sure what I want to go to college for,” I yawned, getting up to grab the remote.
“Well, you have plenty of time to figure it out.”
“Yeah, you’re right. How about a break? There are some really good movies on Netflix. We’ve been researching for two hours,” I offered, flopping down on the sofa.
“That’s cool,” responded Neron, leaning back on the sofa and getting comfortable. Before I knew it, his arm went around my body and he pulled me closer to him. I settled on the movie “Poetic Justice.” I felt so relaxed in his arms. I snuggled closer to him and leaned my head back on his chest.
“You know I like you, Kimora,” admitted Neron, speaking so softly and close to my ear that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
“I kind of knew you did, but you were terrible at showing it,” I joked as I sat up.
“Do you like me?” asked Neron, looking into my eyes.
“Yeah, I do now. Especially since I was able to get to know the real you and not the arrogant jock that I perceived you to be around school,” I said smiling.
Before I could blink, Neron leaned towards me and his lips met mine. They were so soft and juicy. I kissed him back. I swore I saw sparks fly. It sounded cliché, but the kiss was magical. It made me feel things I had never felt before. Maybe it was my hormones? I remember daddy’s girlfriend talking about that on our previous phone call. We held our kiss for ten seconds and broke free.
From that day forward, Neron and I were inseparable. We went on to get an A+ on our African-American World History project. My reputation around school skyrocketed when I got with him, too.
Gabriela was happy for me, but she would often throw shade. She would say things like “Y’all are moving too fast,” or “You and I aren’t spending enough time together.” She felt I forgot about her. She had a lot of nerve to talk since she had her own boyfriend. We often double-dated with her and her guy.
During our sophomore year, Neron took my virginity. His parents were out of town, so he decked out his place with rose petals from the flower shop, lit candles, and even ordered us two large pepperonis, Italian sausage and bacon pizzas. Pizza was my favorite food, so it was thoughtful of him.
Baby Mama From Hell Page 2
