“I won’t respond to your statement about me being thirsty, and I reject every word you said about me; it doesn’t apply. You, however, have no class whatsoever. I encourage you to return to school to further your education, because you come across as a real dumb-ass trick. Pertaining to food, girl, hook up with a dietitian and be done with it. You could stand to lose some serious weight and your goal should be looking like me. That’s hard to do, but the least you can do is try.”
Prince slapped his leg and started cracking up. “You got that shit right!” he shouted.
“Sit your triflin’ self down somewhere, before I knock you upside your head with this cane,” Jada said to Chase. “You the one who ain’t got no class. A bitch with two dicks in her in one night ain’t got no room to talk. I’m one hundred percent satisfied with the way I look, thank you very much. And when you get done talkin’, any decent man would take a curvy trick like me any day, over a skank who can’t even make a grilled cheese sandwich.”
Roc snickered, Jaylin sighed, and Prince held his hand inches away from his mouth. “Damn, for real?” he said. “Chase did it like that with two dicks? Fuck, I missed out!”
Jeff yelled for silence, but Jada seemed highly upset. “Don’t get me started. I tried to be cordal, but you went off on the deep end with me. If I add Jeff to the mix, then you really gon’ have to sit down and clamp yo mouth shut.”
All eyes shifted to Jeff. Hell, what about him? Did Chase have sex with him too? Oh, my. I wanted to know the scoop. Apparently, everybody else did as well. Jeff jumped up from his chair and put his hands in his pockets. “Jada, the word is cordial, not cordal. If you continue to interrupt, I’ll have to ask you to leave and give someone else the money. Please remain calm, and Chase, be careful with your comments.”
Chase softened her tone, but tried to make her point. “You asked us to say what was on our minds. I was only keeping it real. I make no apologies for it, and if Jada didn’t like what I had to say, I’m sorry, too bad. Moving on,” she said, turning to Jaylin with glee in her eyes. He appeared nonchalant, while looking straight ahead. “I don’t have anything, not one single negative thing to say about you, and on a positive note, you are ridiculously handsome. It was a pleasure spending time with you, and I consider myself so lucky for having the opportunity to get to know you on another level. My hope is that our friendship can continue.”
“Ugh,” Jada said, frowning. “I want to throw up. Stop ridin’ so doggone much.”
“Please,” I added. “Move on.”
Chase’s words were sickening. The last thing she needed to do was act as if Jaylin was all that. Obviously, she was trying to hook up with him again. He had the audacity to thank her for the “kind” words.
“Before I continue,” Chase said. “I’m going to need both of you bitches to stop hating. She looked from Jada to me, but neither of us said a word.
“Proceed,” Jeff said. “Without any more interruptions.”
Chase gawked at me with deviousness in her eyes. “I ditto what Jada said about you, Sylvia, but I’m going to add much more to it. You are a phony woman who will get no high praises from me. You don’t come across as being a loyal person, and I’m sure you’ll find yourself all alone one day, without any friends. There is not one single thing that I like about you, and when it comes to men, my hope is that you learned a little something from me. Your approach is tired and played out. I don’t blame Jaylin for dissing you, and that’s what you get for presenting him with a weak game.”
“I learned… Not. One. Thing,” I said. “And I don’t take advice from whores who open their legs and mouths to numerous men who use them.”
All Chase did was chuckle. I swallowed hard. My feelings were bruised. It was difficult to hear one person say something negative about me, but when two people said the same thing, it stung. Jada or Chase didn’t know much about me, but the loyal thing got to me because of what I had done to someone I considered a best friend. I pretended not to trip and listened to Chase express herself to Roc. He sat with his elbows resting on his knees, staring like he wanted to kill her.
“The truth is, I don’t have a beef with you, so please calm down and stop looking at me like that. Don’t be upset with me because you made the wrong choices. What woman wouldn’t pursue you, Roc; after all, you are a very attractive man. Out of all of us, you should’ve learned the most. You can’t play around with love, and you need to be careful about who you slide your thing into. I’ll leave it there after I remind you of the dire consequences of trying to have your cake and eat it too. Prince, you got a bad wrap up in here. I like you, a lot, but stop trying to be so hard. Never resort to putting your hands on a woman. Learn to walk away from fools who push you into confrontations and then cry out as victims. I’m sure you know what I mean.”
Prince nodded, evidently feeling what Chase had said.
“Is she referrin’ to me as the foolish victim?” Jada said, but was ignored. “Okay, I’mma show that ass who the fool is. Watch.”
“What I’ve learned from this experience is some women will always be the catty, backstabbing, jealous, and hating bitches who they are. Sexy men can always get it, and I will never do this again, unless Jaylin is in the same house with me.”
Chase glanced at Jaylin, but he didn’t respond. He looked to be in deep thought. That round left Jada sitting in her chair fuming and me wanting to walk the hell out. I was two-for-two in the negative.
“Jaylin,” Jeff said. “We’re ready whenever you are.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to sit here and tell people things they already know about themselves. It really ain’t my place to judge or bring a bunch of bullshit to their attention. But I have no problem playing by the rules, and just so everybody here knows, any and all negative or positive comments addressed to me will go in one ear and out the other. I’m well aware of my issues, but I’m one hundred percent happy with who I am. I suspect that no one here can advise me on how to increase my net worth, so feel free to skip over me, unless, of course, you have proven credentials that can qualify you as being my financial advisor. With that, Jada knows she’s out there and her vocabulary is fucked up. Chase is sexy as fuck, but use the pussy for other things, other than playing on brotha’s minds.” Jaylin finally looked up and turned in her direction. “For the record, revenge always backfires. You know what I’m talking about, so think before you act, all right?”
Chase had nothing to say, causing Jaylin to turn his head to me. “Sylvia, you know how I feel, because I already told you. The best thing you can do is direct your anger toward the man who really hurt you. That man is not me, so stop living that lie. Roc, reconsider the marriage thing. You’re young, and a man in his twenties needs not to commit unless his mind is mature enough to do so. When you’re ready, you’ll know it. Prince, I feel for you, but parental direction or not, know better and do better. This experience has shown me that there are way more fucked up people in this world than me. Money remains the root of all evil, and it will remain limited to those who stab others in their backs to get it. Be careful who you step on in the process, because you never know when your greed may come back to bite and take a chunk out of yo ass. If given the opportunity, I would definitely do this again. It has benefited me in every single way possible.”
Silence soaked the backyard. Jaylin’s words didn’t hurt me as much as Jada’s and Chase’s did, but Chase was the one, out of all of us, who seemed taken aback. It was my turn. I had hoped to keep my cool, but as soon as I opened my mouth, my words turned harsh.
“Jada, you need to be in a mental institution, instead of Hell House. You’re an embarrassment to African American women, and my wish is for you to return to school and study English.”
“And my wish is for you to purchase a high-priced girdle that can suck in your sloppy stomach that is makin’ yo dress look awful. How’s that for bein’ an embarrassment to black women? You do none of us any justice by walkin’ around here with a potbe
lly in a mini-dress. What exactly was you thinkin’, you messy hooka? I’m confused.”
“That you are. Very confused, so be sure to handle that.”
I figured Jada wouldn’t like what I had to say. If that was all she could use to attack me, I happily ignored her.
“Chase, you’re trash. You appear to be one of those women who make a living chasing dick to fill a void that no dick will repair. I feel sorry for you the most because you’re used up and don’t even know it. No man will ever take you seriously until you wise up and face your demons. There appears to be a lot of them. Tackle whatever it is that makes you resort to being such a slut and good luck on your transition to becoming a better woman.”
Jada busted out laughing. “Hell, naw. She done went the fuck off! Call it as you see it, ho, I’m listenin’.”
Chase jerked her head to the side and cut her eyes at Jada. She then stood and pointed her finger at me. “If I didn’t call you any names, then I want the same respect in return. How dare you call me a slut when you opened your legs, invited Jaylin into his friend’s pussy the first night you were here, and then cried about it when you got dissed? I—”
I turned to Jeff, asking that he speak up to silence her as he had done everyone else. “Let Sylvia finish, Chase,” he said. “She deserves a turn too.”
“Thank you,” I said, watching as Chase sat back down and clamped her mouth shut. Her brows were raised and she was mad as hell. Great.
My moment of truth was now here. I sucked in a deep breath and then released it. “Jaylin, the real reason I’m here is because of you. I’m not going to stroke your ego, as some of us have clearly already done, but here are the facts. All you do is trample on the hearts of women. You don’t give a damn about nobody but yourself. You use your good looks, charm, and money to entice women, and when they begin to express their love for you, you take advantage of that love or treat love as if it’s a crime. You may very well be satisfied and happy with who you are; good for you. I, however, see you as a slick, dog-ass, trifling, motherfucking Negro who will eventually get what is coming to you. When that day comes, I hope that whoever the lucky woman is, I hope that she rips your heart from your chest and stomps on it. My wish is that she delivers enough pain to you, in return for all of the pain I’m sure you have dished out for many years. From the outside, you may be one of the most gorgeous men I have ever laid my eyes on, no doubt. But your insides are rotten and uglier than that bitch sitting next to you. That would be Chase.”
Chase shot up from her chair and clapped her hands. All Jaylin did was nod and rub the hairs on his chin.
“Finally,” Chase said still clapping. “The fake ho is gone and the real foul-mouth tramp has shown up. I knew you could do it, Sylvia. Thank you for throwing away the mask so we could all get a glimpse of the real you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, sit your trashy tail down so I can finish.”
Jada couldn’t control herself. She was laughing and clapping so loudly that her claps were echoing. “Preach! I swear y’all hoes are messy,” she shouted. “But I want exactly what you’re havin’, Sylvia. Is it by chance a V-8 or some Vitamin Water?”
“Please stop all that yelling in my ear,” Chase shouted to Jada. “It’s not that serious.”
“If you don’t like it, move. And it is that serious, because Miss Fakety-Fake done awakened from the dead and called out some people on their shit.”
Jeff had to remind us again to stay quiet and remain respectful. I was able to continue after Chase and Jada got finished exchanging a few more unkind words. Jaylin had also expressed that he was happy I had gotten that off my chest.
“I’m glad that I did too. Roc and Prince, I have no words. I wish the two of you the best, and Roc, in the future, please be able to decipher trash from treasure. Good luck to you and Desa Rae. I hope everything works out for you.”
He reached out to shake my hand. “Thanks, ma. The best to you too.”
Prince saluted me.
“There is nothing anyone can say or do to make me relive this Hell House experience again,” I said. “And while it has been quite a learning experience, I prefer to forget about all that has happened here and move on.”
I was done and needed to say no more. Roc was up. It didn’t appear that he was going to hold back either. He stood in front of Chase and Jada, displaying a whole lot aggression. So much so that two of the bodyguards moved in closer to him.
“Ain’t no need to get that close to me,” Roc said to the bodyguards. “I’m just speakin’ my piece as I was asked to do. Don’t allow the color of my skin to shake y’all up.”
The white bodyguards backed up, but Jada and Chase sat like two school girls with attitudes locked on their faces.
“Listen up, Thelma and Louise,” Roc said. “I don’t know the details of the game y’all playin’ here, but here’s what’s up. There are certain things that happened here that needs to stay here. Jada, take your paper and go live happily ever after. Do not speak my name again, and better yet, you don’t know me and I don’t know you. Chase, the same goes for you. If you think I’m some robotic nigga that you gon’ toy and play games with, you got me fucked up. Whatever plans y’all got needs to be reprocessed and squashed. If not, y’all have my word that if any of this noise comes to my doorstep or travels through the ears of the woman on my team, there will be some dirt layin’ and all-night prayin’ goin’ on by your family and friends who will miss you. This is no threat, only a promise. If you bold, try me. If you feel what I’m sayin’, good luck and good riddance.”
He slammed his hand against Jaylin’s, he kissed me on the cheek, then he gave Prince dap too.
“Holla at me about that weed,” he said to Prince. “Don’t forget.”
He walked off and moved toward Jeff.
“Where are you going?” Jeff asked him. “We’re not done yet.”
“You may not be, but I am. I’m gettin’ the fuck out of here. Got matters to tend to at home. This shit done already took up too much of my time.”
“You can’t leave yet,” Jeff said. “We have a contract that—”
Roc’s voice went up a notch. “To hell with that contract. I don’t give a damn. Sue me.”
He strutted toward the exit. Jeff flipped through several index cards in his hand and yelled out to Roc. “Wait one minute! Please answer one question. It’s from Krisha in Detroit.”
Roc halted his steps and turned around.
“Krisha says that she’s had some fire weed before, and although she was higher than a Giraffe’s pussy, the weed never clouded her judgment to the point where she would mess up her situation at home. She wants to know if you were really that high when you had sex with Chase or did you want to get it because Chase was willing to pop her coochie on you from the jump?”
We were all tuned in to Roc’s reply, especially Chase, who had moved to the edge of her seat.
“Of course I was fucked up,” Roc said. “But Krisha is right. Weed ain’t ever made me do anything that I didn’t want to do. I don’t succumb to pressure either, and the only reason my dick entered Chase was because I wanted it to. She played on my intelligence and I tripped. The real woman I got at home shouldn’t have to share my dick, especially not with a bitch on Chase’s level. My bad, so now I got to shake up some things with Black Love and hope that everything works out for me. Peace again, I’m out.”
He walked out. Sadly, it was the last that I would ever see of him. Then again, who knows?
There was no secret that almost everyone sitting here had me fired up. I wanted to punch Jada in her face, but no more than I wanted to slap Sylvia and run after Roc to beat him down. He really upset me. Now, he had me more eager to let Desa Rae know that I was her sister; the one he had screwed. I wasn’t the least bit afraid of his threats. All they did was motivate me. He had no idea that this thing was much deeper than him, and it was now my chance to seek revenge against the one sister my father had always compared me to; the one who he c
onsidered his “Angel,” while I was nothing but a hole for him to stick his dick into. My day was coming. So was Roc’s.
As for Jaylin, he was on point with some of the words he’d spoken, but like him, what I didn’t want to hear went in one ear and out of the other. I was going to continue on doing me, and there was nothing no one could do about it.
Prince was the last one to speak on his experience and offer advice. After Roc flew out of here like a coward, we all listened to Prince.
“I refuse to tackle y’all one by one in detail, but I’ll say my piece on an overall basis. Dittoin’ what Jaylin said, we all fucked up, so why or how do y’all feel as though it’s okay to point the finger at the next man and tell them what they need to fix? I know what’s up with me, and while I’m nowhere near one hundred, I will say that I am a better man than I was the day before. Nobody here has taken the same journey as me, so don’t try to dictate how I need to go about doin’ things. I try to make my case as a street soldier, but some muthafuckas don’t get it. That’s more of y’all problem than it is mine, so deal with it. If given this chance again, hell yes, I would take it. I may switch up some things that I did, basically, be a li’l bit smarter about some of the choices I made. But all in all, I still would kick Jada’s ass again. Ain’t no trick gon’ put her hands on me and get away with it. Period.”
“I know that’s right, Prince,” Sylvia agreed. “And remember that not all of us judged you, okay?”
Jada threw her hands in the air. “Oh God, there she goes again. Please close your mouth, Sylvia, or go somewhere and change that dress that’s showin’ too many potholes in yo ass. Prince, you don’t like me, I don’t like you. Let’s be done with it, boo. No love lost here.”
“None,” Prince said and then looked at Jaylin. “Some of that shit you said to me when I got here stuck with me. When I grow up, I wanna be down like you. I ain’t talkin’ about all that madness you got goin’ on with women, ’cause if they let you do that shit to them, that’s on them. Either way, that’s yo business, not mine. I’m talkin’ ’bout how you do things moneywise, that makes sense to me. I like yo style. If you got some free time in yo schedule to school me on some business tips, I’d be grateful.”
The Reunion Show Page 14
