Shooting Blindly in the Dark

by Nicole Jackson

  “Jasmine you look so pretty,” Josey, my classmate smiled, as she caught me looking at myself. I nodded, because I couldn’t agree with her more. My bundles were flowing down my back, as huge Farrah Faucet curls framed my face. I had my makeup professionally done, and it all complimented my cap and gown.

  “Baby, I already know that my sister and brother-in-law, Kaydoa, are gonna get me a grand ass gift. I been dropping hints for the last week about wanting a Gucci bag,” Farrah’s sister Lola bragged. She was the spitting image of Farrah, and really thought the world revolved around her ass. She wasn’t as scary as her sister, but the bitch knew not to come for me. Still, I felt that comment was for me.

  I shrugged her off, because I was so done, beefing over a nigga I wasn’t even fucking.

  “Okay, yall, let’s line up. It’s time to go out here,” the assistant principal ordered, as we all stood in a organized line. Slowly, we entered the huge auditorium, and saw all the people who’d shown up for us.

  I glanced around to see if I noticed any of my people. Immediately, I noticed my mama, sister, grandma, a few cousins, and even my brother. They were rather close, and I could see them all pointing at me. I smiled, as I waved at them, feeling good. For a brief moment, I felt a little emotional, and had to fight myself from tearing up. I’d finally done something positive. Me, Black Reign, aka Jasmine if you was Kaydoa, had done something no other member in her household had yet to do.

  As I sat in my assigned seat, I glanced in the stands again, and noticed Farrah along with the rest of their family. I shook my head, noticing that Kaydoa wasn’t even there for his “sister-in-law’s” day. With her stupid ass.

  Kaydoa

  “Nigga, walk the fuck up,” I griped, as we stepped into the auditorium. We was late as fuck as it was, and the ceremony had already begun. Upon entering the stands, I looked around for the seats that was so-called saved for us. As I began to step down the steps, I noticed Farrah and her fam.

  Looking right at me, and all ten niggas I came with, she gave me a smile. Grabbing the crotch of my True’s I gave her wink, as I strolled past their seats. Finally seeing Red Reign, we made our way to our seats.

  “Damn, yall niggas late,” she waved her head.

  “She haven’t walked yet, have she?” I asked.

  “Nu uh,” she waved her head.

  “Well, we good.” I grinned.

  Soon, Farrah’s sister was crossing the stage, and I clapped my hands for her. I’m sure Brina was proud of her. Then when the principal called Jasmine King to the stage, we all shot to our feet.

  “That’s right, Black Reign!” Monay screamed

  “That’s mama’s baby!” Red Reign shouted.

  “That’s my sister!” Ryah cheered.

  “Go big sis!” Lil’ Coop clapped.

  “That’s right, baby! Jasmine, get that diploma for daddy!” I roared.

  I caught a few people glancing my way, but I didn’t give a fuck. My baby had did it!

  Jasmine, waved at everybody, as she headed to the stage. Then her eyes landed on me, and I was stuck. For a second I thought maybe I was tripping, and she didn’t actually see me, until she blew a nigga a kiss. Erasing all doubts.

  ******

  After the ceremony we all stood around outside, waiting on the graduates to step outside. It was a little weird energy in the atmosphere. Farrah was standing just a few feet away with her people, and I hadn’t said a word to any of them.

  Just when I noticed a lot of graduates filing out of the building, Brina called my name, “Kaydoa.”

  I spun around, “What’s up?”

  “Come here,” she waved me over.

  “Black Reign!” Monay exclaimed excitedly.

  Turning back around, I noticed Jasmine, making her way down the sidewalk. She was looking breathtaking, as she smiled brightly. I got a queasy feeling in my stomach as she approached us.

  “Congratulations, baby,” her mama squealed, hugging her tightly.

  I stood back, while a few people took turns hugging her. Finally, she focused on me. “Here,” I handed her a bouquet and white and purple roses, Wheatley’s school colors.

  “Thank you,” her eyes ventured up the sidewalk, looking at Farrah staring at us.

  Grabbing her chin, I focused her attention back on me. “Daddy’s proud of you.”

  She nodded, as I dug into my pocket, and pulled out a black box. Snapping it open, I revealed a iced out white gold Cartier watch. Her jaw dropped. “For me?”

  “Hell yeah,” I nodded, as I pulled her into my arms. Not caring who was watching, I lowered my head, and kissed those soft lips that I’d missed so much. “Umm,” I moaned against her mouth, before sliding my tongue into her mouth.

  “Awww!” Ryah and Monay squealed, creating a ruckus.

  “Did he get his mind right?” Monay asked loudly.

  Not worrying about them, I gave her a simple head nod. “Come on,” Jasmine broke away from our kiss, and stuck out her hand. Grabbing her palm, she pulled me down the sidewalk, right past Farrah and Brina.

  Farrah stood there with tears rolling down her cheek, as Brina snarled. “He just made his self clear. And you better go home and pack all his shit! And if you don’t, I’ma do it for you!”

  Laughing, Jasmine hopped onto my back, as I walked to my car. Wagging her tongue, she shouted, “Farrah, again, is he your man?”

  Black Reign

  “Hold up, nigga!” I screamed.

  “Nah,” Kaydoa waved his head. “You was talking all that shit!” he teased, as he tossed me back into the water. We were at Splash Town, having a blast.

  “Black Reign, you talk too much shit to be hollering like that,” Hurt smiled, as Monay rode his back.

  We were all in the water, chilling. It had been two weeks since I’d graduated, and we’d kicked the summer off right. Every day felt like a party, and I had never smiled this much in my entire life.

  It was official. Kaydoa and Farrah were done, and he was now all mines! But honestly, after making a spectacle outside of my graduation for Farrah’s benefit, I went right back to having a attitude. I didn’t know what the hell was up with Kaydoa and that girl. For all I knew he could’ve been playing games on some get even shit. So, as we all sat at Pappadeaux’s for my celebration dinner that he sponsored, he pinched my side. “What’s wrong with you? Why you haven’t said nothing?” he whispered.

  I shrugged.

  “For real,” he wrapped his arm around me. “What’s the problem?”

  I sighed, “What’s up with that whole little scene back at the ceremony?”

  “What scene?” he asked, confused.

  “The whole kissing me in front of her. What…you caught her with another nigga, and you wanted to make her jealous?”

  “What?” he scrounged. “The fuck that shit come from?”

  I bucked my eyes. “You showed up to the graduation for me, while your girlfriend of nearly three years was there.”

  He shrugged. “Sometimes we outgrow people. That’s done.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “So, what does that mean? Are you gonna go back home to her?”

  He waved his head. “Nah. That means I’ma go get my shit, and move around.”

  “Umm hmm,” I nodded with my bottom lip poked out. “And then what?”

  “And then I’ma continue to get this money…with my woman.”

  “Your woman?” I raised a brow. “And who is that?”

  “I don’t know,” he gently stroked my cheek. “You tell me.”

  I blushed, “Kaydoa, you aint fucking with me like that.”

  “How you figure?”

  I shrugged.

  Kissing my cheek, he uttered, “I been fucking with you from the beginning.”

  “What yall over there talking about?” Ryah interrupted.

  Kaydoa whipped his head around. “Mind ya business.”

  She gave him the finger, as he turned to face me again.

  I waved my head, “Ya
ll crazy.”

  He leaned in closer to the point our noses were nearly touching. “Jasmine,”

  “Hum?” I hummed.

  “Love you,” he said so easily, as if he’d been uttering those words to me forever. A shiver ran up my spine, as I became momentarily spellbound. He just didn’t know how long I’d been waiting to hear those words grace his lips.

  I gulped. “Do you really?”

  He nodded with a smile, “Real talk.”

  “Aw daddy,” I gasped, before slobbering him down at the table, making everybody uncomfortable.

  Since that day it was me and him. We still didn’t have our own spot, so we primarily stayed with my mama, and either slept in my bedroom or the living room. He’d gotten all his clothes from Farrah’s too. The day that he moved out was so dramatic. She caused a scene, throwing shit, and even busted out one of his car’s windows. Her ass was lucky that I wasn’t there. I’d honestly been giving that ass a pass. I knew that I had violated her relationship, and that was the only reason I allowed her to have her moments, but she’d all but run out of passes so now she just needed to keep her distance.

  “Gimmie kiss,” Kaydoa puckered his lips, snapping me back to reality. Kissing him like it was the last time I’d ever get the chance, Monay and Hurt sucked their teeth.

  “Man,” Hurt drawled. “You muthafuckas got all the time in the world to be doing that shit.”

  “Why when I’m around them I always feel like I just stepped into some freaky porn scene?” Monay added.

  Kaydoa wrapped his arms around me, as I glanced their way. “You two belong together. Two of the biggest haters I ever seen in my life.”

  “Whatever,” Monay giggled, as she started humping Hurt’s back. “Come on, daddy, let’s act like them.”

  “Hell, yeah,” Lil’ Hurt co-signed.

  “Boom-boom-boom, oh, shake a hater off, shake a hater off,” I chanted a old skool song my mama used to jam.

  “Cause I rather be hated by twelve than to be carried by six,” Kaydoa joined in, rapping the song with me.

  For the remainder of the day, we all hung out and kicked it. We ended the day at Cheddar’s getting our eat on. We were all starving from all the swimming we’d done. I had ordered two damn entrees, and didn’t give a damn that they all kept calling me greedy.

  “Black Reign, yo ass can eat,” Hurt scrounged, as he watched me go in on my food.

  “Nigga, fuck you. You gotta eat to live,” I spat with a mouthful of food.

  Kaydoa hadn’t said a word, because he was too busy going hard in the paint. That nigga always ate like he was fresh out the penitentiary, although he’d never been to jail a day in his life.

  “Aye, I don’t know if Hurt mentioned this to yall, but I was trying to get him to go to Miami,” Monay revealed.

  “For what?” Kaydoa finally spoke.

  She shrugged, “Just to go. I been googling airline flights and you niggas spend more money on a pair of pants. I mean, it’s the summer, and what’s the point of hustling if you aint gonna live the best quality of life possible?”

  “True,” I agreed.

  Kaydoa and Hurt sat across from one another, and had locked eyes. “I’m sayin’, my nigga, you trying to go?” Hurt asked.

  Kaydoa glanced at me, and I grinned. “Yeah, let’s make that shit happen.”

  Chapter 12

  Kaydoa

  “Okay, you guys, say cheese!” this white chick instructed as me, Jasmine, Lil’ Hurt, Monay, Trace, and Monkey posed for a photo. “Perfect.”

  “Okay, that’s enough,” Jasmine waved.

  “Appreciate you,” I thanked the woman as I retrieved my camera. We were at South Beach, hanging.

  Man, I swear, if my cousin never had another brilliant idea again she was good with me. Sometimes a nigga gets so caught up in all the hood shit that we just don’t think to venture outside of that. Believe it or not, there were niggas back in the Ward that never really left the north side, less along taken a trip out of state. This was new to us, but I was open to change.

  “Damn, it feels good out here,” Jasmine commented, as we sat in our designated spot on the beach. We’d set up out there, and had drinks and shit in coolers; the whole nine. Monay had made all the arrangements for us, and we had some nice ass accommodations. We had rooms at the Marriot and had been hitting up clubs like Mansion and shit. We had been balling out in the clubs, and was definitely gonna have to go right back into mash mode when we got back to Houston, but, shit, you only live once.

  I gazed at my girl, as she looked around. She was sitting there in a white two piece swim suit. That body was looking fantastic, and I was really digging her hair. She’d gotten it done at a salon out here, and they’d given her some kind of Peruvian hair that looked natural as shit on her. She had it pushed back, exposing her pretty face, and those lashes were framing her tight eyes. I won’t lie…I was infatuated.

  “My phone about to go dead. Black Reign, let’s walk to the car, right quick,” Monay suggested, standing up.

  “Okay…” Jasmine was about to say, before I cut her off.

  I sucked my teeth. “Man, Lil’ Hurt, walk with ya woman to the car.”

  Jasmine glimpsed at me, “What’s wrong with me walking with her?”

  Ignoring her, I gave my boy a look.

  He stood up, “Come on, baby.”

  Jasmine waved her head. “Kaydoa, you for real?” By that time Monay and Hurt had already strolled off.

  “What?” I hunched my shoulders. “The car way on the other end and shit. Let him walk with her.”

  She pursed her lips. “Nigga, let you tell it. What’s the real issue?”

  I pulled her in by her waist, “I’ma miss you.”

  She giggled. “Nigga please. You scared these niggas gon look at all this ass?” she danced a little.

  I shook my head. “I aint scared of a muthafuckin’ thang. I’m just looking out.”

  She arched her brows. “Looking out for who?”

  “Any man that’s thinking about looking this way.”

  She sniggled, “Aw, daddy’s J.”

  “Man, go’on wit that bullshit.”

  “Ooh, it’s okay,” she cooed, kissing my lips, and then without warning she hopped up. “Well,” she held her ass wit both hands. “I guess they about to look this way.” She jogged off.

  Springing to my feet, I chased her. “Bring that ass here.” I could hear Monkey and Trace chuckling behind me.

  “Nooo!” she squealed, as I caught up wit her. With little effort, I lifted her up, and threw her over my shoulder. “Wait!”

  “Hell, nah!”

  “Okay, I got yo ass,” she claimed, before pulling my shorts down.

  “You got me fucked up,” I roared with laughter, as I purposely sent us crashing into the sand. Her crazy ass wrestled wit me, as we rolled around. Somehow she landed on top, and started humping me. “Get yo ass up,” I pushed her off me. She had my dick rock hard, and since we couldn’t fuck with a beach full of people, we had to stop.

  “Aw, what’s wrong with daddy? He don’t love me no more?” she playfully pouted, driving me crazy. I had to have her right then.

  “Come on,” I sprung up. “Let’s go the car. Hopefully Monay nem on their way back.” I pulled her hand, and helped her to her feet. I didn’t give her a chance to protest, as I tugged her along.

  Thankfully, as we were headed to the Benz truck we’d rented they were coming back. “Where yall going?” Monay pried.

  “Mind ya business,” I answered, as we continued on our mission. By the time we made it to the G-Wagon, I was ready to bust threw my Jordan shorts. Unlocking the door urgently, we slid in. Instead of me initiating, Jasmine attacked me, kissing me roughly. I loved that shit.

  We were in the backseat, as she eased out of her bottom, and straddled me. There was no tint on the windows, but neither of us cared. Reaching into my shorts, she pulled my dick out. I lifted, and then she scooted my shorts and boxers down a bit.
With eagerness, she hopped onto my dick, and slowly rode me.

  “Aw shit,” my mouth fell open, as she busted those legs wide open, receiving all the dick.

  “You got this pussy soaking wet,” she talked dirty to me. “That’s just for daddy.”

  WHAP! I smacked her ass cheek, as she slammed down on me. “That’s right, that’s right,” I panted.

  “Yessss,” she hissed, biting her bottom lip, as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

  “Ride that dick, ride that dick,” I chanted, as she threw her back in it.

  “Dude, they’re fucking,” some white guy pointed as they walked past the truck.

  “Oh shit!” Jasmine shouted, as I began to hammer into her.

  “Take this dick!”

  “I’ma…I’ma…I’ma cum!” she belted, as she released all over my dick, causing me to bust too. “Fuck,” she grunted.

  I chuckled, “Baby, I think we like voyeurism.”

  “Nah,” she waved her head. “I just love you.”

  I smiled, feeling something deep…that kinda stirred my soul. This wasn’t a ordinary love. At that moment for a strange reason I knew…there was no such thing as Kaydoa and Jasmine, anymore. She was me, and I was her. We were one, and nothing in this world would change that. Nothing.

  Black Reign

  I was standing in the mirror in the bathroom, in my panties and bra, supposedly getting ready. I couldn’t stop staring at myself…smiling. Like for real, I was grinning so fucking hard that my face was about to break. Every time I’d attempt to get serious, I’d bust out into a series of giggles. God, this was life. My heart was filled to the brim with joy. I was so present in the moment, and nothing else mattered. I had love all over me, and at that moment I was good with everybody. It didn’t matter what you’d done to me in the past…we was good. Because I had unlocked this door. This door of pure happiness. The sun shined just for me, and if I wanted it for my possession I was convinced that My Kaydoa would get it for me. No lie.

  I felt so good that I just couldn’t help singing, “Never should‘ve kissed ya. Never made that call. I told myself…in love I shouldn’t fall. Would’ve been a pleasure just to know your name. Now look at me. Silly me. Now I’m back in love again…”