Joy, Pain, and All Between

"¿De donde eres, Senorita Henley?"

Shit. Skyler chewed on her black polished nail.

"Umm...me gust...a?"

Laughter. Skyler Henley was sick of this shit. Professor Sanders always seemed to call on her when she wasn't paying attention, and if she was paying attention, she still wouldn't know the answer. She sucked at Spanish. She barely passed it in high school.

"Senorita Henley. If you aren't going to pay attention in my class, you could always leave. It's not to late to officially withdraw."

Skyler didn't understand why he was always so hard on her. He always seemed to call her out and throw his sarcasm her way.

"I know, but I kinda need this class for my major, Mr. Sanders. If I didn't need it, trust, I wouldn't be here. Besides, I don't see why we have to know this shit anyway. It aint like I plan on going to Spain anytime soon."

"Well, Senorita Henley, no one asked you if you were going to Spain. There are plenty of Spanish-speaking people here. But I could guarantee that if you did, they'd look at you like you were an idiot if they asked you where you were from and you said 'me gusta'."

More laughter. Skyler was beyond pissed now.

"Whatever. If they come to me speaking Spanish, I'll tell them to take that shit back across the border. AND I aint worried 'bout nobody looking at me like I'm an idiot over some 'me gusta'. They can 'me gusta' kiss my black ass!!" With that, Skyler grabbed her belongings and stormed out of the class.

Fuck that shit. I'll drop that class and take it again next semester. Dumb ass teacher. What does his white ass know about Spanish?

Skyler made the long walk to her car. Her day had started off bad. She had got to school late and had to park in the parking lot furthest from her building. She was about 10 minutes late for class, and of course, she had too fall victim to Professor Sanders' witty tongue. So, all she needed to do was chill out in her yellow and black baby to end this the perfect day. She walked to her car door and searched for her keys, only to find that they weren't there. She remembered that she had heard them hit the floor in her hurry to get settled at the beginning of class. She had meant to pick them up, but it had slipped her mind in her angered state.

"Come on. Now I gotta walk all the way back to Satan's class."

She walked back towards the building hoping class would be over by the time she got there. When she arrived at the door, she peeped in to find the class empty. She walked over to the spot she was sitting to find her keys weren't there.

"Aargh. What the f--. Ugh. Where are my keys?"

Skyler sat down and pondered about where her keys were. Great. She walked down the hall to room 213, Satan's headquarters, also known as Mr. Sanders' office.

Knock, knock.

Professor Sanders looked up from grading the chapter one quiz Skyler knew she had bombed.

"Miss Henley, what a pleasure to see you again. What do I owe this visit?"

The sarcasm oozed off his tongue into Skyler's ears.

"I was wondering if you'd seen my keys?"

"Umm...what do they look like?"

"They look like keys."

"Really? Wow. I thought you were going to say that there were three keys connected on one ring with a 'I smile because I have no idea what's going on' keychain and a mini pair of ballet shoes hanging from them."

"Yea. That's what I meant. Can I have them, please?"

"Sorry, I haven't seen them."

"What!?! Why are you always doing this? Playin games?"

"I'm not playing any games, Miss Henley." He reached in his drawer and pulled out the keys. "But before I give them to you, you have to do something for me."

"Mr. Sanders, sorry, but I'm not into the whole teacher-student relationship soirée'. You can keep the keys. And can't you get in trouble for that kind of thing?"

"Miss Henley, what I was going to ask of you, was to tell me what the problem is with you and my class. Or is it me? Do you have something against me?"

"Do we really gotta this now?"

"Do you want to leave, today?"

Sklyer let out a large breath of air, took a seat, and explained her situation to Professor Sanders.

"Okay. I don't like Spanish. And I really don't like how you always seem to put me on the spot in front of everybody. Like I'm there for your amusement or something."

"Miss Henley, I don't mean to embarrass you. It just seems to me that you don't care about the class. And if you feel that way, you can drop and take a different foreign language. Maybe French, since you can use the word 'soiree'."

"That's the thing though. I need this class to graduate. I'm trying, even though you may think differently. It's just a little hard to take you or the class seriously when you always callin' me out."

"I'm sorry, Skyler. I didn't know you felt like that. Why haven't you spoken up and asked for help. I have office hours and tutoring is available."

"I think I'm going to need a whole lot more than that. Like a full time tutor or something. Someone who's going to always be there when I need it."

"Well, I think you should either hire an interpreter or find a magic genie that speaks Spanish to be there at your beck and call."

Skyler stared at Professor Sanders.

"Whatever."

Skyler grabbed her things but stopped when she saw Professor Sanders jingle her keys.

"Miss Henley, I'm being serious with you. The only thing I can do is suggest a tutor. There's Joel Walker. He's a student in your Spanish class who tutors during his free time. I could talk to him for you if you would like."

Skyler sat and thought about it. She had to pass Spanish to keep the monkey off her back. That monkey was her mother. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

"Sure. I would like that a lot, Mr. Sanders. Thank you."

"Your very welcome, Miss Henley. Your keys?"

With that, Skyler took her keys and made the long walk to her car.

***** ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ***** ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: *****

"How. Was. Your. Day. Baby?" Mikeal asked between messy kisses to her face. They had been together almost six months. At first he was all she wanted a guy to be: tall, light-brown skin, hazel eyes, the perfect smile, and the perfect personality. But lately, that perfect image had been deteriorating. All he wanted was sex, and if she wasn't willing to give it to him, he'd threaten to get it from someone else. Why she stayed with him, who knows?

"Eww, stop it, Mikeal. You got spit on my nose."

"My bad baby. Damn you smell good." More messy kisses.

"Do you wanna hear about my day, or what?"

"Yea, yea, yea. Go 'head. Tell me bout it."

"It sucked hardcore, babe."

"Really. I know something that would love to be sucked hardore."

"Eww. No. Get off of me, Mikeal!"

Mikeal got off of her and sat up.

"You know what? Fine. I don't know why I keep wasting my time with you. Look at me. I can get any bitch I want. I mean, you fine, but you ain't that fine." Skyler sat up and stared at him like he had grown a new head.

"What? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, that you either put out or get out. Your choice dear. I'm tired of waitin' around for you. If you ain't givin it to me, you must be givin it up to someone else." Skyler got off of his bed and stood with both hands on her hips.

"You know, I don't know why I put up with yo lame ass anyway. You dumb as hell." Skyler started gathering her belongings to get the hell away from him. "And yea, motherfucker. Maybe I AM giving it up to somebody else. I head you had that 'whack whack' shit anyway. You know, maybe you shouldn't fuck so many girls. Word does get around!"

"Bitch, whatever. Get your shit and get's the stepping. Tell yo fine ass momma Imma call her later on."

"Whatever. My mama don't want yo tired ass. She got a policy: three inches or more!"

With that, Skyler stormed out and left.

Once she got home she questioned it all.

"Am I not good enough? She stared at herself in the mirror. Shoulder-length coal black hair, big brown doe eyes, small nose, kissable lips. She thought she was pretty. Others thought she was pretty.

How did this happen so fast? Everything was good at one point. Maybe she should have sex with him. She had known better. No dude wanted a girl who wouldn't put out. She hadn't had sex with other guys while she was with him, but she was afraid to tell him the truth. That she was nervous.