Hope, Charity & Faith Ch. 09

Gym was my next class, but my physician gave me a pass for the next few months, so I was pretty much riding the bleachers, so it wasn't necessary for me to go into the boy's locker room. I was glad for that because it would dredge up memories of Ricky Arias, my best friend. I felt doubly guilty for not being there when he was assaulted and sleeping with his older sister beforehand. Hope insisted she was trying to help me get over Kimberly; but was actually self-medicating from her own horrific freshman college experience. I'd been told that he visited the hospital with the intent of confronting me but was blocked by Faith.

I pulled out my phone staring out at the disparate student traffic across the open gymnasium. Other than a few groups of guys playing a pickup game of basketball, and various calisthenics, the place was somber. My gaze travelled across the gym floor unfortunately finding Treena at the other side still in the throws or last vestiges of her meltdown.

She was talking to an oddly disinterested Charmaine who appeared to be cutting class along with several other girls. Honestly, I felt like taking my sneaker off and beaning her in the head with it. There was no way she was gonna let me walk off campus without her get back. Treena was the third wheel in a forced trio with Charmaine and Kimberly.

"HEY MAN, WHAT YOU DOING UP IN HERE?!!"

I looked over finding three football players glaring at me with criminal intent. The misinformation campaign launched by Charity Gilbert and Jay Stello was in full effect before I'd even returned to campus dangerously putting me on everyone's radar. These guys also blamed me for their lopsided loss to a more privileged campus taking away what they likely believed was their physical equalizer compared to the other school's vast resources. I'd become a pariah akin to Saddam Rushdie without lifting a finger.

"It's my gym period; that's why I'm here."

"NO, IT AIN'T MY NIGGA; YOU NEEDS TO GET UP OUTTA HERE!!" I'd been in a few classes with this guy last year and he was normally an affable kind of fellow, but that staggering loss snapped his goodwill, and I didn't want another trip back to the ER as Mr. Day appeared.

"Dondre, what're doing boy?"

"HEY MR. DAY, WE TOLD HIM TO GET UP OUTTA HERE; HIS PRESENCE AIN'T APPRECIATED!!" Dondre was unfazed in the face of an adult reiterating the attendant football player's demands.

"You wanna do some breakdown PT; wanna do laps for the next two periods, huh?" It was a weak threat.

"ALL DUE RESPECT, WE DO THAT SHIT ANYWAY; SO, YOU TELLING US THAT WE SHOULD JUST TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS RIGHT NOW, HUH MAN?!! I DON'T CARE ABOUT GETTING SUSPENDED, WE LOST THE GAME!!" At best, the slender forty something gym teacher was looking directly at the barrel chest of a guy that towered over him along with equally incensed eighteen year old's bursting with testosterone.

"Jaleel, why don't you go into the main building, hang out in the cafeteria or the study hall. I'll give you a pass for the rest of the week." He motioned for me to come down off the bleachers.

"NAW MAN, DON'T BRING YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE NO MORE!!" Dondre yelled over the gym teacher as Mr. Day walked me to his office. I was scared for my life wondering if I'd be safe walking the campus.

"Come on, just let it roll off your back, Jaleel."

"Yeah, sure Mr. Day." I glanced backward noticing Dondre and his teammates talking with a bunch of other people.

"Maybe you could get one of those stay at home deals, Jaleel." The teacher commented dourly letting me know that he might share his student's beliefs.

The look on his oblong features reminded of the day my friend Ricky had been assaulted and his ineffectual handling of the situation. Now my only friend was gone as I noticed Lisa Jackson watching from the bleachers at the opposite side of the gym. I never knew we shared a period together.

"I've got a better idea, Mr. Day." I stopped in my tracks.

"What's that boy?"

"David and Goliath, you familiar?"

"WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!!" I couldn't tell if he was irritated or befuddled, but I was busy fishing around in my pocket.

"Bible story, little guy kills giant with a pebble shot out of a slingshot; heard that one before, right?"

"Maybe you should stop by the school nurse, kid."

"Alright then, I'll go Kaepernick on those fucking jocks."

Before Mr. Day could grab or otherwise stop me, I was halfway across the gym floor power walking towards Dondre, his attendant teammates and some of their equally fearsome associates. My approach was immediately noted as one of the jocks nudged Dondre who came out to meet me in the center of the gymnasium floor fists raised. I fiddled as he closed in on me knowing Mr. Day was also seconds from grabbing me drawing out my phone. I had seconds, bringing up the clip of Faith assaulting Charity.

I took a knee right there in the center of the gymnasium, both hands raised holding my phone upward facing the incoming danger, defiant. Ironically, I was kneeling on the painted school emblem.

"OH WHAT IS THIS SORRY SHIT; YOU KNUCKLING UP, OR WHAT?!!" Dondre was more than ready to send me back to the ER, perhaps even the morgue to avenge their lost glory. Somehow Treena was right up front, visibly salivating.

"More like...or what, Dondre." Some of thee other students crowded in from my other side either in support or thirsty for blood.

"OH WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BRIGHT EYES?!!" Dondre noticed the phone in my raised hands.

"The Truth."

"GIMME THIS SHIT, NIGGA!!" He snatched the phone from my hands skinning a few fingers in the process. I was unfortunately left with a view of his crotch before averting my eyes to the floor waiting for peer judgement on par with Lord of the Flies.

"Yeah, I fucked him, so what? Jaleel was a means to an end, and I got that end Lisa. He was a small cog in a big machine to get Jayson back in line and it worked beautifully. So what he got fucked up; at least he got some pussy."

Charity Gilbert's smug disembodied voice confessed her crime.

"The fuck?"

Treena was the first to speak; I recognized her voice standing right over me but didn't want to look up from the gym floor. Someone put a hand on my shoulder. I thought it was Mr. Day, but I was wrong.

"It was all Charity Gilbert, it's true she was playing with both of these guys. I was there in the teacher's lounge; she texted her boyfriend when Jaleel accidentally ran into the teacher's lounge. Charity wanted Jay to beat him up. I was there when that video happened, too."

Lisa Jackson was proving to be a natural heir apparent to my earthbound guardian angel, Faith.

"Hey man what the fuck; this some old bullshit!!"

"Some trash bitch cost us the game; Dondre, what now man?!!" One of the football players had a frightening baritone voice as I glanced up finding everyone looking at Dondre whose face had become a mask of rage. Mr. Day proved just as ineffectual looking at the proceedings instead of intervening like he should.

"BITCH-MUST-PAY!!"

I was nearly trampled by a wall of students following the jocks and other associates out of the gymnasium. Though bowled over, it was a miracle I hadn't been hurt as I noticed my discarded android on the gym floor. I scrambled barely retrieving it standing up to find Mr. Day staring at me still befuddled, idiotic.

"WHAT IS THIS SHIT, JALEEL?!!"

"Justice."

I bolted off to ride the rising tide of retribution exiting the gym, pass in hand ensuring I was covered as the tail end of the congealing crowd poured into the main building. The gym adjacent entrance was parallel with the main school lobby and the current fundraising function being conducted by the student council. I managed to squeeze into the double doors in time to see Dondre and everyone else in his makeshift lynch mob trashing the place. It was a self-contained extinction level event, a perfect storm.

Charity Gilbert somehow remained unharmed in the chaos. Our faithful safety officer Pops had his hands full dealing with the ruckus, but eventually everything was under control without a call to the police. Dondre and his teammates could've cared less about the meager three day suspensions they received in the aftermath.

It looked like somebody detonated a bomb in the main lobby as I took stock of the mess and a visibly shaken Charity Gilbert. Some underclassmen were righting tables while another put the dented cash register on top of it, sans decorative tablecloth. Charity was conducting a book sale beforehand. Now there were books all over the floor as our eyes met.

"It's beyond my control."

I shrugged as the underclassmen struggled with the register. Charity stood there motionless in the aftermath silently wishing death upon me. I found an old comic at my feet, picking it up and perusing a few pages.

"Ma'am, do you have change for a twenty?"

"FUCK YOU JALEEL!!"

Her outburst seemed to have banshee like qualities as one of the table legs collapsed causing the register to tip back over onto the floor with a loud, metallic thud. Money and coins scattered everywhere as I walked off to class reading the comic. Charity collapsed sitting in the only available chair sobbing into her hands.

************************************************

By the time I reached my last class of the day, the football team's siege of the student council's fundraiser was the stuff of legend. I was feeling pretty good about myself as I left my locker going to class. It was almost worth it because I'd managed to break Charity Gilbert's smug façade. The rumor mill was actively shredding the entitled princess as I walked downstairs to the second floor.

My mood changed when I noticed Kimberly Bivens standing outside our shared classroom with a few friends. It looked like they were talking, but one of the girls noticed me nudging Kim in the bicep. The girls scattered as I almost facepalmed. I actively slowed down to give her time to go into class, but she lingered.

"Jaleel, can we talk?" She asked plainly.

Kimberly was wearing a thin white cotton turtleneck with no sleeves covered by a stonewashed denim minidress. It was tight and fitted to her slim, thick figure. There were white crew socks and matching sneakers on her feet. Her hair was made up in this wicked faux hawk with light sandy brown highlights inset. Kimberly's makeup was on point, professional level. Normally I would've been drooling all over her at this point.

"Sorry, I gotta get to my seat, ma'am."

"Jaleel?"

I ignored her walking to my seat finding another surprise in a second baggie containing a thick decadent square of coffee crumb cake waiting. It was topped with strips of caramel and vanilla frosting.

Charmaine was sitting on the far end of the class again giving me another mystery to think about later. Her nose was buried in her book, but she snuck a quick look, probably because I stared momentarily. Another familiar face sat in the last chair of my aisle, the same obese guy who'd benefited from my neglect of this morning's peace offering.

"Ernie Smalls!"

"What's good, black?" There was a smirk on my face as I tossed the baggie to him.

This soulful guy was happy at his good culinary fortune immediately scarfing it down to spontaneous laughter and muted peer commentary directed at his weight. I glanced back over at Kimberly finding her distressed and irritated looking.

"Stay up player, it's all good, Jaleel!" Ernie Smalls swallowed up the last of the coffee cake wiping his mouth with his forearms. Charmaine was also shooting me a familiar snarling glare at this point.

The rest of class was uneventful with Kimberly still stealing looks at me throughout; I didn't waste my time looking at Charmaine. I knew what to expect from her, so it was no big deal. Looking at Kimberly dredged up memories of her mounted on top of Jay Stello, stuffed to the gills with that guy's massive junk. The only bit of clothing on her flawless body was one of the thin demi cup brassiere she favored, also a size smaller to add volume to her modest proportions.

The image of her sexually enraptured face would remain burned into my mind for a lifetime. Her haughty attitude and subsequent offer cemented her status as a irredeemable egomaniac. If it weren't for my run in with Charity Gilbert, Kimberly Bivens would be on a higher rung in my senior year rogues gallery.

After class I was intent on getting out of school before anything else could happen, but instinctively hit the doors to the student parking lot instead. It brought home the cavernous void created by the absence of Ricky Arias. A staggering pang of grief washed over my person leaving my motor functions without direct agency for a few moments before realizing that I was standing just across the street from the exact area where I'd been assaulted. Visions of Jay Stello's fist flying into my face began this internal frontal assault as I waffled staring at that spot remembering that I'd fallen on top of the girl trying to help me escape.

"Jaleel; are you okay?" I found Kimberly Bivens standing there in the middle of the sidewalk, staring apprehensively. She'd followed me outside still intent on talking.

"What do you care?" My temple was throbbing with the onset of a headache.

"I-care, Jaleel." She motioned towards herself, slightly hunched over.

"You care about yourself, don't get it twisted Kim. What you wanna talk about anyway, huh?" There was this ten foot fence bordering the student parking lot on our immediate right. I used it to steady myself feeling the throbbing at my temple. Kimberly took a step forward but stopped immediately.

"You want me to call paramedics?"

"I got a fucking phone, why don't you go back to your friends, or are you distracting me so those jock douchebags can ambush me again?!"

"I-HAD NOTHING-NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT JALEEL!!" She surprised me also drawing the attention of some nearby students on the other side of the fence.

"Sure you did; hey bitch, did you set up my boy Ricky, too?" Her face imploded looking like she was about to ugly cry.

"NUH-NO!!"

"Sure you did, that's why you wanted to talk to me all of a sudden right? You motherfuckers were talking online, making your fucking plans to get me trashed, right Kim? Stop-LYING GODDAMMIT!!"

"I'M NOT LYING, I CRIED FOR YOU JALEEL!!" Just like that we were having a full blown argument out on the street.

But it was different this time, because past disagreements had me actively controlling my tone while she lit into me. Kim had the luxury of being beautiful, entitled and my first knowing that she had me on the hook. I willingly let myself be led around by the nose and she exercised that physical privilege doling out smatterings of affection whenever it suited her needs.

"Well, thank God for small favors, Kim." I half turned intending to be on my way when she quickly closed the distance grabbing my bicep.

"I meant what I said that day, Jaleel; I tried to get you to go home with me. We could've been making love, so it's not like I didn't try to save you!"

"Well, nice to know baby; excuse me." I tried to leave but she retained a handful of my bicep.

"Can't we be friends; uhm, with benefits and everything?"

I looked directly at her face realizing she meant every word. On the other side of the fence, some people were watching. I recalled being her "down low" boyfriend or sorts, forbidden from publicly coming out as her lover. Back in the day, Kimberly would always tell me her parents forbade dating, but the one time I'd accidentally been exposed to them, the parental units were fine with me. Her father even offered to drop me home as they were picking up their daughter.

"Aren't you seeing someone?"

"He doesn't have to know." She was biting her bottom lip looking inviting as I took in her body once more feeling an old familiar stirring in my crotch.

"You'd cheat on your boyfriend?"

"If he don't know, it ain't cheating." Kimberly reiterated now rubbing my bicep turning her head at an angle presenting a cheek begging for a peck.

"So, we could be together physically; friends with benefits. It doesn't seem real, feels like a dream."

"It's a dream that could come true, if you want, Jaleel." Her other hand was at my abdomen; Kimberly traced a line down towards my belt line.

"Yeah?" She was immediately sure of herself, her charms arching into me as I planted my palm in the small of her back. I ain't gonna lie, I was hard as diamond.

"Yeah Jaleel, you could come over this weekend while Darren is downstate for a baseball game." This woman, I knew intimately. Her mask was starting to slip away revealing the toxic narcissist underneath.

"Kiss me."

"Huh?"

"Kiss me right now, Kim." I pivoted suddenly eliminating the remaining personal space between us leaving her back pressed into the student parking lot fence.

"We're outside; there's people around; but this weekend, we can so do whatever you want, Jaleel." Kimberly was casually begging off, but I wasn't going to be denied or dismissed so easily.

"Kiss me right now, or you're full of shit." My tone was intense.

My gambit paid off as my challenge resulted in a timid kiss that gradually became more as her tongue invaded my mouth. We started making out in public as I encircled her thin waist pressing her into the fence. Kimberly broke contact gasping, wide eyed cupping my cheek.

"This weekend I'm gonna make you mine." I threatened just above a whisper only both of us could hear.

She was more than willing shutting her eyes tightly as we continued making out in public, our tongues dueling passionately. Kimberly moaned sensually into my mouth as I took the opportunity to slide my hand down over the swell of her butt. I squeezed hard enough to make her rise up on the tips of her toes, then decided to go further. My hands drew up her denim mini dress finding the smallest panties she could squeeze into.

This made her bubbled butt stand out enhanced by the shimmering silky material of her panties, cheeks bulging. My own hands perfectly cupped them spreading them apart as I ground my girlfriend into the fence. I don't know what she was thinking, but Kimberly went with it, displaying equal fervor.

"HEY GODDAMMIT, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SORRY SHIT, RIGHT HERE?!!" We were suddenly disturbed by the incessant honking of a horn.

Kimberly panicked shoving me in the chest as I followed the sound finding a 69 Ford Mustang crammed full of guys whooping and hollering as Kimberly's current beau Darren, exited the car. This guy was shorter than me, probably five eleven, but built like an athlete. I knew I was probably in trouble, but he ignored me walking over to Kimberly instead.

"We were just talking, Darren."

"MAN, FUCK YO BITCH ASS; MY BOYS TOLD ME YOU WAS TRASH AND THEY WERE RIGHT, THOT!!" I was happy to be ignored stealthily backing away even though his friends in the car honked his horn. My heart skipped a beat as this bald, light skinned dude who shared a semblance facially to Mike Tyson glanced back at me.

"Hey nigga, that's some fouls shit right there homie; you need to get your mind right with Jesus!!" Thus admonished, Darren turned back to Kimberly turning her into his ex-girlfriend as well, snatching his class ring from her finger.

"DARREN DON'T BE RASH; WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS!!" He waved her off dismissively as his buddies laughed hard, still intermittently honking his horn. Kimberly forgot to pull the back of her dress down giving anyone happening to be looking, a back shot of her perfect teardrop butt.

"LOSE MY NUMBER!!"

Later I found out that Darren was a born again Christian who had pledged to stay away from sex until marriage. This had taken away Kimberly Bivens primary tool of manipulation as she was obligated to play the "good girl" role straight.