Maximum Badonkadonk Ch. 12

"Huh?" I got a text from the film department head wanting me to give him a call. I hated myself for worrying that I was being ousted every time he called. On some level it felt like I didn't deserve to be a part of that world and I abhorred that line of thought.

On my laptop screen one of the central characters was going through a similar darkened catharsis which ended with him trying to take his own life on air during a broadcast of a faux version of the tonight show.

"Well fuck that shit." I paused the film dialing up Steven finding out that he simply wanted me to put up some flyers around campus for an upcoming eclectic film festival.

It was a change of pace I was happy to indulge in finding that Phoebe's scene was already selling wildly. There were ten good purchases which validated my creative jones as I traveled downtown. She was more than willing, so it was a given I'd get more from Phoebe, but my auntie was a different story. I'd bought the mask and recolored it in shades of black, red, and green; but now I was worried Auntie Esther would take it the wrong way. I worried she might consider it a statement about her looks but resolved to follow through on the upcoming Saturday.

My meeting with Steven was rather brief. It felt like we'd already been working together for a while and he chuckled when I mentioned Russ Myer saying he might add the film to the slate. I went about my business hanging the flyers all over campus eventually drifting over to the building to meet with Steven briefly before he was off to a department meeting.

I was shown a recently added student theatre which was part of some centerpiece for this new campus building. I was floored at the room which was a smaller version of an actual movie theatre. My boss liked my reaction giving me a few bucks for a couple of slices of pizza in the downstairs student rec center.

It was my last destination before returning home. My head was swimming in optimism as I went inside finding this space that was sort of a performing arts platform, student gallery and cafeteria. I started stapling the last of the flyers on this cork board adjacent to the entrance. I suddenly got this weird feeling in my gut like I was being watched. This turned out to be the case as I glanced over towards the dual glass doors at the entrance.

Renee's cousin Carlie Kelly was standing there staring at me with this aggressive expression on her face.

It was kind of the disparaging look you got from a teacher when you were doing something bad. We'd never had any sort of meaningful interaction, but her expression told me she'd been made aware of my former membership in her big cousin's clique. We death glared one another for a few moments as time seemed to stop on a dime.

Then I shrugged going back to what I was doing without a care in the world.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Carlie snatched at my bicep pinching my arm half whispering. I turned away from the community corkboard looking at her roundish face with the oversized glasses, unperturbed.

"Hanging up some flyers for a student film festival; what's your malfunction?"

"How did you find me?"

"You grabbed me miss, now excuse me." I turned back to the corkboard getting ready to staple another colored piece of paper to the wall. Carlie was looking around giving me the impression she was afraid to be seen with me.

"Excuse you huh, you stalking me?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

"Uh, who are you again?"

"Ha ha, very funny nigga; you trying to get at Renee, huh?" I stopped what I was doing staring at her for a few seconds before going back to the board.

She looked oddly disarming round face, thick glasses and headwrap with the ball atop her head like some black silken balloon. If you didn't know Carlie, you would peg her as a young woman wrapped up in her religion, but I knew otherwise.

"Please; uhm, what is your name again?" Carlie was wearing a African wrap dress with this muted decorative print, wholly pretentious.

"You know my fucking name." She stood there with her books held tightly to her chest, face scrunched up like a mad ball. This thin, slightly lanky sister was trying to intimidate me and I found it amusing.

"Maybe you should take your meds darling."

I walked out of the student day room to the strains of Erica Badu's Window Seat leaving her there at the board. The place was starting to get crowded and I preferred my space.

...TO BE CONTINUED.

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Author's Notes:

Charity Gilbert appears courtesy of Hope, Charity & Faith

Thank you for reading my material!!