THUNDA - Under New Management Ch. 10

"GOOD MORNING, NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE SO BRIGHT, EARLY, AND ON TIME!! GLAD YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO SET UP SOME MONITORS DOWNSTAIRS IN THE STUDENT CENTER!! I NEED THAT DONE NOW!!"

"Why are you yelling Dr. Miles; are you that happy to see me, sir?" The forced smile on his face was more of a grimace as I didn't doubt he wanted to take my head off after last night.

"WHY OF COURSE, YOU'RE MY NUMBER ONE GUY AROUND HERE AND I NEED THAT SET UP TAKEN CARE OF, OKAY?!!" This man was livid.

"Alright boss, but what about the training? You impressed upon me how important it was that I get here on time this morning so that I could complete it with my coworkers here. It's kinda nice having us all gathered here in one place, huh boss?"

"I-WILL-GIVE-YOU THE CLASSS IN MY OFFICE LATER TODAY!!" Lucy and my other coworkers looked uncomfortable watching our " friendly exchange" while I saw an opportunity to push a button.

"Geez sir, I don't need my lawyer for that class, do I boss?" Dr. Miles made a motion as if he was going to facepalm but caught himself.

"Bring whoever you like son; the more the merrier." I was grinning and nodding in time with every syllable that came out of his mouth.

"Guess I'm going then sir; see you guys. Thought I was gonna hang too, but I've gotta do the boss a solid." I started towards the door looking at Lucy's anxious features then noticed a female coworker I rarely saw giving me the stink eye and a few others. This told me they were likely all in the know on some base peripheral level. Most of them were looking at me like public enemy number one.

"WANT SOME HELP?!" Lucy piped up, but Dr. Miles put a hand on her shoulder quieting her.

"Don't worry about it Lucy; he's practically a supervisor in the department around here." He was smiling while I did a doubletake facing away from them all.

I was livid too knowing he wanted to fire me from day one even though he knew what Steven and Zoya were doing to other students in the department and around campus. Zoya's expulsion from the secondary building said as much about the college's overt efforts to cover up a potential scandal. I went to a storage closet gathering some of the equipment as Dr. Miles appeared again.

"HEY WAIT A MINUTE!!" This old negro was actually jogging down the corridor with a plastic bag and a plastic drink with a straw sticking out of it. He presented the items to me with a broad smile on his face, really beaming.

"I already ate breakfast."

"SURE BOY, BUT WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THIS ANYWAY!! Wouldn't want you to feel "LEFT OUT" and get all emotional, like a female. Here, there's some good stuff in there for a GROWING BOY!! Take it son!" He shoved the bag into my chest somewhat hard, then took extra care handing me the drink. It was OJ in a clear plastic tumbler.

"Thank you Dr. Miles."

He ignored me walking back silent making a show of pulling up the double doors to the student auditorium.

The audible clicking of the lock conveyed his message well.

"Oh yeah, gonna have to fix you bruh; get that wild hair out of your hairy butt." I mused gathering my things to set up downstairs.

Despite my flippant attitude, the exclusion did strike a nerve making me focus on Steven and Zoya even more. I was on the straight and narrow when he hired me to work as a TA in the AV department, but because of a misconception on her part, I'd been marked for harassment. The wheels started turning in my head while I was setting up downstairs in the student center hooking up a flat screen on the small stage used for performances. It was ponderous work as I had to make a few trips finding an unwanted familiar face when I returned.

"Great, do I bow or courtesy Quisha?"

"Please don't...please don't make this hard for me considering your relationship with my father right now. By now you know I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to; we're bound until you do what the universe asks." Quisha looked a bit tired an obviously not in the mood, but the sight of her made my head throb as I paused to hear the gifted woman out.

"I think your dad's gonna fire me."

"I know you can stop that from happening real easy, so please don't mess with him like your doing with that degenerate couple. There's a lot you don't understand but I'm here to let you know that your actions have consequences."

"What are we talking about?" I was positioning the second large flatscreen on the opposite side of the center. Quisha kept pace with me dressed more conservatively in a denim floor length dress, sweater, and her ever present headwrap.

"Lashing out is only gonna make things worse; right now you're uh, splintered in the spiritual sense. Going against your nature is like uhm, pulling on a rubber band between your fingers until it snaps. Everything has consequences, give, and take on a cosmic level." She was more insistent than I'd ever seen using her hands in demonstrative fashion as she spoke, but I was confused.

"Quisha, I need you to uh, just spit it out."

"You're going to be tested, but it's going to feel like you're being punished. I don't have anything to do with it besides delivering what sounds like bad news."

"Your dad's gonna fire me."

"That's not what I'm saying; you need to finish what we talked about. If you keep acting up, the universe is going to smack the shit out of you like Amana did this morning."

My heart skipped a beat as I recalled the vivid dream I'd had right before waking earlier in the morning.

"Amana." I whispered unable to control some creeping anxiety.

"Just uhm, take some time and remember one thing if nothing else." Quisha starting backing away from me still looking concerned, likely on the verge of tears. Her demeanor was uncharacteristic and troubling.

"What?"

"You're supposed to be one of the good guys. But now karma is coming your way like a tornado and I'd appreciate it if you'd get yourself together before it arrives. Just, forget about how my dad makes you feel and uh, help us help you when the time comes."

"Quisha." She held up a hand stopping me from speaking further. I watched her walk out of the youth center ringing her hands, worried.

The moment she cleared the double doors this prevalent sense of shame overtook me. I considered running after my resident oracle but fought the notion off finishing up my work as a number of students started to file into the center. They were in clusters, cliques taking tables around the monitors as some fellow TA's appeared joining them. I almost got into it with a particularly roguish student who attempted to turn on the monitors at the prompting of some female associates.

I got done in record time feeling oddly disconnected from the people around me. I was one man in a sea of humanity congealing around the monitors for an event I was serendipitously responsible for. My need for anonymity was responsible for this mess along with my cavalier treatment of a vain woman who thought to mistreat my cousin out of sexual curiosity directed at me. I told myself I was paying it forward when I ravaged her again and again until she suffered from vanity induced Stockholm syndrome.

There was no emotion when Sydney Syd Wilson revealed most if not all of her secrets to me. Heartbreaking as they were, I'd come to expect these little slivers of post-nut clarity from the women I slept with. The one nagging tidbit lingering from this situation was my overt omission of the facts from Rashida. At the time I would've rather let her believe I'd banged out Takisha upstairs in that studio instead of Sydney. In all honesty, I was kind of ashamed once I saw her standing there in the building lobby after I'd finished.

Now we were estranged because of that shame which was disguised behind my need for public anonymity.

Empathetically speaking, Rashida Sikes probably felt the same way after I ducked out on her in front of my campus building.

Now she was obviously seeing someone else and I struggled not to intrude on that relationship unsure of how I'd react if I found out that "anonymous" person's identity.

"Sir." Lucy appeared tugging on shirt. I hadn't noticed her standing there beside me staring up into my face.

"Oh uh, what's up Lucy?"

"Are you okay; I saw you standing here in the middle of the center kind of zoning out." I inched away from her a step looking around finding the place packed.

"Shouldn't you be in training?"

"We finished that in ten minutes; Dr. Miles showed some movies on the auditorium movie screen then kind of just gave us the answers for the test afterwards. We've just talked and joked around with him and Steven...after that."

Lucy looked as if she'd said something she shouldn't, but I didn't react.

"No Zoya, uhm I mean Dr. Berhan?"

"Steven said she's taking a spa day or something; I guess she's been burnt out. Some of the girls were asking about different spas around downtown, but he said he'd ask her. You know something? Even thought they're married, both of them seem more like brother and sister than husband and wife, kind of weird if you ask me, huh sir?"

"I don't have any kind of opinion about that shit." Her random gossip told me I'd actually run her down sexually between Jaquan, Andre, and myself as the cleanup guy physically. I ran the numbers in my head figuring that if Abayomi were included she'd have been nearly comatose as a result.

"Guess it's about the money huh? Steven's pretty rich and she's so much younger than he is, right?"

"Why don't you ask them about it Lucy?" I felt like she was trying to pump me for information inching away further to let a couple pass by to the food counter.

"Sorry, sometimes I just run off at the mouth, you know?"

"It's cool, don't worry about it."

"So, you're watching, right?"

"What?"

"The interview, oh come on sir, this is supposed to be crazy as hell. Somebody probably a PA from the station leaked a bunch of stuff saying that Sly and Syd as well as the show is done. They say she uh, busted him to the white meat in this interview with Gail. You're gonna watch, right? I saw you looking at the show that time right when the scandal just started, remember? Come on, let's watch it together." Lucy was too excited to be working me for information.

"I'll catch it later; let me know what happens Lucy. I'm gonna go find Dr. Miles and get that training before he forgets and writes me up." That was a lie to shut her down and put some distance between us without making it obvious I wanted her at arm's length until I figured her out.

"BUT IT'S COMING ON RIGHT NOW!!" She was almost throwing a tantrum as I glanced over finding the morning show logo on both monitors accompanied by the program's shitty canned sounding music.

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They were sitting in a darkened suite on a moderate sized love seat. Sydney was hugging one end while her husband Sly took the opposite ironically matching her outfit in a dark shirt made of the same material as her blouse surrounded by a cream colored suit. Their host, some late fiftysomething female reporter last name of King sat in front of the duo in a repositioned lazy boy in an ugly tangerine colored dress.

"Sydney, how are you doing this morning?" She asked in a voice that sounded marginally like a game show host.

"I uh, can't say in all honesty; I'm uh, well working on it." Sydney sounded more like her usual self, the woman I'd met in the lobby of that building downtown on a fateful morning.

"Sly, how're we doing this morning?" I noted how she addressed him referring to the married couple collectively.

"I'm fine."

"You're fine?" Sydney cut in with an arched right brow drawing his attention for a second instantly wilting under her gaze.

There was a moment of silence adding to the uncomfortable air in the room. There was a quick cut showing the reporter sitting there shuffling some cards in hand glance g between them. Sydney was already staring a hole in the side of Sly's head with one arm now resting on the back of the chair as the reporter continued.

"I guess, I'm working it out too." He changed his statement glancing down at his lap.

"Well uh, both of you were high school sweethearts voted couple most likely to get married, band mates who had some success early in your careers with the single album "Biters In The City" just under thirty years ago and I can't believe it because, look at you Sydney girl; it's true what they say. Black don't crack, huh?" Her tone and the urban tinged aside rang scripted and fake, but Sydney forced a chuckle.

"More like milk chocolate in my case." Sydney added biting her lower lip still regarding her husband with a side eye.

"We were really big overseas for a minute in the early nineties, but we couldn't get any traction here in the USA, right Sydney?" Sly added trying to get a piece of the conversation with a weak smile on his face.

"Sorry, I couldn't pull that rabbit out of the hat for you because Lou wanted way too much Charles; perhaps you should've sat on that couch instead of me. Not going for the water sports because you wanted five more cars when we were in hock to the IRS." Sydney was smiling despite the harshness of her words while the host looked utterly shocked.

"Syd." He mumbled unfortunately looking into the camera.

"Did I lie Charles?"

Sly forced himself to look at her but withdrew into himself with a forced chuckled of his own addressing the reporter sitting stone faced in front of him.

"Somebody's been in their hotel mini-bar Gail." He tried to joke.

"You must be so jealous." Sydney deadpanned as the packed audience in the youth center laughed and jeered. Everyone in the room knew what was coming. You could feel it in the air as the interview continued.

"We uh, been together like you said, since high school and everything. We formed a group, a trio with her best friend Finessa back in the day thinking we were gonna take the world by surprise. Yeah, that first record was solid gold paving what we thought was gonna be a yellow brick road to fame and fortune. We toured some, maybe not enough like we should've but we had to get that next record out."

"Yeah he's right about that, but he's cherry picking; the real reason he didn't wanna go on that tour all the way every date, was because of Amir."

"SYDNEY!" The fast embattled man shouted quickly remembering himself.

The reporter looked obviously off camera then at the cards in her hand before continuing.

"Your radio show has been in the top 10 every year up until about two and a half when you guys went to satellite. Despite that you're still going strong in the ratings buffered by your social media presence in live streams during the broadcast. Some shows go through growing pains when they switch to a new medium, but you guys have things, on lock. How do you do it?"

"Well it's all about getting that newer generation, the kids of our original fans while maintaining our original audience. We have some of the best analysts in the country, possibly the world with our parent company Clear Water Media."

"She knows all about that Charles; geez don't you know a softball question when you hear one? Oh yeah, I've got to tell you when you're being handled with kid gloves, right? All of us know why we're really here, right Charles?"

"My name is Sly."

"If only that were true then we wouldn't be sitting here, would we?"

"Now Sydney, there's no need for this high level of emotion; we're all adults and the purpose of this interview is to see where you two go from here. Your highly rated morning show has been on partial hiatus with cohost Ken as a replacement since, well a rather unfortunate incident." Sydney sat looking directly at the reporter with a modified incredulous expression on her face.

"The show will go on Gail; we've already been renewed for two years." Sly added laconically.

"Aren't you gonna thank me?" Sydney cut in aggressively drawing his attention.

"What?" He looked at her again shoulders sort of hunched leaking self-respect all over the suite as Sydney continued this time talking to their host.

"Don't you just love how he plays stupid when someone drags him to the carpet to take accountability for his bullshit? He's always been this way since we started dating in our sophomore year; and its never changed. See, I don't need to keep going back to our glory days as a one hit wonder Gail. I can't afford to do that or its back up to that fucking luxury suite at the Superbowl; ain't that right Charles, excuse me uh, Sly?"

"Maybe we should take a break?" The reporter floated the notion, but Sydney looked intense still staring at the side of her husband's head. There was a glint in her eyes exacerbated by his muted non-response.

"He's been taking a break for thirty years while I did all the heavy lifting."

"That's not true Syd!"

"So tell me, am I'm lying about anything I said Charles?" She challenged televised in front of the world.

"We all knew what we were getting into going into the business Syd; it was always going to be a crap shoot but we landed on our feet with a solid job that you've decided to torch because you want a few more zeroes on your check. Yes, I talked to Harvey; I know Syd. We're all taken care of, but that's not good enough for you, is it?"

"Oh you talked to Harvey huh; did you know?" Her brow furrowed as he ranted. I recognized the white hot rage broiling just under the surface.

"Know what?" The reporter cut in intrigued as a phone unexpectantly rang somewhere in the background. I was surprised to find out the interview was being aired uncut with the profanity bleeped out on daytime network tv.

"Ask him Gail; ask Charles if he knew what was going to happen at Superbowl 45?"

Sly looked as if he would get up making the motion but stopped short looking between the women obviously working the room. He was caught like a rat in a trap as the interview continued going off the rails spectacularly. His forehead was creased with stress lines as he looked off camera reacting to the now continuous ringing of a phone in the background.

"Do you know what she is referring to Sly?" The reporter asked without emotion as he squirmed in the court of public opinion.

"Ask him why he didn't want to tour with Amir even though they told him about it and he still went there to cut our first and only real album. Tell her Charles; I want you to explain to her why you have that drinking problem and why you did what you did to us." Sydney twisted the knife deeper into his fast deteriorating spine.

"She ain't talking about nothing Gail; every decision we made in our life, our career; we made together."

"Did you know Charles?" Sydney asked again.

The interview suite grew silent as the camera zoomed in on the man's distressed features leaving him nowhere to go but a dead end in the court of public opinion. He looked straight into the camera, bottom lip quivering uncontrollably. The sight of this pain wracked man made my shoulders seize up knowing I was a catalyst for what was happening in his life. There was a quick cut to the reporter's damn near petrified features waiting for that answer.

"Sly, the world is waiting for an answer."

He looked on the verge of a nervous breakdown as Sydney spoke up again.

"Alright, than ask me again Charles; I promise I won't lie to you." There was raw emotion in her voice as her mascara started to streak.

"I ain't never cheated on you or beat you, and I've always loved you with my whole heart Sydney." He looked on the verge of a coronary as she inched closer leaning forward with this strained mask of raw pain on her face.

"ASK ME!!"

"Did you cheat on me with The Educated Simp?" He almost whimpered the question barely above a whisper.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you can't fuck right and you've got a little dick."