Belonging to Lust

Instead of leaving Heath to appraise the damage that had been done to their living room window alone, Zaiyia marooned her friends clustered by the back door in the kitchen to pursue his path through the dark house. When she entered the living room, the brisk evening wind streaming into the hole in the wall that was once a large window froze her in her step, making her skin exploded into goosebumps. She urgently wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill as Heath examined the damage more closely in nothing, but some long basketball shorts. “Did you see who did it before they got away? If you got a good look at the bastard, perhaps we can go to the police and make that asshole pay for the damages!”

“She wasn't a male.” Heath divulged, his eyes trailing the edges of the window that remained unscathed. “She was a girl. Someone around your age, but not anyone I've ever seen here in the cul-de-sac before.”

A girl my age, Zaiyia recited to herself in shock, a frown coming to her face. She sensed her friends converged behind her in the kitchen doorway, but she was confident that if she turned around to check on them, they'd be too mesmerized by Heath's behind in his shorts, so she didn't bother to notice them. Peering around for any traces through the shards of glass, Zaiyia identified two big rocks that evidently weren't there before tonight. Crouching down, she picked one of them up and felt her stomach dropped when the spotlighting lamppost outside unveiled the word 'WHORE' scrawled underneath it. She bit her bottom lip to keep from gasping, but then muttered to herself as she picked up the other rock to find 'SLUT' inscribed on that one. “Sonofabitch...”

Heath had scoured over his shoulder to notice Zaiyia crouched in the treacherous sea of broken glass. Instantly her safety became his upmost concern. “Hey!”

Zaiyia's head snapped up, and urgently the rocks in her hands were thrust behind her back. Her eyes were large as she stared up at his dark silhouette. “Y-Yes, sir?”

“Get up out of there!” Heath dismissed her with a wave of his large hand. “Or you'll get cut by all the glass!”

Not generally the obedient one, Zaiyia straightened up and receded out of the sharp expanse of shards. “My bad.”

Heath's eyes veered to the group of girls donned in their pajamas staring from the kitchen doorway. “All of you go back to the guest house now.” He gazed out the window in the direction the girl ran. “I'll clean everything up in here and call the police.”

Forgetting she had evidence shielded behind her back that she wanted to keep from him knowing, Zaiyia stepped forward with the demand to be there for him, instead of racing off to protect herself. “Wait, I can help you!”

“I can do this myself, Zaiyia, it's fine.” Heath refused, gesturing with a nod towards the kitchen. “Go now, or I'll ground you for a month for not complying.”

Zaiyia's eyes narrowed into a glare at him. Really? He was gonna ground her for wanting to help with something that she was positive had to do with her? “Fine.”

Leading the way back to the guest house, Zaiyia grumbled beneath her breath in irritation. Her friends tried to calm her down once they got upstairs only after she covertly smuggled the rocks beneath her pillows. She was certain no words of solace could assuage her anger towards Heath's perseverance, but was impressed when she felt the intensity of it slipped away after laughs and jokes. Feeling grateful for having them over, Zaiyia smiled affectionately at each of their faces. “Thanks, you guys, for being here. I was certain I was gonna go to bed pissed but...I genuinely feel better.”

“Like a rock hadn't just been thrown through your window?” Monique challenged, raising a mocking brow from where she laid underneath her blanket on the comfy pile of blankets and pillows they formed.

“Yeah, you bitch!” Zaiyia giggled, tossing a small pillow at her that she evaded by using her blanket as an armor. “Thanks for the reminder!”

“It's no problem.” Assata yawned, sinking herself down into her makeshift bed. “That's what friends are for.”

“Or girlfriends.” Aishah extended, fluffing her pillow before nuzzling her head down on it. “Or your most loyal ride or die bitches and hoes.”

“And that's exactly what y'all are.” Zaiyia countered as she too laid down to sleep. Only sleep wouldn't come to her. She laid there with her eyes closed, listening to the sound of her friends falling asleep one by one until she was sure only she was left. When she opened her eyes, she saw blue and red lights blinking through her window. Sitting up, she cited Heath briefing her that he was arranging to call the police. Lightly getting up and thoroughly navigating past her slumbering friends, she dropped herself down onto the window seat and stared at the two police cars in the driveway. She didn't see any developments, so she assumed they must already be inside the house interrogating Heath.

“Zaiyia, you still awake?” A familiar lethargic voice whispered.

Zaiyia gasped and turned her head to see a drained Monique standing by her window seat, her eyes on the police car lights flashing through the dark.“Monique, what are you doing up?”

“Those stupid fucking lights.” Aishah grumbled in her pillow. “Tell them to turn them off!”

“They won't.” Assata huffed as she got up off the floor. “Fuck this, I'm gonna go grab a soda
downstairs.”

Everyone watched her head downstairs. Zaiyia's eyes lowered to Chasity who was passed out on the floor unlike the rest of them. Perhaps this was harbinger to tell the McCoy sister's about her discoveries alone without her sensitive terrified Chasity involved. The last thing she wanted was for Chasity to get daddy to call a SWAT team over to her house. Hopping up, she whisked over to her bed, seized the rocks and gestured for the other two to follow her.

“Y'all want some sodas too?” Assata asked them as soon as they entered the kitchen.

“No, there's something I wanted to show you guys instead.” Zaiyia whispered before depositing both rocks on the counter for everyone to examine. “I found these rocks in the living room after they were hurled through the fucking window.”

“Holy shit.” Aishah whispered as she translated both of the vulgar words coated on the rocks. “Whore and Slut, huh?”

“Why does that sound so familiar?” Assata groaned with an eye roll.

“You gotta be fucking kidding me!” Monique spat, slapping her palm on the counter in outrage. “I thought this shit was over for good!”

“Apparently not.” Zaiyia sighed, shaking her head. “Now that life seems to finally be turning in a harmonious direction, they're taking it to my doorsteps.”

“What are you gonna do about this?” Aishah asked her.

Zaiyia shrugged. “I have no fucking idea. For all I know this could have been just a coincidence or a one time thing.”

“Possible. Or there might be a second scheme right after this.” Assata proposed, seeing more uneasiness cross Zaiyia's face.

Monique held up a soothing hand. “You can always wait and see. Like you said, this could all just be a coincidence.”

“I don't think I have any other choice.” Zaiyia shrugged weakly. “All I'm focused on right now is making sure Heath doesn't find out about this. I already stress him out enough and this...this just might get me kicked out and on the streets.”