Belonging to Lust

Zaiyia shook her head incredulously at the sudden turn of events, her braids swaying left and right as she strode about on the outside dock of the Hopper’s camping lodge. She turned in place as she tried to make sense of Alan’s repeated calls. The boy had been ringing her phone lately and despite the fact that she just told him to call her tomorrow during their last chat seconds ago, the idiot decided to call her right back! Unearthing her buzzing phone out of her pocket, Zaiyia answered the call with a seething growl. “I KNOW your motherfucking ass didn’t just compile your whole lame ass drama into a coherent sentence that goddamn fast!”

Sighing audibly, hinting at his own accelerating temper mirroring her own magnitude, Alan snarled right back at her. “Can you just stop being a bitch for two seconds and let me talk!?”

The colliding crash of their detrimental temper was enough to breach the remaining dam of self-control Zaiyia had left. Not giving a damn if Heath or the Hoppers pick up on her yelling outside from inside the lodge, she snapped. “Yo, did your bum ass just call me a fucking bitch!?” Not giving him time to respond, she let go of the reins, so to speak, and let her mouth rampage. “Let me tell you something you privilege ass motherfucker, you calling me a bitch is saying a WHOLE lot especially coming from a renowned dumbass that dumped the best chick that was ever gonna give your lame ass the time of day for a badder bitch that never even wanted your mongrel looking punk ass in the first motherfucking place, with your preschool toting peen!”

Enraged that she was referring to his dick that she never laid an eye on before in the past as far as he was aware, Alan shouted down his phone at her. “SHUT UP!”

But it was too late. Zaiyia was too fired up to be stamped down now. Her mouth raved onwards like it was on a never-ending quest to find the Holy Grail. “Or what, asshole!? You ain’t about to do a goddamn thing but run your fucking mouth like a whole ass bitch, that much I do know! And you ain’t got no one else to thank but your goddamn self for all your failures! Let me tell you something, you gonna be the one to hang up tonight cause Imma dedicate the rest of my hours to making your ears bleed with my ranting and raving until the sun comes back up tomorrow! Since I’m so much of a goddamn bitch!”

Not wanting any of that to go down the way she described it would if he didn’t repent for coming at her so aggressively, Alan ran a hand over his face and grumbled out a half-apology. “Okay okay, look! I’m sorry, alright? I’m sorry I called you a bitch.”

“You gotta try better than that, pencil dick.” Zaiyia threatened him.

“I’m sorry, genuinely, I am!” Alan expounded further, hoping his words could mitigate the eruption of the volcano that was Zaiyia’s temper that he so foolishly aggravated. “I shouldn't have called you a bitch. You’re not a bitch, you were never being a bitch. You’re right, I’m the bitch here. I’ve definitely been acting like one every time I’ve called you. Just because I’m going through my own demons doesn’t mean I should take any of it out on you. I’m sorry for that.”

Damnit. Zaiyia closed her eyes and pouted to herself. She really didn’t want to give in to his revamped apology. The sympathy within her wanted to accept his apology and hear him out. Mouthing a curse, Zaiyia let out a sigh as she went over to take a seat in one of the lounge chairs further down the dock. Once seated comfortably and depleted of her anger, Zaiyia softly inquired. “Alright, Alan, what’s going on with you, man? And no bullshitting me, give me the real.”

“You don’t wanna hear the real.” Alan warned her with a somber chuckle, staring up at his ceiling from his bedroom.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.” Zaiyia prodded him. “Let’s go, andale!”

Expelling a deep sigh, Alan spouted his misery to her. “I can’t concentrate on football, or my team. It’s always been one of my biggest dreams to play football professionally and I can’t even see the damn ball anymore from the fog my mind seems to always be stuck in. My studies in school are suffering the same ailment too. I’ve been struggling with life in general for a long time now…ever since I broke up with Alice.”

“Oh…” Zaiyia responded with surprise, her brows rising. Was this it? Was this the moment where Alan was gonna declare his love for Alice White?

“Yeah.” Alan voiced back in a low miserable tone that expressed more emotions than his words could ever convey. “I thought moving on from my relationship with her would help awaken my concentration again for football and life. That’s why I was so determined to date you back then. I thought you could make me feel alive again like she did.”

“Ah, I see.” Zaiyia said with a nod to herself. Staring up at the darkening sky, she began to put the pieces together now that Alan was publishing it all. “And did that work?”

“Don’t take any offense to this, but…no, you didn’t help. I felt even worse than I did before, if that’s at all possible.” Alan frowned to himself, abhorring the steep decline that was his life now. Everything was going down the crapper and it was all because of one fatal mistake on his part. The only thing he could do about it now was to rectify it. But he couldn’t do it alone. He needed Zaiyia’s help. “I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting on it, and forcing myself to face the demons in my own closet…and I’ve realized recently why my life has gone downhill.”

“Let me guess. It’s because Alice is no longer a part of your story.” Zaiyia surmised what she was certain he was gonna say next. A part of her was hoping it was true too.

Taken aback that she predicted his answer, Alan gaped at his phone as if God was on the other end talking to him. Returning it back to his ear, he confirmed her speculation to be true. “Yeah…actually.”

“Damn.” Zaiyia muttered to herself, not caring if he heard. What a mess this whole breakup became! Who knew separation at 16 could turn one’s life upside down and onto a roller coaster headed straight to hell?

“Yeah.” Alan conceded before going silent.

“Okay so…what’s your plan then?” Zaiyia inquired after giving them both a moment to marinate on this.

“I have no plan, that’s why I’ve been trying to reach you.” Alan replied.

“Me!? What the fuck do you want me to do about it?” Zaiyia demanded to know with a look on her face.

“Talk to Alice for me.” Alan instructed her, praying she’d agree to his request.

“About what exactly?” Zaiyia inquired, not following him.

“About getting back together with me.” Alan told her, seeing this plan as an easy success.

“HELL NO!” Zaiyia rebuked, shaking her head at this loser’s audacity!

“Why not? Is it because you’ve discovered you have feelings for me?” Alan joked. As soon as Zaiyia burst into profanity and started calling him names again, he backed up with regret. “Sorry, that was a bad joke! How come you won’t have my back in this Zaiyia? I thought you’d want to help us.”

“Because you dumped Alice for no good reason like she was a sack of shit, that’s why! You could do this shit all over again if another new bitch walks up in our school's halls again!” Zaiyia exclaimed.

“Zaiyia, please, you have to help me get Alice back!” Alan pleaded pathetically. “Are you free Monday? We can talk about this in person over lunch, or at a park, or somewhere else?”

Suddenly, the back door opened and Heath’s head poked out. “Dessert’s ready. Get off the phone. Now.”

Zaiyia could see he was gonna wait there for her to hang up. “Alan, I gotta go. I’ll text you tomorrow.”

Heath could hear Alan protesting loud and clear from the doorway. Stepping outside, he strode over to Zaiya to snatch her phone right out of her hand and shout into the device. “FUCK OFF, KID!”

With wide eyes, Zaiyia watched Heath hang up on Alan before tucking her phone into his own pocket. As he nodded to her to get inside, Zaiyia obeyed. She’d have to ask for her phone back later, but right now wasn’t the time. Heath was clearly not in the mood to receive anything other than compliance. Zaiyia hated pissing him off, even if it made him look super sexy. Ignoring her loins igniting in lust for his irritable self, the two entered the lodge to enjoy the rest of the evening over a bowl of delicious dessert.