Belonging to Lust

On Friday Morning, a very weary Zaiyia was walking into school to wrap up a week of homework, classes and education. Regrettably, she wasn’t alone. Right on her heels trailed Celeste Hofferman, Elsa Nilson, Jocelyn Carter, and Louise Leon, all simultaneously talking over each other. As loud voices overlapped making apologies incoherent, Zaiyia kept it moving with Chasity at her side. The red-head couldn’t wipe the delighted smile off of her face as these four young women pursued them.

Both Darling Celeste and Tom Boy Jocelyn were a part of the massive fight that took place in the Gymnasium. Elsa, who was known as the school’s first Lesbian ever, partook in jumping Zaiyia, and unfortunately, Chasity too in an empty classroom. Louise Leon, the School’s Bad Girl, rode the same bus with Zaiyia, and decided along with some other girls to pick on her. They hadn’t expected Zaiyia to snap back at them the way she did and then try to fight them before she was thrown off the bus by the driver.

“I swear, Zaiyia, I’m a changed person now!” Louise hasten to defend herself, trying to keep up with the fast-walking beauty. “I’ve been really paying attention in History class about the slaves and stuff, and even stayed to watch Roots in full too!”

Zaiyia bit back a retort demanding to know what the hell that was supposed to mean. But she didn't want to go there. She was exhausted after going to bed in Heath’s arms. The man may be older than her, but the guy had the hunger and stamina of a teenage boy first introduced to passion! Her mind, as delayed as it was this morning from lack of sleep, was trying to go to another direction. It was trying to operate to full capacity again to contemplate on other things that were on her mind the night before.

At the elbows driven into her sides by a very disgusted Jocelyn and Celeste, Louise doubled back on her disastrous apology. “What I’m trying to say is that I apologized for all the racially insensitive comments I made towards you that day, and have regretted it every day since!”

“And I shouldn’t have inserted myself into bullying you in the hallways with the rest of my friends.” Elsa said, still in the midst of her apology and listing her many wrongdoings too. “You have never done a damn thing to me! Hurting you the way I did in that classroom was an act I thought was bringing justice to Alice, but it was always an injustice to you.”

With a feign smile plastered on her face for the four students stalking her, Zaiyia made a stop to her locker. Nodding along to the overlapping voices, she opened her locker and switched some of her school books with the ones she’d need for class today. “Uh-huh. Yeah, I hear you. Hmm, yup.”

“I’m glad you’re being so understanding, but I don’t deserve it.” Elsa humbly declined, feeling a blush coming to her cheeks due to Zaiyia’s easily given mercy.

“None of us do!” Jocelyn exclaimed, her face riddled with so much guilt it made her eyes glisten with unshed tears. Not caring that she was only speaking to the back of Zaiyia’s head, she bared her heart out. “It wasn’t cool…what I did to you. I close my eyes and still see how that day played out and all the violence. It’s disgusting!”

“We’ve lived with it for so long.” Celeste expressed on everyone’s behalf. “And it hasn’t gotten any easier.”

“I’m sure it hasn’t.” Zaiyia murmured thoughtlessly, barely listening as she tucked one last notebook in her backpack before zipping it shut.

Chastity arched a brow at her friend as she leaned against the locker next to hers. She found it strange that Zaiyia wasn’t really listening to any of these lady’s apologies. Not a single one. Yes, they always weirded her out and either made her uncomfortable or annoyed with having to listen to them, but today was different. Zaiyia appeared…distracted. Like she was barely soaking up the words.

Now what could be more important than rolling her eyes at these apologies to Chasity in secret?

Soon, it dawned on Chasity that there might be something else going on with Zaiyia. Something worrisome. Frowning to herself, the red-head studied her friend’s distant look and faraway tone. Yeah, she wasn’t really there with them.

Wanting to find out what’s going on with Zaiyia, Chastity looked to the four young ladies and pushed herself off of the locker to politely disband them. “Look, we can all see that you all are sincerely apologetic for the negative contact you’ve had with Zaiyia. But it’s pretty early, and Zaiyia here is practically asleep on her feet so I’m sure she’s sorry she’s not that receptive to you all today, but knowing her the way I do, she accepts every one of your apologies.”

“Yeah, I accept your apologies and such.” Zaiyia added in that same faraway tone as she glanced over her shoulder at them with that same phony smile. “All of this was a major misunderstanding on both sides. I hold no grudges against any one of you and hope that from here on out we can start on a fresh clean slate with each other.”

Zaiyia’s speech, rather brief, had the effect she was hoping it would. All four girls were overcome with such emoticons that they all wanted to scream in rejoice and weep. But instead, they unitedly clamped their mouths shut, reached out to squeeze each other's hand in support and squealed. “Yes! Please!”

Tensing for a second in fear that they were gonna throw themselves at her in an unnecessary group hug, Zaiyia expelled a breath of relief. “Cool.”

Still wanting to check up on Zaiyia privately, Chastity spoke up with a proud smile. “Okay. We all should get to class before we’re late. We’ll see you four later then!”

“Actually, Zaiyia and I have the same class.” Louise cut in with a finger up in the air.

Chastity’s smile dropped in disappointment. “You do?”

Zaiyia shrugged. She honestly didn’t remember. Hell, she couldn’t barely remember how to spell her own last name right now.

“Yeah. Maybe we can walk to class together, Zaiyia?” Louise proposed, her brown eyes shimmering with excitement at not having to leave her new friend’s side so soon. Gesturing to the books lined in Zaiyia’s locker, she happily offered. “Oh, and I can help you carry some books if you need an extra hand too!”

“Sure.” Zaiyia accepted her assistance with a careless shrug. She didn’t see the harm in it. Besides, she was exhausted. Selecting a few more notebooks, she handed them over to a convenient Louise.

“You know, Jocelyn!” Celeste loudly declared to her much taller friend, grabbing a hold of her arm and nodding towards Zaiyia. “Our class just so happens to be across the hall from Zaiyia and Louise! Maybe we too can help carry some of her things for her?”

“Hell yeah!” Jocelyn approved with excitement, then eyed Zaiyia’s backpack. Pointing to it, she asked. “If your backpack is too heavy for you, can I take that off your hands for you?”

Once again, Zaiyia saw no issues with taking advantage of another offered hand. Shrugging her backpack off, she gave it to Jocelyn to carry. “I gotta say, this is pretty nice of you guys to do for me.”

“Hey, it’s the least we can do.” Elsa assures her, not wishing for Zaiyia to feel any guilt for making them her pack mules. Transporting a couple of books and a backpack for her was nothing compared to the bullying they wrought upon her. And they were all determined to delete the past and replace it with nothing but remarkable memories of them.

“And if there is ever a time you need our help with anything at all, do NOT hesitate to let us know!” Celeste implored Zaiyia, pleading with her brown eyes for her to take advantage of their hospitality.

“We don’t care what it is or where it is!” Louise added, cradling Zaiyia’s books to her chest with a beaming smile.

“Day or night!” Jocelyn stared firmly, earning a series of looks. Frowning, she shrugged her shoulders at everyone. “What? I’m a night owl!”

Chastity couldn’t believe this. She’s only seen these girls dedicated to one other person in this school, and that person was Alice White. Miss America’s Sweetheart was like God to all students alike in this High School, and now it looked like Zaiyia Halifax was set to be crowned the second coming of Jesus Christ! It went against everything that happened only a couple months ago…

As much as Chasity wanted to talk to Zaiyia alone, these ladies weren’t about to leave her side anytime soon. It was alright though. They could talk privately another time. Until then, class awaited them.