Page 5 of Full Court Press

“Well, grandbabies or no grandbabies, I’ll be happy with just seeing you succeed and being the woman you’ve always wanted to be.”

I smiled as my eyes misted. “I really love you, Mommy.”

“I love you the most, baby girl. Did that man call you?” she asked, referring to my father.

I rolled my eyes. “He did. He congratulated me and sent me three hundred dollars like he doesn’t know the cost of living is triple that in this economy.”

“Hey, I guess he’s doing the best he can. You know he’s on a fixed income.”

“Mommy, please stop defending him. He owns a Fortune 500 company selling auto parts. He makes money in his sleep, yet he thinks three hundred dollars doesn’t equate to three dollars in this day and age.”

“I’m not defending him, love. Whether he sends you money or not, you know I’m going to always make sure you’re good. Whatever he sends is just extra for your pocket. No need to fret.”

“I guess so,” I said. I knew my mother still loved Andre. They were married for eighteen years of my life. But while she loved him with her whole heart, he only loved her with half of his. The moment I turned eighteen, he got the fuck on. No explanation besides he couldn’t do this anymore. What this meant was still a mystery. He did, however, continue to send money that over time became less and less as I grew older.

I assumed he figured since I was twenty-two, I should be making my own money, not realizing that me being in college was all the more reason he should be giving me half of his damn income, in my opinion.

But I digress.

I looked over, seeing the popular kids enter the garden from the other side of the enclosed gate, and I knew that was my cue to leave.

“Mommy, I’ll call you sometime tomorrow. I’m going to get some studying done then get some rest.”

“Okay, baby. I love you.”

“I love you more, beautiful.” We said our goodbyes, and I hurriedly stood before the in-crowd saw me here. I must have been too late because, before I could get out of the gate, I heard a female voice say, “Eww. What is that?”

I paused and looked back as the crew of eight people entered through the other side of the gate. I didn’t see the head honcho, Khalil, but his crew was in full attendance.

“It’s a possum! Run!” the porn star, Sabrina, yelled as everyone laughed.

“Nah, it’s ya street-walking mammy,” I countered, sticking up my middle finger at her.

“Oooh, you wanna talk about mothheerrs!” one of them shouted while the rest of them laughed. I didn’t give them the time to start shit with me before I hurriedly left out of the right entrance. They could talk to themselves because I refused to indulge in their ignorant, childish behavior.

I walked back to the Coretta King dorms and headed to the room I dreaded being in. I was going to find a way to get a new roommate no matter what I had to do to make it happen.

“Hey. Piper, right?” I looked up to see a pretty, chocolate girl sitting in the lounge area a few feet from my dorm room.

“Yeah?”

“Hi, I’m Braelyn Anderson. Your new roommate.”

I blinked a few times because from what I understood, Sabrina the porn star was my roomie.

“Um, you must be mistaken. I already have a roommate.”

“RA switched me out with Sabrina Murphy. She’s in the Harriet building now.”

I sized her up quickly before determining she was safe to be around. Braelyn looked sweet and approachable, but I was still apprehensive.

“Oh. Why are you sitting out here?”

“I was waiting on maintenance to finish cleaning the room and just sort of hung out here. I have OCD. If you ever come back to the dorm and find things to be neat or rearranged, please don’t bite my head off. I’m not a thief. I just like things to be in order.”

Great. From a porn star to an obsessed freak. Things just keep getting better.

“As long as you don’t take shit, be my guest.”