Page 20 of Another Constant

“Here to see Headmaster Johnson about enrolling my niece.”

“Mhm. You are her legal guardian? Only legal guardians can enroll children into our school. We don’t do the antics of public schools.”

I screwed my face up, ready to curse her ass out again. “The fuc—yeah. Are you the headmaster or you about to take us to her? I ain’t come here to be stuck near the fucking door hound.”

Her mouth popped open. “Excuse me?”

“Yo, you excused. Can somebody in here show me to the main office?” I got loud, trying to get some help from anybody but her ass. That fast she had worked my fucking nerves.

Ol’ dude on the other side of the door spoke before the door hound could utter anything else. “Straight down the hall to your left.”

With my hand on Aja’s shoulder, we walked in the direction ol’ boy had given.

“You’re impatient, Uncle.”

“Yeah. I am. I don’t have time for bullshit.”

We entered the main office a second later. It was a spacious room, a bench for a waiting area and a counter separating the school personnel from those waiting. On the bench already was a little boy around Aja’s age staring at a phone and what looked like a pissed off security guard. While Aja took a seat, I approached the counter.

“I’m here to see Ms. Johnson to get my niece enrolled. We had a meeting at nine-thirty.”

The woman sitting behind the counter looked up from her computer with a welcoming smile, much more than the gargoyle at the door. “Good morning, Mr. West. We spoke on the phone yesterday morning. The headmaster will be with you in a few minutes. Feel free to help yourself to any refreshments on the table while you wait.”

I nodded and looked toward where the refreshments and shit was and shook my head. The table was lined with pastries and shit. I didn’t grab anything though, instead I went to take a seat next to Aja. With my phone in my hand, I went to text Harlem’s fine ass back. I was definitely trying to see her today because though we talked I still needed to lay eyes on her.

“Yo, you’re pretty. What’s your name?” I heard what sounded like a little boy macking, or trying to.

When I looked up from my phone, my eyes landed on lil homie sitting next to security. His little ass was now on his knees and looking over the chair at Aja. He was literally waiting for a response.

“Yo, you just gonna mack my niece in front of me, lil homie?”

He shrugged. “Just stating the obvious, old school.”

I threw my head back in confusion, not this lil private school ass child calling me old school. “Old school?”

“You wanna tell me why I’m back up at this school, Sabastian?” A male voice made lil man’s whole posture turn around.

“Joey said something about my mama, so I handled that. Then he yelled at me like I’m his son. Tell him I’m not his son, Pops.” Lil man pointed at the security guard like it wasn’t shit. As a matter of fact his whole damn demeanor was too fucking cool. I probably needed to rethink sending Aja here because if this was how lil boys acted she was getting her ass homeschooled.

“Mr. James, I assure you that is not what happ?—”

“You calling my son a liar, Greg?”

“Nah I’m jus?—”

“Hold on.” The father held his hand up to quiet security, then answered his phone. “Yeah Luck, I’m at the school. This yo’ fucking son. I don’t know why yeen came up here then. Aight… here.” He then handed the phone to his son. “It’s yo’ mama.”

Apparently being handed the phone to speak to his mama put some fear in his chest because his face immediately drew up.

“But Mama, I ain’t do nothing. He started it,” he tried to explain, but apparently she wasn’t trying to hear any of that.

I watched the whole scene play out before lil homie and his father were seated and also waiting on the headmaster.

“Ain’t never at the school for his sister, but him? I’m up here every fucking week,” ol’ boy gritted.

I chuckled. “He got heart.”

He shook his head. “Too fucking much with his spoiled ass. My daughter doesn't do any of this. She stays to herself and is about her dolls and shit. The moment she grows up, I just know I’ma do a sentence.”

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