Page 23 of Loyalty, Lust, Love
“Fateema and Lynx became besties in sixth grade and let us join their duo in eighth grade. We’ve all been cool since then,” Meaghan responded.
“Let you?” Shyla laughed sarcastically and rolled her eyes. “You make it sound like they were royalty or something.”
“Nah, it was nothing like that. We just didn’t fuck with a lot of people,” Lynx said.
“I don’t know how it was where you grew up, but middle school kids were mean as fuck around here. I didn’t have any friends until Lynx came along,” Fateema added.
“Were y’all nerds or something? It wasn’t bad for me because I was popular,” Shyla said.
“That’s surprising. Looking at you now, I wouldn’t think?—”
“Bunny—”
“No, Lynx. Her mouth is too slick for me to keep letting her slide. Shyla, it’s been a long time since I’ve put my hands on another person in a violent matter. Before you say something else sideways, I suggest you ask about me. I may have been a nerd with no friends, but these hands always been lethal. Watch your fucking mouth.”
“Damn, baby. I’m learning all kinds of things about you. I didn’t know I had a fighter on my hands,” Cornell said, lightening the mood.
“They both were fighters,” Joaquin said.
“We were also co-valedictorians,” Lynx added.
“Exactly, and that’s where people had y’all fucked up,” Adam said. “Everybody knew y’all were smart as fuck and thought having brains equaled being soft.”
“They couldn’t have been more wrong because these two didn’t hesitate to let them fists fly,” Meaghan said.
“This is so surprising,” Cornell said. “You don’t look like you’d hurt a fly, Fateema.”
“Only if I’m tested,” she responded with her eyes on Shyla.
“You don’t strike me as the violent type, Lynx,” Shyla said, not noticing the glare coming from Fateema.
“In the words of the late, great Tupac Shakur, I ain’t a killa, but don’t push me.”
“Okay, I need some examples because this is hard to believe,” Cornell said.
“Oh, we have a few,” Fateema remarked.
Chapter 9
Flashback - Tenth Grade
“Fuck them and the rest of the basketball team. I’m sick of those bitches!” Fateema shouted on her way to Lynx’s new-to-him car.
They had recently obtained their driver’s licenses, and Lynx’s father had helped him purchase a used car.
“Dang, Bunny. Your mouth is terrible.”
“Shut up, Lynx! I’m pissed.”
“I can see and hear that. You don’t want to quit the team. You’re just saying that because you’re mad,” he responded as he held the car door open for her.
After ensuring Fateema was securely inside, he went to the driver’s side and slipped behind the wheel. Before he closed his door, she’d continued her rant.
“No, Lynx, I mean it. They’ve been fucking with me since I made the varsity team, and the coach doesn’t do anything.”
“Is it the whole team or just a few girls?”
“Just a few girls, and one of them is Nichole.”
