Desperate Escape

Chapter Sixteen: Word Vomit

The three of us are in my room. Michelle is sitting on the foot of my bed, Regina is sitting backward in my chair facing me, and I'm on the floor looking at her while Michelle braids my hair in cornrows.

She's been grilling me left and right about the fight with Melissa, but I refuse to tell her anything until I learn more about Melissa.

To me, I made it even. Yeah, my face is sore, but her nose is swollen and dark. After today, I don't think she'll ever bother me again.

"Can you just tell me what was said for you to knock her in the head with a basketball," Regina asks, and I shrug.

"It doesn't take much for Leila, Gina." The corners of Regina's mouth twitch as she struggles to keep her smile from dropping. "Remember that time she threw her bike at Keenan for mumbling something?"

"Yeah, I remember," she flatly answers. I crease my forehead from scrunching my face.

I can't see myself doing that because one: bikes are heavy, and two: I'm not violent; especially toward Keenan. So, I lick my lips, then I ask, "When was this?"

"It was last month, Hercules," Michelle says and in her voice, I can tell she's smiling. "You said he was running his mouth so y'all argued and because he walked away mumbling, you took your bike and threw it at him."

I'm staring at my socks as she tells me what I should remember, and when she finishes, I flick my eyes upward. They land on the once giddy, hazel-brown ones across the room, now staring at me like I'm a stranger.

Regina's overplucked eyebrows are drawn in and down, making her eyes appear sad.

"Since we're in the chatting mood, what's the deal with you two sneaking out?" Regina lowers her head and her expression remains the same.

I lick my lips and shrug, then I say, "We went to a party," and Gina jumps to her feet so fast she rattles my vanity.

"What's wrong, Gina?" She shakes her head at her and me, then turns to leave the room, but Michelle says, "Wait!" Regina stands at the open door with her back to us. "Tell me what's wrong."

She just stands there, shaking like she's either crying or about to explode into a fit of rage.

Is it because I didn't remember throwing a bike? I can't keep up with the life that the girl before me had. All I can remember is everything from November the eighth to now, but how do I explain that without blowing my cover?

"You know what?" Regina turns at the hips. "Alright, since you're now in my business," she says, storming toward the chair she almost knocked to the floor. She sits back down and says, "I have a boyfriend. We've been kicking it for three weeks now and unlike you, I'm not pregnant."

"Wait, you're pregnant?" I whip around to look at Michelle and she furrows her eyebrows at me.

"What? No, she's talking about a few years ago." I slowly face forward and Regina shakes her head at me. "Really, Gina? You're gonna bring that up knowing it still bothers me? Real classy."

"I just wonder what it turned out to be," she says, her eyes drifting onto the carpet. "Wherever it is."

They bicker like kids arguing over who's in the wrong, and I sit there with my eyes wide and my mouth shut.

Most of what they're saying is hard to understand, but from what I can piece together, Regina thinks Michelle will tell Mom and Dad everything because she's their informant. Michelle vehemently denies it through tears, but even I kinda think she's lying.

Is this what Keenan meant about causing unnecessary issues by sharing details that shouldn't be shared? I guess I can't fully blame myself since Regina already had issues with her.