Prime Time [ Janelle Monae & Miguel ]

CHAPTER 5

Janelle.

I felt a pair of warm and soft but rather strong hands on my wrists. They were pulling my hands from shielding my face. "No please don't—"

"I'm not gonna hurt you." he cut me off, reading my mind. "Don't worry." he removed my hands from my face and gazed at my face. I flinched away from his narrow eyes. They were hurting my beaten soul. "Damn, Denise. What did she do to you?" He glanced over his shoulder as my hands fell to my sides. I felt paralysed. "You know what? Here, for her." He fished through his dark jeans' pockets and pulled out crumbled Benjamin Franklins.

"The fuck?" Denise yelled.

"Get yourself a real Vesace design." Denise sucked in her teeth and mumbled under her breath. She snatched the money out of my hand and snapped her fingers, gesturing to her clique that the war was over. They followed behind her as she mumbled stuff I didn't even care to listen to.

I just wanted to go home.

"Are you okay?" His voice softened when he wrapped my arms around his arms. "Hold on tight." he smiled warmly and picked me up. My eyes flew shut as my mind racked for who this stranger was and why had he saved my life from those Jezabels.

——————

I opened my eyes and realised I was lying on cream leather seats of a car. I sat up and realised I wasn't alone. The car was moving. Oh no, I'm getting kidnapped!

"You're awake? I'm taking you to my place to get you cleaned up." realisation hit me like a piano when I saw the face in the rear view mirror.

Miguel, Miguel Pimentel.

"Miguel?" I asked in fear.

"Yeah, baby girl. What's your name?" He smiled and glanced over his shoulder. I realised the leather jacket laid on my lap too.

"No, no way! Take me back! Take me home! Take me to Avelynn right now!" I yelled, shocking and confusing him a bit. I was panicking. I was going to sleep with him wasn't I?

"Woah, " he said with large eyes. "damn, chill. Chill, okay?" he glanced over his shoulder with knitted eyebrows.

"I'm not sleeping with you, okay? I'm not one of those loose girls from Sunward Heights, okay?" My tone picked up, startling him a bit.

"Loose hoes?" He bit back a chuckle.

"Yes, I'm not going to succumb to your horrible lies and bad mack game, okay? I'm not about that life." I yelled again, sending him into fits of laughter. I realised I was starting to sound like some crazy paranoid woman.

Miguel.

Damn. I thought I'd swoop in, save her, clean her up and strip her down. I haven't thought out how I was gonna get her to fuck me, I thought I'd think of that part of the plan when we get to my place. She was even sexier with the attitude.

"Calm down, lady. Fuck," I said thinking out a lie. "I just wanted to help you. You look like a mess right now and I just wanted to get you cleaned up." I lied, chuckling nervously. I finally shut her up.

"I don't trust you, Miguel." she mumbled.

"You don't have to, you don't know me." I said as I slowed down on the side of the road. She gave me a confused look. "I'm turning around and taking you back to the club, don't worry." I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

And I thought I could get her to crack.

"No! They'll find me and beat me up again." she stopped me. I stopped the car and turned around to face her. She attempted to bury her face in her hands but quickly flinched with a wince.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"How about you call my friend to come get me? Avelynn?" I nodded and fished through my pockets for my cellphone. I didn't want her to feel unsafe around me, actually. I just wanted to get home at this point. It looks like I ain't smashing tonight. Damn, after such a fire performance.

"Okay. Drop her number." I handed her the phone and watched her tap in her friend's digits. She handed over the phone and I dialed them. "Voicemail." I hung up.

"Dang." she mumbled under her breath, annoyed. I tried it again.

"Hey, it's Avelynn..."

"She's at a night club, I don't think she's planning on guarding her cellphone or even hearing it." she buried her face in her hands and regretted it quickly when she flinched in pain again. She mumbled something under her breath and whispered.

"Fine, I'll go with you to your home." she mumbled.

"What?"

"I said, I'll go with you to your home. But no funny business." she said through gritted teeth.

I started the car and drove to my house while she fell asleep. Even behind the bruises and the wounds she was as still gorgeous, and she wasn't going to let me hit it.

I pulled into the gates of the great Pimentel mansion that belonged to my parents. The greatest lawyers and owners of The Pimemtel Justice League Law Firm. My favourite two people in the world. Sense the sarcasm?

I pulled the keys out of the ignition. I smiled at her and got out of the car. I shook her a bit and her eyes fluttered open. "We're here." I whispered to her.

"Oh." She said as she got up, gently making sure she doesn't inflict pain on her wounds. I grabbed her out of the car but she stopped me. "It's cool, I'm fine, thanks." she said, a bit uncomfortable and uneasy. She sat up and got out of the car slowly. She limped two steps and stopped as she winced.

"Let me help you." I said as I scooped her into my hands. I walked through the glass doors to find the bathroom, the nearest one. It was a floor up, but I didn't mind carrying her.

I placed her on the toilet seat and looked for a first aid kit.

Janelle.

Why was he being so nice? Was he always this smooth with all of them? Maybe that's one of his perks, acting like a gentleman. I watched his muscles contract and relax under the t-shirt hugging them.

Oh my gosh, you're drooling at his muscles! Stop it, Jan.

It's not like it was the first time I've seen them. Or maybe was it the fact that it was the first time seeing them this close? "Gotcha." he pulled out a white metal suitcase and placed it on the basin.

He ran the basin with water and grabbed a white cloth from the same medicine cabinet. He closed the tap and dipped the cloth. He rubbed it on my lips and I flinched back, sucking in my breath. "Sorry."

His phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?... yeah it's Miguel, I have your friend with me..." he glanced at me and smiled. "...I saved her from a bunch of girls that were jumpin' her... no, she's okay. I'm just cleaning up her cuts and shit... okay, bye." he hung up his phone and continued to clean up my rearranged face.

"What did she say?" I said annoyed. I don't believe Ave abandoned me.

"She said I should stay put, she's coming to get ya." he said washing the cloth and attending to the cuts on my face.

"Why are you being so nice?" I blurted out. I was utterly curious.

"Why am I being nice? Is it some kind of crime?" He smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's just that I didn't think you were this nice or sweet or even kind." I shrugged as he cleaned my face. He smiled and silence filled the room like polluted air. "No offence." I finally said.

"None taken. You go to Sunward Heights?" I nodded. Yeah, I'm a nobody so I won't really get offended. But I did help him with his Algebra homework once. I actually did it for him back in my freshman year.

Maybe more than once.

"Forreal? What's your name?" He raised an eyebrow to actually get a good look at me.

Really? Not a single bell? Okay. Don't get so offended, Jan.

"Janelle Monae." I said softly.

"Janelle Monae..." my name rolled off his tongue as he stopped and tapped his long fingers on his beard.