Thinking Outside of the Box

Chap.18

Chap. 18

Kyla answered the door, unaware of the burning anger erupting from her best friend from the other side of the door.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I swear I told you to get to class!” Quenton yelled at her. He invited himself inside of her apartment and then slammed the door shut, making Kyla jump abruptly.

Kyla swallowed a lump in her throat. “How’d you know?” She asked, sitting down on her bed. Quenton glared at her from his spot then let out a breath. “I put my phone number as your legal guardian’s. So every time you skip an hour, a tell-a-parent is made to my phone. I’m so disappointed in you, Kyla. Why’d you skip?”

Kyla frowned, tears leaking down her cheeks. Quenton’s expression softened and he pulled her in for a warm hug. “I didn’t mean to yell,” he said, placing a small kiss on her forehead when he finished.

Kyla smiled through her tears and tried to erase the last few seconds from her life. She didn’t want to seem weak when she promised she’d try not to. “I know. It’s not you, it’s just I’m thinking how to explain. MJ-.”

“I told you to stay away from him!” Quenton snapped.

“Hear me out, Q. He stopped me in the hall, and wouldn’t let me get to class.”

 “I’m going to beat the shit out of that nigga, next time I see his ugly ass!” Quenton stomped his foot in anger.

Kyla smiled at him, but patted his cheek sorrowfully. “Don’t. Si', he was a bit rough, but we had a conversation about his… hobbies, that didn’t turn out as well as we thought it would.”

“He didn’t..,” Quenton trailed off, but Kyla got his point.

She shook her head. “No, he threatened to, though. Well, sorta. And he said during one of his “jobs” you wouldn’t be able to help me.”

Quenton sighed and took her hand in his. “Kyla, he’s right about that bit,” he breathed out. “I can’t interfere nor change what he does to women. It repulses me, yeah, but I can’t really do nothing about it.” 

Kyla gasped. “What?”

“Don’t get me wrong. If he got you, I’d hunt him down and try to fight him, but he has friends where he usually does his work.”

“He doesn’t do it at school, or at his house?” Kyla asked, curiosity sweeping over her.

“Nah. Too obvious. He does it at some abandoned house in the projects.”

Kyla lowered her head in awe and frowned at Quenton. “Please don’t leave me again, at least for a week. You said you’d be where I left you, but when I looked back, you weren’t even there.”

“I know. JJ, said he wanted to go to the McDonalds, and I was foolish to think MJ wouldn’t corner you.”

Kyla’s cheeks were now dry, but were sticky and salty from the tears she had produced. “Thanks, Q. Hey, you need to still take me shopping for clothes. How about tomorrow?” Kyla asked hopefully. She did need to squeeze in as much time as possible before her job started. Quenton smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. “Sure, I need to get a new snapback anyway.”

“Gee, thanks, pal,” Kyla muttered. She gave Quenton a slobbery kiss on his cheek and he laughed, wiping the saliva off his cheek and palming it on his jeans.

“You’re welcome. Ever have a problem with MJ again, and I’m not there, just kick him in the nuts, aiight?”

Kyla laughed but gave him a nod. “I love you, Q.”