Choices Read online

  Choices

  Skyy

  www.urbanbooks.net

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Last Day Of School

  Consequences

  About The Author

  Copyright Page

  Dedicated to the artists I love and admire who are no longer with us. Each has made a profound impression on my life.

  James “Bonton Reason” Graves 1982-2008

  The dopest poet I’ve ever heard.

  E. Lynn Harris 1955-2010

  Lena Horne 1917-2010

  Acknowledgments

  It is my year of Change. It feels good to have to re-write these acknowledgments. I always dance around and sing a song from a musical when I finish a book. This year’s song is “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. I feel that nothing is going to hold me down anymore. And thank you, Robin, for giving me the freedom to fly.

  Welcome to my book, Choices. I hope you enjoy the novel. This book came to me while I was sitting up crying over a failed relationship. This just shows that you can take your pain and turn it into inspiration. So sit back, turn on some hot music (include some Maxwell, Floetry, Alicia Keys and Ne-Yo in your playlist) and read the book.

  My super fun friends: Shanna, Tiffany, Cat, Bimbim, Chereny, Cassie, Cache, Kira, Byrd, Angel, Precious, Teri, Skylar, and Jolie . . . You guys keep me sane and drive me insane at the same time. I love you guys.

  My play cast: Cassie, YJ, Cherokee, Kit, Tisha, and Marcus thanks for making one of my dreams come true.

  And to the VIPs, the other very important people in my life. Redd, thanks for being an awesome friend and fabulous PR/Editor—You rock. KT, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to always fit me in. Also my second family, the Kourvoisier family and all my other VIPs. I can’t name you all but you know who you are. Dana, thanks for always supporting me and always knowing I was bigger than my surroundings even before I knew it.

  My fans . . . You guys mean the world to me and I would be nothing without you all.

  Oh and to those people in my past who did me wrong, THANK YOU. Those crappy relationships have helped me in more ways than ever. You rock and suck at the same time . . . but mostly suck.

  Chapter 1

  Denise put on her shades and relaxed in the backseat of her best friend’s Explorer. As soon as the girl gave her the look, Denise knew it was time to get out of the truck. She stepped out and scanned the college campus; it seemed to look smaller every year.

  Sounds of the latest hip-hop jam blared through the large speakers that the local hip-hop station had set up in front of the Student Center. Sorority women strolled to the songs, throwing up their hand signs, while fraternity men yelled their frat calls. Anxious people watched, some dreaming of the day they would be in the middle of the lines.

  “Damn,” Denise said as the passenger door hit her on her back.

  “My bad, Dee. Didn’t mean to hit you.” Lauren smiled as she hopped out of the truck.

  “Um . . .” Denise said, pointing to Lauren’s twisted skirt. “You might want to fix that.”

  Lauren blushed. “Damn,” she said, adjusting her skirt. She pulled on her shirt to make sure it was in place as well. “Tell Cooley I will see her later.”

  Denise watched the young girl switch away. She shook her head. “Will you never learn?”

  “Learn what?” Cooley said, jumping out of the driver’s side. “I didn’t do shit.” The grin on her face instantly let Denise know she was lying.

  “We been on campus like thirty minutes and you already fuckin’.”

  “Wait, I did not fuck her.”

  “Then why does your car smell like pussy? Let me get my shit outta there. It bet not smell like pussy.”

  Cooley sniffed, realizing that the aroma of Lauren was still lurking in the air. She grabbed a small bottle and began to Febreze her car.

  Denise leaned against her friend’s SUV. She watched people pile onto the campus in their mini vans, trucks and U-Haul trailers, bringing unnecessary luxuries to fill their new residence for the year. She laughed at the sight of stressed parents, some eager to drop off their freshmen, others sad to say good-bye.

  “Man, was we this excited when we moved in three years ago?” Denise asked her friend Cooley, who was now concentrating on brushing her hair in her mirror. She had to make sure every wave was laid to perfection.

  “Hell naw,” Cooley replied as she placed a do-rag on her head. She took her fitted baseball cap and put it on top, and leaned it to the side.

  Cooley ran her index finger across her slightly arched eyebrows. Her naturally grey eyes had a slight slant to them. One look from those soft grey eyes made women weak.

  “We were chill-type niggas.” Cooley took a step back to check the rest of her look. Her white Sean Jean shirt hung just right on her toned five foot seven inch frame. “Besides, I been dating chicks up here since I was in the eleventh grade. Shiiiit. I came to the school prepared to be a guide.”

  “Excuse me, sir, are you about to leave that spot?” a man in a minivan asked Cooley.

  “No, sir, but there are some spots still in the parking . . .”

  Denise watched the man’s facial expression change at the sound of Cooley’s voice. He peeled off without hearing the rest of Cooley’s advice.

  “Well, damn.” Cooley shrugged her shoulders.

  “Don’t act new. You know that dude thought you were a guy.” Denise laughed. “Your high-ass voice gets them every time.”

  “Well, I really don’t care ’cause I’m still a sexy muthafucka.” Cooley snapped her hand like a flamboyant gay man.

  Denise couldn’t do anything but shake her head.

  “So what’s up, bruh? You ready to get up on some of this fresh meat this year wit me?” Cooley asked Dee as she scanned the crowd for fine female conquests.

  “You already know the answer to that,” Denise said, brushing some dust off of her new Air Force Ones. “I am just ready to get the fuck up out of here.”

  “You act like yo’ ass ain’t gone graduate if you get some pussy. Shit, I’ll be glad when your high-yellow ass snaps out of this funk and has some fun again. I know I am.” Cooley grinned.

  “Well, excuse the fuck out of me for not having the sponge brain you have. I have to study to pass. I don’t have time to chase behind these girls.”

  “There’s always time to chase tail.”

  “I’ll leave that to you.” Dee was interrupted by Cooley’s phone ringing.

  “What’s up, baby? What’s the deal?” Cooley answered her phone.

 
Cooley was a lady charmer and more importantly, a lady pleaser. She didn’t have time for sports or anything else that took away from her time with individuals of the same sex. She was all about feminine women—femmes. She would never date another stud, because she had to be the only one close to being a male in the relationship. She considered every femme a challenge, and her goal in life was to meet every challenge with a smile and good conversation. Cooley learned a long time ago that words could be used for more than just writing; instead, she’d become a master at using words to make femmes surrender.

  “Okay, baby, I’ll get wit you a li’l lata. I’m wit my boy right now and we about to chill for a minute,” Cooley said, trying to end the conversation. “Man, that girl is jockin’ my strap too tough. I gave her ass some and she act like she can’t live without a nigga,” Cooley commented as she closed her Sidekick, which she immediately reopened to answer a text message from another one of her admirers.

  “See, that right there is what I am talking about. Drama. Damn, speaking of drama . . .” Denise noticed two girls walking toward them. She sighed. She didn’t know if the girls’ gold teeth or blond hair bothered her more.

  “Dee, Cooley, what’s up? I was hoping to see you all this year,” one of the girls said.

  “What’s up, Laquisha? Hey, Keyshia. Y’all knew we was coming back,” Cooley said.

  “Well, you never know. Cooley, you are looking damn good, boo. What’s up with you?”

  “You know how I do it, Quish.” Cooley winked her eye.

  Denise had to laugh.

  “So, Dee, you taking us to the Nationals, right?” Keyshia asked.

  “Hopefully,” Denise said, keeping the conversation as brief as possible.

  “So, Dee, you know I have seen you play. You be so intense. You know I give great back rubs, if you are ever sore after a game. If you ever need one, you should stop by my room.” Keyshia rubbed her hand down Denise’s arm. “Maybe you can teach me some skills too, maybe how to do a lay up?”

  “You want my bruh to teach you a lay up, or you want to lay up with my bruh?” Cooley joked.

  Keyshia hit her on her arm. “Fuck you, Cooley,” Keyshia replied as she turned back to Denise. “On the real, it can be both,” she whispered to her.

  “Yeaaaahhh, okay.” Denise walked off toward the U.C.

  “So, we gonna get at y’all later,” Cooley said, walking to catch up to Denise. “Damn, Dee, you don’t have to be so damn snobbish.”

  “I am not snobbish.”

  “You was being a snob back there.”

  “No, I was acting uninterested, which was being real, not snobbish.”

  “Maybe you should give Keyshia a chance. She is not that bad and she’s been tryin’ to get at you for a while.”

  “Tell her to stop trying,” Denise said. “Wait, didn’t you fuck Keyshia and Laquisha?”

  Cooley smiled. “Well, I fucked Keyshia. I almost fucked Laquisha, but hell no, I couldn’t do it.”

  Denise looked at her friend. “Why not?”

  “Man, that bitch was too fuckin’ open. She wanted me to fist her.”

  “Shut the fuck up!” Denise laughed. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. I couldn’t do it. And as far as Keyshia goes, ain’t no fun if my homey can’t have none.” Cooley laughed.

  “See, man, it’s that attitude that gets you in all the drama you have now. Thanks, but no thanks.”

  “See. How the hell we get on me? We were talking about yo’ ass and why you keep actin’ like a stuck-up snob. I personally think lack of sex is the reason you’re so uptight.”

  “Whatever . . .”

  “You know I am right. Man, you haven’t been with anyone since Crystal.”

  Denise didn’t respond. The subject of Crystal was still a sore spot for her.

  “See, look, you thinkin’ ’bout her right now. That was freshman year; you a junior now. You need to get some new pussy.”

  “The only thing I need to do is graduate and get the fuck up out of Memphis. Women are drama. Hell, look at you.”

  “What about me?”

  Denise gave Cooley a sarcastic look. She loved her best friend, but she couldn’t count how much drama Cooley had last year alone.

  “Look, man, if the right girl comes along then I will take care of business, but I am not looking to fuck around like I’m in high school. I almost let a girl ruin my damn life and I am not about to go through that again.”

  “That’s your problem, Dee. You get too attached. You always want relationships and shit. Fuck that. You need to learn how to fuck ’em and send ’em home.”

  “And, like I said, that’s why you have the drama you have now.”

  “Whatever—DAAAAAAMN!”

  Denise turned around to see what had caught Cooley’s eye. Her eyes quickly caught the attention of the sleek black Mercedes. The door opened, and a fine girl stepped out. Denise felt goose bumps cover her body at the sight of the woman.

  “Damn, now that right there is wifey material!” Cooley said.

  Denise studied the curves of the woman. Her body was calling Denise’s name; she wanted to answer. The woman had a body unlike any other. Her blue velour Juicy Couture jumpsuit was fitting in all the right places. The word Juicy written across the butt of the pants described her perfectly.

  “Damn! Man, I am going to get that before the year is out-—fuck that, before the semester is out,” Cooley said snapping Denise out of her trance.

  “Damn,” Denise said, still amazed by the vision.

  Cooley looked at Denise. “Aww shit! Now that’s what I’m talking about. My bruh still has a pulse after all. Fuck it; you can have first dibs at her. But if you don’t handle ya biz, I’m a get her.”

  “Shut up, man,” Denise said as she continued to walk. “A girl like that has to be straight, probably got a man and is completely out of my league. Hell, look at that Mercedes. I don’t even have a car.”

  “I see the more I teach you, the dumber you get. Them rich girls love gutta muthas like us. And I don’t give a fuck about her being straight. Fuck her man and her sexual preference. It ain’t gon’ mean nothin’ when I get holda that.”

  “See, Cool, that is what had your ass hiding in my room last year from that psycho bitch you turned out. You need to leave those straight girls alone.”

  “I’ll leave the straight girls alone when you finally give a girl, hell, any girl some play.”

  “Then I might just have to give a girl some play.” Denise glanced back at the sexy girl, wondering if she would ever see her again.

  Lena admired her dormitory. She felt a sense of pride, knowing that her mother stayed in the same dorm. She was finally excited to be in a new city and a new place, and surrounded by her own people for a change.

  “Excuse me, miss.” Two men sporting fraternity shirts walked up to her. “Me and my frat were wondering if we could help you with your bags.”

  “Aww, that is so sweet, but this is the only bag I have.” Lena flashed her beautiful smile.

  “Well, my name is Tony, and personally I don’t think a woman as beautiful as you should have to lift a finger.”

  “Well, if I didn’t lift a finger I may not be as beautiful.” Lena smiled; she was used to men flirting with her.

  “I truly doubt that,” Tony said. “Can I walk you to your dorm?”

  “Actually, my boyfriend will be here in a few minutes, but thank you anyway.”

  Tony looked at the other guy. “See, frat, I told you a woman as fine as her had to have someone.” Tony handed Lena a flyer. “Well, tell ya man he better keep a better eye on his treasure before someone steals it. Hope to see you at the jam tonight.”

  Lena smiled. “Thank you, Tony.” She walked off. She knew their eyes were fixated on the Juicy logo on her butt, so she put an extra switch in her step, just to play with them.

  “He better watch his treasure!” Tony yelled as Lena continued to walk.

  Lena laughed an
d headed into the dorm. She opened the doors of the dormitory. The lobby was filled with parents and students trying to get situated. She looked around at all the women sitting around on the chairs and couches. Some were still trying to get their keys and sign up for appliances. A few girls stared at her; she smiled, and they rolled their eyes. Lena sighed. She hated when women prejudged her.

  Lena noticed a picture on the wall. She admired the picture of her mother. She hoped it didn’t get out too quickly that the dorm was named after her mother.

  “Um, excuse me, but will you marry me?”

  The sound of the deep voice caused chills to run down Lena’s spine. “I’m sorry, but I am already spoken for.” She turned around and smiled.

  “That’s good to know.” Brandon smiled back.

  Lena threw her arms around him and gave him a sensual kiss. She could hear the girls’ faces breaking with envy.

  “Hey, shorty.”

  “Hey, baby.” Lena noticed a few of the onlookers. Girls, who obviously knew who he was—stared. Brandon Redding was every woman’s dream. Six-foot-six, dark and handsome, and the fact that he was the basketball team’s superstar made him even more desirable than he already was. Girls became wet when they saw him, all hoping to fuck their way into the wife position. It made Lena smile to know that position belonged to her, and she held it four years running. She would one day wear his ring and be his wife.

  “Baby, get my bag.” She turned around and bent down, making sure that he got a clear view of the Juicy logo on her butt. She knew she had a perfect body. She worked hard to maintain her flat stomach, great abs and an ass that would be perfect for an Apple Bottom ad. Her breasts were a perky C cup; she was what all the men would call a true “silver dollar.” She was the one they sung about in their songs. She had even been asked to be in a few music videos, but that wasn’t her thing.

  On top of a great body, she had a unique face, long, wavy, chemical-free hair that was all hers, big pretty brown eyes, and a smile that could always get her out of any trouble. She was a ten and she knew it. All the other women knew so too. That’s why she didn’t have very many female friends, especially black friends.