"Zoned" Chpt.1 Part 2

[Cee Brooks]

Tamaria and Nicole had been good friends for the last ten years. They had the same Junior gym class even though Tamaria couldn't participate because she was pregnant with her first child Jeffery and Nicole had a broken foot. They use to sit on the bleachers and crack jokes about the other girls struggling to look cute while doing jumping jacks and sit ups in front of the boys. Gym class comedy turned into after school hang outs and Nicole becoming Jeffery's godmother that steaming summer evening which had them both scared out of their minds. Tamaria noticed little nicks and bruises on Nicole from time to time but Nicole told her it was from her falling off her crutches or drama club once her foot healed.

All that changed when Tamaria popped up with Jeffery one day after school during there Senior year when Nicole's mother was at work. Tamaria could her the racked outside Nicole's apartment as she pulled the stroller up the three flights of steps. She debated looking down at her four month old son what to do. She leaned over his stroller and kissed him on the forehead before banging on the door as hard as she could. “Wait?” Nicole whispered before the apartment went silent. Tamaria banged harder but this time she called out Nicole's name. “Who?” Nicole asked trying to clear her throat. “It's me...” Tamaria said still knocking on the door. She looked down at her baby once more trying to clear the worry from her eyes as not to upset him. Nicole paused before cracking open the door. Tamaria pushed right past her straight into the living room. “I didn't know you where coming.” Nicole said trying to sound normal wiping the blood from her swelling lip. “What's going on?” Tamaria asked surveying the mess of an apartment. “Nothing. Why?” Nicole asked innocently. “Who else is here?” Tamaria asked unstrapping Jeffery so that she could throughly check out the third floor flat. “Oh.” Nicole said biting her nails as Tamaria headed towards her bedroom. “Quasin came over right before you. He's laying down thou so, we gotta keep it down. I don't think he's feeling well. He looked sick at lunch.” Nicole said trying to jump in front of Tamaria as she pushed open the bedroom door. Jeffery began whining as Tamaria waltzed into the room with him gripping onto her shirt. "Quasin?" she said kicking the edge of the bed. "I know you ain't sleep so come off the bullshit! You wanna tell me what happen to Nicole's lip?" she said kicking the bed again. "Nothing." Nicole said trying to pull Tamaria's free arm back out the door. "Quasin! I know you hear me you fake ass basketball player. You putting your hands on girls now? Wait till school tomorrow I'm have Mario kick your dirty ass. Get up niggah! Bust my lip. Punk ass!" she yelled gripping her baby around his torso. "Tamaria." Nicole pleaded as she drugged her out the room. "It's nothing, girl. We just had a little fight that's it. Please don't blow this out of proportion." she said inching between Tamaria and the bedroom doorway. "It's not like what, Nicole? Like he be whooping your ass and you haven't told anyone? Not even me?" she huffed at Nicole rocking Jeffery trying to calm both their nerves. "I meant what I said too. Mario gonna kick his dirty ass tomorrow. Promise!" she yelled over Nicole's shoulder. "Please don't get Mario involved in this. It's really not that big. Trust me... It's more my fault than his anyway. Please Tamaria just leave it alone. He loves me! I know he does. Me and Quasin gotta work this out. Not you, Tamaria! Besides, you got the baby all worked up. Okay? I'm okay. Really." she begged letting the salty tears burn her lips. "Whatever, Nicole. You don't want me to tell Mario than I won't. He don't need another charge, anyway. You say it's between you and that loser mother fucker than fine. But, know you only got to say a word and his ass is done. You hear me?" Tamaria said reaching in her diaper bag for a bottle. "Shh..." she whispered as she plopped down on the sofa trying to calm Jeffery down with some milk. Tamaria looked up to see Quasin towering over Nicole. "Be easy!" Tamaria stated staring Quasin in the eyes. "Hemp..." he moaned kissing Nicole on her enlarging lips keeping his eyes affixed on Tamaria. "You better watch me!" she threatened as Quasin told Nicole he was heading home. "Okay, baby. " she responded cutting her eyes over at Tamaria and Jeffery. "Yeah get the going. Fake ass basket ball player. None three throwing bum. Say something, I dare you! I thought so... punk." Tamaria taunted as he silently walked out the door slamming it behind himself. "I don't see how you put up with some bullshit like that. You are too cute to be messing around with him and he kicking your ass. I don't care how fine he is or how good at B. ball he is. You know he shouldn't be putting his hands on you. But, hey you still my girl. Imma let you handle this but if that punk motherfucker slip up and hit you in front of me his stupid ass will go missing. You hear me?" Tamaria said rubbing Jeffery's back in soft circles trying to help release a burp. "Mario ain't no saint but he takes care of us and he never laid a hand on me. I guess he knows I'm just as crazy as he is." she chuckled trying to lift Nicole's spirit.

"I hear you girl. Me and him just going threw somethings right now. But, once mid terms are over and he finishes with the scouts that been hounding him than things will get better. I know they will. Besides, I think you just scared him half to death." she giggled heading into the kitchen for an ice pack. "What was y'all fighting over anyway." Tamaria asked changing her son's diaper. "Sashay! That bitch be all over him and I checked him on it. First, he tried to tell me I was tripping than he flipped when I told him I was going start acting how he do. Everything happened so quick after that." she said plopping down next to Tamaria and the baby. "Just promise me you won't end up with one of these with that nut." Tamaria joked passing Nicole the baby. "That would be one screwed up kid." she burst out into a hard laughter trying to imagine what kind of person Quasin and Nicole's baby would be. "Me and Quasin ain't even on it like that. We decided to take things real slow. Shoot we haven't moved past second past. I mean we fool around and stuff but we both agreed we're going to be together forever so there's no rush." Nicole said planting kisses on the rolls of Jeffery's pudgy neck sending giggles exploding from his tiny body. "I would lay off those kisses if I was you. You know he just finished eating and he is the throw up king. He get you girl, real good." Tamaria responded dabbing at the drool in the creases of his mouth with his baby blue and white dinosaur bib. "So, that's why you flipped out over that skank, Sashay, all up in your man face. Nasty heffa! Everybody at school know she a hoe." Tamaria nudged Nicole as she forced a smile. "She is definitely a skank." Nicole answered in her own world replaying the fight of the day.

Over the next couple of months everyone was in prom mode. Tamaria and Mario tried to take care of Jeffery and balance school while Quasin interviewed different college scouts as Nicole made prom preparation. Nicole ignored the endless stream of girls hovering over Quasin and Tamaria held Nicole's secret of abuse. Everything boiled over prom night when Nicole caught Quasin and Sashay in the parking lot arguing. "What's going on?" Nicole questioned Quasin as she approached them wearing a satin pink spaghetti strap gown. "Quasin? What's the problem?" she questioned again with Tamaria and Mario behind her. "Yeah Quasin what's the problem? You left your girl inside so, that you could come out here and argue with some trick?" Tamaria now disgusted by the entire situation said. "Trick? Who you calling a trick?" Sashay snapped. "You! Trick!" Tamaria said now being held back by Mario. "Quasin!" Nicole yelled as a small crowd began to form. "Yeah Quasin. Why you out here with me?" Sashay said slyly. Quasin shot her a dirty look before he turned to Nicole. "Bitch have you lost your mind. Don't you ever disrespect me by questioning me like I'm a child. I go and do whatever the fuck I want do. Acting all ignorant and shit. I should fuck you..." he started as he grabbed Nicole by the forearms. "Let me go, Mario! I'm fuck this niggah up. You got some nerve Quasin. Do that shit to me! I dare you." Tamaria egged on snatching away from Mario. "You better get your girl, Mario. She needs to mind her fucking business. This ain't got shit to do with her. This is between me and Nicole! So, mind your nosy ass business, Tamaria." he said tightening his grip on Nicole who was frozen stiff. "Yo homey. Check yourself! What you and Nicole do is y'all business but, I ain't gonna let you disrespect my baby momma like that. We ain't got no issues but you keep that slick shit up than we gonna have to deal with this like real men." he said pushing Tamaria behind him. Tamaria felt butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach. Her man had stood up for her and that made her proud of him. "Mario, he always popping shit to me like he bad and what not. Then he be all in your face like y'all cool. This niggah ain't worth shit. Look at him all up in my girl face. I know he better let her go or we gonna have real problems in this parking lot." Tamaria said stepping towards them. "Chill baby I got this!" Mario said stepping back in front of Tamaria. "Dog, let her go. This shit ain't cool at all. I don't want no problems but we bout to have some. Let her go so we can go back inside and enjoy the party. I don't wanna have to fight you over some chick." Mario said loosing his tie. Quasin looked at Nicole than back at Mario. "You ain't even worth it." Quasin said pushing Nicole in the direction of Mario and Tamaria. "Yeah, Quasin she ain't worth it." Sashay said kissing him on the lips. "Me and the baby hungry anyway." Sashay smiled rubbing her belly. "Baby?!" Tamaria and Nicole said in unison. Everyone in the parking lot went silent. "Yes sweetie. You heard me correct...baby!" Sashay giggled grabbing onto Quasin's arm. "Quasin?" Nicole inhaled praying that Sashay was lying. "You heard her. We finna have us a baby boy. So, get your tired ass going!" he said turning his back on Nicole and breaking threw the crowd with Sashay. Tamaria grabbed for Nicole as she reached for a nearby Cadillac. "I can't do this." Nicole said sick to her stomach gasping for air. "You better than both of them nasty ass tricks." she yelled in the direction they walked off in. "I'm be sick." Nicole barely got out before the vomit began to shoot from her. "Oh God." she clutched her stomach now bent over in between two cars feeling the burn in her nose. "Eww..." Mario said turning his head. The crowd dispersed with the newest hot topic of gossip heading back inside. "You'll be okay. He ain't worth shit. Especially your tears!" Tamaria said pulling Nicole's long bangs back.


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