Hope Charity & Faith

* All characters in this story are of legal age. *

"GET YOUR ASS UP OUT THAT BED AND GET TO SCHOOL!!" Mom's high falsetto voice breached the walls of my modest bedroom like a banshee's scream, but this particular morning was different.

I'd actually been awake for hours staring at my ceiling fan since right before the dawn dreading every moment. The coming of the new day in earnest brought with it a challenge that I honestly didn't want to face. Stepping out of bed onto the hardwood floor would inexorably trigger a series of events that would lead to a modicum of relief or utter chaos.

"I'M UP!!" Her response, the one I got was a slamming front door as she went to work.

There was a bit of an echo afterwards. Didn't take it personal, mom hated going to work lately because of a new supervisor who was somewhat of a dick.

I glanced to my side as I righted myself on the edge of my converted day bed noticing my reassembled phone flashing with messages. The prior night it was frantically reassembled before shame set followed by traumatic unconsciousness posing as sleep. I was still wearing my clothing from the previous day. I turned it over finding my girlfriend's face in the message box.

MESSAGE: You should have took the deal, now get ready to cry it out.

"Bitch." I mumbled.

Not wanting good food to go to waste I tossed my microwaved calzone back inside the oven for a second round of teen friendly radiation while I showered and got dressed in appropriately fresh clothing. I scarfed down my repurposed breakfast and a glass of orange juice before leaving the house only to find Ricky waiting outside in his car. I was a little surprised after our previous exchange but heartened that he had my back as I jumped in beside him. We were halfway to school twenty minutes later which started some latent anxiety ratcheting up inside me as we got closer.

"She called last night."

"Really; Kim called, you?!!" Ricky raised an eyebrow turning down his radio.

"Yeah, it was brutal."

"You told her to eat a sick dick, right?" I nodded in the negative periodically glancing out the window as Ricky scoffed.

"Get this, she said we were never together; called me a practice boy." Ricky suddenly skidded to a halt, pulling over to the curb with this concerned look on his face.

"Hey Jaleel; we cool right?"

"Yeah, why you stop the car?"

"Look, she's just a girl and there's gonna be more girls coming along in no time bro. We need to think about options before doing something drastic, alright?"

"Man, what're talking about?"

"All I'm trying to say is don't shoot me; we people, right?"

"You're crazy man; you think I'm gonna go on a shooting spree, huh?" I shrugged over emphasized the stupidity of his talking points.

"Kimberly Bivens is one fine bitch; she's got it like that and she's one of the most popular girls at our school. I saw that sweet ass of hers yesterday, no offense."

"None taken."

"I'm just saying that maybe, you should try to stay off the grid, so you don't catch hell when it hits the fan. Jay Stello probably told his boys on the football team already; what you gonna do about that?"

"Man you saw that motherfucker yesterday."

"Too much of him actually."

"Yeah, you think he gives any fucks about either one of us?"

"Point well taken." Ricky reached over intending to turn the music up in his car again as I mused angrily rubbing my chin.

"Bitch had the nerve to offer me what she called an "outpatient" deal, talking about giving me some consolation pussy to quote-unquote help ease me out of things. Fucking entitled princess bitch!"

"And you ain't gonna take it?"

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS RICKY?!" I doubted Ricky grasped the basic principles of the cuckoldry suggested by my smug girlfriend. I doubted he grasped the egregious nature of even making such a suggestion.

"Still, Kimberly Bivens got that ass." My friend, shaky moral code, and ethics aside, was a virgin. We continued down the street as I thought of my conversation with Kimberly the night before. It stung to high hell there was zero remorse on her part.

"Her ass ain't that great; it's 36 inches anyway."

"You measured her butt; man, you're my hero, Jaleel." Ricky chuckled.

"Not even, I went shopping with her at the mall; she was looking for a dress for her cousin's reception and thought it was funny to give me her stats while she was trying on a bunch of dresses. I ended up coming off some money for a cocktail dress I'll never see her wearing." That memory hurt, but I would never admit a dressing room hand job was the catalyst for me buying her that dress.

"So uhm, what are they?"

"Huh?"

"Her stats, what're they?" Ricky asked again.

"32C-26-36, happy now?" My chubby compatriot shrugged with a stupid smile on his face as he turned into the student parking lot.

I didn't like the look on his face. Ricky Arias was a notorious gossip hound, sometimes joking called CNN Goofy by some of less than comedic peers. It was a stupid nickname, but he had many along with myself. I was probably one or two steps above being considered a nerd which chaffed all the more internally after discovering my girlfriend cheating with me with that motherfucking Jay Stello.

The student parking lot was always severely crowded during the morning hours, but we made use of a handicap placard belonging to one of Ricky's uncles. The disabled veteran didn't drive but had been chided into applying for the placard by his second favorite nephew, Ricky Arias.

"Shit, hey Jaleel remember what we talked about, right?"

"What now?" I was busy reaching down between my legs for my backpack when he nudged me. I sat up glanced to my left out his driver's side window.

"Shit."

My girlfriend Kimberly was holding court right outside the student parking lot entrance. She ran deep in her respective clique of fellow cheerleaders and was mostly revered by her fellow classmates and some members of the faculty. My heart skipped a beat resuming in loud chest bursting thumps as the image of her being judiciously railed by that motherfucking Jay Stello flared up again. My teeth gnashed as I noticed an oversized letterman's jacket hiding her torso. All of the gathered hens were visually euphoric at her good fortune.

"Shit."

"Jaleel?"

"Shit."

"Hey man, you okay?"

"Shit." I half toppled from Ricky's car stumbling off with my backpack for the far end of the school and an alternate exit. There was no way I was walking into the school through Kimberly Bivens and her shitty friends.

"HEY BRO, I'LL SEE YOU AT GYM!!" Ricky called after me as I made good my escape from any potential drama. I just did my best Marsellus Wallace imitation waving without looking back.

The stereo thumping didn't stop until I reached my third floor locker fishing out my Algebra 2 textbook. I bristled at the sight of Kimberly wearing that letterman's jacket. I didn't want to admit it, but just seeing her standing there demonstrated how much of a rube I'd been before finding out the truth about her. Access to her body had dulled my senses to the reality of my situation in plain sight. She'd called me a practice boy talking to me like I was some casual acquaintance until she made an offer more to stoke her immense ego, than anything else.

"Ah crap." I facepalmed realizing that I shared my first class with Kimberly.

It was a slog to class feeling like I was walking the short plank off the boat into the ocean. I was wholly apprehensive walking to class relieved when I didn't find my girlfriend present. The early morning rush was a grind with congested corridors filled with students, loud raucous peer commentary amidst the sounds of slamming lockers. Class was pretty much full, and I was one of the last guys inside as our teacher addressed me.

"Do you mind closing the door Jaleel?"

"Uh, no sir Mr. Harvey."

I began to pull the heavy door up behind me when it was stopped with enough force that I felt it from my wrist to my elbow. I glanced back horrifically finding myself looking into the chiseled chest of that motherfucking Jay Stello. My gaze traveled up to his stifling handsome face.

"Hey I got it youngblood."

He flashed a million dollar smile that gave me dry heaves while the class giggled at the visual of our dueling physiques. The star jock took it one step further snatching the door back suddenly before I could release the handle inadvertently yanking me stumbling backward.

"Hi, Jay, uhm, what's your name again?" My girlfriend Kimberly appeared in the widened door frame still draped in his letterman jacket with a Mentos smile of her own that made me shrivel up inside.

"Mud." She snickered before turning to give that motherfucking Jay Stello a sensual kiss that resulted in loud whooping noises from the rest of the class that our teacher Mr. Harvey waved off.

"Hello mud."

The newly minted couple giggled, both of them staring at me through slit narrowed eyes in silent recognition. Kimberly walked into the class followed single file by two staunch members of her clique, Charmaine and Treena.

My eyes followed the three pairs of shapely legs to their respective desks as they took their seats. The large jacket covering Kimberly's torso, hid her heart shaped butt while her friend's sizable charms were on display in white capris and skintight jeans, respectively. I looked up finding that motherfucking Jay Stello similarly watching the trio. We exchanged glances as Mr. Harvey had enough.

"If you're done Jaleel, please take your seat or go see Vice Principal Nichols." The class burst into laughter as I nodded like a simpleton taking the remaining seat in a fully booked classroom.

Unfortunately for me, that remaining seat was situated pretty much between Charmaine and Treena with Kimberly bringing up the rear with one student separating us at my back. I walked slowly to my seat observing with mounting panic the girl's eyes trained on my face. Social awkwardness aside, I cat my gaze downward taking my seat noticing my girlfriend's affair partner still watching from the doorway.

"MR. STELLO, THE CLASS WILL BE OVER IN TWENTY NINE MINUTES!" Mr. Harvey was writing on the blackboard addressing the jock without looking directly. The class giggled as I opened my text and notebook fishing around in my pocket for a pen. Motherfucking Jay Stello disappeared from the door.

"Hey."

It was unmistakably Kim whispering behind me, but I kept my gaze forward as Mr. Harvey kept writing out a lesson plan on the board. For context, he'd already written the plan beforehand, but found it erased when he returned from the teacher's lounge.

"Jaleel?" She whispered again as I glanced to my side finding her friend Charmaine staring on the verge of laughter. Treena was sitting just behind her friend separated by a student.

"Nigga, you hear my girl calling you." Charmaine whispered looking at me with a furrowed brow. I looked away earning a sigh from this teen, who reminded me of Keke Palmer facially. I looked away to my left unwilling to address her or Kimberly.

"He's being extra, Kim." Charmaine whispered presumably to Kimberly.

"Aw, I think his narrow little booty hurting; yeah that's what's going on with this nigga, right here." Treena chimed in this annoyingly saccharine sweet tone.

"He's a good boy; ain't that right stupid?" Charmaine asked as some of the other students started to giggle.

"Hey Jaleel, you better answer me." Kimberly whispered again.

"Maybe he can't; maybe it's hard." Treena added sounding closer to my right ear. I had to resist the urge to turn in their direction but was able to see Charmaine out the corner of my eyes. She was starting to look pissed already turned toward me in her desk.

"Are you HARD, Jaleel?" A section of the students burst into uproarious laughter drawing Mr. Harvey's attention.

"ONE MORE OUTBURST, POP QUIZ!" Everybody groaned as he went back to writing out the lesson plan.

Kimberly's ego was on full display this morning and was the portend of things to come if I didn't address her directly. I'd lost my shit last night because of her lackadaisical demeanor about cheating on me, basically hanging up in her face. In our faux relationship, she was definitely in charge and wasn't shy about letting me know.

Now, she wanted me to capitulate in some fashion and I wasn't having it. A folded triangle of paper, a note landed on my desk. It had been tossed in an arc over the guy behind me landing dead center in the middle of my opened notebook. I ignored it, using my pen to push it to the right edge of my desk.

"Answer me, Jaleel; I'm not gonna tell you again." Kimberly whispered.

Charmaine was still facing me, and it was plain that she was bristling with unbridled anger at my defiance. This is how it was with the popular kids at our school. They considered themselves royalty. Charmaine Belle was a staunch proponent of this mindset amongst the student body.

She was built like an old school coke bottle with her fair share of admirers making up one third of the triumvirate including Treena and my girlfriend, Kimberly Bivens. Thusly, I wasn't surprised when she leaned forward into my personal space flicking the note into my sternum with a flick of her index finger.

"Jaleel." I didn't answer Kim, but found a caveat opening the message under Charmaine's furrowed brow.

I found a crude drawing of a crying face emoji and a limp dripping dick that was leaking. It was a few seconds of pointed observation that ended with me balling up the note tossing it into the aisles between the desks at my immediate right. All three girls burst into muffled laughter, but Mr. Harvey kept writing intent on finishing what he started.

"You gonna cry nigga?" Charmaine whispered.

"He crying?" Treena asked in muffled tone as Charmaine tried to lean further into the aisle towards my desk. I looked away into the opposite aisle finding some guy looking at me with a jackal's smile. There was blood in the water.

"Oh yeah, he's gonna do it."

"Aw, poor little nigga; he crying Kim." Treena added purposely talking in a baby voice as some of the surrounding students worked to keep from bursting into laughter. I rested my cheek in the palm of my hand still looking away from Charmaine.

"He's crying over the pussy; that little pee-pee is dripping." Treena went in for the kill as a flurry of napkins floated onto my desk. This broke the classroom into fits of uproarious laughter.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, POP QUIZ!!" Mr. Harvey made good on his threat.

***********

My next two classes were uneventful, but the sting of Kimberly's opening salvo lingered like a second degree burn about my psyche. The problem was between us, but she involved her friends. Now it seemed like I was on their radar and I wondered how long it would be before my name literally was mud across the campus.

Between my bud Ricky Arias and Charmaine and Treena, my options were looking bleak. Kimberly never wanted us to be seen as a couple in high school and it bruised my ego, but she made up for it behind closed doors. Now, she was okay with being public to trash my ass because I'd hung up in her face.

"So, what're you gonna do about it?" Ricky asked at our fifth period lunch.

"Take the high road I guess; really not much I can do but soldier through it anyway."

Both of us were eating a pizza with some friends that Ricky and some of our mutual acquaintances ordered collectively.

"Well, it could be worse."

"How could it be worse, man?" I glanced around at the stuffed cafeteria which contained numerous social circles and cliques.

The popular set occupied the northern corner of the lunch room, which made it No Man's Land for anybody else not in the know. Presently, the football team was recreating a raucous version of The Last Supper there at the very first table. It always seemed like they were partying due to the excess chairs and people gathered about that double set of long tables.

The third table in had one to three chairs left all occupied by some clueless freshman students. The innocuous trio was conducting a study group during their meal break when a large styrofoam cup of orange soda landed in the center of their trays and belongings splashing everywhere. The underclassmen quickly scurried off to a safe distance.

"You could be those guys Jaleel; imagine if Jay Stello got involved?"

"You keep talking like I'm supposed to be scared of that motherfucker or something."

"You ain't, huh man; you had space and opportunity yesterday, but I didn't see you throwing hands!" Ricky had a penchant for being brutally honest that rankled. He sometimes spoke without thinking and today was no different.

"Catch you later homeboy." I didn't want to acknowledge his truth by acknowledging my own cowardice.

I'd froze on the spot after finding them as my perception of the world changed in that instant. The image of Kimberly impaled atop some guy that looked like an Olympic athlete had an immediate effect leaving me utterly devastated. I ended up in the boy's locker room sitting there still partially dazed when Ricky caught up with me.

"You following me?"

"Fool, we got gym class together; man you really fucked up over this shit, huh?"

"I can't lie, yeah."

We were sitting on the safest benches inside the boy's locker room facing a brick wall. All about us was the un-yielding cacophony of peer commentary and rough housing of their male peers. We always felt more intimidated by a lot of these guys who'd made out like bandits in the genetic lottery. It was like being stuck in an enclosed space with adult men instead of fellow eighteen year old's.

"Hey man, fuck Kimberly Bivens." Ricky offered out of nowhere.

"Yeah, you're right." I added wearily.

"No, you say it Jaleel."

"I don't need to say that shit; if I say something like that, it just gives that thot power over me. She was fucking with me today, but it'll taper off sooner or later. She's probably gonna call me up tonight gloating and offer me that same deal to make herself feel better about cheating."

"See that's your problem."

"What?"

"You still talking like she's your girl Jaleel." Again another nugget of jagged truth hit me like a brick to the chest.

I was processing his words when both of us were suddenly slapped on the back of the neck with dual open hands. The sound of those slaps carried across the locker room followed by raucous laughter as both of were shoved in opposite directions, me nearly toppling from the bench as a familiar bully sat down between us.

His name was Rob, and he was in his second senior year of high school after flunking the previous year. Some said the freckled albino was repeating the year because of time behind bars, but most knew he was plain and simply dumb. It was rumored that he spent time behind bars in regular jail after pissing off the judge at his sentencing.

"What're you two losers talking about, huh? Trading comic books or something? Fucking talking about Star Trek, talking that nerd shit, huh boys?!! One of you goons finally get a hair downstairs or something?!!"

The other guys in the locker room were busting up as he drew us in close with both muscular arms around our shoulders. This guy's high pitched voice reminded me of Mike Tyson, but his countenance was monstrous with most of the freckles concentrated in the center of his unnaturally pale face. His canines also seemed vampiric. He was a jock relegated to riding the bench because of his unwillingness to listen and troubles with the law.

"Private conversation Mackenzie, do you mind?" Ricky replied without missing a beat.

"Did he get you pregnant titty?"

As I mentioned before, my friend Ricky Arias was somewhat androgynous in appearance starting out in adolescence as an extremely chubby and cute little baby that was enthusiastically doted on by female relatives. Now, just imagine never changing physically, but growing to a moderate five foot five height while adding on a few pounds in all the wrong places.