Page 226 of Lovers' Dance

“Are you intellectually challenged?” I interrupted with my polite version of calling her dumb. “Did you not hear me? You don’t know me, so keep your two cents to yourself.”

“Jenny, you’d better talk to your cousin, ’cos she’s pressing on my nerve,” the other one said. “Just because you’ve got a rich white man you think you better than us? Girl, you black, that ain’t gonna change. He’s only fucking you for a taste of black pussy,” she sneered.

I dropped the lacy tablecloth. “I am not a violent person, but keeping talking that shit and I will wipe the floor with your face.”

Jenny rolled her eyes, coming over to pick the tablecloth off the ground. “Stop being a drama queen, Madi. You know you can’t fight. They’re entitled to their opinions.”

I looked at her. How could she be blasé about this? Well, if she wouldn’t have my back, I wouldn’t have hers. I turned on my heels and headed for the stairs. I was fuming. And, God forbid, feeling spiteful. It didn’t help I’d been drinking a bit of wine as we cooked. Inside the room I was sharing with Jenny, I searched frantically for that little piece of paper.

There it was. I snatched the cheque from the dresser and stormed out the room. I bumped into Jamal and another cousin named Leon on my way to the snug.

“Madi, can you help bring in more beer?” Jamal asked. I ignored him as I drew nearer to the snug where my disloyal cousin was.

“What’s wrong with that girl?” Leon muttered.

When I got to the snug, the three of them were still there. I stood in the doorway, gaze landing on Jenny’s face, and held the cheque up. Her eyes widened immediately as she recognized what was in my hand.

“Madi? What are you—” she started, running over to where I stood.

I tore it in half and she screamed. Then I tore the two halves into quarters and tore those into eights for good measure.

I flung the pieces over her shaking form. “Let them help you out, seeing as you’re tight and they’re family.”

“Mom!” Jenny started yelling at the top of her voice, tears building in her light-brown eyes.

I froze, my previous spitefulness being replaced by nervousness. Oh, shit. This was going to be bad.

“Ma!” Jenny screamed, bending down to pick up the pieces of her dream that lay scattered on the floor.

There were feet thundering towards us. Aunt Cleo came with half the horde behind her.

“What? Why are you yelling the house down, Jen?” she asked, pushing me aside. I started stepping away. If I slipped away unnoticed, I could run upstairs and write out a new cheque.

“Madi tore up my tuition cheque,” Jenny wailed. “She tore it up, Mom.”

Aunt Cleo turned. I had already put a bit of distance between me and the people crowding around Jenny.

“Madison, did you do that?” Aunt Cleo asked, incredulous.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out as numerous eyes stared at me. I kept backing away until I bumped into someone. The scent made me aware it was Matt.

“What’s going on?” he asked, spinning me around to face him.

“She tore up my cheque,” Jenny blubbered. Her grandma was patting her back while Aunt Cleo stared at me in shock.

“I—she—I didn’t—” I stammered, unable to think with those accusing looks being sent my way.

“What cheque?” Gemma asked, coming out last from the kitchen.

“My tuition cheque,” Jenny said between her sobs. “She said she would pay for it and I was supposed to start at Columbia in January.”

“Poppet,” Matt murmured quietly. “Did you tear up the cheque?”

I nodded slowly.

Everyone started talking over each other, and Aunt Cleo started leading her sobbing daughter down the hallway towards the front room. She shot me a disappointed look when passing by and my heart sank.

“Someone always have to start a drama on the holidays,” someone said in disgust. I think it was Latisha.

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