Page 239 of Not My Type
“Zara,” Nickoi’s voice pulls me back. I look up, startled. He’s grinning—teasing. Mood light, eyes dancing.
“Morning, babe,” I smile, and he walks over to me, grabbing the phone. He holds it up in the air for me to reach it. I know he wants to play with me, but the phone’s still showing the message! Mi naah do nutt’n bad enuh... but him might think mi a entertain it.
I gasp and reach for the phone, but his goofy expression shifts instantly. Uh-oh... He narrows his eyes at me, lowering the phone, but before he can even look at it, I snatch it from him. My heart race. Shitttttttt!
“Why yuh grab mi phone like that!?” I ask angrily, but deep down it’s really my anxiety talking. I know he suspects something. Look how him a stare pan me! Mi nuh know why, but mi feel like I shouldn’t answer the guy’s message. Nah lie, it kinda feels like cheating... in a way. And it mek yuh feel and look guilty. Yes.
He’s glaring at me. “Zara... wah deh pon the phone?” Ah bwoy. Look how yuh mek the simple situation bad, when yuh fi just play it cool.
I sigh. If him see say it’s a man I’m texting him nah go understand because the way it already look. Mi nuh know wah fi say.
He shakes his head before he smiles. “Yuh know wah? Doh answer... lowe that,” he walks out.
I follow him into the room, watching as he slips on his desert Clarks. He’s already in a black shirt, black jeans. His jaw tight. “Nickoi let me tell you,” I stand in front of him. He shoots me a deadly glare, directly in myeyes.
“Tell me wah?” Hello sir? Calm downnn.
“One of mi batchmate.. him text me and say him like mi and mi tell him say mi have a man but because you just grab the phone same time mi get frighten and mi know if mi did tell you, you wouldn’t understand at the moment,” I explain. I put my hand on his shoulder and step between his legs, staring at him with pleading eyes. He smirks.
“Mi understand b.”
I smile. “Okay good.” I move away, but he grips me.
“Tonight a Gina dead yard. The man dem plan fi head to Mobay later. Yuh think yuh can make it?” He asks, voice low and steady. I nod, no hesitation.
“I think so... exam won’t last more than four hours,” I tell him.
“Ah, just bring clothes fi sleep in and a jeans, ‘cause wi have printed tops fi the funeral tomorrow,” he says, his tone casual but with a hint of something deeper.
“We sleeping at your house after the dead yard?” I ask, my voice steady but the question hanging heavy.
“Yah, and come back up tomorrow after the funeral,” he replies, his tone clipped but final.
“Okay,” I say. “I can do that.” I slip into my uniform, then head to the garage. Nickoi’s already in the passenger seat of my car, and I can’t help but smile.
“Mi a drive?” I ask, excitement creeping in as I slide into the car.
We buckle up, and I ease the car into reverse. “Mi hate do this,” I mutter, eyes locked on the rearview mirror, until I finally get to the main road. I honk the horn at the security before pulling off.
Big driver! My subconscious says hyping me up. Mi seh she know how fi hype me up yuh see. Big Supligen energy.
“Mommy, mi nah hear yuh,” Nickoi says, his tone sharp.
I glance at him, then back at the road. He goes silent, and slowly, I start hearing his mom’s voice louder, her shout cutting through the tension in the car. “Nickoi mi go stab har up if she nuh come out a mi place today enuh! Today today mi want har out!” Jesus a Janel she a go stab? Could neva’.
“Mommy, a you tek har in enuh, so mi nuh know why yah complain to me,” Nickoi tells Nicki, his voice firm, like he’s had enough of the back-and-forth.
I tune out their conversation, eyes locked on the road. Nickoi hangs up just as I near the school, letting out a heavy sigh. I pull up to the school gate, then turn to Nickoi, offering him a smile.
“Yuh soon nuh affi come with me caus—” He cuts me off, yanking me towards him, his lips crashing into mine. The force of it takes me by surprise, and before I know it, my cheeks are burning.
“Mash up the exam fi daddy enuh,” he smirks. Chro monn unuh hot enuh, my subconscious says. I pull away, eyes locked on him. “I will.”
I slide out of the car after talking with him, my mind already shifting into exam mode. I check my phone—messages flooding in, everyone wishing me luck. Mrs. Adam’s message stands out, a smile creeping across my face. It’s the little things that make the chaos feel a little less heavy. I smile and send her a heart before I step in the exam room.
*You got this sweet girl*
You know that feeling you get when you know you’re about to sit an important exam? It’s like you’re having an internal session with yourself before the invigilator puts the paper on your table. Well, God, this is it.
