Vanessa gives me a thumbs up, and I almost feel sorry for what’s about to happen. A needle of dread twists my gut because a small part of me doesn’t want to undo the small kernel of goodwill I’ve earned with Vanessa, but it’s not like we could ever be friends.
You have to understand. I never wanted this…
I didn’t either, mother. Yet, here I am.
It only takes Slay five minutes before he bursts into the hallway, his eyes alight with pure fury.
He shakes the bottle at Vanessa, who’s now gawking at his too-dark skin.
“Did you think this was funny?”
Vanessa takes a step back, her eyes darting to me. “I…I…”
“I can’t perform looking like this!” he snarls as he crushes the bottle in his hand, making the lotion explode onto the floor and walls. “People will say I’m fucking appropriating!”
It’s impossible not to laugh.
“We can scrub it off,” Vanessa blurts.
“This shit doesn’t wash off!” he snaps.
Jacek rolls out of a bunk behind Vanessa and gives them an annoyed glance.
Sensing that it’s time to get the situation under control, I get up from the booth and walk over to the two.
“More than one of my clients has had this issue, and I know how to fix it.”
Slay whips around, baring his teeth, and I get to see the full majesty of the situation I’ve created.
His face, neck, and chest are streaked dark brown.
“I don’t want your help.”
“Fine, but if you refuse it, you’ll be stuck looking poorly painted for the next two days at least.” I reach inside the bathroom and grab a towel to clean the mess splattered on the walls and floor, never taking my eyes off Slay.
Clearly conflicted, he looks from Vanessa to me, finally saying, “What do I need to do?”
“First you need to promise you’ll stop bullying Toxic. No glaring, no jabs, no rallying others to your cause.”
“Toxic’s a grown-ass man that can fight his own battles.”
“Yes, he is, but he’s choosing not to, making him the bigger person.”
“In case you can’t tell, I don’t care about being the bigger person,” Slay growls.
“But do you care about correcting your unfortunate skin tone?”
After a long moment, Slay slumps his shoulders. “Fine, I’ll stop holding Toxic accountable for his poor choice in bunkmate.”
“Good, now give me a minute.”
I head downstairs to my luggage, where I’ve stowed the answer to his problem, then rush back up to hand it to him.
“This has a potent mixture that should remove the coloring.”
He grabs it from me and disappears back into the bathroom.
After the door closes, Vanessa takes a step forward, seething with rage. “What thefuckwas that?”
