“Mathematics. I want to teach high school math.”
“That’s wonderful. Shoot for the stars, Elise. If you are going to study mathematics, keep your options open to teach at the college level. I can see you lecturing a college course with that beautiful voice,” Dr. Lawrence encouraged.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I wish you nothing but success in college,” she chirped on her way out the door.
I got redressed and exited the exam room. Dr. Lawrence wished me well again on my trek down the long hallway. It was buzzing now with patients, additional nurses, and other staff. When I walked past the receptionist desk, Mrs. Jean noticed me scanning the area for my parents.
“They went to the car,” she notified me.
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Make sure you stay on the righteous path while you’re away at college,” she called to my back, and I didn’t justify it with a response.
For the remainder of the day my mother was silent. We packed my things into my father’s Navigator and started the three and a half hour drive to Tallahassee. It wasn’t until the next day when we arrived at campus that my mother finally pulled herself out of her funk to put on a show for the masses. We got moved in, and my eyes got misty when I learned that Faith was my roommate. My mother talked her parents’ ears off while Faith and I faked the funk before they took off.
On our way out of the dorm rooms, we ran into Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf, Victoria’s parents, and she talked them to death aftergiving me the silent treatment. I couldn’t understand how she was upset with me that the doctor wouldn’t perform the pelvic exam. Nonetheless, I slipped off with Victoria, ecstatic that she would be attending FAMU as well. There were a few other girls from my father’s church attending FAMU, but I planned to form new friendships with people who wouldn’t report back my every move to my parents. I didn’t plan to throw my morals out of the window and go buck wild, but I wanted to joke with a random boy without my parents getting word, or worse, video evidence. It was almost as if the other parishioners of my father’s church lived for a gotcha moment when it came to me and Essex.
One of the Deacons reported back that Essex sold drugs to his sister, and that’s what got him disowned two years ago. Essex actually did the crime, I could admit that. However, I was telling the truth; it was one dance with Rashawn, we didn’t kiss or have sex.
I won’t lie and make it seem like the dance meant nothing. It actually meant a lot to me. We shared that moment with Essex and Victoria, and I got to live out a lifelong fantasy. For as long as I could remember, I had a crush on Rashawn. He was handsome, popular, and extremely funny.
We were in middle school when I first realized I had a crush on Rashawn, so naturally, the feelings were buried. I only further tucked them away as we got older and Rashawn got wilder. My parents would never approve. They didn’t even like Essex being friends with Rashawn after he got suspended for fighting at school. If the church members weren’t gossiping about the other adults, they were gossiping about the children. The word got back to Rashawn’s mom that people were bad mouthing her son, and Ms. Sasha cursed a few people out after Sunday service before switching churches.
Rashawn stopped coming to our home, and Essex would sneak to theirs. After that, I’d only see Rashawn at school,ceasing the constant close encounters with the boy that made my heart race. Rashawn wasn’t checking for me and my juvenile church girl vibes anyway. All of the girls fawned over Rashawn and me, and my loose jeans and oversized shirts were the last thing he was thinking about.
“Essex and Rashawn are on their way up here,” Victoria notified me once we entered her dorm room.
We were on the same floor but on opposite sides. Her room was decked out and suited her personality, while mine only did so slightly. I was a church girl through and through, but I also loved wrestling, sunflowers, and the color yellow. My dorm room was flooded with pink, although it was one of my least favorite colors, and bible verses.
“How long are your parents going to be up here?”
“They are going back after dinner tonight. You know my father has to be up bright and early for church.”
“Good, I was hoping you would say that,” she cheered. “They are bringing a few other boys up with them. My cousin Trisha is coming too. She rented a house for the weekend. Our first weekend at college is about to be litttyyyyyyy.”
“Chill out, before they hear you acting too excited. I’ve already been lectured into oblivion, and then they took me to be poked and prodded yesterday. They don’t believe I’m a virgin anymore and tried to get the doctor to verify,” I lamented, tears threatening to fall.
“Awwww, Elise, don’t cry,” Victoria tossed the phone on the bed and wrapped her arms around me. “Why would they even think that about you of all people?”
“I didn’t tell y’all this before because I knew you and Essex would’ve tried to get to the bottom of it. But somebody took a picture of me and Rashawn dancing at prom and started a rumor that I left prom early with him. I’m almost certain it was Faith,I thought I saw her phone up in our direction, but I wasn’t positive.”
“MCHT!”
Victoria sucked her teeth and jerked away from me. The scowl on her face made me chuckle. She was just as protective as Essex when it came to me. I pulled away, plopping down in her computer chair.
“I hate them simple bitches at your dad’s church,” she rolled her eyes. “Kids take right after their messy ass parents. They don’t have anything better to do than sit around and judge everybody. Throwing stones in big glass whore houses, like a bunch of them not fucking out of both pants legs. So glad my parents started going to the same church as Rashawn’s family. It’s a much better fit. I don’t mean to talk shit about your dad, but the rot starts at the crown over there.”
“Don’t I know it,” I grumbled.
“I wish my parents would have tried me. I’d be running to lose my virginity before I lose it to a doctor,” Victoria sassed.
“What is it like?”
“What?” She puzzled.
“Sex?”
