That fucked me up because in the end, did the team really need me?
PHOEBE
After trying to convince Percy that Xavier and I weren’t a couple, he finally left me alone. Coming to the game with Samara and the girls was interesting. All three of them were very different from me, but they still had the vibe. They didn’t make me feel left out as they talked about everything under the sun and a whole lot about the Zoo. I wasn’t sure what it was until they mentioned bikers.
Samara leaned in, “Streets is a part of the Zoo,” she giggled.
As soon as she said that, I looked at him. Our eyes met for a few seconds, and I smiled. I didn’t know what he and I were brewing up, but I kind of liked it.
It was halftime, and the girls decided to get a snack. It took a minute, but the moment we were on the outskirts of the arena, the air wasn’t as thick. The concession stands were packed, the lines to the bathroom were extremely long, and the niggas from JSU were on the prowl. We stood in line waiting for our turn when Alyse turned to me. “Phoebe, what’s your major, girl?”
“Biochemistry, but anything science or physics, I love.”
“Just like Dio.” Samara smiled.
It was still hard for me to believe that someone like him would be into sciences, let alone physics, but we were going to see how smart he was when it was time to do that project.
While Alyse and Paige talked, Samara moved toward me. “Is everything okay? I know this isn’t the place to talk about stuff like that, but hopefully you being around us helps.”
I didn’t want to talk about my issues, especially because I was just getting to know them. As she was about to ask another question, a group of guys walked over to us. They were all fine, but none of them looked like they were worth a damn. The taller one, who looked like he should have been on the court, moved closer to Paige. “They say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice,” he said to her.
The shorter one rubbed his hands together as he glanced Alyse up and down. He nodded at her. “What’s your name, pretty girl?”
As Paige rolled her eyes, I saw Beans coming from the arena. He squinted his eyes curiously. Samara moved her head toward Paige. “Girl, yo man coming,” she squeaked.
“Fuck going on over here!” he barked, making all the onlookers stare at us.
“Shit, unless one of these is your shorty, it doesn’t matter what’s going on.”
Beans’ head nodded. “Piggy, did this nigga say something to you? The last thing we need is me digging a nigga’s eyes out,” he winked.
The guy and his friends laughed. “You tripping, gang.”
His eyes slowly looked him up and down. “Trip where? You ain’t seen shit yet, my nigga I’ll—”
Paige rushed in front of him. “Not here, baby, too many people,” she whispered as she pushed him back.
I could see the tall one who tried to talk to her swallow deep.
As the guys walked off, Alyse and Samara laughed. “We don’t fuck with you, we only fuckwith the Zoo.”
All I could do was laugh because not only did the guys seem crazy, but so did the girls. If I said I wasn’t having a good time, I’d be lying. This wasn’t a fix to my problem, but at least for the night, it made me forget.
DIO
Another after-midnight mission as we sat in the old Mercier building like elementary students waiting for the Big Brothers to come in. It was exactly 7:39. When the doors swung open and the Big Brothers stepped, we shot up and went into greets almost immediately. Stay Fly nodded as he walked in front of us.
“Tonight will be a lot of information. I expect you, Slimes, to take heed to what I’m saying. When asked, the shit should roll off your tongue like butter. Do y’all understand?”
We shouted in unison. “Yes! Big Brother Stay Fly!”
He rolled a toothpick in his mouth before he pulled it out. “Let me tell y’all a story. The Dead Zone is a place of purification. You are not just put through hell there, but you’re reborn into a man of the Chi. It’s where ideas were brewed, history was created, and Chi Kappa Chi was born. This isn’t just a fraternity; it’s a brotherhood built on the backs of two men whose generation extends beyond us. Your founding fathers, Clarence Mercier and Henry Monroe, when they formed such a distinguished organization in 1939, they did so to provide a united front for Black brothers like us. Here in this building, men like us have been broken down to be built back up. Thisbuilding holds the secrets, the devotion, and the legacy. Over the years, Chi Kappa Chi has grown to produce other chapters at Hawkins, John Stanley, and beyond.”
The sound of the Mercier name made my ears perk. Of all people, Chevy’s family had to be the ones to start this shit. Now it made sense why he always had that dog in him. He was meant for the very position he was in: a king. Stay Fly filled my ears with so much information that I began tuning him out. The way he was info-dumping, there was no way they could expect us to remember any of this shit. From history to chapters, dates, schools, and achievements. It was just so fucking much. By the time Spitta jumped in, I had checked out and almost missed the chain call.
“Chain Two!”
We scurried and got in formation. Thick Neck paced around us and began shouting. “Excuses are the tool of incompetence!”
