2. Piper Sawyer
I walked down the hall, heading to my dorm, already dreading being back at this shitty place.
For three years, I was able to remain unseen to my fellow peers and get through college for the sake of my mother.
She was all I had left in this world, and after almost losing her to breast cancer, I knew I had to show up and make her proud.
The popular students of True State were nothing but some stuck-up bullies.
The jocks were a bunch of weirdos, the females were catty, and the nerds were lame.
I was happy to be a team of me because not fitting in allowed me to get through the first three years here, and I prayed it’d be the same for my last.
Approaching my new dorm room, I could already hear loud music coming from inside.
Since mama couldn’t afford to get me a private dorm anymore because she was still paying on her medical bills, I knew I would have to share this year, and it sucked.
I rolled my eyes after using my key to get inside.
I prayed this chick didn’t talk to me or touch any of my shit.
When I opened the door, all I saw was a hard back and a nice, brown ass pounding into who I assumed was my roommate.
On my fucking bed!
“Get the fuck out and close the door!” she had the audacity to scream at me. The guy, who was giving her what seemed to be death strokes, looked back at me with a smirk on his handsome face. “Bitch, are you deaf?” the girl screamed again, and I shook my head while exiting the room.
The first day of school, and this was what I’d come back to.
I walked down the hall and plopped down on the couch in the lounging area, pulling the hood of my hoodie over my head.
This shit is ridiculous.
If I were a snitch, I’d go right to the Dean and let her know exactly what was going on.
I knew I was two days late getting enrolled, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t coming.
Her trifling ass knew she had a roommate because my things were sent ahead before I got here.
She could have taken that bullshit somewhere else.
The boys weren’t even supposed to be over here in our dorms, so either the security guards weren’t on their post, or they just didn’t care.
A few moments later, I could hear male laughter coming down the hall.
I, once again, wondered how the hell they were able to get onto our compound.
My eyes roved over to them as they walked down the hall in all of their high-priced attire and uppity demeanor.
I watched as the leader of the pack led them right to our dorm room and knocked hard on the door.
“Yo, Mar, we gotta go!” he yelled.
Suddenly, he looked up from his phone, and I locked eyes with none other than Khalil Grey.
Those piercing, dark eyes were captivating and mysterious.
His smooth, brown skin was blemish-free, with full lips and thick, dark eyebrows.
Whoever his parents were had to be beautiful because he was the perfect product of them.
His long hair was braided in plaits that hung past his shoulders.
His tall, six-four frame and muscular build filled out the heather-gray hoodie he wore.
Crisp, black jeans fit loosely, a Versace belt to hold them up with space-gray Jordan 4s on his feet.
His jewelry was subtle. One TAG Heuer watch, a small, platinum, diamond-encrusted Jesus piece, and two small diamonds in his ears.
I didn’t know much about Khalil, aside from him being a star basketball player, and his stepfather was Drew Stanford, who used to play for the Detroit Vipers.
Other than his bourgeois attitude, whenever we were in close proximity to one another, that was all I needed to know I didn’t like him or his crew of wannabes.
I hurriedly diverted my gaze until I heard the sex demon that was pounding into my roommate open the door and step out while tossing his hoodie over his head, smiling wide like he won the lottery.
“You finally got that ass?” one of the stupid jocks asked.
“Took her ass straight through there,” the demon tried to whisper, but I’d heard him.
“Who is she?” Khalil asked.
He sucked his teeth. “Sabrina Murphy. I told you I was gon’ get that.”
Sabrina Murphy. Ah hell!
From the name alone, I already knew this was about to be a disaster.
“Damn. You lucky, nigga,” one of the other jocks jested. They all laughed, continuing their banter while heading back toward the exit.
Khalil and I locked eyes one last time before they disappeared down the hall.
I huffed, grabbed my bag, and stood to go to my damn room. I had class in two hours and wanted to get in a nap, but obviously, I wasn’t going to be able to do that since my trifling roommate wanted to hunch on my bed.
I opened the door to my dorm, not caring if her nasty self was dressed or not, and entered the room. It smelled like straight sex in there while I walked over to open up the windows.
Sabrina was pulling my sheets and blankets from the mattress while humming as if she didn’t just disrespect my space.
“It’s incredibly rude of you to do that in a room that you share with someone. Not to mention on their bed when you have your own,” I seethed. Sabrina looked over at me and laughed like something was funny.
“Well, if it isn’t Piper Sawyer.”
“In the flesh. But I hope you heard me. That shit wasn’t cool, Sabrina.”
“Girl, I’ve been fucking all over this room, so anywhere you sit, just know it may have my essence on it.” She winked, dropped my sheets and blankets in the corner, then went into the bathroom, closing the door in my face.
I swear, if I were a fighter, I would have dragged her ass across this room, beating her ass on every surface she fucked on.
I can’t do this.
I snatched my bag from the desktop I set it on and stormed back out of the room.
I was going to my resident assistant to see if I could switch dorms. There was no way I was rooming with a chick that gave her cookies up for free.
School had just started, and already, I was ready to get the fuck out of there.
The weather was a cool sixty-eight degrees.
It was perfect weather to cool down my shitty mood. I sat outside in the garden, on the phone with my mother. After going to my classes for the day, I went to my RA, and she disappointed me.
Unfortunately, I had to room with the disrespectful porn star because the dorms were full. I swear, it seemed as if life was taking me through unnecessary stress that I didn’t need. The only good thing that had come out of my life was that my mother was going to live.
After my father walked out on us as soon as I turned eighteen, both my grandmothers on both sides died back-to-back a year later.
I didn’t want to go off to college, but my mom encouraged me to go and get a fresh start.
She was able to pay for two semesters with my nana Jolene’s insurance money, but when I went home last Christmas, she had gotten diagnosed with breast cancer.
It took a year of chemo for her to finally be cancer-free.
It was the only reason I decided to finish out my last year without having to worry about her.
But even still, I’d rather be in Michigan, going to a regular college, than be all the way in Texas with people I couldn’t stand.
“You only have a year left, Piper. Just stick it out until then,” my mother, Justina, said as I sat, sulking.
“And watch live porno every night? No thanks.”
Mama chuckled. “Listen, if it’s that bad, then you’re going to have to be a snitch, baby.”
“I am not a snitch, Ma.” I giggled.
“Hey, it’s either that, or you’re going to have to put your foot down. I know you don’t like confrontation, but sometimes, in order for people to respect you, you’re going to have to set boundaries. I’m sure she will take heed once you let her know that you’re uncomfortable.”
“I honestly don’t think she’d care. But anyway, how’s everything back home?”
“Piper, you literally just left yesterday.” She chuckled. “Everything is still the same.”
I sighed. “I just miss home, and I miss you. But I promised you I’d finish.”
“That’s all I want for you, baby. You made it this far. Don’t give up when the finish line is just a few feet away. I want you to be the journalist you’ve always wanted to be. Interview celebs and be larger than life. Oh, and give me some grandbabies before I leave this Earth.”
“Uhhh, I don’t know about that.” We both laughed.
“Well, grandbabies or no grandbabies, I’ll be happy with just seeing you succeed and being the woman you’ve always wanted to be.”
I smiled as my eyes misted. “I really love you, Mommy.”
“I love you the most, baby girl. Did that man call you?” she asked, referring to my father.
I rolled my eyes. “He did. He congratulated me and sent me three hundred dollars like he doesn’t know the cost of living is triple that in this economy.”
“Hey, I guess he’s doing the best he can. You know he’s on a fixed income.”
“Mommy, please stop defending him. He owns a Fortune 500 company selling auto parts. He makes money in his sleep, yet he thinks three hundred dollars doesn’t equate to three dollars in this day and age.”
“I’m not defending him, love. Whether he sends you money or not, you know I’m going to always make sure you’re good. Whatever he sends is just extra for your pocket. No need to fret.”
“I guess so,” I said. I knew my mother still loved Andre.
They were married for eighteen years of my life.
But while she loved him with her whole heart, he only loved her with half of his.
The moment I turned eighteen, he got the fuck on.
No explanation besides he couldn’t do this anymore.
What this meant was still a mystery. He did, however, continue to send money that over time became less and less as I grew older.
I assumed he figured since I was twenty-two, I should be making my own money, not realizing that me being in college was all the more reason he should be giving me half of his damn income, in my opinion.
But I digress.