Dio
Mars texted me to meet up, but I had class, and by the time I could sneak off campus to see her, she said she was in class. All I could think about was what was going through her head. I had never stood her up, missed a meet-up, or been late when she called. This time, I failed.
“Fuck this,” I mumbled.
I decided to give this up and get back to Samara. However, when I went to walk around the dark tree, I felt my body being pulled back and some shit going over my head.
“The fuck!” I shouted.
My breathing became heavy as I started to panic, causing my arms to swing. “Get the fuck off me, nigga!” I shouted.
The grunts of the people I was sending blows to screamed loudly. I could tell they weren’t expecting me to fight back.
“Calm yo’ ass down!” I heard one of them say.
My body flung side to side as they started to roughhouse me.
I refused to go down without a fight because ain’t no way some niggas were trying to rob me.
I knew something like this would happen with them when they sent me to this dead-ass location.
I began fighting with all my strength until I heard one of them mutter about the fraternity, which made me settle down. They swung my arms.
“Ease yo’ rowdy ass up.”
I laughed wildly. “All y’all had to do was announce yourself. I bet you will think twice before trying to kidnap a nigga.”
I knew my smart remark only pissed them off because they began swinging me more aggressively as they led me to God knew where. We walked for a few more minutes before they pushed me, causing me to stumble.
“Bitch-ass nigga,” I mumbled.
The whistling of the trees, the cold breeze, and the huffing of others wrapped around me.
I knew shit was about to get real. The cloth was pulled from my head, now allowing me to see the four guys standing in front of me with sinister grins on their faces, while six goofy looking niggas stood in a line next to me.
My head turned to look at the other guys who were on the line.
Some of them looked nervous, others confused, and I was annoyed.
I turned to look back at the guys in front of me when one of them stepped forward, snarling at all of us.
“Don’t look at me!” he barked. “I gave y’all some of the rules, and already you Slime-ass niggas are fucking up!”
Another came alongside him. “Which way is east?”
I turned to see the line trying to figure out which way was east, but I just pointed in that direction.
One of the guys who stood in front of us looked at me. “Oh, you’re a smart little nigga. Look that way then!” he snapped.
My lips curled up as my eyes lowered on him.
Who the fuck do he think he talking to? Now I was fully regretting my decision because the thought of some random-ass niggas talking to me like I was his child wasn’t going to fly.
My eyes didn’t move as the guy and I stared at each other until the shadow of someone walking up caught my attention.
It was Beans. He came closer to the nigga who looked like he wanted to square up.
Beans looked at me with a neutral stare.
I could see he didn’t want me to fuck this up, but shit, I wasn’t some punk.
I decided to set my pride aside and look east.
“Now, Slimes, you all can look at me. I’m only going to say this one time.
It’s up to all of you to remember.” He pointed to the guy on the far end of him.
“That’s Freaky Zekey, Stay Fly, Spitta, and Black Educated-Ass Nigga with a S for a little razzle fucking dazzle, and I’m Dean God’s Gift.
” He paused. “You will refer to all of us as Big Brother, then our name. Every time you see us, I’d better hear greetings before any of that shit,” he finished as he glared at me.
For a moment, I felt like he was directing all his energy toward me. That nigga wasn’t a God. He was a light-skinned nigga saying corny shit.
Big Brother Freaky Zekey came forward. “Chain One. I want you all to lock arms backward. Chain Two, you lock arms side by side. Shoulder to shoulder. No one, and I mean no one, should break y’all’s chain. You stay locked in with your brother always. The bond shouldn’t be easily broken.”
We stood there looking at each other. “Chain One!” he snapped.
That was when I felt the guy to my left grab my arm and turn me like a bitch backward, while the person to my right turned, and I locked my arms with him. His body weight leaned on me for support.
“Man, this is some bullshit,” I mumbled.
Dean Thick Neck bellowed a laugh. “Lean that shit back some more.”
Our bodies fell back more, causing me to now rest slightly on the guy behind me. I could feel his arms shaking, and I knew if this nigga made me fall, I was going to lose it.
The sound of Beans’ voice got loud. “Now greet us in the same order you were told!”
I cut my eyes at him because who was he yelling at? I let out a sharp breath and started. “Greetings, Big Brother Freaky Zekey!”
We were not in sync, and that feeling alone let me know they were about to be on some crazy shit. However, we kept going.
“Greetings, Big Brother Stay Fly. Greetings, Big Brother Spitta. Greetings, Big Brother Black Educated-Ass Nigga. Gr—”
“Aht, aht! Don’t forget the S,” Big Brother Freaky Zekey said.
“My legs are giving out,” one of the guys in the line whined.
“I don’t hear y’all!” Beans shouted, ignoring the guy on the line.
My head turned to look at him. This nigga had to be out of his fucking mind.
He knew damn well nobody wanted to recite a speech just to say his stupid-ass name.
He shook his head because he knew I was about to say something.
The guy in front of me started the greeting before I could move my mouth.
“Greetings, Big Brother Black Educated—”
Beans came near me. My eyes slowly eased his way as he smirked at me. “We don’t take shortcuts. You Slimes are gonna learn today! Repeat that shit again!”
I shook my head. We finally got it right as we said it in unison. “Greetings, Big Brother Black Educated-Ass Nigga with a S for a little razzle fucking dazzle!” we roared so loud, the echo floated through the woods.
“Chain Two!” Big Brother Stay Fly called out.
A bit of relief hit me as we switched up, now looking at all five of our big brothers. “Greetings, Big Brother Dean,” I didn’t finish, but moved my mouth like I was saying it. There was no way I was calling that nigga God’s Gift.
Once we were done greeting them, I was waiting for rules and some other form of introduction, but there was none. Dean Thick Neck came forward.
“I know someone who hasn’t been feeling well. She needs something to cheer her up, so I want you, Slimes, to take her flowers. I will text one of you the address. Oh, and I don’t want her to have store-bought flowers. No fucking excuse!” he shouted then smirked.
With that, they walked off, leaving us standing there. “What type of fraternity is this?” one of the guys on the line said.
I ran my hand down my face. “I don’t know, but it seems like bullshit to me,” I started. “What’s y’all names?” I asked.
“Jeremiah.”
“Quan.”
“I’m Brian.”
“Joshua.”
“Chris.”
“And I’m Percy,” they told me.
“I’m Dionysus.”
Percy laughed. “That’s why yo’ ass ain’t call him God’s Gift, because you think you’re the God.”
I grilled his ass. “Nigga, I am. Now we need to figure out how we’re going to get this nigga auntie some flowers. I’m sleepy and being in these fucking woods all night ain’t going to cut it,” I spat.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about all this, but I knew that before I called it quits, I wanted to try.
The kind of shit I was doing, I knew my brother Zeus would not only be proud, but he’d also feel like he hadn’t failed me or my father.
The first semester of college was like butter, but this semester had brought light to a lot of things.
I had never thought this way before. This Black excellence shit was more than just the school’s mission; it was also my personal one.