1. In The Palm Of #3
“Don’t try to sympathize with me. Pitiful!
If something happens to my son, you call me!
I’m the only number that counts! Y’all call me for everything else!
Jean day, a field trip, and don’t let it be a PTA meeting around this bitch.
You niggas blow my fucking line up like I owe y’all some rent money!
But bullying is where y'all draw the line? Pathetic!” She hissed.
I blinked. “Bullying is never condoned. Not here at least. Today was actually my first day meeting your son and you. I wouldn’t have known unless there was communication between him, another student, or faculty member.
I am Mr. Denver,” I extended my hand only for her to scoff.
“I get it, ma’am. Tension is high. Everything happened fast. I’m trying to assess and understand the situation just as you are, but I need you to meet me twenty percent of the way.
I can handle the rest. May I know your name? ”
“Nigga I don’t want to hear all that psychedelic shit right now!” She held up both hands as if to say stop.
I scoffed, walking over to grab my bottle of water. This would go nowhere in a screaming match. I checked the time on my watch to see if it was my lunch time. It was. Toggling my screen, I tapped the clock out button and locked my computer. This shit was free game now. Fuck it.
“That’s what’s wrong with niggas now.”
She looked at me in disbelief. “Excuse me nigga?”
“You’re excused. I said that’s what’s wrong with niggas now,” I repeated. “Is that what you think counseling is like?”
“I don’t give a damn what it is. But I’ll tell you what I do know.
I think you’ve lost your marbles if you think you’re about to be in here trying to tell me how to handle my son.
You can know how to deal with these other bad ass kids that run up and through this school and probably run yo ass too, but you will not invade on my life Nigga Springer,” she bobbed her head.
I had to scoff to hide my laugh. Folding my hands in front of me, I leaned against my desk while she continued going off.
“In this moment, the only thing I need for you to do is tell me what the fuck is going on without all that hear ye, hear ye bullshit! Nobody gives a fuck about your fake ass advice and whatever status you call yourself having! Whatever you did for another child may not work for mine ‘cause he ain’t like them! Now, stop the sugarcoating shit with me and tell me what the fuck happened!”
“Aight,” I pushed my weight off the desk.
My patience rarely got low, but the hollering was sending me over the edge.
I liked peace and didn’t let anyone disturb it, but she was shaking shit up.
Both kids and adults screamed at me daily, but I could see through her as if she was fragile grass awaiting a tap that could shatter her.
Even though this was our first interaction, she was easy to read.
I was a stranger to her and since she didn’t have a clue who I was, it was on me to make who I am and my intentions clear.
Walking over to the wall that held my degrees and many certifications, I took my time pointing at each one. “You see this?”
She raised an eyebrow. “And what about it?”
“My name is here, here, there, here, and over there,” I then pointed to the name plate that was beside my door.
“What that means Miss, is that I can do whatever the fuck I want, how I want to do it. Behind these walls, I play by my rules. I’ve been respectful.
I’ve been open. I’ve even been accommodating, but what I will not be is disrespected.
I get that you’re upset. You should be, but allow me to talk to you without all the extra bullshit.
I won’t beg for your trust, but I am asking you to allow me to do my job because I am here to help, bottom line. May I do that?”
My tone was still even. I didn’t believe in matching energy and seeing that my calmness never wavered, I knew she’d relax. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and her eyes closed for a second. When she looked back at me, I could see that a small piece of her walls came down and remorse filled her eyes.
“You are right. I apologize. You didn’t deserve that.”
Rounding my desk again, I opened my laptop, searching the Pea Drive for Zion’s file.
There were only three kids in the database with the same name and beside each profile was a picture.
His was second in the list and when I clicked it, there was barely anything there just as I suspected.
I opened a fresh tab to add on to the notes the front office and Shawn started.
“It’s cool. I’m used to it.”
“Just because you’re used to it doesn’t make it okay,” she spoke softly.
The double meaning behind her words made me look at her for a second.
She was still standing up with her arms folded against her chest. I extended my right hand toward the couch, signaling for her to take a seat.
For a second, she hesitated then slid into the chair opposite of where I pointed and released a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry. I’m just angry right now.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing to me. Let’s start fresh.” She nodded. “I am Vayce Denver, and you are?”
“Jersei Lane, Zion Collins’ mother.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Lane,” I moved my laptop out of the way to get a clear view of her.
“Let me reiterate, I had no idea what was going on today. It came as a surprise to me just as it did for you, but I want to first apologize on behalf of the staff for making you feel like we condone bullying. We do not, hence why Zion was brought to my office and not to the principal. He and I were having a great conversation before you came. He made it clear that the student had been bothering him since last year and he hasn’t said anything because he thought he could handle it.
He also stated the bullying stemmed from you and his dad not being together anymore. Sometimes parents separating can ca?—”
She held a hand up, clearly triggered by my statement, but square one was behind us. “If I wanted a reading, I would’ve taken my ass downtown and got one by?—”
“Mr. Iran?” I cut her off, raising my brow. “That nigga still over here doing them palm readings telling niggas they gone be rich by the end of next week?”
I visibly saw her body soften and her cheeks moved like she wanted to smile, but she fought it. “That nigga still there,” she mumbled.
Chuckling, I slid a cracker into my mouth without taking my eyes off hers. Nothing I did was sexual, but from how she shifted in her chair, I could see that she was affected by it. I finished chewing before speaking.
“I got drunk one night during freshman week at HHU. Me and my niggas went down?—”
“Ain’t you on the clock?” She lowered her eyes at me. “You’ve said nigga and cussed more times than I can count.”
“Technically, I’m not. I’m four minutes into my lunch and you’re interrupting.”
“Oh—” she stood.
“Sit your ass down. And don’t cut me off again,” I stated, but it came out as more of a command.
Miss Lane blinked rapidly and slowly eased back into her seat.
Obedient , I started a mental list for her .
Something about her aura made me want to remember every detail about her and I would. “Thank you.”
Our eyes met and we held our gaze. I’d been looking at her, but I didn’t really see her.
Although Zion had her big, beautiful round eyes, he looked nothing like her.
Her face was bare, and I equated her high rosy cheeks to her anger.
Her lips were full, glossy, and kissable.
My eyes ran down her body that was covered in an orange sundress that made her tawny colored skin glow.
Miss Lane was fucking beautiful. I hadn’t seen her fully from the back yet, but from the way her hips were spread and the dip between the curve of her hips, I could tell that ass was fat. Alluring.
For the first time in a while, I felt a spark, but in the back of my mind I wondered if it was only because she was the first woman to make me feel something different from the ones who threw themselves at me.
She didn’t give me a vibe of having to try too hard.
Some women did shit effortlessly, because they carried themselves with grace.
Jersei was one of them. I watched as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and blinked a few times to end our stare down.
“I umm, would like for you to finish this boring ass story if that’s okay with you.”
“It is,” I chuckled, taking down some of my protein shake.
“When I graduated, he told me I was going to be the best tight end to come out of Harvest Hills University. Mind you, I ran track. My sorry ass wouldn’t even be able to play football if I tried.
I’m in that bitch nodding my head, hyping him up.
Then he told my homeboy that he was going to get a scholarship out of state in Texas.
That nigga struggled to get his GED. Who the fuck was about to give him a scholarship?
” Miss Lane was hollering and that gave me the opportunity to see her teeth.
Both her side teeth were in place and the rest looked straight.
The points on the board increased and I didn’t know I was taking score.
“I knew he was full of shit right then. I tried to report that nigga to the Better Business Bureau and all.”
“You should’ve,” she chuckled but as quickly as her smile appeared, it faded so I pressed in.
“Is your ex-husband still in Zion’s life?”
“We were never married,” Miss Lane quickly responded. “And he’s around, I guess. He’s caught up in his own shit right now. His son isn’t a priority anymore.”
Single , I added and nodded once. My eyes flickered from her empty ring finger then back to her eyes as I continued typing notes.
Her eyes moved from me and out the window the same way Zion’s did earlier.
“Zy is umm, used to having both of us under one roof. The back and forth is taking a toll on him. I’m doing everything that I can but,” she looked back at me with tear filled eyes.
“I don’t know what else to do. My son is not bad.
I know every mama says that, but he’s the sweetest boy.
He’s just…going through a lot. I try to talk to him, but he just tells me he is okay when I know he’s not.
Hearing that he was fighting, scared the fuck out of me. ”
I stood, handing her a box of tissue. She stared at it for a minute then looked up at me, so I nudged it in her direction, and she finally accepted. Stubborn .
“I know he’s not. Good people end up in bad situations when their emotions go unaddressed,” I sat back down.
“Contrary to what the world tells you, change isn’t always good, especially when it’s sudden.
The same weight you feel, I know Zion does too.
Some of it may be from you two being separated, but the rest of that is probably him trying to help carry the heaviness you try to hide from him.
” Miss Lane wiped under her eyes while her knee bounced rapidly.
“Zion wants to know that someone is choosing him, just like you probably do.”
Her knee paused mid-shake, and she gave me her full attention. “How do you know what I want?”
“Hmph.” I wanted to answer her question with the first words that came to mind, but I bit my tongue. “That doesn’t matter until you know what you want, Miss Lane,” I advised before my desk phone started to ring.
“Mr. Denver,” I answered. It was Doctor Banks letting me know they were ready for us in the office. “We’ll be right over,” I ended the call.
“The principals are ready for us. I’ll make sure the most he gets is a day,” we stood at the same time. “I know we are three weeks away from the end of the year, but if you’re okay with it and he’s open to it, I can plan to meet with Zion in an effort to get him to communicate his feelings.”
She nodded. “I would love that and I believe he will too. Can you also make sure he has his medications on time too if that’s not too much?”
“I can do that,” I assured her. “I’ll send a schedule proposal to you. Once you sign off on it, we can move forward. Deal?”
Miss Lane nodded. When our hands met, I felt a surge of electricity shoot through my body. From the hum she released, I knew she felt that shit too. I didn’t know what it was and neither did I know if I liked it.
“Tha—thank you for everything. I appreciate you for putting up with my shit.”
“It’s my job. The details of the other student’s discipline will be finalized soon and when we have them, I will also share them with you.
” I followed behind her toward the door.
My eyes were so trained on her ass that I forgot one more thing.
Reaching in my pocket, I retrieved my phone and opened the phone app.
“Before you go, put your number in here.”
Miss Lane shifted. “I might need to ask for a handbook. You start off cussing, now you tryna shoot your shot? Did you forget that my son was just in a?—”
It was my turn to cut her off. “The first thing you said when you came in here was call me when he acts up,” I mimicked her voice the best I could. “I’m only respecting your request.”
Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she snatched my phone and entered her number before handing it back over. She slipped away without another word.
“And Miss Lane,” I called after her. When she turned, my eyes slowly moved from her thick ass hips to her beautiful ass face.
There was something about her large, dark eyes that I wanted to learn more about.
Stepping into her space, I leaned in closer than I intended, moving my head down toward her ear so she could feel my breath against her skin.
“I’m a grown man. If I wanted you, I would have you right here,” I tapped the palm of my hand twice. “Remember that.”