Page 69 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“Shit,” I hiss when my cologne falls to the ground.

Good thing ano’ glass fi broke. I quickly grab it and spray my body, the cool mist waking me up a bit more.

I’ve already done my morning routine, slicked my hair into a ponytail, and gotten dressed — ready for work.

When I wake up, Nickoi isn’t anywhere in sight, and since I’m already running late, I don’t even bother to look for him.

Mi know him deh pon the balcony or in the living room though. I walk out of the room and just as I expected he’s sitting in the sofa on FaceTime with his brother, Jordane.

“Yuh nah have mi woman a school so late enuh yuh affi go fawud ova yer,” I hear him saying. Oh, Jordane tell him.

Jor laughs. “Arite nuh say 40.”

“Morning, babes,” I say with a smile, sliding into the conversation and glancing at the screen. I wave, throwing in a cheeky grin.

“Good morning,” Jor greets and I look back at Nickoi.

“Morning mi G, weh yuh say yuh ready?” his eyes scanning me.

“Yes,” I pick up my bag.

“Yuh eat breakfast yet?” he asks and I shake my head no.

“No mi a buy breakfast at school,” I retort, and he shoots me a look. Unconvinced I think..

“Member yuh starve yuhself other day and gwaan like eh did good enuh,” he reminds me. He gets up and I walk behind him, heading to the garage.

“Yow bro mi o’ cut now enuh... so do the right,” I smile at Nickoi while he talks to his brother. When he opens the Benz, I giggle and slide in, feeling the leather hug me just right.

“It feel new all over again since them fix it and also cas yuh been nah drive it.” He laughs getting in.

When we reach Spanish Town, he stops and hops out quickly. I use the moment to pull out my lip gloss, applying it with slow, careful strokes. Mi cya teach people and mi mouth dry. That nuh cute.

I wait patiently for him until he’s back with breakfast. “Nickoi,”I say fighting the urge to kiss him. It’s really a blessing to have a man like him. I take the bag.

“Thank you,” I smile looking in the bag. “But mi tell yuh mi would a buy breakfast ova school.” He doesn’t say anything.

My eyes find him and his cold eyes meets mine. “Start eat,” his tone leaves no room for further discussion. I take out a fry dumpling, dipping it in the gravy before I take a bite. “Yuh so bossy... Jeez,” I say after swallowing the first bite.

“Yuh nuh call me daddy fi nutt’n,” he smiles and I chuckle.

I take out a dumpling with gravy, pushing it towards him and he shakes his head no. “A your breakfast.”

“But yuh nuh eat yet either, so yuh might as well tek it,” I reason.

“Chicken that b,” he reminds me

“Ohh,” I bite into it. “Yuh couldn’t buy sup’m fi yuhself?”

“Mi nuh wah that,” he says. “Anyways this evening mi a come fi you and Jordane 3 PM so unuh can deal wid unuh thing at the house.”

I smile at him. “Okay.”

“Arite, mami,” he says, and just like that, my face heats up. I turn my eyes to the buildings rushing past the window, pretending they’re way more interesting than him.

I’ve never felt this many butterflies in my stomach.

I can’t stop smiling — love niceeee! My thoughts get cut off when he pulls up at the gate.

I slide over to kiss him, but then I pull back, laughing.

“The chicken in a mi mouth enuh.” He just grins and grabs me back, sucking on my bottom lip like he don’t care one bit. And yeah… I melt.

“You were saying?” he smirks.

After putting my stuff together I got out of the car blowing him a kiss. “Bye... take care, Nickoi.” He nods. “Say yuh promise,” I press.

“Promise is a comfort to a fool mi fadda would a say,” he jokes and I narrow my eyes at him. “But promise.”

I smile. “Good.” I walk off and he toots the horn, enough to get my attention. I look over my shoulder with my arms clinging to my dark brown tote bag.

“Wah yuh wah from mi likkle bwoy?” I ask, walking back to the car.

“Just a say mi did have sup’m fi yuh but yuh get way,” he bites his lip and I roll my eyes.

You hear that? My subconscious laughs.

“Chro,” I blush, walking away and he blows his horn before he drives off.

I was perfectly fine for my two first classes until it’s finally time for the Grade eleven students. Mi always get nervous when a fi dem time. “Good Afternoon students,” I smile as I walk in.

The class is hot—poorly ventilated. Or maybe it’s just overcrowded.

I sigh, trying to focus as they greet me.

We aren’t reading for today’s class; I’m giving them a test instead to see how far they are and if they are really learning.

The room gets so quiet, yuh could hear a pin drop.

When the bell finally rings, I ask a student to collect the papers.

Once she’s done, I take them and watch as the students file out, their relief almost visible.

“Hey miss,” Mark says, he’s the class clown. I look at him waiting to hear what he’s coming with this time. Everyday him come with something new. Unuh member him from the first time mi step in a the classroom him a look mi?

Him flirt with me everyday like mi and him a size. Him outa orda bad. Him can mind me?

“Hi,” I say, out of respect. Shouldn’t a’ answer this likkle bwoy but we move.

“Yuh nice and thing... yuh nuh single?” he tries again. Excuse me?

“You know I could write you up though?” my brow up, far from impressed. Write him up... see the paper deh Zara.

I take it up. “A just a question mi a’ ask yuh enuh miss mi nah try fi be rude,” he backs out. Sure..

I look at my watch. 2:04 PM. “Go to your next class,” I simply say and he stares at me. If this likkle bwoy nuh leave mi alone, mi a guh write him up.

“A chuu mi see yuh have a hickey pon you neck,” he says surprising me. Mi have a hickey? Jesus Christ. Me feel so embarrassed, how mi fi nuh notice that!? You were hurrying this morning..

“A that’s why mi ask if yuh have a man,” he continues and I grab my pen and start writing. “Miss mi just a say sup’m enuh,” he panicks and I scribble on the paper. He storms out. Like that a guh stop mi.

I leave the room shortly after to report him for flirting with me. The minute I step into the principal’s office and tell them what happened, both the Principal and Mrs. Adams get furious—like, proper proper mad.

“No manners that young man nuh have enuh!” she speaks angrily.

“Yes that’s too far now mon... I’m going to call his parents because clearly that young man nuh understand himself,” the principal says and I stand at the door.

I feel so pleased Mrs. Adams announces his name in the intercom just in time to hear a commotion outside.

I gasp, walking out behind the auxiliary staffs who are also rushing out.

“What’s happening?” They ask and I step out trying to see what’s happening for myself.

It’s a fight. I quickly walk towards the crowd trying to see what’s happening and gasp when I see Jordane on top of Mark. Jesus a wah this bout?! Children are cheering as they fight while teachers and other staff members are trying to stop them.

Jordane jumps, delivering a fierce kick to Mark, who stumbles back, only to be met with another blow.

Jesus is a Jackie Chang show dis! My subconscious gasps.

Jordane goes off — hitting Mark with uppercut after uppercut until blood starts streaming down his face.

Mark tries to fight back, but it’s useless.

Jordane’s moving like he’s trying to kill him, like he’s real-life trying to catch a body.

He just keeps coming, fists flying, and there’s no stopping him.

Mi wah stop them but the crowd too big and wild.

“Jordane!” I call out. A the only thing lef fi mi do at this point. And it nah go work to how Jordane heated right now. The teachers drag Jordane away from Mark and he grabs him again. Laad Gad.

I walk away, standing next to Mrs. Adams until a few male teachers finally got to pull away Jordane. “Watch how yah talk bout har!” his deep voice echoes Who?... Me?

My lips parted, wondering if I’m the reason why they are fighting. “Mi tell yuh about yuh mouth!” Mrs. Adams snaps at Mark.

Jordane points at him. “Yuh try thank God seh a me hear wah you say! Cas me bredda would a murda yuh brawlin!”

I approach Jor. “It’s okay... calm down,” I say to him and he nods walking away.

“Gwan like unuh too bad,” Mark mutters. Jor pulls away, I hold him back.

“Yow just watch out... like yuh wah mi buss off yuh throat!” Jordane says and I hold him. Jesus..

“Come mek we take a walk,” I say, with my arms around him.

After calming him down we got in the administration office where they both got a suspension letter from the dean of discipline.

Mark got a extra 3 days. When the whole thing was over he had to apologize to me in front of his mother because she got here and slapped him across his face a couple times after cussing him out.

I nod at his apology. “Apology accepted.”

“Move with that bwoy!” Jor fans him off aggressively. I touch him.

“Stop,” Mrs. Adams coax. Him bold like Nickoi. Lawd.

“In front a yuh madda mi a tell yuh that bwoy... move wid that!” he repeats, his voice deep. I hold his hand.

“I’m sorry... he’s with me,” I apologize walking out with him. He’s too heated.

“Jordane you affi stop dem style deh,” I scold him. Hear big sis-in-law.

He breathes as he walks, he doesn’t answer me. I’m used to this wid him bredda. Speaking of bredda, I spot Nickoi at the gate.

“Wah happ’m?”

“It’s okay,” I say. This need fi stop right now.

“Nutt’n nuh okay the idiot bwoy mek mi nearly affi buss up him face and then them a suspend me but mi d’even care bout school,” Jor hisses.

Nickoi looks at me with a blank stare. “Wah him do?”

I sigh walking towards the car. “When I get home I’ll tell you, dem already deal with it,” I breathe. Why him so hotheaded?

He hisses. “Mi seh wah him do?”

“Bwoy a look har from when and mi nuh know wah happ’m but mi in a class and hear him a style har and mi affi just deal with him,” Jordane explains. I sigh. Mi nuh know why mi feel stress so.