Page 7 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

What should I do? I feel like my mind is about to explode. I’m uneasy. I swallow hard with my eyes fixed on the phone. Jesus. Should I even listen to Gavin? I heave a sigh and scratch my scalp. My fingers are almost touching the red button while Gavin’s stare is prodding me to answer.

I do it. The call timer running followed by silence. Girl why yuh answer the call?!

“Hello?” I trail off. I’m not sure what to say exactly. I don’t normally answer unknown number and the incident an hour ago doesn’t make this situation any better. This could be an—

“Goodnight,” he greets and I gasp. That voice! The badman really call yuh!? my subconscious asks, confused. Sure did, but why? And how him get mi number?

Oh right, he had my phone. Pfft! Does he really think that I know Trevor? Is he going to target me now—to kill me?

Gavin notices that I’m worried and rubs my arm. “Calm down,” he hugs me briefly.

“I don’t know Trevor... sir,” I cringe at my own words. The things you do when you’re desperate.

“Who say nutt’n bout Trevor?” he asks coldly. My heart starts beating faster.

I look over at Sash who is just joining us from the bathroom. She gives me that ‘Wah d hell a gwaan’ look. A pity she nuh know seh mi nuh have a clue. “Put it on speaker,” Gavin whispers and I press the button.

“I-um I’m... sorry,” I stutter, looking at Gavin for help. I don’t know what to say.

“From yuh bring up Trevor you know who it is enuh,” he says, his voice makes me shiver.

It’s very husky and low pitched, making me fear him even more.

Gavin puts his index on his lips. Sash slowly gets on the bed, listening.

You can only hear our breathing. “Yuh can talk to me enuh mi nuh bite,” his voice like a low rumble, pressuring me. I literally don’t know what to say.

“I’m sorry but what do you want?” I ask, hoping I don’t come off rude as I read Gavin’s lips.

“Well, all wah gwaan a you me wah see back enuh,” he says, surprising us. I stay silent, staring at Sash who is celebrating with her hands covering her mouth. Psycho. Gavin rolls his eyes at her before he looks back at me. “Him nah go see you again.”

“Muma?” he repeats. “Talk to me nuh.”

“I-I yeah mon,” I try to sound relaxed but I’m far from that. Yeah mon? Really Zara?

“So, mi a see you again?” he repeats.

“I have a boyfriend,” I shot at him and regret it. What if he tries to kill me now? Jesus! He chuckles.

“Mi nuh care bout that, mi nah look yuh,” his words harsh. Um? He made it feel like that though. I don’t care either because a criminal who shoots at innocent people could never be my type.

“Okay, it’s just that you said you wanted to see me, that’s why I said that,” I clarify. So don’t flatter yourself. Say that if you bad!

“Yah, mi wah see you but that nuh mean me a try look you,” he’s lying.

“Oh.” is all I say.

“Yah, gwaan big up yourself tho muma,” he hangs up. I let out a loud scream in my head, when suddenly my room turns into a conference room with Gavin and Sash talking at the same time.

“It better if she block the bwoy number!” Gavin yells at Sash who is disagreeing with him. I lie down and start ignoring them. I’m confused and I don’t have the energy to even talk. I cover my face with a pillow hoping it would block out their noise but it isn’t working. They raise their voices.

“No mon, unuh done now nuh!” I snap. They both stare at me, maybe because I don’t usually speak to people this way. I’m always good at controlling my temper. But things are changing. Life is getting real.

“Yuh nuh see say the badman love yuh off?” Sash asks, irritating me. She acts like she has never been to school. It’s like her brain is the size of a peanut. I don’t care how harsh I sound.

“Who cares though? He was going to kill that poor old man and possibly kill us too,” she scoffs at my words.

I continue with my point in a whisper yell.

“And he just made it clear that he isn’t looking at me that way which is totally fine with me.

What I’m not fine with is the fact that he’s calling me.

I don’t want to have a conversation with someone like him! ”

Sash sighs. “Him only say that cause him a badman and dem nuh like show feelings.” Here she goes again with the nonsense.

I shake my head. “Bwoy,” I face palm myself.

“Yuh bring up other man, yuh nuh think the man a guh try diss yuh too?”

“Mi nuh wah hear nothing more from you,” I turn my back to her on the bed.

“Sash! Mi convinced seh yuh no have not one sense!” Gavin chimes in just in time. Ooop.

“Unuh don’t think! Yuh know say him would a protect her and look how him cute? Yuh lucky him look at you a shoulda me.” she babbles and I glare at her.

“You a hear yourself?” I ask but she turns up the TV— obviously ignoring me. Gavin shakes his head. “A danger that yuh hear, best if you just avoid him.” I nod.

“Come out a mi place wid yuh noise!” Mama shouts from the living room. Without a second thought, I roll off the bed and dart through the door with my cousins on my heels.

“Mi nuh live yer too Sandra?” he slurs. It’s my dad, drunk as usual. He looks at me with a smile. My jaw twitches.

I can’t believe this is my father. A total stranger. At one point, he was so handsome—every woman’s dream man. Now he has given up on life it seems. When last him trim?

“Wah gwaan mi daughter, come give daddy a hug,” he garbles. His shirt smudged. I roll my eyes at him. He has never failed to embarrass me.

“You is a disgrace!” Mama spits bitterly. He stumbles and grip the sofa handle for support. Mama glowers at him, her hands on her side. “Everyday God send, you come in drunk like a bat! Worrying bout Michelle when a you hurt har!” Mama snarls. Right.

My mother has been living in California for as long as I can remember and ever since she has tied the knot, this has been the result. It’s very strange, because he treated her terribly when she lived here in Jamaica.

“Look at you! You can’t even represent your daughter!” she adds. He doesn’t seem to care. Instead, he slumps down in the sofa, picks up the remote and power on the television.

“Mi a go sleep now, good night,” I say as I walk back to my room. Why did I have to get a father like him?

“Sleep tight Bess,” Gavin tells me. He knows exactly what I’m going through.

For the rest of the night, I watched Perfect Guy, but it was more like Perfect Guy was watching me.

It was really me against my thoughts, staring at the screen blankly.

My mind was all over the place. I moved from Malik’s drama to the shooting incident— then back to the unknown call, followed by my father’s disrepute. The cycle continued.

I stayed up all night. I heard the bathroom door open and close occasionally throughout the wee hours of the night.

It was either my cousins or my father. Mama doesn’t close the bathroom door when she uses it at nights.

Superstitious beliefs. I heard someone in the kitchen too.

Not sure who, but because I was submerged in my thoughts, I couldn’t close my eyes even once.

I mentally groan when I hear the roosters outside.

I look at the time. 5:50 AM. Mi not even sleep and mi have school today again.

Ah bwoy.