Page 84 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“Eat up,” Nickoi says, dragging me to reality. I was imagining myself in the exam room, cupping my cheeks with my test paper blank in front of me while everyone else works silently on theirs. I didn’t even remember I was having breakfast. Mi nuh know why yuh nuh tap worry.

“Still a worry bout that B?” Nickoi questions and I nod.

“In a way,” I say and he puts his hand on mine.

“You can do this, mon. Just eat your food,” he encourages, and I nod, finally starting to eat.

He prepared breakfast today since I couldn’t muster the energy to whip up anything myself. Mi not even know him coulda’ cook! The food taste good though, all if a youtube him watch. He made callaloo and salt fish with fry dumplings.

“The food nice babe,” I smile after a moment, and he nods before getting up to set his plate down.

When we’re ready to leave, I follow him to the garage and my eyes catch sight of my Benz. Ouuu look at her! Nickoi’s gaze finds me, and a smile spreads across his face.

“Mi s’pose to link Thomas cas yuh fi a drive it,” he tells me.

“Mi can drive it,” I try.

He shakes his head. “Yuh need more practice,” he counters, and unlocks his Benz door. I stand in the same position and he raises his brows. “Mi nah mek yuh drive it til’ mi feel comfortable seh yuh nah guh see a man pon the road and run over him and lick inna a wall,” I laugh out.

“A the way how yuh seh that fi me,” I continue to laugh.

“No sah.” He tries to hold the laugh. “Nuh you have school, come nuh.”

“Mi wah yuh drive my car,” I say and he looks at me for a second or two. Mi a bother him enuh, the look pon him face is a dead giveaway.

“Ah,” he simply says before he gets out and I smile walking over to the car. I dig through my bag for my car key and unlock the door. A smile plays on his lips as he gets in.

“A wah?” I smile, closing the door. He shakes his head.

“Nutt’n,” he rasps.

I tug on my seatbelt and realize that he isn’t wearing his. Matter of a fact him never put it on, only when him see police on the road but alwayssss a remind me! He reverses out, honks the horn at the security before he drives out.

“Why yuh do that?” my eyes on him. Mi sure him nuh know wah you a talk bout enuh Miss.

He glances at me, then back at the road. “Why yah be vague?” My point exactly, my subconscious says. Mi wah thump har yuh see, mek it did possible.

“Yuh eva a preach fi mi put on seatbelt but you never in a yours,” I say. he pulls it across without looking.

“Better?” his voice sarcastic.

I rest my elbow on the arm rest, cupping my chin with a smile as I look at him. His eyes remain locked on the road until they meet mine. He chuckles softly and I mutter, “Much better,” while I await his response. About five seconds roll by.

“Well, mi wear seatbelt sometimes,” he admits, and I shake my head, raising my hand.

“Yuh barely use it but you would a cut off mi neck if mi nuh have on mine,” I say and his facial expression shifts to something different. Hurt?

“What’s wrong?” I ask softly. Cyaa’ tek Nickoi and him sometime-ish ways dem enuh.

“Mi just... have a bad experience with that,” I look at him curiously waiting for him to continue but he doesn’t.

“Nickoi... ” I press.

“Mi nuh wah talk bout it,” he replies, and I let out a sigh.

“Mi always talk to you and if we in a relationship nuh’n nuh fi hard fi yuh tell me because I want to know you too... I want to learn more about you everyday.”

“Ah..” Mi hate it whenever him say that!

Usually I’d start giving him attitude, instead, I turn the music on and start singing to shenseea’s lighter. He turns it down.

“Did have a friend in high school weh mi use to mess round with, she was older than me... I was in 11 Grade and she was in college. She did have a man but mi and har thing did different. She and him did a have a fight and me did knock out in a mi bed. She call me how much time cause she did wah mi carry her home, but as mi seh, mi did a sleep cas me and Rick come in from a club frass out then in the morning mi hear say she meet in an accident,” he pauses, and I gaze at him, utterly stunned.

Jesus I dread where this story is going.

“Yeah... so next mawning, mi hear say the boyfriend did a speed cas him in a anger so him smash the break and she fly out of the windscreen, she never a wear no seatbelt and mi still feel like a my fault cas if mi did just get up mi wouldn’t mek that happen to har,” he confesses.

His demeanor shifts back to a semblance of normalcy, yet the weight of the memory lingers. “That’s why mi wah yuh in a the seatbelt all the time, a just a likkle memory weh haunt me sometimes,” he admits.

Jesus a how much trauma him one go through suh as a child– I mean, he was a teenager but damn. Mi go through things but it nuh reach that level.

“Damn.. and doh blame yourself Nickoi,” I say, processing the horrific news. “I’m so sorry about that.” He nods.

“That in a the past.” He says like it’s nothing. Bwoy..

“Her boyfriend died?” I ask and he shakes his head no.

“He was in hospital for a long time but him never dead,” his jaw clenches. “The air bag and the steering save him.”

“Nickoi yuh fi wear your seatbelt too, a nuh me alone, your life matters too,” I say, and he nods in agreement.

The story echoes within me as we continue our journey. Upon arriving at the school, I hardly realize it until Nickoi gently shakes me. “Zara wah yah worry bout?” his brows in a sharp arch.

“Nutt’n,” I pick up my stuff and lean in to press my lips against his sweet ones.

“I love you,” I smile.

“I love you too,” he responds, and I linger a moment longer, then step away. It feels so foreign walking back into St. Joseph’s Teacher’s College instead of St. Jago High. Mi did a get comfortable enuh, chro.

I greet the other teachers and enter the classroom where the professor is already speaking. “Morning,” I whisper as I sit beside Suzanne, who greets me with a warm smile.

“Did Nickoi bring you?” she asks, and I nod.

“You know, a mi likkle chauffeur,” I joke and she smiles. When we are done catching up we pay attention to the professor as she talks about the exam that’s starting Friday and the importance of it.

“Dem upsetting yuh see man,” Suzanne says under her breath to me.

“I’m saying,” I hiss.

“Wi cyaa’ afford fi fail this enuh,” Suzanne breathes.

“Nuh truee,” I agree and spot a guy across the room staring at me.

He’s in my class but wi never talk before. He’s tall, with fair complexion, dark brown eyes and a straight nose with his wavy hair. He doesn’t look bad but he’s not my man. At one point, I liked guys like him, but now? Gunman me please! Like fi real.

Mi know but him is not a Gunman, him doh have the buzz, my subconscious says and I laugh out.

Mi couldn’t hold it. Good thing nobody nah pay me nuh mind. I glance at Zanne, who is intently focused on the professor, and I follow suit. When it’s dismissal, Zanne and I stride out to the gate together. Just then, my phone rings, and the name ‘Mrs. Adams’ lights up the screen.

“Hey Mrs. Adams,” I smile.

“Hey Good Afternoon Zara... your professor spoke to me about the practicum that it’s completed and I gave her my report. I’m also aware of the sudden exam so if you don’t mind coming over today and tomorrow I could prep you because I really believe in you as a teacher,” I smile. That’s so sweet.

“Definitely, thanks a lot Mrs. Adams,” I reply, and we chat for a bit before she hangs up.

I share this news with Suzanne, but she informs me that she has to visit her dad in the hospital and can’t join me. I then call Nickoi, and he picks up on the first ring.

“Baby?” I say and I hear a female voice, distracting me. Who that?

Zara you a do good from wah day enuh. Leave it.

“I’m at the gate waiting for you and I’m gonna go over to Mrs. Adams to study, she’s gonna help me,” I say.

“Arite mi soon reach, weh Mrs. Adams live?” he asks.

“Mama’s last house... two houses down,” I pause, hearing the same female voice again.

“Ah,” I roll my eyes once he says that shit.

“Weh yuh deh?” I ask, he tells me he’s on his way. “You alone?” is my next question and I get a ‘no.’

“One o’ mi friend inna the car.”

“Okay. I’m waiting.”

NICKOI

“Mi alone think she sound upset?” Juaqína asks me with a laugh.

“Lowe that,” I heard it too. Mi nuh wah deh kinda drama deh right now.

“Yes so as mi a seh the police gyal and you did deh and yuh did lef har,” she lost me.

“Mi and har neva’ deh,” I correct her.

“Oh yea... just a next fling, but yuh affi guh deal with har enuh cas the gyal on to yuh and a she a the only one so close fi find out wah happ’m.” True...

“Nah kill har still, a that time mi would a look suspicious,” I reason.Yuh know. Guilty fi days.

She leans back in her seat, contemplating, then flashes me a smile.

“Blackmail har,” she suggests, snapping her short black nails.

“Or yuh can just threaten har seh yuh go expose har. Yuh house nuh have camera? And it’s not like a long time ago, ‘cause mi member when she used to text yuh while mi and you did a mess around or whatever,” she rolls her eyes at the thought.

“Still affi wait pon Mr. Blair though,” I sigh, feeling the pressure building.

“But consider my plan,” she says as we near the gate, then with a teasing glare, she climbs over to the backseat.

“Mek mi kindly go over before yuh wife throw mi out,” Juaqína says sarcastically and I glare at her.

“Bill,” I warn.

“Okay,” attitude dripping from her voice. Zara pulls the door and plops down.

“Good Evening,” she greets and glance at Juaqína in the backseat. She brushes off the arm rest.

“Yuh dirty this up?” Zara asks Juaqína and I look away face palming myself. Why woman so problematic? That happen when yuh have two woman in a one car with yuh weh have feelings fi yuh.

The worst thing. I look at the rear view at Juaqína and she winks discreetly. “You know a mi foot touch it enuh cas mi know you probably would want sit in the front like how you a the Don wife,” she says casually and Zara turns around.

Juaqína rocks her head to the side, staring at me. Like she a say ‘happy now?’ I pull off and Zara is quiet.

“Wah happen now b?” my eyes on her pretty face.

“Today a Wednesday babe and mi only have today and tomorrow,” she whines.

“Tell yuh seh yuh can dweet enuh just stop worry,” soon as the words leave my lips, Juaqína turns her head. Jah Jah.

“Mrs. Adams offered to help me, she’s so nice I swear,” Zara’s voice sweet. Her nut brown eyes flicks to the back. “Wah yuh name?”

I narrow my gaze, Juaqína smiles at the rearview then says. “Juaqína.”

“Ohh... I think I saw you when I was at the supermarket,” she says and Juaqína nods slowly.

“Yea... did a look sup’m fi a friend,” she says in a sarcastic tone. A wah this mon? Me she a talk enuh.

“Oh nice to meet you I’m–” Juaqína cuts her off.

“Zara,” she finishes, and I get a shy smile from Zara. Her cheeks high, averting her gaze to the back once again.

Juaqína nods slowly, voice sounding like a whisper. “Yea... he talks about you a lot.”

Jah, I can hear the jealousy dripping from her voice…