Page 89 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

I woke up early this morning and I did my morning routine before heading to the kitchen to make my breakfast. I want ripe plantains. That’s the only thing I feel for– no eggs, no bacon, no franks. Just fried plantains. I get you.

My phone vibrates and I notice that someone texted me on Instagram. I check the page and notice that it’s the guy from my class. Same one weh did a look pan yuh? And he liked your seven posts.

My feed’s got that influencer vibe—boujie, organized, mostly fashion shots.

Me in cute fits at restaurants, beach pics with the perfect glow, a couple college pictures, and some little vloggy vlogs.

Everything’s crisp and polished. Then my highlights?

Full of travel, selfies, and random moments, more real life between the staged pics. As a real life hot gyal!

Moments after, I start frying the plantains and hear my phone vibrating again. Nuh tell mi seh a the boy text you again. Why him a do this now God? I check it and he sent a message, I quickly take out the plantains before I hop on the stool, checking the message.

*Hey.. I saw you in class and knew I had to make you mine* 8:18 AM

I read his message and groan. Had to make WHO mine? Him delusional eeeh? I don’t want to reply to him. But yuh done seen it. This is so awkward cause mi a go see him at school today. Ugh! Why mi open him chat? Ech?

Now mi affi go reply cause him online and mi know him a wait fi mi response. Sigh. I start thinking of a tactful way to tell him that I have a boyfriend, then I type it once I finally come up with one.

*That’s sweet… but I’m taken*

He reads it immediately and starts typing and I raise my brows as I bite into the plantain.

*Want yuh still. We can link*

“Zara,” Nickoi’s voice pulls me back. I look up, startled. He’s grinning—teasing. Mood light, eyes dancing.

“Morning, babe,” I smile, and he walks over to me, grabbing the phone. He holds it up in the air for me to reach it. I know he wants to play with me, but the phone’s still showing the message! Mi naah do nutt’n bad enuh... but him might think mi a entertain it.

I gasp and reach for the phone, but his goofy expression shifts instantly. Uh-oh... He narrows his eyes at me, lowering the phone, but before he can even look at it, I snatch it from him. My heart race. Shitttttttt!

“Why yuh grab mi phone like that!?” I ask angrily, but deep down it’s really my anxiety talking.

I know he suspects something. Look how him a stare pan me!

Mi nuh know why, but mi feel like I shouldn’t answer the guy’s message.

Nah lie, it kinda feels like cheating...

in a way. And it mek yuh feel and look guilty. Yes.

He’s glaring at me. “Zara... wah deh pon the phone?” Ah bwoy. Look how yuh mek the simple situation bad, when yuh fi just play it cool.

I sigh. If him see say it’s a man I’m texting him nah go understand because the way it already look. Mi nuh know wah fi say.

He shakes his head before he smiles. “Yuh know wah? Doh answer... lowe that,” he walks out.

I follow him into the room, watching as he slips on his desert Clarks. He’s already in a black shirt, black jeans. His jaw tight. “Nickoi let me tell you,” I stand in front of him. He shoots me a deadly glare, directly in my eyes.

“Tell me wah?” Hello sir? Calm downnn.

“One of mi batchmate.. him text me and say him like mi and mi tell him say mi have a man but because you just grab the phone same time mi get frighten and mi know if mi did tell you, you wouldn’t understand at the moment,” I explain.

I put my hand on his shoulder and step between his legs, staring at him with pleading eyes. He smirks.

“Mi understand b.”

I smile. “Okay good.” I move away, but he grips me.

“Tonight a Gina dead yard. The man dem plan fi head to Mobay later. Yuh think yuh can make it?” He asks, voice low and steady. I nod, no hesitation.

“I think so... exam won’t last more than four hours,” I tell him.

“Ah, just bring clothes fi sleep in and a jeans, ‘cause wi have printed tops fi the funeral tomorrow,” he says, his tone casual but with a hint of something deeper.

“We sleeping at your house after the dead yard?” I ask, my voice steady but the question hanging heavy.

“Yah, and come back up tomorrow after the funeral,” he replies, his tone clipped but final.

“Okay,” I say. “I can do that.” I slip into my uniform, then head to the garage. Nickoi’s already in the passenger seat of my car, and I can’t help but smile.

“Mi a drive?” I ask, excitement creeping in as I slide into the car.

We buckle up, and I ease the car into reverse. “Mi hate do this,” I mutter, eyes locked on the rearview mirror, until I finally get to the main road. I honk the horn at the security before pulling off.

Big driver! My subconscious says hyping me up. Mi seh she know how fi hype me up yuh see. Big Supligen energy.

“Mommy, mi nah hear yuh,” Nickoi says, his tone sharp.

I glance at him, then back at the road. He goes silent, and slowly, I start hearing his mom’s voice louder, her shout cutting through the tension in the car. “Nickoi mi go stab har up if she nuh come out a mi place today enuh! Today today mi want har out!” Jesus a Janel she a go stab? Could neva’.

“Mommy, a you tek har in enuh, so mi nuh know why yah complain to me,” Nickoi tells Nicki, his voice firm, like he’s had enough of the back-and-forth.

I tune out their conversation, eyes locked on the road. Nickoi hangs up just as I near the school, letting out a heavy sigh. I pull up to the school gate, then turn to Nickoi, offering him a smile.

“Yuh soon nuh affi come with me caus—” He cuts me off, yanking me towards him, his lips crashing into mine. The force of it takes me by surprise, and before I know it, my cheeks are burning.

“Mash up the exam fi daddy enuh,” he smirks. Chro monn unuh hot enuh, my subconscious says. I pull away, eyes locked on him. “I will.”

I slide out of the car after talking with him, my mind already shifting into exam mode.

I check my phone—messages flooding in, everyone wishing me luck.

Mrs. Adam’s message stands out, a smile creeping across my face.

It’s the little things that make the chaos feel a little less heavy.

I smile and send her a heart before I step in the exam room.

*You got this sweet girl*

You know that feeling you get when you know you’re about to sit an important exam? It’s like you’re having an internal session with yourself before the invigilator puts the paper on your table. Well, God, this is it.

I pray quietly before I look over at Suzanne and she gives me a smile. The lady reads the exam rules to us before she tells us that dreadful.

“You may begin.”

When mi done, a the happiest mi ever feel in a while. Meee? Happy bad. You know when you walk out of an exam and you just know yuh shell it down? Yes a so mi feel.

Tell yuh seh you a bright gyal enuh.

“How was it?” Zanne asks with a smile. Usually I’d say I don’t discuss exams, buttttttttt! This is an exception.

“It was goodddd,” I beam. Judging off her attitude she enjoyed it too.

“Girl, when mi start, mi seh, a so exam fi look!” Zanne grins. We keep chatting about the exam until others start jumping into the conversation. When we finally wrap it up, we leave the room.

Suzanne looks over at me as we walk out. “You a go Mobay too right?”

“Yes mi affi get ready,” I retort.

“Same girl so mi a go hurry and leave. See you there,” she waves.

“Later, love,” I smile and amble to the gate. I stand there, waiting for about half an hour, until my legs start aching from standing too long.

I call Nickoi a few times and his phone goes to voicemail. Anytime yuh call Nickoi and yuh nuh get him sup’m wrong enuh. Always…or him a sleep.

Sure him nah sleep right now though. I dial his number and it goes to voicemail again. My mind runs on the phone call that he got this morning. His mother was very angry and she said she’s going to stab the person if they didn’t leave her house.

S’pose Nickoi go deh and get himself in a trouble or get hurt? Jesus Christ not this again. Mi know sup’m bad a happ’m. “Are you okay?” A girl in my class asks and I shake my head.

“I’m okay,” I lie but mi head feel like it’s gonna explode.

“Okay,” she says before she walks away. It’s not like I’m stranded and I can’t take a taxi and go home but I’m just worried because I know Nickoi is in trouble. I know it. Call his friends!

I call Anna’s phone and she answers. “Hey Anna,” my voice soft.

“Hey Zara yuh alright?” she asks. I shake my head, then I remember she can’t see me.

“No I’m not getting Nickoi and him s’pose to come for me and I don’t see him,” I say and she sighs.

“Jai just rush out enuh,” her voice sounding stressed. That sound like mi right...

“Give me Gutta number,” I sigh.

Once the notification comes in, I hang up the phone. I call Gutta and he picks up but he doesn’t say anything. Forgot seh him nuh know the number so him nah go talk first. Mi see Nickoi do that to people.

“Hey Gutta, it’s Zara, yuh know weh Nickoi deh?” I ask, worrying.

“Him tell mi fi get you,” he retorts.

“Where is he... him in a trouble?” my heart racing.

“Him deh a the hospital with Ms. Jane.”

“Wah happ’m to har?” my brows up.

“Like dem say she faint,” he retorts. “Nuh worry bout that though dem seh she wake up.” Thank Goodness.

“Alright,” I say, and silence follows. He hangs up, leaving me waiting for another fifteen minutes. Then, a white Mark X pulls up. The moment I see it, I know it’s Gutta.

“Good afternoon,” I say as I get in, and he nods in response.

“Good Afternoon Zara,” he says driving off. “The G tell mi say fi come fi you just a while ago enuh.”

“Okay thanks for coming.”

“That a the least man... yuh good though?” The car accelerates.

“Yea... now that I know he’s okay,” I say and realize Gutta smiling in my peripheral vision.