The Scammer(17)
“Well, except your girls,” I counter. “You can always rely on us. Sisters, remember?”
She nods with a grin. “Facts.”
She turns back to her notes with a satisfied smile. I watch her study and suddenly have the inexplicable sensation to protect her at all costs.
* * *
The next day, Loren invites Kerry over for dinner.
“I’ve seen you walking around campus,” Kerry says, shaking Devonte’s hand, giving him a hard once-over. “Just strolling and hanging on the Quad. What’s up with that?”
Loren shoots her a look.
“Girl, don’t be rude,” she snaps, mouthing a “Sorry.”
But Devonte takes it in stride, stepping back into the kitchen to fix her a plate of his rice and beans.
“When you’ve been locked up for as long as I have, fresh air is all you crave. So since I’ve been out, I like taking long walks, even at night. Your campus is real nice but what makes it beautiful is seeing all these Black faces. It’s like being back in Africa. It’s heaven for me.”
“Hmmm,” Kerry says, tapping her chin, and slips out her phone. “What’s your Insta?”
“I don’t like using phones. The type of radiation going through our bodies leads to all sorts of cancers. Especially cervical cancer. There’s been several studies.”
Kerry purses her lips. “That sounds made up.”
He shrugs. “You gotta do your own research, Queen.”
“Okay, Jordyn. Google that!”
I grab my phone, but Devonte’s voice stops me.
“Nah. That ain’t something you gonna find on Google. And for someone at such a prestigious university, I’m surprised you would use Google as your main source of information. Think about who owns and controls Google. Who owns and controls most of the high-traffic search engines. Why would the enemy give you access to such knowledge when their whole goal is to keep you ignorant. Remember, they didn’t even want us to read.”
Kerry watches him, skepticism floating in her eyes. Vanessa seems to notice and jumps in.
“Devonte, go easy on us, damn,” she says with a light laugh. “How about you give us some real-life advice.”
“What kind?”
“How about dating!” Kammy says, with a mischievous grin.
Devonte chuckles. “Well, I’ve been around the block a few times and one of the first things women tell me is if they could go back, they’d tell their younger selves to get closer to their feminine energy source. That’s the key to it all.”
“A few times,” Kerry echoes. “So how old are you?”
He chuckles. “I’m old enough to know never to ask a woman her age. When I was young, I made the mistake of asking a shorty at the train station her age. Shorty almost took a bite out of my neck.”
The girls giggle. Kerry’s icy walls seem to melt just enough for her to smile.
“You ever been in love?”
“Damn, in love?” He ladles soup into bowls, passing them out. “Well, love lives in that place between souls where the light just blinds you. So who knows if you’re in love or in ecstasy?”
His eyes fall on me, and I look away, fearing my cheeks will redden.
“Well, we all know what ecstasy is,” Kerry cackles, giving Loren a high five.
“Facts!”
“Not me,” Kammy says, all proud. “I’m still a virgin.”
Loren drops her spoon on the floor. “You’re a what?”
Kammy straightens her shoulder, holding her head high. “We’re waiting for marriage. Well, me. He’s already lost his before me.”
Vanessa slaps a hand to her forehead. “And you’re just telling us this now? Girl, how long have you been with that preacher’s son? Six years?! And never . . . not even once?”
Kammy looks to me for back-up but I’m a little shocked myself. The way she flirts with anything that gives her an ounce of attention, I assumed she’s had more experience.
Devonte’s face doesn’t falter. “That’s commendable, sis. It’s good that you’re trying to stay virtuous for your king.”
Kammy beams, triumphantly.
Devonte goes on to talk more about men and women, the roles they should and shouldn’t play.
Kammy pulls up a chair, eating his words, her soup all but forgotten.
* * *
With so much going on in the dorm, I almost forgot about the first student government meeting at the Malcolm Center. After dinner, I scramble to the conference room on the first floor, joining a small crowd of students filing in.
In the front of the room, I spot Nick talking to a few of the other officers. Of course he would be involved in politics.
“Hi everyone, I’m Nneka Young, president of FUSA. Welcome to the first all-hands Frazier U Student Association meeting. Gonna let everyone introduce themselves before we get into the agenda.”
Student officers announce their various titles. Vice president, secretary, etc. Next, they allow the individual school councils, like School of Education, School of Fine Arts, School of Engineering, to introduce themselves with updates.
Nick steps up to the mic. “Hey, I’m Nick Chandler. President of Arts and Sciences. We’ll be having a small town hall next week to discuss the recent police shooting to see how we can better support the community. But we need more volunteers to help with fall programs and gearing up for homecoming. . . .”