Accidentally on Purpose

Accidentally on Purpose 6

6-

Imani

"I need to talk to Dr. Pine," I state.

I'm at the front office. The office has no decorations or characters save these regular gray block statues on the desk. Down the long hallway was the red room. There was a door there. It was always locked. No one went in the red room. No one except Jamal Comey that one day a while ago. And Pine of course. Pine always went into the room. I've been stalking him for days trying to find Pine but I've had no luck. He makes random appearances. He's not the type of headmaster to discipline or anything like that. There were only very few rules when it came to the Dread Fort. Because of this, seeing Pine was like seeing a unicorn. The one rule of the Dread Fort was clear. Don't interfere with the experiment.

Jamal Comey had interfered with the experiment.

"Pine had promised me that Jamal wouldn't become a problem moving forward. Well, that wasn't the case. Jamal was a problem. Jamal being back was a problem. He's been completely quiet.

The two secretaries at the front desk lift their eyes almost in unison. They have these square framed glasses and these icy blue eyes. They look at me and give me a smile, at the same time.

"About what?" one of them asks.

"That's personal," I respond.

"What's personal?"

"What I have to talk to him about is personal?"

One of them takes out a notepad at that moment. The bitch takes out a notepad and then glares up at me like I'm about to give some life changing sermon.

"Do you consider your relationship with Dr. Pine to be...personal?" she asks.

It's a weird fucking question to ask. Was she implying that there was something emotional going on between me and Dr. Pine? What the fuck kind of question is that?

"No. Hell no."

"Then why do you believe that you could have something personal to talk to him about?"

I'm annoyed. I'm annoyed as fuck. This wasn't the first time these ladies played with my head. It's almost like the faculty of this school loved to test us. They loved to see how we would respond to shit even if we weren't in class. I can't help but immediately get pissed off at her line of questioning. My face wrinkles. I put my fists down on the table.

"Look bitch," I tell her, "I'm not the one to fuck with. I need to talk to Dr. Pine now! Do you fucking hear me?"

The other assistant puts her hands on her chin as though trying to figure something out. They look at me. They exchange glances. They take notes. They study me like I'm some kind of fucking lab rat or something.

"I see..." is the only thing she says.

"YOU SEE WHAT! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU SEE!"

"Very emotional," one says to the other.

"Very..." the other replies.

I look down on the notepad. Words are written on the paper that I don't seem to understand. They are coded words. As I look down I watch her move her paper, clearly wanting to keep the information from me.

"What are you writing on that sheet?" I ask her, "Bitch, what are you writing about me?"

"You seem angry. What makes you angry?"

"Fuck YOU BOTH!"

I slap over the blocks at that moment. This wasn't going anywhere. If Pine wasn't going to see me then I was going to go straight to the source. I was going to find Jamal Comey and I was going to make sure the motherfucker didn't talk. One way or the other.

~

It's late at night. Karma has GQ's hands in his. It's strange having this feeling with GQ. GQ keeps biting his lip and he can tell. He can see the nerves and that makes him feel a little bit more comfortable. He knows that it isn't just him feeling like this is something new and exciting.

GQ had a tendency to walk him to his room. They both notice a few of the other boys are still up in the common room even though it's late at night. Joker and DeAndre are playing a video game on the big television. They damn near pause the game when they see GQ and Karma walk in holding hands. This isn't the first time. They've gone on three dates now. You would think people would be used to the fact that they were dating, but that wasn't the case. People were nosy. People were interested. Sire had been doing sit ups in a blank space past this big statue that Patrick Murphy had bought for the T-Dorm. He stops...sweaty and bulky to peer over and see them together.

"Thanks for tonight," GQ tells him.

Karma can feel all these eyes in the T-Dorm looking at them like this is some sitcom but truthfully the strongest eyes were GQ's. GQ must notice the attention too because he stands directly in front of Karma blocking out all the extra stuff. He is clearly only interested in Karma's attention.

"How'd you like the movie?" he asks GQ.

GQ smiles at him, bright flawless smile, "To be honest I had no idea what was going on."

"You fell asleep."

"No I was watching you the whole time," GQ states, "But believe me, I don't regret going. That was an Oscar winning scene."

"You don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"Kick game to me," he tells GQ, "You don't have to be this smooth talker man. Just be yourself. Not GQ. What's your real name?"

"Greg."

"Be him."

GQ looks over at him. Karma can tell no one's ever asked him not to be this persona that he created before. Karma can almost see his heart beating faster. Karma's is beating faster as well. They stare at each other longer than they should and both end up giggling like young kids who just realized what a crush was. GQ bites his lip.

"Normally with any other guy I would have tried to fuck by now," GQ explains, "But with you, it's different. I have no desire for that."

"Oh dam...I don't know how I feel about that. You not attracted."

GQ's eyes bulge, "Wait. That's not what I meant at all. I find you more attractive than I've found anyone. It's just that I value you so much. When we do fuck it's going to be..."

GQ leans in. His lips are close to Karma's. He breathes in slowly almost completely taking Karma's breath away from him. It's almost as if he's stealing his breath. Karma gives it away freely. His mouth lingers inches away from Karma desperate for affection until slowly Karma presses his lips down on him. His tongue enters GQ's mouth. GQ's old self must take over for second because he finds himself tracing up Karma's leg. His dick hardens in the space between them when he grabs the fold right where the back of Karma's thighs end up his fat bubble butt begins. He presses his chest up against Karma. Karma exhales more air into his mouth after the next kiss. His finger's creep closer to the split in Karma's ass. His dick is aching to have Karma but right when he's about to get there...he stops.

"We can continue this in the room..." Karma tells GQ.

"You sure?"

"Looks like we have some eavesdroppers."

"I don't know. I don't want to rush things with you."

"I know I'm not Patrick Murphy..."

"Man don't ever compare yourself," GQ states, "Those eyes, that face, that personality. I would make love to you all night man. All fucking night..."

Karma leans in. He bites GQ's earlobe. He can tell it is breaking GQ because he is literally beginning to hump Karma right there in front of everyone through their clothes.

GQ states, "Man you better stop playing with me. I'm trying to respect you."

"What if I don't want you to respect me? What if I want you to take me into my room, hold me down like your little bitch, make you call you daddy and fuck the dog shit out of me?"

Karma's never spoken like this before and it seems to catch GQ off guard as well. A huge smile spreads over GQ's face at that moment.

"HELL YEAH! I mean, yeah, sure. That's great. Only under one condition though."

"What's that?"

"Maybe I can spend the night with you..."

"That would be cool man. I never did that."

"Spend the night with someone? Before you I hated it too. Could never sleep with someone."

"No...not sleep."

"What then?"

Karma leans over almost embarrassed. He felt comfortable with GQ and he didn't want to admit it. GQ is all over him and he's all over GQ. The feeling is real, to say the least.

"Sex."

"You never had sex?"

Karma shakes his head. He seems embarrassed when he sees GQ's mouth almost dropped open in shock. GQ gives him a stare that he can't read at that moment. He wonders if it was a good idea to reveal that so soon. Maybe he should have kept that to himself. Maybe it was too much information for GQ to handle.

GQ takes a step back.

"Let's wait," GQ tells him.

"GQ, I'm fine. I want you to have it."

"I want it to be special. I don't want to take your virginity just cause I'm horny. I want us to have a bond. You know what I mean? I want this to mean something," GQ explains to him.

The feeling was real at that moment. The feeling was raw. The two of them exchange looks. Both of them are hard. Both of them want to do something but there is a feeling that maybe if they wait this could blossom into something that neither of them expected when they had that first kiss in class.

That is why Karma kisses GQ on the cheek, slowly, gives him a smile...turns and goes into his room, all the while thinking that maybe GQ was the one...

~

"Jamal!"

Seeing the boy who used to be my best friend at this moment was weird as hell. He turns and faces me only because he has to. I corner him in one of the lab buildings where students are dissecting a whale's uterus to understand reproduction systems of large mammals. Jamal looks the same. He's still sharp, tall and has this real glaring stare. He always used to be the life of the party but something else was different. It wasn't his looks. Jamal still had that. It was his muchness. Jamal once could command the attention in the room. He was that guy who everyone noticed even though they tried their hardest to ignore. He was the guy who as soon as you left the room you talked shit about him. You would say things like "Who does he think he is?" or "He's not as fine as he thinks he is". Jamal was that guy...at one point.

He wasn't that guy anymore.

"Imani...hey how are you?"

The way he says it is weird. After all these years Imani thought if he ever saw Jamal Comey again that Jamal would want to kill him.

"I've been good. How have you been?"

"Great."

Jamal turns around seeming as though he had a million other things he'd rather be doing than having this conversation.

"Listen, I was wondering if we should talk about Henry."

"Henry?"

Jamal raises an eyebrow...confused.

"You remember Henry, right? Our best friend."

Jamal pauses for a second as though trying to pull up some memory of someone that he barely even knew. It's weird. Jamal and Henry were inseparable. They did everything together. They were closer than I could have ever been to them. So why was Jamal struggling to remember?

"Oh yeah. Henry. What about him?"

"Listen, I want to cut the shit," I tell him, realizing that he's pretending at this point, "I need to know if you are going to start some shit up. I know you blame me for ratting you out to Pine and getting you sent to the Red Room."

Jamal pauses.

"Red room?"

"You know...the Red Room."

"There's no such thing," Jamal states.

"Then where the hell have you been this whole time?" I ask him.

"I was transferred. I ended up coming back," Jamal responds, "That's all that happened. No such thing as a red room. You're being ridiculous."

Weird. It's so weird. It's also weird that Jamal looks away at that moment. I turn down the hall. I see a faculty member standing there. The faculty member is just waiting, patiently. The faculty member isn't doing anything. He's just watching us have this conversation from afar. I look over at Jamal. `

Was Jamal scared someone was listening to our conversations or something?

"Listen, Jamal, if you do want to go to the cops I'm all for it...but I think you should take me with you. Listen after what happened with Pine I wanted to go to the cops. It was Pine. He told me no to."

"Man I'm really confused."

"It's almost like the school is trying to hide things that happen here," I explain.

I was tired of having this weight on my shoulders from Henry. It wasn't my fucking fault. None of it was. It was a stupid prank. Who knew Henry would die that night? We just got him fucked up. That's all. Who knew it would go that far? And when I figured it went that far we were willing to do something about it. We were willing to go to the cops. Pine stopped us. This was all Dr. Pine's fault and now that Jamal was back things could all fall apart.

"I'm not going to the cops."

"You aren't."

Jamal nods, "Water under the bridge."

I'm confused. The last time I saw Jamal he had come up with a conspiracy that I killed Henry myself. He was livid. Now he was acting like it's nothing. When he tells me it's water under the bridge he gives me this smile. It's this weird lurking...smile. It's the oddest thing I've seen from Jamal. He was always cool. He was always too cool. This smile wasn't like Jamal.

It was different.

"Ok..."

I don't know what else to say.

Jamal nods and smiles, "What do you have to be scared of? It's not like you murdered someone..."

I try to stop him but he pushes me off. This motherfucker was playing me. He was fucking playing me. And this was amusing to him. I watch as he runs off and I run after him as fast as I can. I run so fast that I almost run into someone.

I look down and notice it's a faculty member.

"Excuse me," I state, helping them up.

"You would like to see Mr. Pine?"

Strange timing. I was talking to Jamal Comey and then all of a sudden a member of the faculty walks over me about Pine.

"Um...yes."

"Follow me."

I'm taken to a room. At first, I'm horrified it's the Red room, but it's not. It's a room with a machine in it. Pine is already in the room. He smiles at me when I walk in. It's one of those weird smiles of his that makes me so fucking uncomfortable.

I wait until we are alone in the room. I look at Pine.

"I have to talk to you," I tell Pine.

"Were you trying to talk to me or Jamal Comey?" Pine asks.

"You gave me no choice. You've been avoiding me."

"So you went to Jamal Comey for what..."

He's suspicious. Is this what it took to get a meeting with him? I had to threaten him about teaming up with Jamal and finally revealing the truth about the fact that Pine was the one who covered up Henry's death. I didn't want to go down for what happened to Henry. If I had to bring this whole school down crashing around me I would do it. I have dreams. I had a future. There was no way I was going to be involved.

"Why'd you bring Jamal back?"

"Why not?"

"You're playing games. So here's a game. You get rid of Jamal for good or I'm going to the police and jumping ahead of this story."

"Is that a threat?"

"Poor high school student makes a mistake that causes his friend's death. He wants to report it so bad but his school tries to cover it up. He feels so bad about it that he comes out. I can write a book about that shit. Don't ever try to play me, Dr. Pine. I'm not Jamal Comey. So no more games. Get rid of Jamal Comey today, for real this time... or I'm going to the cops."

I was tired of the games. I was tired of the bullshit. I knew why they brought Jamal back. He wanted to test me. He wanted to see how I would react. This was all one big game to Dr. Pine and the faculty. I saw how they took notes.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"He's gone. I'll have him transferred by the end of the week. Under one condition."

I knew it. It wouldn't be that easy.

"What?"

"A small experiment."

Experiment. What the fuck?

"Listen I'm not here for all that."

"Those are my requirements. Next to you is a lie detector test. You answer all 3 questions truthfully and Jamal Comey is gone...forever."

"Just 3 questions right?"

"Just 3."

~

The day goes by fast after I leave Pine's office. I go to the room that Jamal Comey is stating and I look in. Sure enough I see him packing his bags. He's being transferred. We exchange looks for a minute and Jamal closes his door without saying a word.

Him being transferred didn't guarantee his silence but it did guarantee that he stayed away from Karma.

"Something weird is going on in this school," I tell Sire.

It's later in the day and classes are over. Zaire was throwing one of his little events. This one was just a barbecue and pool party that everyone was having in the courtyard. Sure enough, the faculty didn't give a fuck. A few were there, staring and studying but they never interfered. Someone could have dropped dead right in the middle of that courtyard and I don't think the faculty would blink an eye. They'd take notes though. They always took notes.

I didn't want to come but Sire dragged me along. I'm glad I did come though. It's nice to be gawked at. I'd been hitting the gym hard to burn off the stress that Jamal Comey was back. I don't know why I was feeling like he'd be coming for my throne or something. Maybe this was some crazy plan where he acted like someone he wasn't. But the more I think about it the weirder it is. Jamal Comey that I knew never missed a party and he wasn't here.

"You just now noticing that?" Sire asks.

"What's up with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

I look Sire up and down. The dude was damn near naked. He had on speedo that was barely there. His dark chocolate body was shimmering and oiled up. He was making damn sure that he even gave me a run for my money as far as attention goes.

"This isn't you. This outfit. You being all sexual today. This is something GQ would try to pull. What are you going for?" I ask him, "What's wrong with you?"

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Look in the pool."

At first, I was surprised on why he had me turning to the pool. A bunch of bottoms were having a dance contest in the pool. The DJ that Zaire had hired was playing loud music. I see a bunch of familiar faces. A bunch of nobodies. Some people were gawking over at Sire and I wondering if we were going to come in the water. Then I notice something. I notice a group of attractive versatile boys staring away from Sire and I. Something had gotten their attention and for a moment I honestly thought that it was Jamal Comey back to be the King Bee of the Dread Fort.

I'm wrong.

It's GQ. And he's not alone. He's in the water. He's grinding up on some boy. Usually, that wouldn't be anything to take notice of. That was a normal day. Only GQ wasn't drunk. He was sober and the boy he was grinding on just so happened to be Karma.

I watch like so many others as GQ grabs Karma by the hand. They HOLD HANDS as GQ goes to make Karma a plate. Then they sit, shoulder to shoulder at the nearby bench eating barbecue.

"You're joking," I state.

"He wanted to hide it from you. He thought you would be mad. Where have you been? How did you not notice?" Sire asks.

Sire wasn't hiding his emotions. That was the thing about him. He was such a boy. He always had been. Right now I can see him clearly crushed that his obvious crush with Karma didn't work. But I was the one confused. There is no way that Karma could be falling for the shit that GQ sold him. No way. I am more bewildered than anything. Since when did GQ go against what I said? Since when did he think for himself?

I wasn't going to take it anymore. I find myself walking right up to the table. I sit down across from them. I can see GQ's eyes get wide as fuck.

"You two look cute..."

GQ seems shocked, "Sire...hey...um..."

He looks confused that I'm here.

"Why try to hide it from me that you two are dating?" I ask, "I think you make a nice looking couple..."

"Thanks," Karma says.

Karma didn't know me. GQ does. He knows I don't mean it. I'm pissed and I'm steaming through this smile but there was no way I'm going to let the next man see me sweat. No way in hell. I'm glaring at GQ this whole time.

GQ turns over to Sire who is lurking nearby.

"Thanks for opening your big mouth man."

"Wait...was this supposed to be some sort of secret?" Karma asks.

"No baby, of course not," GQ states putting his arm around Karma.

"Baby?" Sire asks laughing at that moment, "Baby! You calling boys your baby now? You sound like a clown GQ. We all know that's not you. The shit you would do to get into some ass..."

I'm not shocked Sire is calling GQ out like that. I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened sooner. If I had any doubt that Sire liked Karma this was it right here and right now. I'm just shocked that GQ liked Karma too. Since when did GQ like anyone? I had been so distracted by this stuff with Jamal that nothing else really seemed to pass my mind.

"First off he's a virgin," GQ responds, "Look how dumb you sound."

I look over at Karma. I don't think he wanted GQ to reveal that but GQ is a fucking idiot so I'm not surprised when he does. I look over at Karma and I swear it's like GQ just announced that Karma had gold at the end of his rainbow.

I look at him in a whole light.

He was a virgin...this whole time.

Sire says the thing that seems to be on my mind as well, "Karma, why would you date the biggest player in school knowing damn well you are a virgin?"

His question makes sense. It is a killer to the bro code but it makes sense. I'm wondering the same damn thing.

Karma doesn't get a chance to answer. GQ is embarrassed as he should be. He was my friend. I loved him to death but the nerve of this guy to date a fucking a virgin. I knew GQ. It was a matter of time before he fucked Karma, used him up and threw him to the dust. And I don't know why I care. I shouldn't care. But for some reason I do.

GQ isn't right for Karma.

Hell, neither is Sire for that matter.

They were boys. One thinks with his emotions and the other thinks with his dick. Karma needed a man.

"You mad because I got the man that you're in love with?" GQ asks.

Love is a strong word. It's even stronger when Sire doesn't deny it. The burn is deep. GQ says it loud too...loud enough for other people to hear. Loud enough for the nosy faculty to hear. People are glaring over. They are watching. They are wondering.

"Who the fuck are you talking to?" Sire asks GQ, walking over to him.

GQ stands up. I know where this leads. GQ was used to getting what he wanted. GQ knew how to get under Sire's skin and Sire was the most sensitive guy I knew. In his mental state right now I don't think GQ wanted to cross that bridge with Sire.

They are about to fight, but I grab both my friends at that moment. I take them away from the scene. There's no way this is going around. Not when I'm here.

"We are not doing this. You got faculty watching us. Bottoms, verses," I state, "People are living to see us break up and argue with one another. Are you serious? You're ready to do this fighting over a boy?"

"I'm dating him. Shouldn't be no argument," GQ states, "I thought my friends would be happy for me. The fact that I am changing my stripes."

I want to roll my eyes but Sire actually does.

"We are happy for you...aren't we, Sire?" I ask.

I had to keep this group together. No matter what. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of the Henry situation. The last thing I wanted

Sire is reluctant to agree.

Sire shakes his head, "I can't be happy for him. Patrick Murphy is Anonymous. He knows what we did..."

GQ's mouth drops. My heart pounds. Patrick Murphy was a little fucking privileged weasel. He was obsessed with GQ and I should have known he would become an issue if GQ ever tried to move on. I look over at him now. He's not that cute. He's sitting around the pool smirking and pretending like he ruled the world. I needed to put that little piece of shit in his place.

"He's threatening us now?" I ask.

"He overheard us talking about using him. If GQ moves on, he'll expose us," Sire lets us know.

"That settles it. Get rid of Karma," I tell GQ.

GQ looks stunned, "What?"

"Get rid of him."

"I'm not just going to cut him off."

"You have to. Listen GQ, we are friends? Aren't we? Best friends. We protect each other. You don't let some random boy come in the middle of us. How about this? We all stay away from Karma. He's causing way too much drama as it is. We stick together. We make sure this bullshit with Henry doesn't blow up in our faces. We grow. Together. We are the ones everyone wants to be. Don't forget that, GQ. Don't forget that. The last thing WE are going to do is fight over one of the normal and that is exactly what Karma is. He's normal. We are who they wish they were."

GQ is hesitant.

Sire shakes his head, "I'll stay away from him if he does."

GQ sighs, "I'll dump him."

"Good," I state, "Bros before hoes. Remember that. They won't break us up. We're stronger than they are. We are better."

I grab GQ's head. I know it hurts him but it's for his own good. The idiot is dumb enough to fall for it too. All I had to do was wait until GQ broke his heart. Sire ignored him.

And that's all it would take.

I'd swoop in and I'd make Karma mine.

That's when Joker runs over to us out of nowhere, "Have you guys seen this..."

I'm so confused what he's talking about but then I see that there is an email sent to every student on campus. The email has nothing but an attachment. It's sent from the faculty.

I pull up my own phone.

That's when I see it.

No.

NO!

Pine wouldn't fucking do this.

I see a video of myself.

I know what I discussed in that video. The three questions.

I look up at my friends after they watched the video. They saw what I discussed in the video. They knew the truth now. They knew the ugly truth.

"Listen I can explain," I start off.

I don't get to finish before I see fists flying at me from both GQ and Sire.

To read the next chapter go to www.crushedcrown.com