With Faith & Love

Janese woke up and felt no one lying beside her. She saw a note lying on the pillow.

Morning Lady,
Sorry I\'m not there. Plunkett called me earlier this morning and said he had some good news for me. I\'ll be back as soon as I can and we\'ll go out later on.

Love,
Pooh Bear

P.S Is is still red?

\"Ha ha ha very funny Jackson.\" Janese climbed out of be and jumped in the shower. After a nice twenty minutes she got dressed and ordered a movie. Just when the movies started she heard a knock at the door. She looked through the peephole and saw Plunkett. Janese opened the door with a questioning look on her face.

“Hi Jan Je Jett here?”

“No, he left a note telling me he went to meet you.”

“I haven’t seen him yet.”

“Come on in. I’ll call him on his cell.” Plunkett stepped inside and took a seat on the couch. Janese dialed Jett’s cell number. “He’s not answering.”

“What do you mean he’s not answering,” Plunkett asked, walking over to the phone. “He never cuts his cell off.”

“I know. But if he’s not with you then where is he. And why did he lie to me saying that he would be with you?”

~*~*~*

“How can I help you,” the nurse asked.

“Hi, I’m Jett Jackson and I received a call that Kayla West was here,” Jett answered.

“Are you family?”

“No, just a close friend.”

“Wait right here. I’ll go ask the doctor if it’s okay.” Jett watched the nurse walk in the back. Janese would kick his ass if she found out that Kayla called and begged him to come to the hospital.

“Mr. Jackson, I’m Dr. Reid.” The two gentlemen shook hands and began a slow walk. “Kayla’s condition isn’t all that serious. I don’t know why shlledlled you.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up. She’s not hurt all that bad,” Jett asked.

“No, Kayla just broke her arm and has a couple of scratches on her face.”

“What happened?”

“She says she was attacked by a dog.”

“Why aren’t her parents here?”

“You got me. That’s probably why she called you.”

“Could you do me a favor and tell her that I hope she gets well.”

“Sure.”

“Thanks doc. I gotta go.” Jett half ran half walked out the hospital and back to the hotel. When he reached room 372 he checked himself. “Don’t look so anxious Jackson. Just be cool, be normal.” He slid the key in and walked in. Janese was stretched across the couch watching Jerry Springer.

“Hey baby,” she greeted. She cut the T.V. off and walked over to him.

“Mornin’ Are you ready to go?” They kissed and she went back to the couch.

“Yea, I just have to get my shoes. So, what was the good news?”

“What good news?”

“The news Plunkett had for you.”

“Oh yea, right. Plunkett.” Jett scratched his head and looked around. “Ah yea, he had to tell me that um…”

“He had a movie part of you. You’ll probably start after your first year at NCU. If you’re interested.”

“Baby, how you know that?”

“ ‘Cause Plunkett cam over and asked me where you were.” Jett’s face hit the floor.

“What…why did he come over here?”

“He came over here looking for you. We tried your cell but all we got was your voice mail.” Janese crossed her arms and relaxed. “Jett, where were you?” Jett cursed himself out in his head. He walked over and sat beside Janese. He stroked her hair and kissed her on the cheek.

“Baby you know I love you and I want to be with you and only you for the rest of my life-“

“Jett get to the poineaseease.” He took a deep breath and held her closer.

“I got a call from someone in the hospital.”

“Who’s in the hospital?”

“Nessie calm down,” Jett said. He took a deep breath before he answered. “Kayla.” Janese jumped off the couch.

“You left me here, lied to me, and went running to her? Was she critically hurt? How come she didn’t call her parents?”

“Because! I don’t know! I talked to the doctor and he said it wasn’t even all that serious. She got bit by a dog or something. I don’t know!”

“So she tricked you again. And you fell for it! Jett I know you two were like life long friends but can’t you see what she’s doing?”

“You mean to tell me if that Jordan guy called you, you wouldn’t go running to him.” Jett yelled, standing up.

“Jett, what does that have to do with anything? And since you brought Jordan up, we never dated like you and Kayla.”

“But he asked you!”

“Don’t turn this around on me! Why did you go running to her?”

“Because she needed me!” Janese stepped back and scoffed.

“She needed you?”

“Janese I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that she couldn’t call her parents. She couldn’t call anyone, everybody around here hates her.”

“Why do they hate her? What did she do that made her parents not want to be there for her?”

“She’s turned into something else. She’s not the Kayla we all watched grow up.”

“What did she do Jett? What else has she done that you’re trying so hard to keep away from me?”

“That driver who hit me was…he was..”

“Who?”

“Her boyfriend.”

“What? Jett, how could you not tell me.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think it was important.”

“What else should I know?”

“Nessie calm down please!” Jett tried to pull her back down on the couch but she pulled away and grabbed her purse.

“No, I’m not going to calm down!” She had tears in her eyes now. “I thought you would have figured it out after the first time but you haven’t. When you go and see Kayla behind my back, you call tell her that she’s won.”

“Janese where are you going? Janese?” She ignored Jett and stomped out the room. “Fuck!!”

~*~*~*

“Miss Coretta, I just can’t believe him. He lied to me to go to her.” Miss Coretta joined Janese at the table and patted her hand.

“It’ll be okay. Men do things, stupid things, when they’re in love. They get confused and don’t think. Jett does love you. And he still has love for Kayla too. That girl has some type of hold on him and he doesn’t know how to let go.”

“What kind of hold?”

“Jett and Kayla grew up together. They did everything together. I remember when they were about fourteen and Kayla had come back from art camp. Over the summer, she hit puberty, if you know what I mean. Child, me Jett saw that girl he lost him everloving mind. They claimed they were dating, but that wasn’t nothing but puppy love. But it bloomed into something real. As they grew older, they grew closer. And then she went psycho or something. She sold the diamond ring Jett bought her for her birthday, then it was over. But you never forget the first person you fall in love with.”

“I know what you mean. I have one boyfriend before I met Jett. His name was Romulus Darian Jenkins. We met in the eighth grade. I couldn’t stand him at first, but he grew on me. We started dating in tenth grade. The only reason why we broke up was because he had to move to Germany. His dad was in the Air Force.

“How did you feel?”

“Abandoned and hurt.”

“Jett felt the same way. He would walk around the house mad and then be depressed until he met you. That boy lit up like a Christmas tree.”

“I understand now. I’ll go back and talk to him. That’s what people in love do, right?”

“Yes. And they grow together.”

“Thanks nana.”

“Your welcome baby.” Janese gathered her things and left to go find Jett.

~*~*~*

Jett walked down the street and entered the park. He sat on one of the swings and exhaled loudly.

“Why do I always find a way to mess up? I do good for awhile and then I mess up. Why? I never knew love would be so complicated?”

“And it doesn’t get any easier.” Jett turned and saw his father.

“Hey dad.”

“Hey son. What did you do this time?” Wood sat on the swing next to Jett.

“I lied to Janese, went to the hospital to see Kayla.”

“And Janese found out?”

“Yup. And she found out that it was Kayla’s boyfriend that hit me.”

“You didn’t know? You can’t keep nothing from a woman. Especially a black woman. They can smell when you lying.”

“Dad, I don’t know what to do. Kayla didn’t have anyone to see her so she called me.”

“And you fell in the trap. You have a lot to learn. Janese will come around. But you need to stay away from Kayla. That girl ain’t nothing but trouble and you betta get that through your head before you lose Janese. Then you’ll have no one to see you. Misery loves company.”

“Thanks dad. I’m gonna go back and see if Janese is there.”

“Ill see you later Jett.”

“See ya.”

“Do you want a ride?”

“Naw, I need to think what to say so I don’t mess up again.”

~*~*~*

Janese stood in the lobby waiting for an elevator. When the door opened, she quickly stepped in and pushed the button for the third floor. A hand pushed the door back and Jett stepped in.

“Hi,” Jett said carefully. He was making sure he chose his words carefully.

“Hi.” Janese fiddled with her hair and looked back at him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you about going to see Kayla. You two have a lot of history.”

“What do you mean? I still lied, and I’m wrong.”

“I didn’t say anything about the lie. I’m talking about your friend.” The elevator doors opened and they stepped out.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about her butting in our lives. It’s just gonna be me and you.”

“Hold up. I didn’t say we couldn’t have friends of the opposite sex. We just have to be careful.” Janese pulled out her key and opened the door. “I’ve been in a situation kind of like yours. I had a boyfriend. His name was Romulus Darius Jenkins.”

“You remember his whole name? Aw shucks!”

“Would you listen, I’m trying to be serious.” Janese sat on the couch and started taking her shoes off. Jett sat beside her and played with her hair. “We dated for a year and a half. We had to break up because he had to move to Germany.”

“What are you telling me this for? I don’t want to hear about you and other guys.”

“Because, I had the same feelings for Romulus like you have for Kayla. It was hard for me to let go. ‘Til I met you and everything changed.”

“I don’t have any feelings for Kayla. What she did to me was dirty. I still can’t believe what she did. But I love you and I’m glad that I got the chance to meet you.” Jett kissed Janese and pinched her nose. “I’m happy we can talk about these things. That’s what I love about you.” He started caressing her thigh and kissing her neck.

“Don’t get too happy sir. You have a lie to make up for.” She put her feet in his lap and leaned back on the arm rest. “Get the massaging.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And you better do it right.”