Work Text:
Preface:
“Hey, Auntie.”
“Why was the jail calling me, Jay? You in some kinda trouble again, ain’t it?”
“They gon’ drop the charges. It ain’t that serious.” Jared watched as Jaylin listened to the woman on the other end. The cheap phone made it so that he could tell that someone was talking on the other end, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying. She was loud, though. He couldn’t tell if she was just a loud woman or if she was mad.
“What is it?”
“I want you to know that this is not at all what happened.”
“Oh, I’m sure, Jaylin.” Mrs. Mack was standing with her hand on her hip and her eyes squinted like he could somehow see how mad she was.
“They said public indecency and something about a sex act.” He relayed reluctantly. Jared heard the loud ‘What?’ from the other end and grimaced, showing his teeth and scrunching his nose. “Auntie, that's not at all what happened. It was a fight…and and and…I landed on top of him. We were not having sex. You believe me, right?”
“I don’t know, Jay.” Mrs. Mack said. Jaylin sighed, she didn’t believe him.
“Can you do me a favor?”
“What, Jay?” Mrs. Mack was on the other end gathering her purse and putting on her bra.
“Can you get my homeboy, too.” Jared once again found his crescent-shaped eyes rolling to the back of his head. I am not his homeboy, he thought. Jaylin caught the other man's attitude and pinched the smaller man’s muscular arm.
Ow, Jared mouthed before pinching him back.
“Whatever, Jay.” Jaylin looked at him and smiled as big as the Cheshire Cat. He gave Jared a thumbs up and, to be honest, it did relieve him. He was going home for the night. Mrs. Mack hung up the phone and Jaylin followed. Jared smiled for the first time at the other man and Jaylin smiled back. He felt something in his stomach he couldn’t quite place, but he thought he was making a friend of the smaller man.
“Can I get my durag back?” Jaylin asked the officer as they walked back to the holding cell to wait.
Mrs. Mack's car smelled like old lady perfume, but she didn’t look a day over 40. Her long, curved acrylic nails were spread out as she pressed her hands on the steering wheel and, somehow, she was driving like just that. She was chewing her gum faster than Jared had ever seen anybody chew. He sat in the middle of the back seat, staring ahead and trying not to listen to their conversation as they made their way to his car that he was sure would have a hefty ticket on the windshield.
“And why was you out this fuckin’ late anyway? Ain’t you s’posed to be watching the house.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jaylin had his head slightly dropped, his eyes in his lap, and his locs were shielding him from the embarrassment he was sure would accompany him by looking her in the eyes.
“And you can stop with all that ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘no ma’-, you shoulda thought about some fuckin’ manners before going out fuckin’ in the streets.”
“I didn’t -,” Jaylin tried but he knew he wouldn’t get anywhere.
“I can’t even step out the house without one of the one hundred fuckin’ officers that know yo’ stupid ass calling me.” Mrs. Mack’s heart was beating out of her chest, she had to calm herself down before she hurt that boy. Jared was living for the moment silently in the backseat. “You make me sick to my stomach, Jaylin, you really do. And I want you out of my house first thing in the morning. Go find something to do. Make you some smart money. Fuck around, you gon’ end up just like yo’ brother up there at Alks County. I’m sure he havin’ a blast. He always askin’ about you, imma tell him ‘don’t worry, he’ll be here with you soon’.”
Jaylin sniffled. “I’m sorry, auntie.”
“I know," she became soft, "you just…you are a Mack, whether you got the name or not. They want you to fuck up. And you do…all the time, just stupid shit. Gon’ be like yo’ stupid daddy.” Jaylin huffed audibly and rolled his crying eyes behind his locs. “Dead.” She finished. The rest of the car ride was silent aside from the occasional “can’t believe you did this” from Mrs. Mack. The road was silent, not too many cars and the amber street lights illuminated the inside of the dark, red Audi 80. The hum of classic RnB, maybe Gerald LeVert, was saying more than any of them as Mrs. Mack parked aside Jared’s car.
He got out of the car on the driver’s side, making sure to not slam the door. Older Black people did not like their doors being slammed. He kneeled to the open window on the driver's side.
“I can’t thank you enough for the ride, Mrs. Mack, and for bailing me out.” He said sweetly, smiling his smile. A wide, toothy smile that made his eyes disappear.
“Anytime, pretty boy.” She reached out and touched his face and they both heard the door on the other side of the car close.
Jared stood up and walked side-by-side with Jaylin to the driver’s side of his car and they stood there, out of view from Jaylin’s auntie.
Jared opened his car door and grabbed a cigarette and his lighter from his console, immediately lighting it and exhaling all of his stressors.
“Wow, you really shouldn’t do that.” Jaylin said, face puffy from crying in the car, but yet, still a grin. Jared twisted his face.
“If anything, I deserve this.” There was a long silence as Jaylin watched Jared draw from the stick and blow the smoke out two or three times. Jared could feel his judgement. He sighed and threw the cigarette to the ground, not far from the one he had put out right before the incident that led them to where they were now. Now, they knew about each other. Knew of each other. Jared knew that Jaylin was a screw up who would end up like his brother or worse. Jaylin knew that Jared didn’t have ‘people’, that he was all alone here in South Hane.
“Where are you gonna go after tonight?” Jared asked as he folded his arms and looked up at the man. Seeing Jaylin’s face so weary, so spent, Jared felt a spark of empathy touch his soul.
“I’ll pro'ly be in, uh, pro'ly in some hotel until Wednesday or somethin’.” Jaylin said in his naturally deep voice, looking down at the ground.
“So you don’t got no people either?” Jared asked.
“I do.” Jaylin said, quickly. “They over in East Side, I can’t see ‘em til Wednesday, though. Pro’ly get some work from ‘em, my uncle, then I’m tryna move out.” He said convincingly. Jared learned something new about the once-a-stranger. Jaylin had an escape. Even if it was only to East Side, it was a start.
“Oh…okay,” Jared nodded his head and then backed up as he retreated into his console again, this time pulling out a pen and an old envelope. Probably some bill. He placed the envelope on the roof of his car and reached up to write. His short t-shirt rose above his waist, exposing his hips and the hair below his navel. Jaylin peeked before averting his eyes to his feet and back up. Jared's back was a perfect arch until he came back down off of his tippy toes with the note. “Here’s my number,” he rolled his eyes nonchalantly and handed the note to Mr. Linh. He put his hands up in a defensive manner. “Just in case we need to talk about something.”
“Yeah, for sure.” He put the paper in the pocket that once held his pointer finger gun and smiled. “Can I…have a hug? We been on a ride tonight, boy.” Jaylin said, justifying his ask. Jared was hesitant, twirling his Converse around the parking lot, until he decided to close the space between them with an embrace. His arms hooked underneath and his hands on the other man’s back. “You still smell good, even after being in jail.” Jaylin said into the night as Jared laughed upon their separation. His nose scrunching up, in the cute way that it did.
“Thanks.” They stood there for a moment. “Have a good night.”
“Yeah, you too.” Jaylin lingered for half a second too long. Mrs. Mack honked the horn to let him know. He walked back to the car and Jared waved to the woman before getting into his own vehicle and driving away.