Fall 1997
"Get out of my way!" Britney said once Jun and Xue helped her to stand.
Britney had fallen down in front of the two women, drunk and crying.
"If I want my nails done and a facial, I'll let you know!" Britney cried out. "Now let me go!"
Shaking free, Britney marched up the stairs, wiping her eyes. The two Asian women watched the blonde woman, then looked at other confused. Their boyfriends approached them.
"What's up baby-girl?" Darterrius asked smiling and handing a drink to Xue his girlfriend.
At six foot two, Darterrius was a tall and muscular football player, although he had strong African facial features, his skin was the colour of peanut butter.
Jun spoke up first. "I don't know what her problem is!"
"Who da bitch?" Tyreese asked looking around at the packed house.
"It was Britney." Xue replied. "I bet her Sadie Hawkins date said no!"
Everyone groaned at Xue's words as people slipped by them at the busy party.
"Don't tell me that's not a real thing in America?" Said Xue, who was from Markham Ontario.
Tyreese took a breath before he tried to explain it, he however was cut off by Jun, his red-haired Chinese-American girlfriend.
"Someone oughta fuck that girl up!" Jun declared loud enough to be heard above the music.
"Ya!" Agreed Xue, who spilt her drink as she pumped her fist in the air.
Tyreese and Darterrius shared a glance, which was followed by a silent nod. Tyreese was the same height as his friend, but that's where the similarities ended. He played basketball and was leaner; his skin was also the colour of caramel with a hint of red, most folks assumed he had some Cherokee blood in him.
"We'll take care of her." Tyreese said.
"Uh... yeah." Darterrius added. "What he said."
Xue took a huge swig of her drink then yelled out. "Hold that bitch upside down and dunk her blonde hair into the toilette!"
The girls gave each other a high-five, then clashed their drinks together as they cheered.
"Keep Lance busy for about half an hour, and we'll take care of her." Tyreese said before giving Jun a kiss on the cheek and motioning for Darterrius to follow him upstairs.
Once they were alone, Xue said to Jun. "How do we keep that jock busy for half an hour?"
Jun pondered this before saying "I think the real question where is he?"
Meanwhile upstairs the boys had found Britney, she was sitting alone on the edge of a bed crying in the dark.
"How you want to do this? Darterrius asked quietly, "Maybe you be Brutus, and I'll be Cassius?"
"I was thinkin this..." Tyreese started to say. "If these were slave days, and you was a field hand, and I was the house N..."
"What you sayin?" Darterrius said loud enough to get shushed by Tyreese.
"I'm just saying." Tyreese said. "There's a time to pull the plow, and a time to use elegant words."
"I think I see what you sayin T-dog." Darterrius replied.
"Good! Cus I'm running out of slave metaphors!" Tyreese replied.
Tyreese leaned in close to whisper his plans to Darterrius, who nodded in agreement.
Once it had all been agreed upon, Tyreese slowly entered the darkened room as Darterrius remained in the hall out of sight.
"Britney?" Tyreese said softly.
She was dressed in a tennis outfit, with a pink shirt and white skirt. At five foot six Britney was blue-blooded blonde with snow white skin, and icy attitude to go with it. She was from New England, and naturally enough as head of the cheerleader squad, she dated Lance the Captain of the football team.
"What do you want?" She said nastily, "I didn't order a drink."
Tyreese took a deep breath, he knew she was a frosty bitch, but just like Edmond Hilary, he knew she was an Everest he could climb! Feeling bold, he moved closer and set a hand on her knee, then brushed an errand strand of hair from her face.
"I came to see if you're alright," He said softly. "I saw that you fell."
His easy words seemed to have drained her of her anger; Tyreese also noticed that she didn't push his hand away.
"Thank-you." Britney said with a sigh. "It's Lance."
Tyreese deciding to wait for her to speak remained silent.
"It's not just what he's doing tonight..." She said trailing off, "Lately when ever he goes to see that fat tutor of his, he comes back smelling like perfume! And I can't seem to figure out who it is."
Tyreese understood instantly who she spoke of, it had to be the manipulative Felicia. Regardless, as if he were a blacksmith, the time to strike the hot iron had arrived.