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venusdian · 19 days

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I. Junis' Awakening

Junis stood on the poorly painted wooden porch. Police sirens were coming from a distance. The beautiful skies didn’t make the tone of the events that occurred. Junis’ mother, Janis' curdling screams echoed throughout the neighborhood as people started rushing out of their houses. Her mother held her older brother, Sylas in her arms. His dark brown eyes were glued to his mother as blood was coming out the side of his mouth. He coughs, and his blood splatters on Janis’ face as she cradles her baby boy.

Junis watches as the police sped down the street. The bright white ambulance parked in front of their house. Junis’ vision becomes blurry as she can feel the room spinning. She tries to hold onto the crooked staircase, but her hand slips, and falls down the stairs as everything fades to black.

Junis springs up from her queen-size mattress. The quilt that covered her was now messily laid on the floor. Junis begins to pant, trying to catch her breath as sweat coats her face. She exits the bed and rushes into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and waking up her roommate, Síauna Rivera. Junis’ hands firmly grip the white porcelain skin.

She looked down at the sink. Her eyes were watering. Síauna knocked on the bathroom door, making sure her roommate was alright.

“Junis?” She calls out. Her tone was laced with concern but was a bit harsh as she just woke up. Junis stayed silent, softly sniffling.

“Junie… Do you want to talk about it?” Síauna asks. Junis softly sighs, shaking her head.

“No, I’m ok,” Junis answers, lifting her head and looking in the mirror.

“You sure? This is your third nightmare this week…” Síauna asks, leaning the side of her head on the bathroom door. Junis looks away from the mirror, letting her hands go from the sink. She wipes her eyes and walks to the door. She opens the door. Síauna stumbles slightly into the bathroom.

“I’m ok,” Junis assures her. She walks to her bed. She slips on her Black furry slides and takes her phone off the charger. Síauna sits on her bed, watching Junis getting prepared to leave.

“Junie, where are you going? It’s almost three am.”

“I’m just gunna take a drive around campus,” Junis mutters, grabbing her Tupac hoodie and slipping over her sports bra. Síauna skeptically looks at her.

“Are you going to see Cassius? You know, he has a girlfriend.” Junis shrugs.

“What does that have to do with me?” She questions as she grabs her glasses off the nightstand.

“I thought you were focusing on yourself this year.” Junis hums and looks over at Síauna.

“I am.”

“How if you’re going to bother the same man who won’t break up with his girlfriend, but claims to be so in love with you?”

“I’m not looking for sex… I’m looking for comfort.”

“OK, you can just go to Vemini, or you know… Talk to me! I am your roommate.” Síauna points out. Síauna's thick Puerto Rican accent heightens with agitation. Junis sighs, walking towards the door.

“Ju, I don’t know how long I can keep this secret from Zy’onna. You know, she’s captain of the dance team… The Same dance team that I’m on!” Junis shrugs.

“Who says you have to keep it a secret? I never asked you to cover for me. I’m a big girl, I can handle Zy’onna, and besides, like I said, we’re not fucking… He’s just great at comforting me.” Junis argues. Síauna, feeling defeated, sighs.

“Just let me know when you get there.” Junis opens the door, nodding.

“Will do.” Junis leaves the Dorm room, closing the door behind her. Síauna gets back into bed, worriedly sighing to herself.

“She just doesn’t know how crazy Zy’onna is… She’ll learn soon enough.” She mutters before turning on her side and quickly going to sleep.

Junis pressed the down button on the elevator and leaned back, waiting for the double doors to open. She unlocks her iPhone and opens her Phone app. She presses Cassius' name and begins calling Cassius.

Meanwhile, Cassius couldn’t sleep, so he was up playing the game on the PS5 with his roommate, Taurus, when his Samsung began to vibrate. Cassius looks over at the coffee table and nudges Taurus, who is glued to the TV screen.

“Aye, T pass me the phone.”

“Hell nah, It’s just a ploy to beat me again.” Cassius rolls his eyes.

“Nah, nigga my phone is ringing.” Taurus quickly looks at Cassius, who appears serious, before clicking his tongue and gesturing him away.

“Mane, whatever nigga.” Cassius rolls his eyes, getting up from his bean bag chair and leaning over Taurus, grabbing his phone from the coffee Table. He saw he had two missing calls from Junis and grew worried.

“I’ma be right back. I need to call someone real quick.” Taurus waves him off. Cassius goes to the back of his bedroom, calling Junis back. A couple of rings and Junis picks up the phone, without missing a beat, Cassius immediately asks her.

“You had another nightmare?” Junis softly sighs, nodding.

“Yeah..”

“You wanna come over?” Junis chuckles to herself.

“Uhm if that’s ok with you…”

“I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t Ju.” Junis softly smiles.

“Thanks, I’m on the way.”

“Alright, I’ll get the bed set up.” Junis hums then hangs up the call. Cassius returns to the living room, grabs the Roku remote, and turns off the TV. Taurus lets out a flustered groan and looks back at Cassius.

“NIGGA, WHAT THE FUCK!?”

“Junis is coming over…”

“Ok, and? She knows I live here. Why we gotta act brand new?” Cassius rolls his eyes.

“T, don’t start. You know, Ju is going through a lot.” Taurus rolls his eyes.

“She’s still grieving about something that happened almost four years ago. I mean, I get it. It sucks to watch your blood die. I know what it’s like, but you acting like that’s yo bitch or something.” Taurus argues. Cassius let out a flustered groan.

“I just want this to be a safe space for her, ight?” Taurus rolls his eyes and gets up.

“You know, that’s not your job. You have a whole girlfriend. Zy’onna would be pissed if she found out her nigga snuggling up with some bitch.” Cassius glares at Taurus.

“Junis is not some bitch, so cool it with that shit.” Taurus sighs, unmoved by Cassius’ protectiveness over Junis.

“Well, she ain’t yo bitch either…” Taurus points out.

“What? You want her or some shit?” Taurus amusingly chuckles, shaking his head.

“Nah, I’m good, but clearly you want her.” Cassius rolls his eyes.

“Ok, your point is?”

“You gotta choose… Either Zy’onna or Junis.” Cassius looks at Taurus, shocked by how sensible he’s acting. He places his backhand on Taurus’ forehead playfully. Taurus swats his hand away as Cassius chuckles.

“Nigga, is you good? This is the most sense you’ve made… Well, EVER!” Taurus rolls his eyes, crossing his arms.

“As Much as I’m a player myself. I happen to like Junis, as a friend. She’s cool peoples. Plus, I’m trying to get with Vemini, and I don’t need you fucking up my game, cause you can’t choose.” Cassius looks at him in disbelief, shaking his head.

“Nigga, you not even Vemini’s type.” Taurus scoffs.

“She just hasn’t tried me yet so I could prove her wrong.” Cassius burst out in laughter. Taurus furrows his eyebrows, confused by Cassius’ amusement.

“What’s funny?” Junis knocks on the door. Cassius walks to the door, shaking his head.

“Unless you move weight or are in a gang? She’s not looking yo way.” Cassius explains, opening the door to see Junis with her hoodie over her head. Cassius looks down at the five-foot-two woman. He bit his bottom lip as he always found her short stature sexy.

“Are you just gunna stand there and Eye fuck me or let me in?” Junis asks with a slight grin. Cassius clears his throat and moves to the side as Junis enters the apartment.

“Hey, T!” Junis greets him as Taurus gives her a slight head nod. Junis looks over at Cassius, slightly worried.

“Did I interrupt something?” Taurus puts his finger up to explain the previous event, but Cassius harshly elbows him, causing Taurus to clutch his stomach and crouch down.“No, I’ll meet you in the bedroom.” Junis furrows her eyebrows, perplexed by what is happening, but once Taurus gives her a reassuring thumbs up, she leaves the living room, heading towards the bedroom. Cassius shoots a warning glare at Taurus.

“You know, you didn’t have to elbow me. A simple shut up would’ve been fine.” Cassius rolls his eyes, walking to his bedroom.

“USE CONDOMS!” Taurus exclaims. Cassius embarrassingly looks down, muttering obscenities, hoping Junis didn’t hear that. He enters his bedroom. Junis is lying on his bed, on top of his red Redland blanket, on her stomach, on her phone. Cassius grins to himself, walking over to her and smacking her butt. Junis jumps in shock and shoots a glare at Cassius. Cassius slightly chuckles, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“What? I can’t help that all that ass was in my face, and besides… That shit is mines anyways. Why can’t I have the luxury to feel on it?” Junis sits up on the bed, softly sighing to herself.

“We need to talk…” Junis uncomfortably starts. Cassius furrows his eyebrows, confused.

“What?”

“We can’t keep doing this…” Cassius scoots closer, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“Doing what?”

“This!” Junis emphasizes, scooting away from Cassius.

“I don’t get it… What’s the issue?”

“The issue is you have a girlfriend, and I can’t keep being a Side piece. The first two years were cool. I enjoyed your company, and I wasn’t ready for a relationship. But we’re getting older, and I want to focus on myself…” Cassius rolls his eyes, unmoved by her speech. Junis does this often. When she comes to her senses, she decides that they can no longer fuck and can only strictly be friends.

Cassius was not buying it this time, nor will he the next time. Junis will never date anyone else. Cassius was too selfish to share her with anyone else. Junis was always gunna be his, and there was nothing anybody could do about it. Being with Junis gave him a high that he couldn’t explain…

Cassius has wanted Junis since they were little kids playing in the gritty streets of Aurora City. They never got together because they grew apart and were part of separate cliques. Cassius became a jock, and Junis was the outcast. She liked being alone, and he liked the attention of his peers, but Junis continuously plagued his mind. Even when he got with Zy’onna, his peers were envious that he was able to bag the “Princess of Riverdale.

But eventually, the thrill of bagging a girl like her wore off, and the obsession of Junis came back. So when they shared the same science class and assigned partners for a group project, he took his chance and ran with it. He knew she was a bit vulnerable with the passing of her brother, but he wanted to be there for her and be the support system that she needed.

And well, it leads to them having sex and a weird, complicated relationship.

You may question why Cassius doesn't break up with Zy'onna? If he's so in love with Junis. Well, Cassius was with her because of Guilt. Cassius felt awful that he was cheating on her, and he thought if he played into her fantasy of a perfect life, that was the least he could do. And well, he needed a back plan if he and Junis didn’t work out.

Cassius was very meticulous when it came to his life. Everything had a plan A and a plan B. He already lost Junis before, what's to say he wouldn’t lose her again?

Cassius leans in, kissing on her neck. Junis pushes him away, sternly looking at him.

“Cass, I’m so serious. No.” Cassius rolls his eyes, annoyed.

“Ju, you always do this…” He pauses, scooting closer to Junis, with no space between them. Junis leans back. Cassius pressures forward until Junis is lying on her back. Their eyes lock, and a small smile creeps on Cassius’ face.

“You know, I love you, right?” Junis, tantalized by Cassius' dark emerald eyes, nods.

“I know you love me too. Stop stressing yourself.” He softly cooed as he leaned forward, letting their lip engage in a dangerous tango of lust and romance.

The Next day…

The blue, sheer curtain did not stop the bright sun from coming through the white blinds, waking up Junis. She softly yawns, realizing Cassius’ muscular arms encased around her. Her head rested on his bare chest, listening to the soft, heavy breathing of Cassius. She loved hearing him sleep. He sounded so peaceful. She carefully gets out of his arms and sits up beside him. She looks down at him, guilt-ridden.

She meant what she said last night. She didn’t want to be his sidepiece. She didn’t want to do the back and forth anymore. She needed to focus on herself and work through her grief on her own. She always said that. This time, she needed to put her words into action. Cassius was never leaving Zy’onna, and that was the unfortunate reality. She carefully got out of bed and crept around, gathering her clothes.

Cassius could feel that bed got lighter. The weight shift caused Cassius to stir in his sleep. Junis was so focused on getting dressed. Little did she know, Cassius was stirring from his slumber. When Cassius opens his eyes, he sees Junis getting dressed. Confused, he sits up, letting out a loud yawn, startling Junis. Junis quickly turns and nervously chuckles.

“You scared me, Cass!”

“Why you getting dressed? You don’t have class till the afternoon.”

“Because I should get going…” Cassius chuckles. Cassius gets on all fours and crawls closer to Junis, standing at the edge of his bed.

“But you’re gunna miss my famous French toast.” He teased, but Junis wasn’t smiling back. She looked remorseful.

“Ju, you good?”

“Cass, I love you.” She trails. Cassius knew what was next, aggravatingly kissing his teeth.

“Ju, not this shit again.” Junis shakes her head.

“Cass, I mean it.”

“I’m not letting you go!” Cassius argues.

“Just like you can’t let go of Zy’onna!” Junis exclaims. Cassius sits up, taken aback by Junis’ tone. He felt guilty as Junis had a point.

“Ju…” He starts, but Junis shakes her head.

“Your actions speak louder than the words you speak. It isn't fair to Zy’onna if I keep interfering with what you guys have.”

“JU WE HAVE NOTHING!” Cassius frustratingly shouts.

“If that’s the case, why are you still with her?” Junis calmly asks. Cassius opens his mouth, but Junis’ phone begins to vibrate. She looks down and sees Vemini calling. She answers the call, getting up.

“Wassup, Vee?”

“Aye, you going to Dr. Lambert’s class today?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Can you take notes for me for the class?” Junis pauses, looking back at Cassius. They share one last intense stare before she leaves his bedroom, closing the door behind her. She left again. Cassius thought to himself. His eyes began to water. He lost her again…

“Why do you need me to take notes for you?”

“Well…” Vemini bites her bottom lip as she looks over at Wootie, leaning back in the driver’s seat with one hand on the wheel and the other gripping her thighs.

“I’m out with Wootie…” Junis rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she leaves Cassius’ apartment.

“You gunna fail if you keep being up under that man!” Junis slightly scolds. Vemini rolls her eyes and waves Junis off.

“Gurl bye! As long as I have my cousin Junie helping me out, I’ll pass.” Junis rolls her eyes.

“Well, I’ll do it for you, but you owe me,”

“Aight, aight fine! I love you, cuzzo!” Junis smiles, nodding.

“Love you too.” Junis hangs up the phone, and Vemini looks over at Wootie, grinning.

“I got my cuzzo covering for me. So, I’m all free!” Wootie chuckles, shaking his head.

“You can’t keep missing class, ma. I don’t want no dumb bitch.” Vemini rolls her eyes.

“I’ma still get my degree, stop sweatin’ me.” Wootie sighs.

“You know, I just care ‘bout chu, ya know?” Vemini blushes, nodding.

“I know you do, papa.” She cutely replies, her voice in a slightly higher pitch. Wootie looks over at Vemini’s big purple eyes. Her eyes always did something to him. He huffed to himself, shaking his head while Vemini enjoyed the battle of arousal he was fighting with himself.

“Hmm, anyways I gotta make a play real quick, and then, we’ll go to Fun Stop.” Vemini nods. She opens the glove compartment, grabs the leather gloves, slips them on her hand, and grabs the leather holster that held the Smith and Wesson luger pistol. Wootie looks over and sees Vemini on go, which arouses him even more. He loved how down-to-ride Vemini was.

That was his rider, and "That’s on GD", he would say.

Junis sits in her car, staring at the building she just left, feeling the same pain that she felt when she lost her brother. She felt like she lost a piece of herself and regretted the decision to distance herself from Cassius. She felt so alone now that she removed him from her life. She rests her head on the steering wheel, holding back tears. She softly sniffles to herself.

Although Cassius was never hers, this felt like a breakup. She loves Cassius. She really does, but she’s not going to heal if she keeps using Cassius as a crutch every time she has a nightmare or needs to feel affection from a man. She was only hurting herself because no matter how much they said their ” I love Yous.” Or their “I need yous.” One thing remained the same; He was still with Zy’onna.

And there was nothing that she could do about it, but put herself first and leave the situation. Junis lifts her head, leaning against the headrest, fighting her tears. She was sad but also angry. Why was she crying over this situation?! She was mad that this situation was affecting her so much.

She takes a deep breath, and her phone begins to play “I Just Called to Say I Love You” By Stevie Wonder. Her mother was calling her. She clears her throat and makes sure she doesn’t sound like she is in distress. The last thing she wanted her mother to do was stress over her. Her mother had enough on her plate, she thought to herself. She answers the call.

“Hey, ma,” Junis says, trying to sound happy, but Janis knew her baby girl all too well. That small crack in her voice said otherwise.

“June bug, what’s wrong?” Her mother asked, concerned. Junis softly sighs.

“Ma, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.. How are you?”

“Don’t change the subject, June bug! Tell me, what��s wrong.” Junis sighs, knowing how persistent her mother was, and lets out a defeated sigh.

“Ma… Why does love hurt?” Junis asks. Her mother hums softly, nodding to herself.

“Well, June bug… I don’t have the answer to that. I wished I knew why love hurts, but I do know this.”

“What?”

“That the pain doesn’t last forever. I know it feels like it does, but after a while, it gets better and you soon realize that things happen for a reason. June bug, you’re still young and have a lot to experience. You’re gunna get hurt and disappointed a lot in life, but baby girl, dust off your shoulder and lift up your head. You will rise above this.” Junis sniffles, smiling at her mother’s wisdom.

“I don’t know how you’re so strong mom…” Junis admits, envious of her mother’s strength. Janis chuckles, shaking her head.

“I still have my weak moments, Ju. But neither your father nor your brother would want us moping around.” Janis reasons. Junis softly smiles, nodding.

“Yeah, you're right, and don’t let Sylas know I was crying over a boy, he might just haunt them,” Junis says, lightening up the mood. Her mother chuckles.

“Yeah, you're right. Are you feeling better, June bug?” Junis hums.

“A little, but I’ll get over it.” Janis smiles widely.

“Good! Well, I just called you on my lunch break to check in on you. I’ll call you when I get off.” Junis hums, nodding.

“Ok, don’t work too hard, ma.” Janis lets out a half chuckle.

“Those bills don’t pay themselves.”

“Ma, I still haven’t spent my leftover FASFA mo—”

“Oh, look at the time! I have to go! Love you! Bye!” Janis quickly says, hanging up the phone on Junis. Junis looks at her phone screen, appalled that her mother hung up the phone. She chuckles to herself, shaking her head. She puts her phone in the cup holder and starts up her car.

She stares at Cassius’ building one last time before smiling to herself…

It hurts now, but ultimately, it will be all worth it.

AVAILABLE ON PATREON AND INKITT

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longliveblackness · 2 years

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Mary, who was born in 1832, may have been the multiracial child of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, one of his relatives, or a white overseer.

Sold away as a young girl, probably from one or both of her parents, she was purchased by the slave trader Robert Lumpkin, a violent white man 27 years her senior. When she was about 13, she was forced to have the first of five children with him. According to a descendant, she told him he could do with her what he wanted but demanded that their children be freed.

Robert bought the slave jail in the Shockoe Bottom area of Richmond, Virginia in 1844. It became known as Lumpkin's Jail, and it was one of the cruelest prisons in the South. Some even called it the "Devil's Half Acre."

She and the children likely lived with him on the compound of his slave jail, where he imprisoned thousands of enslaved people between 1844 and 1866. Some were imprisoned there before sale, and others were held after sale. Nearly all were eventually shipped away to the Deep South.

In this wretched place, Mary managed to educate her children and find a path to freedom, moving them and herself to the free state of Pennsylvania with Robert’s blessing prior to the Civil War. She inherited the jail in 1866, when Robert died and bequeathed the property to her.

She didn’t want anything to do with the property, but two years later, she helped a white Baptist missionary from the American Baptist Home Mission Society turn the “Devil’s Half Acre”—a greatly feared place where countless enslaved people had long suffered—into “God’s Half Acre,” a school where dreams could be realized.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, the school, founded as the Richmond Theological School for Freedmen, provided black students with an education. For more than 150 years, it has elevated and nurtured generations of black men and women, helping them to realize their potential. It has shaped civic, education and business leaders and developed activists who worked to desegregate whites-only lunch counters in Richmond department stores.

The same grounds where enslaved people were imprisoned and beaten became the cornerstone for one of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Virginia Union University (VUU) is still in existence today.

It is also one of the rare HBCUs in America that can tie its origins to a black woman.

•••

Mary, quién nació en 1832, pudo haber sido la hija multiracial de una mujer esclavizada y su esclavizador, uno de los familiares de él o un capataz blanco.

Siendo una niña pequeña fue vendida por uno o posiblemente ambos padres a un comerciante de esclavos llamado Robert Lumpkin, un hombre violento que era veinte y siete años mayor que ella. Cuando ella tenía alrededor de trece años, fue forzada a tener el primer hijo de cinco, todos de él. Según contó un descendiente, Mary le dijo que podía hacer con ella lo que quisiera pero exigió que sus hijos fueran libres.

Robert compró una cárcel para esclavos en el área de Shockoe Bottom en Richmond, Virginia en el año 1844. Eventualmente se conoció como La Cárcel de Lumpkin y fue una de las prisiones más crueles que existía en el sur. Algunos le llaman “la media hectárea del Diablo”.

Lo más probable es que ella y sus hijos vivían con él dentro de las instalaciones de dicha cárcel de esclavos, donde encarceló a miles de personas esclavizadas entre los años de 1844 y 1866. Algunos estaban encarcelados antes de su venta, otros se quedaban después de haber sido vendidos. Eventualmente casi todos fueron transportados a las profundidades del sur.

En este lugar miserable, Mary logró brindarle una educación a sus hijos y encontró un camino hacia a la libertad cuando con el permiso de Robert, ella y los niños se mudaron al estado libre de Pensilvania, antes de que comenzara la Guerra Civil. Ella heredó la cárcel en el año 1866, Robert murió y le cedió la propiedad.

Ella no quería nada que ver con la propiedad, pero dos años después le ayudó a un misionero bautista blanco procedente de la Sociedad Americana Bautista de Casas Misioneras a convertir “la media hectárea del Diablo” —un lugar grandemente temido donde un sin fin de personas esclavizadas sufrieron por largo tiempo — a “la media hectárea de Dios”, una escuela donde los sueños podían hacerse realidad.

Después de la Guerra Civil, la escuela fundada bajo el nombre de Escuela Teológica de Richmond para Libertos, le brindó educación a muchos estudiantes negros. Por más de ciento y cincuenta años, elevó y formó generaciones de hombres y mujeres negros, ayudándolos a darse cuenta de su potencial. Ha ayudado a formar líderes cívicos, educativos y empresariales y desarrolló activistas que trabajaron para acabar con la segregación en los mostradores de comida en los grandes almacenes de Richmond.

El mismo lugar dónde las personas esclavizadas fueron encarceladas y abusadas, se convirtió en el pilar para una de las Universidades y Colegios Históricamente Negros (HBCU) de los Estados Unidos. Virginia Union University (VUU) existe hasta el sol de hoy.

También es una de las HBCU que puede ligar su origen a una mujer negra.

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