Hell House (24 page)

“Unfortunately not. You must decide immediately, and one-by-one, I need each of you to go over to the computer and email the name of the person you want to leave. At five p.m., I will email you that person's profile and picture. Feel free to answer your fan mail before you leave, but after that, the person voted off must leave.”

“This is terrible,” I said. “I feel like I got to backstab somebody, and I don't like to get down like that.”

Jaylin stood up. “It's the rules, baby. Learn to follow them.”

Without hesitating, he walked over to the computer. Logged in and typed in somebody's name.

“Done,” he said, looking at Jeff.

My mouth dropped open. “Damn, it was that easy for you?”

He responded with a shrug. Afterward, Chase ran her trifling self over to the computer, logged in and did the same. She swiped
her hands together and had the nerve to say, “Good riddance.”

Then Sylvia almost broke her neck, rushing to the computer to login. She typed in a name and then hit the backspace key to make a correction. “Oops, sorry,” she said. She logged out and walked away from the computer.

“Y'all some cold muthafuckas,” Roc said as he sat down at the desk. He pondered for a minute and then slowly typed in a name. He also shrugged and walked away.

Now, it was Prince's turn because I was still in shock that nobody here had given this much thought. Prince laughed when he typed in a name and then said, “Done deal. Be gone,
Biatch
!”

What the hell! Really?
Like it or not, it was my turn. I sat at the computer desk, pursing my lips and patting my leg, thinking hard about who I wanted to go home. I didn't know whose name to type because I could think of at least one good reason why every person in this house should be sent packing. Some I could think of several reasons. Either way, the decision didn't come easy for me, even though I couldn't stop thinking about getting my hands on that money. Finally, I forced myself to type in the person's name. I backed away feeling awkward, but hoping that the person leaving today wouldn't be me.

“Thank you, everyone,” Jeff said. “Enjoy the rest of your day and say your goodbyes to everyone, just in case.”

No one said a word. The room fell silent and all we heard was Jeff shut the front door.

“Well,” Jaylin said, standing up and stretching. “It was fun while it lasted.”

Roc smiled and cocked his neck from side to side. “Yes, it was, but somebody must go. Too bad it won't be me.”

Prince slapped his hand against Roc's. “I second that motion, my nigga. Won't be me either.”

“What makes you all so sure?” Chase said, standing and awaiting an answer.

Roc's eyes shifted to Jaylin and his eyes shifted to Prince. Neither of them said anything else, leaving some of us on the edge of our seats for most of the day.

The men indulged themselves in a rough game of basketball. Shirts were off and all of their bodies were dripping with sweat. It was fun to watch as they trash-talked each other, and I couldn't tell you how many times somebody had hit the ground or stumbled from being pushed. Sylvia, Chase and me watched them while chilling by the poolside.

“Be real careful with him!” I yelled to Prince as he pushed Jaylin in the chest. “I don't want Jaylin to fall and bust his head, 'cause y'all know he the only real brains we got around here!”

Prince lifted his middle finger, telling me to stick it. When he missed his shot, I laughed, just to irritate him and distract his game.

I guess I should have voted for him to leave the house, but I had somebody else in mind. Somebody who I truly thought should go home because they worked my damn nerves. I tried not to think about who was leaving, so I reached for the tall Long Island Iced Tea in front of me and sipped. I had put all kinds of different drinks in my glass. Surely enough to last me from here to Long Island, New York. It was good, though, but when Sylvia reached over to remove the twisted orange from the rim of my glass, I smacked her hand.

“I asked if you wanted one, but you said no. Please don't touch my orange; I plan to eat that.”

All Sylvia did was smile, and when we glanced at Chase, her lust-filled eyes were still glued to the men on the court. I swear I had never, ever been around thirsty-ass women like Chase and Sylvia. Now, I had some dick-happy friends, but these hoochies
took the word
thirsty
and ran with it. Jaylin's and Roc's heads had probably swelled so big since they'd been here, and I wasn't talking about their lower heads that had gotten all of the attention. I had to blow my breath in Chase's face and call her name, twice, to get her attention. She blinked her eyes and was now back from her zombie-like status.

“Wha…what did you say?” she asked.

“I asked that you please clear your filthy, nasty, cluttered mind and stop droolin' from yo mouth. I can tell what you're thinkin' and it damn sure ain't about those cookies I baked earlier.”

“Not hardly, but the cookies were good. Real good, just not as good as my thoughts. I hope that I'm here long enough to live out some of the little fantasies I have swirling around in my head.”

“You may have to play out your fantasies elsewhere because there ain't no tellin' which one of us is goin' home. I hope and pray it ain't me because I sholl do need that money.”

“I could use the money, too,” Sylvia said. “But more than anything, it would be a true let down to be the first person voted out of the house. That would sting.”

“Big time,” Chase said. “And, Jada, since you're so sure about me not living out my fantasies, I take it that you voted for me, huh?”

“I'm not sayin' who I voted for, but whoever it was, I did so because that person was workin' my nerves. If you've been doin' it, then there is a possibility that I voted for you.”

Chase threw her hand back and spoke the truth. “Everybody in this house has been working your nerves. So, I'm sure it was hard for you to vote.”

I had to laugh because Chase was so right. Her eyes were now glued back on the men, as they headed our way. They came up to the table with heaving chests and a whole lot of loud mouthing.

“Y'all always cheatin',” Prince griped while standing next to
Chase. Roc was to my left and Jaylin was to my right, trying to explain to Prince why he kept losing.

Roc added his two-cents, too. “Your jump-shot is weak and you need to learn how to hold your hands when you take it.”

Roc gave him an example, but Prince wasn't trying to hear him. He looked away, but all Roc did was shrug. He picked up my Long Island Iced Tea and, as he took a few swallows, I pulled on the rubber waistline of his basketball shorts to take a peek at his goods. He inched back and moved my hand.

“Boy, why you ain't got on no underwear? You don't have to answer, but ladies, I can tell y'all this.” I looked at Chase and then Sylvia. “I did not vote for that man to leave the house. No siree.”

They shook their heads and giggled. I turned to Jaylin and pulled on his shorts to take a peek, too.

“Lord knows I didn't vote for him either, and all of that must stay, too.”

My eyes shifted to Prince, but he dared me to touch him. I didn't mention out loud if I voted him out of the house or not, because I wanted him to think that I did.

I faced Roc who was still killing my Long Island Iced Tea. “Who you vote for, Roc?”

“You.”

I pointed to my chest, but could tell he was playing by the smirk on his face. Then again, I wasn't so sure. “Me? Why me?”

“Because you talk too much. Besides, it ain't really none of yo business who I voted for. You soon shall see.”

I snatched my empty glass from his hand. “It may not be my business, but that drink was. Please go hook me up before I have to go in there and change my vote to you.”

Roc removed the towel from around his neck and popped it against my leg. The pop hurt, and what he'd done sparked a playful
fight between us. After I got done beating him up, I jumped on his back and he carried me into the game room to make another Long Island-Long Ocean Tea. While we were away from the others, I could see them from afar, chatting it up and laughing. There really wasn't a doggone thing funny, and when five o'clock rolled around, we all realized that this was no joking matter. Somebody was going home and none of us were ready to receive our walking papers.

We all surrounded the computer desk, gazing at the monitor with a twenty-five-inch screen. The room was so quiet that the only thing you could hear was the chatter of Chase's rotten teeth. My palms were sweating and my stomach tightened when the person's profile and picture came up on the screen. All eyes turned in the same direction, and all I could say to myself was
damn
. You ain't got to go, but it was time for whomever to get the hell out of here!

1. Who do you think will be voted out of
Hell House
? Why?

2. Who is your favorite person in the house and why?

3. Who is your least favorite person in the house and why?

4. Which person reminds you more of yourself and in what ways?

5. Would you ever move into a house with six other people to win $100,000?

6. Which Brenda Hampton novel are you more likely to read after your Hell House experience?

7. If you were in this house, would you be interested in having a sexual experience with Roc, Jaylin or Prince? Why?

8. The
Hell House
trilogy opens the door to reality TV book reading. Did you feel like you were watching reality TV, and what show did it remind you of, if any?

9. Create your own reality TV show. Who would you like to have inside of a house with you for three months?

10. Who do you ultimately think will win the
Hell House
challenge?

I'm eager to hear from you! Please visit
hellhouse.homestead.com
to send comments regarding your
Hell House
experience. If you would like to ask questions or send “fan mail” to any of the characters, and possibly have your inquiry answered in the books following, please follow the submissions guidelines.

READING JUST GOT MORE FUN!

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Naughty 2

Naughty 3

Naughty 4: Naughty by Nature

Naughty 5: Too Naughty

Naughty No More

Jaylin's World: Dare to live in it!

Full Figured 1

Full Figured 3

Full Figured 5

Who Ya Wit (Full Figured Finale)

How Can I Be Down?

No Justice No Peace

Street Solider 1

Street Solider 2

In My Shoes: A Writer Is Born

SLICK

Don't Even Go There

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

The Dirty Truth

If Only for One Night

Don't Ask Don't Tell

Girls From Da Hood 5

No Turning Back