Savvy put a hand on her hip. “Well, following someone and sneaking up on them on a dark street is not a good way to show any of what you intended. This isn’t working for me.” Savvy shook her head and turned to step toward the library.
Kolby snatched her by the inside of her wrist. His eyes flashed with anger. “Why are you trippin’? Ain’t nobody tryin’ to hurt you.”
“Stop it, Kolby. You’re hurting me.” Savvy tried to wrench her arm away. His grip tightened to hold her in place. He jerked her closer to him.
Kolby’s warm breath floated on her face as he spoke between gritted teeth. The smell of liquor wafted up to her nose. “Woman. You need to stop running from me.” He overpowered Savvy by yanking her toward bushes in the shadows behind them causing her to stumble and fall.
Excruciating pain shot through her knees which scraped the ground in her jeans as he continued to jerk her arm. “Kolby, let me go.” Savvy struggled to get onto her feet.
“I’m gonna teach you a lesson for not treating your man right.” He drew one hand back and slapped her hard in the face.
“Aah,” Savvy screamed in pain, and spots blurred her vision. Fright filled her mind. No one passed on the street to stop him from attacking her. Gathering everything in her to escape, she screamed as loud as she could. “Help. Let me go. Somebody, help me. Fire. Fire.”
Savvy held pepper spray in her free hand. The switch failed to flip open. She implemented a move she learned in a self-defense class. She swung the hand he held up into the inside of his grip and straight down to break loose from his grasp. Once she realized she’d broken free, she bolted toward the library, yelling, “Help. Help.”
The sound of Kolby’s shoes hitting the pavement coming toward her, pounded in her ears.
Four sorority sisters glanced toward her and dashed from in front of the library. “Hey. Get away from her.” Tracy grabbed Savvy and blocked Kolby from getting closer.
“I’m calling the police,” Betty yelled and whipped out a phone.
Another sorority sister, JaLeesa, had multiple belts as a martial arts expert who could whoop his behind. She took steps toward Kolby without fear. “You better not lay another hand on Savvy. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with me,” she snarled and stood ready to pounce.
Kolby laughed to mock her and positioned himself in front of JaLeesa with his arms folded. “Oh. You girls are funny. Ain’t nobody trying to hurt her. Go back inside and leave us the hell alone.”
JaLeesa stomped her foot toward Kolby. “I’m not playing with you. You need to go. Now.”
Kolby stopped in his tracks. Something in JaLeesa’s voice communicated to everyone about her seriousness. “Savvy. Sweetie. Tell your posse to go away. Come on now. This is what happens when women get out of place.”
Six more ladies marched toward them, decked out like a red army. They linked arms with JaLeesa and formed a barrier around Savvy. She felt protected as each woman, of different height and size, stared Kolby down and stood ready for anything he tried to do. Bonded together, they were strong enough to protect their sister.
JaLeesa spoke again. “Correction. This is what happens when women get in place.” A siren blared in the distance.
“Okay. Y'all real cute and think you’re doing something.” Kolby nodded his head slowly. He pointed his finger at each woman as he retreated. He stretched his neck to get a glimpse of Savvy. “Alright, sweetie. I’m out. I’ll call you later.” Kolby held his jeans with one hand and jogged down the street away from the ladies.
The women stayed in position until they couldn’t see him anymore. They released arms and hugged one another. Each one offered words of comfort to Savvy simultaneously.
“Are you okay, Soror?”
“We got you. It’s alright.”
“He won’t be coming around here anymore.”
“Girl. Who was that?”
“I’ll follow you home.”
A police cruiser sped toward them with its siren blaring. An officer parked and got out of the car. “Everything alright, ladies?”
“We’re fine. If you hurry and drive down this street, you may be able to find the man who attacked her,” Tracy pointed at Savvy. “He had on an ugly, green Boston Celtic sweatshirt. You can’t miss him. This is Spurs country around here.”
“Did you know him?” the officer asked Savvy.
Savvy, still stunned, nodded. “Yes. His name is Kolby. Kolby Alfredson.”
“What did he do to you?”
“He slapped me and tried to force me into the bushes right there.” Savvy pointed to where Kolby attacked her.
The officer thanked them before jumping back into the cruiser. She sped off down the street in the direction Kolby headed.
Tracy rubbed Savvy’s shoulder. “Are you okay, Sis? You’re going to need to put some ice on your face. It’s turning red and I see his handprint on your cheek.”
Savvy raised her hand to her face where it still stung. “I’ll be okay. Just a bit shaken right now. I’m ready to get out of here. Thank you, Sorors.”
“Alright. Everyone good?” JaLeesa asked the group.
All the women responded in the affirmative. Betty spoke up. “Tracy and I are going in the same direction as Savvy. We’ll follow her home.”
“We’ll go in with her and make sure her place is okay,” Tracy chimed in.
Savvy’s eyes welled with tears. “I can always count on my sisters to step in and handle business.”
“No doubt,” JaLeesa said.
Everyone hugged again before trekking to their cars and recapping the scene from the night.
Once in her vehicle, Savvy let out a breath of relief. She checked outside the window and noticed Tracy and Betty waiting for her to
