by A. J. Byrd
He actually has the nerve to roll his eyes. He’s lucky I don’t try to gouge them out.
“Let’s just drop it.” He starts toward our homeroom, but I don’t follow him. When he notices this, he huffs out a long breath and rolls his eyes up to the ceiling. “What now?”
“How come you don’t ever offer to carry my bags?”
“Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” I slap a hand onto my hip and work my neck. “Hell, I’m carrying your child, you’d at least think you could handle one measly little bag.” Wow. I can’t believe I just pushed that lie right out of my mouth with a straight face. Regardless, it gets the desired effect because homeboy waltzes back over to me and takes my bag from me. “Thank you,” I say bitingly. “Now, was that so hard?” I roll my eyes and march on to class.
When the homeroom bell rings, we’re sitting in the back of the classroom in our usual seats with steam still rising off of my head. Mainly because I can’t stop replaying that little scene between Anjenai and Kwan. Not because the bitch has moved on—that part is cool as hell with me—but just because of the reaction of this idiot sitting next to me. How you gonna just disrespect me like that in the hallway? Did he see that once Anjenai and Kwan exited stage left, every eye then rolled to us? Did he seriously think that no one else saw that pathetic little face of his stretching like someone just kicked his puppy? This situation is a real gut check for me. If I tell Romeo the truth about losing the baby, he’ll drop-kick my ass to the curb so quick that it will make my head spin. Where would that leave me then?
Sobbing my eyes out in the girls’ bathroom.
I slam my eyes shut just thinking about my emotional breakdown a few days back. Just thinking about it now still fills me with shock and amazement. I don’t even remember what set that off. I was fine one minute and the next a flood of tears was pouring down my face. Thank God Nicole came when she did. She…Nicole and Anjenai are friends. That needling thought keeps poking at me. What if…?
Nah. Nicole wouldn’t do that. She promised.
But why would she keep her promise to me? I’ve been nothing but cruel to her since the day Daddy finally admitted that he even had another child out of wedlock. A child just a year younger than me. Since then I’ve done nothing but tease her and mistreat her.
Maybe I should go and remind her that blood is thicker than water and I still expect her to keep her word. I mull that over for a minute while Raven and Bianca waltz through the classroom door. I only glance at them for a hot minute and then cut my gaze away. But then I hear a faint whimper and a couple of sniffs and I take another look at my girls. Bianca appears to be upset.
“Anjenai? How could he like that bitch?” she hisses.
Ha! Now the trick knows how I feel. Our gazes connect, and before I can roll my eyes in the opposite direction, she shares a look with me that tells how much they miss me. I knew it. Those bitches are nothing without me.
Roll call is a brief, uneventful affair, and the moment the last name is marked present, everyone pops out of their chairs and starts visiting friends at other desks including Romeo, who heads over to Shadiq. I need to ease up on him, before we end up fighting and I still lose him.
“Hey, girl,” Bianca says to me as she and Raven move to cluster around my desk. “How have you been doing?”
This is a make-or-break moment. I could give these girls a quick flip of my hair and the back of my head, but the truth of the matter is I miss these bitches’ friendship about as much as they’ve missed mine.
“I’ve been hanging in there,” I tell them, keeping my face neutral.
Raven eases down in the empty chair in front of my desk. “Are you going to Club Zero tonight? Shadiq said that he was performing.”
“Shadiq? I thought y’all were swooning over that new kid? What’s his name again?”
A pained look ripples across Bianca’s face. “Puh-lease. Ain’t nobody studin’ his weak-rhyming ass,” she says unconvincingly. “I’m sure that Shadiq is going to check that ass on the mike tonight.”
Raven bobs her head. “Yeah. He’s gonna let him know how we do thangs in the dirty-dirty. You know?”
I’m not finished twisting this knife in Bianca’s gut just yet. “I don’t know. Word around school is that it’s going to be a serious battle. Kwan has skills. Plus, he’s probably going to be trying to impress some girl he’s taking to the joint.”
Bianca’s pale face drains of what little color she had going. “Anjenai,” she spits. “I swear I can’t stand that bitch. What the hell do these boys see in that girl?” Her angry glare swings from Raven to me. “Do y’all get this shit, or am I just stuck on stupid?”
“I get it,” Raven says, winning our attention. “C’mon. Everybody knows hood girls are easy. The boys wanna roll with these project chicks that be dropping it like it hot and then dropping two, three children before they—if they graduate from high school.” As soon as she tosses that crap out of her mouths, she slaps a hand over her mouth and swings her gaze back to me.
Bianca tries to quickly repair the damage. “She didn’t mean—”
“I’m hardly in the same situation,” I inform them, skating the truth. “Romeo and I have been an item for a long time. He didn’t meet me one day and screw me the next. We’ve been planning to be together for a long time. The baby just means that we’re going to marry before college and not after. No big deal.” I shrug my shoulders. Of course, I need to get him to impregnate me again before I get caught with an empty belly.
“You’re so lucky,” Bianca says. “I think that it’s great that you two have gotten back together.”
Raven adds, “Then again, you guys always do.”
“Yep. I got my man, so I ain’t scared of those nasty project bitches.” The girls laugh at my lie while I cut another gaze at Romeo, who still looks miserable. I know without a doubt that he’s thinking about Anjenai, and at this moment in time there’s nothing that I can do about it.
thirty-one
Kierra—I Will Survive
Anjenai’s makeover has turned out to be a huge success. Every hallway I walk down, everyone is talking about her. Of course, if they all knew what the BFFs know, right now they would be talking about Phoenix’s trifling and lying ass. Not pregnant? At least, not anymore—and she hasn’t been for a minute now. Clearly, she’s keeping the lie going because she needs to keep her claws buried in Romeo. That’s some foul shit. Especially since most people can take one look at Romeo and know that he’s still got it bad for Anjenai.
Anjenai took the news with openmouthed astonishment, but to my surprise she wasn’t gung ho about dropping a dime on Phoenix’s scheme like I was—hell, neither was Nicole, and I straight up don’t understand that. I know if the shoe was on the other foot, Phoenix wouldn’t hesitate to stab her in the back. I wish Tyler was here. I know she would side with me on this. Maybe I’ll start writing her and letting her know the 411 about all the drama that’s floating around here—including my own. McKenya and I still haven’t seen hide nor tail of Deborah. Pretty soon, I’m going to have to start doing something that’s going to pull money into the house.
From the corner of my eye, I spot Drake huddled up with some dudes, and I wonder if he has a couple more of those caffeine pills. I stroll over to him with a big smile. He looks up just as I’m approaching and tosses me a smile of his own.
“Hey, what’s up?” He turns away from some kid, and for a brief moment, I see him stuff a fat knot of bills into his pants pocket. My eyes bulge out on the spot.
“Damn, boy. Is that how you roll?”
He flashes a smile and thrusts out his chest. “Hey, don’t let the small size fool you. I’m a first-class businessman. Money moves everything around me just like it does for the rest of the world. You know what I mean?”
I have no idea what he’s talking about. “Yeah, man. Cool. Cool.”
“So holler at me. What can Brown do for you?”
I laugh at the play off
his last name as we turn and start heading toward my locker. “Well, I guess I was wondering if you had any more of those pills you gave me last time. I pulled an all-nighter with some friends, and I know that I’m going to crash and burn before I reach Mr. Griffin’s class.”
“Ah. I told you those babies would help, didn’t I?”
“That they did,” I say, grinning at him.
He bobs his head. “I also said that the first package was free. The second one is going to cost you ten.”
I blink at him. “Ten dollars for caffeine pills? You tripping.” Drake levels a look on me that suddenly brings a lot of stuff into focus. “Those weren’t caffeine pills, were they?”
“Not exactly,” he says with a halfhearted shrug. “But they were a hell of a pick-me-up, weren’t they?”
“You’re a drug dealer?”
“Shhh!” He grabs me by the arm and pulls me to the side. “Damn, girl. Why don’t you just go ask Ms. Callaway to let you blast it over the intercom?”
I think I’m too stunned to respond. Finally he kicks up another grin at me.
“Looky here. I like you—so this is what I’m going to do.” He takes another slick look around and then reaches into his pocket. “I’m going to hook you up with another package.”
I shake my head and step away. My mind is reeling. Never in a million years would I have thought that Drake, this quiet, choir-boy-looking kid, was a drug dealer.
“What? Now there’s a problem?” he asks, starting to look nervous. “You’re not thinking about messing up my hustle, are you?”
I take another step back, but then my eyes fall to the fat knot pressing against the side of his pant leg. Money. Drake’s eyes follow my gaze. “What? You’re thinking about bribing me?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m thinking about you giving me a job.”
thirty-two
Nicole—Starving
I ain’t even going to lie. This diet is getting harder and harder as the days go by. Last night was a challenge with that big pan of lasagna Kierra baked. My stomach was doing all kinds of growling, but more and more people are noticing the weight loss, so this extreme diet is more than worth it.
Sitting in my first-period American history class, I do start to experience more dizziness. It just came out of nowhere. One minute I’m answering the teacher’s question, and the next I feel like I’m riding on the back of a spinning top.
“Ms. Dix. Are you all right?”
I place a hand over my mouth. I think I’m just seconds from hurling those two bites of lasagna I had last night. But thank heavens the bell rings and I’m saved from making an ass of myself. I hightail it out of class so fast, I damn near run Romeo over.
He grabs me by my arm. “Whoa. Whoa. Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I just need to get some air.”
Thin concern lines are etched in between Romeo’s eyes as he looks me over. “C’mon. I’ll walk you outside.”
I would’ve argued with him, but everything is starting to spin again, so I allow him to take me by the hand and lead me outside. Thank God there’s a cool breeze going once I step outside. I quickly chug in a few deep breaths and then feel my jittering nerves settle down.
“At least your color is coming back,” Romeo says, brushing a few strands of hair out of my face.
Still tugging in deep gulps of air, I flutter a smile at him. “Good to know.”
He bobs his head, but there’s still concern laced in his eyes. “You look different,” he says simply.
“I’ve been losing some weight,” I say. I hope that it didn’t come out sounding like I was bragging but I did want him to notice. Instead of praising me, like I secretly hoped he would, his concern deepens. “That wouldn’t happen to have something to do with you nearly passing out in class, would it?”
I’m both startled and embarrassed.
“What?”
Cocking his head, Romeo’s soft brown eyes meet my own. “You’re not doing anything crazy, are you?”
I can’t stop the tears from rolling down my face even if I wanted to. Before I know it, he’s wrapping his arms around me. “Shh. It’s all right.”
It’s not going to be all right, I want to say. I’m starving.
“Look, I know looking a certain way is important and everything with you girls. Hell, with guys, too, now that I think about it. But you know it’s not worth harming yourself over. I liked you the way you were.”
What? “You did?”
He shrugs. “Yeah. You’re much prettier when you’re confident in your own skin. So you’re a little thicker than the other girls. So what? It doesn’t make you a bad person. In fact, I think you’re one of the nicest people I know.”
All I can manage to do is blink at him.
He smiles and bumps our shoulders together. “I like you.”
I blush so hard my face feels like a fireball. “Thanks. I like you, too, even if you are dating my sister.” We share a small laugh.
“Good.” He links his arm through mine. “What do you say I treat you to some fine dining at one of the snack vending machines in the teachers’ lounge?”
“We’re not allowed in there.”
He gives me another shrug. “Don’t worry about it. I have some connections.” He winks at me and then leads me back into the building where we immediately bump into the Redbones. Phoenix’s gaze zeroes in on me like a laser beam—in particular, Romeo’s arm linked through mine. An accusation without words is hanging in the air, and whatever bond I thought that we were forming is severed completely. But I guess she’s all right now that she has her girls back by her side.
“Now, where are you two running off to?” she asks, all syrupy sweet.
“Just to go grab something to—”
“You know, Romeo. I need to run to get to class,” I say, not wanting to give Phoenix more ammunition.
He swivels his head toward me. “Wait. I want us to finish our talk.”
“That’s all right.” I pull my arm from his. “I really got to get going.” He opens his mouth to say something else, but I don’t hang around to find out what it is. All I know is that I’m sure to get an earful from Phoenix as soon as she gets my ass alone.
Just great.
thirty-three
Tyler—Defeated
Every part of my body is in some kind of pain. Face, chest, arms and legs—you name it, it feels as if I spent the night hurling my body at one Mack truck after another. After Laquisha and her goons finished pounding me into the floor, I spent the remaining hours with the nurse, who made the call that I didn’t need to go to the hospital. I beg to differ, because it sure as hell feels as if a couple of things are broken on my body.
Now that it’s daylight, this bitch is threatening to send me back to my room, where I assume my attackers are just waiting so we can have another go with what they started last night. To prove that I’m not scared of them I’d have to accommodate whatever bullshit is headed my way, but I’m really looking forward to putting that off as far as possible.
“I swear you girls are just as bad as the boys,” Nurse Phillips says, shaking her head and scribbling something in a file.
I don’t pay her any attention, but if I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that in the past couple of years, I’d be one rich teenager.
“So are you going to tell me what all the fighting was about?” she asks.
“Hell if I know.”
Nurse Phillips levels a look on me that says that she doesn’t buy it. Why in the hell would I care what she thinks? I just need to map out a plan for how to survive this place for the next six months. Of course I come up with nothing by the time I’m released from the nurse’s office and escorted back to my room by some big gorilla-looking woman who probably couldn’t smile even if God came down and put in a personal request. When I realize that I’m headed in a different direction, I say, “Isn’t my room down the other hallway?”
Gorilla just rolls her eyes. “Since it�
�s clear that you and your roommates don’t get along, we decided that it’s best that we break y’all up.”
Thank God. Maybe now my rib cage can get a little more rest before I have to play Rocky again. But whatever joy I experience in that short trip to my new room is quickly dashed when my new roommate looks over to the door and slides on a big greasy smile.
“Well, well, well,” she says, sitting up. “I heard your ass was here.”
Out of the frying pan and into the fire. “Hello, Billie.”
BFF Rule #11
Love, Trust and Support.
thirty-four
Anjenai—Room for Two?
“My goodness. You’re about as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs,” Granny declares as she watches me reapply the makeup Kierra taught me how to use last night.
“I am nervous,” I tell her. “What if you don’t like him and the boys set out to embarrass me like they usually do?”
She snickers like that stuff is really out of the realm of possibility. “Chile, that boy is already in good with me. Coming over here and meeting me proper tells me that he at least got some home training—not like that boy you used to sit out in the car with acting like this place was some kind of drive-in movie.”
I instantly recall the kiss Romeo gave me in his car out in the parking lot when he drove me home after a night of basketball practice and pizza. Damn, it was just a month ago, but it feels like a lifetime.
“Well, Kwan is different,” I tell her. “At least he doesn’t have any baby mama drama at fifteen.”
“That’s more good news.” She settles a hand on her hip and cocks her head while I try to line my eyes with one smooth stroke of gel eyeliner.
“What?” I ask, catching an almost goofy grin on her face.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head. “I’m just amazed at how fast you’re growing up. Dating, next it will be the prom and then you’ll be telling me that you’re engaged.”
