by A. J. Byrd
“I hope you don’t mind my joining you guys. I just came to hear the battle tonight,” Nicole says.
Everybody knew about this battle but me. “Sure. Pop a squat.” I sit down next to Anjenai and place her drink down in front of her. “For you, sweetheart.”
Those adorable dimples reappear as she thanks me. Despite the crowded club and table, Anjenai and I huddle together and create our own private world so we can talk. She tells me about her life, losing her parents in a bad car accident three years ago and how she and her four brothers had to move in their grandmother’s small apartment. I get the Cliff’s-Notes history of her and the BFFs. I think it’s cool to actually have friends you’ve known all your life. I don’t really have a best friend that I can say that I’m totally down with. Acquaintances, yes. Friends, yes. But not the kind who have been with me through the kind of craziness that it sounds like her and her girlfriends have been through.
Time is just ticking away while we share stories and occasionally bob our heads in time to the music. When the club’s DJ takes the stage and announces that it’s time for the open-mike portion of the show, everyone jumps out their seats and crowds around the stage. It’s time for me to do my thing. I’m both hyped and nervous at the same time. Anjenai picks up on this and leans over and whispers in my ear, “You’re going to be great!”
I cock a smile, loving the fact that she has faith in a brother. Feeling comfortable now, I press a quick kiss against her right cheek, watch her blush and then stroll through the crowd to write my name on the DJ’s list. Six brothers and one chick take the stage before me and to be truthful, each one of their games is wack. The first four are booed off like amateur night at the Apollo.
The DJ is getting closer to my name, and it occurs to me about the same time I hear some other people whispering that Shadiq is nowhere to be found. Is he not coming? Did he chicken out or just change his mind? I really don’t know since I was the last to know we were supposed to be battling in the first place.
The dude before me gets a measure of applause before the DJ jumps back on the stage and takes the mike from him. “All right. All right. Not bad,” he says. Straight up I think I’ve heard this cat in a few ATL rap videos, but I have a hard time placing his moniker, DJ Spock. “We have one more name coming to the stage,” the DJ announces, and there’s a clear murmur of confusion coursing through the crowd. “I’m told that the brother is new to the ATL area. So straight out of the Bronx, put your hands together and give this cat a big ATL welcome. Everyone, KWAN!”
I hop up onto the stage like Rocky about to go to battle with Apollo Creed. Everyone starts cheering even before I take the mike from the DJ. I have less than a second to find Anjenai’s smiling face in the crowd before the beat drops and I lock the rhythm into my head.
Everywhere I go people think they know me
They don’t know about my struggle or care about my hustle
They see my shine and think I got it easy
But if they step to me wrong we’re going to tussle.
I slow the beat to a 2/4 time.
Keep pushing
Keep hustling
Keep do-ing my thing.
I’m into my zone and I can really tell the crowd is feeling me.
While you’re learning the game I wrote
I’m taking you down, brother, note by note
Keep pushing
Keep hustling
Keep do-ing my thing.
I roll my hand along and the crowd joins in on the chorus. I find Anjenai’s face in the crowd again, and she’s singing and bobbing her head. Our eyes connect and the energy flowing between us is better than any performance high I’ve ever known. In that moment, I know that she is my girl and I’m her man.
thirty-six
Phoenix—Losing Romeo
Now, isn’t this a hot mess? I watch the look that Kwan and Anjenai share while he’s on the stage and settle a hand on my hip. I should be happy that I got that girl out of my hair, but clearly her moving on is affecting my man in ways that are, quite frankly, pissing me off. I’m starting to feel as if I’ve been cast in some crazy soap opera with so many triangles that we’re going to have to start keeping flow charts. I want to keep my man, but he’s clearly still in love with Anjenai. Anjenai now wants Kwan, who Bianca likes—and Chris secretly likes Bianca.
Like I said, it’s crazy.
I’m tired of Romeo staring Kwan down, so I lean over and yell above the music. “It’s getting a little warm, do you mind getting me something to drink?”
Romeo doesn’t hear me, so I have to reach over and touch him on the arm to get his attention. When he finally turns toward me, it’s as if he’s looking straight through me. I swear it’s taking everything I’ve got not to snap, crackle and pop all upside his head. If I do, I’m wrong, but if I let it slide where does that leave me?
“Are you finished gawking at your girlfriend?” Maybe it’s the edge in my voice that breaks that glassy look in his eyes because he pushes up from the table and tells me that he’ll be right back. Hell, I’m beginning to doubt that the Romeo I’ve always known and loved will ever come back to me. I watch him move from the table and melt into the crowd.
Kwan has completely taken over the joint by spitting out one rhythm after another. I have to hand it to him: he’s good.
Real good.
“I swear I can’t stand that bitch!” Bianca thunders, appearing out of nowhere and plopping down at my table. “Are you seeing how she’s ogling my man?”
Her man? I nearly burst out laughing at her silly ass with that one.
“Calm down,” Raven says, squeezing in between us at the table. “She may have won this round, but no way does she have what it takes to keep a guy like Kwan interested—let alone satisfy him. Ain’t that right, Phoenix?”
Their gazes swing toward me, and I have no choice but to smile and nod my head in support, but in my head I’m starting to think we should stop underestimating Anjenai and the power she seems to cast over guys. They seem to drop like flies around her, and I’ll be damned if I can figure out why.
After being left hearing Bianca whine and complain for way too long, I cast my gaze across the dancing crowd to see where in the heck Romeo has disappeared off to. I spot him clear on the other side of the room, huddled up again with Nicole. My heart drops.
Why in the hell is she always hanging around him all of a sudden?
You know why.
She wouldn’t, I start arguing with myself.
Why wouldn’t she?
My one moment of weakness is coming back to bite me on my butt—hard. What on earth was I thinking to trust a secret like mine to a sister I’ve never really considered a sister in the first place? I continue watching her and Romeo with my stomach twisting into knots at the range of emotions playing across his face.
She’s telling him!
No, she can’t be.
She’s clearly telling him! Look!
Oh, God, please tell me this isn’t happening! What the heck do you think he’s going to do? My heart starts ramming against my chest. Romeo glances up and meets my gaze.
I smile.
But he doesn’t.
Damn it! She told him.
I told you.
Romeo leans over and whispers something into Nicole’s ear before he turns away and trudges off. I push away from the table in the middle of Bianca plotting and scheming against Anjenai and her troop of BFFs.
“I’ll be right back,” I say.
Bianca casts me a hurt look, but I really don’t have time for this. My world is just seconds away from blowing up in my face. I push, shove and walk all over people’s feet while trying to make my way over to Nicole. When I reach her, I just grab her by the arm and pull her off the floor.
“Ow. Phoenix. That hurts,” Nicole complains as my fingers dig in. I don’t pay her any mind. I drag her all the way toward a dark corner away from the crowd.
“How could you?” I stomp my foot at
her. “The one time I try to treat you like a sister, you betray me like that?”
“What? I didn’t!”
“Don’t lie to me! I just saw you tell Romeo! You think I’m blind and stupid?”
“Phoenix, you don’t understand.”
“Oh, yes I do.” I inch closer. “You’ve always been jealous of me. My clothes, money—my friends—”
“Your friends?” she spits. “Trust me. Bianca and Raven are nothing to be bragging about!”
“Oh. And Anjenai and the Section 8 crew are?”
“Yes! Those girls know more about true friendship than you’ll ever be able to comprehend. Even when life gets so tough and situations strain and send them in different directions, there’s a bond that can never be broken. Becoming their friend has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I don’t think I have to apologize to you about it. Let’s face it, the only reason you confessed your big secret to me is that your friends left you high and dry—just like fake friends always do!”
I can’t believe it when I feel fresh tears sting and trickle down my face. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“And you’re playing with fire, trying to hold on to something—or, rather, someone who doesn’t belong to you anymore.”
I wave my finger in Nicole’s face. “Romeo is not your concern. Stay away from him.”
Nicole’s eyes narrow as she hisses back, “You don’t deserve him. He’s too nice a guy to be lied to and manipulated by you. I didn’t tell your precious secret—but he’s going to find out.”
The only thing I hear is that she hasn’t told Romeo about the baby. My entire body deflates with relief. “I may have lost Romeo’s baby a few weeks ago, but you can best believe I’ll have him knock me up again before long. Boys are easy that way. You, on the other hand, if I so much as see you breathe in his direction again, I’ll make your life pure hell. You feel me?”
Nicole calmly folds her arms with a self-assured smirk that I want to just smack off her face.
“Don’t believe me? Try me!”
I whip around to storm away but freeze dead in my tracks when I see Romeo standing just a couple of inches away and glaring at me with a murderous look. “What the hell do you mean that you lost the baby a few weeks ago?”
thirty-seven
Romeo—Unchained.
Please tell me that I didn’t hear her right. But Phoenix’s declaration loops inside my brain a few hundred times in quick succession until I’m dizzy.
“A few weeks ago?” I step back, overwhelmed with so many emotions it’s damn near impossible to name them all. But anger and betrayal are stinging me the most.
“Romeo, I can explain,” Phoenix says, moving toward me. For every step she makes, I take two back. I have to—or I’m going to hurt this girl.
“Romeo!”
“NO!” I suddenly remember the buffalo wings I bought for Nicole because she looked like she was just seconds from passing out on the dance floor and I had guessed that she’s been starving herself to lose the amount of weight she has in such a short period of time. I almost toss them into the garbage because if I understand the argument between the sisters, Nicole knew about Phoenix losing the baby and she didn’t say a word to me. I’ve always thought of her as a friend.
But when my gaze cuts over to Nicole, I see regret and remorse written across her face. It’s hard being mad at Nicole. She always tries so hard to fit in. I move around Phoenix and hand Nicole her food.
“Here. Promise you’ll eat this.”
She blinks and takes the food. “I—I promise.”
I nod and start to storm off.
Phoenix drops a hand on my shoulder and I jump away from her as if it was a hot poker. “DON’T,” I warn her. “As far as I’m concerned we have nothing else to say to each other.”
Phoenix’s eyes fill with tears, but she’s crazy if she thinks it’s going to change anything between us. “You have pulled some pretty bat-shit crazy stunts in the past, but this is an all-time low even for you. I’m not even sure that I want to know how you lost the baby. Because…because I will never be able to trust anything you say. Ever. We’re through! Finished! Done!”
“Romeo”
“SAVE IT!”
“Please, Romeo,” she sobs. “Don’t leave. I can’t lose you!” She tries to touch me again, but I flinch away.
“I mean it, Phoenix! Stay the hell away from me. It’s over!” I turn and storm away, not caring about the small crowd that has gathered around us. I feel nothing but pure hatred toward Phoenix, and I don’t see that ever changing.
I storm through the crowd, not really seeing how everyone just instantly parts away after one look at my face. But there’s one thing—or, rather, one couple that catches and holds my attention on the dance floor: Anjenai and Kwan. They’re lost in their own world while rocking to a slow song. From a distance they look like newlyweds, smiling and gazing into each other’s eyes.
Like several times before, jealousy starts to eat at me like a cancer. If I hadn’t gotten caught up in Phoenix’s web of deceit I would be the one Anjenai was looking up to at this moment. She would be in my arms. My girl.
I watch them dance until the end of the song, pathetically longing for Anjenai to glance over and see me—want me. But when that doesn’t happen I console myself with the knowledge that I’m not just going to let Kwan have her.
No way.
No how.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
The BFFs keep finding that it’s harder to keep their original bond intact now that they’re in high school. Have you ever been in a situation where you question whether you’ve outgrown a relationship?
Phoenix takes drastic steps to hold on to an old boyfriend. Do you know someone who feels they have to manipulate people in order to get what they want? How do you handle such people?
Anjenai has picked herself up, dusted herself off and moved on to the new boy in school. Do you think it’s healthy to move from one relationship to another one so quickly? Is Kwan the real deal or just the rebound?
Tough girl Tyler has landed in a place where she’s not the only girl with a major chip on her shoulder. Is it possible that her time in juvenile hall will finally turn her around?
Nicole has been losing weight on a starvation diet. Have you or do you know of anyone who felt they had to use such drastic measures? What were the end results? What do you think they’ll be for Nicole?
Kierra’s older sister seems to be MIA. Is she right or wrong for trying to hide this information from the authorities? Should she have at least told her best friends what’s happened? Do you think Deborah will return?
It looks like Romeo and Kwan are going to be fighting over the same girl. Who do you think will win and why?
LOSING ROMEO
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7455-0
Copyright © 2010 by Adrianne Byrd
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