Frenemies

by L. Divine

  “You don’t look so bad yourself, Super Fly.” And Mickey’s right. Nigel looks damn good in his cream-colored three-piece suit and hat with the leather boots to match.

  “Damn, girl, you want to join my stable?” he says, sounding like the pimp he wishes he was.

  “You already got one more fly girl than you need,” I say, instinctively eyeing the packed room for Rah.

  “Your boy’s not here yet,” Nigel says, reading my mind. “I don’t know why you frontin’; y’all just need to go on and get back together,” he says, stepping behind Mickey and claiming his spot for the evening. But I’ve got other plans for his main chick.

  “Whatever, Nigel. Me and Mickey have business to handle. We’ll be right back,” I say, taking Mickey by the arm and leading her toward the cauldron where Nellie and her girls are hanging out. Nellie looks cute in her Wonder Woman costume, even if there are ten more girls in the room wearing the same outfit. Judging from her constant nose wiggling, pointy hat and broom, I’m assuming Tania is Samantha from Bewitched, and, just as my dream predicted, she has crossed the outfit with a hooker’s clothes. Laura’s the plainest version of Catwoman I’ve ever seen, and Reid thinks he’s the shit in his Batman gear. It’s truly a star-studded event.

  “Jayd, where the hell are you taking me?” Mickey says, looking back at Nigel as I strut across the floor, ready to start something with Nellie for the last time.

  “We’re going to have a chat with our girl,” I say, my heart pounding harder the closer we get to the scene. Nellie’s third in line for the apple bob, and I know Tania’s treat will be waiting for her in the cold water if I don’t do something about it. These boots make me feel powerful, just as my mom predicted, and they’re also turning a lot of heads, including KJ’s and his boys’, pissing off Misty and her girls. It does our souls good to play dress up, especially in characters that may serve as our alter egos. Speak of the devil, I spot Chance in line behind Nellie, dressed as John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever: tight pants, gold chains and all.

  “Unless I’m talking while whipping her ass, I don’t have anything to say to the trick,” Mickey says, turning around and heading back toward Nigel, who’s in pursuit of us, with Rah right by his side. I have to pause and catch my breath as Rah’s image knocks the wind out of me. He looks stunning in all black as he portrays one of my favorite characters, Shaft, with his hair in an Afro like mine. Damn, he looks good in leather.

  “Jayd, I don’t know how you can convince yourself that you love Jeremy when you have all this fine-ass Black man right here in front of you,” Mickey says, gesturing toward our approaching boys. “I don’t care if he’s got that little trifling girlfriend at his school, that’s your man, girl, and you better claim him while you still can.”

  “Mickey, is he going somewhere?” I say. She sounds like there’s a shortage of good Black men around or something, and I’m not buying that. “And him having a girlfriend may be okay with you, but I take commitment seriously,” I say, bracing myself for Rah’s touch. He wears P. Diddy’s cologne better than its namesake, I imagine.

  “You look good, Nurse Coffy,” Rah says, swooping me up in his arms and kissing my neck. Misty, KJ and crew all look over at us from the bleachers where they’ve relocated South Central for the evening. They’ve decided to go as the Black Panthers, all wearing big Afros, black leather jackets and dashikis. Now see, that’s what I’m talking about. If they weren’t so stank all the time, I’d be down with the solidarity they have as a clique. Why can’t me and my girls stay as tight as they appear?

  “Thank you, Shaft. You don’t look so bad yourself,” I say as he puts me back on my feet and looks down at me. “Isn’t your school having a Halloween function of its own?” I know Westingle is just as active as South Bay, and Rah and Nigel have enough school spirit for both campuses.

  “Yeah, and we’re going to hit that one up later,” he says. “Nurse, I think I’m feeling a little hot.” Rah grabs my hand and puts it on his forehead, making Mickey and Nigel laugh. “Can you cool me off?”

  “Rah, shut up and stop molesting my hand,” I say, snatching away from his grasp and playfully hitting him on his arm. “Mickey and I were on our way to handle something. We’ll be right back.” I reclaim Mickey from Nigel and march toward our intended target. Boys can be so distracting sometimes.

  “Hey, wait up. We want to watch,” Nigel says as he and Rah follow us to the cauldron line.

  “Jayd, I already told you I’m done with Nellie. I can never trust her again, and so to me, she might as well be dead,” Mickey says. But I can’t let it go this easily.

  “Mickey, out of all the times Nellie has had your back and you hers, how can you give up on her so easily?” Noticing our approach, Tania tries to rush China, who’s in front of her in line. But she just can’t seem to catch an apple in the dark container full of water, giving us more time to rescue Nellie.

  “Because I’ve never turned on her like this, Jayd,” Mickey says loud enough to quiet some nearby people, including Nigel and Rah. “This is the worst shit a friend can do. Why can’t you get that?”

  “Because I believe in forgiveness, Mickey, especially when it’s someone you love,” I say, looking at an intense Rah as he stares straight through me. I know we’re sharing the same memory of him cheating on me with my cousin and then our entire junior high crew temporarily turning on me as a result of me fronting on them both at school. But that was a long time ago.

  “Well, that’s you. I believe in letting bitches be,” Mickey says, staring at Nellie, who’s now heavily engrossed in our conversation from where she’s standing. Tania nervously tries to push the girl in front of her out of the way, but to no avail. China’s determined to get herself an apple if it’s the last thing she does. She’s probably got the munchies, as usual.

  “Mickey, we don’t have time for this,” I say, noticing Tania’s loose sleeve with the green apple sticking out underneath. “Nellie’s always been the clueless, material one in the crew, so stop acting like you don’t know her as well as I do, if not better.”

  “Listen to your girl, Mickey,” Nigel says, putting his two cents in, which may be enough to convince her. “You can’t let good friends slip away.” He strokes her bare arms.

  “But she turned us in,” Mickey wines, almost defeated. “You want me to just let that go?”

  “Well, technically, it was Misty. Nellie just verified the info,” Nigel says, giving me some news I didn’t know. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own drama, I forgot to follow up with Mickey about their in-house suspensions this week.

  “Misty? Why am I not surprised,” I say, noticing Rah hasn’t taken his eyes off me as he stands behind Nigel, waiting for our next move. The party is really getting hyped around us as the deejay begins to play old disco music, getting everyone up on the dance floor.

  “Because you know how she is,” Nigel says, still trying to win Mickey over. “Come on, baby.” Nigel kisses Mickey’s nose and then her mouth. These two have no shame in their cheating game.

  “Fine, whatever,” Mickey says, kissing him back. “But, Jayd, we’re even after this,” she adds, ready to take over Tania’s world with me. Two different yet equally powerful versions of the closest thing we’ve got to a Black female superhero in the seventies to save our Oreo counterpart; now, that’s power.

  “Come on, girl, let’s go rescue Wonder Woman,” I say, ready to give Tania a dose of her own nasty medicine.

  “Oh, no, not the ghetto girls again,” Tania says, causing her crowd to chuckle. But by the time we’re done with her, I’ll be the last one laughing.

  “Tania, what’s up your sleeve?” I say, walking toward her, ready to expose her for the twisted trick she is. Acting as her bodyguard, Reid steps in front of her, almost knocking down an irritated Chance.

  “I can’t let you get too close, Jayd. You’re known to have quite a temper, and Tania’s in a fragile condition,” he says, sounding like the chivalrous knight he isn�
�t.

  “Reid, get out of my way before I step on you with my heels,” I say, ready to kick his ass if need be. But noticing me and Mickey’s backup, he stands down and leaves me to handle what I came here for.

  “Jayd, what are you talking about?” Tania says, feigning shock.

  “The apple up your sleeve, Tania. Give it here,” I say, reaching for her arm as she steps back out of my reach.

  “Is it a crime to bring your own fruit?” she says, taking the large green treat out of her clothing, causing everyone to fall silent.

  “How did you know she had it?” Nellie asks, looking at me suspiciously. I haven’t shared my secret with her yet, but she should know me well enough by now to trust my intuition, no matter how crazy it may seem.

  “I saw it from across the room. Nellie, she was going to plant that apple for you. There’s something wrong with it, I just know it,” I say, trying to reason with my fallen girl without giving up all my secret knowledge.

  “You’re lying,” Laura says, coming to Tania’s defense. I don’t know why she’s pledged her blind allegiance to her, but Laura can see no wrong in any of Tania’s actions, ever. “Tania would never do anything like that to a friend.”

  “Nellie, don’t listen to her,” Tania says, recasting her spell of deceit. “She’s just jealous of you, Nellie, you know this.” Nellie again hardens her feelings and turns away from me, as though to say she’s had enough. Well, so have I.

  “If I’m lying, Tania, then take a bite,” I say, calling her bluff. I trust my dreams more than I trust this trick’s word.

  “I don’t have to prove anything to you,” she says, turning away from the cauldron and heading toward the exit.

  “No? Then have Laura take a bite,” I say, daring her friendship skills. I know this heffa’s twisted, but let’s see just how far she’ll go to save face. “If I’m wrong, which I’m not, then give the apple to Laura and let’s see who the real liar is around here.”

  “Jayd, we are not going to play your silly little game,” Tania says. But, having drawn a crowd with China, Misty and everyone else surrounding us now chanting, “Bite, Bite,” Tania can’t get away this time.

  “Give her the apple or bite it yourself, Tania. That’s the only way you’re getting out of here,” I say, Mickey stepping up right beside me. I know Tania doesn’t want to challenge me and my girl. If Tania thinks I’m a bit much, then she ain’t seen nothing yet.

  “Food makes me nauseous,” she says, playing off her pregnancy for sympathy. This girl is something else, and I feel sorry for her baby. Having money doesn’t guarantee mental stability or a great childhood, no matter what she or Jeremy may think.

  “Give it to me,” Laura says, snatching the shiny green object from Tania’s grasp and inspecting it. “I trust my friends.” Before Reid or Nellie can say anything, Laura bites into the apple, making a loud crunch sound ripple through the now silent gym. Everyone’s waiting to see what’ll happen next.

  “See? Nothing,” Laura says, chewing the piece of fruit in her mouth and turning the other portion toward the onlookers, myself included. Was my dream wrong? But just as I begin to doubt myself, tiny worms start to surface from the bitten flesh, eliciting a loud gasp of shock and disgust from the crowd. Noticing their reaction, Laura spits the apple into her hand and sees the same thing.

  “You sick bitch!” Reid screams at Tania, who’s looking for a quick escape route. But I ain’t done with her yet. I know she’s probably going to leave for New York soon after this incident, especially if Jeremy signs the papers. So I need the full confession, in front of Nellie and everyone else, before she goes.

  “Do you see now what kind of chick this is, Nellie?” I say, screaming at my friend as Laura gulps down a cup of red punch Reid brought her. What a Halloween treat she got. “How could you leave us to kick it with her?”

  “Because Tania told her if she didn’t become our new pledge, she’d put the picture of her changing on the Internet for everyone to see again,” Reid says, ratting out their fallen queen. I guess there really is no honor amongst thieves.

  “But Reid’s the one who actually did it,” Tania says, trying to take some of the blame off herself. “I just took the pictures. He put it on the Web,” she says. Tania still sounds a little too nonchalant for me. This girl needs the fear of God put in her, and now. Before I can do anything, Mickey lunges for her, snatching her broomstick and swinging it at her, causing everyone to go wild.

  “Okay, ladies, break it up,” Stan and Dan say, pulling Mickey off a stunned Tania. Nellie, looking sorrowful, holds on to Chance as she cries. I’m glad it’s all out in the open now. I knew that trick was the one behind everything. What I still don’t get is why Nellie didn’t come to us for help. I know she wanted to be in the popular crowd, but not like this—I hope.

  “Jayd, you think you’re so smart!” Tania yells. She’s completely lost her cool now. “Well, don’t think you’re going to get too far with Jeremy—or my baby daddy, as you probably refer to him. His family doesn’t like brown babies, and Jeremy and his brothers know it.” She smiles deviously as she tells Jeremy’s family business in front of the entire school. “And all those nice gifts he buys you are out of guilt. I have a closet full of them,” she adds as she and Mickey are escorted in opposite directions to cool off. I feel like my entire world’s just been blown up in public.

  “Jayd, are you okay?” Rah says, hugging me as he leads me away from the spectators. Nigel has followed after Mickey, and Chance and Nellie are already at the door. I guess the night’s over for us. Although it was successful, I can’t help but feel slightly defeated. “I’m sorry it had to go down like that,” Rah says, and I know he is. No matter how much he’s hurt me in the past, I don’t believe he ever wants to see me suffer.

  “I’m okay,” I say. It’s not like I’m learning anything new. I already felt most of what Tania said. Just hearing it aloud brings the pain to a whole other level. “Just a little embarrassed.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t be,” he says, leading me to sit down on a bench right outside the gym. It’s a starry night, and the breeze makes me feel a little lighter. “If it’s one thing I’ve always admired about you, Jayd, it’s that you’re a ride-or-die chick to whomever you call a friend, and that’s never something you should be ashamed of.”

  “How come you’re so sweet to me now that we aren’t together ?” I say.

  “Who says we’re not?” Rah says, leaning into me and kissing my lips, this time hungrier than before. “Whenever you’re ready to come back, just say the word.” Why is he doing this to me? Even if Jeremy and I don’t work out, which if what Tania’s saying is true is exactly what’s going to happen, that doesn’t mean I should go running back into Rah’s arms.

  “Hey, you two,” Mickey says as she and Nigel walk up, disturbing our flow, and I’m glad. I’m too weak for this boy to fight off his kisses. “Have you seen Nellie?” She sounds worried about our girl. Now, that’s the Mickey I know and love.

  “She went out the other side,” I say, looking around. Everyone’s still inside enjoying the party. It’ll probably go on until at least one in the morning, knowing these folks, with the wild after-parties to follow.

  “Well, I want a public apology from the broad for both of us,” Mickey says, making all of us laugh. I’ll be so glad when we’re back to normal, whatever that is. It’s been too weird not having my girls as friends. There are enough enemies out there to fight with. We don’t need any in our little crew.

  “Mickey, just be glad to have her back on our side,” I say as Nellie and Chance head our way. Nellie looks weak and tired, like she’s just experienced an exorcism or something.

  “I’m waiting,” Mickey says, not even giving Nellie an opportunity to get over here completely. I’m just glad she’s giving their friendship a second chance.

  “I’m really sorry,” Nellie says, breaking down into fits of hard sobbing before Mickey and I embrace her, having a girl moment, wi
th the boys looking at us, amused. “I’ll do anything you want to make it up.” Nellie looks both Mickey and myself in the eye.

  “Anything?” Mickey asks. Oh, shit, I wonder what she has in mind.

  “Anything,” Nellie says, sounding like she wants to take it back but is too scared to admit it. And she’d better not take it back, because, knowing Mickey, she won’t be so forgiving next time.

  “You have to be me and Jayd’s personal servant indefinitely, Miss Princess,” Mickey says. I actually like the sound of that punishment.

  “Okay,” Nellie says, sounding relieved. Rah, Nigel and Chance shake their heads as we all head toward the parking lot. “And, Jayd, I’m sorry about what Tania’s said about Jeremy. But unfortunately she’s not lying about that. She does have a closet full of expensive gifts and cards from Jeremy while they were together.” I didn’t need the validation; I already knew it was true. Rah looks at me as if to say, “I told you so,” but he doesn’t say it. I’ll deal with one nightmare at a time. Right now, I’m just happy to have my girls back in sync with each other. It’ll make all the other drama in my life easier to handle, knowing my girls are cool.

  “You guys want to take pictures?” Chance says, noticing the photographer is still set up with no line to wait in. Everyone else has probably already taken their photos.

  “Yeah, we need a group photo to remember this shit. Plus, we still look good,” Nigel says, lightening the mood. We choose the cemetery background and strike a pose for the camera, forever solidifying our victory in reality. Now, if I could just turn around my relationship with Jeremy. I don’t want to give our haters the satisfaction of being right. But, unlike the fairy tales that lied to me as a little girl, all dreams aren’t meant to come true.

  16

  A Gangster’s Dream

  “Girl, you opened my eyes/

  And I’m gonna be much better for you.”