I scooted over toward the rest of the girls. “But we’ll need Sonja to play like she’s your mom, ’cause you know ain’t no way in the world my mother or grandmother would let me stay if she thought we were gonna be there alone.”
“Girl, don’t trip. You know Sonja knows the deal.” Alexis winked. “She’s more than just the housekeeper.”
“I think I can get my sister to babysit,” Angel said. “So count me in, too.”
It was settled. We’d hook up after school and meet at Alexis’s house. Now all I had to do was make sure my grandmother would be on board. She could act funny sometimes. But I’d just have to make sure the house was clean, and maybe even fix something for dinner.
“I’ll be there,” I said.
“Unless, of course, Donovan calls and wants to do something instead,” Camille joked.
I balled up a piece of paper and threw it at her. “Shut up, girl. Why you trippin’?” I laughed.
She ducked out of the way of the paper ball. “Please. I ain’t mad at ya. Because if I had a man as fine as yours, I’d kick you busters to the curb as well.”
We all laughed as we waited for Rachel to come back and wrap up the meeting.
10
I looked down the street for the twentieth time. Where were they? I mean, this was crazy. I’d been waiting almost an hour. Alexis called me, claiming they left the mall an hour and a half ago.
I didn’t even want to think about what they were up to. I was just anxious to get away from my apartment. As usual, my brothers were getting on my nerves and I had to get out before my grandmother found something else for me to do.
I was just about to go back inside and call Alexis again when I saw them pulling up.
“Hey, miss, whatchu selling?” Alexis joked as they pulled up.
I rolled my eyes. “Dang! What took y’all so long? What were you doing in the mall, or do I even have to ask?” I shook my head as I climbed into the backseat next to Camille. She was talking away on the phone to someone and Trina was in the front seat jamming to the music.
Once we got to Alexis’s house, I jumped out of the car and was walking up to the massive doors to Alexis’s home when Trina summoned me back.
“Hey, you think you wanna give us a hand here?” she said.
When I turned and saw the trunk full of bags, my mouth dropped open.
“Where did you guys get all this stuff from? Dang! Y’all got the whole mall up in here!”
I could hardly believe it. There were shoes, designer baby clothes, purses…and everything still had regular tags and security sensors attached to them.
“How y’all gonna get these sensors off?” I asked, fingering a cute yellow blouse that had caught my eye.
“Don’t worry about all that, you just help us get this stuff in the house before someone sees us,” Trina snapped. I let her slide this time, but homegirl had one more time to snap at me.
It took us each two trips to the car to unload everything.
I looked at all the loot and just couldn’t fathom how they were able to get away with doing this. Never in a thousand years would I have thought they, of all people, would stoop to stealing.
They spent the next two hours arranging the stuff in Alexis’s room. I just sat off to the side and watched. I honestly didn’t want to have anything to do with their little scheme. It was bad enough they had Camille and Angel all caught up in it.
By the time they were done sorting, it was like the room had been transformed into a specialty boutique. Alexis had ordered pizza but before we could finish eating, the doorbell rang.
“Is Sonja gonna get that?” Trina asked Alexis.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Last time I saw her she was in the theater room cuddling a bucket of ice cream. I think she had a fight with her man, so she’s drowning her sorrows, I guess.”
I took it upon myself to go answer the door. Of course, the visitors were three girls, looking for clothes to buy. I led them to Alexis’s room.
“Hey, Trina. What you got this time?”
“Hey, Crystal,” Trina responded. “See for yourself.”
Crystal and her friends looked toward the back of the room. Their eyes got wide and they started giggling.
“You guys are off the chain!” Crystal said.
“And Erica, girl, those Donna Karen warm-ups you wanted are here, too. You needed a size eight, right?” Before Erica could get all the way in the room Trina had the warm-ups separated from the other items for her.
The girls went through the mountain of clothes, shoes, and accessories. It was like they were in an all-you-can-eat candy store. They held up items in front of themselves in Alexis’s full-length mirror, or ran over to her dresser holding up earrings and bangles. And Trina was acting like she was their personal shopper. The minute they put something down, she had something else for them to look at.
The doorbell rang again. “I’ll be back,” Alexis said as she took off.
“You think this looks good with my skin color?” Crystal asked me.
I smiled and quickly nodded.
“Yeah, and it would go good with those jeans over there,” Trina said as she ran to pick up a pair of jeans.
When Alexis came back to the room, she had two more girls with her, who introduced themselves as Sara and Kym.
Just like Crystal and the others, Sara looked around the room and her eyes lit up. “Man, this is tight,” she exclaimed. “It looks like you’ve got everything in here.”
“I think we got those Apple Bottoms jeans you wanted. We also got the matching jacket to it. I know you didn’t ask for that, but it is too cute,” Trina said.
“Cool, lemme see them,” Sara said.
The first group of girls spent close to eight hundred dollars. Sara and Kym spent another two hundred and fifty and Alexis and Trina were on their fifth set of customers. I could not believe that even after hours of showing off the stuff, the room still looked full.
Once Alexis ushered the last group of girls out of the house, she came running back to the bedroom.
“Okay, you guys think we should shut down the shop for tonight?” she asked.
“Did Cicely and her girls come through yet?” Trina asked. “I know they would call if they weren’t coming. We should wait, then stop after they get here.”
“Okay, deal,” Alexis said. Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang again. I was hoping it was Cicely and her friends, because I was tired…and I refused to get caught up in their scheme. I knew it was wrong to be in there at all with all the stolen stuff and even help some of the customers with their selections, but I figured it was no harm since I hadn’t stolen anything.
Cicely and her friends spent more than one thousand dollars. There were four of them, and they bought just about everything they tried on or put their hands on. How people had money to throw away like that was beyond me.
When Alexis showed them out and came back into the room, she sighed as if she had actually been working a real job.
“Okay, Trina, how’d we make out?” she asked.
“Five thousand eight hundred and ninety-three big smackeroos!” Trina sang.
My eyes nearly popped from their sockets. “Like five thousand as in five grand?” I couldn’t believe it. “Are you kidding me?”
They all looked at me like I was crazy. But the truth was I had never seen that much money in my entire life. I couldn’t believe they had actually made that much off that stolen stuff—and there was still a lot of stuff in the room.
“This is the real deal, Holyfield,” Trina said. “I have to give my cousin twenty-five hundred, but the rest is all ours. Not bad for a couple of hours’ work, huh?”
“Not bad at all,” Camille said, shaking her head. I couldn’t believe she, too, was getting caught up in this madness. Well, easy money would do that to you.
“So, are y’all ready to party, or what?” Trina said.
“Yeah. Levi from the basketball team said his parents are out of town so he�
�s having a party at his house tonight,” Camille said.
“Then it’s on and poppin’. Let’s get dressed,” Trina said. I looked at her, wondering how she’d become the leader of our little group. If there was anybody that didn’t need to be a leader, it was her.
I turned my head and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. “Oh, no. I’m not going to a party looking like this. Especially a basketball party,” I said. My hair was pulled back in my signature ponytail and I had on my usual warm-ups.
“Look, you can find something to wear out of all of this stuff,” Trina said, pointing to all the clothes. “And I’ll curl your hair.” She dashed into the bathroom. I wanted to protest, but honestly, hanging around them was giving me a complex and I wanted something to really make Donovan proud to be seen with me.
What harm would there be in wearing something just for tonight and then giving it back as soon as we got home from the party? I had to wrestle with my conscience for a minute.
“You know what? That’s all right,” I finally said.
“Come on, Jasmine,” Camille protested.
“Camille, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable in this…in this stuff,” I said, pointing to all the clothes.
“It’s just for a couple of hours. It’s not like you’re keeping it,” Trina said.
When I looked down at the outfits Trina was holding up, I felt myself growing weak. Just a couple of hours, that’s all. I grabbed the outfits and made my way into the bathroom.
I quickly took off my clothes and pulled the top over my head. I was careful not to get anything on the clothes. I wasn’t going to keep it so I didn’t want to get it dirty. I pulled the material down over my shoulders, and tied the straps around my neck. It had a brooch right at the center of my chest, and the soft, flowing material flared out under my chest into a pleated skirt. I slipped on the jeans, which were studded with dazzling rhinestones. I looked at myself in the mirror and felt more special than I could ever remember. I stepped into a pair of wedge sandals and was ready.
“C’mon, now. Don’t hog the bathroom. The rest of us still gotta get ready, you know!” Alexis yelled.
“Okay, here I come.” I closed my eyes and giggled. Donovan was going to go ballistic. I opened my eyes to make sure this was really happening.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, my friends were speechless.
“Ohmigoodness!” Alexis said.
“Turn around,” Angel encouraged.
“Dang, girl, you look hot. I like the way you mixed the two outfits. That’s tight,” Camille said.
I looked at my body. “What do you mean, mixed them?” I held out my arms, frowning.
“That’s a minidress you’re wearing with the jeans, but that works. It really does,” Alexis said.
I ran toward the mirror and couldn’t help but laugh at myself right along with my friends.
“You mean this is a dress? I thought it was a top,” I said.
“Well, it’s one of those you can wear as a mini, a skirt, or a top, like you obviously figured out. Girl, you’re smokin’. Now let the rest of us try to pull ourselves together,” Alexis said, rushing toward the bathroom before anyone else could beat her to it.
11
C ars were parked all up and down Levi’s street. Alexis lucked out and pulled into a spot right in front of the house just as another car was pulling off. We all piled out and walked straight up to the front door. I was worried about the humidity making my curls fall, but when I ran my fingers through them, they still seemed tight.
We made our way inside. There were people everywhere and tables and chairs were lined up against the wall of the living room, but most of those seats were empty. The house was laid, with marble floors and chandeliers. I looked around in amazement. Did everybody have money but me?
Music was pumping loud and hard, so much so that it felt like the floor was vibrating. I glanced at the deejay, who was set up in a corner, bobbing his head to the beats.
Camille and Trina headed straight to the middle of the living room, which had been transformed into a dance floor. I looked around for Donovan.
“You want anything to drink?” Alexis asked.
I looked over at two guys pouring a clear liquid into the bowl of punch. I shook my head. “Naw, I’m straight,” I said. The last thing I wanted was to be laid out somewhere drunk. That was definitely not the impression I was trying to give Donovan.
Alexis must’ve decided against getting something to drink as well, because she just stood next to me and Angel, swaying to the music. I was starting to relax and get my groove on when two guys showed up in front of us.
“Y’all wanna dance?” the shortest one said. I wasn’t sure which one of us he was talking to. But Angel and Alexis jumped up and followed them out to the dance floor, snapping their fingers and moving to the music.
A thought flashed through my mind. I wondered what my grandmother would say if she knew that we were out partying when we were supposed to be at a sleepover. I shook it off and told myself I’d have fun while I could. There was no use in ruining the evening thinking crazy thoughts about getting caught.
I spotted C.J., the guy I used to have a crush on, heading my way. I was surprised that I wasn’t the least bit fazed by the sight of him.
“What’s up, Jasmine,” C.J. said, as he flashed a grin I used to think was cute. Now it just looked plain stupid.
“What do you want, C.J.?”
“Don’t be like that, girl,” he said as he stepped closer to me.
I put my hand up to stop him from coming any closer. “You the one who made it like that. Don’t think I forgot what a jerk you were.”
“Boo, I’m sorry about that. I was young and stupid back then. I didn’t know how to show you I was feeling you. But I’m older and wiser now,” he said, stroking his chin.
“Boy, that was three months ago. You ain’t that much wiser.”
“Three months, a lifetime. What’s the difference?”
I rolled my eyes and turned my head. That was when I spotted Donovan rolling into the party. I was about to push C.J. aside and go talk to him when I saw Tori slink up and drape her arm around his neck. He tried to move her out of the way, but she giggled and dragged him toward the dance floor. Even though Donovan was resisting and acting like he really didn’t want to be bothered, his boys were whooping and hollerin’, high-fiving each other. I felt my stomach turn as I heard one of them yell out, “Man, that chick is fine! You need to hit that!”
Donovan was obviously uncomfortable on the dance floor, but Tori didn’t notice—or didn’t care—as she gyrated, bounced up and down, and slithered all over him as T.I. rapped in the background.
I looked at C.J. and, without thinking, grabbed his arm and led him to the dance floor. I eased over toward Donovan. Tori saw me first and began putting on even more of a performance, trying to move in and kiss Donovan. I fought back a smile as he pushed her back.
C.J. started dancing. He looked like a fool with his no rhythm self. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Tori, though. She looked like a pure freak the way she was grinding up against Donovan.
When the song ended and Usher’s “Confessions” started playing, a huge smile crossed her face. She moved in and tried to put her arms around Donovan’s neck and get him to slow dance with her.
At the same time C.J. was trying to pull me toward him. I looked at him like he was crazy. I was a good foot and a half taller than him. I was not about to be hugged up with him on the dance floor.
Donovan looked up and caught my eye just as C.J. pulled my arm, begging me to slow dance. Tori saw him look at me and the smile immediately left her face. He said something to her, then pushed her off of him and walked my way. Her mouth fell open and she looked extremely embarrassed. I wished I had a camera because the look on her face was priceless.
“Hey, I didn’t know you were here,” Donovan said as he approached me. He looked at C.J. “What’s up?”
“What’s up with yo
u?” C.J. asked, sticking his chest up like he was trying to flex. “We kinda busy right now.”
Donovan, who was also several feet taller than C.J., laughed. “You gon’ have to find someone else to dance with, patna. My girl doesn’t slow dance with anyone but me.” I ignored the shocked look on C.J.’s face as Donovan pulled me toward him. He took me in his arms and we swayed to the music. I felt weak in the knees.
“Hey, baby, how long you been here?” he whispered in my ear.
“Long enough to see Tori all over you,” I said, trying to hide my jealousy. “She all but took off her panties and threw them at you.”
Donovan rubbed my hair. “She can throw all she wants. I ain’t trying to catch nothing she got. It’s only one girl I want to be with, and that’s you.” He leaned back and looked me in the eyes. This time, I didn’t look away. I stared right back at him. It felt like we were the only two people on the dance floor. We didn’t say anything for a few minutes as we slowly rocked from side to side. Then he leaned in and gave me the deepest, most passionate kiss I’d ever had in my life. It was a kiss that felt like it went inside my body and touched my soul. I caught myself. That sounded like something corny Camille would say. But at that very moment, I knew where she was coming from when she talked about how much you can love a person. Because there was no longer any doubt. I was absolutely, positively in love.
12
T he next morning the strong aroma of frying bacon and sausages woke me from my deep sleep. I opened my eyes and saw Alexis and Trina, who were in Alexis’s bed, roll over. Camille was still sound asleep next to me on the air mattress. I pushed her arm away, which was elbowing me in the side.
“Ummm.” Camille turned over and stretched. “Girl, I could live like this every day,” she said, lifting her head from the pillow.
We woke up Angel, who was on the small sofa in the corner of Alexis’s room. We slowly made our way downstairs into the kitchen where Sonja was stacking pancakes onto a plate that was already filled with waffles.
Blessings in Disguise Page 5
