by Maggie Wells
SIX
Aleecia
* * *
ALEECIA WOKE UP EARLY ON MONDAY MORNING; SHE was eager to get to school. She washed and styled her hair, in an attempt to look like Rihanna.
“What are you doing in there so long?” her mother tapped on the bathroom door. “I need to leave for work.”
Aleecia opened the door. “Mama, can you help me with my hair?”
“What’s wrong with your hair?” her mother asked.
“I want to look pretty,” Aleecia said.
“You always look pretty, baby,” her mother said with a chuckle as she took the hairbrush from Aleecia. “Hand me the hairspray.”
Aleecia looked at her mother’s reflection in the mirror and smiled. “Remember when I was little and you would fix up my hair so fancy for church?”
Her mother looked up and their eyes met in the mirror. “I wish I could do this every day, baby,” her mother said, tearing up. “If I didn’t have to work such long hours. Pretty soon, you’ll be all grown up and gone.” She leaned down and kissed the top of Aleecia’s head. “Let me pee. I’m going to be late.”
Aleecia dawdled at her locker, hoping to see Kyle before the eight-twenty bell rang. She was about to give up when she heard his voice down the hall. A posse of football players surrounded him. She suddenly felt shy and walked quickly in the opposite direction. She made it to class on time but had difficulty concentrating; she thought about him all day and wondered if he was thinking about her.
At lunch she met up with Dawn and Joyce, and they found an empty picnic table in the courtyard.
“Spill it,” Joyce said. “What happened with Kyle? What’s he like?”
Aleecia’s face grew hot as she thought about how it felt to be so close to him, how he smelled. “He’s nice.”
“Nice?” Joyce said. “C’mon, he’s the captain of the football team. He’s probably going to Tallahassee and then on to play for the Dolphins. Am I right?”
“I guess,” Aleecia said.
“You need to be careful, girl,” Dawn said. “How do you know he isn’t using you?”
The bell rang and they collected their trash, grabbed their backpacks, and headed inside. Aleecia saw Kyle standing by the door. The back of her neck tingled with excitement. Was he waiting there for me? she wondered.
“Aleecia,” Kyle said.
Dawn and Joyce pushed past Aleecia, jostling her deliberately. Aleecia giggled.
“Can I give you a ride home after work?” Kyle said.
“Sure,” Aleecia said. “I mean, I’m not sure if I’ll be off at eight or nine.”
“Text me when you know for sure,” he said.
After her shift had ended, Aleecia walked her bike to the front parking lot. She saw Kyle parked in the far corner and felt his eyes on her as she wheeled her bike over.
“This is really nice of you,” she said to him as he loaded her bike into the trunk.
“It’s not safe for you to ride home in the dark,” he said. “I worry about you.”
He’s worrying about me? she thought. Aleecia didn’t know what to say.
They drove with the windows down, enjoying the salty breeze. Kyle reached out for her hand and held it gently, resting it on his thigh. This feels so intimate!
“How was practice?” Aleecia asked.
Kyle responded with a long-winded litany of details about players and plays, none of which she understood.
I love the sound of his voice, she thought. Aleecia leaned back in the passenger seat and smiled contentedly through the open window at the reflection of the moon on the restless waves cresting in the distance.
Kyle pulled up in front of her house and parked.
“Are you still coming to church on Sunday?” Aleecia said. Church is the most important thing in my life and I want it to be important to him, too, she thought.
“Church? Oh, right. Yes,” he said. “I’ll come.” He was still holding her hand. “Can I have a kiss?”
Aleecia leaned in and inhaled. He smelled earthy and spicy. His lips formed pillows for hers.
Kyle
On Monday, Kyle kept hoping to run into Aleecia at school. He passed by her locker several times. Finally he spotted her, but Steve and the guys were there, acting like asses. He watched as she closed her locker and walked away. He was overcome with a desire to talk to her, to make sure she was really there, that she was into him, that maybe she could save him.
He mentally mapped her movements all day and finally saw an opening at lunch. She usually sat outside with her friends. He positioned himself by the door to the hallway where she had her fifth-period class and waited.
“Aleecia,” Kyle said. “Can I give you a ride home after work?” Do I sound desperate? he wondered. She seemed happy to see him. “Text me when you know what time you are getting off.”
That evening, Kyle sat in the parking lot of Big Lots until all the customers had left and the streetlights had come on. Is she still coming? he wondered. Then he saw a dark figure wheeling a bike toward him. He jumped out to pop the trunk and load up her bike.
“This is really nice of you,” she said.
“I wanted you to be safe,” he said.
As he drove down the highway, he reached out for her hand and held it gently, resting it on his thigh.
“How was work?” Kyle asked.
Aleecia responded with a long-winded story about her coworkers and some nonsense about annoying customers, none of whom he knew.
Kyle relaxed and smiled contentedly as she prattled on, cherishing the warmth of her hand in his.
Kyle pulled up in front of her house and parked.
“Don’t forget about church on Sunday,” Aleecia said.
“I won’t,” he said. He pulled her toward him and kissed her. He wanted the kiss to last forever, an endless feast for his hungry soul, a banquet that he had finally been invited to.
Every day that week, Kyle looked for Aleecia, lurking around her locker, hoping to catch her coming and going. Each time he did, she reminded him: “See you at church on Sunday.” Oh, my God, he thought, what is it with her and church?
SEVEN
Aleecia
* * *
WHEN SHE WOKE UP THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY, ALEECIA was a wreck. Her throat was sore; her hair wouldn’t behave. She wanted everything to be perfect. She left early so she could ride her bike slowly. She didn’t want to show up all sweaty and disheveled. She joined the other choir members in the rehearsal room where they warmed up and went over the order of service.
“Aleecia, can you sing the first verse as a solo?” Mr. Buckles said, “And then the chorus will join in.”
She had been asked to sing solo many times, but this time was different. Kyle would be there to hear her. Half of her was thrilled, the other half was terrified.
As the choir filed into the church and took their places in front of the altar, Aleecia looked out into the sea of faces, hoping to see Kyle. He’s not here! He didn’t come! she lamented.
The organ struck a chord. Nerves assuaged, her muscle memory took over and Aleecia sang “Ubi Caritas et Amor” in a deep alto voice. She felt the notes resonating in her gut and lifted her head to project the sound to the rafters. When the hymn was over, the congregation erupted in applause.
Kyle was waiting for Aleecia outside the church after the service.
“You came!” Aleecia croaked. Her voice was hoarse from singing. She stood on her toes and reached up to kiss him.
“Of course I came,” he said. “You sang like an angel,” Kyle said, squeezing her hand in his fist. “That was amazing! The lady sitting next to me told me that you were the best singer in the choir. Do you have time to go for a walk on the beach?” he asked.
Kyle loaded Aleecia’s bike into his trunk and drove to the beach parking lot. He parked and walked around to open the passenger door. Aleecia took his hand.
“My lady,” Kyle said.
He led her down to the sand where she stopped to
remove her sandals.
They walked hand-in-hand southward along the beach, the sun baking them in its warmth.
“I have this crazy dream,” she said. “I want to be a famous gospel singer. I want to move to Nashville and get rich and famous.”
“That’s a great dream,” he said. “There is so much I want to accomplish, too.”
“You mean football, right?” she asked. “Is that going to be your career?”
“That’s right. NFL, baby. Money fixes everything, right?” he asked. “Get ourselves out of this hellhole.”
“Nashville has a football team, doesn’t it?” she asked.
He laughed. “The Titans. You become a famous gospel singer, and I’ll play for the Titans.”
“I’m serious,” she said.
“I know you’re serious,” he said. “That was serious shit today, in church.”
“We can do this, right?”
“Well,” Kyle hesitated. “I need to take care of my little brother and sister. Do you have sisters and brothers?”
“No, it’s just me and my mom,” Aleecia said. “I never knew my daddy. She never talks about him.”
“You’re lucky,” Kyle said. “If it weren’t for them, I’d be able to leave. Dwayne is eight and baby Crystal is two.”
“Where would you go?” Aleecia asked.
“I’ve never talked to anybody about this before,” Kyle said. “I’d go far away, maybe Atlanta.”
Aleecia squeezed Kyle’s hand and he stopped and turned to face her.
“Would you like to go to the prom with me?”
Aleecia gasped. “Senior prom?” This is the best day ever, she thought. He came to my church and he asked me to his prom! “Yes, yes, yes!”
“Give me a kiss,” he said.
Aleecia stood on tiptoe to reach his lips.
They walked along the beach, the sand swallowing her feet and grinding in between her toes. She imagined tracing their names into the sand, Aleecia & Kyle 4Ever. We’ll move to Tennessee and he’ll play for the Titans. I’ll rocket up the charts with a cameo on Nashville. We’ll have a big house, just like on the TV show, and my mama and his family would live with us. She squeezed his hand at the thought.
Kyle
That morning, Kyle had gotten up early to run a load of laundry. Dwayne poked his head in from the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” Dwayne asked.
“How do you know I’m going somewhere?” Kyle said.
“Why are you up doing laundry, then?” Dwayne asked.
“I’m going to church,” Kyle said and laughed.
“Is there food at church?” Dwayne asked. “Can I go?”
Kyle looked into Dwayne’s eyes, which were massive. They took up half of the room. Will there ever be enough food in the world for Dwayne? he wondered.
“A girl from school asked me to come see her sing,” Kyle said. “I don’t think they have food, just music and long, boring speeches. You wouldn’t like it.”
Kyle had never been in a church before. He stood on the sidewalk and watched the people as they gathered and greeted each other. Then, just before eleven o’clock, everyone started to file inside. He joined the line and followed the crowd inside. He found a seat near the back and glanced around him to figure out what he was supposed to do. The woman next to him was leafing through a prayer book. He folded his hands and stared straight ahead. Then he saw Aleecia walk through a door to the right of the altar, followed by the rest of the choir. The music started and a lone voice rang out. He craned his neck to see who was singing—it’s Aleecia! His jaw dropped, and he must have made a sound because the woman next to him was looking at him.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “That’s my . . . friend.”
“Our Aleecia?” she whispered back. “She’s quite a talent!”
After the service, Kyle waited outside on the sidewalk. When he saw Aleecia, he waved.
“You sang like an angel,” he said, embracing her. “What are you doing now? Do you have time for a walk on the beach?”
They picked their way carefully along the water line, avoiding trash, broken glass, discarded syringes and condoms.
“Happy?” she asked.
Kyle burned with shame. What can I tell her about my life? he thought. That the kids are always hungry, or about FPL shutting off the power again last night? She only knows me as the football team captain. Nobody knows about the other stuff. Or I least I hope that no one knows.
“What about you?” Kyle said, changing the subject. “What do you want to do when you grow up?”
“Nashville,” she said.
“The TV show?” he asked.
“Both,” she said. “The city and the show. I want to be famous.”
“I’m sure you will be,” he said. “The NFL is my ticket out of here.”
“Where would you go?” Aleecia asked.
Kyle had never told anyone his dreams before. The local college scouts, Florida State and University of Florida, came to his games, but he wanted to get as far away as possible. “Maybe Atlanta,” he said. But what about Dwayne and baby Crystal? he thought. I can’t abandon them. He imagined moving to Atlanta with Aleecia—they’d find a two-bedroom apartment with room for Dwayne and Crystal.
He stopped and faced her. “You wouldn’t want to go to prom, would you? I wasn’t planning on going but it’s my last year here and maybe you’d want to go with me?”
Aleecia gasped and jumped up and down in front of him. “Yes, yes, yes!”
EIGHT
Aleecia
* * *
ALEECIA SAT ON THE PORCH, WAITING FOR HER MOTHER to get home from work. When the battered Ford pulled into the driveway, she jumped up and ran.
“Mama, I’m going to the prom!” Aleecia danced and spun around in the driveway.
“Prom?” her mother asked. “You’re a freshman.”
“Kyle asked me to senior prom,” Aleecia said.
“That boy?” her mother said. “You’re still seeing him?”
“Mama, it’s not what you think,” Aleecia protested. “He’s been coming to church. And we go for walks on the beach. He’s a nice boy. You would like him.”
“He goes to our church?” her mother said. “Do I know his family?”
“You work on Sundays,” Aleecia said. “When was the last time you were at church?”
“True,” her mother said. “Well, if they go to our church, I guess it’s okay.”
Aleecia felt bad about lying to her mother and hoped she wouldn’t go to hell for it. But she was in love with Kyle, and he’d asked her to prom! Then she started to panic. The prom is on Friday! Am I supposed to work that day? she wondered. Did I remember to tell Mr. Martin about the prom?
That evening as she clocked in, Aleecia scanned the schedule. She was relieved to see that she was not scheduled for Friday. But just to be safe, she took out a pen and drew a big X in the schedule by her name to indicate to Mr. Martin that she wasn’t available as a backup.
The next morning, Aleecia asked her mother, “What will I wear to the prom?”
Her mother rested her hip against the kitchen counter and cradled her coffee mug.
“Sweetie, you know I would love to sew you something pretty, but I gotta work all week,” her mother said. “I’ll ask my sister, Rosa, to make you a dress. What color are you thinking? Pink?”
“Maybe yellow?”
“Satin?” her mother said.
“Yes!” Aleecia said.
The next day, Rosa took Aleecia to Jo-Ann’s Fabrics pick out a pattern.
“What are we thinking, strapless?” Aunt Rosa asked as she thumbed through the dress patterns.
“No, I’d be worrying all night about my dress slipping,” Aleecia said. “How about spaghetti straps?”
Rosa flipped through a few more boxes. “I found a couple of nice dresses. Take a look,” she said.
Aleecia held up the dress patterns. “I’ll look like a princess!” she said.
Rosa took the patterns back and read the backs. “Let’s see which one requires less fabric. Go pick out some fabric. Your mother said something about pink.”
Aleecia wandered the aisles of fabrics and found the Silks & Satins section. She picked out a bolt of canary-yellow satin and carried it back to where Rosa was looking at zippers and thread.
“I thought we agreed on pink?” Rosa asked.
“I want yellow,” Aleecia said. “It sparkles like gold.”
The next three days were a blur of sewing and fitting sessions as the dress took shape.
“What about your hair, nails and makeup?” Rosa asked.
“I don’t know,” Aleecia said. “I guess my mom will help me?”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Rosa said. “Your cousin Rita works in a salon. She can do it.” Rosa picked up her cell phone and started to dial. “You will look fabulous.”
“Rita!” Rosa shouted into the phone. “It’s your mother! Aleecia is going to the prom and I need you to doll her up—hair, nails, makeup—the whole works.”
Aleecia looked down at her nails, which were chipped and cracked, and smiled to herself. She so desperately wanted to look beautiful for the prom, for Kyle.
“Okay, then,” Rosa said. “The prom is Friday, we’ll bring her after school. Thank you, sweetie. Bye-bye.” Rosa hung up the phone.
“That’s settled then,” Rosa said. “Friday after school, go over to Rita’s shop.”
The week seemed to drag on forever. Aleecia could not pay attention in class. Finally, it was Friday and when the final bell rang, she hopped on her bike and pedaled to her cousin Rita’s beauty shop on Second Street.
