16 Isn't Always Sweet

by Cassandra Carter

  Adrienne was wearing heavily creased Air Forces and her terry cloth JLO jumpsuit from more than three seasons ago. As she watched her friend grip the steering wheel tightly with both hands, Jordan knew Adrienne resented her for making her feel inferior.

  For the first time in their long friendship, Jordan was shining. She had made drastic improvements in her appearance, and she was known around school for her video appearance. She realized that she posed a threat to the facade Adrienne paraded around school. Adrienne was obviously not at all happy about a social demotion.

  A series of commercials transitioned into “Because of You” by Ne-Yo as Adrienne parked the car in the street, but the bouncy feeling of the romantic track didn’t affect the friends’ moods, and they sat in awkward silence for a moment. Then Jordan got out, slammed the door, slung her bag over her shoulders and skipped up the driveway. As soon as she reached the first stair of the concrete porch, she turned to wave goodbye, but Adrienne was already gone.

  Adrienne was smoking her fourth Prime Time as the car skidded around the corner. The screeching of the tires disturbed the peaceful suburban neighborhood and scared tribes of young children at play in their backyards, but she didn’t care.

  After she inserted a mix into the CD player, the maximum volume of the sound system only added to the problem. She bounced to the beat of Young Buck’s “Get Buck” and inhaled the last fumes from her cigar before tossing the butt out the window.

  As she watched the needle of the speedometer pass fifty, she refused to ease her foot off the gas pedal. The wind rushed through her window as she merged onto the highway. She recklessly weaved through rush hour traffic on her shortcut home.

  Ten minutes and three highway exits later, Adrienne found the stones that served as a path to the front door of the town house apartment she shared with her mother. She was plotting her next move as she tore a leaf from a tree in the complex. The seeds in her stomach had sprouted, and jealousy was taking root.

  CHAPTER 7

  Jordan submerged her hands in the warm, soapy dishwater as she retrieved another dish. She felt bloated after devouring several hearty bowls of her mother’s spicy chili and corn bread, and her body was slowly winding down for bed.

  As she tried to analyze Adrienne’s sudden change in attitude, a stream of cold water struck her in the leg. Tariq’s giggle showed off his missing front teeth, and he mischievously waved the yellow Super Soaker in his hands before scampering off.

  “Tariq!” Jordan screamed in annoyance. Her brother seemed to find an infinite number of ways to bother her. “Ugh, he gets on my last nerve!”

  “Tariq, what did I tell you about having that toy in the house!” Her mother’s slippers smacked the linoleum tiles of the kitchen floor as she yelled at Tariq in the other room. “Need any help in here?” she asked, handing off another dirty dish to her daughter.

  “That’s all right. I’m almost done.”

  “Make sure you wash that big pan out real good.”

  “Okay.”

  “Watch your tone,” her mother scolded.

  “Sorry.”

  “Hmm, what’s wrong with you? You seem like something’s the matter. Talk to me.” Olivia’s acrylic nails grazed her daughter’s cheek as she cupped her face with one hand and read her soul through her eyes.

  “It’s no big deal. I was just thinking. Me and Adrienne got into it earlier.”

  “Aw, you guys will make up in no time. Don’t sweat it.”

  “I guess.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you what happened?”

  “A boy.”

  “A boy?” Her mother raised her eyebrows as though she were amazed, but Jordan knew she only did it for the sake of being an active listener.

  “Yeah.”

  “Who?”

  “She thinks I like her ex-boyfriend, which is so stupid.”

  “Oh, I see, I see,” Jordan’s mother said as she stored a container full of leftovers in the refrigerator. “I’m sure everything will be okay by tomorrow. Why don’t you go and get some sleep? I’ll take over from here. It’s getting late.”

  “Thank you.” Jordan wiped her hands dry on her jeans before sweetly kissing her mother on the cheek. She was grateful to give over her chore. She was tired, and ready for a new day to erase the petty argument with Adrienne from her recollection. Adrienne was a member of her extended family, and she wouldn’t trade her for anything or anyone.

  Jordan shut her bedroom door and bounced on her mattress after falling on it face-first. Her recently washed sheets were fragrant with fabric softener, and the feel of the cotton on her skin made her eyes close. As she faded into her dreams, she hoped tomorrow would bring her peace and that she wouldn’t lose her best friend over something as trivial as a boy.

  After waiting for Adrienne at their designated meeting spot, Jordan wandered into the cafeteria alone. She hadn’t seen Adrienne all morning, but she stood on the tips of her toes, scanning the crowd for her friend’s familiar face. She fought to concentrate, the aroma of food and the constant clatter distracting her. She had skipped breakfast in her morning rush, and her stomach wouldn’t stop grumbling.

  Adrienne watched from her seat as a confused Jordan searched for her in an ocean of faces. “Ha! Look!” She snickered and tapped Kenya, who was sitting beside her. Michelle and Farrah were quick to take notice and proceeded to mock Jordan as well.

  Adrienne had just finished revealing the scandalous, “real” Jordan. She’d told the girls all about what a “backstabber” Jordan was, and how she was after her man. She’d said that all Jordan ever did was bad-mouth them when they weren’t around. She had let expletives fly from her mouth as she watched them swallow her venomous story whole. She’d even thrown in a few fictional accounts of sexual encounters with various peers to mold their minds. She was going to make Jordan Wright infamous, and if that meant pulling stories from thin air, then so be it.

  Seconds after her tirade, Jordan approached her.

  “Um…Adrienne, can I talk to you real quick?” Her voice was hoarse and her throat was dry. Jordan couldn’t make sense of how nervous she felt just asking her friend for a moment of her time.

  “Whatever you got to say to me, you can say in front of everybody at this table.” Adrienne’s smugness made Farrah giggle while in the middle of sipping her juice through a straw. The look on Jordan’s face left no doubt as to her vulnerability.

  “Ew! What’s that smell?” With a cartoonish laugh, Michelle moved in for the kill, clamping her nostrils shut with her fingers.

  The table then erupted in hysterical laughter, and several people wiped tears from their eyes. Jordan shifted her weight at the insulting remark. She couldn’t ignore the negative vibe that seemed to have a chokehold on her neck. It was obvious that she was not welcome at the “popular” table and that, as she feared, the joke had not only been aimed at her, but went over her head.

  As Jordan walked away with her head down, she blinked her tears away to shield herself from the trauma of another round of public embarrassment. Crying in front of the entire school was the last thing she needed right now.

  The laughter at the lunch table was still alive, but Adrienne leaned back in her chair and silently critiqued Jordan as she rushed to the bathroom. At least, she figured that was where Jordan was heading. For all Adrienne knew, Jordan was already crying her eyes out, and she just had a bad view.

  She was picking Jordan apart piece by piece, and she referenced her memory to find material to use against her. For one, if anyone ever cared to ask her, she’d tell them that Jordan had an ugly body and a barely decent face. She debated whether to try something a little more far-fetched and attempt to persuade people that Jordan had been born a boy or something. She knew how much Jordan complained about her small chest, and everyone loved a juicy, shocking rumor. Once someone heard her say it enough, they’d start to believe it.

  Jordan was far, far, far from a virgin. She’d only tried out for that music video to
try to sleep with Jadian, but instead she’d made it with some grungy roadie named Lorenzo. At least, that was what Adrienne would tell people. She had enough outrageous claims to last her a lifetime, and a sudden stroke of genius made her decide to preach from her soapbox tomorrow. She was going to make sure Jordan never forgot it. If she thought today was bad, wait until tomorrow, she thought. Adrienne’s mouth was vicious when she wanted it to be, and she couldn’t wait to take in the range of reactions to her comments.

  She looked across the cafeteria and her eyes found Warren, who was watching Jordan exit. What he thought he could do with Jordan, Adrienne had no idea. Not that it mattered. She was confident he would see the light. Sooner or later.

  A small voice in her head told her she was coldhearted, but she blocked it out. Oh well, she thought. All’s fair in love and war.

  Jordan’s pillow was damp with tears. Her puffy eyes read her alarm clock to see that it was four-thirty. She had been crying all afternoon. She just couldn’t understand why Adrienne was treating her this way. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined that Adrienne would hurt her. Things had started out so good this year, with her turning sixteen and enjoying the hype about meeting Jadian and the video, but she had a bad feeling things were taking a turn for the worse.

  She turned on her stomach and continued to mope, her salty teardrops stinging her face. Her bare walls didn’t make her feel any better, yet she didn’t regret what she’d done. She’d thought they would, hoping it would be easier to breathe if her room appeared to be more spacious. As soon as she had set foot in the door, she had ripped every single Jadian Brown poster off her wall in a tantrum.

  Jordan sat up after hearing the knock on her door. She hastily wiped her face dry and tamed her sniffles before calling, “Come in.” Her father appeared in the doorway.

  “Here. It’s for you.” He waved the cordless phone in the air. “What happened in here?” he questioned, looking around in surprise.

  “Who is it?” She made sure to turn her head just enough so that he couldn’t see her red, glassy eyes. She couldn’t withstand a barrage of questions right now. She would never tell a soul about how she had been embarrassed today.

  Without answering her question, her father simply handed her the phone. “Make it quick. I was on the other line with your uncle.”

  “Okay.” Jordan held her hand over the mouthpiece and readied herself to speak only when he was out of sight. “Hello?”

  “Hey.”

  “What do you want?” The sound of Adrienne’s voice stirred Jordan’s anger and her voice was rough. Beneath her hurt, she was furious. She was just still too hurt to do anything but cry.

  “I’m sorry about today. That was fucked-up.”

  “You think?” Her emotions and thoughts were jumbled. Moments earlier, she’d been convinced that their friendship was over, but now the sincerity in Adrienne’s voice gave her the impression that they could get to the bottom of their problem, work things out and move on.

  Strangely, Jordan felt herself wanting that more than ever, and her urge to cry ceased when Adrienne spoke. She thought it odd that her heart seemed to jump at the chance to talk to her, and she wondered if she could put the ordeal aside with time.

  “I’m sorry. It was really stupid and I was acting like such a—”

  “A bitch?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I mean, Adrienne, I don’t get it. Why did you do that? What did I do to you? Is it that Warren thing? Because I already told you he’s just my friend. I guess that day in the hallway did look a little funny, and I guess if I was in your shoes I’d be mad, too, but I swear I don’t even look at him like that. Plus, you just told me you loved him not that long ago. You really think I would do you like that?”

  “No…I thought about it, and then after lunch I felt really bad. I was mad and let Michelle and them get all in my ear, and you know how they are. I just sat with them to make you mad and then all that other shit happened…” She sighed. “Man, I am so sorry.”

  “Oh yeah, I remember. That joke was quite funny to you, from what I saw. What is that even supposed to be about, anyway?”

  “It was just a joke, though. You know how it is,” Adrienne said lightly. “Everybody be blazin’ on everybody. I don’t think it’s nothing personal. Nobody said they had a problem with you.”

  “I told you about those girls, though. They’re no good, I promise.”

  “And I see exactly what you mean. All I was thinking was, Oh shit, Jordan probably thinks I had something to do with what happened. That’s why I had to call you. Will you ever forgive me? Please, don’t be mad at me?”

  “I don’t know…” Jordan took a deep breath. “I guess we’re cool then, but, man, I am not feeling Michelle and her little friends. Ugh! They’re some bitches!”

  “You’re too much.” Adrienne chuckled.

  “I’m for real. I should tell all of them about themselves tomorrow.”

  “Whatever.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Then do it,” Adrienne instigated.

  “I will.”

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

  “Man, I am so happy we’re not fighting anymore.” Jordan sighed with relief.

  “Yeah, me, too, but I got to go. Warren’s on the other line,” Adrienne said.

  “Oh? In that case, I’ll let you go.”

  “Meet me at my locker tomorrow morning, though? I think we still have a lot of talking we need to do, and I have got to, got to, got to, tell you about what Warren said to me last night. I think we’re close to getting back together.”

  “Okay. See you tomorrow.”

  Adrienne rolled her eyes as she disconnected the line. She tossed the phone across her bedroom and kicked her feet up on her desk.

  She smiled. It had been so easy to spin her spiderweb of lies, simply because she wanted them to be true. All she needed was time, and her heart told her they would be. As long as Jordan was out the way, of course. Adrienne locked her fingers behind her head and sat back feeling successful. Her mission was accomplished. She shut her eyes and had just started brainstorming a list of damaging rumors to further smear Jordan’s reputation when a loud beep from her computer startled her.

  She leaned forward in interest and read the alert. She had a new message on her MySpace account from Thabaddestbitch69 aka Kenya Walters. She read the invitation to join Kenya and her friends for lunch again the next day, and her fingers worked quickly to reply.

  As she detailed her message with more lies to be repeated throughout the student population, she betrayed the trust Jordan had in her without a second thought. She spruced up Jordan’s empty threats of confrontation and her choice words about the girls.

  As the cursor hovered over the send button, Adrienne paused for a moment to grin wickedly. Her eyes were the portals to destruction. She had awakened a part of her personality she had seldom touched until recently, and when she read the words Message sent, she gave herself a mental pat on the back. Adrienne Hayes was going to put Jordan back in her place once and for all.

  CHAPTER 8

  Soon after sunrise, Jordan routinely braved the mobs of students jamming the halls of her high school in search of Adrienne. She was groggy from a night of poor sleep, but she raced to reach her destination.

  She was so immersed in her mission, she was oblivious to the crooked stares from her peers. She also didn’t notice Maurice Owens’s foot sticking out just enough for her to trip over it. Jordan scrambled to save herself from falling, and shot a stare of anger and confusion back at the congregation of jocks and cheerleaders howling with laughter.

  Jordan began to fuss with her hair after finally sighting Adrienne engaged in conversation. The crowd blocking her path parted just enough for her to see Michelle, Kenya and Farrah in her company.

  She had been moving with such a determination that once it was gone, she questioned whether it had been there at all. She hesitated to go any farther,
but as she stood in the middle of the hall, full of dread, she was shoved into the congestion and soon found herself being pushed in their direction against her will.

  “Hey.” She gently touched Adrienne’s shoulder, and immediately the cackling and chatter between the four girls ended.

  “Hi.” Adrienne’s cheery mood vanished upon Jordan’s arrival, and she seemed agitated. She barely even looked at Jordan, and the other girls hushed.

  “Humph, speak of the devil,” Kenya mumbled. Jordan shifted the weight of her books on her back and tried to dismiss the sassy comment.

  “Oh, would you look at that. We were just talking about you,” Adrienne said.

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, me and you, we can’t even be cool no more.”

  “What? Why? I thought—”

  “I’m a bitch now, Jordan?” Michelle added, her tone laid-back as she instigated the drama.

  “Shit, I wish she would say something disrespectful like that about me,” Farrah chimed in, talking about Jordan as if she weren’t even there.

  “Oh, and that reminds me.” Adrienne stepped closer to her, but Jordan didn’t move. Adrienne took a deep breath before she set in on her. “I heard you called my girls some bitches, talking real big. But guess what? Bitch, I ain’t feelin’ you, and if you have a problem with them, then you got a problem with me. What? You think you’re somebody now because you were in some music video? You think that you can just talk cash shit and ain’t nobody going to come step to you and check you on it?”

  “Get her!” From somewhere behind her, Jordan picked up an unfamiliar male voice egging on the argument in hopes of a catfight.

  “I’m only going to warn you once to watch what you’re out here doing, Jordan. Don’t think because you shook your ass for five seconds you’re just going to come taking shit from me. Because I’ll be the one to keep it trill wit chu. I’m not going to be up in your face like these other two-faced bitches be doin’ when that video is the only reason anybody up in here knows you fucking exist. You used to be too ugly to expect us all to forget that quick. The only things pretty about you are your eyes.” Adrienne’s words were projected loudly enough for everyone to hear, and a curious mass was now forming around the girls.