We get to the car and drive off, headed to the mall. A few minutes later we pull up in the fast-food parking lot and meet up with the two guys we hung out with earlier. They were the same ones talking with Jalisa and Diamond all night. We go in, get our food, eat and just sit, talking, mostly about music and college classes.
So as we’re sitting there laughing and talking another crew of friends from the party show up. They come over and sit near us and it becomes a huge party all over again. Then Taj and her entourage comes in and, of course, she comes directly to our table and sits her ass right down next to Terrence. Mostly everybody in the place is excited to see her, but I’m not and it’s obvious.
“So, Kenisha, you said that you live in D.C., right?” Taj says, finally seeing that I exist.
“Sometimes,” I say.
“I don’t get it. What do you mean, sometimes?”
“I live with my grandmother in D.C. and on weekends I stay at my dad’s house here in Virginia.”
“Oh, I get it now. I sometimes do that, too. I have a place in D.C., in Atlanta, in New York and in L.A. You should come visit me in L.A,” she says directly to Terrence. But he’s talking to one of the guys and ignoring her. “So, Terrence, how’s your mom?”
He turns to her. “She’s good.”
“My dad asks about the old neighborhood all the time. I think he misses it. Do you remember when he used to coach you and your brother in basketball? That was so much fun, wasn’t it? We had some good times, didn’t we?”
I can see Terrence flinch. He always does when someone brings up his younger brother. “Terrence, I need to get home pretty soon. Can we leave now?” I say.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
Taj looks at me like she’s ready to strangle me. “We’ll be here later if you still want to hang out after dropping her off.”
“Nah, that’s okay. I’m done for the night,” he says, getting up and taking my hand. “Take care.”
We say goodbye to the others, then leave. Jalisa and Diamond are smiling so hard they’re about to bust. As soon as we get in the car we all start laughing. “Oh, my God, is she for real?” Jalisa says.
“I know, right, she’s unbelievable,” Diamond adds.
“Terrence, I know she’s your girl and all, but damn, what’s up?”
“I remember Taj back in the day. She always wanted to be a star. That’s all she ever talked about growing up. Her mom and pops are both dead and her grandparents let her run wild. Back then she’d do anything to be the center of attention.”
“But she’s sixteen. She can’t think that’s right, can she?”
“I guess so,” Jalisa says.
I just shake my head and look over to Terrence as he drives. He’s looking straight ahead. I wonder what he’s thinking right now and if he’s wondering about being with Taj. I hope not.
It takes no time to get to the first house. Terrence drops Diamond off and then Jalisa and then he drives to my dad’s house to drop me off. “Thanks, I had a great time,” I say.
He nods. “I’m glad. Look, I know you’re a little upset…”
“So Taj, superstar, has a crush on my lawnmower guy.”
“Had a crush—that’s all past tense, ancient history.”
I shake my head. “Uh-uh, I don’t think so. It definitely didn’t look like past tense, ancient history to me. She wants you bad.”
“Well, she can’t have me bad,” he jokes, then sees I am not amused. “You know she was just doing all that for the show and to get attention. She was getting everybody all hyped up, that’s all. It’s her job. It’s all a part of what she does to entertain.”
“Yeah, I know, and it worked, but still…”
He starts laughing. “Whoa, shorty is jealous,” he says.
Yeah, so he’s right. I am, but I’d never admit it. “I am not jealous. I’m just saying—”
“That you’re jealous,” he interrupts while still laughing. “Come here,” he says, trying to pull me over close to him.
I refuse to go on principle.
“Come on,” he says. His voice is deeper and softer. I lean in just a little closer. “Look at me,” he says, turning my chin to face him. “You’re my girl, okay? You’re the one I want to hang with, not Taj. I don’t care about all that other stuff going on with her. That’s her drama, not ours. We’re together. Not Taj and not Gia—you and me, okay?”
I nod my head slowly. I hear and believe him, but I also know that he and I aren’t physical and that’s gonna come to a head one of these days. Right now I try not to think about if or from whom he’s getting it. I do know that both Gia and Taj would love to be with him. But I’m just not ready right now. I keep wondering. “What about sex,” I blurt out, because I’ve just been thinking about it.
“What about it?”
“You’re not a virgin, Terrence. I am.”
“I know and I like you that way.”
“You know what I mean.”
He looks away and sighs heavily. I know, right then, he’s about to say something I’m not gonna like. But I started it. I opened the can of worms, so I guess I need to deal with the answer, whatever it is. “Yeah, I’ve had sex with other girls. They offered and I did it. I’m not gonna lie to you.”
I release the breath I’ve been holding. Okay, that wasn’t as bad as I thought. Of course he realizes that I know he didn’t actually admit or deny anything I didn’t already know. But I accept it nonetheless. “My dad’s car is here. I’d better get inside.”
“Do you want me to come in, too?”
“Nah, I’m good. He’s okay. Good night.”
We kiss and then kiss again. I get out of the car thinking it was a good night. It doesn’t matter what Taj says or does—Terrence is my lawnmower guy.
As soon as I unlock the front door and walk in I hear my name called, but this time it’s not the boys. It’s my dad. “Kenisha, get in here now.”
“Merde.” I go into my dad’s office and I see him sitting behind his desk with Courtney by his side leaning on the back of his chair. She’s got this plastered fake smile on her face. But I can’t concentrate on her right now. My dad has this stupid frown on his face. “Do you have any idea what time it is? Where the hell were you?”
I know the question is rhetorical, but I glance at my watch anyway. Seriously, it’s not that late.
“It’s one-thirty in the morning. Now I don’t know what your grandmother lets you get away with when you’re in D.C., but all that’s gonna stop right now. Do you understand? Consider yourself grounded until further notice. And that sneaking out of the house ain’t gonna fly this time.”
Here we go again. Seriously, does he think this is new to me? See, I hear his “you’re grounded” thing all the time. If I ever paid attention to it I guess I’d be really upset, but I don’t, so I’m not. I just look at him without speaking.
“Are you drunk or high or something?”
I look at him and see he’s actually serious about asking me that question. Please, I can’t believe he’d even say something like that to me. But I can pretty much guess where he got the idea. Courtney is standing there smiling so hard her face looks like it’s about to crack. All right, she got this point, but we both know this isn’t the end battle.
“That question isn’t rhetorical, Kenisha. Answer me.”
“Maybe she can’t,” Courtney whispers loud enough for me to hear her.
Okay, I gotta speak up on this madness right now. “If you knew anything about me you’d know that I don’t drink alcohol and I never get high, ever. All that’s for losers,” I say, looking directly at Courtney. With that said, I go back into my silent mode. He looks at me, seeing I’m telling the truth. For real, is he kidding me with this stale bullshit about
drugs and alcohol?
“You’re grounded. And you have curfew. You’re to be in the house no later than eight o’clock on weekdays and eleven o’clock on weekends. Understand?”
Seriously, it was all I could do not to laugh. Is he kidding? He had to be. Then it hit me; this is more of Courtney’s work. I really have to come up with something very special for her.
I don’t know what the hell I’m thinking staying at my dad’s house after the party. Talk about drama. First of all he’s not here all weekend and then when he shows up he’s acting all parental. Now he starts this ridiculous lecture about how hard it is being on the streets and how worried he was all night not knowing where I was. I’m looking at him as if he’s lost his mind. For real, does he really want to play the you’re-not-home card?
After the brief mini-lecture, because as usual my dad quickly runs out of things to say, I turn to leave the office. Then I hear Courtney say something. “James I need a couple hundred dollars to get some things for the house tomorrow.”
I turn around and see my dad go in his pocket and pull the money out. There’s no argument, no conversation, not even a “For what?” He just does it. All of the sudden I get it. Courtney used me to get back in good with my dad. So as long as he’s pissed at me, she’ll get whatever she wants. Damn. I didn’t think she was that smart. Apparently I’m wrong. Okay, as I said before, one point for her.
Eleven
After the Fact
kenishi_wa K Lewis
Okay, it’s time to get down to business and find out what’s really going on. I need to get real. Enough of the secrets and half-truths.
29 Apr * Like * Comment * Share
sunday morning I wake up early, but don’t get out of bed right away. I just lie there staring up at the ceiling. I had another troubling dream about my mother last night. We were on the Metro train again. This time as the train was pulling off she tried to tell me something, but I couldn’t hear her. I do remember that all the furniture from the storage shed was on the train with us. I keep thinking, That’s strange, but then again, so is the dream.
So I’m lying here now trying to figure out what it means. I don’t know. Then I grab my laptop to check out the prescription links Jade forwarded to me yesterday. I start searching around and wind up back at the hospital that sent the bills. She was right, there’s no way to really get in and find out any information. I call Jalisa and wake her up.
“Hey, it’s me. You awake?”
“No,” she says groggily.
“Wake up, I have a question. It’s important.”
“Yeah, what’s up?” she says, sounding much more awake now.
“A few weeks ago I found some hospital bills at my grandmother’s house. They were for my mom. I think my mom was sick with something when she died. I have no idea what it was. Jade doesn’t know and my grandmom’s not talking. Do you think since Natalie’s a nurse at the hospital she could find out?”
“I don’t know. I can ask her. What time is it?” she asks.
“Seven o’clock.”
“Okay, she’s not home right now. She’s working a twelve-hour graveyard shift, so she doesn’t get off until later this morning, but she should be in this afternoon. What do you think the illness was?”
“I don’t know. I’m scared to even imagine. But Jade has been reading up on all those pills my mom used to take. She found out that they’re serious prescribed pain pills. So why would you need all those pain pills unless you’re in serous pain? And serious pain means something is seriously wrong.”
“Okay, I’ll ask Natalie as soon as she gets home. Do you want to catch up later on today?”
“Yeah, why don’t we meet up at the mall? Jade’s supposed to pick me up, so I’ll have her get me there.”
“Okay, I’ll tell Diamond, too. I’ll text you with a time to meet.”
“Okay, thanks, Jalisa, and thank Natalie for me. Bye.”
As soon as I hang up I go right back to trying to figure out my mom’s bills. I spend the next two hours and still I hit a brick wall. I decide to hold up and check out the other thing I need to figure out.
When my mom and I first got kicked out of the house I accidentally brought my dad’s personal laptop with me. I gave it back, of course, but after I copied all of his files first. Now granted, most of these files are about the business and pretty much out of date by now, but I remember there were a few personal files, as well.
I go in and start pulling them up. Luckily with each upgrade laptop my dad gives me, I upload all of my previous files including his. So I go through what I have and I see that it’s not really much. At least nothing I can figure out. So since there’s nobody home, I decide to upgrade my “daddy” files. Unlike Courtney’s brother, Cash, who I caught going through my dad’s computer a few weeks ago, I know exactly what I’m doing. I grab my 8 GB flash drive and head to my dad’s downstairs office.
It takes a little longer to get in than I thought it would. My dad changed his password, but he’s pretty predictable. So, I figure it out and I’m in and finally copy all his folders and files onto my flash drive. Then I hear the front door close. “Shit.” Somebody’s coming. I figure I can hide, abort or keep going. Then I hear Courtney on her cell phone bitching about my dad and money. I decide to keep going. Her voice is getting louder, so I know she’s coming this way. I kick my feet up on the desk, shrink what I’m doing and pull up a video site on the screen just as she ends her phone call and walks in.
“Hey, what are you doing in here?” she asks, obviously surprised to see me sitting at my dad’s desk.
I look up, seeing her standing in the office doorway, then go back to copying files and watching a Taj video.
“I asked you a question, Kenisha,” she says, coming into the office. “What are you doing in here. Why are you using your father’s computer? How did you even get on it?”
I still don’t respond. I just keep doing what I’m doing, copying files. “You know I’m gonna tell him,” she says, smiling happily, thinking she has something else on me. But I still don’t respond.
“Kenisha, Kenisha,” she says, coming closer.
Just then I finish copying the last file. I grab the flash drive and start closing screens and backing out of the computer. So right now there’s no way anyone can tell I was even there. I even grab a tissue and wipe the top off.
“What are you doing on his computer?” Courtney asks, walking over to the desk and opening the laptop I just closed. She tries to check out what I was doing, but sees it’s back to being password protected. “Can you open his files again?”
I still don’t say anything. I just get up and walk out of the office. I go back upstairs to my bedroom and sit at my desk and open a book. I close my door, uselessly knowing, of course, that Courtney will be coming in soon. I’m right. She’s here. She just barges in. “Kenisha, do you know your father’s password?”
I look up from my book and do the fake smile like she did last night. “Oh, hi, Courtney, I didn’t hear you come in. Good morning. Where is everybody?”
“What the hell are you talking about? You didn’t see me come in? You were just in your dad’s office. You looked right at me. You saw me.”
I give her a blank expression, then frown and shake my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She glares at me all evil-looking as usual. “You know damn well what I’m talking about. I just saw you downstairs in your father’s office on his computer.”
“I’m reading my book,” I say.
“Don’t lie to me, Kenisha. I just saw you.”
Of course I’m looking at her like she’s crazy and the fact that she’s all upset and about to start screaming doesn’t help her case. “I just saw you downstairs. You know I’m gonna tell your fat
her.”
“Tell him what?” I ask innocently. “That I’m upstairs in my bedroom reading my book?”
“No, that you were on his computer.”
“It’s password protected. How can I possible get on his computer?” I ask innocently.
“You know his password, don’t you? What is it?”
I lean back in my chair and look up at her, shaking my head. “You know you used to be a lot calmer when your brother, Cash, was hanging around the house. It’s a shame he’s doing active duty in the Marines again. He was the only one in this house that had some sense, except for Jr. and Jason, of course.”
“Your lame insults don’t move me, Kenisha. What’s your father’s password? Tell me or I’ll tell him what you were doing.”
“Fine, then I’ll post the video of you and your attorney trying to scam my dad on the internet.”
“No, you won’t,” she says only half-assured.
I give her another blank stare. Is she kidding? Why the hell would I tell her? So the blank stare continues for about a minute and a half. She finally guesses that I’m not telling her shit.
“You are such a bitch,” she hisses, then turns around, storms out and slams my bedroom door behind her.
Okay, I just can’t let her get away with that. I get up quickly and open the door. “Courtney,” I call out. She’s halfway down the hall, but turns. “Do you know anything about my dad’s other family in Maryland?”
Her eyes get big and her jaw drops. “His what?”
I shake my head. She doesn’t know. “Never mind,” I say sweetly, and close my bedroom door again.
I sit back down and smile—one point for me. I open my laptop and insert the flash drive, then start going through all the file documents I just copied. A lot of files mention Maryland addresses, so I start checking them out. I come up blank.
Then I look at my dad’s bank records. Seriously, he really needs to stop using the same password for everything. There are the typical monthly checks and I can figure most of them out. But one seems odd and I can’t find anything else about it at all. It’s pay to the order of Reba Clark and there’s an address. I look the name up on the computer and then in the yellow pages. Nothing. So I go to Google maps, then enter the address and see the location at ground level. It shows an intersection. But the closest I can get is about three blocks away. But it does look like a residential area, so I start to wonder who lives at that address.
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