Chasing Romeo

by A. J. Byrd

  And there they were.

  Kissing!

  In front of the whole school.

  I always knew my girl was bold, but damn. What had happened to all that talk about Romeo being off-limits? Didn’t we make a pact? Or did me and Anjenai just get played?

  I stand there unable to tear my eyes away from the scene below—even when Bianca and Raven come onto the scene. I wish I could hear what they were all saying. It looks pretty heated. Other people are stopping and pointing. And predictably, Tyler launches toward the girls. Romeo restrains her effortlessly.

  I shake my head. What kind of crazy world is this when a feisty, tomboy can get a boy like Romeo Blackwell? It just doesn’t seem fair, if you ask me.

  At long last the first bell rings. I finally pull my eyes from the window to see Mr. Griffin stroll into the class.

  “Ah, Ms. Combs. You’re in here early.”

  I quickly plaster on a fake smile and rush up toward his desk. When I give my excuse for not having my homework, Mr. Griffin, who looks eerily like that old actor Morgan Freeman, rolls his eyes as if he’d heard my excuse a million times.

  “There’s a twenty-point penalty for turning it in late.”

  Okay. So the highest I can make is a low B. I sigh. At least it still beats the hell out of an F.

  More students begin to drift into the classroom as I return to my desk. Out of curiosity, I glance back out of the window. Tyler and Romeo are gone. I’m unsure how I feel about this whole situation. Should I confront Tyler or wait to see if she comes clean?

  I’m still thinking this over when Romeo’s boy Chris Hunter comes into the room.

  A few of the girls giggle when he strolls in. On the cute scale, Chris easily comes in second under Romeo and, judging by his swagger, he knows this.

  Frankly, I still think he’s a jerk. After making fun of my clothes last week, he is permanently number one on my shit list. What’s worse is that he actually sits next to me. So for the next forty-five minutes, I have to pretend to ignore him. It isn’t easy to do, since he seems to go out of his way to annoy me.

  Yesterday, he spent half the time throwing spitballs at my algebra book. How mature is that?

  “Pssst. L’il ma?” he whispers. “Did you do the assignment last night?”

  I roll my eyes and continue to ignore him.

  “Aww. All right. You gonna do me like that, huh?” He slumps back in his chair. “All right. Fine. Be that way.”

  Mr. Griffin walks up to the board and starts randomly scribbling problems onto it. Everyone pulls out their pencils and starts copying down the problems. I exhale and wonder for the umpteenth time whose bright idea it was to mix the alphabet with numbers. I mean is it a math class or an English class? And why in the hell do we need to know all this stuff?

  “Pssst! L’il ma. You got a pencil I can borrow?”

  I roll my eyes again. Who in the hell comes to class without a pencil?

  “Pssst! L’il ma!”

  “You can borrow one of my pencils, Chris.” Amy, a Red Bone wannabe who sits in front of him, offers.

  “Thanks.” Chris accepts the pencil, smiling.

  Amy’s smug gaze cuts toward me, and I definitely let it show that I’m unimpressed with her flirting with Mr. Hot Shot. What? Am I supposed to be jealous or something? Whoopydamndoo.

  “Pssst! L’il ma, you got a piece of paper I can borrow?”

  “What the hell?” I turn toward him. “Do I have school supplies stamped on my forehead?”

  He smiles. “I don’t know. Lean close and let me see.”

  I glare at him. “Not funny.”

  “Does that mean you’re going to loan me the paper or not?”

  “Fine,” I hiss, quickly ripping out two sheets of paper from my notebook and handing it over. Anything to shut him the hell up.

  “Thanks,” he says, grinning. “I knew that I would wear you down sooner or later.”

  I go back to thinking about Tyler and Romeo. Are they dating now? What’s going to happen when Phoenix finds out? And she’s definitely going to find out. Will there be a revolt—a major fight between the BFFs and the Red Bones? Heck, maybe that’s why Tyler kissed him in front of everybody. To piss Phoenix off. Actually, that makes the most sense. She didn’t kiss Romeo because she wanted him; she kissed him to start a fight. That has to be it. I actually sigh in relief. Tyler didn’t go back on her word, she was just being Tyler.

  Snap!

  I glance over at Chris. In his hand, his pencil was broken in two. He looks me dead in my eye with a sheepish smile.

  “Hey, l’il ma. You got a pencil?”

  This boy is really getting on my nerves. I shake my head and go back to my program of ignoring him. But there’s not a minute that ticks by that I don’t feel his gaze on me. And I think I kind of like it.

  chapter 26

  Anjenai—It’s A Wrap!

  She knows. Why did I lie to her? When I replay the scene at the lunch table today in my head, I try my best to dismiss the way Tyler’s eyes blazed through me while she grilled me about Romeo.

  Why did I lie?

  The question swirls inside my head until I feel dizzy. I’ve never lied to Kierra and Tyler. Never. And now because of that stupid pact we made, I’ve backed myself into a corner when all I want to do is scream from the school’s rooftop that I’m actually dating the most popular boy in school.

  Me. I still can’t believe it.

  The last three evenings Romeo and I have done about as much kissing as we have been practicing for my basketball tryouts. I don’t know how much longer we can keep it a secret; I’m not even sure if I want to. First, I have to figure out a way to break the news to Kierra and Tyler and pray that it doesn’t end our friendship.

  It shouldn’t, I try to reason. We’ve been through so much, surely this wouldn’t come between us. They’ll be happy for me, right? I mean, it was a silly pact.

  Right?

  The last bell of the day rings, and I jump out my seat like everyone else and file out of Mr. Carson’s class. It’s time for the big basketball tryouts. I’m a basket case trying to remember all the basics Romeo had drilled into my head. I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t see him run up next to me.

  “Nervous?” he asks.

  I jump with a startled gasp, but then quickly flash him a smile.

  “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

  “Just a little,” I confess at his smiling gaze, but already I feel a sense of calm just having him around.

  Romeo glances around. “Hey, look. After tryouts, we need to talk.”

  That doesn’t sound too good. “Oh, all right.” My calm shatters. Is my wonderful week about to crash to an end? My fear must show on my face because he gives me another beautiful smile.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine. Just remember what I taught you.” He winks and then offers me a fist bump for encouragement.

  I love it when he does that.

  “See you in the gym,” he says and takes off.

  I expel a long breath and realize I’m trembling—in part because of the tryouts and part because I have to face Tyler again. She’s on to me, and I know it. Should I just confess and get this whole thing over with? What if she blows up—like she always does?

  In the girls’ locker room, I quickly change into my workout clothes. Glancing around, I try to spot Tyler. Maybe if I just talk to her first—apologize for getting caught up.

  “Nah-uh, girl it’s true,” a voice floats out to me from a group of girls at the end of my row. “I heard Bianca and Raven talking about it in art class. Romeo has a new girlfriend.”

  My heart stops. Do people already know about us?

  “Shut up, girl,” a different voice says. “Who is it? I’ll tear this bitch’s eyes out.”

  “A chick from Oak Hills. Can you believe it?”

  I groan and plop down on the bench.

  “Bianca and Raven actually caught them kissing outside during lunch today,” the inf
ormer continues.

  I frown. I wasn’t kissing Romeo outside during lunch. What are they talking about?

  “Which one?” the chick asks.

  “The one that broke Billie Grant’s nose,” the girl continues. “Tyler Jamison.”

  “What?” I shout. Surely I heard her wrong. Romeo is my boyfriend.

  The girl’s wide eyes shift to my astonished face. “Humph! Like you don’t know,” one of the nameless chicks utter. “Aren’t you like her best friend or something?”

  “If you are,” the other girl says, “you better warn Tyler to back off. Phoenix was out sick today but when she finds out, she’s going to hit the roof.”

  “Shh. Here she comes.”

  Sure enough, Tyler strolls into the locker room and the gossiping girls scramble.

  I’m still sitting on the bench, stunned.

  Tyler marches down the aisle toward her locker, passing me. In fact, she ignores me, if truth be told. Have I completely misread her? She hadn’t caught me lying. She was the liar.

  I can’t stop staring and hearing the gossiping girls over and over in my mind. Tyler and Romeo, kissing.

  Kissing!

  “After tryouts, we need to talk,” he had said. Talk. Is he planning to break up with me—for Tyler?

  I feel sick. Please, God, say it’s some kind of mistake. A joke. Tyler doesn’t kiss boys. She punches them. Everybody knows that.

  Nicole breezes into the locker room. “Ohmigod. Ohmigod. I’m so nervous.” She smiles at us, oblivious to thickening tension between Tyler and I. “Hello, Tyler—Anjenai. Are you two ready to try out?” she asks, plopping her book bag down and fiddling with the combination on her locker.

  I can’t bring myself to say anything. I’m still staring at Tyler, waiting for her to look at me.

  Tyler and Romeo?

  My Romeo.

  Kissing!

  Nicole glances over her shoulder and back at me. “You’re awfully quiet. Cat got your tongue?” Her gaze shifts to Tyler. “Hey, Ty. You’re kinda quiet, too.”

  “Hey,” Tyler mumbles, slamming her locker and proceeding to strip out of her clothes.

  Tyler and Romeo.

  Kissing?

  “What’s up with you two?” Nicole asks, finally picking up on our vibe.

  “Nothing,” Tyler lies.

  I still don’t say anything. My astonishment is slowly turning into anger. This can’t be happening. My own best friend stabs me in the back?

  “Alrighty, then,” Nicole says. “I’ll go get changed.” She heads off to one of the bathroom stalls. Apparently she isn’t comfortable with getting undressed in front of everyone.

  I keep watching Tyler as she undresses, mentally willing her to look my way. It takes a while, but it finally pays off. She stops when she sees the pure hatred written on my face.

  It isn’t necessary for us to vocalize anything; we both know we’re on to each other.

  “How in the hell you’re just going to straight play me?” I ask, leaping onto my feet, my hands on my hips.

  “Play you?” She has the nerve to laugh. “You played yourself, Anje.”

  I resist the urge to slap her. But just barely. “How long, Tyler?”

  “I’m not having this conversation with you,” she says, putting on her white cotton tee and then stepping toward the door.

  I block her path. “Oh, we’re having this conversation,” I tell her. She’s obviously forgotten that I’m one of the few people not afraid of her.

  “What? You’re going to fight me for him? Is that it?” Tyler laughs. “Please. I have better things to do with my time.”

  A crowd slowly gathers.

  “You knew I was seeing him. I could tell today at lunch. You knew and then you ran after him to try and take him for yourself!” I’m literally vibrating with anger. With friends like Tyler, I don’t need any enemies.

  “You knew I liked him first,” Tyler charges back.

  “First? We saw him at the same time in the principal’s office,” I try to reason with her insane excuse.

  “He tried to talk to me first!” she yells.

  “And you treated him like shit!” I quickly remind her.

  Tyler steps closer to me and lowers her voice to a growling threat. “We made a deal.”

  “So you kiss him in front of the whole damn school?”

  “At least I didn’t make out with him in a car like you did in front of the whole damn apartment complex the other night.”

  The crowd gasps.

  “You saw that?” My face heats.

  “It was kind of hard to miss. Maybe next time you two should just get a room.

  “I was taking the garbage out and spotted a lying rat. I’ve been waiting for two days for you to come clean, but no. You just kept telling one lie after another to cover your ass.”

  The ensuing whispering sounds like bees buzzing.

  “So you decide to punish me by trying to steal him for yourself? Is that it?”

  She just glares at me.

  “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you flying off the handle—like you always do.”

  “Liar. You didn’t tell us because you didn’t want to look like the ho you are.”

  I step even closer. “You’re a bitch. You know that?”

  More gasps.

  More bees buzzing.

  “You were deliberately trying to hurt me.”

  “Whatever. This friendship is a wrap,” Tyler says, trying to move around me.

  But I move and bump her shoulder hard.

  She spins and crashes into a row of lockers.

  Our spectators gasp.

  “Oh, what? You’re ready to fight me now?” Tyler springs up onto her feet.

  “Why not? You’re always wanting to fight everyone else. C’mon, you can fight me then!”

  “Fight!” a sideline chicks barks.

  “Fight! Fight!” everyone begins to chant.

  “What’s going on?” Nicole shoves her way through the crowd and then plants herself between me and Tyler. Apparently she doesn’t know that’s a dangerous spot to be in. “You girls are supposed to be best friends, remember? Whatever this is about, it’s not worth losing your friendship over.”

  “Fight! Fight!”

  “What’s going on in here?” Coach Whittaker thunders, and she rushes into the locker room. The crowd parts like the Red Sea. “Okay, everybody, downstairs,” she commands.

  Everyone groans.

  “Now!” the coach barks and the crowd disperses.

  Everyone files out the locker room except the three of us.

  “You know what?” I finally say to Tyler. “I don’t need friends like you,” I spit. I grab the gold B chain around my neck and snatch it off and throw it at Tyler’s feet. “No wonder your mother left you. You’re not worth sticking around for.”

  chapter 27

  Kierra—The Other Hot Boy

  Okay. I don’t know what the hell is going on with my girls. I hear some rumblings about a fight in the girls’ locker room, but before I can check what’s going on for myself, the girls start spilling out and saying no one is allowed back in per Coach Whittaker’s orders.

  Assistant Coach Smith starts directing the girls to run laps around the court to warm up. I return to the stands so I can cheer on my girls. When I sit down and search through the running girls, I don’t see Anje and Tyler or even Nicole for that matter.

  After a few more minutes pass, I frown and wonder if the girls have changed their minds about trying out. I wish they would have told me. I’ll have to ride the public bus by myself to get back home. A few more people filter into the gym and onto the stands to watch the tryouts. To my great shock, Romeo and his two best pals are a part of the crowd.

  I straighten in my seat. Act cool. Pretend you don’t see them.

  My gaze returns to the running girls while the assistant coach rolls out a double rack of basketballs. Finally from the side of the stands, I see Anje rush out from the
girls’ locker room and then join the running girls.

  “All right, Anje!” I leap to my feet and clap to let her know I’m here to cheer her on. She doesn’t even look up. I plop back down on my seat and continue to clap and cheer even if it is for a couple of laps around the gym.

  “Well, well. What do we have here?” Chris asks, not bothering to mask the sarcastic amusement in his voice.

  I roll my eyes and flash him a bird.

  The boys chuckle.

  “Hey, li’l ma. What? You’re going to ignore me now?”

  “If it’ll make you disappear,” I say without glancing over my shoulder and pretend I’m spellbound by the wannabe basketball players running in circles.

  Nicole and Tyler finally come out of the locker room with Coach Whittaker right behind them. What the hell is going on?

  They quickly join the other girls, and I shoot back onto my feet and applaud their appearance.

  “Ah. Aren’t you the great li’l cheerleader?” Chris comments, still trying to catch my attention. I just switch my weight from one foot to the other, hoping he gets a good look at how I fill out my jeans.

  “Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Li’l ma got a tight frame on her, too,” Chris praises.

  I try like hell not to smile as I sit back down in my seat. Chris leans so close that his chin is practically on my shoulder.

  “You smell good, too.” He inhales.

  “And you need a Tic Tac,” I lie.

  He laughs.

  “Seriously,” I add and then smile when he pulls back to check his breath. When his chin returns to hover above my shoulder, I smell a fresh stick of spearmint gum.

  “Why are you playing so hard to get, girl? You know I’m tryin’ to holler at you,” he whispers. His lips are so close, they are literally bumping against my lower earlobe.

  I just laugh, and I barely pay attention to what’s happening on the floor.

  “You got a boyfriend, li’l ma?”

  “The name is Kierra,” I tell him, glancing over my shoulder so that for a brief moment our lips are just millimeters apart. “Use it.”

  “Kierra,” he repeats. “That’s nice. So you have a boyfriend…Kierra?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “I’d think that’s pretty obvious.” He asks, flipping a lock of hair off my shoulder, “Are you going to the varsity football game tomorrow night?”