I waved my hand to try to get Piper’s attention, but she ignored me. Mr. Jean had started teaching class, but I couldn’t focus on anything he was saying. I kept thinking about that paper.
As soon as the bell rang and the other students packed up to leave, I approached Piper.
“Piper, I saw Mrs. Scott’s paper in your bag. Please tell me what’s going on,” I pleaded.
Cassidy raised her wild and furry eyebrows and pointed to Piper as she snuck quietly behind her, walking backward.
“Drama queen,” Cassidy mouthed to me as she threw up the peace sign.
I frowned and shook my head. Cassidy was usually the peacemaker, but clearly, she didn’t want to get involved. I tried again to get Piper to talk to me. I was determined to get it out of her.
“I don’t have to tell you anything, Zaria,” Piper snapped. “You’re not the boss of me.” Her ponytail bounced with every word, and her colorful sneakers tapped loudly against the floor. “So leave me alone already. I’m sure your mom doesn’t want you talking to me either.”
“But you’re my best friend, Piper. And I want to know what’s going on. Maybe I can help.”
Piper stood to leave. “You can help by minding your own business.”
“What happened at Cassidy’s last weekend?”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said and walked toward the door.
“Are you just going to throw away our rules for Three Wayz? No secrets, remember? We all agreed.” I slung my backpack over my right shoulder and followed her out into the hallway.
She turned around and tilted her head backward. “Forget the stupid rules. It can be the Two Wayz for all I care.”
“The rules are not stupid. They have kept us together as best friends.” She headed in the direction of the carpool lanes, and I was right behind her. “We can help if you talk to us.”
“I don’t need anyone else who is just going to leave me.”
I stopped in my tracks. “What are you talking about? You’re the one that’s leaving me!”
“Just leave me alone, okay.”
“Piper—”
“I mean it, Zaria. Back off!”
“Fine, but you need to return the paper. That’s stealing!”
Piper stopped walking and looked back at me with those piercing eyes.
“And if I don’t, what are you gonna do? Snitch?” She rolled her eyes and stormed off in the opposite direction.
Chapter 4
I replayed the conversation with Piper in my head at least a million times. How could she say forget the rules when she was the one who created them? We had established a real sisterhood with true friendship. Some even labeled Three Wayz as #SquadGoals. So it made no sense for Piper to throw it all away suddenly. Was she really that stressed out? And what did she mean when she said she didn’t need “anyone else leaving her”?
The weight of Cassidy’s words from earlier felt heavy on my mind. Maybe she was right. What if Piper’s strange behavior had something to do with her recent move? We all hated the idea at first because we were so used to seeing each other whenever we wanted. Piper had lived a few houses down from mine, and Cassidy lived on the next street. It was awful to think about not being able to walk to Piper’s house anymore, but our moms said they’d drive us on the weekends for sleepovers every now and then.
The first weekend without her was the worst. Cassidy and I were miserable. We missed Piper a lot and spent that Saturday talking about all the things we used to do. It really felt like the end of the Three Wayz, but when we got to school that Monday, we met in the cafeteria like we always did. The entire day was pretty ordinary. We realized that even though we didn’t live in the same neighborhood anymore, the Three Wayz bond was unbreakable.
The second weekend into Piper’s move, she stayed over with me. We binged a few Netflix shows, made videos of us cooking with Mama, snacked on Takis, and drank Capri Sun while we laughed our butts off at FunnyBones—the comedy app for kids.
The third weekend, Piper visited Cassidy, and clearly, it didn’t go so well. I needed to investigate. I could not allow the Three Wayz to go down without a fight.
I called Piper as soon as I got home. She wouldn’t come to the phone, and it made me feel even worse. When I went to bed, I tossed and turned all night. Every sheep I counted had Piper’s face on it. I popped my eyes open and decided to watch a few YouTube videos on my phone, hoping that would lull me to sleep.
Brittany Braxton was my favorite YouTuber of all time. She hosts ChitChat with BrittBrax. She’s so motivating and always signs off by looking right into the camera and saying, “Hey, you, your dreams can come true. All you have to do is follow through.” Fortunately, BrittBrax’s latest adventure worked like a charm, and I fell asleep about halfway through.
I thought I would sleep through breakfast but instead, I woke up early, thinking about Piper again. I watched the sunlight slowly fill my room as it climbed higher into the sky. I studied my lavender walls, covered in STEM posters and handmade vision boards. My room was pretty quiet, but the house started to awaken. Music and the muffled words from my dad, Leo the Hero Carter, filled the air as he talked to my little brother, Zion. In between the clatter of dishes and skillets, Zion’s laughter bounced around like a firefly at night. It reminded me of the mornings I spent in the kitchen with Mama—nothing but laughter and good times.
I yawned and stretched, which woke Zaddy, my adorable pet Shih Tzu, and the best gift ever from my parents. He had been sleeping in his spot at the foot of the bed. His collar jingled as he stood to shake the sleep off. I watched his thick coat of white and gray fur vibrate over his little body. Zaddy had deep chocolate patches around his eyes that made me love him a little more every time he looked at me. It was like he had special powers in his little furry face. That power helped me find my happy place no matter what was going on.
He whimpered in my direction, and I knew he was ready to go out. But I wasn’t prepared to leave my bed yet.
My thoughts drifted back to Piper. If she wanted out of the Three Wayz like she said, why didn’t she say anything before? She never had a hard time telling us how she felt about anything.
I shook my head to push the sad feelings away. Zaddy curled up beside me, rested his head on my stomach, and licked my arm. It was as if he could sense something was bothering me, and he wanted to make it better the same way I wanted to for Piper. I rubbed his head and decided that I wouldn’t spend my weekend feeling down and out. There was a lot more to life than my friendship drama.
“Zaria, Queen, breakfast is ready,” Daddy yelled through the house. He rarely fixed anything but a smoothie in the mornings, and with all the noise he and Zion made in the kitchen, I was anxious to see what they were up to.
Zaddy hopped off the bed and raced me to the door. I swung my door open, and instantly my stomach began to growl. It smelled so delicious on the other side. I made a mad dash for the kitchen and crashed into Mama on my way there. The basket of laundry she had in her hands flew everywhere.
“Slow it down, Zaria. The house isn’t on fire.”
“Sorry, Mama. I didn’t see you,” I said, quickly picking up all the towels and placing them back inside the basket. Mama still had on her gray pj’s that matched Daddy’s and her “Queen of this Castle” bonnet.
“I don’t think there is much you can see moving that fast.”
A curious look crossed her face. My heart skipped a few beats. I knew what that look meant. It packed more of a punch than Piper’s. Now would probably be a good time to tell her about my glasses, but I want one last meal before she kills me. Mama placed the laundry basket in the hall, and we headed to the kitchen.
“I see you fell asleep watching BrittBrax again,” she said.
My eyes lit up at the mention of my idol. “Yes, Mama. This week, BrittBrax tried building her own obstacle course in her b
ackyard. She used a big tire like what Daddy has on his truck, a lot of rope, laundry baskets, a basketball, her bike, and a swing set.”
“That sounds exciting. How did it turn out?”
“It was good, and a few of her friends joined her.”
My lovely mom is one of the coolest moms in the world. She was the perfect person to talk to about this thing with Piper, but once we made it into the kitchen, I knew the conversation would have to wait.
Zion and Daddy were behind the island with the same matching aprons and dimpled smiles. My brother was the shorter version of my dad and was really cute when he wasn’t getting on my nerves. Instead of running to Mommy like usual, Zion pulled out two chairs and motioned for us to sit down. His snaggletoothed grin meant he was up to something.
“For my queens!” he said with a bow.
“Thank you, Young King,” Mama replied.
I sat beside Mama and caught her winking at Zion for doing such a great job. I gave him a wink too.
“Good morning, Zaria. How did you sleep?” Daddy asked.
“I tossed and turned a little bit but fell asleep after watching YouTube.” My stomach growled over my voice.
“Sounds like you brought your appetite with you.” Daddy chuckled and did a little dance in front of Mama. “Queen Carter, are you ready, love?”
Mama matched his dance moves right in her seat, snapping to the old-school tunes—as Daddy called it, streaming from the wireless speaker.
“I stay ready, baby. You know that.” Mama’s smile seemed to lift her entire face. She looked so happy when Daddy showered her with affection.
“Yes, but are you ready for this?” Daddy pulled a plate from behind his back and placed it in front of Mama. “And what about this?” he asked as he did a twist and set a plate in front of me.
Zion had the biggest smile on his face. “I helped Daddy cook all the food,” he bragged.
“You sure did, son!” Daddy gave Zion a high-five before turning back to Mama and me. “Since the two of you are my favorite ladies, Zion and I wanted to do something special for you. We are dedicating today to you.” Daddy looked at Zion. “So, Zion . . .”
Zion puffed out his little chest and said, “Welcome to Carter Cafeteria. Breakfast is served!” His brown eyes lit up like stars in the sky.
“Yummy.” I licked my lips, ready to eat.
“Nah, Zaria. I know you missed a stop on your way in here this morning. Please handle that,” Daddy teased, although I knew he was as serious as a heart attack.
I hopped up from the island and skipped to the bathroom. I washed my hands, threw some water on my face, and dried it with a hand towel. I had three reasons to hurry back. I couldn’t wait to gobble up those eggs, turkey bacon, and pancakes.
After Daddy said grace, I noticed that only me and Mama had plates.
“Daddy, why aren’t you and Zion eating?”
“We ate earlier so that it could be all about you and Mama Queen.”
“Just making sure because breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” I added.
“Yes, it is, baby. Now, finish up because we have something else in store for the two of you.”
There was more? I ate as quickly as I could, and I think Mama did too. We handed Zion our plates, and he gave them to Daddy to wash.
“Thank you so much for breakfast, Daddy. It was za-licious!”
“Well, if you enjoyed the surprise breakfast, you are really going to enjoy the next surprise.”
Zaddy whined and interrupted Daddy.
“Sorry, buddy.” I leaned over until I was at eye level with him. “I forgot to feed you.” He playfully barked while I ran my fingers through his hair.
“It looks like we weren’t the only hungry monsters around here,” Mama said as Zaddy rolled over for her to give him his morning love rub.
“I can’t tell you what the surprise is until you feed him,” Daddy said.
“Yessir,” I replied. “I am on it.” I gave Daddy a salute.
I fed Zaddy and made it back in record time.
“Zaria, you have been such an excellent student and a great big sister. Your mother and I are so proud of you.”
I smiled—kind of. My parents might think differently if they knew about my glasses. “Thank you, Daddy.”
Mama squeezed me in a tight side hug. “That’s very true, Zaria. Your father and I couldn’t have asked for a better version of you. You’re the best.”
Daddy focused on Mama.
“My Queen, I have watched you juggle motherhood, children, and a thriving business with expert precision. I know it isn’t as easy as you make it look. I can’t imagine what all goes into your day.”
“Aw, Leo—”
Daddy playfully threw his hands into the air. Mama laughed and made a zipper motion across her lips.
“If you’re ready to hear the surprise, let me hear you say, ‘Oh yeah!’”
“Oh yeah!” We sang in unison.
“Today, Zion and I are treating you both to a well-deserved spa day.”
I wasn’t as excited as Mama because I didn’t know what a spa day meant. I figured it had to be good because she clasped her hands together and squealed.
“A spa day sounds like the pamper-me-break I need. Thank you, Leo.” Mama stretched her arms out and hugged Daddy tightly across his neck.
“What do you think, Zaria?” Daddy asked.
“I think it’s awesome, but what’s a spa day?”
Mama and Daddy laughed. “Trust me, you are going to love it,” Mama said. “I’ll be ready in an hour.”
A whole hour? Mama was never ready on time. It would be more like two hours, maybe three. I didn’t think I could wait that long, but I guess I didn’t have a choice.
Chapter 5
I waited for a little over an hour for Mama to get dressed, only to find out that spa was another name for a nail salon. I’m not complaining. I loved coming here. Mama had been bringing me about every two weeks since I was four years old. Sometimes, Cassidy and Piper tagged along, but usually, it was only Mama and me.
I always had the same reaction every time I entered the nail salon. It was so big and beautiful, something you’d see in a palace. It looked like some of Mama’s decorating work. When I get older, I’d love to own this place or a place exactly like it, but for little girls to come and have mani/pedi birthday parties and even sleepovers. I’d have Mama decorate it and plan all the events.
“Hey, Little Miss Zaria.” Ché’s voice interrupted my daydreaming. “Your usual drink?”
I nodded. All of the employees were friendly, but Ché was the only technician that had ever worked on my nails. She gets me and my wild designs and has even helped me talk Mama into letting me try bright colors.
“One apple juice,” Ché said and handed me my beverage. “What color today?”
“Turquoise with purple polka dots.”
Ché and I looked over at Mama for her approval.
“Cute and creative,” Mama said with a smile.
Ché grabbed my hand, and our feet scurried against the white and gray marble floors to Ché’s station before Mama could change her mind.
“That was almost close, huh?” Ché said.
“Very.” I giggled and looked back at Mama, who was occupied with picking out her color.
Ché and I made small talk while she decorated my nails. When I was younger, it took a while for me to open up to her. Not because I didn’t love our conversations, but because it took time to understand how to communicate with her. Mama told me that Ché was bilingual and because English isn’t her primary language, it makes it more difficult to understand her sometimes, mostly because she speaks both languages at the same time. And it was actually pretty cool. Ché does that to me a lot. We’d both laugh, and then she’d apologize and repeat her state
ment slowly in English. I’ve gotten used to it, though.
“’Member what I say manicure means?” Ché quizzed me as she always did since learning of my dreams to be a nail tech one day. If she wasn’t giving me pop quizzes, she taught me how to say words in Mandarin.
“Yes, ma’am. It means care of hands.”
Ché pinched my cheek. “’Member to always take care of hands.” She waved her hands around. “Always. Good hands, good confidence.”
“Got it.”
“You want your toes to match hands?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Chair number two, by Mom.”
Ché followed me over to the pedicure station. Mama was already seated in one of the white high-back chairs that looked like a king’s throne. I rolled up the bottom of my blue leggings, got comfy, and stuck my feet inside the bubbly foot bath.
Mama studied my fingers, and I was worried she would make Ché change the design. “Your nails turned out cute,” Mama said.
“Thank you.” I smiled wide, happy that she approved. I looked at Mama’s nails. She really needed to add color like me. She always gets the same thing—a French manicure, which is basically regular nails with white tips. One day, Ché and I will convince her to add a little more pizzazz. It was time she started flexin’ in her complexion.
Ché winked at me. “You other friends, they not come this time? What’s the name again? Piper and Cassidy, right?”
I nodded. Ché was always so good at remembering names. But I hate she brought up Piper’s name. I hadn’t thought much about her since I’d walked in. I stared at the gold wall like it was a movie screen and replayed the drama in my mind.
“You’re pretty quiet today. Is something wrong?” Mama asked.
Not only did she have superpower hearing, but she could read minds too.
“What makes the bubbles?” I only asked because I didn’t want to talk about what was really bothering me.
The Shortest Boss in the Room Page 2