Angel’s sister, Rosario, must’ve heard the commotion in the hallway. She came bustling out of the room to see what the problem was.
“Excuse me, ladies, but my sister did just get stabbed. Can y’all keep that nonsense away from her door? She does not need that kind of stress.” Rosario’s eyes were puffy, and I’d never seen her angry.
“I’m sorry, Rosario,” I said. “We just wanted to check on Angel, and Christina won’t move out of the way. We promise no more arguing, okay?”
Rosario looked at us skeptically. “Okay, but my mom is upset enough as it is. Don’t come up in here with that drama, upsetting her even more.”
We all nodded. Jasmine cut her eyes at Christina, who reluctantly moved out of the way.
We opened the door just in time to hear the doctor say that Angel was going to be okay. The knife had just missed her kidney. A couple more inches and she would have died before she even made it to the hospital.
Angel lay in bed, pale as a ghost. There were all kinds of tubes connected to her arms. Angel’s mom was sitting on the side of the bed, holding her daughter’s hand. She looked like she would collapse from exhaustion at any given moment.
“Thank you, Doctor. I’m so glad she’s going to be okay,” Mrs. Lopez said.
He gave her a reassuring nod. “You’re a lucky mother,” he said, glancing at his chart. “And luckily, you have a fighter on your hands. Well, I have to make my rounds. Buzz your nurse if you need anything.”
Mrs. Lopez stood as the doctor left the room. “Oh, hi, girls,” she said, finally noticing us. “Angel is going to be so happy that you came to check on her. She’s still a little groggy, but I’m sure she will be excited that you all came.”
Angel’s mom obviously had no idea that we had barely been speaking to Angel. Jasmine gave Christina a “now what” look and Christina scowled back at her as Mrs. Lopez turned back to Angel and began gently stroking her hair.
“Sweetie, your friends are here to see you. Your sister and I are going to go down to the cafeteria and get some coffee so you and your friends can have some privacy. We’ll be back in a little bit.
“Oh, and girls?” her mom said to us before exiting the room. “Thank you for always being there for mija. It makes me feel better knowing that she has such good friends in her corner.”
I now officially felt like the scum of the earth. Alexis must have been feeling the same way because she put her head down and said, “There’s no need to thank us, Mrs. Lopez.”
“Yeah, really you shouldn’t,” Christina snidely remarked from the corner.
Angel, who hadn’t said anything since we entered the room, softly spoke. “Christina, can you please give us a minute? I think we need to talk.”
Christina let out a nasty sigh and reluctantly followed Angel’s mom and sister out of the room.
For what seemed like forever, there was a silence that blanketed the room as we looked from one to the other.
“Okay, I guess I’ll start,” I said before I lost my nerve. “Angel, you know we never meant for this to happen. If I had known things would end up like this, I would’ve never asked any of you guys to join the Thetas. And then with the peace forum, we were only trying to help the situation, and instead I think we made it worse. You know we all love you regardless of what sorority we may belong to. We were friends long before the Thetas came along and we will be friends long after they are gone. It doesn’t matter …” My eyes were starting to tear up and I felt a lump forming in my throat as I tried to continue. “It doesn’t matter …”
“I think what the crybaby is trying to say,” Jasmine interrupted, “is that it doesn’t matter to us if you are black, Spanish, or white with purple polka dots, we are always going to be there for you.”
“Leave it to you, Jasmine, to always lighten the mood,” Angel said as she smiled at us. “Look y’all, I know I have been acting a little strange lately, but my feelings were really hurt when I found out the real reason I didn’t get picked for the Thetas. I just thought it would be best if I started hanging with some friends more like me.” Angel winced in pain.
“Save your strength,” Alexis told her. “You don’t have to explain anything to us. I think we’ve all said and did some things we aren’t proud of. So I think it’s safe to say that we are all sorry.” By this point me, Alexis, and Angel were in tears. Even Jasmine was a little misty-eyed, although you could tell she was fighting back her tears.
“We have been through so much within the past year and a half, and we’ve become such close friends,” I said. “I just hate that it had to come to this in order for us to realize nothing is worth jeopardizing that friendship.”
Angel reached out for my hand. “Nothing at all.”
We turned when we heard a noise at the door. Miss Rachel stood in the doorway with a huge smile on her face. “I knew you girls would make me proud,” she said, walking in the room. “Angel, how are you feeling, sweetie?”
Angel stretched her other hand out for Alexis, who took it. “Miss Rachel, I’m sorry. And just so you know, I’m feeling better now.” She squeezed both of our hands. “Much, much better now that my friends are here.”
30
Camille
“So, how’s your little chica?” Tori snidely remarked. She was so working my nerves. Angel had almost died behind this foolishness and she was still trippin’.
Lynn stood next to her, looking uneasy. “Tori, chill out,” she said.
I ignored Tori as I threw my books in my locker and slammed the door shut.
“Dang, I’m just asking,” Tori said, rolling her eyes. “Can’t I be concerned?”
“Don’t act like you care what happens to Angel,” I snapped.
We were standing in the hallway about to go to lunch. Even though it had been three days and Angel was doing much better, she was still in the hospital. Me, Jasmine, and Alexis had been up to see her daily.
Today was our first day back to school since the rally. Monday and Tuesday had been teacher in-service days. I’d already told myself that I wouldn’t be sitting with the Thetas today and was actually looking forward to a nice, quiet lunch with Jasmine.
“You know, Tori, not that you really care, but Angel almost died,” I said.
“And? It’s not like I’m the one that stabbed her.”
“Yeah, but this whole climate that you’re creating, making people hate each other because of their race … It’s just crazy.”
Tori sucked her teeth like I was getting on her nerves. “Look, you and Alexis need to decide who you’re with. Us, your sisters, or some Mexican from the other side of the tracks.”
I looked at her in utter disgust. It’s like I was seeing her in a whole different light. I mean, I knew she could act ugly, but right now, she was ugly.
“You know, I can’t understand what I ever saw in the Theta Ladies,” I finally said. “Especially if you’re representative of what and who they really are. I went to bat for this organization every time someone talked junk about you. But I believed in what you all were doing.” I sighed when it was obvious I wasn’t getting through to her. “You know, my grandfather was killed because of the color of his skin.”
“Wahhhh, wahhh, wahhh,” Tori sang. “Break out the tissue. Am I supposed to be moved by that?”
I looked at her and shook my head. “You know, it doesn’t surprise me that you’re not.” I quickly removed my pink-and-white T-shirt, revealing the white tank top I wore underneath. “Consider me out of the Theta Ladies.” I tossed the T-shirt in her face.
I started walking down the hall. Tori called out after me, “Don’t come crying back to us when you figure out who your real friends are!”
I just threw up my hand as I continued to walk away. I probably should’ve tried to hang around and let Jasmine know I was leaving, but I was so disgusted, I didn’t even want to be in the same building with the Theta Ladies.
I could barely concentrate through the rest of my classes. Not because I w
as upset about the Thetas. Truthfully, I couldn’t care less about them now. I just couldn’t get my mind off Angel. I said another quick prayer, thanking God that she was going to be all right and that our friendship wasn’t broken permanently.
“I heard about what you told the Thetas earlier.”
I looked up to see Jasmine standing over my desk. I had been in such a daze, that I hadn’t even realized it was fifth-period English, a class I shared with Jasmine.
“That was less than two hours ago. How’d you hear about it?”
“Girl, you know gossip spreads around here faster than the flu.” She sat down in the seat next to me. “So you finally saw their true colors, huh?”
I cut my eyes at Jasmine. I really wasn’t in the mood for an “I told you so” speech. She must’ve known that because she left it alone.
I sighed. “You know it’s just a lot of things I wanted to do with the Thetas. I really liked what they were about. And not just the stepping.” I added, smiling at Jasmine.
She shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“But I definitely can’t get with this. I mean, Angel almost died, and I feel like we’re partly responsible.”
Jasmine looked at me like she wanted to say, “You were.” I was grateful when she didn’t say anything.
“Are you going by the hospital?” I asked her.
“Yeah. I sent a text for Alexis to pick me up.”
“A text? When did you get a cell phone?”
“Girl, please. I used C. J.’s.” She held up a blue T-Mobile Sidekick.
I grinned widely. “C. J.’s, huh? So I guess we’re back together now?”
“Naw, it ain’t even all that. We’re just friends.” She shrugged, but I could tell she was trying to play it down.
“You know you need to give that boy another chance. I mean, you are using his phone.”
“Whatever,” Jasmine said. “I just used his phone, that’s all. We’re not getting married.”
“Cell phone today, a ring tomorrow, because you know you want to forgive him.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes.
“I told you. Jasmine and C. J. sitting in a tree …” I began singing.
“Oh, my God, please do not start that elementary stuff.”
“K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
“Don’t make me get up and move.”
“First comes love …” I continued.
“Then comes Jasmine with these two duckies upside your head,” she replied, holding up her fists.
I stopped messing with her and laughed. It was a refreshing laugh, one that had me more sure than ever that the Good Girlz were finally back on the right track.
31
Camille
“Hey, Camille. Can we talk to you for a minute?”
I turned toward the voice shouting to me from down the hall.
I saw Lynn and quickly scanned the faces of the five girls with her. I was looking for Tori because if she was with them, I was leaving. I didn’t have anything to say to her. She wasn’t, so I stood and waited for them to catch up with me. Even though Lynn, Raquelle, and the others had never stood up to Tori, they really hadn’t been that bad; I didn’t have a beef with them.
I watched as they approached me. Tameka was right in the center like she’d been a Theta all her life.
“Look, we just want to say we’re sorry for what happened to Angel,” Lynn started. She looked really sincere, but that didn’t change the facts, so I didn’t let myself be moved by her words.
“Are you really?”
Lynn sighed as she looked at the other girls. “I know Tori can be a super jerk sometimes and we probably let her get away with way more than we should.”
“You think?”
“But the bottom line is,” Lynn continued, “we got to talking and we believe in what we do with the Theta Ladies. This is a great organization, and we hate the cloud that’s hanging over us. We finally had to tell ourselves that a lot of that is coming from Tori.”
I nodded in agreement. “Ain’t that the truth.”
It was Raquelle’s turn to speak up. “We’re saying all of this to say that we plan to take a vote and remove Tori from office as president.”
I sucked my teeth skeptically. “Yeah, right. Like she will ever go for that.”
A determined look crossed Lynn’s face. “Well, according to the rules of our organization, she doesn’t have much choice. If the majority of us want her out, she has to go. And we want her out.”
Tameka finally spoke up. “I told you the Thetas are more than just about Tori. We wanted to be a part of the organization for a reason and we shouldn’t let Tori take that from us.”
I couldn’t help but stare at Tameka. She hadn’t even asked about Angel, nor had she bothered to come by the hospital and visit her.
Raquelle held my Theta T-shirt out to me. “We would like you to remain a member of the Theta Ladies and help us to do the things we were actually formed to do.”
I looked at Raquelle, then at Lynn. I wanted to believe them. Honestly, I did believe them. But even still, I just wasn’t feeling the Thetas anymore.
“You know what, no thanks. Right now, my concentration is just on my friend. My true friend, Angel. I wish you all the best.” I turned and walked away.
“Camille,” Tameka yelled.
I stopped and spun around. “What, Tameka?”
“Are you for real?” She looked at me in shock. “You’re just gon’ throw everything away?”
“Everything like what?” I shifted my weight as I waited to see how she was going to try and even fix her lips to convince me to stay with the Thetas.
“Being a Theta.”
I looked at Tameka proudly wearing her Theta Lady jacket and couldn’t do anything but shake my head in disgust. “You don’t feel the least bit bad about everything that’s gone down?” I asked, trying to reason with her.
She looked around nervously, like she really didn’t want anyone to hear her answer. “You know I feel bad about what happened to Angel,” she said, stepping closer to me. “But come on, it’s not like it’s Tori’s fault.”
I just stared at Tameka. She couldn’t really be that dumb. “Do you really believe that, Tameka? I mean, you saw how the blacks and Hispanics were going at it. Do you really think them rejecting Angel had nothing to do with that?”
Tameka rolled her eyes. “Please, Camille. The blacks and Hispanics have been going at it for the past year. So don’t blame it on the Thetas.”
“Maybe so. But we just gave them even more reason to hate each other.” I sighed, trying to figure out why I was even bothering. Tameka wasn’t trying to hear nothing bad about the Thetas.
“So, you’re out? Just like that.”
“I’m out. Just like that.”
“What about Alexis?”
“She feels the same way.” Alexis hadn’t said point blank that she was quitting the Thetas, but last night she alluded how this was not what she bargained for at all. I knew I wouldn’t have to do much convincing to get her to leave the Thetas as well.
I knew there was nothing I could say to Tameka to get her to open her eyes. That was fine with me. If she wanted to be blind, so be it. Me, I was through. The Thetas had almost caused me to lose my best friend. Now, my only focus was getting that friendship back.
32
Jasmine
The door creaked as Camille stuck her head in Angel’s hospital room. I was sitting beside the bed reading her an article in Essence magazine about Usher.
“Hey, Jasmine,” Camille softly said. “Do you think it’s okay for me and Alexis to come in?”
I looked up at Camille. She was standing in the doorway looking kinda pathetic if you asked me, like she hadn’t had any sleep in days. Alexis, who was standing behind her, didn’t look too hot either.
“Come on in,” I said. “Angel is knocked out. They got her all doped up. Her mom went with Miss Rachel to fill out some paperwork.”
Alexis and Camille eased i
nto the room, never taking their eyes off of Angel. I know they were hurt to see her lying there with tubes stuck all in her body. Her once colorful skin was now a pasty shade. She was lying back on a mountain of pillows, her eyes closed.
“How is she doing?” Alexis asked. “I thought they said she was gonna be okay.”
“She is,” I replied. “Her mom said it looks a lot worse than it is and that she’ll probably be able to go home at the end of the week. She just has to get her strength back up. She’s been asleep the whole time I’ve been here.” I looked at my watch. “Which has been about twenty minutes.”
“Were you reading to her?” Camille asked, pointing to the magazine.
I quickly pushed the magazine behind my back. “Oh, that’s nothing. I was just reading out loud.”
“Awww, you were reading to her,” Alexis said. “I heard you talking about Usher. You know how much she loves Usher so you decided to read to her. That is so sweet.”
“Whatever.” I tossed the Essence down. I didn’t want them to think I was getting all soft and stuff.
Alexis stepped closer to me and rubbed my arm. “Come on, Jazzy, admit it. You were doing something sweet.”
I snatched my arm away. “I told you I was just reading out loud. What’s the big deal? And stop calling me Jazzy.”
“The big deal is you try to act all hard, but you really have a heart of gold deep down. I think you’re the sweetest one of the group.” Alexis grinned widely.
“Isn’t she though?” Camille added.
“Man, go on somewhere with that,” I snapped, waving them off.
“So you guys can’t even stop fighting while I’m lying here dying.” We all turned toward Angel, who had opened her eyes and now wore a small smile.
“Angel,” Camille said, going to her side. “You are not dying.”
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