“My patient needed to speak to me right away. I’m a doctor.” He holds up his hospital badge for good measure. Dr. Buckley is nervous that someone from the bedroom may look outside and notice him, the last thing that he wants.
“Okay, doctor, have a great evening.”
“Thanks, officer, you as well.”
As the officer drives away, the bedroom light goes off. Gavin Buckley feels that it’s a good time for him to leave.
New York City
“New York City, here we come!” shouts Lauren.
It’s 7:10 a.m.; Lucy is driving her mother’s 2009 Ford Explorer. Vicki is in the front seat with her. In the back-seat are Lauren behind Lucy, with Brooklyn behind Vicki and Ida in the middle.
“I’m so excited to be finally going to New York! It’s a shame that I’m named after a borough and live so close, but have never been there.”
“Me, either,” says Lauren. “I’m glad to escape Connecticut for a little while.”
“Lucy, how long’s the ride?”
“About two hours.”
“So you know your way around?” asks Vicki.
“Like the back of my hand.”
“Did y’all read what Stephanie Williams wrote on her wall the other day?” says Vicki.
“Yes!” says Lauren. “About bitches at school are all hating on her because she’s the standard of what we want to be like!”
The girls all laugh.
“No, she didn’t!” says Brooklyn.
“Yes, she did,” says Vicki. “That heifer doesn’t even half the time comb her hair!”
Lucy asks, “Does anyone have Mrs. Paul for English?”
“I have her for my third-period class,” says Ida.
“I have her for my fourth-period class,” says Vicki.
“I got her in my first-period,” says Brooklyn.
Lucy asks, “So does one of you have Michael Frink in their class?”
Brooklyn says, “I do. O.M.G., he’s awful!”
Lucy laughs.
“We’re passing Bridgeport,” says Lucy. We’re half-way there.”
“What about him?” Lauren asks.
“That boy smells like raw meat!” says Brooklyn. “It’s like he bathes in raw chicken and beef!” All of them giggle because they have all smelled him.
“Have you noticed all the animal hair on his clothes? Eww!” says Ida.
“The worst part,” says Brooklyn, “is you better not let Mrs. Paul catch you talking in her class when you’re not supposed to.”
“Why?” Ida asks. “Is she so strict that she sends you to the principal’s office?”
“Far worse, she’ll sit you next to Michael!” Brooklyn reports. “She knows no one will talk to him, so she keeps the seat next to him up front open as an in-classroom punishment. I’d rather have detention. ‘I beg of you, give me detention!’ Last week, she caught one of the twins talking and sat him next to Michael. It was Jesus. His face was turning blue!”
They all laugh.
“What’s up with Paige and John Stevens?” says Vicki.
“Right,” says Ida. “To be brother and sister, they’re nothing alike. She’s very smart and he’s a caveman.”
“Oh, my God,” says Lauren, “he is so dumb! Their father needs to go on one of those shows for a DNA test! His kids are night and day.”
In an authoritative voice, Vicki pronounces, “In the case of John Stevens, Mr. Stevens, you are NOT the father!”
Laughing, Lucy adds, “Someone better get the cable man tested.”
“Right,” says Vicki, “he was laying down some serious cable on their mother!”
“Or maybe the plumber,” Lauren says. “They have that serious pipe game!”
“They’ll have that poor woman living in the TV studio getting the whole town tested,” says Ida.
“Exactly,” says Vicki. “Just pull up a cot and relax, Mrs. Stevens. We’re going to help you find your baby’s daddy, but it’s going to take a while.”
“You have to be a true skeezer,” says Lucy, “to sleep with so many men and not have a clue as to who the father of your child is.”
With that, Brooklyn gets a text message; since Ida is known to be nosy and is sitting next to her, she shields the phone from her: it’s a message from Chris.
“Hey, baby, what are you up to today?”
Brooklyn slips up and lowers her phone by accident, which allows Ida to spy on her text message.
“Hey, babe, I thought I told you that the girls and I are heading to New York to shop.”
“Oh, that’s right, I was just missing you and I totally forgot. Enjoy yourself, baby, talk to you later.”
“Thanks, babe, ttyl.””
“It’s such a perfect morning for a road trip,” says Lauren.
She has her phone on vibrate and it goes off in her pocket. She pulls it out to see who’s texted her. Ida leans her head back to see, too. The call is from “Lucky.” It doesn’t take Ida long to figure out who Lucky is. Christopher’s football jersey number is seven.
“How are you, baby?”
“I’m fine, just doing a little bit of shopping today. I’m heading to New York. Yourself?”
“Not much, just missing you. Hurry home.”
“Aww, I miss you, too. I can’t wait to be in your arms again.”
“I wished that you were here now!”
“I won’t be gone long.”
“Ok, ttyl”.
“Bye, muah.”
While Lucy is driving, she looks into her rearview mirror to find Ida eyes locked in on hers as the others converse in the SUV. Neither breaks her locked-in eyes off the other.
Now Vicki’s cell phone goes off with an incoming text. As she pulls it out, Ida pretends to readjust herself by leaning forward to get a better view of who is texting Vicki. The text message I.D. comes in roman numerals: VII. Ida laughs, and Brooklyn and Lauren both look at her.
“What’s funny?” Lauren asks.
“Nothing, just something that came to mind.”
Ida is thinking that she’s in the car with four dizzy chicks. Lauren and Vicki swear they’re being slick. One has Chris in her phone as “Lucky,” the other has him as the roman numeral seven. Wow. I wonder if these trick codes were thought up by him
While Ida is putting the pieces together, Vicky reads the message from VII.
“How are you, baby?”
“I’m good, HRU?”
“Good, just relaxing, WYD?”
“I’m going shopping today in New York as we speak.”
“Dag, I was hoping that you were free. I want to see you.”
“That’s sweet. We’ll hang out soon, If you told me sooner I would of chose to stay home.”
“Ah, that sounds like a guaranteed rain check.”
“Well, maybe it is.”
“Hey, I’m like the IRS, I come for that ass!”
“LOL, you so crazy!”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“Likewise.”
“Have fun, baby, ttyl.”
“Thank you, sexy, talk to you later.”
Lucy asks, “Did y’all hear about Kelly Adams? She’s been talking reckless about her mother!”
“Yes!” says Lauren. “I saw that on her Facebook wall. She said her mom is a drunken whore.”
“No, she didn’t!” says Ida.
“Yes, she did!” Lauren insists. “She even wrote that she heard her mother’s boyfriend walking into the front door. ‘He’s here to bang the whore!’ What a crazy thing to say about your mother!”
Lauren tries not to let her sudden depression show, since that situation reminds her of her own problem with her mother’s dating a younger man.
“That’s crazy,” Ida says.
&n
bsp; “You should always have respect for your mother,” says Lucy. “She gave you life.”
Ida says to Brooklyn, “I was on Christopher’s wall the other day. Did you two break up?”
“We’re together,” says Brooklyn. “Why?”
“Well, on his wall it says that he’s single, but yours says that you’re in a relationship.”
“Ouch!” Lucy says.
“Are you kidding me?! I’m sure his account got hacked; it got hacked once before. No big deal.”
“See,” says Lucy, “there is just too much drama going on. I can’t take it sometimes.”
“I know,” says Brooklyn. “Everyone’s in everyone’s business. It’s sickening.”
Says Vicki:-“It’s a top-notch soap opera every day.”
“At times,” says Lauren. “I think about deactivating my account.”
“Exactly,” Brooklyn says, “just delete all the drama away.”
“Am I the only one here with common sense?” says Ida. “Oh, I forgot, common sense isn’t that common because everyone doesn’t have it.”
“What?” says Brooklyn.
“If you control your account with who is or isn’t your friend,” Ida says, “why not just delete that person? That way, the drama is eliminated.”
“Then how do you expect us to spy on people if you delete them away?” says Vicki.
Ida shakes her head. “You see, that’s the whole problem, y’all are just nosy!”
“Well, duh,” says Lauren, then changes the mood in the SUV with a question:
“So what’s y’all’s take on this killer?”
“Yeah, it’s crazy because these kids are our age,” says Vicki.
“Okay,” says Lucy, “I’ll speak on behalf of the elephant in the room. Have y’all noticed that all the victims have lived in our neighborhood at one time?”
“I have,” says Brooklyn. “I try not to think about it.”
“Yes, I’ve noticed, as well,” says Lauren.
Vicki says, “I’ve lived here for only a few years, so, no, I haven’t.”
Ida doesn’t put her two cents in. It’s one of the few times she doesn’t have an opinion on something.
“There’s the sign,” says Lucy, “Welcome to Manhatten.”
Now Brooklyn hears a song on the radio and is more than happy to change the subject now that they’re in the Big Apple. “Turn that up, Vicky, that’s my song!” Vicky turns up the radio, it’s Miley Cyrus’s Party in the USA. All but Ida sing along with Miley.
Get to the club in my taxi cab everyone’s looking at me now
Like, “Who’s that chick that’s rockin’ kicks? She gotta be from out of town.”
So hard with my girls not around me, it’s definitely not a Nashville party
‘Cause all I see are stilettos I guess I never got the memo,
My tummy’s turnin’ and I’m feelin’ kinda home sick, Too much pressure
And I’m nervous that’s when the DJ dropped my favorite tune
And a Britney song was on, and a Britney song was on, and a Britney song was on!
Brooklyn and Lauren give Ida soft elbows to join in with them; Ida finally caves and sings along with everyone else the remaining part of the song.
So I put my hands up
They’re playing my song,
The butterflies fly away
I’m nodding’ my head like yeah
Movin’ my hips like yeah
I got my hands up,
They’re playin’ my song
I know I’m gonna be OK
Yeah, it’s a party in the USA
Yeah, it’s a party in the USA
In a blink of an eye, a gloomy ride turns into a party on wheels.
• • •
That same Saturday afternoon in Meriden, Connecticut, the funeral service for Korey Moore will begin in two hours. The funeral home has one person in the room with the body. Sitting up front with tears of sadness and anger streaming down her face is Karen Moore, Korey’s identical twin sister. Karen attends an all-girls boarding school in Avon, Connecticut. The girls loved each other dearly, but had different goals when it came to education. They decided in the eighth grade to attend different high schools. Korey was the athlete and wanted to swim for her town’s high school, which has one of the best swim teams in the state. Her ultimate goal was to swim in the 2016 or 2020 Olympic summer games. Karen’s goal, by contrast, is to one day get into politics, and the better her education, the better off she’ll be. If Hillary doesn’t become the first female President, Karen will. The girls hated being separated, but they knew it was best for their career choices. Korey Moore’s killer is still on the loose, and Karen vows not to rest until she brings that monster to justice, for the sake of her nine-minute-younger sister.
Caroll Rodgers
Brandon, Dominic, and the twins are in the mall shopping for clothes, because the school dance is just days away.
“Fellas,” says Brandon, “I believe I’m ready to announce what college I’ll be attending.”
“Really? That’s great, B,” Jesus says.
“Where?” Dominic asks.
“Come on now. I can’t say. Everyone will find out together this week.”
“Can a brother get a hint?” says Angel.
“Nope,” says Brandon with a smile.
“That’s messed up, bro’,” says Dominic, playfully punching Brandon. Brandon laughs at his boy’s eagerness to know his college destination.
“I called Principal Hamilton this morning to inform him that I have decided. The announcement will be held in school’s gym this week. There will be a lot of media there; dress appropriately, guys.”
As the four of them enter the food court, they see Chris sitting at a table with a girl who’s definitely not Brooklyn. Even before his earlier text messages to Brooklyn, Lauren and Vicki, he knew they’ll be out of town for the day. This gives him the opportunity to take someone else out without having to look over his shoulder.
“Yo, look at D.J. over there with that honey.”
“Brook and the other girls went to New York to shop,” says Brandon, shaking his head over Chris’s attitude with females.
“Let’s go over there and holla at him,” says Jesus.
The four of them walk over to Christopher’s table, where he and his date are having dinner, until they get unexpected guests. The twins sit down on either side of Chris. Dominic and Brandon remain standing. Christopher looks startled.
“What up,’ Chris?” Angel asks.
Chris has fish and chips in front of him. As the boys walk up, Chris dips a fry into his tartar sauce.
“That’s so gross,” says Jesus. “Tartar sauce on fries?” He shakes his head and begins to eat Chris’s french fries.
“Don’t knock it till you try it. It’s the best!” says Chris. “Hey, guys, so what’s good?”
“This guy won’t eat the end pieces of bread,” says Angel, “but will dip his fries in the tartar sauce.” He shakes his head while eating some fries.
“Man, get out of my fries.” he says to Angel, snatching back a fry and not noticing that Jesus is grabbing some more.
Jesus dips a fry into Chris’s tartar sauce. “Yo, he’s right, this taste good as hell!”
Chris’s date has a half-eaten turkey sub in front of her and giggles at the twins’ silliness.
“Are you going to be rude or will you introduce us?” says Brandon.
“Skylar, this is Brandon and Dominic, and these knuckleheads are Angel and Jesus.” The twins wave at Skylar, as they grab and dip fries from Chris’s plate.
“This is Skylar.”
They exchange hellos.
“You kind of look familiar,” Dominic says.
“I’m a cheerleader for Jefferson,” says Skyl
ar. “You’d probably seen me when y’all beat us a few weeks back.”
Chris gives Brandon a wink. Skylar is the very same brunette that caused tension between Chris and that Jefferson football player.
“Well, you two enjoy the evening,” says Brandon. “Later, D.J.”
“See ya,” Chris says.
Angel and Jesus remove themselves from the table. Angel hands Chris some gum, but a true player like Chris comes prepared. He shows Angel that he has Listerine strips. The four guys leave Chris to his date.
“Why did he call you D.J.?” Skylar asks.
Chris shrugs his shoulders and says, “I have no idea.”
As the four walk through the food court, Jesus spots Caroll working at the Big Burgers & Fries restaurant.
“Yo, there’s Caroll! I got a craving for some more fries.”
“I could go for some more, as well,” says Angel.
“You two down?” Jesus asks.
“Nah, I’m good,” says Dominic.
“I’m straight as well. You two do your thing, Dom and I will meet you at the car in a few,” says Brandon.
The twins walk over toward Caroll’s job. It’s a slow day at his restaurant, so he notices the twins before they reach his register.
“Jeesh, what do you juvenile delinquents want?” asks the annoyed Caroll.
“It’s ‘Welcome to Big Burgers & Fries, I’m Caroll Rodgers, may I help you?’” clowns Jesus.
Angel laughs at his brother’s joke.
“Whatever. What can I get for you?” asks Caroll.
“Hook us up with two large fries,” says Jesus.
“Fresh fries, none of that sitting-under-a-light-for-ten-minutes fries,” says Angel.
“Okay, I’ll go into the back and drop a fresh batch for you. It’ll be about five minutes,” says Caroll.
“Cool.”
Angel and Jesus turn their back to Caroll to watch the girls walk by.
Caroll thinks, I can finally get a little payback on these two.
His co-workers, Ariel and Tim, are taking inventory on dry storage of the just-arrived shipment. Tim is on the third step of a six-step ladder, reading off to Ariel what has come in just an hour prior to their arriving for their shift.
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