When I sat in his office earlier, everything was different. He was brisk and curt. At one point, I stopped watching him. My mind was stuck. Was he referring to me when he said there was a suspicion that I had cheated on my first test of the semester? Was he out of his mind? I could very well get a 98 all by myself. I thought he knew that.
“I didn’t cheat! Professor, you know I’ve been getting 90s since last semester. I don’t understand.”
“We don’t want to accuse you, but we have to take these types of things seriously.”
“Well, what made you suspicious?” I asked, summoning my inner lawyer. No answers! “Why didn’t you ask me this last week?” I asked.
“This is just a formality,” he said. I sat there pulling out my hair. “I have to follow school policy and ask you to take a makeup exam. Our new headmaster wants us to dot all i’s and cross all t’s.” He was quiet for a moment. It was like being in the Twilight Zone. “Between you and me, I will not count this when calculating your final grade,” he continued.
“I would never cheat in your class. I don’t cheat. But I would never cheat in your class, Professor Henderson.” As if having my reputation being tainted wasn’t enough, I realized I was crying when I felt the tears touch my neck. Crying in front of my teacher! The worst!
“It’s okay, Milan. Don’t worry. We’ll set it up for next week. Understand my hands are tied.” I remembered thinking, What the heck did that mean? It was evasive, like something Daddy would say. Sometimes, even if you didn’t love someone, they could break your heart.
If he only understood that I came from the airport after an all-night shoot in Miami for that test. I didn’t just blow it off. I had to choose between sleeping and study for three hours on the plane. I did my best.
Cara had left a note for the headmaster that I had cheated on the exam. She’s talking about me, trying to ruin me. I was just at her house! One day, I woke up and I was in a world full of frenemies. Was I supposed to pretend like things didn’t hurt? Was she waiting to see me crack? I was tired of smiling. This hurt bad.
I took a long look at myself in the mirror. I was quite apprehensive about leaving. The entire time I had been standing in there, I hadn’t even noticed they had redecorated. Too bad. I wanted to go home. Now!
I was so busy thinking that I accidentally bumped into Sierra’s father on the way to the pantry. At the sight of me, he looked as though he had seen a ghost. “Were—were you there the entire time? The walls are so thin.” He smiled uncomfortably.
“Yes, I just had to use the restroom.”
“Okay, have a good day, Milan.” He just stood there. It was awkward. Had he expected me to say something awe-inspiring? I never knew what people wanted.
“Thank you. You too.” I didn’t even try to smile.
When I got back to the pantry, Sierra was weirder than ever. “Did you see my Dad?” Her eyes stretched so large they looked as if they were going to bust!
“Yes?”
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. I have to go,” I said.
“I’ll be back.”
“I can’t stay.”
“Wait!” She hurried out the pantry door.
“Home in 15,” I texted Noel.
“Sweet. Waiting,” Noel texted. My only sign of hope. I guess the world wanted something good for me. I had to remind myself, the world couldn’t hate me. It had sent Noel home. Sierra rushed back in the pantry. Her aura was jarring.
“My Dad left.”
“Good.” For whom, I didn’t know.
“I have to tell you something. You have to swear not to tell anyone. Frenchy doesn’t know.” We were one for one.
“I’m back with boarding school boy,” I said.
“Wow!” She was disturbingly quiet for a moment. I watched her briefly slip into deep thought. I was becoming a little scared.
“That doesn’t make my news any better. But I swear not to tell.”
“Don’t! Otherwise, I’ll disown you. At this point, you are my only ally.”
“I don’t know why Frenchy likes Cara. Probably because she’s like my mother.”
“Just swear not to tell and mean it.”
“I really won’t.”
“Your news?”
“Wednesday. Before I get into it, my mom has my same phone. She thinks she’s cute or whatever. It’s candy apple and everything, just like mine. On Wednesday, before school, I couldn’t find my phone. Frenchy was screaming at me about being late. She scheduled us for blowouts before first period.”
“At 8 a.m.?”
“The stylist comes in for us.”
“Why don’t they come here?”
“Tell my Dad about it. He doesn’t want any guys here when he’s not.”
“Serious?”
“Blame it on Frenchy’s hookah boyfriend. Anyway, that is not the point. I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter. I didn’t even use it until like second period. I went to text you when I realized none of the text messages were mine. The phone doesn’t even have a lock. My stupid mother, who thinks she is so stealth, doesn’t even have a passcode.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Listening?”
“No.” I was telling the truth. Sierra rolled her eyes.
“Seventh period, I got a sext.”
“Sext?”
“Yeah. That’s right. Asking if I wanted to get it in after work in my office.”
“Sort of gross.”
“It wasn’t my Dad.”
“Ewu, how do you know?”
“It was signed HB.”
“Your parents work at the same firm.”
“Exactly. So does my father’s partner, Herbert Briane Vanderhurst.”
“You have it wrong.”
“No, I don’t. My father is not sleazy. My parents don’t even get along that well. My mom is always yelling at him.”
“It could have changed.”
“It also said, ‘Keep it warm for me.’”
“Don’t tell me anymore. It’s creepy,” I said.
“I checked and there were no old messages. No history. If it were my Dad, she would have kept his messages. And it wasn’t his cell number. Every time I think about it, I feel like I’m going to vomit.”
“What did you do with the phone?” I asked.
“I put it back on the kitchen counter.”
“Do you think she knows you had her phone?”
“I told her I lost mine. She didn’t even say if she saw it or not. She told me to get a new phone. In a different color, so we wouldn’t have the same phone. Can you believe that? I had that phone first!” she said.
“I have to go. They are going to come back.” I hugged Sierra.
“I sent them to the store on 81st. Don’t go.”
“No way. I’m not staying another minute.”
“Take me with you,” she said.
“Noel is waiting for me at home.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t tell. And if you hear anything Cara is telling other people or anything, tell me.”
“I will never let her talk about you.”
“I know,” I said. Sierra gave me a double kiss. “Go to your room and text me when it’s clear.”
“I can’t believe you’re leaving me with them.”
“Call Cece.”
“True.” Sierra left.
It was just seconds later I received the news. “They were waiting for me in my room. Very creepy. Frenchy should know better.”
“How can I leave?” I asked.
“Service.”
“Yes, where?”
“Out kitchen, hallway on left. Door at end of hall next to den.”
Chapter 27 And Then There Were None
We were at the arcade in Times Square. He played some games with his friends. It was my first time meeting most of them. All except the one boy from his dorm. I played my favorite games: Skeetball and basketball. And there was this Wheel of Fortune sp
inning wheel that just made me feel like a winner. Every time I spun the wheel, tickets poured out. I had the touch, I guess.
“Hey, let’s go,” he said. He came over to me. We maybe should’ve been playing together. I needed a little time by myself to think—or maybe not think. We were hiding from the usual suspects. “Yesterday, you were right. I should have come to talk to you. All this time, you were far away. Then, part of the reason I risked going to your apartment was to see you,” he said. I kissed him on the cheek. “To make up for it and start fresh. How it should have started.” He held my hand. His hand was warm and moist. He held onto my ring finger with one hand. I watched him reach in his pocket with the other.
It was definitely blingy. It reminded me of one of the rings from my shoot. The crystals were bluish, white, very diamond-like. One square, surrounded by smaller ones.
“This is beautiful.” I couldn’t stop staring at it. He grabbed my hand and led me out of the arcade. The wind of the city hit my face. It was then I remembered. I checked my phone. No answer from Winter. Once in the car, we headed across town. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. What’s your favorite restaurant again?” he asked.
“HQ.”
“What do you like on the menu?”
“Almost everything. My favorite might be the lasagna.”
“I dig.”
“We can go now, if you want to try it. We have to let the driver know it is in the other direction,” I said.
“I have to make a stop first.”
“Where?”
“Watch a lot of ‘Law & Order’?”
“Not really.”
“You are good at interrogation,” he said.
“Ha. Ha,” I pouted. It used to work like a charm. He scooted over to me and wrapped his arms around me. “Are you planning on starting college next semester?” I asked.
“Maybe.”
“We can go to school together. Mama met …”
“I know, our moms met at school, right?”
“Yeah.”
“My mother left me some insurance money. Aunt Glenda put it in an account for me. It has been there since I graduated. My friends, all the cats we met up with today.”
“Are they all off on break?” I asked.
“Jeff.”
“Your roommate,” I said.
“His father brought him a Porsche.”
“Is that what you want? A Porsche?” I asked. I could feel his demeanor change.
“No.”
“Then what is it?” I was patient.
“I wonder a lot about my father. Where is he? What is he doing? Am I like him? What if he came to look for me and now that my mother … what if he can’t find me?”
“He left you. If he loved you, he should have come back a long time ago,” I said.
“Like your father. I met him for only months before he hated me.”
“I’ve known him my whole life and he hates me. Anyone who knows you would love you like I do. I tried when I thought you would never come back. I couldn’t stop loving you. It just became bigger,” I said.
“The weirdest thing happened today after you left. Frenchy got very mad. She cursed Cara out! Then she told Cara to leave. French said she’s never speaking to Cara again!” Sierra texted. It was odd how it was almost simultaneous to Frenchy’s text: “Cara said something to me today about you that you probably should know. I told her to go home. Sierra and I are done. We are never speaking to that freak again,” Frenchy texted.
“The thing is, Milan.” Noel’s head dropped. I brushed my hand down the back of his head then the back of his neck. I put my head to his. He looked up at me. “Aunt Glenda left me a trust fund. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Uncle Trevor said if I signed the papers for it, I have to leave and never come back.”
“Don’t leave without me,” I said.
“I’m not.”
“Don’t ever leave without me again,” I said. He kissed me on the cheek and pulled me into his chest. If I left with Noel, I knew I would never be welcomed back into the apartment.
“I don’t have to take it. But there are people who need it.”
“Do you owe some money?”
“No! Homeless people, people starving in other countries. People in Haiti, people in Africa. Kids and families without running water.”
“So you’re going to sign the papers. When we leave, that will be it for me and Daddy. All to give the money away!” I said.
“I’ll get a job.”
“We have to go to school.”
“We’ll figure it out, Milan. Money, it changes people. We don’t need it.” He held my hand tightly. The car stopped. Noel got out of the car. I watched him walk around the front of the car through the tinted windows. He opened my door.
We were somewhere deep in Alphabet City, a place I didn’t frequent too often. The building we pulled up to was old. It was two stories high, with strange wire over the windows. All the lights were on inside. The black iron gates in front were open. Noel held my hand while he led me inside. He gave his name to the woman at the front desk. It was as if she had suddenly recognized a long lost friend. She came around from the table to give Noel a hug and a kiss.
“This is Milan. Milan, this is Mrs. Parks,” he said. I put my hand out to shake. She approached me and wrapped her arms around me. I didn’t have time to even think about it.
“Thank you so much. For some of these folks, it’s been years since they had a gourmet meal. We appreciate anything and everything. Some nights, all we have is soup. Rarely do we get to serve meat. Last week, we had a surprise donation. We whipped up some tasty pasta and meat sauce,” she said.
“Tonight, everyone relaxes. Dinner is on us,” Noel said.
“God bless,” she said.
“When do we start serving?” I asked.
“Dinner has already been served, dear. We start at 6:30 p.m. on the dot. We have a lot of hungry folks. For most, this is the first and only full meal they’ve had all day.” I grabbed Noel’s arm. I felt a sense of grief. How could this be? I didn’t want to say anything.
“We put a few dinners aside for you.” Mrs. Parks pointed to a quiet table in the corner. As I walked through the dining hall, I took notice. I watched some people sit perfectly erect at the dining table, eating slowly and purposefully. Others were slumped over and ate like the food was going to expire in seconds—kind of like how Dimitri ate on the rare instances we sat down for a family dinner. While no face struck me as familiar, many seemed kind or even wise. We took a seat at a lunchroom-style table where four aluminum platters and two plates were neatly arranged.
“Close your eyes,” Noel said. He took my hands in his. He placed them on the plate. I could feel the air brush against my fingers as he moved the utensils around on my plate. I put my hands underneath the plate. It got slightly heavier. The smells slowly intoxicated me. I could feel the acids in my stomach rising. I felt around on the left side of my plate for a fork.
Noel put his hand on top of mine. He helped me scoop a fork full of food. He put his hands on my lips. I smiled. He helped me guide the fork into my mouth. Long before the food reached my lips, I knew what it was. The warm medley of pasta, sauce, vegan protein, mozzarella, and secret spice danced around my mouth. The lasagna from HQ.
“How did you get it here?” I asked.
“I ordered enough for everyone.” He smiled.
“From HQ?” I asked.
“From now on, I take care of you.” He brushed his fingers over the ring.
“Forever?” I asked. He looked away for a moment. I felt my heart skip a beat.
“You looked for me at school?” he asked me. Did he want to know if my love was forever too? Why else would he ask?
“Twice last semester.”
“How did you know I was there?” he asked.
“My best friend called. They said you worked at the library.”
; “How safe. They give my info out to anyone.”
I just continued eating the food on my plate. I didn’t want to look at him anymore. He wasn’t going to promise forever. I had to remind myself not to get upset. I watched his hand slowly move across the table toward me. It fell upon my chin. He lifted it, so that I was looking in his eyes. He touched my left ear. I jerked away a little. No one touched me there. At least not since … a long time ago. I used to wear a hearing aid there. There was no use. Even with that, it was so hard to decipher.
“If I promise you, I don’t want to break it. Milan, I will always do my best. I will love you forever, though.” I marveled at him for a moment. Why hadn’t he just said that from the beginning? “It’s good.”
“What!” I fed him a spoonful of macaroni and cheese. I watched him chew. How silly of me. I just missed him so. Even his chew.
“This mac-and-cheese is not as good as Aunt Glenda’s. She’d put this one to shame.”
“You remember,” I said.
“I remember everything. Even this.” He touched my left ear again. I pulled his hand away. “Don’t you wear it anymore?”
“I didn’t like the way people looked at me. Don’t talk about it anymore.” It was then I felt my cell vibrate. I hoped it was Winter.
“Anyone who doesn’t get it, doesn’t deserve to know you.” I sat on the other side of the table next to him. I cuddled my head in his neck. I closed my eyes and took a sweet sniff of him. I couldn’t believe this was my day. I had wished for him for so long. I almost stopped believing I deserved him. I was the girl who had almost everything. But he came for me. “My voice is different now. Don’t you want to hear it?”
“I never could hear it that well before. It’s so low. I haven’t had it checked in years. And I don’t want it. I’m not going back.” He kissed me on my forehead. “Why do you keep asking me about it?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think when I see you talking. I liked signing to you.”
“We can sign then, at home.” He held me tightly with one hand and fed me lasagna with the other.
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