Who You Wit'?

by Paula Chase

  “I’m just saying. He was supposed to be stacking the stuff, not throwing it in.” Mina squinched her nose at JZ’s eye roll. She set the net on the concrete, then plunked down next to it and dipped her feet in the pool, wincing at the freezing cold water. “Okay. It’s officially too cold to swim, y’all.”

  “It’s not too hot for the hot tub, though,” JZ countered.

  Brian came through the French doors at the back of the house. “Who said anything about swimming? Y’all the hired, unpaid help.”

  “That’s messed up about you, B,” Jacinta said. “For real. Your exact words were, ‘y’all want come over and get in the pool?’”

  Mina laughed, nodding along.

  “Un-ah, you misheard me.” Brian ducked the beach ball Jacinta threw his way. “I said, ‘can y’all come over and clean out the pool?’”

  JZ threw a few more pool toys into the water, then pulled a chair up next to Jacinta’s. He stretched his long legs out and put his arms behind his head, relaxing. “I’m finished.”

  “Truthfully, it already looks clean to me,” Jacinta said, eyeing the pool’s pure blue clear to the bottom.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty much ready for some action,” Brian agreed. He gestured to the cushions, toys, and floats. “But pulling out all this mess goes faster with a crew.” He sat down next to Mina, letting his long legs dangle in the water. “Y’all can thank Mina. She’s the one inviting people over on Friday and whatnot.”

  “Shoot, I didn’t think that meant I was gonna have to work,” Mina grumbled. She kicked lazily at a float heading her way. She bumped shoulders with Brian. “You have a problem with me trying to spend as much time with you as possible before you go off to college and forget all about me?”

  She cut her eyes cut toward him.

  “Now, there you go. Ain’t nobody forgetting anybody.” He nudged her back.

  Jacinta kicked at JZ’s foot. “Mama Zimms have any good snacks at y’all house?”

  “Always. She gotta keep her baby boy happy.” JZ grinned. “We be right back, y’all.”

  “Where y’all rolling to?” Brian asked.

  “Yeah? Together and all couplelike,” Mina said. She stretched her eyes at Jacinta, who waved her off.

  “Over to my crib,” JZ said. “Look, we’re hitting the Jacuzzi when we get back.”

  “You’re getting in, Cinny?” Mina asked, surprised. She figured Jacinta didn’t feel like getting her hair wet in the middle of the week. Normally, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but Jacinta had let her hair grow out. No longer a short curly dyed blond ’do, it was now her natural shade of dark chestnut and cut in a cute pixie to her ears. It was longer than Mina had ever seen it and actually made Jacinta look younger and less mature than the brassy blond look had.

  “Sounds like I don’t have a choice,” Jacinta said, hunching her shoulders. “So, yeah, I guess.”

  She trailed behind JZ, and they disappeared around the corner of Brian’s house.

  “Anyway, as I was saying…that’s what they all say,” Mina said, lowering her voice, bringing the conversation strictly between them. “We’ll see when you’re a bigtime Duke freshman.”

  “Want to make a bet?” Brian challenged.

  Mina squinted at him. “A bet? That you won’t forget about me?”

  Brian nodded.

  She put out her pinky, and Brian hooked his around it. They shook, then released fingers.

  “Bet.”

  “Bet,” Mina repeated.

  Brian folded his arms, smiling smugly. “See, you’re gonna be so burnt.”

  “Not like I’m trying to lose the bet. But I can see you coming home with a new swag.” Mina bopped her head to a silent tune, mocking a cool walk. “Thinking you’re all that. I’m gonna be all, ‘Brian, hey, it’s Mina.’ And you gon’ be all, ‘hey, high school girl.’”

  Brian shook his head, grinning, biting back a laugh.

  Mina laughed hard enough for both of them even as she hoped like crazy the scenario was as exaggerated and unlikely as she intended.

  “So that’s how it’s gonna be?” Brian’s eyebrows rose, skeptical.

  Mina nodded.

  “I guess you know, toughie. I mean ’cause you have had all of…” He looked down at the pool, his hand stroking his chin as he pretended to think. “What? One, maybe two boyfriends?”

  Mina smacked at him. “So? I know how y’all do. Especially y’all ballers.”

  Brian rolled his eyes. “The best part about you knowing everything is me proving you wrong all the time.”

  “Pssh,” Mina cackled. “And how many times have you proven me wrong?”

  “Pssh,” Brian mocked her, his chuckle a deep contrast to her giggle. “You mean how many times have I been right? Try every time. Like when I told you Craig…”

  Mina dunked her foot into the water hard, spraying water all over Brian, cutting him off. “Let’s not go there.”

  “Oh, yo, that was wack.”

  Brian wiped his face, hopped down into the water, and before Mina could react, bear-hugged her, pulling her in. He cradled her like a baby.

  She screamed at the cold water icing her butt, soaking her pink and white plaid Bermuda shorts. “Oh, my God, boy.”

  Brian held her just above the water.

  “Okay, now how many times have I been right?” he asked again.

  “None.” Mina squealed as he walked her to the middle of the pool. The bottom of her shorts were soaked and cold.

  Brian’s grip tightened, and he dipped her to her lower back. “How many?”

  Mina struggled. “Don’t get my hair wet, Brian…please.”

  “How many?” He ignored her, keeping her butt immersed.

  “Okay, okay. You’ve been right…once.” Brian dipped her to the middle of her back. She screamed, “Twice. I meant twice.”

  “The correct answer is, ‘all the time, Brian,’” he prompted like a teacher to a student.

  He pretended to lose his grip. Mina kept herself afloat by squeezing her arms around his neck. “Okay, all the time, Brian. Just don’t get my hair wet.”

  He walked her back to the ledge, setting her down gently.

  “And now I’m right again.” He plucked something out of his shirt pocket and held it in front of her face. “See. Would I give you this if I planned on forgetting you?”

  Mina squinted at the small piece of silver in his hand, heart-shaped with a small stone in the middle. Her hands were shaking too bad to pluck it from his fingers. But Brian made no move to hand it to her, just kept it floating in front of her face. A million questions raced through Mina’s head. Her heart lodged itself square in the middle of her throat, cutting off her ability to make spit.

  “Oh, what? Toughie at a loss for words?” Brian teased. “I figured by now, you would be used to me being right.”

  Mina remained silent.

  “Earth to Mina, hello,” he continued. He palmed the ring and pulled himself out of the pool to sit beside her. “What? You don’t want it?”

  Mina finally let the breath she was holding out. “No. I mean…what is it?”

  “It’s a new car.” Brian’s eyes rolled. “It’s a pinky ring, toughie.”

  He lifted her left hand and slipped it on her pinky.

  Mina’s hand floated robotically to her face. “I mean, I know that.” She tore her gaze from the ring long enough to look at Brian as she asked, “I mean…what does you giving it to me mean?”

  His brown eyes teased. “How come it has to mean anything?”

  Mina’s face burned. “Don’t play, Brian. I’m serious.” She spoke in a hushed tone. “I mean…to me, it means…” She looked down at it again, so teeny, so adorable. Very her. She fought the tears welling. That’s all she needed was to scare him off with melodrama, now that he was making…what, a commitment to her? She glanced off across the pool, afraid to look him in the eye, steadying her voice. “I know what I think it means. But I’m saying, what does it mean to you?”
>
  “That you my girl. My shorty.” Brian tugged at her finger playfully. “And that I’m right, again. Because I wouldn’t do all this if I planned to just go to school and forget all about you. Right?”

  Mina’s eyes fluttered furiously, battling the unshed tears. She swiped at her eyes to hold them off.

  “Hold up. Let me go get my phone and take a picture. It’s a Kodak moment when you’re speechless.” Brian stood up and started walking away.

  Mina tugged at his basketball shorts, still dripping from their soak in the pool, and he sat back down.

  “It’s really cute,” she managed to say but cut herself off before she got too sappy.

  “I know you like tiny stuff. Cell phones, miniskirts…” He smiled. “Come to think of it, I like tiny skirts on you, too.”

  Mina smiled shyly. “I really like it.”

  “Good.” Brian leaned in so their foreheads almost touched. His eyes stared right into hers. “So we can squash all this ‘Brian gonna forget about me’ stuff. Right?”

  As she nodded, he pressed his lips firmly against hers, sending shivers up and down Mina’s spine. Her body broke out in goose bumps even as her face and lips warmed. She kissed him back eagerly, angling her head just right so she could feel the full pressure of his lips on hers.

  Suddenly, Lizzie’s voice echoed off the pool. “Now, I just told Kelly it wasn’t really hot enough to swim. But I see that it’s definitely hot enough here for it.”

  Mina pulled away reluctantly, irritated that their moment was disrupted.

  “What’s up, y’all?” Brian said. He stood up. “Alright, I’m going to change.”

  Kelly and Lizzie chorused hello, then giggled as they bum-rushed Mina, poolside. Kelly sat to her left, Lizzie to her right.

  “Seriously, I think I need to take a dip to cool off from that kiss, so I know you do,” Kelly teased.

  Mina wiggled her fingers in their faces. “You guys likey?”

  Lizzie grabbed her fingers to still them. “Mi, this is adorable. When did you get it?”

  “Just now,” Mina said.

  “Brian gave it to you?” Kelly asked in a scream-whisper. “Let me see.”

  Mina nodded as she shoved her hand in Kelly’s face.

  Lizzie’s eyes popped. “He did? So it’s like a…promise ring?”

  Mina cheesed, her head bobbing up and down.

  “Oohhh. It’s like the pre-pre engagement to the engagement,” Kelly said.

  “Kell, you’ve totally been hanging around me too much,” Mina said.

  But she secretly liked that description of the ring’s purpose just fine.

  They all laughed, but Lizzie cut hers short. “Wow. So is this why you’re flaking on the pact?” She nudged Mina playfully. “Guess it means you promise to give him your goodies, too.”

  Mina peered at Lizzie to see if she was joking, being sarcastic, or what and saw that Lizzie’s green eyes were clouded with worry. She draped her arm around Lizzie’s shoulder, wiggling her newly ringed finger playfully. “I don’t think it means all that, Liz. And um, I didn’t even have the ring when I texted you yesterday about the pact.” She squeezed Lizzie’s shoulder. “Are you mad that I’m not in it with you?”

  “Disappointed, yeah,” Lizzie admitted. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for having Kelly on board.”

  “Dang, thanks a lot, Lizzie.” Kelly pouted.

  “That totally didn’t come out the way I meant it, Kel.” Lizzie pulled away from Mina’s hold so she could see Mina’s face better. “Just remember to give me the play-by-play when it finally happens, ’kay?”

  Mina’s smile froze. She nodded woodenly.

  I should just tell her now, she thought. Just do it…tell Lizzie now.

  “It’s sweet,” Kelly said, admiring the ring.

  “Who, me?” JZ asked as he snuck up behind them.

  “Boy,” Mina yelled, startled. She smacked at him.

  “How come y’all still don’t have on swimsuits?” he asked, frowning.

  “Heyyy…” Mina said. She pointed at the keys in Kelly’s hand. “Kelly, did you drive?”

  “Yes.” Kelly beamed. “Grand finally let me drive solo…I mean, for something fun.”

  She and Lizzie laughed.

  “And I picked up Lizzie,” Kelly said proudly.

  “Sweet. That’s all but me and Liz driving now.” Mina put her hand out for a high five, and Kelly dapped it up. “I start taking Driver’s Ed next month.”

  “Remind me to stay off the streets all month,” JZ said, ducking Mina’s flailing arm. “Okay. Seriously, where are y’all’s swimsuits?”

  “Jay, we have them on under our clothes,” Mina said. She flashed the strap of her two-piece. “Happy?”

  “Very. I’m going to turn on some tunes.” JZ walked away.

  “No getting my hair wet, JZ. For real,” Jacinta called after him.

  He waved dismissively without looking back.

  “For real,” Mina chorused. She tugged lightly at Lizzie’s long hair, already pulled back in a high ponytail. “Very regretting getting my hair cut right now.”

  “I knew you would,” Lizzie said in a boastful, told-you-so tone.

  “Thanks, Liz,” Mina groaned.

  The girls stood up and peeled off clothes. They headed to the large Jacuzzi, a separate section at the back of the pool.

  “It’s cute, Mi. I still love it on you.” Kelly ran her fingers through her own highlighted chestnut tresses as she pulled it into a ponytail with a squishy fat bun on top. “I was thinking of getting mine cut.”

  “Kelly, Mina’s hair style would look really nice on you,” Jacinta said.

  “I can’t see myself with short hair,” Lizzie said. “Too much work. Plus, if I can’t French braid it every now and then, I feel lost.”

  Jacinta snickered. “Dramatic much?”

  “Always,” Lizzie sniffed playfully as she eased her way into the roiling water of the Jacuzzi.

  “Is everybody still coming over here on Friday?” Mina asked, looking from Lizzie to Kelly to Jacinta. They all stepped lightly into the hot tub, slowly letting their bodies get used to the hot water, instinctively raising their voices over the loud bubbling.

  “I’m coming and bringing Raheem,” Jacinta said. “We might get here late, though.”

  “Well, me and Greg are grabbing a slice at Rio’s Ria.” Kelly smiled triumphantly. “That’s what I was trying to tell you yesterday.”

  “Ooh, Kelly, bring him here instead,” Mina said. Her eyes gleamed.

  Kelly’s light brown eyes flickered uncertainly. “But we already sort of made the date. I don’t want him thinking…I don’t know, that I had better plans and just asked him along.”

  “Way overthinking that.” Jacinta snorted.

  “Can’t you guys just come afterward?” Lizzie offered.

  “I’ll think about it.” Kelly said. She rolled her neck, letting the heated water ease her muscles.

  “Where’s Todd?” Mina asked Lizzie.

  Lizzie’s head relaxed on the rim of the Jacuzzi. She closed her eyes as she answered, “Family ob. But he’s coming Friday.”

  Hip-hop suddenly blared from a nearby speaker in the tiki bar only a few feet away from the spa, followed by JZ’s loud rap mimic as he walked over. Brian was right behind him. JZ slid down between Jacinta and Lizzie, Brian between Kelly and Mina.

  “Brian, Kelly’s driving solo,” Mina announced. “Know what that means?”

  “I can finally stop being Jeeves, the chauffeur?” he cracked.

  “Well, I wasn’t gonna put it like that, but yeah, I guess.” Mina highfived Kelly. “One more solo driver to the mix.”

  “Son, everything set for pickup tomorrow, right?” JZ asked. His head nodded to the music. Jacinta and Lizzie swatted at him as his fingers wandered aimlessly with a mind of their own, tickling Jacinta’s neck and tugging at Lizzie’s ponytail.

  “Yeah. I think just about everybody’s coming,” Brian sa
id. He slid his arm around Mina, and she snuggled closer.

  “Who’s coming over tomorrow?” Jacinta asked, nosy.

  “Varsity team,” JZ and Brian sang in answer.

  Jacinta lowered herself until the water was up to her chin. She yelled to be heard over the jets. “Umph, is that fine ass Stefan gonna be there?”

  Lizzie’s head popped up. “Boyfriend much? What about Raheem?”

  “Shoot, I can still look. Cause Stefan is like, woah,” Jacinta said, sending the girls into laughter.

  JZ flicked water at her. “No girls allowed, shawty.”

  Jacinta flicked water back, setting off a battle royale of water sloshing and ruining any mood of mediation and unwinding.

  “Hello, my hair,” Mina yelled, standing up to avoid the moisture. “I’m gonna look like a Pekingese-Chow tomorrow if I get wet.”

  Brian cracked up. “What is a Pekingese-Chow?”

  He tugged playfully at her thighs. Mina sat on the hot tub’s rim, refusing to get back in. “I don’t know. But I’m sure it would look a hot mess.”

  “Jacinta,” a voice boomed from across the yard. “What you doing in there, girl?”

  Everybody froze, drawn to the voice.

  Raheem stood at the shallow end of the pool. He sauntered over and gave a head nod to Brian and JZ. They nodded back, the O.C. beef behind them in the grand tradition of guys getting over things faster than girls.

  “Hey, Mina…Lizzie…Kelly,” Raheem said before frowning at Jacinta. “I thought getting into Jacuzzis was bad for the baby?”

  Single Teen Mom

  “What is meant to be, will be.”

  —Lauryn Hill, “Everything Is Everything”

  Jacinta was so hot with Raheem she could barely see straight. She stepped out of the hot tub, and the cool air broke her entire body out in goose bumps, making her teeth chatter. Snatching her towel off a nearby bar stool, she rubbed at her skin as if the water was hard to remove, the whole time glaring at Raheem. He stood, his back to her, by the hot tub, bumping his gums with Brian and JZ, asking about the weekly pickup game, making noise like he might stop through.

  The guys were playing it off good, like Raheem hadn’t just spilled some major beans. Jacinta glanced at Lizzie and Kelly, too embarrassed to make contact and read their eyes. Even from where she stood and with only the tops of the girls’ heads visible, she could see they were dumbfounded. Mina head checked Jacinta’s way, but Jacinta busied herself putting on her miniskirt and top. She grabbed her tote and hollered over to Raheem, “I’m ready.” Without waiting, she took her time heading to the side fence. As burnt as she felt, she wasn’t about to get all spastic and race out crying.