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Who You Wit'?

Page 9

by Paula Chase


  Just because that’s what girls do.

  Just because it would be taking Lizzie’s side on the issue.

  Just because, period.

  Mina not taking the pact definitely stung, especially since Lizzie was sure it was something Mina would have willingly done a year or two ago. She fiddled with one of her braids, then reluctantly minimized the box and picked back up with Todd.

  BasketballT: ok pls tell me abst stands for absence frm schl or smthg. Pls!

  Liz-e-O: LOL nope means abstinence…u knw frm sex

  BasketballT: ummm does ur bf gt a say in ths?

  Lizzie shot straight up. She crossed her legs and balanced the laptop on her lap.

  Liz-e-O: dnt take it wrng bt no

  BasketballT: thas not cool Liz

  Lizzie’s cell phone vibrated, buzzing its way across her desk. She pushed the laptop aside, hopped off the bed, and picked up the phone, saving it from nose-diving off the edge. Todd’s number flashed from the screen. She took a deep breath and answered. Todd jumped right in. “Look, I knew you weren’t down with us doing it right now…” He sighed loudly before continuing. “But never? Dude, isn’t that extreme?”

  “It’s just for a year,” Lizzie said. She winced at the pleading in her voice. She wasn’t asking for Todd’s permission. Even the anger in his voice, a rare tone, wouldn’t budge her. She’d made this decision and didn’t regret it.

  “I don’t get it. So you talked about this with Kelly, but not me?”

  Lizzie frowned. “It’s not that we discussed it.” She fumbled to explain. “I just…we…I’m not…”

  “It’s not like I was all, ‘Lizzie do it or we’re hist.’” Todd mimicked a nag. “Dude, it just sucks. ’Cause we’re always straight up with each other. And now you’re like making decisions about our relationship without me.”

  “I am being straight up,” Lizzie said, exasperated. She eyed the laptop, but Mina had logged off. “Shoot,” she muttered.

  “What?” Todd snapped.

  “I…nothing.”

  “So I guess you and Kelly already took this oath? Signed it in blood or whatever?” Todd asked, openly sarcastic.

  “Pact,” Lizzie corrected him automatically. “No blood, just an agreement. And I had hoped Mina would do it, too, but…”

  Todd’s chuckle was bitter. “Good luck with all that.”

  “Why do you say that?” Lizzie scowled.

  “Because Mina and Brian already did it.”

  “Do you want a pickle?”

  “Shut up, just shut up, shut up.”

  —Black-Eyed Peas, “Shut Up”

  The next morning, the silence in Brian’s truck was so thick it even seemed to smother the light strain of chatter streaming from the radio. The abnormal quiet got to Michael. He was usually the only zombie in the morning. As the truck rolled down the sleepy street, he looked from Jacinta over to JZ and peeked up at the rearview mirror to catch Brian’s expression. He was sitting behind Mina’s seat and couldn’t see her at all.

  Whatever it was, and it had to be something, everybody was in on it but him.

  He waited a few minutes more for someone to say something.

  He knew if he got Mina alone, she’d dish in a minute. But it was too weird that no one was talking. He couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Alright, what did I miss yesterday?”

  His question was met with Mina peeking over at Brian, JZ’s knee jumping, and Jacinta staring past him, looking out his window.

  “It must…” he started, but Jacinta cut him off.

  “Go ahead, somebody tell Michael.” She pursed her lips. “The whole world knows now anyway.”

  “Not the whole world, Cinny,” Mina said softly. “Just us.”

  “Knows what?” Michael asked. He leaned up so he could see over to JZ, then looked at Jacinta beside him. His face searched theirs for answers.

  JZ’s knee jumped double-time, as if it was keeping time to a silent tune.

  “My period is late. Okay?” Jacinta exhaled like she’d been holding it since she’d gotten in the truck. “My. Period. Is. Late.”

  Eyebrow arched, Michael glanced over at JZ again, who suddenly had found something really interesting outside his own window. His neck was going to snap if he stretched it any further toward the window.

  “Let’s have this conversation once, so we don’t have to do it again,” Jacinta said. She rounded her shoulders and sat up straight. “It’s late. I haven’t taken any test. It doesn’t even mean I’m pregnant. It’s just late. I’m pissed that Raheem outted me like that. Can we talk about something else?”

  “Please,” JZ muttered.

  “Do you want a pickle?” Michael asked.

  Jacinta scowled. “What?”

  “A pickle.”

  “No.” Jacinta’s eyes rolled.

  “Oh. Well, you’re not pregnant then.”

  Jacinta looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

  “When you pregnant, you’re supposed to have cravings and stuff. So you must not be.” Michael raised his hands as if to say, “see, that simple.”

  There was a brief moment of collective confusion until they all realized he was joking. Michael shook Jacinta’s knee and smiled.

  Mina tittered, then Brian and JZ chuckled—one of those begrudging, “man, that was stupid” kind of laughs.

  Finally, Jacinta snorted and chuckled along, too. “Boy, you crazy.”

  “Let me just say I haven’t heard the word period used so many times this early since seventh grade when I had language arts first class of the day,” Michael said, still clowning.

  “I wish you would stop using it now,” JZ said. “Let’s just ban it for the rest of the day.”

  “Yeah, well, Mack D-a-d-d-y, you better hope all those girls you be creeping with use the word often, as in they got theirs,” Mina chided.

  More laughter smoothed out the tension.

  “Naw, for real, can we stop talking about it?” JZ pulled his cap down over his eyes and slumped in the seat.

  “Dra-ma,” Mina sang. She balled up a piece of notebook paper and threw it back at JZ.

  He batted it away, then reached across Jacinta to tap the back of Mina’s head.

  “Stop, bighead,” Mina whined.

  JZ continued to pluck with Mina the rest of the ride. They played their usual game of friend tug-of-war, attempting to get Michael and Jacinta to side with them as they verbally sparred, dissing one another. By the time they got to school, everyone happily left the awkward topic of Jacinta’s cycle behind.

  Later that day, Mina, Michael, and Lizzie sat in Mina’s room waiting for the big unveil. Lizzie sat on the bed, silently throwing darts with her eyes at Mina. All day, she’d tried to process what Todd had told her on the phone. She wanted to believe that he was mistaken or maybe just taking a snitty jab at her, because of the pact. Their conversation hadn’t ended that well, and Todd had avoided her the entire day at school. But Lizzie knew he’d been telling the truth. Her chest was tight with anger and hurt.

  But Mina was too eager, dying of curiosity about the prom dress hidden under the garment bag hanging on her closet door to notice.

  “Come on, Mike. Stop playing,” Mina scolded, hiding a smile.

  But Michael was enjoying every moment of teasing out the big reveal.

  Mina plopped on the bed beside Lizzie and gave Lizzie a “he’s tripping” eye roll.

  Lizzie’s eyebrows popped slightly, but her face remained expressionless.

  Michael stroked the white garment bag concealing the dress, purring at it under his breath. The last anyone had seen of the dress, it was a swatch of vibrant, sapphire satin draped over a mannequin in a jumbled mass. Once Michael was assured his measurements were on, he’d refused to let Mina see the dress even when she’d harrumphed that Jennifer Hudson probably got a look at her dress before Oscar night.

  “Well, if she did, she saw it in the dark,” Michael had shot back. “’Cause that thing wa
s wack. I got this, diva. Just trust me.”

  Lizzie knew that if Michael came even close to his sketch, the dress was going to be gorgeous.

  Mina’s knee did an involuntary dance in anticipation as she begged this time, “Come on, Mike. Please.”

  Michael pulled down the zipper of the garment bag in a dramatic sweep, and both Lizzie and Mina gasped.

  Michael grinned, his handsome, dark chocolate face complimenting the soft electric blue of the short satin dress. His hands pulled lightly at the skirt of the dress, making the pleats shimmer softly.

  Mina gawked. She stood in front of the dress, taking in every detail. The pleats fell perfectly from a wide band covered in beads. Michael and his bead work. It was like he refused to take the easy way out of a design, and Mina told him so. “Mike, how long did it take you to sew on all those beads? Are you crazy?”

  Despite the light scolding, her voice was hushed in reverence.

  Michael shrugged. “Long enough that I’m gonna be pissed if your boy Brian pull any off messing around.”

  Mina smiled sheepishly and rushed on. “It’s gorgeous. Isn’t it, Liz?”

  Liz nodded, speechless. She was usually the recipient of Michael’s off-the-chain designs for the school’s productions. But he’d gone out of his way for Mina, and it showed. The dress was gorgeous.

  “It’s like…that dress is so Mina,” Lizzie said finally, her eyes admiring the dress from its V-neck and spaghetti straps to the pleated skirt.

  Mina nodded.

  “Well, I figured that the empire waist would help hide some of that apple bottom.” Michael chuckled as he nodded toward Mina’s rear. “So I know Mama Mooney will like that. But you got your top out with the V without having to worry about your girls hanging out.”

  The three of them laughed.

  “Not that my girls are all that big,” Mina said.

  “I love it,” Lizzie declared.

  Mina beamed.

  Lizzie smiled back, the smile never reaching her eyes. A flicker of confusion crossed Mina’s face before she said, “Mike, can you take us over to the mall so I can finally get the accessories and shoes?”

  “What? On my magic carpet?” Michael said.

  Mina picked up her tiny purse from the desk. “Brian and JZ are balling over at JZ’s. He’ll probably let you use his truck.”

  “Well, if he lets me, yeah, I’ll take y’all,” Michael said.

  He and Lizzie trailed behind Mina and headed down to JZ’s.

  Busted

  “So I want to take this time out and apologize for things I have done.”

  —Akon, “Sorry, Blame It on Me”

  The heavily wooded cul-de-sac where JZ’s and Brian’s houses stood by themselves was packed with cars and SUVs. Mina, Michael, and Lizzie followed the sidewalk around the side of JZ’s house until it led them to the NBA regulation-sized court. The game was in full swing. Six more guys sat, watching from the bleachers, waiting for their turn to be subbed in.

  “What up, Mike-Man?” JZ hollered before heading back down the court.

  “What up, Jay?” Michael exchanged dap with a few players sitting on the sideline.

  “Hey, T,” Mina called to Todd.

  He waved hastily and hustled down the court.

  Mina waited for Brian to look up, then waved him over shyly. He pointed to one of the eager guys on the sideline, who ran in, taking his spot.

  Sweat glistened in his black curly hair, pouring down his face. He mopped it off with his tee shirt before peeling the shirt off and throwing it to the side. A little tingle of appreciation ran through Mina as she eyed Brian’s well-toned pecs and biceps.

  Who’s a lucky girl? Me! she thought as he walked up to him.

  Brian exchanged a pound with Michael and nodded at Lizzie, who gave him a small, frozen smile. He sat on the bottom bleacher so he and Mina were almost face-to-face. She stepped closer and stood in between his legs.

  “What’s up, toughie?” Brian asked, tapping the back of her thigh lightly.

  “Can Mike use your truck to take me and Liz to the mall?”

  Brian smelled like a gym, even outside, but Mina had the urge to kiss him. His hand caressed her leg softly as he considered her question.

  “Mike, you cool driving my truck, man?”

  “Yeah. But I’m not mad if you want take the diva yourself,” Michael said, cutting his eyes playfully at Mina.

  Brian snorted. “That’s all you, man.” He leaned back, reached for a DRB Blue Devils duffle, and rummaged around for his keys. “Just don’t be getting no tickets or nothing.”

  “It’s swazy. I’m used to driving my grandmother around.” Michael rolled his eyes. He caught the keys Brian chucked at him. “You know how slow I gotta go with her in the car.”

  “Thanks,” Mina said.

  Brian winked at her, and she grinned. She started to walk away. Brian tugged at the back of her tee shirt, and she let herself be pulled back toward him.

  Brian frowned. “So what, I gets nothing for being the good boyfriend who letting some other dude drive you around…in my truck?”

  Mina played along. “My bad. What did you want?”

  He pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. She grinned as he said, huskily, “I’ll tell you later.”

  The trip to the mall was uneventful enough. Lizzie and Mina teased Michael, who drove an elderly thirty-five miles an hour the entire way. Michael reminded Lizzie that soon she’d know exactly what it was like to become an overnight chauffeur with her parents badgering her to “slow down.” He promised to return the teasing when the time arrived.

  Things were feeling almost like old times. Mina found the perfect earrings, a pair of crystal tear drops, and held them next to the crystal strappy heel sandals Michael had approved.

  “This is going to be hot,” she said, grinning broadly.

  “Hey, Mi, did you and Brian have sex already?” Lizzie blurted. Her arms were folded tight against her chest, her face set in grim determination.

  Michael’s eyebrows steepled. He played it cool and kept his eyes on the shoes Mina held frozen in midair.

  Mina’s face cracked like a day-old mud mask. Her voice rose to a liar’s squeak. “No. Why?”

  Lizzie’s eyes clouded, becoming a dark green.

  That’s when Mina realized, too late, that Lizzie already knew. But she was in the middle of the lie and couldn’t pull out.

  Lizzie’s face turned a dark pink as she shrugged and mumbled something to the effect of “just wondering.”

  Usually the voice of keeping it real, Michael kept mum.

  Leaving Lizzie standing by the rack of shoes, Mina quickstepped to the register and paid for the glittery sandals. Her hands shook as she gripped the bag.

  The three of them walked the mall in silence, their footsteps hurried.

  Mina attempted to say something, but her chest tightened, clutching the words, trapping them. She was working just to breathe, much less have a conversation.

  In her head, she practiced.

  “Okay, this is messed up, but…yeah, we did it.”

  “Liz, I didn’t know how to tell you. The pact was so important to you, and…”

  “I’m a total liar. But I had my reasons.”

  None of the icebreakers sounded good enough. So she kept silent, all the while willing her brain to connect with her tongue to say something—even something lame, just to get her mouth working.

  Beside her, Lizzie’s breathing was ragged. Mina didn’t have to look to know a storm was building.

  Say something, say something, she screamed to herself.

  They reached Brian’s Explorer. Mina rode shotgun, Lizzie in the back. As Mina strapped herself in, she turned toward the back and started, “Lizzie…”

  Lizzie stared her in the eye. Her words were icy hot. “When did you become such a liar?”

  Michael cursed under his breath. His hand froze on the ignition. The keys jingled lightly as they swayed.

>   Mina swallowed.

  I can’t be mad. I deserved that, she told herself. I did lie. I can’t be mad. She exhaled slowly, but instead of apologizing, she said, “Who told you about it?”

  Lizzie exploded. “So it is true?” Tears of anger streamed down her reddening face, and she swiped at them. “All day long, I kept hoping it wasn’t true. Even though I knew you were acting shady.”

  Mina felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. Now, every excuse she’d made for not telling Lizzie sooner felt flimsy. Her eyes pleaded with Lizzie, but it wasn’t enough to penetrate the darts Lizzie shot at her.

  “When did all this happen?” Lizzie asked, sniffing. She held her head higher. Her voice steadied, and the tears stopped leaking. “If you tell me weeks or months ago…I swear, Mina, our friendship is over.”

  “No. No, it was just last Friday,” Mina said. She nearly sighed with relief that it hadn’t gone that long. It was a minor victory but one all the same. She unstrapped her seat belt and knelt in the seat so she was facing Lizzie head on. “I wanted to tell you. But then you brought up the pact, and it just felt…I felt…” Mina paused. She wanted to get it right. “I felt weird enough after it happened. Like not sure it was cool to do. And you were so excited about the pact I thought you were gonna be pissed at me that I’d done it.”

  Lizzie’s face softened. For a second, she seemed to consider the merits of Mina’s excuse before her eyes blazed again. “It’s not cool that we’re keeping secrets from each other.”

  “May I drive, ladies?” Michael asked over their bickering.

  When they didn’t answer, he pulled out.

  “I didn’t do it to be sneaky, I swear,” Mina said. She hesitated, then asked again. “Who told you?”

  “Todd,” Lizzie said. Her voice hardened. “And I guess that’s another reason he’s so pissed at me. Every flipping body is doing it.”

  She spat the last two words.

  Mina took her seat, buckled up again, turning her body as far as she could to keep eye contact with Lizzie. “Todd’s mad at you because of me and Brian?”

 

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