Better Together, page 7
“Tennessee.”
“Really? You don’t have an accent.”
“Nope.”
“Well anyway,” Ray goes on. “Senior Kickback is happening tomorrow night at my boy Benny’s house. Every class has their own party. Juniors have the junior kickback, sophomores have the sophomore kickback, freshman have the–”
“Man, he gets it,” Pierced Ears says.
“Oh, I forgot to introduce you to everyone,” Ray says wiping his mouth. He introduces me to some of the guys at the table and lastly Pierced Ears, whom I’m reminded is named Brandon.
“We’ve met already,” Brandon mutters. “That girl over there with the white patch, do you know her?”
I’m in the middle of chewing my apple. Unlike Ray, I don’t like to talk with my mouth full. The guys turn their heads to look at Clove.
“Is that the new girl?” one guy asks. “What’s that on her face?”
Brandon answers, “I think Benny said it’s called Village Eye Goat or something like that. Supposedly, it’s the same skin disease Michael Jackson had.”
That’s definitely not the correct pronunciation. “It’s not a skin disease, it’s a condition called Vitiligo,” I correct him.
“I’ve heard of that,” Rays says. “But how does Benny know? He’s not even here today. He said he had to stay in Atlanta one more day to help his grandfather.”
Hmmm. I knew if I sat here quietly, I would get more information. The guy Clove met in Atlanta this summer must actually be from here. What are the odds?
Brandon looks around before taking out his phone. He shows everyone the same picture I saw in class. The heart breaking part is that she’s in his arms and not mine. Come on God, don’t do this to me. Me and Clove were doing so well.
“Why do you have this pic?” Ray asks.
Brandon shrugs. “Benny sent it to me. He said they worked together at his Grandfather’s shop. He just wanted me to see who he was spending his time with and asked me what I thought of her.”
“She’s cute but she’s no Kady,” one of the other guys comment.
“Who’s Kady?” I ask.
Ray nods his head towards the table. “Kady is Benny’s ex. She’s the model-looking girl with the heels and hot pink blazer. They broke up before the summer. Looks like Benny wasted no time moving on.”
I glance at the table where Clove sits and find five pairs of eyes staring back at me. Clove’s eyes are not included at first but when she does look, I turn away.
“So, wait,” Ray says to me. “I saw the two of you come to school together this morning. Is she your girl?”
I have to think about this question. I could easily say yes and it’ll shut all this conversation down. Clove and I haven’t officially said that we’re together. But if she’s hugged up in a photo with someone else, does she really want to be with me? I decide to answer the question honestly.
“We’re friends, our families moved here for…um…for work.”
I don’t want to say church because I don’t want to have people calling me “Churchboy” again.
“Wow,” Ray says. “Brandon, does Benny know she’s here? He must really like her if he sent you a pic, Brandon.”
Brandon shrugs. “I don’t know if he knows she’s here. But I think she’s a downgrade from Kady. Maybe he just hooked up with her for the summer, ya know? Maybe she was just his side piece for him to get some action over the 8 weeks.”
That makes me mad. Clove is no one’s downgrade nor sidepiece. But then again, I think back on what happened at that party with Trevor earlier this year. Maybe I don’t know Clove like I think I do.
15
P.K.
~Clove
“He’s kinda hot,” one of the girls say about JJ. I’ve been sitting with Rosario’s friends that she introduced me to. Kady, whom I met already, Terry, who has a dark red, curly pixie cut and extremely long highlighter-yellow nails; then there’s the twins, June and Joan whom I’m sure I won’t ever be able to tell apart.
“He’s alright lookin’,” Kady comments.
“I’ve already introduced myself,” Rosario beams proudly.
It irked me when she thrust her hand in front of me just to speak to him. I would’ve introduced her if she hadn’t acted all desperate to meet him. On the other hand, Rosario is very pretty. I could tell JJ thought so too. She could probably have any guy in this school. In fact, all the girls at this table are pretty. They could be models. I’m making myself look worse by sitting here.
Stop that talk. I hear Mama’s voice in my head. “If you don’t think you’re beautiful how do you expect someone else to? You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”
Inwardly, I take Mama’s advice. I sit up straight and act like I belong.
“What kind of a name is Clove?” Kady asks me. “Isn’t that like an herb or something?”
“It’s a spice. My parents couldn’t decide if they should name me Chloe or Love so they combined the two.”
“Awww, that’s cute,” one of the twins say.
“So, you said you know Jonah,” Rosario says to me. “How do you know him? Did you two move here together? Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Rosario,” Kady laughs. “Thirsty much? Roderick hasn’t even been gone two weeks and you’re already chasing a new man.”
“Shut up Kady. I’m just asking. And for the record Roderick’s been gone three weeks and we are not doing long distance. So I’m free. By the way, Terry, your man was a jerk in class today.”
Terry rolls her eyes. “Brandon is always a jerk, but he’s not my man. He cheated on me over the summer.”
“How could he cheat on you? I thought you two weren’t in a relationship?” one of the Twins ask.
Terry ignores the comment and focuses her attention back to me. “So how did you say you know redhead? Is he single? You two hooking up or what?”
I answer carefully. “Um, we both moved out here for my Dad’s church.” After I say church, I immediately regret it.
Kady leans in. “Ah so your daddy’s a preacher, which makes you a P.K.”
Since I was dumb enough to let that slip, I don’t deny it. “Yep.”
Kady uncrosses her legs, resting her high heels on the picnic bench. “Bet you had a really fun summer.”
I can’t tell if she meant that sarcastically or for real. She said it in a flat tone so maybe it’s sarcastic.
“I did have a fun summer. I met a guy down in Atlanta while I was staying with my Aunt and we hung out alot.”
Kady, who had just lifted a bottle of water to her mouth, freezes. “Atlanta? Who’d you meet? What’s his name?”
I’m not ready to give up that information. His name isn’t important, it’s not like she knows Benjamin. Plus, I haven’t talked to him since I left Aunt Didi’s, well, not counting that short phone call.
Terry keeps her eyes on JJ. “So, you said you met someone which must mean you and Red are not together. What’s his name, again? Is he white? He looks like he could be mixed. Are his eyes green?”
Kady scoffs. “Terry, can you seriously even see his eyes from here?”
“His name is Jonah,” Rosario answers. “And back off because I saw him first. You’ve got Brandon.”
Terry repeats his name like she’s savoring a piece of candy. She puts a long nail between her teeth. “Jonah can most definitely get it.”
Whoa. Are these girls about to have an all-out war over my best friend? And what does she mean ‘He can get it’? Is she talking about what I think she’s talking about? They are all staring at him so hard that it’s making me uncomfortable.
One of the twins speak up. “Clove, do you know if he’s single?”
“Who cares if he’s single? He just moved here and he might need someone to show him around.” Terry says. She stands up and straightens her skirt that can’t possibly be fingertip length.
Kady yanks her down. “Girl, sit your butt back down. You know you wouldn’t dare go over there and flirt in front of Brandon. You’d start a fight and unlike all the other times, Benny isn’t here to deescalate the situation. By the way, has anyone seen Benny?”
The girls shake their heads.
“Brandon told me he’s still in Atlanta,” Terry says. “I also heard he met someone over the summer.”
Atlanta? Benny? I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. As far as I know, Benjamin lives in Atlanta and he never said anything about being from Las Vegas. But it’s interesting that their Benny met a girl this summer too. It’d be silly to think we were talking about the same person.
Rosario finishes a bottle of juice. “Didn’t he have to work for his grandfather’s ice cream shop or something like that? I’m sure he’ll be back for the party tomorrow night.”
Okay, wait. Did she just say ice cream shop? That can’t be coincidental.
16
Too Hot
~Jonah
Walking to school wasn’t so bad because there was shade and the temperature was lower, but now it’s 104 degrees and no shade. I was so anxious about school this morning that I didn’t pack any of the things I needed like lunch, sunblock or a hat. The sun is only going to add more freckles to my face. I ask Clove if she has any sunscreen. Her vitiligo is prone to burning easily and she usually always has some form of sun protection.
“I forgot mine too,” she says.
“So glad I don’t have melanin issues,” Zach says brushing past us.
“It’s still good to protect your skin from sun damage,” I tell him. He waves my comment away and proceeds to walk home.
Clove and I remain standing on the bottom step of the school trying to decide if we’re going to walk or wait for my mom. It’ll be an hour before she gets off and then picks up Caleb.
We look down the street where other people are walking home.
“It’s not that far,” Clove says. “Maybe it won’t be that bad.”
As we start walking, she tells me about the girls she met today. I nod my head to show that I’m listening but I’m not really focused.
“JJ, are you listening to me?”
I nod my head yes, but then she gives me a knowing look. She knows I’m lying so I shake my head no.
“What happened with your day?” she asks. “You seemed pretty popular.”
Did I? I scratch the back of my head nervously. Do I tell her about Benny? Why doesn’t she know that he’s from here?
“Clove, you know that guy you met this summer?”
“Yeah, what about him?”
“Where is he from?”
“Atlanta. Why?”
Hmmm. He must have lied to her. “Did you tell him you were moving to Las Vegas?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Before she can answer, a car horn beeps twice. There’s this ugly, rusty orange Beetle that sputters and stops across the street. The pretty girl from our Literature class sticks her head out the window.
“Hey!” she yells. “You guys wanna ride? My car’s ugly but it’s got air.”
Ugly is right but I’m down for some AC. Clove checks for cars and gets ready to step across the street. I grasp her forearm. “Clove, the pedestrian fatality rate in this state is insane. We should use the crosswalk.”
She clucks her tongue sassily. “JJ, less facts, more walking.”
Zach crosses the street and gets in the car without even asking who the girl is.
“C’mon,” Clove pulls on the bottom of my shirt, dragging me with her as we walk across the street.
She sits in front and I sit behind the driver’s seat. Zach and I are squished in the back of this clown car like sardines in a can. As soon as I close my door, the car jerks into gear.
“You might wanna consider getting a ride from at least now ‘til October, ‘cause that’s how long it’s gonna be this hot.”
“October?” Clove repeats.
“Yup. Do you guys live far?”
“No,” Clove says. “Make a left at the stop sign.”
Zach’s full attention is on the girl driving. I can tell he wants me to introduce him but I can’t because I keep forgetting her name.
“M-my name Zach,” he blurts out awkwardly.
The girls giggle and even I put a hand over my mouth to keep from chuckling at how country and ridiculous he sounded. Zach hasn’t stammered over a girl in a long time.
“Zach, this is Rosario,” Clove says. “We have some classes together.”
I also have Music Appreciation with Rosario. She sat next to me in that class too.
“Nice to meet you, Zach,” Rosario says.
In no time at all, we’re at the gate to our subdivision. Clove tells Rosario that we’ll get out here, but Rosario insists on driving us all the way in.
“JJ do you remember the gate code?” Clove asks me.
I do but Rosario’s manual window handle is missing so I can’t roll it down to punch in the code. In fact, the whole car door panel is off. It’s just metal. And I thought my dad’s car was in bad shape.
“Um, it’s 1124,” I tell Rosario.
Clove smiles at me. “Awww, it’s your birthdate. That’s easy to remember.”
“A Sagittarius,” Rosario says. “I get along well with Sagittarius.”
“I’m a Leo,” Zach’s voice cracks. I look at him and slowly shake my head. He is embarrassing himself.
Clove guides Rosario to our house but I tell her that she can drop us off at Clove’s house.
As Rosario turns the car off. It shakes and makes gunshot sounds. I see her take the key out but the car is still moving.
“Did you turn the car off?” Zach asks.
She shows him the keys. I try not to laugh. I have got to get out of this car but I can’t. “Um, can somebody let me out?”
“Oh, my bad,” Rosario says. She gets out and opens the door for me. As I step out, she very smoothly reaches into my pocket. It catches me off guard so I step back.
“Sorry,” she says. “I thought your phone might be in there. I wanted to give you my number.”
She’s not timid at all.
She looks disappointed when I tell her that I don’t have a phone at the moment.
“Well, let me know when you get one. Until then, I’ll look you up on social media.”
I should tell her that I’m not on social media either. I just never really got into it. From the corner of my eye, I can see Clove and Zach watching us. I shut Rosario’s car door and thank her for the ride.
“I’ll talk to you later, Clove.” Zach and I begin walking down the street.
“I sounded like an idiot, didn’t I?” Zach asks.
I make a small gap with my finger and thumb. “Lil bit bro, but she’s cute, so it’s understandable.”
Dad hasn’t given us our keyless entry code yet so Zach rings the doorbell and knocks. I try my birthdate again but it doesn’t unlock.
Zach turns to me. “Maybe I should’ve spoke some French. Girls like that.”
This time I do laugh out loud. “Zach you do not know French. All you do is throw random words together.”
“I do not.”
“Yes, you do. On the way here, you told one of your girls you want to eat chocolate pasta with her on a hot roof.”
He scratches his head. “For real? That’s what I said?”
We both laugh.
17
Interested
~Clove
The hospitable side of me invited Rosario inside for some sweet tea but the selfish side of me was done with her. She went on and on about JJ. Apparently, they have a music class together where JJ played a song on the piano.
“Girl, did you know he could play Clare de Lune by Debussy?”
I did know. I also know that it’s an incredibly hard piece to play. I remember sitting with him at his grandmother’s piano after he finally learned the whole thing. He was so excited and I was so proud of him.
“Can he play any other instruments?” she asks.
“Yeah, he can play the guitar and he can sing too.”
“What!” Rosario’s eyes resemble a cartoon character. They are about to pop out of her head.
“Chicccaaaaaah!” Rosario practically screams. “Hook me up!”
This is so weird. I should tell her that he’s mine, but then I think about Benjamin and all the stuff I heard today. Plus there was that photo that I thought I saw on Brandon’s phone.
I don’t want to be obvious by asking about Benny so I ask Rosario about the party tomorrow night instead.
“It’s called Senior Kickback,” she explains. “It starts at 7 and it’s at Benny’s house not too far from here. Oh, and it’s a swim party. You going?”
The idea of putting on a swimsuit is tempting. Las Vegas is unbelievably hot. But I’m not ready to show the rest of my white patched body to the world.
I shrug and pry for more info. “Who’s Benny?”
“Oh girl, he’s the full package.”
“Full package?”
“Yep. Tall, dark and handsome. He’s also rich and popular but not a snob like Kady. I’m glad they broke up because he was too good for her. Anyway, his dad owns the construction company that built our school and his family is one of the founding members of Garvey High.”
I nod and listen. Benjamin never let on that he was rich. His grandparents lived in a one-story home two-blocks over from Aunt Didi. Benjamin was humble and polite.
“If you wanna go tomorrow, I can help you get ready if you want,” Rosario says. “I wanna be a makeup artist to the stars. You’d be doing me a favor by letting me do your makeup–not that you need it. Your skin is really smooth and pretty.”
I don’t know if she’s being truthful or not, but I accept the compliment. It would be nice to wear that swimsuit Aunt Didi gave me. Maybe I should be a little more confident. I agree to let her help me and we exchange phone numbers before she leaves.
Then I check my phone to see where Dad is. I’m not surprised to see that his calendar says he’s in back-to-back meetings. I guess dinner for one tonight.
Inside the fridge there’s only more of what Whitney made the other day. It was good, but I want something different. Maybe I’ll see if JJ wants to share some takeout. I begin texting him, but remember he doesn’t have a phone. I text Zach instead.
