Getting Played (9 page)

Curiously, I open it and pull out the bills I saw earlier from the hospital. There are four of them and they total some insane amount of money. It was crazy that my grandmother owed that much money. I wonder about her health
care insurance. She is old, she has to have something. Then I start wondering if she has some kind of major health issue. My grandmom looks completely healthy. Maybe she was sick before and she just never said anything to me. I wouldn't even know if she was.

So I start reading the dates and the diagnosis to find out what is actually wrong with her. As much as I can figure, the dates are all wrong. Whatever was going on happened before my mom and I moved here. Then I see that the bills aren't addressed to my grandmother, but to my mom. This is weird. My mom wasn't in the hospital. But she must have been paying my grandmother's bills. Now that she's dead, I guess my grandmother has to pay them herself. But then the bills are all addressed to my mom.

Then I start thinking about it. There were a lot of things I didn't know before. I grab my cell and call the customer service number on the bill. It's a recording. I hang up. I wasn't sure what I was going to say if someone picked up anyway. I put the bills back in the folder and leave. I call Jade. She still isn't picking up. I call my dad, thinking he might know something. He doesn't pick up, either.

The thing is, I usually have no intention of dealing in other people's drama. But I guess I don't have a choice. My grandmother, Jade, my dad, even my girls, Jalisa and Diamond, were having it bad. I know I need to step up.

I go up to my room and sit down on the bed to start doing my homework, and then I hear the first two steps on the first floor creaking. They always do that. I can always tell when somebody's coming upstairs. I call out to my grandmother to let her know I'm home. When I hear the
door slam closed I go downstairs to check. Nobody is there. It's strange. I am just about to go back upstairs when my grandmother walks in the front door. “Hi, Grandmom. Was that just you?” I ask.

“Hi, sweetie, here take this bag. Was that just me where?”

I grab the shopping bag and follow her into the kitchen. I sit it on the counter and look at her confused. “Didn't you just come in a few minutes ago?”

She walks over and starts pulling stuff out of the bag. “No. Why?”

“Nothing, I just thought I heard you come in a few minutes ago. The steps creaked like when someone's going upstairs.”

“This old house has a lot of creaks. How was school?”

“Not too bad.”

“Are you okay with staying there for a while?”

I nod. I wasn't really, but at this point there wasn't anything I could do to change the situation, so why stress out about it? “I stopped at Freeman afterward and then went to the Pizza Place and guess what? I got a job there.”

“A job, what are you going to do with a job?”

“Work like everybody else,” I say. “I'm usually sitting around doing nothing most of the time, so I thought I might as well get paid for it. I'm working at Giorgio's Pizza Place.”

“That was fast.”

“I know. It just kind of happened. He hired me right on the spot. I start tomorrow, although I work mostly on the weekends. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure, as long as you keep up with your studies and your chores around the house. What about going to see your father on the weekends?”

“It'll be fine. I'm going back to do my homework.” The phone rings just as I leave the kitchen. It's one of my grandmother's friends. I hear her laughing and know she'll be on the phone for another two hours. I go back up to my bedroom and sit down to start my homework again. That's when I get sleepy. I am just about to lie down when my cell rings. I check the caller ID, then answer immediately. “Hey,” I say, happy and excited for the first time all day.

“Hey,” Terrence replies. There is a slight pause. “How are you doing?”

“Fine, how are you?”

“I'm all right. So you want to talk or what?” he asks.

“Yeah, I do. What's up with you?” I ask, trying not to sound like I'm accusing him of anything.

“I got a lot of stuff on my mind, that's all. Things I gotta figure out.”

“Like what? Maybe I can help.”

“Nah, I doubt it.”

“Is it about school?” I ask.

“Yeah, it's school, too.”

I know Terrence isn't going to out-and-out lie to me. I know his character better than that. He'll avoid the answer, but not lie. “I thought you were doing great in school. You're magna cum laude, right? Doesn't that mean you're doing great?”

“Yeah, it's not the grades. It's just other stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Like stuff.”

“Is it 'cause Gia's at Howard, too?” I ask. He doesn't answer for a few seconds. I guess maybe he doesn't know I know. Seriously, how could I not know? I just didn't know everything.

“It's not about Gia.”

“Then is it about me?” I ask, hoping he says no real fast.

“Look, it's just stuff going on, that's all, and this has nothing to do with her.”

Yeah, I've heard this disclaimer before, but choose to tune it down for a minute. “It seems like it does. I'm not jealous or anything, but every time I turn around I hear her name. So, what's the deal with you two?”

“There's no deal. We used to be tight and hang out,” he says simply.

He doesn't have to elaborate. I know what that means. They were boyfriend and girlfriend. “And now?” I ask softly, 'cause I still don't know exactly why he called me all of a sudden. Now I'm thinking it's to make this ending official. Damn.

“Now nothing. We go to the same school, that's all.”

I'm no fool. I know he didn't answer my question. There is no way I'm letting it go like that. “When did you break up?”

“Right before you moved here to your grandmother's house,” he says.

Suddenly I feel like fresh meat. I know about Terrence's past when it comes to Darien and his little brother. I also know he wasn't exactly the good guy next door. He had his
issues. But I never thought about who he was seeing before I moved here. Now it's obvious. It was Gia. “Okay,” is all I can think to say. Then the other question comes out before I think to stop while I'm ahead. “Did you two actually break up?” Shit, I can't believe I just asked that, 'cause for real, I'm not sure I want to hear the answer.

“It was understood,” he says. Okay, a dozen more questions pop into my head. But he stops me before I can get the first one out. “I gotta go. I don't want to be late for work.”

“What do you mean work? I didn't know you had a job. Where do you work?”

“Here on campus. I gotta go, I'll talk to you later,” he says. And just like that he's gone.

So then I am just sitting there holding my cell phone in my hand and wondering what just happened? My mouth is wide open and I am just shaking my head. I slowly run the conversation over again in my head. What the hell does,
it was understood,
mean? What was understood? Maybe it wasn't understood. Shit. Was I just ‘understood'? Did I just get played?

Next Line Please

It
was understood.
The words haunted me all night long. By the next morning I was through. I knew I needed to drop all this drama and the best way was to run. I usually run in the mornings on weekends and then after school during the week. But I start my new job today, so I decide to get up extra early and run before school starts. I get dressed, put on my sneaks, hurry downstairs and step outside. I look around the neighborhood, then up at the sky. It doesn't look like the sun is going to make an appearance today. It is still mostly dark, but I can see the heavy clouds still hanging above the city. It's early and the weather is chilly and dismal. I zip up my jacket and walk farther down the front steps, looking both ways as I go.

The street is empty, but then it always is early in the morning. I know because sometimes when I can't sleep, I get up early and come sit out on the front porch. I like the peace and quiet. But right now I walk farther down the front path. From this vantage I can easily see at least eight blocks in both directions. The houses, mostly row with few exceptions, one being my grandmother's, seem to stretch out endlessly. As I start running and turn onto the main street, I can see that the streets are more crowded than I thought. There are people going to work, cars and busses everywhere, so I feel safe enough, even though it's still just before dawn.

For real, this is the best part of my day. My mind frees up and I start thinking about all kinds of stuff going on, but mostly stuff that's happening right now.

I run past the local library where my grandmother used to work and then volunteer. It burned down three months ago. They said some crazy homeless fool thought it would be a good idea to cook dinner there. I don't know what some people are thinking when they do stupid stuff like that. What did he think—he was gonna get his grub on and nobody would notice an open fire in the back of the kids' section? The really dumb part is that he died trying to put it out with his jacket, which was covered with alcohol. So he basically lit up like a torch.

All that makes me think about the hospital bills on the kitchen table. None of that makes any sense. Why would my grandmother's bill go to my house in Virginia? After our conversation, I knew my grandmother wasn't gonna
tell me anything, so I decide to ask Jade. If anybody knows what's going on, she will.

It is starting to get late and I know I still have a full day of classes ahead of me, so I cross the street and turn back to the house. Then, while I am running in place waiting on the traffic light to change, I look down a side street and see this guy. He looks just like Brian, Jalisa's brother. I slow down, then stop running to see if I can get a better look at him.

A black car turns the corner and he turns around. I see it is him. I am just about to call out to him when all of a sudden he starts running. But not like me. He is running like the devil is on his tail. Down the street he turns another corner. The car speeds up and follows. Right then I know he is running from them. I run down the same side street trying to see what is up, but by the time I get to the same corner, both Brian and the black car are gone. I stop running and look around. Damn.

So I head back to my grandmother's house. Now I am thinking about Brian and Jalisa. She never talks about him anymore, but I know she thinks about him. As soon as I walk in the door I smell food. I go in the kitchen and my grandmother is cooking and Ms. Charlotte is sitting there with her. “Good morning,” I say. Both of them look up at me. Ms. Charlotte has red eyes. She'd been crying. She mutters good morning, and then half smiles as she looks down at the teacup in front of her.

“Good morning,” my grandmother says, smiling. “What are you doing dressed like that?”

“I went running this morning.”

“This early in the morning?” she asks, surprised.

“I had some things I needed to work out in my head and running helps me. There was a lot of people out this early so I was okay,” I say. She nods, then I look at Ms. Charlotte. She's still looking at her teacup. “Ms. Charlotte, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about your brother. I didn't know him well, except to wave and say hi. But he seemed like a really nice man.”

She nods and smiles. “He was. Thank you so much.”

“Okay, I'm a go get dressed for school. Remember I have to work tonight, Grandmom, so I'll be in late.”

I go upstairs wondering what Ms. Charlotte is doing here so early. My grandmother's usually up and in the kitchen, but I've never seen her with company this early before. Anyway, I get dressed, say bye and walk to school. On the way I see Cassie. We look at each other. She is with two other girls, and she glances over at me. I don't say anything and neither does she. We're definitely not friends anymore. Unfortunately, this is the odd day so that means she'll be in my last period class.

My early classes are okay. I get through them without much drama. But now I'm basically sleepwalking through the rest of them because I'm so tired. I guess running before school wasn't such a great idea, 'cause all I want to do by sixth period is fall asleep and that's not a good idea in U.S. History.

So I'm yawning and in a daze trying to stay awake as Ms. Grayson hands the quizzes back from last week. Surprise, surprise, I aced it. “Is this class boring you, Ms. Lewis?” she asks when she puts my quiz on the desk. “Nah, I'm just
tired,” I say, then expect her to go into one of her rants about being prepared for class also means being mentally prepared. But she doesn't. She just nods and continues passing the quizzes out.

When she finishes, she starts talking about something and how some dead guy did something else to some other dead guy and we should all be happy 'cause the dead guys changed everything for us. Blah, blah, blah. Really, could this day get any longer?

So about a century and a half later, the bell rings. Finally, it's the end of the day. Everybody jumps like it's the start of a race. I leave class quickly hoping to get out as soon as possible. Apparently Cassie had the same idea 'cause she is right in front of me. I hurry to my locker, but I see Troy already there at his. He's by himself for once. I walk up. He doesn't say anything at first and neither do I. We stand there side by side doing our locker thing. Then he starts. “You think you're really smart, don't you?”

I know he said something and that he was talking to me 'cause he stopped what he was doing and turned in my direction. There was a lot of noise in the halls, so I didn't really hear what he said the first time. “What?” I say.

“You think you're really smart, don't you, or do you really think I'm that stupid?” he asks.

Okay, how am I supposed to answer that? “I never said you were stupid,” I immediately correct.

“True,” he says, then leans in closer so I can hear exactly what he is saying. “You just assumed it because I play football, right? Well guess what, Kenisha? My grade point average is four-point-two. My IQ was a hundred thirty-five
when I was in the ninth grade. I knew exactly what you said the other day. I used to read medical journals like comic books when I was ten. So trust when I say, the teenage part of my brain is very well-connected to my hearing.”

Shit.

“The only reason I didn't go to that lame private school with your boy LaVon is because their football team is a joke. And it would be just too damn easy to shine. At least here I have a challenge or two. Yeah, that's right, I know your boy. We had the same classes in elementary and middle school, but right now I choose to be here,” he says. I guess I looked shocked. “You don't remember me, do you?”

“No, should I?”

“Yeah, you should. We went to the same schools in Virginia. Then my cousin was in some of your classes at Hazelhurst. You know my cousin.”

I seriously don't know who he's talking about.

“Yeah, that's right. The one you fought that got your ass here. So the next time you want to get up in my face, I suggest you bring your boy with you, 'cause I don't mind kicking a girl's ass.”

Shit.

He slams his locker door and turns to leave, and for some strange reason I decide now is a good time to speak up. “Big deal,” I say.

He turns back and glares at me. I know if he hits me just once I'll be in a coma for the next seven years. “Yeah, that's right. I said, big deal,” I hear myself repeating.

“You got a serious beat down wish, don't you?”

“You're smart, really smart. Fine, I get it. So, why don't
you act like it? You walk around here pretending like some cookie cutter jock from a stupid TV show. Why?”

“I have my reasons.”

“Nah, not good enough,” I tell him. “I bet nobody here even knows about your grades, do they? Not even your boys.” I know I'm right just by looking at his smug expression. “See, why would you even do that?”

“Like I said, I have my reasons. Don't tell me, the pubes-cent fragments of your minuscule cerebral has disconnected from your auditory receptors?” he asks, repeating exactly what I said to him before.

I laugh. “Okay, very funny,” I say. “Yeah, I heard you. It just makes no sense, and if you ask me, that's not all that smart.”

He looks me up and down and shakes his head as he chuckles. “You know you trippin'. I just told you I would kick your ass and you gonna jump up at me. Are you crazy?”

“Oh, please, it was an empty threat and you know it. See, I know your little secret now and if you're as smart as you think you are, then it's more fun for you to have me around to watch you play your mind games on everybody else,” I say. He starts laughing really hard now. It was just like I thought. His ego is way bigger than his so-called intelligence.

“A'ight, bet,” he says, walking away.

I stand there shaking my head. This place is such a trip. I gather the rest of my stuff and get ready to close my locker. That's when I see Sierra and Cassie walk over. They stop at Troy's locker. Cassie glares at me like she has something to
say. Seriously, I don't need this drama right now, so I just keep pulling my books out. “You just can't keep your hands off shit that don't belong to you, can you?” Sierra says.

I turn around. Sierra is standing there with her fists balled on her hips, eyeing me. Cassie is at her back smiling. I really hate that bitch. “What are you talking about?” I ask.

“I'm talking about you and Troy,” she says, as if I should have already understood what she meant.

“I was just talking to him, that's all.” Seriously, I'm not about to be fighting some girl over some guy, especially a guy that I could care less about.

“Talking to him about what?” she asks indignantly.

Okay, here's the part where I usually just get pissed off and go off on her, but I knew this wasn't about Sierra and me. It's about Cassie standing there with her. I know she set this shit up. It has her dumbass wannabe drama written all over it. “We were talking about his cousin, Regan. We got into it at Hazelhurst a few weeks ago.”

“You did that?” she asks, half smiling, apparently appreciating my work.

“Yeah, I did that,” I say.

“That was you who yanked her weave out?”

“Yeah, so, Sierra, if you're thinking I'm talkin' to Troy, then you and I don't have an issue. I don't want him, never did and never will and he sure as hell doesn't want me.”

“That's not what I heard,” Cassie mutters close to Sierra's ear as she turns, acting like she didn't say anything.

“Then you heard wrong, Cassie. And if you think you want to step to me, I'm here. Don't be trying to get Sierra to do your fighting for you. I will seriously kick your ass
and you damn well know why. And I don't need no friggin' trophy to do it. Now you think you bad, you want a piece of me, come on.” I shove everything back in my locker and slam the door, waiting for her to step up.

There is a moment of silence as other students start gathering around waiting. I swear high school teens can smell a fight about to go down from two miles away. Now all of a sudden there's a mini crowd standing around us. Sierra looks at Cassie, who is still looking at me. “I thought you said she was trying to play me,” Sierra says.

Cassie glares at me. I can see the hatred in her eyes. Then she turns to Sierra. “She's lying just like she did with D. She lied on him and got him arrested.” Everybody around us starts looking at me.

“I didn't have to lie on him and he got himself arrested.”

“Bullshit, you told on him. Nobody else could have except you,” she snips.

“Well, it wasn't me, so you can just keep on believing whatever you want,” I say to her, then glance at Sierra. She doesn't say anything because we both know the truth. She told the police about Darien, not me. She rolls her eyes and walks away. Cassie is still standing there. “You got something else to say to me?” I ask Cassie. She rolls her eyes and walks away. Everybody else starts walking, too. So after all that, I grab my stuff again and go to work.

 

I get to Giorgio's Pizza Place early. Not surprisingly, it's already getting crowded since it's the local hangout for just about everybody in the neighborhood. And after school it's
crazy. The place won a few awards as the best pizza in D.C. and had a couple of write-ups in the
Washington Post
and the
Washingtonian Magazine
. And even though it looks big, it is still really kinda small. It has booths along the edges and tables and chairs in the middle. There is a counter that spans the whole back wall with a few stools on each side. There is no formal dining thing with a waitress and stuff. It is all order at the counter and then find a seat where you can.

Troy and his football crew are there and so are Li'l T and his mini crew. Giorgio waves me behind the counter as soon as he sees me. He actually looks relieved I am there. He sends me to the back kitchen to grab a white apron and a cap. Ursula comes in right after me and another girl, Nita, after her. We quickly get our stuff together and go out front to start.