With Friends Like These (16 page)

T
houghts of Walter invaded my mind for the millionth time today. I couldn’t believe things were over with us just like that. I didn’t know that I could really blame him, though. If his ex-girlfriend had put me in the hospital, I’d have to ask myself what I was getting into. Throw in pressure from his parents, and I guess I could understand why he decided to break up with me.

Still, that didn’t ease the pain in my heart.

I think what made things even worse for me was that I really didn’t have anyone to talk to anymore. I tried to call my old friends Melanie and Tonya, but both of them blew me off. I guess they were still salty because they said I dumped them for the Good Girlz.

I felt a lump form in my throat as I fought back tears and thought about the fact that I had lost three of the best friends I’d ever had. Over the last year, Alexis, Angel, and Jasmine had shown me what true friendship really was. And I repaid them how? By lying, cheating, and using them. What was wrong with me? I thought as I slapped my head. And why didn’t I try to make up when I had the chance?

“Hey, Camille, good show today.”

I looked up to see Shereen, who had stuck her head in my dressing room.

“May I come in?” she asked.

I nodded as I checked my reflection in the mirror to make sure my eyes weren’t red. Shereen walked in and sat down next to me.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Was it that obvious? “Talk about what?”

“Whatever it is that has caused you to lose your spark.” Shereen looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

I definitely didn’t want to be whining and crying to my boss. “Naw, I’m fine. Just battling allergies,” I said.

She nodded like she knew I was lying. “You know, my grandmother used to always say, ‘You shouldn’t bear false witness against your neighbor.’ That was her favorite commandment.”

Now, my mother was a devout Christian, and I was raised in the church, but I didn’t pay as much attention in Bible study as I probably should’ve. “That’s the one about lying, right?”

“Yep. It seems like such a little thing, and oftentimes we don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Shereen said. “But when we do it, especially against people we care about, it’s not pleasing in the eyes of God.”

I looked at her, and the tears I was holding back finally came out. “I lost them all, all three of my best friends. They hate me,” I cried.

“Well, what you did was kind of messed up,” she replied matter-of-factly.

I looked at Shereen. “You know what I did?”

She nodded. “Camille, this is my show, and I’ve always wanted it to succeed, but I would never sacrifice someone I cared about for this.” She pointed around the dressing room. “Especially because…” Her voice trailed off.

I stared at her, waiting on her to finish. “Especially because what?”

“Especially because television is a fickle business.” Shereen let out a long sigh.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

Shereen took a deep breath like it hurt her to say what she was about to tell me. “Camille, they’re canceling the show.”

“What?” I had to have heard her wrong.

“The show is not doing as well as they thought.”

“Huh? That doesn’t make sense. Everyone is raving about the show.”

Shereen shook her head. “No, everyone raved about the first few episodes, but it’s just not pulling in the ratings that they wanted it to. It’s no reflection on your talent. It’s just, well, it’s just the way things go.”

I fell back against my chair. Canceled? I’d lost everything for this show, and they were canceling it?

“What did I do wrong?” My voice was just above a whisper, I was in such shock.

“I told you, it wasn’t you.” Shereen stood up. “Believe me, I’m upset, too. But the bigwigs wanted to cut their losses before it was too late.” Shereen reached over and squeezed my shoulder. “You will receive a check for three months, which was how long the original contract for the show ran.”

I just stared at her. I didn’t remember anything about a contract. I was just so happy to get the job that I signed without reading it, just trusting that Rachel wouldn’t let Shereen screw me over. And honestly, right about now, I didn’t really care about the money.

“I’m sorry,” Shereen said. “You can take your time getting your stuff out of the dressing room.”

She stopped right before she walked out. “You know, everything happens for a reason. We don’t often understand God’s motives, but the things He does or doesn’t do for us are ultimately in our best interest.”

I wasn’t in the mood to hear any spiritual lessons. But I forced a smile.

“Camille?”

“Yeah,” I said, still trying not to collapse in tears.

“Call your friends. Make up. Apologize. Just work it out, because when it all boils down to it, family and friends are the only thing that really matters.”

I took in her words as she walked out. I would give anything right now to talk to Alexis, Angel, or Jasmine. Shoot, at this point, I’d even take Tameka.

My vibrating cell phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I picked it up.

“Hey, Camille. It’s Rachel. I’m just giving you a reminder call about the talent showcase tomorrow night. I expect to see you there. The girls we mentor expect to see you there, okay? Put aside your differences for one night and come support these young girls.”

I definitely was in no mood to go smile and fake it around anybody, but I didn’t want to disappoint the girls, who I know had worked so hard for the talent showcase. “Okay. I’ll be there,” I replied.

Rachel paused. “Wait, that was too easy. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I softly said. “I’ll be there.”

Rachel was quiet for a minute. “Okay. And Camille—I’m here if you need to talk to me.”

I nodded like she could actually see me before pressing end on my cell phone.
Everything happens for a reason.
Something told me this meeting was my last chance to make things right with my friends, and now, more than anything, I wanted to do just that.

I
stared out the window as I watched my parents sitting out by the pool. They were laughing and talking, something I hadn’t seen them do in a very long time.

As happy as I was that they were working things out, something still felt missing in my life. I looked over at the picture of me, Angel, Camille, and Jasmine that was sitting on my dresser. We took that picture at the last community service project. That’s what was missing—my girls.

I tried to fill the void I felt when they were gone by hanging out with Mari and Marlee, and look how that almost ended.

I couldn’t help but think if me, Camille, Angel, and Jasmine were still friends, still part of the Good Girlz, that whole disaster with the twins would’ve never happened. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized we all were wrong. Yes, Camille tripped out by telling all of our business. But I was just as guilty too, for putting Jasmine in the spot I did. When things no longer worked out with me and Jaquan, I put Jasmine in the middle, basically making her choose sides. How was I gon’ get upset because she chose her brother?

Even though I realized all of that, I didn’t quite know how to pull things back to where they had been.

I sighed. Just let it go, I told myself as I gathered up my things to go to the Zion Hill youth talent showcase, where the little girls we mentored were supposed to be performing. I really didn’t want to go because I didn’t want to see Camille, Angel, and Jasmine, but Rachel had requested that we all be there—plus, I knew how much it meant to the girls.

It took me about twenty minutes to get to the church. I was grateful that I was the first one there. I wished that I could go straight to the sanctuary to avoid having to bump into anyone, because I was sure I would break down. But Rachel had asked us to meet in the conference room.

Within the next five minutes, Angel arrived, followed by Jasmine, then Camille. We all said “Hey,” but that was it.

When Rachel walked in, she must’ve sensed the tension. She took a deep breath.

“Hello, everyone.”

We all muttered halfhearted hellos.

Rachel set her Bible down on the rectangular table at the front of the room. “Oh, good grief. This is ridiculous. No one is going to say this, but I will,” she said. “We need to figure out the problem and get you girls back together. I don’t know why y’all trying to play hard. You can’t pretend you all don’t care about one another. When you thought Alexis was in the hospital, each and every one of you stopped what you were doing and raced to the hospital.”

A confused look crossed my face. “What?”

Rachel crossed her arms and glared at Angel, Camille, and Jasmine. They all looked away. “That’s right. They all hightailed it to the hospital because they thought you were the one that had overdosed.”

I looked at Camille. “Is that true?”

Camille shrugged and turned her head.

“Of course it’s true,” Rachel snapped. “I’m not going to sit up here in church and lie to you. All three of them were a nervous wreck.”

I stared at all three of the girls; every one looked away.

“Now, enough is enough,” Rachel continued. “Before we go out in that sanctuary, I want us to talk about this.” Rachel turned to Camille. “We will start with you. You were wrong for betraying your friends by putting all their business out there like that.”

Camille lowered her head in shame. “I know, and I’m so sorry. I feel so bad. I was just so desperate to get the job. I wasn’t thinking. I know I was wrong.” She started playing with her belt strap. “I had made up my mind that I was going to beg for you all to forgive me today. I miss y’all so much. I know I was out of order with the things I did. I just hope one day you guys can forgive me.” She sighed. “I deserved for them to cancel the show.”

We all gasped at that. As mad as I may have been at Camille, I still knew how much that show meant to her.

“Dang, I’m sorry, Camille,” Angel said.

“Don’t be,” Camille replied. “I was sad at first, but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was probably for the best.”

“I’m glad they canceled that stupid show,” Jasmine snapped.

Everyone looked at her.

“I’m sorry, but I am glad. We were fine before that stupid competition for the show. I’m just glad it’s over,” Jasmine admitted.

“Yeah, me too,” I offered. Since things had turned around for my parents, maybe they could turn around for us as well. I was tired of pretending I didn’t care either. I was going to let them know how I felt. “Thank you all for coming to check on me. You all just don’t know how much I miss you guys. I’m sorry for what I did, Jasmine. I should’ve never put you in the middle of me and Jaquan.”

“You shouldn’t have,” she said matter-of-factly. “I tried to tell you my brother loses interest in girls faster than he changes his stinky socks. Shoot, him and Tranita broke up again anyway.”

I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of happiness at that.

“Guys, I just want us to get back to the way things used to be,” Camille said. “Out of everything, your friendships meant the most. I mean, I lost the show. I lost Walter—”

“You and Walter broke up?” Angel asked.

“Yeah, I guess he gave in to pressure from his parents.”

“Yeah, getting your butt kicked by the ex will do that to you,” Jasmine said with a laugh.

Rachel smiled at that. I think we all were happy to share a laugh together.

When the room door creaked open, everyone turned around and looked toward it.

Tameka stuck her head in the door. She looked around, panting like she was nearly out of breath. “Oh, I didn’t know y’all were in here,” she said before stepping fully into the room. She was clutching a plant wrapped in bright tissue paper with a big paper D hanging at the end of a ribbon.

At first no one said a word.

“Um, I was looking for Auntie Rachel,” Tameka said nervously.

“Tameka, don’t start with that lying,” Rachel said. “I told you to come because I wanted you here, too.”

I looked at Tameka. She seemed more and more humble each time we saw her.

“Well, I mean…I just came because I wanted to bring this to you guys…I don’t know, as a way to say I’m sorry, I guess,” Tameka said.

I almost fell over backward in my chair.

“Y’all don’t understand. I never really had any friends, and I guess I just didn’t know how to be one either.” Tameka tossed her hair out of her eyes. “I know I was a jerk, but I’m asking for another chance to be a member of the Good Girlz.”

We all stared at Tameka, I guess wondering what kind of trick she had up her sleeve.

“You know, Tameka, like we talked about, you have to earn trust, so I think over time you can show the girls that you can be a good friend.” Rachel turned to us. “And after the mistakes everyone here has made, I’m sure they’ll give you another chance.”

Tameka looked at us. “I hope so.”

I wanted to still be mad at Tameka, but honestly, I didn’t even have the energy anymore.

“What’s that?” Rachel asked, pointing to the plant in Tameka’s arms.

“A peace offering.”

Tameka walked over and handed the plant to me. “Here, this is for you guys,” she said.

“Ah, Tameka,” Jasmine said. “Why is there a big D hanging off that plant?” She read the ribbon. “Rest in Peace, Big D?”

Rachel snapped her head our way. “Is that from Brother Donell’s funeral tomorrow?”

Tameka plastered on an innocent look.

“Why y’all always gotta be starting mess?” she said playfully. “I just thought you guys would like a nice little plant. I mean, it was just sitting out there on the table, so I thought…”

“What?” I said. Everyone started laughing. “Girl, how are you gonna be stealing plants from a dead person, at a church?”

We all started laughing as Chelsea, one of the little girls we mentor, poked her head in the door. “Can I come to y’alls party?”

We smiled and motioned for her to come in. She ran over and gave each of us a hug. “You know what?” she said. “When I grow up, I want to have friends just like you guys,” she said.

We all smiled.

“We are friends,” I said.

“To the end,” Camille added.

“Oh, my God, please don’t start that corny stuff,” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes.

“Does that include me?” Tameka asked, a serious look across her face.

I looked at my girls. They nodded. “Why not?” I said, as I reached out for her hand.

Rachel had tears in her eyes. “You guys make me so happy.”

“Well, you know what would make me happy?” Chelsea said. “If I can get a dollar to go buy some candy. Some girl is selling it out at choir rehearsal.”

Rachel smiled as she handed Chelsea a dollar. “Here, then, go get in place for the talent showcase. We’ll be out in a minute.”

“Thank you, Miss Rachel.” Chelsea grabbed the money, then scurried off.

Rachel turned back to us. “You girls have come a long way over this past year. And I’m just proud to have been along for the ride.”

I reached over and took Jasmine’s hand. “The ride isn’t over. It’s just beginning.”

“And with friends like these,” Camille added, “we can’t help but be friends for life.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Angel added.

We all looked at Jasmine. “Excuse me while I go throw up, because you guys have got to be the mushiest, corniest people I’ve ever met.”

“But you love us.” Camille draped her arm through Jasmine’s.

Jasmine cut her eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ll give you all that. I love y’all, corny butts and all.”

“Me too?” Tameka grinned widely.

Jasmine stared at her. “One step at a time. One step at a time.”

We all cracked up laughing, happy because the Good Girlz, plus one, were finally back in business.