Can't Stop the Shine (22 page)

“I was just about to leave…Dang y'all lookin' good. Where are you coming from?” he said, rising and walking toward the car.

“Oh, we just went to dinner,” said Mari, eyeing Kalia, who still wasn't talking.

“What's up, Kalia?” Dewayne said.

Kalia slammed her door and brushed passed Dewayne. “Hey. Bye,” she threw over her shoulder as she trotted up the steps and into the house.

“Okay, what's up her butt?” he said, turning to Mari.

“Well, she just got…kinda…stood up.”

“Oh…by that Malcolm dude?”

“Yeah. So now the way is probably getting clearer for you to roll up on her,” said Mari, slightly annoyed. She walked around the car, passed Dewayne and was about to go up the steps when he grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Look, I came here to see you.”

Mari looked closely at Dewayne. “For what? Dewayne, you've been in love with my sister for, like, forever, so don't act.” She yanked her hand out of his and walked up the steps.

“What is it with you Jefferson women? Why do y'all make it so difficult?” Dewayne asked, looking up at Mari with his arms outstretched.

“Oh, so now I'm difficult, just like Kalia? Well, I'm not Kalia. I'm Mari, and you need to recognize the difference or stop coming around here,” she said. Not even waiting for him to respond, she stepped through the door and closed it behind her. She leaned against it and wondered why she had gotten so angry with Dewayne. He didn't do anything to her. Then she realized she was pissed with her sister for being mean to him, but she'd just done the same thing.

She flung open the door and ran down the steps, but he was gone. She was kind of relieved he was because had he still been standing outside, she wouldn't have had any idea what to say. It was clear that there was something going on between her and her sister's best friend. She felt something for Dewayne she'd never felt for a guy before, and she was scared to death for anyone to find out about it, especially him.

Mari danced around her room, talking to Colby on the phone while JD's new song was blaring on the radio.

“It's hot, ain't it?” she said.

“It's got that fire,” said Colby.

“I've been singing it all week.”

“Have you seen the video for it?”

“It's out already?” asked Mari.

“Yeah, and I heard it's
tight.
I think your sister's boyfriend is in it.”

“What? Malcolm's in the video?”

“I think that's him I saw with this girl with a blond weave in his lap.”

“Ooh, I wonder if Kalia knows,” said Mari, lying on her bed. “He's been calling her, and he even sent her some roses, but she ain't really trying to hear it.”

“She's that mad?”

“I guess. I know she still likes him though. I think she was just embarrassed that I was in the restaurant when she got stood up. It would have been different if she was there by herself and nobody had to find out, but you know at least it was me and not anybody else she knew, and you know you're sworn to secrecy. You can't tell anybody.”

“Who am I gonna tell? Who do I know that she knows?” asked Colby.

“You never know who knows who around here. How are you feeling anyway?”

“I'm okay, I guess. I've got a little pouch now, and I get these cravings for the strangest things.”

“Yeah, I heard that pregnant women want pickles and ice cream, like together,” said Mari. “Are you eating that stuff?”

“Naw…I just really want meat. Like any kind of meat. Chicken, fish, beef…just meat, meat, meat. My doctor says it's just the baby wanting protein, but it's weird to wake up in the middle of the night craving a Checkers double cheeseburger.”

“Does Sean go and get it for you.”

“
Pfft,
Sean? He is getting on my last nerve. He don't know squat, and he isn't trying to learn anything either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think he thinks that babies are brought by a stork like in cartoons.”

Mari burst out laughing.

“He doesn't understand my mood swings and my cravings. I tried to give him some pamphlets and stuff I got from the doctor about what I'm going through, and he won't read them. I told him about all the things we'll need in like six months, and he keeps talking about how he's gotta do this for Fire, that for Fire. Whatever…just Fire, Fire, Fire.”

“Maybe he's in denial.”

“He sure as hell is, but I really need him to get his head in the game. I mean my grandparents are helping, but it's not the same. I need my baby's daddy to be more involved.”

“I thought he was going to the doctor with you and stuff. What happened? And why haven't you called me?”

“I didn't want to bother you. I mean I will. I'll call you. I don't know what happened with him. He just started trippin', but he's not in total denial 'cause let me tell you about Shauntae!”

Colby went on to tell Mari about how another friend of hers told her about Shauntae rolling up on Sean one day at Lenox when he was working backstage at a fashion show that featured a couple of Fire artists. Her friend said Shauntae was with her new friends, the skanky seniors, and they lied to the security guard, saying they were local models for the show. When they made it behind the curtains where Sean was helping to organize the models, Shauntae proceeded to try to hug up on him and loud-talk about some night they'd had together so all the contestants and other Fire employees would hear. Sean had to shove her off him. He kicked her and her girls out of the show and security escorted them out of the mall through the front door on a Saturday afternoon, when everybody and their grandmama was standing outside kicking it.

“The whole school was talking about it this week,” said Colby, giggling. “She is so ashamed.”

“That's what she gets. Why was she trying to push up on your man?”

“'Cause she's a tramp. I heard that her so-called new friends are dogging her out, too.”

“But I thought they got kicked out of Lenox, too,” said Mari.

“They did, but they're like putting the whole thing on her, you know, saying she is trifling and immature and desperate and just doesn't know how to handle a man. You know how those two-faced chicks are.”

“Umm, hmm. They're probably gonna drop her, and then where's she gonna be?” said Mari.

“I know you aren't feeling sorry for her,” said Colby.

“Naw, naw, I'm just saying…” lied Mari. She had no idea why she pitied Shauntae. “I wonder why Kalia didn't tell me about Shauntae getting kicked out of Lenox.”

“I don't know. That's your sister. She's still hung up on that Malcolm dude, huh? So when is his album dropping? She needs to tighten that relationship up. He may come into some bank, and she needs to be around for that,” said Colby.

“Girl, you sure have changed. Last year, you would have never said anything like that.”

“What do you mean?” Colby asked.

“Well, you know, talking about getting with a dude for his money.”

“I'm not saying that's the only reason she should get with him, but being pregnant and all and thinking about how much formula and Pampers and a crib and all this stuff is going to cost, I mean, you start to think about money, you know?”

“Yeah,” said Mari, sympathizing with her friend. “I hear ya. Like I said, I got your back. I don't have much money. My parents are kind of tight, but I can go with you to your appointments or whatever.”

“That's cool, Mari. I've got one this week, and Sean can't go because of some Fire mess, but he better hook up something for Valentine's Day.”

“Oh yeah, it's next week, huh?”

“Yep. You got some plans?”

“Uhh, no. Do I have a man?” said Mari sarcastically.

“Well, I have one and that doesn't mean I have any plans, either.”

“At least you've got a chance. The only dude in my life this year has been Qwon,” said Mari, frowning at the image of Dewayne popping into her mind, “and you know I'm not feeling him at all.”

“I guess not. All right, we'll think of something for you. I gotta jet now. Gotta go to the bathroom, yet again,” said Colby.

“All right, Miss Mommy-to-Be. I'll holla.”

Mari got off the phone with Colby and sat on her bed for a minute thinking about Dewayne, wondering where he was and what he was doing. She pictured his kind of crooked smile and the beginnings of a mustache on his upper lip. Thoughts of their special night floated through her mind, and she could almost smell the freshness of his shirt when he'd held her as they watched
ER.
All of a sudden she wanted to see him, but was embarrassed by her own desires. How could she want to hang out with the Chosen One? She laughed to herself and went across the hall to her sister's room for some much-needed distraction. She started talking as she knocked on the door. “Hey, how come you didn't tell me Shauntae was up at Lenox acting out?”

There was no answer, so Mari knocked again, harder. The door creaked open. Kalia wasn't in her room, and for some reason Mari went in. She stood in the middle of her sister's room looking around, for what, she didn't know. She knew she had no right to be in Kalia's room, but she was feeling a little mischievous.

She peeped into the closet and decided not to disturb anything there because of how insanely neat it was. She walked over to Kalia's desk and shuffled through some school papers and magazines and to her surprise a condom fell onto the floor. Bending down quickly, she picked it up, put it back among the papers and hurried out of the room.

Mari lay back down on her bed and wondered what in the world Kalia was doing with a condom. Her sister was wondering the same thing on Valentine's Day a week later as she sat in a booth in Justin's with Malcolm, a condom burning a hole in her purse. They'd been there for almost thirty minutes and had been unable to have more than a few sentences of conversation because he kept getting up to “holla at one of my pahtnahs” every five minutes, or some overdeveloped, underdressed video girl would stop by and leave her lipstick on his cheek in their industry kiss greetings.

Kalia was getting fed up by the minute. JD's song was playing on the speakers, and she was sick of hearing it. It was on every station. She'd seen the video at least half a dozen times that week, burning up every time Malcolm showed up on the screen throwing the peace sign with one hand and using the other to palm the behind of a video girl sitting in his lap. And now these straight sex objects were cruising past their table and waving from across the restaurant at her man, who was enjoying every minute of it—even though he'd promised her that night would be about them.

That promise had given her the extra bit of courage she thought she needed to consider going all the way with Malcolm. Before he'd acted a fool on New Year's Eve, she was sure he would be her first. At that time he was just the type of caring, sensitive guy to whom she'd always dreamed of losing her virginity. They'd even had a conversation about it. When he told her that he'd wait for her as long as she wanted him to, Kalia became even more ready to have sex with him. Even though she'd been feeling neglected by him recently, earlier in the evening, she found herself once again contemplating getting intimate with him, especially since it was Valentine's Day. He'd presented her with a dozen long-stemmed red roses when he'd picked her up, and he'd apologized for being so distant for the past several weeks.

Sitting in the booth across from her boyfriend, who was quickly becoming an egomaniac, she was back at war with herself about whether he deserved to be her first. She waved the waitress over and ordered the spinach artichoke dip and water with lemon. After taking her order, she turned to Malcolm, who immediately threw his finger in the air as he was finishing up a call from his lawyer. Kalia watched as the waitress started to walk away and Malcolm waved her back and ordered by pointing to what he wanted on the menu. He gave her the okay sign, and never missed a beat in his conversation on his Blackberry.

She folded her arms and decided to play a game. How long was it going to be before he could calm down, cut off all his stuff and ignore the rest of his wannabe acquaintances to say more than two words to her? It had already been nearly forty-five minutes. Watching him nod in conversation and throw his hand up in the air to another droopy-jeans, cornrowed associate, she guessed it could be another hour. She wished she could just get up from the table and leave him there with his Blackberry and the people all around him he thought he knew.

“Whew, baby,” he said finally, pulling out his earplug and placing his Blackberry on the table. “I'm so sorry, but it had to be done. You know in this game, you gotta play the game. I mean Lenny's got me just trying to approve all this stuff they want at the label for a tight contract. I've never had so many things I had to do. Everybody's just getting at me. This girl sent me a text about how she wanted to get me in her jackets—some local chick, you know, wants a little publicity for her clothes and stuff. I don't even know how she got my number. Probably Dub. Yep 'cause he was trying to kick it to her at B.E.D. You gotta meet Dub, baby. That's my pahtnah, my nigga if I don't get no bigga.”

Kalia was just going to let him ramble on forever, until he said
nigga.
She'd never heard him use the word before. She considered it derogatory, and they'd even had a discussion about it one time at his father's house.

Mr. Lee said he'd never said the word
nigger
and had taught his son the same thing. Kalia couldn't understand what had changed so much with Malcolm that he thought it was cool to use it.

“Hold up,” she said, putting up her hand. “What did you just say?”

Malcolm looked at her, confused.

“What was the last thing you said?” Kalia clarified.

“I said that Dub is my nigga, if I don't get no bigga.”

“So it's cool to say
nigger
now?”

“You just said it.” He smirked.

“Only to make a point. Don't be a smart-ass,” she said, moving back as the waitress placed the spinach dip in front of them. “I remember the story your father told about when your grandmother had your aunt and your grandfather got thrown out of the hospital because he went off when some white nurse called him that name. How could you use that word after you know how they treated your grandfather?”

“Aw, that was a long time ago.
Nigga
don't mean the same thing anymore,” said Malcolm, waving his hand nonchalantly. “You know my father is just into all that black power stuff. He don't know what's up today. Even white people can say nigga. Didn't you hear Eminem?”

“You aren't Eminem, not that I like him saying it either. You never said it before you got your deal. You're changing,” said Kalia, spooning some dip onto her plate.