Fair-Weather Friends (10 page)

“Tell me about it,” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes.

“Are you sure?” Alexis asked Jasmine.

“Are you deaf?” she snapped. “I told you exactly what Tori said.”

I hesitated before saying, “Well, Tori is just one person.” I could tell Jasmine was mad. But she needed to see the Thetas were bigger than Tori.

“Camille, quit making excuses for them!”

“Jasmine, she's right,” Alexis chimed in. “I know Tori is foul, but I just don't believe all of them are like that.”

Jasmine stared at Alexis in disbelief. “Being biracial, this should make you madder than anyone else,” she said.

Alexis looked away like she didn't know what to say.

Tameka sucked her teeth. “Just because Tori is a jerk doesn't mean they all are.” She didn't seem as shocked at the news. Or maybe she just didn't care, but I wouldn't be surprised if she already knew and had just kept quiet.

Jasmine cut her eyes at us. “Boy, they got you all brainwashed already. They're like a gang or something.”

I was just about to say something when Alexis stopped me. She motioned toward the empty seat where Angel had previously sat. “Guys …”

In the midst of our arguing, we hadn't even noticed that Angel had slipped out of the room.

“She probably couldn't stand listening to you guys take up for those clowns,” Jasmine said. “And I'm beginning to know just how she feels. It's bad enough they have you stabbing your friends in the back.” She narrowed her eyes at Alexis. “Now you find out they're racists and you're okay with that?”

“It's not okay,” I said, massaging my forehead. I was still trying to digest everything Jasmine said. If it was true, did I really want to be associated with a group like that?

“Should we go and try and find Angel?” Alexis asked after a few seconds of silence.

Before we could answer, Rachel appeared in the doorway. She had a concerned look across her face. “Does somebody want to tell me why Angel just tore out of here in tears?”

Jasmine pursed her lips and turned toward me. “Well?”

I blew out a deep breath and said, “Angel just found out that she didn't make it into the Theta Ladies because she's Hispanic.”

“What?” Rachel said.

“Yeah, those grimy snobs said my girl was the wrong race to be a Theta.”

Jasmine's nasty comments were getting to me, and I was getting worried about Angel.

“That's why I told them they didn't need to be Thetas,” Jasmine continued.

“Jasmine, that's enough,” Rachel said. “I get the picture.” She sighed heavily. “All this sorority stuff is proving to be more trouble than it's worth.”

“Tell me about it,” Jasmine muttered.

“Jasmine, I told you, that's enough,” Rachel replied. “How do you all know that's why Angel didn't make it?”

I looked at Jasmine and waited for her to answer. “Tell her about Tori,” I finally said.

Jasmine shook her head and stuck out her lips. “Uh-uh. She told me to be quiet.”

Rachel shook her head. “Quit being silly and tell me what happened.”

Jasmine huffed, then recapped her story. While she was filling Rachel in, my mind replayed all the times we'd been around the Thetas. They had barely acknowledged Angel, and when they did, they'd treated her like crap. I guess they never had any intention of letting her in.

“Well, I can see why Angel is upset,” Rachel said after Jasmine finished her story. “It's hard to believe that in 2008, there is still prejudice like this, especially among young people.”

“Jasmine, you know you don't like the Thetas anyway. Maybe they were just messing with you and you took them seriously,” Tameka interjected.

“And maybe I'm America's Next Top Model,” Jasmine shot back.

Rachel looked sadly at us. “Girls, this just breaks my
heart. You all have formed a wonderful bond over the years. You can't control other people's prejudices, but you can control your own. I sure hope you don't condone this behavior.”

“They might as well,” Jasmine snapped. “And that's really jacked up.”

I finally spoke up. “Miss Rachel, it's not fair. Jasmine wants us to drop out of the Thetas, but why should we be penalized because of someone else's prejudices? It's like you said, we can't control what other people think or the way they act.”

“But why would you even want to be associated with them? And does that mean you're going to stop being friends with Angel? Because it's obvious the Thetas don't want anyone in their little circle that's not like them,” Jasmine said before I could answer the first question.

I sighed, not bothering to answer. It wasn't like anything I said would change her mind anyway. I just knew one thing for sure: Angel was my girl. And if the Thetas
had
rejected her because she's Hispanic, I didn't know what I was going to do.

I
couldn't get Jasmine's words out of my mind. But then I kept hoping Tameka was right and Jasmine had blown this all out of proportion. I knew Tori could be a witch, but I just didn't want to believe she'd go that far.

“Tori, I need to talk to you,” I said as I caught up with her in the cafeteria at the beginning of lunch.

She stopped before getting in the food line and turned to me. As usual, she was surrounded by several other Thetas.

“Is it true that you all rejected Angel because she's Mexican?” I asked. Usually, I would've been a little scared of Tori, of the power she had to make me a Theta or crush my dream, but today I was too worked up to be scared. I'd spent all night calling Angel, and she wouldn't take my calls. I couldn't half sleep, this was bothering me so much.

Tori huffed and rolled her eyes. She didn't immediately answer me. Instead, she took her time, pulled down her jean miniskirt, then adjusted her fuchsia and black layered
T-shirts. Finally, she looked at me and said, “I guess your girl couldn't wait to come running back to tell you that.”

“Is it true or not?” I firmly asked

Tori turned up her nose. “You'd better watch your tone. I know you've been accepted and everything, but it's not too late for me to revoke your membership.”

I hesitated. I couldn't believe that as bad as I wanted to be a Theta, I now found myself questioning that decision.

Alisha, another member who seemed to be Tori's sidekick, stepped toward me. “Camille, we are very proud to have you and all the other girls we selected. I know you're friends with Jasmine and Angel. But you need to realize that we're your sisters now. And your loyalty lies with your sisters.”

I was starting to feel bad. I didn't want them to think I was being disloyal. But I wanted to be loyal to Angel, too. I decided to try another approach.

“I guess I just don't understand why you would keep someone out just because of that,” I said, softening my tone.

“I don't understand why Angel even wants to be a part of a black sorority,” Tori retorted.

“Because she doesn't see color,” I replied.

“Look,” Tori said, like she couldn't believe she was even wasting her time debating this. “There are plenty of Hispanic groups for Angel to join. Why does she have to be a member of our organization?”

“Why do we have to discriminate?” I countered.

Tori blew a disgusted breath. “You know, I don't even want to debate this. As long as I'm president, Angel and anyone like her will not be a Theta.” She flicked me off and walked away.

“Yeah,” Alisha added, as she stepped in my face. “You need to decide if you really want to be a Theta. And if you do, I suggest you recognize that some things just can't be changed.” She shot me a hateful look before turning and taking off after Tori.

I was sick. I could tell there was no getting through to Tori. I could still hear Jasmine's words:
Why would you even want to be a part of a racist organization like that?

I had to remind myself, this was bigger than Tori. She was graduating this year. I'd get in, work hard, then change that stupid mind-set.
Yeah, that's the solution
, I thought as I went to grab something to eat.

A smile crept up on my face for the first time in days. I had a good feeling that this was all going to work out after all.

I
was so relieved to see Angel at school today. Me, Alexis, and Jasmine had been calling her for two days, but she had her mom tell us she wasn't really up to talking. She said she'd just see us at school, only we never did.

I was standing in the hall talking to some other Theta members when I spotted Angel. I told them bye and took off to catch up with Angel.

“Hey, Angel,” I said, just as she was about to turn the corner.

“Hey.” She stopped and looked me up and down. Her tone was definitely different. It was cold, like she had an attitude.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked.

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because of this whole Theta mess.”

She shook her head. “Don't sweat it. As Jasmine would say, it is what it is.”

“I'm really sorry.”

“No need for you to apologize. You had nothing to do with it.”

“I know, but I still feel bad.”

“Don't feel bad.” Angel glanced up at four Hispanic girls who were standing a few feet away, staring at us like they were waiting on someone. I knew one of them—this messy girl named Christina who was always starting trouble. I recognized the others from around school, but I didn't remember their names.

“Well, I gotta go. Christina and 'em are waiting on me.”

I know a strange look crossed my face. Since when did Angel start hanging out with Christina and her friends?

Angel didn't give me time to ask any questions as she darted off.

Angel's attitude and her new friendships bugged me the rest of the day. I'd tried to ask Jasmine about it during our history class, but she acted like she was still mad at me and I wasn't about to kiss her butt.

I decided I would just wait on Angel after school so we could talk then. When the last bell rang, I hurried straight to Angel's Algebra II class. By the time I got there, she was already gone, so I headed down the hall to her locker. I spotted her laughing with Christina and a couple of other girls.

“Hey Angel,” I said, approaching her. “What's up?”

I was about to speak to the other girls, but the looks on their faces stopped me cold.

“Why don't you go find out what's up with the Thetas?” Christina finally snapped. She was a pretty girl, but had this rough look, like she'd been around the block a few times. She wore her silky black hair pulled back in a ponytail. And she was dressed like a tomboy in some baggy Dickies, a black T-shirt, and some hi-top Converse.

I decided to ignore Christina and turned my attention back to Angel. “Can I talk to you, in private?”

Angel shot me a nonchalant expression. “Nah, anything you say to me you can say in front of my friends.”

Friends?
To my knowledge, she didn't even half know these girls. Since when did they become her friends?

“Angel, what's going on?” I lowered my voice and asked her. “We're tight. Talk to me. What's all this about?”

Christina stepped up right next to Angel. “It looks like Angel wants to stick with ‘her own kind'—you know, like your little sorority members feel she should do.”

I stood speechless.

“Oh yeah, we know all about the Thetas having a problem with Mexicans,” Christina continued when I didn't say anything. “I guess y'all think because you're black, you're better than us or something?”

I hated that Angel had told these girls about her being rejected and why. I knew that meant nothing but trouble.

“Nobody thinks that.” I know I didn't sound convincing.

“Save it,” Christina spat. “We already know the deal. We confronted your funky sorority members already, and they admitted to it, told Angel to stick with her kind, and so that's what she's doing. So bounce.”

I looked at Angel, hoping she'd speak up. But the look on her face told me Christina was speaking for her.

“Angel …”

Christina moved closer to me. “Bounce,” she repeated.

Since I wasn't trying to fight nobody, and it was obvious Angel wasn't in her right mind right now, I left.

I couldn't believe Tori had just straight out admitted the real reason they rejected Angel. What was she thinking? Our school was about half black and half Hispanic, so the last thing we needed was some racial problems. But judging from the mean mugs on Christina and her friends' faces, it looked like there were definitely about to be some problems.

“H
el-lo.” Kalvin waved his hand in my face. “Are you even listening to me?”

I snapped out of my daze. Kalvin and I were walking down the hallway between classes. I had tried to talk to him about how upset I was over Angel, but as usual, he switched the focus back on him and was telling me about something that happened at football practice. He was so not the prize I'd initially thought he was. I'd zoned out of his conversation as my mind drifted back to Angel.

“You know, I'm not used to girls tuning me out,” Kalvin said, stroking his chin.

“I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Obviously.” He turned to see what had captured my attention now. It was Angel, walking down the hall laughing and talking with Christina and two other girls.

“Look, handle your business. Holla at me when y'all work all that Theta drama out.” Kalvin stomped off. I
debated following after him. But I couldn't really deal with Kalvin right now. This whole thing with Angel was getting ridiculous and it was consuming my thoughts.

Angel hadn't hung out with us all week long. She'd been too busy all up under her new so-called best friends. She hadn't returned my phone calls and she hadn't been to a Good Girlz meeting. She'd even been ignoring Miss Rachel's calls. That's why when I watched her walk toward me, I made up my mind: she and I were going to talk and we were going to talk right now.