Read Online Fast Forward by Celeste O. Norfleet - Free Book Online

you’re not, so don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. You’re sorry you messed up and got caught. You’re not sorry about what you did. That’s going to happen later.”
    “Later? What do you mean?”
    “Oh, you can pretend to be contrite all you want young lady, but your day is coming. One of these days you’re going to have to step up and stop thinking only of yourself. Now have a cookie. We’ll get you registered at Penn Hall Monday morning.”
    I bit my gingerbread man’s head off. He was delicious. My cell rang while nibbling on his leg. It was Terrence. “Hey,” I said.
    “Lecture over?” he asked.
    “Yeah, for now I think.”
    “Good, come out back.”
    I stepped out onto my grandmother’s back porch and saw lawnmower guy standing with flowers in his hand. He gave me the flowers then moved aside. I smiled and laughed at the sight. He had arranged these white pieces of paper all over the grass to say happy birthday. “Aw, that is so sweet. Thank you,” I said looking at the block letters. I gave him a huge hug and then kissed him. I stopped when my grandmother came out onto the porch.
    “Grandmom, look what lawnmower guy did for me.”
    “I see. This is so sweet, Terrence, absolutely adorable. Now both of you, get down there and pick that up off my freshly cut grass.”
    We started laughing. My grandmother will never change. And I guess I don’t really want her to.
    Terrence and I spent the rest of the day hanging out together. I talked to Jalisa and Diamond and told them what I was gonna do about school. They weren’t all that happy, but I knew they’d come around eventually. My dadcalled a couple of times, but I wasn’t in the mood to ruin my day and didn’t answer his call. I figured he’d call again on my birthday, and I’d deal with him then.
    So after going to the movies, getting pizza and walking home, Terrence and I sat out on the front steps talking. “When are you going back to Howard?”
    “Tomorrow afternoon. I have some studying to do before Monday morning. I have a huge exam and about ten chapters to read for another class.”
    “That sounds extreme.”
    “It’s about par for college. They hand out a syllabus at the beginning of the semester and expect you to do the reading and keep up. There’s nobody around to make you do the work. You just have to do it.”
    “What about your other classes? Don’t you have assignments for them as well? How are you expected to get everything done?”
    “You just do. Professors don’t really care about other classes. They expect you to have their class assignments done.”
    “Do you like going to Howard?” I asked him.
    “Yeah, I do. And it’s not all about homecoming, although that’s pretty nice, too. It’s the culture of being there that I like. Since I’m pledging this year, it’s a lot harder and that adds to the drama.”
    “I still can’t believe you’re pledging. How long will it take?”
    “Eight weeks. I’m already four weeks in.”
    “Eight weeks! That’s two months. That’s forever. You have to keep your head shaved like that the whole time?”
    “Yep, eight weeks.” He reached up and rubbed his head.
    “I don’t know if I could do that.”
    “Sororities don’t usually do the shaved head thing,” he said. “Remember the Spike Lee movie School Daze? ”
    “Yeah, a little bit.”
    “Well, pledging is a lot like that movie.”
    “For real?” I asked. He nodded. I said to myself right then that I was gonna buy that movie to watch it again.
    “So, are you ready to experience college life?”
    “You mean go to Howard?” I asked. He nodded. I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I should start doing something. I’m in eleventh grade so I hear the college clock ticking. Funny, I used to think my future would be perfect. I’d graduate from Hazelhurst, go to college then have the perfect life just like my…”
    “Your mom?” he asked.
    “Yeah, like my mom. But that’s not gonna