Read Online Efrain's Secret by Sofia Quintero - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sofia Quintero
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physics. Kinematics got you shook?”
“Yeah, man, I had to quit my job.”
“What?”
“Check it.” I motion for him to follow me outside the library. Once we are in the hallway, I say, “Look, Chingy, I told Sweren that I need more time to study for the January SAT. The truth is, though, I took another job that pays better so I can enroll in a prep course at Fordham.”
“Word? That’s what’s up. Where’s your new grind?”
“I was on Southern Boulevard this weekend, and I saw a sign in the window of Jimmy Jazz.” Damn, I shouldn’t have said that. What if Chingy decides to drop by, wanting to say hi or apply for a better-paying job himself? Luckily, I chose a store with locations throughout the city. “But chances are they’re going to assign me to a store downtown.”
“The one on Delancey?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know yet.” I guess this is good practice for what I’ll tell my moms. I haven’t lied to her since Rubio made me. “Look, I have to bounce. I only dropped by to tell Mr. Sweren….”
“No doubt. Do your thing. How ’bout I drop by afterward so we can chill? Maybe go play some hoops.”
“That would be peace.” Chingy may come over with a thousand and one questions about my new gig, but I really want to hang out with him. I’ll deal with it as it comes like I did just now. Maybe I should pat myself on the back for being able to play this off so lovely, but instead, I really want out of here.
“Watch, I’m going to get stuck tutoring one of your herbs,” says Chingy. “You need to compensate a brother by putting me down with your employee discount.”
“Efrain.”
Candace comes out of the library. Trying to keep my story straight while parlaying with Chingy, I hadn’t even noticed when she arrived. “Hey, Candace.”
Chingy grins, then backs up toward the door. “One, cuz.”
“Peace out.”
Candace waits for Chingy to go into the library and close the door behind him. She looks at me and says, “Mr. Sweren says you quit so you can focus on studying for the SAT.”
“Yeah, something had to give.” She nods but doesn’t say anything. “So …”
“So …”
“So.”
Candace smiles and rolls her eyes at me. “So!”
Now it’s a game. “So!”
“Soooo …” Candace gives a slight shove to my shoulder. Then she smiles and casts her eyes away. “How am I going to return the book I borrowed?”
My heart starts to pound. I say, “Maybe we can hang out sometime.” Studying, slinging … When am I supposed to do this? “You know, like, on the weekend.”
“Like maybe Saturday afternoon.”
I want to suggest Saturday night so it seems more like a date, but I have to grind on that corner so Snipes knows I’m about it. “Yeah, we can meet for lunch and then go to a matinee.” I don’t want Candace to think I’m cheap, so I add, “You know, go early so we can avoid all the ’hood rats who like to talk back at the screen and all that.”
“I hate that!” says Candace. “Why do people pay to get into the movies only to do what they can do at home for free?”
“That’s what I’m always saying.”
We laugh for a moment, and then Candace gets serious. “Yeah, the afternoon is better for me. Ever since we moved to New York, my mother’s been a bit overprotective. She really doesn’t want me out too late at night.”
“Cool.” Right now an overprotective moms is an amateur slinger’s best friend. “Give me your number, and I’ll call you.” I hand her my pen and notebook so she can write down her digits. “What time do you think you’ll be home tonight?”
“On the way home, I pick up my little sister at the community center….”
“St. Mary’s?” When it gets too cold for People’s Park, Chingy and I play hoops there.
“Yeah, so call me after six just to be on the safe side.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Okay.” Candace nods a few times and then tiptoes to peck me on my cheek. “Bye, Efrain.” Then she rushes into
“Yeah, man, I had to quit my job.”
“What?”
“Check it.” I motion for him to follow me outside the library. Once we are in the hallway, I say, “Look, Chingy, I told Sweren that I need more time to study for the January SAT. The truth is, though, I took another job that pays better so I can enroll in a prep course at Fordham.”
“Word? That’s what’s up. Where’s your new grind?”
“I was on Southern Boulevard this weekend, and I saw a sign in the window of Jimmy Jazz.” Damn, I shouldn’t have said that. What if Chingy decides to drop by, wanting to say hi or apply for a better-paying job himself? Luckily, I chose a store with locations throughout the city. “But chances are they’re going to assign me to a store downtown.”
“The one on Delancey?”
“Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know yet.” I guess this is good practice for what I’ll tell my moms. I haven’t lied to her since Rubio made me. “Look, I have to bounce. I only dropped by to tell Mr. Sweren….”
“No doubt. Do your thing. How ’bout I drop by afterward so we can chill? Maybe go play some hoops.”
“That would be peace.” Chingy may come over with a thousand and one questions about my new gig, but I really want to hang out with him. I’ll deal with it as it comes like I did just now. Maybe I should pat myself on the back for being able to play this off so lovely, but instead, I really want out of here.
“Watch, I’m going to get stuck tutoring one of your herbs,” says Chingy. “You need to compensate a brother by putting me down with your employee discount.”
“Efrain.”
Candace comes out of the library. Trying to keep my story straight while parlaying with Chingy, I hadn’t even noticed when she arrived. “Hey, Candace.”
Chingy grins, then backs up toward the door. “One, cuz.”
“Peace out.”
Candace waits for Chingy to go into the library and close the door behind him. She looks at me and says, “Mr. Sweren says you quit so you can focus on studying for the SAT.”
“Yeah, something had to give.” She nods but doesn’t say anything. “So …”
“So …”
“So.”
Candace smiles and rolls her eyes at me. “So!”
Now it’s a game. “So!”
“Soooo …” Candace gives a slight shove to my shoulder. Then she smiles and casts her eyes away. “How am I going to return the book I borrowed?”
My heart starts to pound. I say, “Maybe we can hang out sometime.” Studying, slinging … When am I supposed to do this? “You know, like, on the weekend.”
“Like maybe Saturday afternoon.”
I want to suggest Saturday night so it seems more like a date, but I have to grind on that corner so Snipes knows I’m about it. “Yeah, we can meet for lunch and then go to a matinee.” I don’t want Candace to think I’m cheap, so I add, “You know, go early so we can avoid all the ’hood rats who like to talk back at the screen and all that.”
“I hate that!” says Candace. “Why do people pay to get into the movies only to do what they can do at home for free?”
“That’s what I’m always saying.”
We laugh for a moment, and then Candace gets serious. “Yeah, the afternoon is better for me. Ever since we moved to New York, my mother’s been a bit overprotective. She really doesn’t want me out too late at night.”
“Cool.” Right now an overprotective moms is an amateur slinger’s best friend. “Give me your number, and I’ll call you.” I hand her my pen and notebook so she can write down her digits. “What time do you think you’ll be home tonight?”
“On the way home, I pick up my little sister at the community center….”
“St. Mary’s?” When it gets too cold for People’s Park, Chingy and I play hoops there.
“Yeah, so call me after six just to be on the safe side.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Okay.” Candace nods a few times and then tiptoes to peck me on my cheek. “Bye, Efrain.” Then she rushes into
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