too.”
“A lot can happen in two years, Eddie.”
Monterey sat down beside me. “What’s up, y’all?”
“Nuthin’, ’cept Mr. Eddie got accepted to Arizona State,” Emako replied.
“I know,” Monterey said, and looked up at me.
“I called her yesterday as soon as I got the letter,” I added.
“Why do you look so sad?” Monterey asked.
“Emako’s brother got stabbed,” I told Monterey.
“I know,” Monterey said. “But he’s gonna be okay.”
“Every time I turn around, it’s more DD,” Emako said.
“DD?” I asked.
“Dante’s Drama,” she replied. We all laughed.
“One more summer and I’m outta here. L.A. will be history. Nuthin’ about this city that I’m gonna miss,” I said.
Monterey and Emako looked at each other.
“Except you guys,” I added.
Monterey moved closer to me. “I was about to say.”
“You two make a good couple,” Emako said.
“We do?” I asked.
“We do,” Monterey answered.
Savannah
When I saw Jamal’s face on Monday and found out about the trip to Disneyland, I figured he was doing Emako. I mean, why else would he be so nice to her? So, I put the word out. Besides, if it hadn’t been for Emako, Jamal and Gina would still be cool and I wouldn’t have to listen to all of her pitiful nonsense almost every night.
Two days later, I was waiting for my mother after school and Jamal walks up to me like he’s my best friend or something. I knew I was in trouble.
“Hey, Savannah,” he said.
I wondered if I should run, but I remembered my first rule: When you find yourself in a bad situation, there is only one thing to do, lie.
“Hey, Jamal,” I replied.
“How you been?”
“Everything’s cool, waitin’ on my mom. She’s late.”
He stared at me for a minute and then he spoke. “Did I ever tell you that you have a pretty mouth?”
It wasn’t the kind of question that I expected. “No,” I replied.
“Well, you do, and I was just wonderin’.”
I thought to myself, I know he is not gonna get nasty with me. “Wonderin’ what?”
“Wonderin’ why you gotta use it to spread lies.”
“Excuse me? I do not spread lies.”
“Let me explain something to you, Savannah. Number one, I’m not doin’ Emako, but that’s really not your bizness, is it?”
“No,” I said.
“Number two, next time you see Emako, I want you to tell her that you’re sorry becuz she ain’t about that, okay? Number three, stop callin’ Gina with your nonsense.”
“Why you think it’s me? Like I’m the only one with a tongue,” I said.
He shook his head and turned to walk away, still talking, “Y ’all see a brother bein’ nice to someone, and the first thing y’all wanna say is he’s doin’ her. And Savannah, one other thing.”
“What?”
“Stay outta my face.”
I looked around to see if anyone was watching, but there was no one. Two minutes later my mother drove up. I slithered into the front seat like the snake that I was.
“You can’t speak when you get in the car?” she said.
“I said hi,” I lied.
We drove in silence. This thing with Jamal and Emako, I thought, I’m never going to win, so I might as well give it up. If you ask me why I cause trouble, I would answer, I don’t know. It used to be fun.
She dropped me off in front of the house and headed back to her travel agency. People were making their plans for the summer and it was busy.
I walked into the house and looked at my reflection in the mirror in the entryway. I was getting fat and I was too mean. No wonder no one loves me.
Monterey
The day Dante came home, my daddy dropped me off at Emako’s house at about two o’clock in the afternoon. I knocked and Verna opened the door. She went out onto the porch in her robe and waved at my daddy while I snuck into the house.
Dante was asleep on the sofa. Emako had told me that they had given him an early release. He groaned and I saw him open one eye and then close it. His hair was corn-rowed, his skin
“A lot can happen in two years, Eddie.”
Monterey sat down beside me. “What’s up, y’all?”
“Nuthin’, ’cept Mr. Eddie got accepted to Arizona State,” Emako replied.
“I know,” Monterey said, and looked up at me.
“I called her yesterday as soon as I got the letter,” I added.
“Why do you look so sad?” Monterey asked.
“Emako’s brother got stabbed,” I told Monterey.
“I know,” Monterey said. “But he’s gonna be okay.”
“Every time I turn around, it’s more DD,” Emako said.
“DD?” I asked.
“Dante’s Drama,” she replied. We all laughed.
“One more summer and I’m outta here. L.A. will be history. Nuthin’ about this city that I’m gonna miss,” I said.
Monterey and Emako looked at each other.
“Except you guys,” I added.
Monterey moved closer to me. “I was about to say.”
“You two make a good couple,” Emako said.
“We do?” I asked.
“We do,” Monterey answered.
Savannah
When I saw Jamal’s face on Monday and found out about the trip to Disneyland, I figured he was doing Emako. I mean, why else would he be so nice to her? So, I put the word out. Besides, if it hadn’t been for Emako, Jamal and Gina would still be cool and I wouldn’t have to listen to all of her pitiful nonsense almost every night.
Two days later, I was waiting for my mother after school and Jamal walks up to me like he’s my best friend or something. I knew I was in trouble.
“Hey, Savannah,” he said.
I wondered if I should run, but I remembered my first rule: When you find yourself in a bad situation, there is only one thing to do, lie.
“Hey, Jamal,” I replied.
“How you been?”
“Everything’s cool, waitin’ on my mom. She’s late.”
He stared at me for a minute and then he spoke. “Did I ever tell you that you have a pretty mouth?”
It wasn’t the kind of question that I expected. “No,” I replied.
“Well, you do, and I was just wonderin’.”
I thought to myself, I know he is not gonna get nasty with me. “Wonderin’ what?”
“Wonderin’ why you gotta use it to spread lies.”
“Excuse me? I do not spread lies.”
“Let me explain something to you, Savannah. Number one, I’m not doin’ Emako, but that’s really not your bizness, is it?”
“No,” I said.
“Number two, next time you see Emako, I want you to tell her that you’re sorry becuz she ain’t about that, okay? Number three, stop callin’ Gina with your nonsense.”
“Why you think it’s me? Like I’m the only one with a tongue,” I said.
He shook his head and turned to walk away, still talking, “Y ’all see a brother bein’ nice to someone, and the first thing y’all wanna say is he’s doin’ her. And Savannah, one other thing.”
“What?”
“Stay outta my face.”
I looked around to see if anyone was watching, but there was no one. Two minutes later my mother drove up. I slithered into the front seat like the snake that I was.
“You can’t speak when you get in the car?” she said.
“I said hi,” I lied.
We drove in silence. This thing with Jamal and Emako, I thought, I’m never going to win, so I might as well give it up. If you ask me why I cause trouble, I would answer, I don’t know. It used to be fun.
She dropped me off in front of the house and headed back to her travel agency. People were making their plans for the summer and it was busy.
I walked into the house and looked at my reflection in the mirror in the entryway. I was getting fat and I was too mean. No wonder no one loves me.
Monterey
The day Dante came home, my daddy dropped me off at Emako’s house at about two o’clock in the afternoon. I knocked and Verna opened the door. She went out onto the porch in her robe and waved at my daddy while I snuck into the house.
Dante was asleep on the sofa. Emako had told me that they had given him an early release. He groaned and I saw him open one eye and then close it. His hair was corn-rowed, his skin
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