cool about it. He’s all the way on the other side of the cafeteria, so she’s doing this thing where she puts her head down like she’s looking at her food, but her eyes aren’t on her sandwich at all. Then every couple of minutes she says something like “Uh-huh,” so it looks like she’s paying attention.
I unwrap my Devil Dogs, take one out, and lick the cream that’s squeezed out from the sides. Outta the corner of my eye I can see Malcolm and Craig staring at me with their mouths open and everything.
“Adonna, yo, your cousin is wild,” Craig says.
“A freak,” Malcolm adds, and before I even know what’s going on, the two of them are high-fiving each other.
“What?” I ask.
Malcolm shakes his head. “Girl, the way you was licking that thing, shit, that was like a porno movie.”
Now it’s my mouth that’s open. “What are you talking about?” But a second later I get it. “I ll . Y’all are nasty!”
“Word,” Craig says, and they’re back to high-fiving like two idiots.
I drop the Devil Dog on my tray. Last time I’ll eat one of those in front of boys like them. The worst thing is, for a while I have to sit there and hear them laugh some more. At me. Even Tanya’s laughing with them.
Then, all late, Adonna finally says something. “She’s my niece, not my cousin.” I wait for her to say more, anything, but that’s it. She’s back to watching Nashawn.
“Thanks for your help,” I tell her even though she’s not hardly listening. “Appreciate it.”
For the first time in a while, I look over to the table where Mara and the rest of them from middle school are sitting. And I wish I was over there with them. At least I wouldn’t have to put up with these guys. It’s too bad the set is finished, because now I can’t even use that as an excuse to get away from here.
Then I feel someone tap me on my shoulder and I look up. It’s Darnell standing there with his lunch tray in his hands.
“Kendra, you’re gonna be there for dress rehearsal, right?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say, a little bit confused because I thought I already told him this when I saw him this morning. “I’m gonna be there.” I try to think of something more to say so he’s not just standing there, especially with the whole table looking at him, but I can’t think of anything.
“Oh, okay,” he says. “I’ll see you later, then, alright?”
“Yeah, okay.”
He stands there for a few more seconds, then walks over to a table in the corner where Gregg and some of the other guys from the stage crew are sitting, eating tacos. Tacos! I can’t believe it. Those guys are probably gonna have the whole backstage area lit up at dress rehearsal this afternon.
Now Adonna comes to life. She leans over to me and says, “Kendra, I have to know—what’s the matter with you?”
“What now?” No matter what I do, Adonna’s quick to tell me why it’s wrong.
“He wanted to sit with us, stupid.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Adonna sighs. “Look, let me break it down for you, okay?He’s a guy. You’re a girl.” She’s talking to me like I’m slow or something. “He. Likes. You.”
Tanya busts out laughing. “Kendra, he’s been checking you out ever since play practice began. The whole cast can see it. You ever notice that every time you need someone to lift something or help you out with something, he’s always the first person there?”
“Yeah, but—”
“He’s into you,” Adonna says.
Malcolm nods. “For real, girl. That boy got it bad.”
“ Stupid bad,” Craig says.
I shake my head, but really, I can’t be all that sure they’re wrong. Maybe he does kinda like me. He is always friendly to me and all that. But why can’t it just be that he’s a nice guy?
Adonna’s still looking over at Darnell. “You know, he’s not bad-looking,” she says. “He could be an okay first boyfriend for you. Short-term, I mean. You don’t wanna be stuck with him all summer.”
“Stop looking
I unwrap my Devil Dogs, take one out, and lick the cream that’s squeezed out from the sides. Outta the corner of my eye I can see Malcolm and Craig staring at me with their mouths open and everything.
“Adonna, yo, your cousin is wild,” Craig says.
“A freak,” Malcolm adds, and before I even know what’s going on, the two of them are high-fiving each other.
“What?” I ask.
Malcolm shakes his head. “Girl, the way you was licking that thing, shit, that was like a porno movie.”
Now it’s my mouth that’s open. “What are you talking about?” But a second later I get it. “I ll . Y’all are nasty!”
“Word,” Craig says, and they’re back to high-fiving like two idiots.
I drop the Devil Dog on my tray. Last time I’ll eat one of those in front of boys like them. The worst thing is, for a while I have to sit there and hear them laugh some more. At me. Even Tanya’s laughing with them.
Then, all late, Adonna finally says something. “She’s my niece, not my cousin.” I wait for her to say more, anything, but that’s it. She’s back to watching Nashawn.
“Thanks for your help,” I tell her even though she’s not hardly listening. “Appreciate it.”
For the first time in a while, I look over to the table where Mara and the rest of them from middle school are sitting. And I wish I was over there with them. At least I wouldn’t have to put up with these guys. It’s too bad the set is finished, because now I can’t even use that as an excuse to get away from here.
Then I feel someone tap me on my shoulder and I look up. It’s Darnell standing there with his lunch tray in his hands.
“Kendra, you’re gonna be there for dress rehearsal, right?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say, a little bit confused because I thought I already told him this when I saw him this morning. “I’m gonna be there.” I try to think of something more to say so he’s not just standing there, especially with the whole table looking at him, but I can’t think of anything.
“Oh, okay,” he says. “I’ll see you later, then, alright?”
“Yeah, okay.”
He stands there for a few more seconds, then walks over to a table in the corner where Gregg and some of the other guys from the stage crew are sitting, eating tacos. Tacos! I can’t believe it. Those guys are probably gonna have the whole backstage area lit up at dress rehearsal this afternon.
Now Adonna comes to life. She leans over to me and says, “Kendra, I have to know—what’s the matter with you?”
“What now?” No matter what I do, Adonna’s quick to tell me why it’s wrong.
“He wanted to sit with us, stupid.”
“No, he didn’t.”
Adonna sighs. “Look, let me break it down for you, okay?He’s a guy. You’re a girl.” She’s talking to me like I’m slow or something. “He. Likes. You.”
Tanya busts out laughing. “Kendra, he’s been checking you out ever since play practice began. The whole cast can see it. You ever notice that every time you need someone to lift something or help you out with something, he’s always the first person there?”
“Yeah, but—”
“He’s into you,” Adonna says.
Malcolm nods. “For real, girl. That boy got it bad.”
“ Stupid bad,” Craig says.
I shake my head, but really, I can’t be all that sure they’re wrong. Maybe he does kinda like me. He is always friendly to me and all that. But why can’t it just be that he’s a nice guy?
Adonna’s still looking over at Darnell. “You know, he’s not bad-looking,” she says. “He could be an okay first boyfriend for you. Short-term, I mean. You don’t wanna be stuck with him all summer.”
“Stop looking
Similar Books
