right.”
“For real. I’m serious. Any girl who feeds me like this, man, what can I say?”
“Just say good-bye. Before I get caught.”
“I owe you,” he says, but he’s already looking away, pushing up against the door to get out. And then he’s gone. Just like that.
I pull the door closed as quiet as I can and go back to the table to finish getting everything ready before the rehearsal is over. And I don’t know why, but now I’m the one that’s smiling all big.
ELEVEN
“I know you didn’t leave out this house dressed like that,” Nana says in that sharp, angry voice of hers. I only been in the apartment, like, three seconds and that’s the first thing she has to say to me.
I look down at my clothes like I don’t know what she’s talking about.
“What? It’s jeans and a blouse.” But even as I’m saying it, I can’t believe I forgot to take a jacket to school with me, so I could cover myself up before I came home.
Nana’s standing in the hall right in front of me, practically blocking me from moving. She’s holding a dinner tray with a plate of spaghetti, and she’s staring at me hard. “I don’t know why you think it’s okay to dress like that girl upstairs.”
“I don’t think that.”
“And don’t think I don’t know about them thongs you got in your dresser, and who got you to buy them.”
“I never even wore them,” I say. “And why are you going through my stuff?”
“Don’t try to change the subject, because that shit don’t work with me, pardon my French. If you think I’m going to watch that girl change you into some kind of—”
“That girl has a name, you know.” I roll my eyes before I can stop myself.
“Look, you keep on dressing like her and talking back to me, you’re really going to have me thinking you’re up to something. I’m this close to taking you to the doctor and—”
“I know, I know. You’re gonna have me checked, right?” I shrug. “Well, go ahead.”
“Girl, don’t get fresh with me today.” She’s still looking at me like she knows I did something wrong. “Don’t forget your place.”
“Sorry,” I say, looking down at the floor.
“And I don’t understand how that school expects you kids to pass your classes when they got you out to all hours. On a school night, too. This shit don’t make no kind of sense to me, pardon my French. Like y’all don’t got nothing better to do but work like slaves all night.”
She heads into the living room, still mumbling to herself. She can have a whole conversation like that. Actually, I’m convinced another person would only get in her way. I stand there near the front door, watching her set the tray on the coffee table and settle into her favorite spot on the couch, right across from the TV. And all I feel is stupid for letting Adonna talk me into wearing this top. Like Nana wasn’t gonna find out about it. I mean, it’s easy for Adonna to come up with these ideas, but she don’t have to be here when Nana’s going off on me all the time. It’s just not worth it.
The phone rings and I run into the kitchen to get it, sinceNana’s too busy flipping channels now. Like she’s not just gonna end up watching one of her stupid women’s movies. I pick up the phone and say hello, hoping it’s Renée. And it is.
“Hey, Babe,” she says. “Tell Nana I made it here in one piece.”
“Okay, I will.”
“And tell her—drum roll, please—I was offered the position at City College and I accepted!”
I laugh. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks. It’s so weird. Me, a real college professor.”
“What are the students gonna call you, Professor Williamson?”
“No way!” She’s laughing, too. “They’re gonna have to call me Doctor Williamson. You know how hard I had to work for that title?”
“I know,” I say, because, even though I don’t really know how hard it was, I do know how long it took. She been away practically my whole life. I barely even remember
“For real. I’m serious. Any girl who feeds me like this, man, what can I say?”
“Just say good-bye. Before I get caught.”
“I owe you,” he says, but he’s already looking away, pushing up against the door to get out. And then he’s gone. Just like that.
I pull the door closed as quiet as I can and go back to the table to finish getting everything ready before the rehearsal is over. And I don’t know why, but now I’m the one that’s smiling all big.
ELEVEN
“I know you didn’t leave out this house dressed like that,” Nana says in that sharp, angry voice of hers. I only been in the apartment, like, three seconds and that’s the first thing she has to say to me.
I look down at my clothes like I don’t know what she’s talking about.
“What? It’s jeans and a blouse.” But even as I’m saying it, I can’t believe I forgot to take a jacket to school with me, so I could cover myself up before I came home.
Nana’s standing in the hall right in front of me, practically blocking me from moving. She’s holding a dinner tray with a plate of spaghetti, and she’s staring at me hard. “I don’t know why you think it’s okay to dress like that girl upstairs.”
“I don’t think that.”
“And don’t think I don’t know about them thongs you got in your dresser, and who got you to buy them.”
“I never even wore them,” I say. “And why are you going through my stuff?”
“Don’t try to change the subject, because that shit don’t work with me, pardon my French. If you think I’m going to watch that girl change you into some kind of—”
“That girl has a name, you know.” I roll my eyes before I can stop myself.
“Look, you keep on dressing like her and talking back to me, you’re really going to have me thinking you’re up to something. I’m this close to taking you to the doctor and—”
“I know, I know. You’re gonna have me checked, right?” I shrug. “Well, go ahead.”
“Girl, don’t get fresh with me today.” She’s still looking at me like she knows I did something wrong. “Don’t forget your place.”
“Sorry,” I say, looking down at the floor.
“And I don’t understand how that school expects you kids to pass your classes when they got you out to all hours. On a school night, too. This shit don’t make no kind of sense to me, pardon my French. Like y’all don’t got nothing better to do but work like slaves all night.”
She heads into the living room, still mumbling to herself. She can have a whole conversation like that. Actually, I’m convinced another person would only get in her way. I stand there near the front door, watching her set the tray on the coffee table and settle into her favorite spot on the couch, right across from the TV. And all I feel is stupid for letting Adonna talk me into wearing this top. Like Nana wasn’t gonna find out about it. I mean, it’s easy for Adonna to come up with these ideas, but she don’t have to be here when Nana’s going off on me all the time. It’s just not worth it.
The phone rings and I run into the kitchen to get it, sinceNana’s too busy flipping channels now. Like she’s not just gonna end up watching one of her stupid women’s movies. I pick up the phone and say hello, hoping it’s Renée. And it is.
“Hey, Babe,” she says. “Tell Nana I made it here in one piece.”
“Okay, I will.”
“And tell her—drum roll, please—I was offered the position at City College and I accepted!”
I laugh. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks. It’s so weird. Me, a real college professor.”
“What are the students gonna call you, Professor Williamson?”
“No way!” She’s laughing, too. “They’re gonna have to call me Doctor Williamson. You know how hard I had to work for that title?”
“I know,” I say, because, even though I don’t really know how hard it was, I do know how long it took. She been away practically my whole life. I barely even remember
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