Fair-Weather Friends (7 page)

“Nothing right now, pledge. You are dismissed. Besides, you're blocking my view,” she said as she tried to look around me. I turned to go back to my seat and saw Kalvin, one of
the cutest boys in school and captain of the football team. He was standing a few tables away, laughing with some of his teammates. This boy was superfine and word around school was that he didn't have a girlfriend. He and I had sixth period Spanish together. I'd had my eye on him for a couple of months and we had even flirted with each other a couple of times. It had never gone anywhere, though. But I was hoping that one day it would. That's why there was no way I was going to let him see me looking like this. I quickly and quietly tried to ease back to my seat unnoticed.

“Camille,” Tori called just as I was about to sit down. “Get over here now!”

I walked back over to her, dreading what she had in store this time.

“We've been discussing something and we need you to help us get the answer. I need you to go over and ask Kalvin if he wears boxers or briefs. And oh yeah, ask him if you can borrow a pair.”

My mouth dropped. Had she lost her mind? I thought about telling all of them what they could do for me, but I remembered how bad I wanted this. I would just have to explain to Kalvin later the reason for my appearance. Maybe he wouldn't be too turned off by this outfit.

I slowly walked up to the football players and stood behind Kalvin. He was so engrossed in their conversation that, at first, he didn't even see me standing there. One of his buddies looked up, smiled, and then nudged Kalvin.

“Oh, hey Camille,” Kalvin said with a confused look on his face. All of his friends had the same expression.

My face was beet red at this point. I almost turned around and took off running. I looked at my feet and asked quietly, “Umm, do you wear boxers or briefs?”

“What?”

“Do you wear boxers or briefs?” I repeated, this time with more force. I looked at the guys behind him. All of them were cracking up laughing.

One of them said, “Yeah, dog, which one is it—boxers or briefs?”

Kalvin smiled like he finally understood. “Boxers, why?”

“Can a sista borrow a pair?”

“Sure, you want the ones I got on now?” he joked.

I shook my head no. “Maybe you can just bring me a pair tomorrow.” I didn't know if I was supposed to get a fresh pair or what, but at that point, it didn't matter. I was so embarrassed, I just wanted to get away.

“I guess I can do that for you. Whatchu gon' do for me?” He licked his lips. Any other time I would have found that to be sexy and I would've flirted back. But considering how I was looking, I was so not in a flirtatious mood.

“How 'bout I just do your Spanish homework?”

“That's really not what I had in mind.” He stepped closer to me.

I put up a hand to stop him. “I can do the homework.
That's it.” As bad as I wanted to get with him, I definitely didn't want him thinking I was easy.

He moved back and laughed. “I guess that'll have to do. For now.”

“Thank you.” I glanced over at Tori, who was no longer smiling. It was obvious she hadn't intended on Kalvin trying to flirt with me. “Well, I better get going.”

Before I could say anything, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Keep your head up. Don't let them get to you,” he whispered. “And maybe after this is all over, we can hook up.”

He actually seemed genuine, and Lord knows I'd love to hook up with his fine behind.

“That sounds good to me.”

Kalvin had never paid me much attention, probably because some girl was always up in his face. So I was happily surprised about him trying to talk to me.

“I gotta go,” I hurriedly said. “Thanks for the boxers. I'll get them from you tomorrow.” I paused. “And I'll give you my number in sixth period.” I flashed a big smile before I took off.

I never would've had the courage to approach Kalvin on my own, so if we did hook up, maybe one good thing would come out of the pledge mess after all.

“S
o you gave up on the Thetas?”

I turned to see C. J. standing against my locker, his signature smile making my heart flutter against my will. I totally did not understand why I was feeling the way I was now. I didn't like C. J. At least not in that way, I tried to tell myself. But it's like my heart was taking over or something because I found myself smiling back.

“Naw. That's not for me,” I said, trying to maintain my hard composure.

“I didn't think it was.”

“But I thought you said I'd make a good Theta.”

“I did say that. And I still think you would, but I just didn't see you going through with it, you know, taking all that stuff they dish out.”

“I guess you knew me better than I knew myself.” I laughed as I closed my locker door.

He flashed that sexy grin at me.

“What?” I asked, clutching my history book closer. I didn't like him staring at me like that. Camille is the boy-crazy one in our group. Yeah, I fell head over heels for Donovan, but for the most part, I wasn't trying to get wrapped up in no dude. Shoot, I'd done that with Donovan and look what happened. He dumped me as soon as he got to college.

“What?” I repeated. “Why are you standing there grinning at me, looking all stupid?”

“Because you have a gorgeous smile. And you never let me see you smile. You're always frowned up, like you're ready to jump somebody or something.”

“Boy, what do you want?” I rolled my eyes as I continued to fight back my smile. I didn't want him to think he was getting to me.

“I keep telling you I want you.” He moved closer to me. “I want you to be my girl.”

My eyes grew wide. C. J. flirted with me all the time, but he had never laid it out on the table like that. “Boy, please,” I managed to say after I gathered my composure. I stepped around him and headed toward the double doors that led out to the front of the school. I was hooking up with Camille and Alexis to head straight to our Good Girlz meeting. We'd tried to see if Angel wanted to catch a ride but she still wasn't talking to any of us. Although I couldn't for the life of me understand why she was mad at me. And Tameka was nowhere to be found. She probably was off shining Tori's shoes.

“I'm serious,” C. J. said, running to catch up with me. “We've been playing games since we first met.”

“You might've been playing games, but I wasn't.” I kept marching across the grassy area at the front of the campus. I don't know why I couldn't stop and hear him out because quiet as it was kept, I was really starting to feel him.

C. J. grabbed my arm and stopped me. “We both were playing games.”

I snatched my arm away. “Really,
we
weren't. Or at least I wasn't. I
really
didn't like you. You were a jerk with a capital J.”

C. J. smiled and held up one finger. “Aha!”

“Aha what?”

“You said, ‘
didn't
like you.' As in past tense.” He stepped closer to me again. I could smell his Cool Water cologne. I loved Cool Water. My brother wore it all the time. Only his didn't smell as good as C. J.'s because he was always putting on too much.

“So, tell the truth, Jasmine.” He gently ran his hand down the side of my cheek. “You like me now.”

I swear to God, I wanted to jerk away from him. Turn up my lips, roll my eyes, suck my teeth, anything to let him know he was crazy. But it was like my brain wasn't sending the message to my body. In fact, I actually felt goose bumps popping up.

C. J. didn't give me time to shake myself out of my trance. He leaned in and kissed me lightly on the mouth,
letting his tongue peek out just a little bit to dance around the edge of my lips.

He leaned back and licked his lips. “Mmm, cherry lip gloss. My favorite.” He stared into my eyes, like he was looking through to my soul. Dang! I took a deep breath. That so sounded like some sappy mess Camille would say.

C. J. took my hand. “Jasmine, I know I was a jerk, with a capital J,” he said with a smile. “But that's because I was a boy who didn't know how to let you know I thought you were so fine. But I'm a man now. And I am totally feeling you. And I'm stepping to you the right way.” He paused. “You think about that. I want you to be my girl. And I'm not gon' rest until I have you.”

He leaned in and quickly kissed me on the lips again, before dropping my hand. He pulled out a folded-up piece of paper, then pushed it down in my jeans pocket. “Here's my number. Call me.” He walked off before I could will my vocal cords to work again.

“Oh. My. God!”

Alexis' voice startled me out of my trance. She and Camille were standing right behind me. I hadn't even noticed them walk up. Both of their mouths were wide open.

“That was some Rico Suave stuff!” Camille gasped.

I shook my head, finally coming to my senses. “Whatever,” I replied. I definitely was not about to let them see me swooning over C. J. of all people.

“Was that nerdy C. J.?” Camille asked.

Alexis leaned to the side and watched C. J. get into his souped-up black Toyota Camry. “Girl, ain't nothing nerdy about that boy. He is too cute.”

“I know,” Camille echoed. “It's like he grew into a totally different person over the summer. He used to be scrawny and nerdy. I mean, he ain't all buff or nothing; he's that skinny sort of fine.”

“Mmm-mmm, like solid. And girl, that pretty chocolate skin. Lord Jesus, help me.” Alexis laughed as she gave Camille a high five.

I don't know why, but I felt a tinge of jealousy. “Would you all stop talking about him like he's a T-bone steak or something.”

Alexis giggled. “Sounds like somebody's jealous,” she sang.

“Whatever. I don't want that boy.” I turned and marched toward the parking lot. “Alexis, where'd you park?”

Camille and Alexis quickly followed me, laughing. “Jasmine and C. J. sittin' in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Camille sang.

I stopped and turned to them. “Oh my God. Would you grow up?” I told Camille.

Alexis draped her arm through Camille's and joined in, singing, “First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes Jasmine with a baby carriage.”

I rolled my eyes, turned, and continued walking. “You guys are so first grade.”

They both caught up and walked on either side of me. “Okay, okay. We're just being silly,” Alexis said.

“But tell the truth.” Camille jumped in front of me. “You like him, don't you?”

I stopped before I ran right into her. I contemplated telling them no, but then I thought, why was I lying about it? I was almost grown. These were my girls. If I couldn't tell them how I was feeling, I couldn't tell anyone.

“Okay, okay,” I said, breaking out in a huge smile. “He is cute, isn't he?”

They squealed, dancing around like I had just said I was going on a date with Ne-Yo or something.

“What's the big deal?” I asked.

“You, finally admitting what we've known all along,” Camille replied.

“And that is?”

“That you're feeling C. J.,” Camille said matter-of-factly. She put her hands on her hips. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

I hadn't thought that far. “Nothing,” I said. “I mean, there's really nothing going on with us.”

“That kiss wasn't nothing,” Alexis said.

“For real,” Camille added. “Y'all making out in public like you some hoochie mama,” she joked.

“We were not making out,” I protested. “He just kissed me.” I smiled again, recalling the way C. J.'s lips felt against mine. “He did say he wanted me to be his girl, though.”

Camille raised her eyebrows like she was waiting on me to continue. “And you told him yes, right?”

“I didn't tell him anything.”

“Well, you're going to call him when you get home and tell him yes, right?” Alexis prodded.

I thought about it for a minute. “Maybe I will. Maybe I won't.”

“Girl, you'd better call that boy,” Camille said. “I saw him give you his number.”

“Okay, Inspector Gadget. How do you know what was on the paper?”

“What else would he be stuffing in your pants?” Alexis replied.

“Unless he was just trying to cop a feel,” Camille added.

I threw up my hands as I started back toward the parking lot. “What? Are you guys spying on me or something?”

“We weren't spying. We were coming to meet you and just stayed back to give you some privacy,” Camille said, trying to sound all innocent.

I tsked. “Mmm-hmmm, stayed back just far enough to be able to hear.”

“Well, of course,” they replied in unison.

We all busted out laughing. I was surprised because I was feeling better than I had in a long time. I was chillin' with my best friends and, from the looks of things, headed toward a new love. Life couldn't really get any better than that.

I
took in every inch of Kalvin. He was so fine, it wasn't even funny. His hair was braided back into tight zigzag braids. He wore Sean John jeans, a bright yellow Sean John T-shirt, and the newest Jordans.

I'd been through my share of boyfriends, but if I could make Kalvin mine, he'd top any other guy I'd ever dated.

“Here's your Spanish homework.” I smiled as I handed Kalvin the paper. I'd spent all last night making sure it was perfectly done. I'd purposely missed two questions so the teacher wouldn't get suspicious, but the rest of it I was sure would garner him an A.

“And here are my boxers.” He held them up with both hands.

“Oh my God.” I quickly grabbed them and stuffed them down in my bag as I looked around nervously. The fact that I had to ask for them in the first place was embar-rassing
enough. I didn't need him flashing them right there in the hallway for the whole world to see.