By the time Friday arrives, I’m relieved that I won’t have to see Shane and Charley for a few days. All week long I’ve felt pressured into eating with them at lunchtime. I know this hurts Tyrone’s feelings, but I don’t want him to get into a fight with Shane on account of me. After all, I was the one who dumped him for Shane.
As soon as I get home from school, I kick off my shoes and sit down to watch the last half of “Oprah.” Today’s show is on smoking and the high number of teenagers who smoke. I think about Shane and Charley and how they always seem to have a cigarette in their hands. I’m glad I don’t smoke. Mom always says smoking is bad for your health. I guess she’s right. I guess Mom isn’t such a bad person after all.
The show is about to end when the telephone rings. I’m surprised to hear Mom’s voice on the other line. “M’ija,” she says in a rushed voice. “I forgot that I have to attend a lecture given by a faculty member that we’re thinking of hiring. There’s a reception afterwards, so I won’t be home until about seven. There’s frozen pizza in the fridge. Will you be okay? I bet you’re watching ‘Oprah.”
“Yeah, but it’s almost over,” I answer, smiling to myself. Mom loves to watch “Oprah,” especially on Fridays when she usually gets home early. She says watching “Oprah” relaxes her after a stressful day on campus.
“Well, don’t veg all afternoon. Read something. And I’ll be home just as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, m’ija. Have to go now. See you at seven.”
I hang up the receiver and lay back down on the couch so I can watch the end of “Oprah.” I close my eyes and before I know it I’ve drifted off to sleep. When I awaken, it is almost five o’clock. My stomach starts to growl, so I turn of the television and head for the kitchen. I pop the pizza in the oven and sit down at the table with a can of Pepsi to read my new issue of Seventeen magazine.
Half an hour later, I’m taking the pizza out of the oven when the door bell rings. I open the front door and Shane and Charley force themselves into the entryway. I am so stunned that I don’t say a word as they walk past me into the family room.
“Hey, esa,” Charley says, walking over to my mom’s stereo. “This is some kind of house.”
I am finally able to speak. “Shane,” I say following after them. “What are you doing here? I’m not allowed to have friends over when my mom isn’t home.”
“Relax, babe,” Shane answers as he sits on the couch and starts to play around with the television remote control.
“Your old lady sure has some kinda record collection,” Charley tells me.
I can feel the tension running up and down my back. “Leave those alone,” I holler. “My mom hates it when someone messes with her albums.”
“Cool it, esa. I’m only looking,” Charley says as he flips through the albums on the record case.
The room suddenly fills with blaring music from MTV. I’m so angry that I walk over to Shane and grab the remote control from his hand and turn the power off. Shane lets out a sarcastic laugh, saying, “Don’t be so uptight, Maya. Your mom won’t find out we were here.”
I feel a sudden panic. I can’t believe this is actually happening. “Come on, Shane,” I beg. “Please leave.”
Instead of listening to my pleas, Shane grabs me by the arm and pulls me down on the couch next to him. “I miss you, babe,” he whispers, putting his arms around me.
I manage to struggle free of him. “Stop it, Shane,” I yell, getting up and moving away from him. All of a sudden I notice that Charley has disappeared from the room. I’m about to go look for him when he reappears, waving a bottle of vodka and two glasses. “Look what I found,” he tells Shane.
“Put those away!” I explode.
Charley doesn’t listen to me. Instead, he hands Shane the bottle of liquor. “Just a little drink and then we’ll go,” Shane says, opening the bottle.
I stare in disbelief as Shane sets the glasses on the coffee table and pours some vodka into them. My body feels frozen. I’m not sure what I should do next. Maybe if I let them have one drink, they’ll leave.
“You promise you’ll leave after one drink?” I finally whisper.
“Yeah. Don’t sweat it, Maya,” Shane says, handing Charley one of the glasses.
After Shane empties his glass, he fills it with more vodka and comes over to where I’m standing. “Come on, babe. It’s your turn,” he orders, holding the glass up to my lips.
“Stop it, Shane,” I holler, pushing the glass away from me.
“Come on, Maya,” Charley insists. “Don’t be a chicken.”
“Come on, babe. Just one drink and I promise you we’ll leave,” Shane says, holding the glass up to my mouth.
I know that I am trapped. I know that Shane won’t leave me alone until I do what he asks. I take the glass from him and pretend to take a small drink. Then I tell them both, “Get out or I’ll call the police.”
“Yeah, let’s go,” Shane tells Charley. “Maya must be on the rag today.”
I lock the door as soon as they leave. Then I hurriedly pick up the empty glasses and the bottle of vodka. I pour some water into the vodka bottle so that it looks as if no one has tampered with it. Then I put the bottle back in the same spot in the kitchen cabinet where my mom had it.
Later that evening, when Mom comes home and asks me how everything went, I lie and tell her everything was fine. I feel miserable again because I hate lying to her. Then I start to wonder what I ever saw in Shane in the first place.