4

The next morning, Nia woke feeling as if she hadn’t really slept. Her first thought was about Keisha. Did the police break up the party? Did she have sex with Marcus?

Her gaze went to the phone. If she called, Keisha might figure out it had been Nia who called the police. She grabbed her phone and walked to the kitchen.

On the counter with a spoon was a note inside a bowl.

Healthy food = healthy body = healthy spirit = healthy life. Auntie’s neat script was unmistakable.

Nia wrinkled her nose, opened the bread box, grabbed the bag of little white doughnuts, and set them on the kitchen island. After getting a glass of milk, she dipped a doughnut. Just as she popped it in her mouth, someone knocked on the door. She peeked through the peephole.

Keisha. “I know you’re home so open up.” Keisha pounded on the door again. “Nia. Nia. Are you up?”

Nia rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. “You look horrible.”

“That’s ’cause I’m tired. Haven’t been to bed yet.”

Nia closed the door. “Oh. Why not?”

“I’ve come to tell you I’m not mad.”

“Why would you be mad? I’m the one who should be mad.”

“For calling the cops, Nia. And ruining the party.”

They glared at each other.

Keisha put her hands on her hips. “Don’t even act like it’s not true. I know you well enough to know it was you. And I’m not mad. Really. And I didn’t tell anyone, even though they wanted to cause problems for whoever did it.”

“I’m eating breakfast. Want some?”

Keisha picked up the cereal box and poured some in a bowl.

“So what happened last night?”

“Not much.” Keisha walked to the refrigerator and grabbed the jug of milk. “After the cops came, we just went to an all-night place and ate some food.”

“What about you and Marcus?”

“Yea, Marcus went to the restaurant.” She turned her back on Nia.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh. That. Nah, nothing happened. I decided you were right. No reason to do something stupid.”

Keisha was lying. Her friend had never lied to her before. It hurt. Almost as much as Keisha telling everyone about Nia’s anointing.

“That’s good. Glad you made the right decision.”

Keisha pointed at the doughnuts. “Pass me a couple of those, please.”

Nia took a few more and then slid the bag across the island. “You seeing Marcus again?”

“Sure. Why not? He’s fun to be around.”

“Oh, yeah. He was a lot of fun last night when he was making fun of me.”

“Nia, I’m sorry. That was my fault. I don’t know what came over me to say those things.”

“Alcohol makes people say and do stupid things.”

“That’s not what it was. I only had a little bit to drink.”

“I saw you drink two bottles. That’s not a little bit.”

“I was just mad at you ’cause you were acting like my mother. I just wanted to have fun.”

“I was trying to be your friend and keep you from doing something stupid that you’d regret this morning.”

Keisha swallowed the doughnut and reached for another. She stared at the glass of milk instead of at Nia. “It worked.”

If she’d eaten at an all-night restaurant why was she so hungry now? Besides alcohol and sex, had Keisha tried other things? Some types of drugs made you that hungry. Did Keisha have the munchies? “I think you should come to Puzzle House with me for the summer.”

“I wish.” Keisha shook her head. “But you know I can’t. I gotta work so I have spending money for school next year.”

“I’m sure Cooper will hire you. And you’ll probably make more at Puzzle House than you would at the restaurant. Plus, we can have fun. I’ll teach you to ride a horse.”

“A horse? I don’t think so, girlfriend.” Keisha held the cereal bowl to her mouth and slurped up the milk. “I already promised to take the job at the restaurant so it wouldn’t be right not to. And Mom wanted me to spend the summer here. With her. Before we leave to go to college.”

Nia’s heart sank. They all sounded like excuses. “At least think about coming with me, Keish.”

“OK. I’ll think about it, but I’m pretty sure Mom won’t want me to go.”

Nia couldn’t find the right words to make Keisha change her mind.