“I’ll have a venti decaf with a double shot of hazelnut, and a chocolate croissant,” Kennedy told the barista. She and Roshonda were at the Starbucks on the corner of One-hundred and Twenty-fifth street, having coffee before the Green Gardens meeting started.
“And I’ll have a venti Caramel Macchiato, and a blueberry muffin,” Roshonda added. She took her wallet out of her purse, reached inside and took out a twenty. “I got it,” she said, handing the cashier the money.
“Ro, you don’t have to pay for me. I have money.”
“I’m sure you do, Ms. West Side, but it’s my treat. Consider it a get-well gift.”
“I’m not sick anymore. It was just a slight cold. Really, Ro, I can pay,” she insisted.
“Look, Ken, just say thank you. And if it makes you feel any better, you can treat me next time,” Roshonda said, taking her change from the cashier.
Kennedy blushed. She wasn’t used to girls being nice to her. Most of the chicks at Walburton were so selfish that the thought of treating a friend to a coffee was probably not even in their realm of thinking. Even her own sister had never bought her anything—except for grief and ridicule. “Thanks, Ro. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem,” Ro said, walking over to the pick-up counter with Kennedy following behind.
Once they had their drinks and munchies in hand, they found a table by the window and sat down.
“So what did you guys go over at the last meeting?” Kennedy asked.
Roshonda pulled out a drawing from her oversized purse, and unfolded it. “This is a diagram that I drew of the roof. Over here,” she pointed to an area on the paper, “is where the flower beds will be.”
“Wow, you really draw good; this diagram looks like it was done by a professional,” Kennedy commented, peering over at the drawing.
“Thanks. I wanna be an architect, and design buildings all over the world, like that dude who did the addition to the Louvre.”
“With the way you draw, I’m sure you’ll be a great architect.”
“Thanks, girl.”
“So, what’s going to be over there?” Kennedy asked, referring to a blank spot.
“We haven’t decided what’s going to go in that corner yet. I guess we’ll figure it out this afternoon, when we walk over to the building.”
“Oh, good, at least I have a chance to add my two cents.” Kennedy chuckled.
“Two cents is better than no cents.” Ro laughed.
As they were laughing at their lame jokes, Roshonda looked out of the window, and spotted two friends of hers. She tapped on the glass to get their attention. “Come here,” she mouthed, and crooked her finger.
Kennedy watched her movements, and couldn’t believe that Ro had invited that boy Lucas and another guy to join them. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious about her appearance. Normally she didn’t care that her hair was all over the place like a hippie, or that her old army jacket looked like it was ready to be donated to Goodwill, but with the gargantuan crush she had on Lucas, all of that had changed. For the first time in her life, Kennedy wished that she was polished like her sister. She didn’t even have any lip gloss in her bag; the only thing she had remotely resembling a beauty product was a half-used tube of Vaseline. Kennedy smoothed her hand over her unruly hair (wishing now that she had a perm). She quickly took off the army jacket, stuffed it in her knapsack, and pulled down the front of her T-shirt, trying to straighten out the wrinkles. Just as she finished adjusting herself, they approached the table.
“Yo, Ro, whatup?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah, Ro, what’s poppin’?” Devin asked, eyeing Kennedy up and down.
“Nothing much. Just sitting here wit’ my girl, going over the plans for this rooftop renovation Green Gardens is working on.”
Lucas didn’t say anything, just nodded his head, and cut his eyes at Kennedy.
“Lucas, I want you to meet my girl…”
He cut her off, “Yeah, I know who she is.”
Kennedy looked up at him (for the first time), surprised that he knew who she was. Maybe he remembers me from the other day, she thought.
Roshonda looked surprised, too. “Really? How you two know each other?”
“She go to Walburton,” he said dryly, cutting his eyes at Kennedy.
Kennedy was shocked to hear that he knew what school she went to. He must have asked Ro about me.
“So, Ro, what’s been going on?” Lucas asked, turning his attention to Roshonda.
“Nothing much, just the same ole, same ole; what’s been happening with you? I been hearing some good stuff around the hood.” She smiled.
Lucas shifted his weight from one foot to the next, and then stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, seeming discomfited by her question. He wanted to tell Ro all about his video shoot, and new CD, but he didn’t want to discuss anything in front of the Walburton brat. He didn’t want her running back and telling her friends his business. He wanted to be liked on his own merit, not because he was a budding star. “Yeah, it’s all good,” he simply said.
“Man, why don’t you tell them about the…”
Lucas had the feeling that Devin was about to mention the video shoot, so he cut him off. “Come on, man, let’s bounce.
“Awe, man, we just got here. Let’s stay awhile and kick it wit’ da ladies,” Devin said, still eyeing Kennedy.
“Yeah, why don’t you sit down? We have some time to kill before our meeting starts,” Roshonda said.
“I can’t. I got some stuff to do for my moms,” Lucas lied. He didn’t feel comfortable around the new girl, and preferred to leave. Besides, he had a photo shoot later.
“Come on, man, let’s at least get something to drink,” Devin said, trying to encourage him to stay.
“Naw, I gotta go, but you stay if you want to,” Lucas said to Devin. He then turned to Ro, and said, “See you around,” purposely ignoring Kennedy.
“Yeah, see ya.”
Once Lucas had left, Ro turned to Devin, who had parked himself in the chair next to Kennedy. “What’s his trip?”
“I dunno.” He hunched his shoulders.
“I wanted to hook him up with my girl here.”
“Since Lucas ain’t here, hook me up,” Devin said, as if Kennedy wasn’t even sitting there.
“Kennedy don’t wanna be hooked up wit’ no scrub. Lucas is more her speed,” Roshonda said, point blank.
He rolled his eyes at Roshonda. “Whatever. So yo’ name is Kennedy, huh?”
“Yeah, and what’s yours?” Kennedy asked out of politeness, even though she could not care less.
“Devin, but the ladies call me…” he stopped for a second, “…wait a minute, you must be that chick Lucas saw with Ro last week.”
“Yeah, that’s me.” She smiled shyly.
“Aw, snap!”
“Why you say that?” Ro asked.
“Nothin.’” He blushed.
“Don’t ‘nothin’ me, Devin. What you know? Tell me,” Ro quizzed.
He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was within earshot. “It ain’t nothing really.” He turned to Kennedy. “It’s just that Lucas saw you at school the other day,” he said, leaving out the fact that Lucas thought she was stuck-up.
“He goes to Walburton?” Kennedy asked, shocked. She had never seen him there before.
“Yeah, he just started the other day.”
Kennedy thought for a second, and remembered that she had missed a day of school. I bet he saw Reagan and thought it was me. She started to tell Devin and Ro that she had a twin sister, but decided not to. Most people assumed that twins were inseparable, but she and Reagan were complete opposites, and she didn’t feel like explaining their unsavory history. “Oh really?”
“He didn’t want to go there but his moms insisted,” Devin added.
Kennedy began to heat up inside; with her and Lucas attending the same school, she had a chance to get to know him. But just as soon as her blood began to boil, it instantly cooled down. If he saw Reagan, I’m sure he’s going to want to date her instead of me. She’s probably just the kind of girl he’s into—the fashionista type. Who would want to date me, looking like a boy in my baggy clothes and a washed-out army jacket?
“Yo, Ken, that’s great news! Since you and Lucas both go to Walburton, you guys can hook up,” Roshonda said, full of excitement.
“I doubt that very seriously.”
“Why you say that?” Ro asked. “I thought you liked him.”
“It’s a long story,” she said, picking up her croissant and taking a bite. Kennedy was glad that it was Saturday; at least now she’d have the weekend to formulate a plan to get Lucas’ attention Monday at school.