CHAPTER THREE

SOPHISTICATED

A couple of days later, all seemed right with the world. My dad was ahead in the polls. We’d been to open house at our new school, and it was actually a brand-new public school. Though I would only be there for one year, my graduating class would be the first. Lots of people were being transferred from other schools due to overcrowding. Everybody in town wanted to attend Marks High School, and though it wasn’t far from where we lived, I didn’t think this was the school we were zoned for. But my dad did have pull, and as long as I had the right attitude, maybe this could be a great year after all.

As soon as we stepped in the school doors, my sister Ansli was smiling wider than I was. “Yes, yes,” she groaned.

“Okay, so what’s going on with you?”

“I’ve been dying to tell you,” Ansli leaned in and said.

“Don’t shout it!” I told her, as our three younger sisters followed behind the two of us.

I’m sure we looked like we were a sorority. Matching blazers with an S on them, cool plaid skirts that weren’t too short but definitely not too long, and white button-down shirts with different colored scarts that I tied in various ways to match our personalities. My dad wanted us to represent. Slade wanted to get us noticed. Yuri didn’t care. Sloan wanted somebody to comment, and Ansli … yeah, I had to figure out why she was so giddy. Her personality ebbed and flowed more than a river.

“What is going on with you? Why are you so happy?” I asked.

“Hugo goes to this school.”

My eyes widened. “Are you sure? You haven’t met him yet.”

“He told me he goes here, and I’ve seen his pictures.”

“How do you know that’s even him? You know people lie about that stuff nowadays.”

“Why you tryna deflate my hopes? I’ve got a great feeling about this guy. He’s not lying to me.”

“I’m sure the Hispanic sisters are not going to be happy with him falling all over you.”

“We actually talked about that. I was a little insecure with it at first,” she said.

Ansli was insecure about everything. She always needed somebody to reassure her that she was on point. But I just didn’t want this guy to crush her since she was putting all her excitement in this relationship working out.

Girls could, for sure, be cruel. Even in our previous small, little isolated private school of about a hundred students, the Sharp sisters had haters. So I knew with over three thousand students roaming around at Marks High that we were going to have issues. We were cute, smart girls who came from a highly popular family. And while I was not trying to apologize for who we were, I wasn’t trying to be punked nor did I want any of my sisters to bring unnecessary attention to us. Having my biracial sister dating a Hispanic guy was certainly going to draw some attention.

“He said he was tired of the Latino girls. He said that they were fake and tried to act classy but were just as ghetto as could be.”

That seemed so funny. But I didn’t really spend time with a lot of Latino girls, so I didn’t know if that was true or not. I sure knew a bunch of black girls were ghetto, and that’s why going to a public school where they were the majority was not something I was fully sold on.

“Wait! There he is.”

When she grabbed my arm, the five of us stopped walking, and the Hispanic hottie walked our way. I took a gulp. I could see why she was into him.

Ansli was salivating. “He looks better in person. Oh my gosh!”

“Who looks better in person?” Sloan said, like she was some kind of reporter.

I mean that girl never missed anything.

“Y’all need to go to class.”

“Yeah, but you need to go to the mall. Didn’t you get the memo? We don’t wear uniforms at this school,” a smarty-pants wench said.

Ansli looked at me like her eyes were begging me to get everyone out of her way.

“Come on, y’all, let’s get to class,” I said, as I reached back and pulled one of my sisters right through the snobby girl standing in our way.

Like I cared what she thought about our dress. Her style was so tacky; the last thing she needed to be doing was trying to talk about us. And the little goons with her seemed like they couldn’t even think for themselves. They were laughing at her stupid remark, but when I glared at all of them and left them standing there like her words didn’t faze me, they all seemed pissed. Seeing their displeasure made me happy.

“I’m glad we already registered and got our classes at open house. Look at that line of new students,” Sloan said.

And as soon as I glanced over there, I did a double take because I thought I saw Spencer. I had to talk to him. I had to find him. I had to apologize, but Yuri said she couldn’t find her class. When I pointed her in the direction of D hall, she finally felt like she could make it on her own, so I went back toward the registration line and realized the guy I saw wasn’t Spencer at all. It was only me wishing it was him.

“Now, there’re some sharp girls!” Principal Garner said to us. “I wanted my kids to come in here in uniforms. I should have known Stanley’s girls would set the best example. You all look so adorable.”

Now, I was starting to think maybe this wasn’t a great idea. I had done some work on the blazers my mom picked up for us, added some rhinestones and some ribbon, and took them in a couple of places to add some pleats. I wanted to show off our style. I didn’t want an adult to think it was cool. I waved bye to my sisters, but the principal didn’t go anywhere.

“I’m going to be late, Dr. Garner,” I said, not wanting any special favors or anyone thinking that the mayoral candidate’s daughter had the principal on lock. But he wouldn’t move.

“Sir, I got to get to class.”

“I know. I just wanted to tell you your dad just called to make sure you girls were okay, so I’d been walking around school trying to find you.”

Livid, I said, “My dad called you?”

“Oh, it’s no big deal. I told him I’d keep an eye out. It’s a new school and all. Truth be told, he helped me get the job.”

That was just great. My dad was always pulling strings. Now, the man felt he owed him.

“We’ve got a hodgepodge of everybody in this school, but I know you’re going to be a leader. You’re a senior. Your dad tells me you’re a bright girl, Miss Shelby. I’ve got to learn all your sisters’ names, but at least I know you. We’ll be having an election soon for the student government association. Since it’s a new school, nobody could run last year, so I expect you to run for president. Put us on the map in a grand fashion.”

“I’m not interested in that, sir. Politics is my father’s thing.”

“Come on, be well rounded. I’ll put your name down. Nobody will probably run against a Sharp anyway. Well, except, I hear we’ve got Mr. Brown’s stepson coming to this school.”

I wasn’t listening to Dr. Garner, but then I tuned in. “What? Who?”

“Nothing, don’t worry about him.”

“Okay, I have to get to class.” And I had pep in my step. I did see Spencer. Wow, maybe Ansli wasn’t the only one who was going to like being a Marks Maverick.

So it was lunchtime, and at a big school, I didn’t have a lunch period with any of my sisters. I hadn’t seen Spencer, and I hadn’t made any friends. Good thing about all of that is that I didn’t always have to be with somebody, probably because I came from a big family. Anytime I had alone time was a good time. This school had everything on the menu: a pizza bar, a salad bar, hot foods, and snacks. When I saw the Chick-fil-A stand, I dashed toward it. A chicken sandwich with waffle fries and a shake had my name all over it.

“I’m surprised you’re eating fast food. You’re one of them uppity girls,” this scruffy, deepvoiced guy huffed.

I didn’t even look up because I didn’t ask him for his opinion, and I wasn’t trying to entertain him or talk to him more.

“Oh, you are one of those stuck-up girls. But I like them kind. Y’all sit down,” he said to the other guys with him.

A whole bunch of guys wearing maroon and gray T-shirts with a big football on them put their trays down around me. Inwardly, I was thinking I should have sat alone at a table with some nerds or something because at least if they bothered me, it would be an intelligent conversation. These flunkies looked like they didn’t know their left from their right. Since they were a part of the team and had probably been at school in the summer, maybe the table was theirs. So I started getting up. But the deepvoiced guy, who seemed to be the captain, firmly put his hands around my wrist and pulled me back down.

“Naw, naw, sit. I’m Fritz. This is Poncho, Joey, and Phil. We don’t want a pretty girl like you sitting all alone.”

Needing an excuse to tip away, I uttered, “It’s okay. It’s the first day of school. Like most people, I’m new here. I don’t know anybody but my sisters.”

“They them daughters of that man running for mayor,” the stocky Joey guy uttered.

“I’m Shelby,” I said confirming my own identity.

Fritz sucked his teeth and said, “You looking good in that skirt. I saw you prancing around here with your head all up high. They already had cheerleading tryouts, but I could get you on if you want. The way you working that booty, I can tell you …”

Cutting him off, I huffed, “Okay, okay, you don’t know me like that to be talking like that.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you, dang. How a brother supposed to talk to you? You don’t like white boys and crap, do you? There’s some around here to choose from, but um, being with da brothers is where it’s at, my sister.”

I wasn’t trying to be with no ignorant guy, so I got up again. “Y’all can have this table.”

Fritz shouted, “I said I don’t need you to go nowhere.”

“You don’t tell me what I am supposed to do!”

His partner Joey said, “Ooh.”

I suppose he wasn’t used to a female talking to him like that because he stood up and towered over me. “You ain’t got to front on me in front of all these people.”

But then a guy stood between us. “And you ain’t got to put your funky breath up in a girl’s face.”

The guy pushed Fritz back some. I looked up and was stunned to see Spencer. Not that I needed him to rescue me, but if that’s what it took for him to cross my path again, I was grateful.

“Wait, dude, you better watch it!” Fritz got buck and said.

“Uh! It’s alright, Fritz. He didn’t mean nothing by it,” I said just trying to calm the guy down. “I guess I do know somebody else here. He’s my cousin.”

Fritz eyed Spencer down. “Well, you better tell your cousin to chill.”

I grabbed my tray, pushed Spencer in the back, and we went to some tables outside.

“I’m your cousin now?” he laughed.

“I had to calm the guy down with something, but you didn’t have to jump in. I had it.”

“It didn’t look like you had it from where I was sitting.”

“So you were watching me?” I said to him.

He looked away.

“Not big, bad Spencer. I know you’re not shy.”

“A lot’s been going on, that’s all,” he voiced.

And when he said that, it took me back to the seriousness of all that had been going on with him. Last time I saw him he was being carted out of a room. I knew he had a temper, and I certainly didn’t want him getting in trouble in school over me. But I did want to ask the tough questions. I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to find out where he’d been. At least I knew he was okay, but was he really okay?

“I’ve been worried about you,” I said. “And I owe you a big apology. I’ve been dreaming about …”

“Wait, you talking about me watching you … you’ve been dreaming about me?”

“No, forget I said that.” But he was beaming, totally happy I was into him. Though I had caramel skin, I’m sure my cheeks were rosy red from blushing. “I saw your mom the other day. She told me you were living with your dad. Are you okay with all that?”

Getting agitated, he said, “I really don’t want to talk about it, Shelby.”

In a softer tone, I uttered, “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to get in your business, but I do feel responsible.”

“But you’re not the one who hit my mom. You didn’t make her decide to keep enduring that over supporting her own son. My dad’s an alcoholic and a gambler. He’s always had a little temper. My mom got out of a marriage with him and got into a marriage with someone equally foul. And she feels that just because Mr. Brown can provide her with the lifestyle she’s used to, she can look over the wrong that he does.”

“But if I wouldn’t have said anything …”

“I sort of knew. I looked the other way because my mom wanted me to look the other way. She brought me to live with them because she was scared of him. She won’t admit it, but I’m not stupid. She wants me to act a certain way and pretend like I’m okay with her getting knocked around occasionally.”

“I’m sorry you had to move away from your mom to live with your dad.”

“He’s not that bad anymore. Besides, I’m a senior this year. I’m really in both of their ways. Pretty soon I’ll be on my own, so whatever. I’ll see you around,” Spencer said before getting up.

Something I said didn’t sit well with him. We were having a simple conversation, and then he was gone. I guess I pried too much. Watching him walk away I was impressed. Everything on his backside made me smile.

“Dang, your cousin’s fine,” an irritating voice from earlier interrupted me from taking in the sight that was fading away.

I looked up and confirmed it was the girl who tried to front on my clothes.

“I’m Lyrica. I was trying to talk to you this morning.”

“No, you were trying to go off on me this morning.”

“Well, let me just set a few ground rules since you’re new here.”

“This is a new school. Last time I checked I think we’re all new here.”

“No, most of us came from Robert E. Lee High School. A few of you guys are new. The guys you were talking to over there, well, the cutie-pie is mine. Fritz Black. Don’t even think about trying to get with him.”

“Telling me who you think I can’t have …,” I said as I stood up and eyed this Lyrica chick down, “ … is the wrong thing. Your guy was after me.”

“You don’t want to cross me,” she said, thinking I would flinch.

I picked up my tray, crossed right in front of her, and said, “I think I just did.” I left her standing there to figure it all out … like I was scared of her behind, whatever.

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Lyrica yelled really loudly as I heard her coming toward me.

“You need to step back, missy,” a soft but high-pitched male voice said.

So I turned around. Was somebody defending me? And there stood the most stylish, coolest character I’d seen at the school. It was a guy with turquoise pants on and with a two-toned fro sprayed pink and gold that formed a V in the back. He had on yellow, wide-rimmed glasses with no lenses in the frames. He was sporting a blinged-out belt. The way his hand was on his hip and the fact that he had on girl’s tennis shoes, I knew this dude wasn’t a typical guy.

“Jay, move out the way,” Lyrica told him like she knew him—with attitude, clearly not caring for him.

“It’s Jazzy Jay, baby, and you get to stepping. We don’t want a repeat of the incident we had last year. You got embarrassed so bad you teeteed on yourself.”

“Whatever, Jay,” Lyrica said, as she flicked her hand.

“Jazzy Jay, baby, but you wouldn’t know anything about jazzy now would you?” he said, checking her out like she was a welfare case.

Lyrica looked my way and said, “Scrub, Ms. Jazzy got your back and stuff, but you better watch it.”

“Do I look scared?” I quickly told her.

“Boo!” Jazzy Jay jumped and said, making Lyrica jump and pitifully hip-hop away like a one-legged rabbit.

We both started cracking up when she hightailed it away.

“I’m Shelby, Jazzy Jay.” Clearly I heard his name.

He smiled. “You are sassy, Shelby. I like you’re style, girl. I had a class with your sistah Miss Ansli, and she told me how you hooked up her jacket. I was going to take it off of her, but she said you’d kill her. I’ve been looking for you for three periods. Tell the truth. How is my attire?”

“Honest?”

“That’s the only way I like it! She said you’re a real fashionista, and I can see that. My cousin is a designer, and I’m trying to get her to let me work with her, but she says I need to up my game and be a little more original. So, what ya think?”

“You put it together well, but is any of it yours?”

“Oh, you crush!”

“I better get to government. It was nice meeting you, Jazzy.”

“Hold up now! That’s where I’m going. Mr. Freeman’s class?”

I nodded when I looked at my schedule and saw I had Mr. Freeman. Jazzy was popular with everybody. Everywhere we went people were giving him high fives, giving him shout-outs, and asking him about their outfits.

“Thanks for stepping in with Lyrica back there,” I told him as we walked to class.

“Uh, Ms. Goody Two-shoes thinks she owns the world. Fronting like her family got loot … she don’t even have two nickels to rub together. I heard she on free and reduced lunch just like me.”

“Well, if she knew what I know, that’s not a bad thing.”

“You know a rich girl would say that.”

“I’m not rich. My dad makes it clear that his and my mom’s money is not my and my sisters’ money.”

“Yeah, but every time you got your hand out, they fill it, don’t they?”

“Not really.”

“Well, if your parents work hard and got it for you, don’t be ashamed of that. Poor people in the mess we in because our parents made piss-poor choices. Everybody could have got up off their tail and done betta. I was born black and gay, and that ain’t gonna change. I was born poor and born into the wrong body, and I’m working on both.”

“Oh, you are silly!”

“Just real, Miss Shelby, just real.”

“You want to be a girl?”

“Naw, I like who I am, but a little tits and tail ain’t never hurt nobody,” he said as he swatted me on the behind.

“Ouch!”

“Don’t act like you don’t like it!”

“Should I be worried?” I said, looking at him until we walked into Mr. Freeman’s room. Both of us froze goo-goo eying over Spencer.

“I saw him first!” Jazzy Jay said.

“Hey, Shelby, come sit by me,” Spencer invited.

“Dang, looks like he ain’t even interested. Handle that, girl, for the both of us.”

“You are stupid,” I turned and jokingly said to my new friend.

“So, you’re not mad at me anymore, huh?” I asked Spencer when I sat down beside him.

“I had no right to get upset with you.”

“I’m Jazzy Jay, and you would be?”

“Spencer, what’s up?”

“What’s up?” Jazzy Jay said with awe. “The muscles you are flexing on your chest are what’s up.”

“Alright everybody sit down. I’m Mr. Freeman. I hear everybody’s been a little wild today. I know you guys are seniors and think you run the school. It’s a new school, but I got new house rules in here. We can have fun, but we’re gonna get a lesson. I run the show!” Mr. Freeman called roll, and he seemed impressed when he found out who I was.

“You guys know her dad’s running for mayor and everything?”

And I wanted to say, “And so is his stepdad.”

But Spencer looked at me like, “Don’t you even open your mouth!” And I could understand. I wouldn’t want to claim Willie Brown either.

“I’m just a student.”

“Now, you are, but when your dad wins, you’re going to be one of the first kids of the city. I know you’re going to do well in here …,” Mr. Freeman leaned in and uttered, “the mayor’s daughter and all.”

“Sir, my dad hasn’t won, and he doesn’t like us to speak as though he has. Trust me, there are some candidates out there who, even though he’s up in the polls today, are trying to make sure that my dad doesn’t win.”

“Well, that’s a very first-class response. You know what, I need to talk to you anyway. Alright guys, turn to page 6 and start reading chapter 1. Do the discussion questions at the end.”

Mr. Freeman came right over to me and said, “I’m just going to keep it real. I want to be in politics. I just got this job because I was trying to work for the city, but nothing was available. I had the credentials, and the school system was looking for male teachers. I know your dad hasn’t chosen everybody who’s going to serve in his administration. I wanted to know if I get you a résumé, would you show it to him? Is there somebody I need to call? You know, what’s the heads-up?”

“I don’t know, sir, but I could find out and tell you.”

“Oh, that’d be great! And don’t worry about your grade; I got you. At least this semester, because when he wins, I’m out!”

“Like he wants your brownnosing butt around,” Jazzy Jay said after Freeman walked away.

“Oh, so you were listening?”

“Of course I was listening.”

“I heard it too,” Spencer said. “You know, you’re probably going to get a lot of that cuz you looked all shocked, like you couldn’t believe he was trying to get stuff out of you because of who you are. It’s been happening to me a lot.”

“Why has it been happening to you? You ain’t no Sharp. I mean, you’re sharp but …” Jazzy Jay said.

“I’m just saying,” Spencer said to Jazzy, not wanting to reveal his identity.

Diverting the conversation, I jumped in. “I just can’t believe him. He’s my teacher, and of course I want to help him out. I don’t want him to give me an F.”

Spencer said, “Yeah, but what is it that you want out of life? As many people who are going to start coming at you for stuff because of who your dad is, start using them the same way.”

“Oh yeah, that’s wassup. She wants to be a fashion designer,” Jazzy Jay added.

Spencer nodded. “I’m sure there are people in this city who could help you with that.”

“But I’m still in high school,” I said, doubting myself.

Spencer encouraged, “So, who says you can’t branch out right now and start your dream? I’m just saying, you’re beautiful, and I already know you’re smart. You don’t take any mess off of anybody, but you’ve got a big heart. Go get yours! Be business sophisticated.”