“What up, bro?”
“Man, Riley’s driving me crazy. She’s been keeping secrets.”
“Secrets? What kind?” I could hear my heartbeat start pounding like a drum.
“She’s hidden stuff in her bedroom…I know that she’s been seeming some asshole.”
“Yeah, how?” My heart was pounding a little harder than usual.
“Her mouth, man. It’s all swollen like she was making out with someone, but she’s mad. I think that she had an argument with a secret boyfriend.”
I was so fucked. I tried to sound casual. “You know who it is?”
“No, but motherfucker better pray that I don’t find out from Riley. I will put that dick in the ground. Nobody touches my little sister. She’s not old enough to mess around with some guy who just wants to get into her pants.”
“She’s a legal adult now. You’re not her guardian anymore.”
“I’m still her big brother.” He stopped for a second while I prayed that he hadn’t figured out out just who’d made Riley look like that by kissing her as clothing was pulled open. “Wait, whose side are you on?”
“Yours. Always yours.” I swallowed hard.
“Whatever, man. I’m going for a run or a drink or maybe a fuck. Later.”
He hung up the phone. I threw mine down on the ground. I had to stay away from Riley. Making out with her once was already jeopardizing the oldest friendship I had. I wanted her, but what was it worth trashing my best friend’s trust? I had to keep it in my pants, or he’d probably cut it off when he found out. He was entitled to do it. Like Zara had said, I had no right to touch innocent Riley. She was way too young for me.
White Shirt
Riley
TWO MONTHS LATER
“I want to get a full-time job.”
Paul stopped eating his peanut butter toast. “What?”
“I’m going to get a full-time job. This internship or assistant position or whatever that I have with Desmond is good and I’m investing my paycheck, but I’m just not going to be able to afford housing at this rate, even with student loans.”
“You don’t need to pay rent. You’re living with me while you spend your first two years at ElCo.” He finished his toast and got up to put his plate into the sink, as if that were the end of the conversation.
“Whether you like it or not, I’m going to SoCal.”
“Over my dead body. We don’t have the money.”
“I can make money.”
“Your job is to study!” Paul’s face was flushed. “And that’s final.”
He stormed out of the kitchen while I stared at my bowl of cereal. It slowly got soggier and soggier while I listened to him get ready for work and finally go out the door.
I dumped out the cereal, ran the garbage disposal, and put the cereal bowl down in the sink. I couldn’t cry. I’d mess up my makeup. Instead, I sucked it up and put on my blazer before taking the bus to work like I did every day.
I put in my earphones while I sat sideways on the bus and counted down the minutes until I saw Desmond again. When I got off the bus, I waved at the security guys as I scanned my RFID badge and got into the building on the express lane side. Whenever I forgot my RFID badge, I had to go on the other side and actually get screened.
I got into the elevator, which was packed with people. Someone had forgotten his deodorant today. The elevator stopped at every floor before I finally got to mine.
“Shit!” That was all the warning I got before one of the people who was trying to get off of the elevator at the same time spilled coffee all over my white shirt and light blue skirt.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” There was a woman whose face was red and a dripping coffee cup without a lid. I could see the lid on the floor, along with coffee.