If I Were Your Boyfriend (13 page)

was fussing with my suitcase as I tried to pull it up the stairs to my bedroom. My luggage was much heavier because Grandmother Katie and I had gone shopping for fall clothing. Grandmother Katie had purchased two winter coats, several turtleneck sweaters and a variety of other necessary clothing for Chicago's harsh winter season, which would be arriving soon. I jerked so hard on the suitcase that the strap snapped off and the suitcase tumbled down the stairs.

  "Mike." I called out my brother's name. I needed him to come out of his bedroom and help me.

  "Mike, I know you hear me, boy!" I said with an irritated tone because he didn't answer me right away.

  "What?" he shouted out.

  "Can you please come help me with this suitcase?" I asked.

  "No. I'm busy revamping my MySpace page," he hollered out to me.

  "That's okay, you're going to need me for something one day and I'm going to be just as inconsiderate to you as you are being now." I walked back down the stairs and tried to pull my suitcase up the stairs once again. Several moments later Mike came out of his room wearing his blue pajama pants and a Bernie Mac T-shirt that had the phrase I Ain't Scared of You in bold letters just below the image of Bernie's face. Mike had been spending an enormous amount of time in the gym and in the workout room above the garage. His biceps, triceps and chest were noticeably bigger. Although I hadn't been gone very long. Mike seemed to have gotten a little taller and his voice seemed a little deeper. I hated to admit it, but he actually had all of the tools to be an irresistible man. But I wasn't going to tell him that. I didn't see the need to inflate his head or ego any more than it already was.

  "I'll get it," he said as he maneuvered around me.

  "What for? I'm almost there now," I said with a wise attitude.

  "Look, do you want some help or not?" he asked. He finally grabbed my luggage and hauled it up the remaining steps.

  "Jeez, what do you have in here? A dead body?" Mike complained.

  "Come on, use your man strength, I'm sure all of your bulking muscles can handle my small suitcase."

  Mike gave me a sarcastic look. "Whatever," he said, and then left the suitcase at the top of the landing before heading back into his room.

  "Thank you, Mike," I said aloud. I rolled the suitcase into my room and unpacked all of my clothes. Just as I was about to hang up my new winter coat, Grandmother Katie and Jordan, my dad, entered my room. My dad would be turning forty soon but could easily pass for a man in his midthirties, especially if he dyed his hair to hide the gray. He's tall and has the same chocolate brown skin as me. He has broad shoulders and sizable arms. Although he has a little bit of a tummy, it doesn't droop over his belt.

  "Okay, baby, I'm going to head back home now. I've got a long drive ahead of me." Grandmother expanded her arms so that I could step into her embrace for a giant hug. I know it sounds silly and probably a bit childish but I loved getting hugs from her.

  "Now, you remember what we talked about, okay? And if you need anything, just pick up the phone and call me."

  "Okay, I will," I said.

  "Now, let me go down the hallway and fuss at Mike for not coming out of his room to say hello to me." Grandmother Katie exited my room and headed down the hallway toward Mike's room.

  "So, how was your visit?" asked Jordan.

  "It was good," I answered as I scanned my room in search of my television remote.

  "Just good? Did anything happen?" Jordan pressed the issue.

  "No, nothing happened," I said, not sure why he was grilling me. "Anything happen here?"

  "No. Nothing happened while you were away. How do you feel about spending time with your grandmother?"

  "It was cool. It was nice to get away from all of the madness. I had a chance to clear my head and think about my situation."

  "Is there anything new you'd like to share with me regarding your situation?" asked Jordan.

  "No," I answered. I wasn't ready to tell him that I knew what Liz had done. I wanted to wait until I got an answer from her as to why she'd set me up.

  "Are you nervous about going back to school tomorrow?" he asked.

  "No," I said. "In fact, I can't wait to get back. There are a lot of things I need to get straightened out."

  "Like what?" Jordan asked suspiciously.

  "Just school stuff. You know, working on improving my grades and stuff like that," I lied to him. The only thing that was really on my mind was confronting Liz. I thought about calling her but changed my mind because we needed to talk face-to-face.

  "Well, I'll let you finish getting settled in. I'll be down in my office, working, if you need me," he said, and then left my room. Once he was gone, I shut my door and turned on my radio. A popular song by Destiny's Child came blaring through the speakers. I rocked my head to the melody as I sang "I'm a Survivor."

  The following morning at 6:00 a.m. my alarm clock began buzzing loudly.

  "Dang," I said as I looked at the clock, which was sitting atop my desk on the opposite side of the room. I tossed back my bed linen and dawdled over to the desk and slapped the off button so the loud noise would stop. The alarm clock was normally situated on the nightstand next to my bed, but my stepmother, Barbara, moved it because I kept hitting the snooze button instead of getting out of bed.

  I was about to get back in bed and lie down because I really wanted to sleep a little longer, but I heard a knock at my door.

  "Who is it?" I asked.

  "You know who it is." Mike didn't wait for me to invite him in. He opened the door.

  "What's up, son?" he greeted me.

  "Mike, I am not a boy, would you please stop calling me son!" I think Mike enjoyed irritating me. Mike was already dressed. He had on a pair of Girbaud blue jeans and a matching button-down blue jean shirt. He had a black do-rag on his head so that his hair would appear wavy and smooth once he removed it.

  "How was your visit with Grandmother Katie?" he asked.

  "It was okay, I was bored at times but overall it was a nice visit," I said to him as I sat down on the edge of my bed. I yawned but covered my mouth so that my breath wouldn't assault the air around us.

  "So, what's been going on around here?" I asked.

  Mike looked at me for a long moment before speaking. "It's been a trip. This whole drug thing you're mixed up in has everyone talking. The rumors that are going around are very ugly."

  "Rumors?" I asked. "What rumors? Jordan said nothing new went down."

  "He doesn't know about the rumors. People believe you're a straight-up drug dealer, girl. There are rumors about the Ecstasy being made in this house. Rumors about some girl named Toya Taylor who you used to get high with but then ratted out to the cops because you wanted to have a relationship with her but she rejected you."

  "What!" I almost puked when I heard that. "Where are these ridiculous rumors coming from?" I asked.

  "The rumor mill!" Mike said sarcastically. "I don't have a clue as to where they're coming from. I do know the rumors have messed up my reputation at school. People are saying that I'm helping you sell it because I've been defending your name."

  "Sit down here next to me." I patted a spot on the bed. Mike came over and sat down.

  "It's Liz," I said. "Liz is responsible for all of this drama, Mike. I got a chance to do some thinking when I was at Grandmother Katie's house and I realized that Liz is the one who planted the drugs on me."

  "We'll have to get her to confess that before you get put in jail."

  "Put in jail? What are you talking about? I thought we were going to fight this and win?"

  "Well, I probably shouldn't tell you this but I overheard a conversation Dad had with your lawyer, Asia. And from what I could tell, the police feel as if they have a slam-dunk case against you. They're not even looking for the real criminals."

  "That's crazy." My voice trembled with nervousness. "I didn't do anything. This is all Liz's fault. This is her doing. Why can't they see that?"

  "I don't know," Mike answered. We were both silent for a moment because we were at a loss for words.

  "I can't go down for something like this," I said. "It's not fair." I stood up and began pacing back and forth. I was trying to focus my thoughts on what to do next. "If my grandmother Rubylee were here, she'd get all of this mess straightened out in no time flat. She wouldn't even be stressed out over it." I turned toward Mike.

  "Well, what do you think your other grandmother would do in a situation like this?" asked Mike.

  "Who, Rubylee?"

  "Yeah, Rubylee. What would she do?"

  "She would tell Liz, 'I'm about to kill you cemetery

dead' and then shoot her where she stood," I answered. "But killing her is not an option for me. I need her alive."

  "I say kill her anyway." Mike laughed a little bit.

  "My grandmother Rubylee doesn't play around," I said as I raised my index finger to my teeth and began chewing on my fingernails. "I've already made up my mind to confront Liz and ask for an explanation and a confession." I focused my attention on Mike. I was searching his eyes for support.

  "What if she doesn't confess?" he asked.

  "Then I'll have to make her," I answered with absolute resolve. "Let me finish getting dressed. I've got a big day ahead of me. I've got to deal with all the rumors, confront Liz and clear my name."

  "That's easier said than done," Mike said as he stood up and walked out of my room.

  "Yeah, I know," I mumbled to myself. "But I have to do what I have to do. Some days are just born ugly, and this day is shaping up to be a very ugly day."