Moments: A BWWM Short Story Collection

XVIII. Escalation (Pt. 2 of 4)

My fingers drummed on the wood as I stared at the red minivan across the street. I never liked minivans, they always seemed to be too big for the amount of people they seated. Why all the space? It wasn't liked it was all being used.

I breathed out through my teeth and looked down at the paper cups on the stand for the bazillionth time, but they were lined up just as neatly as when I'd looked at them a minute ago. It struck me that I could be inside playing video games right now, or watching TV, or doing a hundred other more fulfilling things then sitting here at this stupid lemonade stand waiting for customers that would never come. Except...

"So Rick, how many glasses have you sold today?" asked a voice.

I scowled as I looked over at the lemonade stand beside mine. The penmanship on the sign was... slightly better than my own, but at least my stand had less nails sticking out of it, so it was better. But it wasn't the stand itself that irritated me, it was the black girl leaning over the counter with a smug, gap-toothed smile on her face.

"Zero, Tabby, same as you." I shot back. She frowned as she shifted.

"Yeah, well... I'm still gonna sell more than you today! I beat you last Tuesday!"

I hunched my shoulders, watching as Tabitha bobbed her... what were those hairballs black girls had instead of pigtails? Puffs or something? I couldn't remember, but the important thing was that she shouldn't be celebrating.

"And I beat you on Friday!" I reminded her, banging my hand on the stand for emphasis. Unfortunately, this upset the cups, and I had to pick them up as I growled.

"Aw... did baby Rick upset his sippy cups?!" Tabitha said. "Maybe if he's such a big baby he should leave the drink business to the proffresson... the professals..."

Tabitha gave an "ugh" as she got tongue-tied again, and I laughed.

"Professionals don't misspeak, Tabby!" I said with a smirk. "Get it right!"

She glared at me as she put her hands on her hips, but it seemed she had no comeback this time, so I drank in the feel of winning as I set the last cup back.

At first, I'd liked Tabitha when her parents had moved into our neighborhood. She wasn't gross like the other girls, she liked wrestling and climbing and all sorts of cool stuff. But one day I beat her really bad at checkers, and she started getting competitive with me, taking every loss like a sore loser and gloating about every win.

Not that I did that, of course. I was a year older than her. I was mature.

Anyway, Tabitha was always looking for ways to beat me at stuff, so when I told the other kids I'd be starting a lemonade stand for the summer, Tabitha copycatted me. If not for her hogging all my customers I might have ten bucks by now!

A weak breeze blew across the sidewalk, which was as empty as it had been for the last few days. I didn't understand it, I'd had three people stop by last week! Even if two of them were mom and dad, I should still be getting some action!

"So you planning on not edging in on my turf today?" Tabitha said.

"It's the sidewalk, Tabby!" I said with a scowl. "It's nobody's turf!"

Tabitha grinned and pointed at the curb, where the words "Properdy of Tabitha" was scrawled out in pastel blue chalk. I rolled my eyes.