We're Trying

Ayo

Hanna

Rose picks up the ugliest black skirt from the racks of the Rue21 were walking around and almost gag up the lunch her dad gave me. Alex my twenty three year old sister looks at the skirt behind the register and shakes her head. It's nice to know that even though we have different dads we both have the same taste that Rose desperately needs.

Rose still holds the skirt. "Whats wrong with it?" she says probably not noticing the hideous lace at the bottom.

Even at work Alex doesn't hesitate to say what's on her mind. "Rose, you got a bangin' bod stop dressing like you go to bingo every week." Rose smirks a bit and puts the skirt back on the rack while I look at a pair of shorts that would get me sent to the front office in a heartbeat. I pick them up and just like I did with the skirt Rose immediately winces.

"It's for a party," I say and add it to the arm of clothes that I'm going to abuse Alex's family and friend membership with.

"What party?" Alex and Rose both say in unison.

I throw the clothes on the counter and get Alex to do the work that she probably hasn't been doing since she got this job some months ago. Rose as usual doesn't put anything on the counter and just looks around the store waiting for Alex to ring the clothes up. Honestly I would rather her buy that ugly ass skirt than have her just watch me buy clothes I'll have to hide from my mom.

"It's this party on Friday night at this guy Devon's place, and you're going Rose."

Rose says exactly what I expect her to say, "But Friday is movie night-

I cut her off. "Girl you can watch Shrek and Fiona have ogor sex another night, we're going."

Rose looks at my eyes and reads my mind just like she has been doing for years. How did she know? Alex sees us talking telepathically and just hands me the clothes.

"You're really going to that party just because of him?" Rose asks the second we get out of the store and into the mall.

"No," I lie.

"Look I talked to him and-

"You talked to him?"

Rose shrugs like it's no big deal. "It was a five minute conversation before school."

"What did he say?" How could she talk to Jamari without telling me every detail. Or rather how could Jamari ignore me all day when we passed eachother in the halls but still find time to talk to my bestfriend.

"Nothing important."

"He didn't say anything about me?"

Rose shakes her head. "Nope."

I know I sound selfish but it's been a year, it would be nice if he was curious. Doesn't he want to know that I grew five inches? Or that Alex got kicked out of the house and showered at the local pool, he would laugh at that. Or more importantly I lost my virginity to a white guy named Chad, he would laugh at that as well. But again it's been a year and maybe the person who would've laughed at all that stuff is gone and just some memories to go to sleep to.

Rose and I sit at a table at Aunt Anne's which really needs to expand their brand outside malls, and I take out my pen. I don't have money for pretzels so I might as well taste something.

Rose sends me the same glance she had in the Rue21. "You know you can really be a buzzkill sometimes," I say and put my pen back in my pocket.

"I'm sorry for not wanting your lungs to turn black." Before I can object I realize we've been talking about me on this whole mall trip.