"And so you...Gialla Collins, are cool with Tara Jonas now?" Caren asked, her eyes wide as she repeated what I had just told her over FaceTime.
"Yes," I laughed.
Of course, with me being the Queen of Leaving Things Out, I didn't add in all the mushy gushy shit that also happened earlier today at the park.
"I was just making sure this wasn't some other Tara we were talking about," Caren clarified. "Okay...so now what? Y'all see each other in the halls and y'all just wave now, or what?"
I trust Caren but I wanna lessen damage and not tell her all my secrets. Nolina already knows a big secret about me and Tara, and now she ain't my friend. I didn't miss the little insult Lina threw at me today- she's willing to expose things if it comes down to it. You gotta be careful with who you trust your secrets with.
"I don't know. Me and Tara cool, but remember that Nolina and I definitely aren't now," I said very clearly, sitting on my bed with an ice pack near my feet. Per my mother's instructions, I needed to put it on my nose every ten minutes and leave it off every ten minutes. She had taken one look at me and went into mama bear mode. I love her for it though. She was worried.
"I understand if Tara'll be a little distant because of how Nolina feels towards me at school," I finished. "And it's not like me and her are friends. Me and Tara are just cool now."
"I didn't know shawty had it in her to fight. I'm used to Lina being so timid." Caren sighed, "Well, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I got your back so I'll cut Lina off if that's what things take."
"First of all, one hit and Lina was out. That's hardly a fight. And no. If you still feeling Lina, be cool with her, Caren. If there's one thing I learned out of all this mess, is that keeping people apart is what brings them together. My beef is with Lina now, key word, my beef."
"Nahh, I'm straight."
"You sure?" I asked.
Caren sighed, thinking a little. "I'll try talking to her. From there...I'll know if we can mend things and if I can be her friend too."
"Sounds like a good call to me," I shrugged.
"Monday's gonna be something," she said after a moment of quietness.
"Definitely is," I laid back in my bed, stretching my legs out.
I woke up to my mom playing James Brown, early Monday morning. I followed the source of the sound to her straightening her hair in the mirror, singing along with her Denman brush.
I stared at her for a moment in the doorway, still sore as hell from Saturday, dried slobber on the corner of my mouth still and sweat between my legs from a night filled with tossing and turning worrying about today.
"What are you doing?" I asked finally.
"Oh," she jumped a little, cutting her song off. "I didn't realize I woke you up, baby. I was jammin'," she did a little shimmy.
"Nice for you. It's four o'clock in the morning, though," I grumbled, turning to go back to my room.
"Sorry, honey!" she called out, turning back on her music and lowering the volume.
I went to my bathroom, not bothering to go back to sleep since I knew that'd be impossible. I got my shower stuff together and got in, letting the hot water wash over me and soothe me into a nice calm.
Once I was done getting ready, I wrapped a towel around my body and walked to my room, trying to figure out what I'd wear for the day. I figured I'd give the ladies a little something with a Vlone shirt, some expensive jeans, and the only pair of Dolce and Gabbana tennis shoes I owned.
