Who You Wit'?

Chapter 15

The next evening, Brian's backyard was a virtual carnival of activity. People splashed in the pool, crammed into the Jacuzzi, ran ball on his basketball court, hung out at the Jacuzzi's tiki bar, and filled any and every seat or empty spot sur- rounding the pool. What had been intended as a clique get-together had turned into a full-blown party with a slew of varsity athletes and various other senior glitterati once word-of- mouth of the event hit the halls of DRB High. Mrs. James had flipped once the tenth caravan of jam-packed cars showed up. She lectured Brian about "misrepresenting" the gathering. The lecture, given dis- cretely within the confines of the house away from the partiers, was sharp but short. Rather than clear the area, she settled for cutting off any more from entering. She and Brian's dad stationed themselves on the front porch, ensuring no one else snuck by. Mina and Lizzie sat poolside, Mina's late-night apology soothing the tension that had blistered between them. Lizzie's hair, pulled in a side pony, made her look like a little girl. Her pink polka dot bikini top added to the effect. Typical of Lizzie, she wore shorts, hiding the bottoms. In contrast, Mina sat comfortably in only her green and yellow-striped two-piece, the tiny transparent sarong around her waist for fashion and not much more. Mina kicked lazily at the bathtub warm water and JZ, who tugged at her feet. Michael lowered himself in and nabbed a floating chaise before it escaped. He flipped himself into it and anchored himself by the girls by holding on to the ledge. "It's so good to see you two girls playing nice," Michael said with singsongy sarcasm. Lizzie laid her legs over the arm of his chaise, pulling the chair to them. Her eyes scanned the area for Todd. "He's over on the basketball court," Mina said with a smile. "That's pathetic that I'm so obvious." Lizzie's feet kicked absently, making the chaise bump lightly against the pool's wall. "I can't lie—it's funny to see you open like that, Liz-O." JZ smirked. "Mina? We all know she rummin' cause Brian got her sprung. But you're usually the smart one."

 Mina cupped her hand into the pool, scooped up some water, and aimed to- ward JZ's face. "That's wrong, Jay. I'm not sprung." He laughed as the water fell short. "Man, please." Michael nodded. "You can't even deny that one, Mi." "How mad is he?" Lizzie asked, ignoring Michael and JZ. She twisted a strand of hair around her finger. Her eyes brimmed with anxiety. "Tell me what he said again, last night." Mina patiently relayed her and Todd's IM chat from the night before for the fifth time. She left nothing out, even the BJ comment, which made Lizzie wince. "Liz, you know why he's mad, right?" Michael said. "Yeah, 'cause you doomed the dude to an indefinite sentence of dating his hand," JZ cracked. He dipped underwater to avoid another handful of flying water. He resurfaced, grinning. "Liz, I'm joking. But on the real, Todd's a good guy. Shoot, he too sweet in my opinion." JZ shrugged. "But I bet you could have just told him you wasn't with sexin', and he would have been cool." "For how long?" Lizzie asked, eyebrow raised in a challenge. JZ shrugged again. "I can't answer all that. But he likes you, so who knows. Maybe as long as you needed him to." Mina touched Lizzie's arm. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think JZ's right." She turned her head as JZ splashed at her as a thank you. "You know Todd. He's the most easygoing person we know." "I know he is. But I hate that you guys are saying I needed his blessing to take the pact." Lizzie made eye contact with each of her friends before shaking her head in frustration. "It was my decision. Even if I went about it wrong, it was still my decision to make. Not me and Todd's, mine." Her face reddened as people nearby stared. "I'm just saying," she went on, low- ering her voice. "I know I need to apologize, and if he stops avoiding me, I will. But I'm not apologizing for taking the pact. Just for..." Her eyebrows knitted as she thought about it for a second before deciding on, "For not telling him first." JZ's eyebrows arched. "Alright, Liz, you boss. But..." He looked off toward the basketball court, barely visible because of the number of people surrounding the pool. "But what?" Mina and Lizzie asked together. "Look, y'all know T's last girlfriend was a straight bitch," JZ said. "She played him, and he's not down for getting played again. Todd's cool, but he not gon' play nobody's punk." He shrugged. "Man, look, that's y'all business. Just do you, Lizzie O'Reilly." He stuck out his fist for a pound. Once Lizzie tapped his with hers, he swam off. 

"Liz, is it worth you guys breaking up?" Mina asked softly. She and Michael stared intently in Lizzie's face as her eyebrows furrowed, straightened, then creased again. Lizzie snapped lightly, "I'm not going to have sex with him just so we won't break up, Mi." "I didn't mean you should," Mina said patiently. "I guess I'm asking...are you sure that...if Todd can't get with the pact and wants to break up, will you be alright with that?" "I guess I'd have to be," Lizzie said. She hugged her knees to her chest in a sullen pout. Mina saw the uncertainty in Lizzie's eyes. She knew Lizzie meant it, but saying you were cool with a breakup and living through one were two different things. Goose bumps crawled up her arm in the warm night, and before she could squash it, one selfish thought entered her mind—I'm running out of time to spend with Bri- an. Where am I going to find time to be there for you if you guys break up? She dunked her feet in the water, butterfly kicking them to distract herself from her own thoughts. Her hands fluttered to check her hair, safely secured in its Pomeranian ponytail, smoothing the sides absently. As if summoned by her thoughts, Brian appeared by her side, towering over her. He touched the top of her head. "Hey. Come here for a second." Mina stood up. "I'll be back, y'all." "Sprung," Michael mouthed before tugging Lizzie onto the chaise with him and shoving off and into the middle of a volleyball game. Mina followed Brian into the house. It was deathly silent inside compared to the cacophony beyond the French doors. Mina shook her head to make her ears pop. She hesitated when she realized Brian was heading upstairs. "What about your parents?" she whispered, peering around for any signs of them. "They're out front on guard duty." He ignored the quizzical look on Mina's face, took her hand, and urged her along the stairs. They walked into his darkened room, which overlooked the backyard. A wide slice of light from the pool filtered in from a window, brightening a single spot in the room. Mina stood in the slice of light, looking out over the fun. "So, you mad at me?" Brian asked over her shoulder. His chin brushed her spiky pony. Mina's shoulders hitched even as relief flooded her body. She'd pretty much ex- pended all her energy making up with Lizzie last night. It was too hard to be mad at him while Lizzie was mad at her. It was like flying without a net. 

Brian stepped in closer behind her. It took every ounce of Mina's willpower not to turn around and throw herself in his arms, but she kept her vigil over the party below them. Her waist grew warm when his hands rested there on her bare skin, just above her sarong. The feeling intensified when Brian's lips brushed her ears, giving her the warm chills. "You got me in trouble," he said. Mina craned her neck to look at him. "How? What did I do?" Brian nodded toward the backyard. "You and your party." "I didn't invite all these people, honestly." She mentally ticked off how many people were in attendance, stopping at forty because it was hard to count with so many people moving around. "You know stuff gets crazy whenever it gets out an upper is having something." Mina gnawed at her lip. "Should I tell your mom it was my fault? Is she really po'ed?" Mina felt Brian shake his head no against her ponytail. "What's your punishment? She's not letting you go to Duke?" Brian laughed. "You wish." "You know I do." An involuntary sigh of resignation escaped her lips. His hands wrapped around her as he spoke. "I didn't mean to leave you hanging yesterday." "Really?" Mina scowled in the darkness. "Because it sure looked like you meant to." "I was mad at how you came at me." "I'm sorry," Mina said. Her eyes wandered the yard until she spotted Lizzie and Michael in some oddball lounge race. "I did come at you wrong. But Lizzie was mad at me, and I was mad at myself. So I took it out on you." Brian tweaked her side. "It's cool." Mina took a step forward and sat on the window's ledge, facing Brian. "Every- body's saying you've got me sprung." "Umm, 'cause you are," Brian said. He pulled her off the ledge and toward him. They kissed long and full, his hands kneading her waist. Just when he'd gotten Mi- na to the point where the rest of the world ceased to exist, he pulled back, smiling down at her. "What's wrong with being sprung?"