Don't Be Disrespecting Me

" No ! " Disrespect

Ona knew that more girls would like E if they saw what she saw in him . But she didn't know that it would happen so fast . Since he dressed better , the girls spoke to him more , looked at him longer . Ona asked E how he dressed so fly all of a sudden . He lied . Said his mother finally got herself a decent man to take care of their family . She believed him . Didn't see anything different in him . He still came to class . Did all his homework . Looked at her like he would die without her . He was still E . So she invited him to her house . " 'Cause my father won't let me go to the dance with anyone he hasn't met ."

She told him that her dad would pick him up .

E said he'd take the bus over . It was weird , showing up at her place . All the houses in the neighborhood were the same inside , so he knew where every room in her house was without even asking .

" You seem like a nice boy ," Ona's mother said , handing him a plate piled with liver and friend onions , a baked potato , and asparagus spears .

Her dad stared at him . Said he looked familiar .

" Ever been around here before ?" He asked , playing with his gold pinky ring with a black diamond chip on it .

" No , sir . I ain't never been around here ," E said .

Ona's mom corrected his English . Her dad frowned and asked E to take his elbows off the table .

Ona was so embarrassed . Her father was mean to E . He didn't like boys calling her or coming to their house . And especially didn't like boys from Death Row . " When boys from that part of town are born , they don't give 'em a birth certificate ," he told her once . " They tattoo a prison number on their butts ."

Ona wanted to scream when he'd said that . To tell him that E wasn't like that . But she saw the clothes . Heard kids say he was selling weed . Wondered what he was up to .

E knew before he left that Ona's father wouldn't let him take her to the dance . He tried to be nice . To look up from his plate when they spoke to him , but he couldn't after a while . And even though he had on new sneakers and an outfit that cost almost a hundred and fifty bucks , you feel like a bum . Ona's father made sure off that .

" Man , you went all outta your way for that chick , and her dad treated you like that ? Noodles said , soon as E got back home .

E tried to play it off . But Noodles kept saying that E had to get Ona's dad back for disrespecting him .

" It don't matter ," E said , taking off his jacket . Sweating from the heat .

" Yes it do matter ," Noodles said , throwing punches in the air . " It matters anytime somebody treats you less then what you is .

E's mouth tasted sour . He opened the window and spit . The wind and snow flurries turned his face as cold and hard as the ice on the window ledge .

" Man , do something ," he said . " Don't be no punk ."

E told Noodles to go home .

" Don't worry . I'll fix her dad for you , and jack her up too ," Noodles said .

E's fist slammed into Noodles chest , shoulder.  and right cheek . Noodles ducked and swung . E's mother broke up the fight . The next day , Noodles was at E's house , looking for something to eat -- like usual .

Ona tried to tell him nicely . But there's no way to tell a boy three days before the second-biggest dance of the year that you can't go with him . So ultimately she came right out with it . She didn't look E in the eyes , though . She stared down at a piece of paper on the hallway floor . Grabbed his hand and said that maybe she could meet him there anyhow . " My father doesn't have to know ," she said , finally looking into his eyes .