MAKEOUTHILL

4%

October 2008

"Because you're a backstabbing bitch," Reign answers me casually.

We're at a local playground.

Originally, it was just me, Skyla, and Zae waiting on Reign and Jahseh to come. Reign came alone, but ignored me the entire time.

"Me?" I say looking around.

"No, the heifer behind you." She deadpans. "Obviously I'm talking to you."

I tilt my head, "Nah, you gotta be talking to the heifer behind me. Cause there's no way you talking crazy to me thinking Imma just take that, knowing good and well I ain't do nothing to you."

"You think you all that now 'cause Jah got you a ring?" She looks me up and down and scoffs, "You knew I liked him, yet you put some type of spell on him to like you."

"Do you not see this face? I don't need a spell."

"Tuh," she spits out. "You need a makeover though." She places her hand on her hip and shifts all her weight to one leg.

"Bit—"

"Okay!" Skyla steps in. "How about we talk to each other nicely, alright?"

She takes a step closer to me, I take a step closer to her.

"Talk nicely to each other from a distance," Skyla clarifies forcing her way between us. "I'll talk to you guys separately so I can hear both sides of the story. Then I'll—"

"There aren't any sides," I interrupt. "She came up to me talking crazy for no reason."

Skyla gives me a look, "Then I'll come back and we can compare and contrast."

I roll my eyes. She learned what "compare and contrast" meant and hasn't stopped saying it since.

She and Reign walk off toward the slide, while I fold my arms and stand next to Zae.

"What y'all got going on?" He asks.

Zaelyn is tall, light skin with free-form twists. He's twelve, so he's the oldest out of all of us. He got pretty, pink lips that he loves to lick a lot. Which is so annoying to me.

He's only around when Sky's with us though. Their mom makes him watch us. Him being with us is the reason Momma lets me hang out with them as much as I do.

"I don't know, bruh. You seen it, she came up to me talking sideways."

"Y'all fighting over that lil nigga, Jah?" He laughs.

I look at him sideways, "On real stuff though, he's pretty as heck. And there ain't no "y'all". That's Rei butt tripping."

He laughs more, "Why don't you cuss, there ain't no adults here. Just say it."

I shrug, "I ain't allowed to cuss til I'm close to thirteen." I pause, "Ain't you supposed to be a good influence? Why you trynna get me to cuss?"

We laugh again as Skyla walks back.

"Charisma, did you put a spell on Jahseh?" She asks with a straight face.

"Girl, huh—"

I'm cut off by Zaelyn's laughter. This is the hardest I've heard him laugh since I've known him.

"Shut up, Zaelyn!" She yells over his laughs. "Charisma, seriously did you?"

Zaelyn's clapping his hands while laughing making extra noise, "No I did not... Is that mess even possible?"

She looks over at Reign, "See! You can't even cast spells on people." Reign rolls her eyes. "Do you know why Jahseh gave you the ring?"

"How'd she even find out the ring was from him? I didn't tell you or her." My thumb's been spinning it around my finger this entire time.

"Because I told her," Jahseh says.

"Well, thanks a lot." I roll my eyes. He hugs me and daps up Zaelyn.

"Why would you like her over me?" Reign says coming closer. "We've known each other for two whole years, then this trick just showed up out of nowhere, and all of a sudden you're getting on one knee asking her to marry you?"

"Aye—"

I look at Jahseh, "You see how she twisting stuff?"

"It's his decision on who he wants to give his ring to, I didn't even tell him to give it to me. But it's none of your business what went down, that's something that'll forever stay between me and him. At least until we want y'all to know."

Reign huffs and storms off.

"Where are you going?" Skyla calls out.

"Home," she yells back.

"She being childish over nothing, bro."

Skyla looks at Zaelyn who follows her to walk Reign home.

I let out a heavy sigh, and walk over to the swings. Jahseh follows me and sits on the swing next to me.

He doesn't say anything for a good minute or two until I speak, "She's so... ugh. It's like if she doesn't get her way, no one should."

I continue, "She's a really cool friend, but it's just like when she does and says—"

"What did she say?" He asks.

I look at him, "She called me a heifer and a backstabbing 'B'."

"Damn."

"Right?"

I listen to the sound of the swings creaking as we swing back and forth lightly.

"I don't regret it though..." He says lowly. "I will wait for you to be sixteen."

I playfully roll my eyes. "And I'll be waiting."

"I'm serious, Charisma. I see a future with you. I can feel it. And when we're older, I will do everything to make you happy."

I know I'm not blushing, but my cheeks feel warm.

"It's gonna be you and me forever, even if there are girls like Reign: jealous and trying to tear us apart. I won't give them any attention. And I'm hoping you'll do the same when it comes to me."

"I will," I say. "No matter what, we got it. Even while we're kids—we know what we're aiming for and we're gonna get there."

He lightly takes my hand right hand and places a soft kiss on it, "We in this shit forever."

I nod.

"No, say it back."

"Jah..."

"Say it," he says with a laugh.

"We in this shit forever, Jahseh."