The Price of Love

Chapter Three

November 1984

"You can't be serious right now!" Jessica yelled. I laid sprawled across the bed. I knew Jessica was going to overreact the moment she learned Eric asked me out. The ceiling fan languidly swirled from above, creating short breezes of cool air. Jessica stood next to her vanity with her cheerleading bow still clutched in her hands. I lolled against the plush pillows, with my eyes trained on the individual specs on the popcorn ceiling.

"It's just a date."

"Yeah, with a drug dealer!" She hissed, and I rolled my eyes. She really couldn't be serious right now. "You're skippin' the game to go out with a criminal."

"First off, that's only a rumor," I huffed out "And secondly, I need you to cover for me tonight." I added. Jessica turned to adjust her hair in the mirror. Eric was different than most guys that came around. The boys at school would flirt with me immediately making comments on my figure and looks. But Eric seemed to genuinely want to know me for me. Or at least that's what he claimed to want. From the way he locked eyes with me at lunch today to the way he seemed to breathe in every word I spoke. He was fascinated with Naomi Capri Roosevelt and not just physically.

I wasn't used to the dating scene as academics had always been my first love, though the newfound "distraction" wasn't that much of a burden. Honestly, with all the successful celebrities with wonderful careers managing their livelihood and personal relationships why couldn't I?

If they could manage, then I sure as hell could.

Between cheer practice and studying there was definitely enough time for me to add a date or two to the schedule. God blessed me with 24 hours in each day. Eight of those hours were dedicated to sleep, eight for school, and approximately two for cheerleading. Which left 6 hours of nothingness. It's junior year and I hadn't hung out with a boy at all outside of school. Other girls on the cheerleading team had boyfriends and were even flaunting their personal business in the locker rooms. I wasn't going that far, but a harmless date wouldn't hurt anybody.

"If your mom finds out you're not with me, she's gonna kill you." Jessica retorted as she turned to face me.

"That's why if she asks, you say I was with you."

"What if they come to the game?"

I rolled my eyes, "We'll cross that bridge if need be." I met Jessica's unrelenting gaze, just waiting for her to shoot down my plans. It wasn't that Jessica wasn't a good friend – in fact, she was a phenomenal one, though she wasn't always one to entertain nonsense. Jessica was my twin flame in life; driven by the same morals although Jessica was a little more uptight than me.

"You know at the end of the day, I got yo back." Jessica sighed.

"Yeah, and I appreciate you for it." I said with a smile.

***

I snapped the gold chain around my neck in place as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I let my shoulder length hair free, allowing each intricate curl to dangle around the frame of my face. I wore high waisted sky-blue jeans, with a pink, yellow, and teal checkered windbreaker that I tucked inside them. I cuffed the ends of my jeans and sported white socks with all-white chucks on my feet.

With one final look over my hair, I fluffed my curls and examined my outfit. Then turned to examined my bottom to make sure the jeans hugged my frame in the right places. Pleased with the look, I flipped off the light switch and left for the bedroom. I wasted no time snatching up my favorite black fanny pack and clasped the purse around my waist. I met Kehlani at the door's threshold when I turned to leave.