PROLOGUE:
A SWIMMER'S DREAM.
GAME recognized game, her mother had always said. And her mother had never been wrong. She could tell from the moment she had looked at the sugar sweet white girl who smiled in her face. So, if she wanted to win, she'd have to avoid the girl at all costs. The poor girl had no idea what she was facing against. Edythe pulled her goggles down and smiled widely at the redhaired girl as she fixed her swim cap. Edythe's own blonde curls were covered by her own silver cap, and she rolled her shoulders back to check her range of motion.
The redhaired girl looked over to Edythe, and then turned her hair. Edythe was tempted to knock her freckles off her face, but instead she cracked her knuckles and stretched her legs out as she stepped up on her diving board for her swim lane. The bell dinged to sound the last warning before the whistle went off.
There was a slight hesitation as Edythe dropped down, touching the board with her fingers as she stretched one last time. The whistle blew and on instinct, her legs pushed off and she dove into the water, her ears popping despite her earplugs that were used to block out the water. She held her breath, reminded of how her father had tried to teach her to swim by pushing her in the pool. Edythe curved up and surfaced quickly, on her belly as her arms rotated to propel her forward. Her coach's cheer was a roar in her ears as she kicked her legs, taking shorter strides for less drag and more speed. Before she realized it, she had reached the other wall and she went underneath the water to kick off and turn around. She twisted around, and pushed off, her legs kicking away as she glided against the water, looking ahead. She was tempted to look back at the redhaired girl who was dragging behind her, but she kept her head forward and touched the wall where she had started. A whistle sounded as she did, her coach standing above her on the concrete. Her coach extended a hand and she took it, climbing out the water.
Her knees scrapped the concrete slightly, enough to make the skin sting but not enough to cause it to break.
The announcer's voice broke the silence, "In lane four, at two minutes and twelve seconds, Edythe Parker!"
Edythe stretched her limbs as she stood to her feet. She smiled as the crowd cheered loudly, pulling her earplugs out. She rolled her shoulders as the redhaired girl stood, scowling. Edythe winked at her as she followed her coach to the podium. Her coach wrapped a towel around her shoulders as the committee put Edythe's earned gold medal around her neck.
Edythe looked around for her family, but her features fell dejectedly as she rememberes her mother couldn't afford to fly out.
She ran a wet hand down her cheek and smiled at the other girls on her swim team. She lifted her goggles as they walked to the locker room to wash off.
When that was done, she carried her bag outside, her medal glittering against the white of her dress. The sun warmed her shoulders, and she pulled out her phone, before a hand pulled it away from her.
"Hey!" she yelled, her fists curled up, ready to fight until she saw who it was. She smiled, grabbing her phone back from Naveen. He had a toothy grin on his face, his dimples exposed to the world.
"Need a ride, Edie?" he asked.
"If you're offering, drummer boy."
He nudged her with his shoulder. "Come on."
They walked over to his jeep, Edythe's hazel eyes narrowed as she climbed in. "Can we get coffee?" she asked.
"Yeah, Edythe. " he chuckled.
Edythe laid her head against the window, her fingers twisting the curls of her ponytail. Her dark green eyes reflected in the glass and she twisted her phone in her hands.
When they arrived at the coffee shop, it was barely anyone there, besides the band. Naveen got his coffee black and put his own cream and sugar inside. She knew it was more so out of stubbornness that he did it, but the barista that had taken his order was so star-struck by him, she could understand why he was afraid that she'd get his order wrong. Edythe sat down with her cappuccino and her slice of pumpkin bread, watching him walk over to the table after being stopped by said barista. Edythe snorted at him as he laughed.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"Nah," she laughed. "Just enjoying how every girl that sees you wants to fall in love with you."
"Baby girl," he said, rolling his eyes with that same stupid grin on his face. "It's genetic. Sorry."
She sipped from her cup, rolling her eyes. She pulled out her binder as Naveen laughed. "Are you doing homework?"
"Just because I'm an athlete doesn't mean I don't have to do my classwork, drummer boy."
"I'm not judging you, honey. Also, I suggest you look real slow because you aren't going to believe who walked through the door."
Edythe looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows as Cookie Lyon of all people walked into the coffee shop. "What?" she asked to the barista who had stared at Naveen. "I patronize to black people. We got to stick together and stop entertaining them booshie white folks."
Edythe widened her eyes at Naveen, placing her thumb in between her lips as she went back to her work.
Her son walked in behind her, not Jamal, but Hakeem, the baby. Edythe could feel her eyes nearly itch to roll as she remembered all the cooing of the girls she went to school with did over him. The blonde glanced at Naveen as she began to feel eyes bore into her.
She blew a curl out of her eyes as Hakeem made his way over to her, a confident smile on his face.
"Hey, beautiful," he started, but she assertively held up a hand, stopping him.
"Stop throwing game before you embarass yourself, honey. Not interested in becoming one of your drip drop dolls." Edythe raised a brow at him, rolling her green eyes at him. "I know guys like you and I spent my entire life keeping away from them."
"You sure about that?" he asked, just as Cookie grabbed his ear and dragged him.
"Boy, if you don't leave this girl alone, I swear-"
"Okay, ma!" he shouted, walking away.
Cookie laughed, pleased with herself. "What's your name, honey?"
"Edythe Parker." Edythe said timidly, just as Cookie's features lit up.
"I like you. You fiesty. You remind me of me. Where you from?"
"Atlanta," she responded, her fingers folded on the table.
"Look, don't tell Hakeem this because then he'll run off to his big-headed daddy, but I need someone to help me keep my head on straight and make sure I don't kill anybody. And I like you. So, would you come and be my own personal assistant of sorts?"
Edythe laughed softly, "Me? You barely know me."
"Which means no one else will know you, so I can trust you to be unbiased."
Edythe's features warmed as she nodded in understanding. "Yes ma'am, but-"
"Let me see ya phone." Edythe handed it over with out hesitation.
Cookie put her phone number in. "Call me, once you come to a decision."
Cookie then walked off, grabbing Hakeem and her coffee and leaving. Edythe looked at Naveen and raised a brow at him.
"Did you just get offered a job by Cookie Lyon?" he asked.
"Yes?" she replied, still confused.
"So, what are you going to do?"
She shrugged, staring at the screen. She thought of her mother who struggled to keep food on the table, who worked graveyard shifts and then her little sister, Renee, who wanted to be a filmmaker, who was an activist with all of her life's being. And then, she thought of her older brother, Archie, who went off to become a special agent and never looked back after leaving them behind. She groaned, infuriated. All she wanted was to make it through school, possibly become an Olympic swimmer, and make sure her sister, Renee had the best chance possible to finally reach her dreams and ensure her mother never had to work again and could move out of the hood.
Edythe glanced down to her screen, looking at Cookie's number in her phone. Swallowing an imaginary pill, she pushed the call button and raised the phone to her ear.
She knew exactly what she had to do.