Chapter 10..
Cree POV
Well its now Friday and Malik still hasn't asked me to the Homecoming dance. I'm not pressed I just really want to go with him. I've been dropping little hints about the dance to him all week, but still nothing. Today I plan on asking him myself before lunch, which should be in a little while.
I sat in third period staring at the clock waiting for the last five minutes to be up. It just felt like a lifetime before the bell rang.
"Why do you keep staring at the clock?" Nika whispered to me.
"Because, I'm trying to meet Malik at his locker and ask him to the dance." I whispered back.
She nodded her head in understanding. Soon after the bell rang and I quickly grabbed my things and rushed out of the class. I made it down to the first floor to put my things in my locker. I closed my locker after putting my things inside and walked down the hallway a little until I reached Malik's locker. He was putting his things away and looking fine as always.
"Hey Malik."
"Wassup Cree?"
"Nothing much I just wanted to ask you something."
"Okay, wassup?"
"Okay so you know about the d-"
"Hold that thought." He said cutting me off. He called out to Zamia and I rolled my eyes.
"Wassup Malik?" She asked switching extra hard and stopping in front of him.
"I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the Homecoming dance with me?" When he asked her it felt like my heart dropped into my stomach and all the air left my body.
"Sure, I would love to." She said with a smile.
"Great, so I'll call you later on with details."
"Yea, you have my number so just hit me up."
"Will do." He said then watched her walk down the hallway. Then he turned and looked at me. "So what was it that you wanted to ask me?"
I was automatically filled with anger and didn't want to talk to him anymore. "Nothing, I forgot." I said and stormed down the hallway and into the lunch room.
I didn't even have an appetite. I noticed that this is a pattern, when ever I get irritated or mad, I lose my appetite and that isn't good. But I have noticed an improvement on my attitude. That little scene that happened in the hallway, I would have cussed both of them out but I just left it alone.
I sat at the table with my headphones in just staring ahead, everyone at the table tried to talk and see what was wrong but I just didn't talk. Soon after Malik came and sat at the table along with Zamia. They sat next to each other and was just all up in each others faces.
I couldn't take it, I felt like I was loosing my breath and my chest was getting tight. I stood up quick and made my way out of the cafeteria. I went into the bathroom and held my chest as I tried to get my breathing under control.
Nika came into the bathroom and took my headphones out of my ear and rested my ipod on the counter. "Cree what happened back there?"
"He asked her instead of me." I said and started crying.
Nika came and wrapped her arms around me. "Who did he ask?"
"Zamia." I said and sobbed on to her shoulder.
"Aww Cree."
I pulled away from her embrace and wiped my eyes. "He asked her right in front of my face. I was about to ask him when he cut me off to ask Zamia instead."
"I'm so sorry boo." She said.
"Don't be its not your fault." I said sniffling and looking at the blank screen of my ipod. "I just want to punch him in the face and slap her for even walking down the hallway." Nika chuckled. "He just has this effect on me and I don't know what it is. No boy has ever made me cry over them, I'm always the one to leave them feelin' some type of way."
"Well it seems like the tables turned on you." She said.
"I guess they have." I said turning around and fixing myself up. My eyes were red and puffy and I knew they were going to be like that for a while.
I walked back into the lunchroom and had some fruit so I could at least have something in my system.
************
The end of the day rolled around and the bell was going to ring soon. Everyone was packing up their things. I just sat there and finished my work.
The bell rang and everybody left the room. "Cree, did you ever remember what you had to ask me?" Malik asked.
"Yep."
"Are you going to tell me?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"It isn't important. The question is irrelevant now."
"Can I still know?"
"No." I said. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked clearly annoyed.
"Yo, what's wrong with you? You the one that wanted to have a friendship, I'm tryin' to see what's wrong with you but now you actin' like a bitch."
"Excuse you-" I said getting up from my seat.
"Cree, I didn't mean t-"
"You know what its cool, you said what you had to say, you can leave now."
"Cree I didn't mean-"
"You can leave now Malik."
"Cree?"
"Get out Malik!" I yelled.
He stood there and just looked at me then turned around and left.
*********
Nika came and picked me up from my aunts house and we headed to the mall. "I didn't know you could drive."
"Girl I drive to school everyday."
"Oh, why didn't Tati come with us."
"She stuck watching her brother again."
"Aww man poor girl."
"I know." She said pulling into an available parking space.
**********
Nika found herself a black lace dress that stopped a little above her knees, along with these black peep toe gladiator strappy black heels with a touch of gold in them.
We went into another store, I didn't pay attention to the name of the store I was focused on looking for a dress.
I went through racks and racks of dresses when I finally came across a long sleeved burgundy dress. I went to the dressing room and tried it on.
"Perfect." I said admiring the dress in the mirror.
"Let me see?" Nika asked. I walked out of the dressing room so she could see the dress. "Ooo, that dress looks great on you, Malik is gonna wish he asked you instead of Zamia."
"This dress is not to make him jealous." I said. "Did I tell you about our little dispute in the classroom when everyone left." She shook her head no. "Well basically, he stayed behind and asked me what I wanted to ask him and I said it wasn't important, then he asked me what my problem was and why I'm giving him the cold shoulder, then he started getting all mad and talkin' bout how I wanted to have a friendship with him and he wanna see what's wrong with me but I'm actin' like a bitch."
"He said what?!"
"Yup, said I was actin' like a bitch, then he tried to apologize and take it back, but then I told him he could leave."
"Wow, it sound like y'all arguing like a couple."
"Well the rate we goin' it doesn't seem like that's gonna happen anytime soon." I went back in the dressing room and took the dress off and placed it back on the hanger. I changed back into my clothes and went to pay for the dress.
"Now you need shoes."
"I know which ones I'm gonna get. I'm gonna get the same ones as yours but-"
"Why, find your own shoes."
"Can anybody let me finish my sentences today, damn." I said stepping onto the escalator. "Like I was sayin', I'm gonna get the same as yours just in the nude color."
"Oh, okay that would be cute."
"I know."
I bought the shoes and we made our way back to Nika's car.
****************
The next Monday I walked into the school with Nika since she picked me up. She went off to find Quay and left me as I went to my locker.
I was still upset about Malik's actions but its whatever, just brushing it off and moving on is what I plan to do. Cree Crenshaw doesn't have time to dwell on foolishness.
Anyway I opened my locker and took out the books I needed for my first three classes.
"Wassup Cree?"
I turned around to see who was calling me. "Oh hey Boog." I said and turned back to my locker. I saw that Malik was walking next to him but I didn't acknowledge him.
"Hi Cree." Malik said.
I turned around and looked at him for a good second. "Malik." I said acknowledging him, he's lucky I said anything to him at all. I fixed my bag over my shoulder and walked past Malik and Boog as they stood at his locker. I saw Malik watch me from the corner of my eye as I made my way down the hallway.
I sat in the cafeteria at our table and just played around on my phone. As I sat there my mom crossed my mind and I decided to give her a call.
"Hello?" She said into the phone.
"Hey ma."
"Hey Cree, how are you love?"
"I'm good, ya know doin' me, takin' it one day at a time."
"Okay that's good, how's the family?"
"Everybody's good."
"That's good." The line filled with silence. I wanted to talk to her but I just didn't know what to say. "So why did you call?"
"What do you mean, I wanted to talk to you, I miss you, I miss Brooklyn."
"I miss you too Cree."
The line filled with silence again until I broke it. "Are coming to Georgia for Thanksgiving?"
"Yea I should be, and I have good news."
"That's great, I can't wait to see you, but what good news do you have?"
"You have to wait until I get there, its a surprise."
"It better be an amazing surprise worth waiting a week for."
"Oh trust me it is, but I gotta go I have to get ready for work."
"Okay Ma love you."
"Love you too hun." She said then hung up.
Now this damn surprise is going to be on my mind for the longest.