Free Deal With It by Monica McKayhan

is Jaylen. Jaylen, Darla.”
    “This is my cousin, Alexis,” Darla said, introducing her look-alike.
    “What’s up?” I said to Alexis.
    “And this is my friend Nita.” Darla introduced the heavy girl, who was licking her lips at Jaylen.
    “You going to the movies?” Nita asked Jaylen. “I’ll buy you some popcorn.”
    Popcorn was the last thing she needed, I thought as I checked her out. She had a cute face, but her body didn’t seem to match.
    “I’m good. Thanks, though.” Jaylen smiled and then focused all of his attention on Alexis. Even with Jaylen’s six-foot frame and perfect haircut, Alexis seemed uninterested in him. But that didn’t stop him from trying to get her attention.
    Regardless of the fact that we both had girlfriends, we still found ourselves standing in the long, endless line at the movie theater. It wasn’t a date. That was what I told myself as we got closer to the box office to purchase tickets. It was just a group of friends checking out a movie together. That was it. A date was more a one-on-one thing. If I was on a date with Darla,I’d have my arm around her neck, and I would plant kisses on her forehead. If this were a date, I’d be buying her ticket to the movie. But I’d already decided that I was only buying mine. And maybe Jaylen’s, because he was broke as a joke.
    I slipped Jaylen one of the twenties from my wallet, just so he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of the girls. There was nothing worse than standing in a long line at the movies and getting to the box office and not being able to pay for your own ticket. As Jaylen approached the ticket counter, he turned and smiled at Alexis.
    “Two student tickets,” he said to the pimple-faced girl behind the counter. “I got you, Lex.”
    I got you, Lex? What was he doing? Did he forget that he was spending my twenty?
    “Thank you,” Alexis said and smiled.
    Her whole attitude toward Jaylen changed after he spent some money on her. Girls.
    Darla’s beautiful brown eyes were staring straight at me. She didn’t say it, but I knew she expected me to spring for her ticket. Jaylen had me in a bind, and I would let him know it as soon as we were alone. I wanted to pop him upside his head, but instead, I gave Darla a smile and handed the cashier my last twenty-dollar bill.
    “Two students, please,” I told Pimple Face.
    I wasn’t paying for her fat friend, I thought as I handed over the twenty. She must’ve figured that out, because she pulled her wallet out of her purse and paid for her own ticket.
    As the five of us headed toward the concession stand, I spotted Tameka’s friend Indigo Summer. She was with Jade Morgan and two other girls from the dance team, Tymia and Asia. All I needed was for them to spot me. One of them would be on the phone with Tameka quicker than I could explain why I was standing next to a beautiful girl in the concession-standline at the movie theater. Not to mention, a girl that Tameka had already had words with. I didn’t need that kind of drama.
    “Hey, I’m going to the bathroom,” I told them. I needed an exit strategy.
    As I headed toward the men’s room, Indigo spotted me.
    “Hey, Vance. Who you here with?” she asked. “Tameka with you?”
    “Nah, I’m here with that knuckleheaded Jaylen,” I explained. It wasn’t totally a lie. I was with Jaylen. “We’re going to see that action-packed, um, movie.”
    “Which one?” Jade asked, all up in a conversation that didn’t involve her.
    “Did y’all see Tyler Perry’s movie?” I asked, avoiding Jade’s question.
    “Yes, and it was so good,” Indigo said. “You’ll have to bring Tameka to see it. We invited her to come along, but she had to go get her hair done today. She will love this movie! It’s my second time seeing it. Marcus brought me the first time.”
    “Who’re those girls over there with Jaylen?” Jade interrupted again.
    “Pssst.” I blew air from my lips. “You know how Jaylen is. He’s a girl