Free If I Were Your Boyfriend by Earl Sewell Page A

probably a bit childish but I loved getting hugs from her.
      "Now, you remember what we talked about, okay? And if you need anything, just pick up the phone and call me."
      "Okay, I will," I said.
      "Now, let me go down the hallway and fuss at Mike for not coming out of his room to say hello to me." Grandmother Katie exited my room and headed down the hallway toward Mike's room.
      "So, how was your visit?" asked Jordan.
      "It was good," I answered as I scanned my room in search of my television remote.
      "Just good? Did anything happen?" Jordan pressed the issue.
      "No, nothing happened," I said, not sure why he was grilling me. "Anything happen here?"
      "No. Nothing happened while you were away. How do you feel about spending time with your grandmother?"
      "It was cool. It was nice to get away from all of the madness. I had a chance to clear my head and think about my situation."
      "Is there anything new you'd like to share with me regarding your situation?" asked Jordan.
      "No," I answered. I wasn't ready to tell him that I knew what Liz had done. I wanted to wait until I got an answer from her as to why she'd set me up.
      "Are you nervous about going back to school tomorrow?" he asked.
      "No," I said. "In fact, I can't wait to get back. There are a lot of things I need to get straightened out."
      "Like what?" Jordan asked suspiciously.
      "Just school stuff. You know, working on improving my grades and stuff like that," I lied to him. The only thing that was really on my mind was confronting Liz. I thought about calling her but changed my mind because we needed to talk face-to-face.
      "Well, I'll let you finish getting settled in. I'll be down in my office, working, if you need me," he said, and then left my room. Once he was gone, I shut my door and turned on my radio. A popular song by Destiny's Child came blaring through the speakers. I rocked my head to the melody as I sang "I'm a Survivor."

      The following morning at 6:00 a.m. my alarm clock began buzzing loudly.
      "Dang," I said as I looked at the clock, which was sitting atop my desk on the opposite side of the room. I tossed back my bed linen and dawdled over to the desk and slapped the off button so the loud noise would stop. The alarm clock was normally situated on the nightstand next to my bed, but my stepmother, Barbara, moved it because I kept hitting the snooze button instead of getting out of bed.
      I was about to get back in bed and lie down because I really wanted to sleep a little longer, but I heard a knock at my door.
      "Who is it?" I asked.
      "You know who it is." Mike didn't wait for me to invite him in. He opened the door.
      "What's up, son?" he greeted me.
      "Mike, I am not a boy, would you please stop calling me son!" I think Mike enjoyed irritating me. Mike was already dressed. He had on a pair of Girbaud blue jeans and a matching button-down blue jean shirt. He had a black do-rag on his head so that his hair would appear wavy and smooth once he removed it.
      "How was your visit with Grandmother Katie?" he asked.
      "It was okay, I was bored at times but overall it was a nice visit," I said to him as I sat down on the edge of my bed. I yawned but covered my mouth so that my breath wouldn't assault the air around us.
      "So, what's been going on around here?" I asked.
      Mike looked at me for a long moment before speaking. "It's been a trip. This whole drug thing you're mixed up in has everyone talking. The rumors that are going around are very ugly."
      "Rumors?" I asked. "What rumors? Jordan said nothing new went down."
      "He doesn't know about the rumors. People believe you're a straight-up drug dealer, girl. There are rumors about the Ecstasy being made in this house. Rumors about some girl named Toya Taylor who you used to get high with but then ratted out to the cops because you wanted to have a relationship with her but she rejected you."
      "What!" I almost