Free Upgrade U by Ni-Ni Simone

seizure. “But Courtney Lay’mar Piére. Boy, you so bad that you make me wanna lock you up.”
    What?
    “That’s a good one, Courtney,” Khya said. “I’ma have to use that.”
    Courtney continued, “I’m trying to be the first male cheerleader for the basketball squad, you think you can hook that up? My mama always said it isn’t always about what you can do, but more about who you know. And trust me, I would be good too,” Courtney rambled. “Picture it: me in black leggings, skin-tight black wife beater, and Voguing … all over da place … all … night long. The people’ll be like—'all hail to the king,’ ‘cause he runnin’ the court—oh wait.” Courtney turned his beady eyes toward me and stared. “Oh my …” He slapped his hand over his mouth. “I just figured out why you’re so angry.”
    Where did that come from?
“What?” I said. “Anybody else confused? What are you talking about?”
    “Oh nothing.”
    “What do you mean nothing?” I spat. “What is it?”
    “Forget it.” He shook his head and tapped himself on the hand. “Bad Courtney, bad.”
    “Are you hearing voices or something? Would you just say it!”
    Courtney shook his head. “I don’t know if I should say it.”
    I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. “Just say it!”
    He blinked. “You can calm down.” He cleared his throat. “Maybe I should ask you instead of assuming: Are you the hoodrat they were talking about online this morning?”
    “Hoodrat?” Josiah said, taken aback. “What?”
    “Yup, that was her,” Khya confirmed.
    “Dang, girl, you all famous and everything.” Courtney shot his sick smile at me. I promise you, this dude rode every last one of my nerves.
    “And you know this,” Khya said proudly, “ya heardz me. But I tell you what, we’ll take a lil heat from the paparazzi, ‘cause we’re dying to be in the paper, get chased down the highway, and have helicopters flying over our heads—but trust and believe, nobody else bet’not come crazy.”
    “Fa’sho',” Courtney agreed. “ ‘Cause this yo goldmine, I mean this is your boyfriend, Seven.” He smiled at me. “So don’t worry …” His voice drifted as a group of cuties stood in the center of the parade and played a jazz tune.
    “Oh, honey,” Khya said as if she were in a trance. “I think that one there has a record deal. Hey, lil cutie.” She waved.
    I looked at Josiah, and he mumbled to me, “Where did you get these two?”
    “Be quiet.” I chuckled, as Khya and Courtney continued raving. “These are my new friends,” I said.
    “I see that.” Josiah kissed me behind my ear and whispered, “I missed you, Seven. A lot. And I don’t want you thinking about anything other than how much I care about you.” He kissed me gently in the center of my head and sang as softly as his baritone voice would allow him, “Search around the world, but you will never find another shortie like mine.”
    I closed my eyes and listened to him sing alongside the jazz that played; and for the first time in a while I remembered how good it felt to be Josiah’s girl. My dimples folded deeply into my cheeks and I couldn’t stop smiling.
    Josiah was the b-boy all the cats wanted to be and allthe girls wanted to love….And I had him. Me: Seven McKnight—an everyday around-da-way Brick City chick with thick hips and radiant pecan skin.
    I had the hottest boyfriend and right now at this moment my life was sweet. Period. Forget all of the lingering thoughts floating around in my mind. I could push those aside, because as for right now, nothing else existed, except this moment. “I love you, Josiah.” I turned to him and pressed my lips against his.
    “I know you do,” he said as we started to kiss. “I know you do.”
    “Awwwwl.” Courtney’s admiration created a choir behind us. “All I need now is a candy cigarette and an Al Green CD.”

8
    Tell me how you do it …?
First, you need … some cutthroat music