Free A Girl Like Me by Ni-Ni Simone Page A

“Not after she stole Stedman from me.”
    And I thought my house was live.
    Naja and I walked to her room and she cut the radio and TV on. We watched some videos and listened to some music, but decided two hours later we were bored as heck.
    â€œSo what we gon’ do today?” Naja asked.
    â€œI don’t know, but there has to be something to do.”
    â€œIt is Sunday.”
    â€œTrue.”
    Before I could respond, my phone rang.
    I looked at the caller ID. Haneef. “It’s Haneef,” I panted.
    â€œWhat? Haneef? Oh, my God!” Naja screamed. “I wonder if you won another radio contest.”
    â€œI didn’t try for another contest.”
    â€œSo, you could’ve still won.”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œAnyway, you gon’ answer it?”
    â€œI can’t.” I tossed the phone to her. “You answer it.”
    â€œI can’t.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI might try to get with him. So you better get it, before he hangs up.”
    â€œGood point. And I would hate for us to fall out.” I flipped open the phone. “Hello?”
    â€œWassup, Li’l Ma?”
    There went that sexy ass Li’l Ma again. “Nothin’. Chillin’.” I hoped the forced confidence in my voice made up for the butterflies taking over my belly.
    He laughed. “Well, I’m back in town and my CD just went platinum, so I’m having a party. I want you to come and chill with me.”
    â€œMe?” I couldn’t believe it. “You going a long way just to please a fan, don’t you think?”
    â€œThat’s how I do it, Li’l Ma,” he said. “You ai’ight with that?”
    â€œI guess.”
    â€œYou guess?”
    I laughed. “No, it’s cool.”
    â€œSo you comin’?”
    â€œUhmmm hmmm,” was my attempt to keep playing it cool.
    â€œStraight. So meet me around nine o’clock on 165 Grand Street at the Palace Club, and ask for James. He’s on my security team and he’ll show you to V.I.P.”
    â€œAi’ight.”
    â€œAi’ight, Li’l Ma. One.” And he hung up.
    â€œWhat happened?” Naja asked.
    As I went to answer, all that came out of my mouth were screams: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
    â€œThe choir singin’?” Mom-Mom pounded on Naja’s door. “I’m ’spose to sing lead.”
    â€œYou better tell me what he said right now,” Naja snapped, “or I’ma let Delicious in here.”
    â€œOkay…okay…he said, he wanted to go out. To meet him at the Palace around nine.”
    â€œOh hell, yeah, we goin’,” Naja insisted.
    â€œWe? Don’t you have a curfew?”
    â€œWhat, girl, a body pillow tucked under my sheet does wonders. Plus this is my mother’s bingo night. So she’ll be gone forever.”
    â€œGood!” I said excited, and then I remembered that I had a few dollars but my money was limited. “How we gon’ get there?”
    â€œI’ll ask my dad for the car.”
    â€œAnd what we gon’ wear?”
    She hopped off the bed and ran over to her closet, “Welcome to the world of bebe.”
    I stood stunned. “You didn’t take that back?”
    â€œHeck, no. Did you?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œYou stupid then. Not I. I’ma rock my gear. And some of it I haven’t even wore yet.”
    â€œDang. I don’t know about keeping it, Naja. Suppose Thelma gets suspicious.”
    â€œGurl, Thelma can’t see her way outta paper bag. She ain’t thinking about these clothes.”
    â€œI don’t know,” I said wearily.
    â€œStop worrying about that and let’s get down with the get down, and see what we gon’ wear.”
    After sorting through the clothes, I picked out a fitted black miniskirt and a halter. I had a leather midriff jacket and some stilettos at my house, which I