Eastside

“Girl, you have to get this dress!” my crazy friend, Keisha, hollered, holding up a too small and too tight dress up to my body. I gave her a side glance before rolling my eyes.

“If I wanted to show that much skin, I could go to the party naked and save me some money.” The sarcasm dripped off my tongue.

“Like your daddy would let you outta the house naked.”

“Exactly! And he wouldn’t let me out in that either. Help me find something not too short. I’d like to leave something to the imagination.”

“Guys want to use their eyes, not their imagination.”

I laughed as I continued flipping through the dress racks. We’d been at the mall for a couple of hours with no luck. The party was in a few hours, and I was running out of time if we wanted to finish hair and makeup. I envied Keisha, who went to the hairstylist yesterday for some fresh braids. My parents didn't have the money to afford braids. Fortunately, we had some ancestors with good hair, and my curly ringlets looked amazing.

Neither one of us wore much makeup, but I liked a little eyeliner and mascara when I went out. Keisha liked bold lipsticks and mascara. Still, I needed the perfect outfit if I wanted to outdo Ashley and her crew. We had a not-so-friendly competition ever since she started moving in on every guy that showed an interest in me. While I don’t want a guy who’ll run to the easiest girl in school rather than wait on me, I found her antics annoying, and I liked to try to look better than her anytime we saw each other.

Keisha didn’t help matters by trying to make me look as easy as Ashley. “What about this one?” she asked.

I cocked my head, trying to find something nice to say about the outfit she held out to me. “Ugh,” I groaned after finding nothing while shaking my head.

I turned to look at another rack when I saw it. The perfect dress. It was red and had a scoop neck, but didn’t show too much cleavage. The skirt flowed so I could dance and wasn’t too short. I didn’t think of myself as one of those girly girls who squealed over every little thing, but I let one loose when I saw that dress. Keisha laughed but agreed it was perfect. We already found her outfit, so after trying it on and verifying it fit okay, we paid and left the mall.

We spent the drive to my house discussing our plans for the evening. Dre, a guy in our grade that I knew about through friends but didn’t know personally, was throwing one of his famous parties in his basement. I didn’t know why, but they were always epic, and this was my first time being able to go. The past few times, I’d always been busy or grounded. This time, nothing could stand in my way. Keisha recommended showing up around 10 pm when the fun started jumping off. His parents were home to make sure it didn’t get out of hand, but they always stayed upstairs so as not to interrupt the fun.

We decided to take my Honda Civic because it was cleaner, not just on the outside. Keisha had a mess of disposable cups, receipts, napkins, and other junk littering her seats, front and back. I liked to keep my car tidy in case I needed to offer rides, and I didn’t want bugs.

Once we arrived at my home, we rushed inside to get ready. My hair took the longest. After showering, I used several products to make sure my curls didn't frizz. When I finished, we put on makeup and our new outfits. I was happy with my overall appearance when I finished. Keisha didn’t look half bad either, not that I’d give her that ego boost.

My dad worked late tonight, so I didn’t have to worry about him harassing me about where I was going and with whom. My mom was lenient and didn’t ask too many questions. I knew she cared enough to ask where I was going and when I’d be home, but not demand to drop me off and meet parents like my father.

On the way to the party, Keisha skimmed through her social media and saw that people were posting pictures from the party already. “Dang!” she exclaimed. “Ashley’s dancing with Lloyd.”

I cursed under my breath and banged on the steering wheel. I’d been talking to Lloyd for a few weeks and thought we might have a connection. The thought of those two dancing made my stomach twist. I guess that relationship was over before it started. He knew how I felt about her and still decided to dance with her. That’s a betrayal, and I don’t play that. If you couldn’t be loyal for a few weeks, where would we be a couple of months from now? I’d rather cut ties before I catch feelings.

Keisha kept skimming past pictures until she saw a guy she liked smoking in the backyard with a bunch of our classmates. It wasn’t cigarettes they were smoking either. Keisha didn’t care about that type of thing, but I didn’t play when it came to smoking. It gave me major headaches and smelled awful. I may be picky about a lot of things, but that’s only because I don’t want to invest in something that’s going nowhere. I don’t see a future with someone who’d rather smoke than kiss me.

Keisha squealed, knowing her man, who doesn’t know it yet, was there. I was more excited before knowing Lloyd betrayed me. Hopefully, I’d find another guy to hang out with; otherwise, I’m not sure it would be any fun. The girls tended to pair off at these parties, so it wasn’t like I’d have my girlfriends to hang out with.

Cars littered the streets on both sides when we pulled up. Finally, I found a parking spot five houses down. I could hear the music from there and hoped the party wouldn’t be shut down by an annoying neighbor.

The house was two stories with a two-car attached garage. Bricks covered the first floor, while the second had tan siding. The front porch extended half of the front until it reached the garage. A few chairs sat on the porch waiting for a hot summer day when the owners would sit outside and sip lemonade. I imagined how easy it would be to sneak out of one of the second-floor windows onto the porch roof and down one of the pillars holding it up. Dre probably didn’t have to do things like that with as lenient as his parents were with him and his brother. Lights were on in what seemed like every room in the house.

A few people milled about outside smoking, but the majority would be in the basement, dancing or lounging. I lost Keisha immediately as she made a beeline toward Frankie, the guy she was interested in. Most of the people had already paired off, and I felt awkward standing next to the door by myself. That was when Lloyd noticed me and decided to venture over. I guessed we were going to have this conversation sooner rather than later.

“Hey, pretty lady! Can I have this dance?” he yelled in my ear over the booming bass.

“Uh, no,” I hollered back, crossing my arms over my chest. He gave me a once-over before asking why I was being like this.

“Did you think I wouldn’t see the pictures of you and Ashley?” I asked.

“Come on, baby! You know I only want you,” he whined.

If he thought that line would work, he was sadly mistaken. “No, I don’t know that. What I do know is that I specifically told you that I don’t like her. You told me you didn’t either, then I see her grindin’ on you,” I stated, losing interest fast. What did I see in this fool?

“It wasn’t like that,” he explained.

“Really? So, what was it like?”

“She asked if I wanted to dance, and all her little friends were around, and I didn’t want to embarrass her.”

“Let me get this straight, you let her grind her butt on you out of the kindness of your heart?” I laughed bitterly.

His face fell immediately. He could tell he was getting nowhere with me. To save face, he called me a female dog among other curses. I rolled my eyes, but felt like crap that he’d seemed like such a nice guy until now. How could someone make you feel special one day and then call you out your name?

Suddenly, I felt a hand tug on my arm. I looked over to see a really handsome guy I’d never met attempting to get me to follow him. He had olive skin with deep-set, hooded green eyes. His lips looked kissable, and he had dark brown hair that was tousled from him running his fingers through it. I conceded to him out of sheer curiosity and to get away from Lloyd. I probably would have followed Bundy at this point just to get away from him and his drama.

He pulled me to an empty, quieter part of the basement and leaned against the wall with me in front of him. I stood there awkwardly as he appraised my outfit. His gaze ended on my lips, then slowly lifted to my eyes. A blush heated my cheeks as I stared back into his sultry green eyes.

“My name’s Cam,” he said in a deep voice that made my knees weak.

“Lia,” I choked out, suddenly feeling parched.

“Sorry, I pulled you away, but that guy seemed like a creep,” he explained.

“He is,” I replied, grateful for the distraction, and here I thought I’d have an awful time. “Where are you from? I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

“I come around occasionally,” he responded cryptically.

I smirked while quirking my eyebrow, showing my skepticism, then asked, “How did you know about the party?”

“My cousin. He’s around here somewhere,” he said, flicking his wrist in the general direction of dancers, but kept his eyes trained on me. As if he’d look away and I’d bolt. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Alright, I’m 17 and a senior. I love Chinese food, or at least our Americanized version. I sing in the choir at church, and I’m on the swim team at school. How about you?” I asked.

“Just turned 18 and I’m also a senior. I also like Americanized Chinese food and pizza. I don’t play sports.”

“Why not?”

“Don’t have time.”

“Do you work?” I asked.

Cam dropped his gaze. “Yeah, kinda.”

Okay... that was vague. “What do you do?”

“I’m in... retail. Do you work?” he answered to steer the conversation away from himself, I assumed.

“Yeah, I referee basketball for the YMCA. It pays pretty well, but the parents and coaches can be pains.”

“Doesn’t sound like you enjoy it.”

“I don’t, but I have to pay my phone bill and car insurance somehow.”

“Your parents don’t pay for that stuff?”

“What? You assume because I’m black that I’m spoiled?” I was pursing my lips to keep from laughing. I just wanted to mess with him. My parents weren’t wealthy by any means. We lived paycheck to paycheck but made too much to receive any benefits. My father was a cop, and my mother sold insurance. We had a four-bedroom home on a quiet street, but that’s where the luxuries ended.

“No...” Cam scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. “You living in this part of town makes me assume so.”

I snort from holding in my laughter. “I’m just messing with you. Both my parents work full-time jobs just to afford our house, so we don’t have enough to do anything else. If I want a phone, a car, clothes, whatever, it’s coming out of my paycheck.”

“Still better than working just to live on the wrong side of town and not have any of that.”

“I guess,” I admitted.

He chuckled at my expression. “It’s alright, shorty.” I rolled my eyes at his new nickname for me.

“I’m not short. I’m 5′4”, which is average for women,” I informed him.

“Well, compared to my 6′2”, you’re short,” he stated with a sexy smirk on his enticing lips. He caught me staring, and his mouth formed into a full smile, making me swoon. “So, can I get your number?”

Butterflies swarmed my stomach as he held out his phone. I typed in my name and number before passing it back. “I hope you don’t do this to all the girls.”

“No, just the ones I want to get to know.”

“Oh yeah, how many is that?”

“One.” My heart fluttered, but they sounded too much like lines. I told myself not to fall because he was definitely a player.

He had to leave soon after with his cousin, who had a curfew. It wasn’t bad timing because I had to get home as well. My father worked the night shift, so I didn’t have to worry about him, but my mom would start to worry if I stayed out all night. I found Keisha in a corner making out with Frankie, so I guessed they hit it off.

After pulling her off him, we bolted for the door to make it home before my mom started calling. I opened the front door after saying goodbyes to Dre’s parents and ran smack dab into none other than my father.

“What are you doing here and wearing that?” he asked, gesturing to my attire.

I felt dread creep up my back. “I was invited to a party. Mom said I could go.”

Dad gave me a look that said he wasn’t happy, and I was going to hear about it. “We received a noise complaint. Get your behind home and in bed. We’ll talk in the morning when I get off.”

I nodded and dragged Keisha towards my car while my dad talked to Dre’s parents about the volume of the music. Before I made it to my car, the music silenced, and kids started streaming out of the house. A couple who knew my father yelled at me as if I had called him.

Great, now I was going to get harassed at school for this. It was bad enough that I had kids saying my dad was a pig for being a cop. I couldn’t catch a break.

We headed back to my house with the radio off. Keisha described her evening in explicit detail while I thought of nothing but Cam. His deep voice, sexy looks, and the way he flirted with me all night. No way he didn’t have a few girls at his beck and call. I realized I never found out what school he went to. I had friends at pretty much every school in the area, so if I could figure out which one, I could get the scoop on him.

Keisha noticed I wasn’t listening and snapped her fingers in my face. “Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”

“Girl, everyone is going to forget about your dad by Monday.”

I gave her a side glance. “No, they won’t,” I told her. “Ashley and her crew won’t let me or anyone else forget because in this instant, she finally one-upped me.”

“Let me beat her up so we don’t have to deal with her anymore.”

“You know the rent-a-cops at school won’t allow it, and I don’t need my father showing up and arresting you. He probably wouldn’t allow you back in my house.”

Keisha laughed like I was playing, and I hoped she wouldn’t test it. I dropped Keisha off on my way home. All the lights were off, so I guessed her parents didn’t wait up for her.

My mother, on the other hand, yanked open the door after I parked and got out. She had a perturbed expression. “The police were called?” She said it as a question, but I knew Dad called her.

“The music was a little loud,” I explained, like it wasn’t a big deal. Obviously, to adults, that was a big deal.

“Your dad is not very happy to find his daughter at a party he was called to shut down.”

“Dad’s never happy,” I muttered as I walked past her into the house.

She must not have heard me because she continued. “You know you’re probably going to be grounded.”

“For what!? I did nothing wrong! I’m home before my curfew, you gave me permission to go, and I was leaving even before I knew Dad was called.”

“I’m just warning,” she defended, not wanting to fight. She’d leave that for my father and me. “He’s under a lot of pressure at work. He doesn’t need you in trouble on top of it.”

“I’m not in any trouble. He needs to trust me. I’m almost an adult.”

“Until you are, your behavior still reflects on him.”

I rolled my eyes and walked to my room. I was surprised she didn’t say anything about the eye roll. My parents didn’t play when it came to disrespect, but I couldn’t help it. They were being totally unfair about this whole situation.

My phone ringing stopped me in the middle of getting undressed for bed and pulled me out of my unpleasant thoughts. It was a local number, but it wasn’t saved in my phone. I answered cautiously. “Hello?”

“Hey, Shorty,” came a familiar deep voice.

A smile brightened my face. “Hey Cam, couldn’t wait until morning to call?”

“Then I wouldn’t be able to tell you to have sweet dreams, and I wouldn’t be the last thought on your mind before you go off to dreamland.”

“I don’t know. You probably still won’t be if my other dudes call,” I replied with a smirk.

He paused for a moment. “Do I have competition?”

“Oh, of course! I’m a hot commodity,” I joked. Cam let out a chuckle, catching my sarcasm.

“Well then, I guess I'd better step my game up.” My heart lurched in anticipation, but also the possibility that he was just playing me for real.

“What school do you go to?” I asked. “I realized you never told me.”

“I go to the Eastside.”

I paused. The Eastside was a terrible school. They had some of the worst testing scores in the area, though they had a decent football team. The crime rates in the surrounding area were the worst in the country. I had friends from the Eastside, and many of them were afraid to walk down the street due to drive-bys and gang activity. You almost had to be hardcore to go to that school. The bullying was awful, and the teachers had almost no control over their classrooms, from what I heard. Although I had friends who attended there, I would be scared to go to any school functions. I’d been invited to homecoming last year but declined. Besides, even if I wanted to go, there was no way my father would let me set foot on the East Side. The friends I had, I met through other friends, and we’d spent time at the mall and other places not on that side of town.

The silence became uncomfortably long as I tried to find words. “Is that a problem?”

“No, I have friends who attend there too,” I admitted.

“Oh, cool. Who are they?”

“Do you know Mercedes?” Yes, that’s her real name. She hated it because she said it sounded like a stripper's name.

“Yeah, I know her! She’s cool.”

“Theresa is another friend.”

“I think I have math with her.”

“She’s a lot of fun.” When I hang out with her, I end up laughing the whole night. Just thinking about her made me want to hang out. I knew some guys at the school, too, but I wasn’t about to admit all my connections.

“In that case, come to Homecoming with me,” he suggested. My mouth dropped. This boy knew how to keep me on my toes.

“Uh, I- I don’t,” I couldn’t get a coherent sentence out.

“Say yes. I promise you’ll have a good time!”

My stomach churned with nervous energy. I was already freaking out about my dad, and now he wants me to go to Homecoming on the East Side. Footsteps resounded on the stairs, and I felt my heart stop. Was that mom or was dad off early?

“I’ll go with you.” I pursed my lips, praying I didn’t make a mistake. My father would ground me for life if he found out.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I gotta go,” I rushed.

“Sweet dreams, Shorty.”

“You too,” I said before hanging up the phone and lying down in bed. I’d already turned off my lamp and snuggled down into my comforter. I was not ready for a lecture right now if it were my father.

The footsteps ended outside my bedroom. I heard my door creak open slowly. My heart thundered in my chest, almost as if it were calling to the person, letting them know I was still awake. I took a few deep breaths to calm my adrenaline. My door closed as slowly as it had opened, and I exhaled in relief that they didn’t try to wake me for a conversation.

A piercing scream left me when I felt a hand grab my foot that apparently stuck out of the comforter. I shot up and glared at my older sister, Aisha, who guffawed at my expense.

“You- should have- seen- your face,” she said between laughing fits. I gave her the finger and lay back with my hand over my heart. Pretty sure I almost had a heart attack. It would have served her right when I haunted her for scaring me to death.

My mother burst through the door, placing her hand over her heart when she saw it was just Aisha and me. She scolded Aisha for terrifying everyone in the house before she went to her own room. Apparently, my scream also woke our little brother, who was in the room next door. Now he needed to sleep in our parents’ room, which Mom was none too pleased about.

“What is wrong with you?” I asked her.

She chuckled before plopping down on the end of my bed. “I thought it’d be fun and it was. Also, I wanted to talk about tonight.”

“What about it?”

“I heard you were at Dre’s party.”

“So?”

“Dad shut it down?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re in so much trouble!” She cackled.

“Don’t I know it,” I sighed. Aisha and I kept each other’s secrets. Had dad not found me himself, I could have told her everything without fear of my parents finding out.

“I was there too,” Aisha confessed.

“Really? I didn’t see you.”

“Yeah, I was with some other people. We must have been outside when you got there. We left before Dad came.”

“I was walking out the door when he came. Wait,” I said, realizing something. “Only smokers were outside.” Aisha avoided eye contact, and I knew. “You smoked!” I whisper-shouted.

“Occasionally... just to relieve some stress,” she admitted. “College is difficult, and honestly, I don’t know if it’s for me.”

I didn’t understand the pressures since I was still in high school, and it was a breeze for me. I’d never had to study hard, so I had no reference point. “Yeah, but if dad catches you and kicks you out, it’ll just add to that stress,” I pointed out.

“He’s too busy trying to make sure you don’t end up on the streets,” she laughed again.

“Yeah, like I’m the one he needs to worry about.” Aisha hit me with a pillow at my jibe. She had her rebellious moments, although neither one of us was ever close to being on the streets.

“What happened at the party?” she asked. “I saw Lloyd dancing with that Ashley chick.”

“Yup, and we’re no longer talking because of it.”

“Then who was the guy I saw you talking to in the corner?” I blushed for the 100th time that night. “Ooh, you’re blushing! Who is he?”

“Some guy I met at the party. He’s been laying it on thick, so he’s probably a player.”

“Why were you off by yourselves then?”

“He was saving me from Lloyd. And he invited me to Homecoming.” I chewed on my bottom lip just thinking about going to Eastside’s Homecoming. Their football team was amazing, though.

“Oh, good, I thought you’d end up as one of those single girls third wheeling with Keisha the whole time.”

“No, but there’s a problem. He goes to Eastside.”

Aisha chuckled. “Dad is not going to allow that.”

“Don’t I know it, but Cam is so convincing.”

“Camden Daniels?”

“Uh, I actually don’t know his last name.”

“If it’s Camden Daniels, you might want to reconsider. Him and his brother, Khalil, are bad news.”

“How do you know him?”

“I don’t. I buy off his brother sometimes. They sell weed and harder stuff.”

“Tell me you’re joking.”

“What? You thought we were all outside smoking cigarettes?”

“No, I could smell the weed. I just didn’t think you’d be that stupid while under Dad’s roof.” She glared at me, then rolled her eyes.

“Like I said, it’s just to blow off steam. I’m not a junkie or anything. But stay away from Camden and his family. They’re not the kind of people you want to get tangled up with,” she warned before leaving my room.

I lay back on my bed and thought about everything that had happened this evening. No way it could be the same Cam. Sure, he seemed like a player, but a gang banger? No. Although if he is a player, do I really want to be involved either? What if I go with him to Homecoming and it’s a bunch of drama with his female groupies? All the unnecessary stress I didn’t need in my senior year.

The next day, I was awoken unceremoniously by my father dumping water on me at 7 am. My shrieks at the sudden cold dousing could be heard a couple of blocks over, I was sure.

“I hope you know you’re grounded,” my father told me when I calmed down from the sudden assault.

“For what?” I asked. “I had permission, Dre’s parents were there, and I made it home by curfew. What did I do that I deserve to be punished for?”

“There were kids with illicit substances!” he scolded.

“Yeah, and I wasn’t one of them,” I shot back.

“You should have left if you knew other kids were doing drugs!”

“Really, Dad? If I left every time someone smoked weed, I’d never leave the house.” I left out the part where I couldn’t even be home with Aisha smoking, though it brought a coy smirk to the corner of my lips.

“So all your little friends smoke?” he asked - I assumed he wanted their names. I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for that. I’d been interrogated enough times to know what to and not to say. Sometimes I wished I had the right to an attorney.

“No, none of my friends smoke. I don’t know any of the smokers.” I kept my tone even and shrugged nonchalantly while maintaining eye contact. My father could read people well and knew the signs of lying. I had to keep my own tells in check. Aisha had perfected lying over the years, not that it was a skill to be proud of, and the guilt afterward always had me on my knees in prayer for forgiveness.

“Uh-huh.” My dad scowled at me like he was trying to read me. He had no proof to the contrary, so he dropped it. “You’re still grounded for a month for being at a party in a dress you knew I wouldn’t have approved of.”

I couldn’t win. I’d followed house rules and still ended up grounded! If anyone couldn’t wait to leave home, it was me. I didn’t respond as tears pricked my eyes. A pity party sounded really good, even if it wouldn’t solve the problem.

My father left without another word, leaving me to sulk in my own misery. Homecoming was two weeks away, and I wouldn’t be allowed to go. I could sneak out, but what would I wear, and would it be worth getting caught? My dress from last year sat idly in my closet, and no one from Eastside had seen it. A plan began to take shape in my mind.