A Love Like This (Book 1) (13 page)

“
Ok call me when you get closer,
”
 
I say and hang up.
 

Sarah climbs back in bed.
 
 
“
Who
’
s coming?
”
 

“
My uncle and sister are driving up from LA.
”
 

“
Awesome, I
’
m finally
 
gonna
 
get you to go out.
”
 

“
Since I know absolutely nothing about the area I guess you
’
re our tour guide for the weekend.
”
 

“
Get ready for a wild ride,
”
 
Sarah says then rolls over and falls back to sleep almost instantly.
 
I try to stay awake
 
but soon I fall back to sleep as well.

*****

There
’
s a knock at the door around 9 AM.
 
Sarah climbs out of bed stumbles over and answers.
 
“
Hey, you must be Sarah,
”
 
Pookie
 
sa
ys hugging her.
 
He walks past
Sarah and plops down on the foot of my bed.
 
 
“
Get up girl!
 
We
’
ve got places to go and people to see.
”
 

“
Hey uncle,
”
 
I say sleepily.
 
I sit up to hug him and
 
Pookie
 
wraps an arm around my waist and scoops me out of bed.
 

“
Oh my God honey you
’
re emaciated.
”
 
 
Pookie
 
says placing his big brown hands around my waist.
 
 
“
What happened to the freshman fifteen?
”
 

“
I
’
m a junior so it doesn
’
t apply.
”

Sarah chimes in,
 
“
She doesn
’
t eat--- all she does is study oh and hang out with the handicapped kids.
”
 

“
Well that
’
s admirable baby but this,
”
 
he points to my waist,
 
“
will never do.
 
You
’
re
 
gonna
 
have to start taking better care of yourself or I
’
m going to tell your mom--- or worst I
’
ll tell Keisha.
”
 

I don
’
t even want to think about having this conversation with Keisha,
 
“
Please don
’
t call her.
 
I swear I eat.
 
I
’
ve just been overwhelmed with school.
”
 

Oh well we
’
ll fatten you up over the weekend.
 
“
I brought you clothes from that boutique you like.
”
 
 
Pookie
 
is a junior fashion editor for Glam Magazine. He is on top of all the latest trends and he gets samples of the hottest clothes before they come out in stores.
 

“
I wore the white dress.
 
It was quite a hit.
 
“

“
I
’
m sure it was a hit.
 
What are you a D cup and you can
’
t wear a bra with the white one.
”

Before I can answer
 
Nickie
 
walks in smiling.
 
 
“
Hey girl, oh my God you
’
re skinny,
”
 
She says hugging me and kissing my cheek.
 

“
Where were you?
”
 

“
I checked us into a hotel down the street and then Damian called to make sure we made it safely.
”
 
 
Without thinking I scrunch up my nose and roll my eyes.
 
 
Pookie
 
slaps my arm.
 

Nickie
 
glares
 
at me,
 
“
What was that look about?
”
 

I scowl at
 
Nickie
 
and the room goes silent.
 
I
’
ve told Sarah all about
 
Nickie
’
s
 
relationship with Damian.
 
Sarah also knows that I don
’
t talk to
 
Nickie
 
very often because I can
’
t stand hearing about Damian.
 
Sarah sits on her bed watching everyone
 
frown
 
at each other for a moment.
 
 
Pookie
 
turns to Sarah and mouths the word,
 
“
help.
”
 

She leaps off the bed,
 
“
Ok everybody
 
pump
 
the breaks. Here
’
s the plan for the day,
”
 
Sarah
’
s latest boy friend is Berkeley
’
s only white rapper so she
’
s immersed in all things slang.
 
She walks around the room with her hands clasped behind her back as if she
’
s planning a military attack.
 
“
There
’
s a restaurant down the street that has the best pancakes I
’
ve ever had.
 
We
’
ll walk over and have breakfast there.
 
After that we
’
ll get all dressed up and go into the city.
 
We
’
ll do the tourist thing durin
g the day--- hang out at the pie
r
and check out a few museums.
 
The night will be amazing.
 
I know of at least six parties plus I know the bouncers at a couple of clubs we can sneak Leila into.
”
 

I pick out sweats and a t-shirt then turn and walk into the bathroom to get dressed.
 
 
Nickie
 
sits down in a huff and starts texting Damian.

“
All right then Ms. Sarah looks like we
’
re following your lead,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.

We walk three blocks i
n the cool morning breeze past
street vendors and clothing stores to Sophie
’
s Caf
é
.
 
Sophie
’
s is a soul food restaurant in the heart of downtown Berkeley.
 
The inside
of the
 
restaurant is painted bright yellow, orange, and green with brown trimming.
 
The walls are covered with paintings for sale by local artists. There is a hole carved in the middle of the restaurant
’
s tile floor where a six foot tall tree grows.
 
A full figured waitress with a blond Mohawk and a bored expression seats us at a table
 
near the window and takes our orders.
 
 
Nickie
 
and Sarah order pancakes with walnuts and bananas.
 
 
Pookie
 
orders pancakes, oxtail stew, cheese grits, fried okra, French toast and fried chicken for him and me to share.
 

“
Jermaine Peterson, I cannot eat all of that.
 
What
’
re you trying to kill me?
”

“
Leila you need to eat, black girls are not supposed to be this skinny.
”
 
 
He was right I was thinner than I
’
d ever been.
 
I wasn
’
t trying to lose weight.
 
I just never realized how much I relied on my mother and sisters for everything, even food.
 
My mother always had a stocked fridge so I never ate out because I preferred her cooking to anything I
’
d find at a restaurant.

Sophie
’
s Caf
é
 
starts to fill with customers.
 
 
Pookie
 
and I talk about his job and his latest relationship.
 
 
Nickie
 
and Sarah talk about school and all the parties going on tonight.
 
 
Pookie
 
stops talking midsentence and looks at
 
Nickie
 
and then back to me.

“
The two of you can stop the silent treatment.
 
We came here to have fun damn it.
”
 

We are working extremely hard at ignoring each other.
 
He picks up a fork from the table and points it at
 
Nickie
 
and then me.
 
 
“
I didn
’
t drive all the way out here for drama.
 
 
Nickie
 
we all hate Damian there it
’
s out now let
’
s move on with our lives.
”
 

“
He was right, I shouldn
’
t have come here.
 
You are all against him and he only wants what
’
s best for me.
”
 
 
I scoff and roll my eye towards the ceiling.
 
She pushes back from the table and starts to leave.
 

“
Where are you going to go?
 
You don
’
t know anyone here and you don
’
t know your way around.
”
 
 
She stands for a few seconds then sits down and folds her arms over her chest.
 
 
“
I don
’
t like the way he treats you.
 
You
’
re a beautiful smart girl and you deserve better than some guy who tries to control your every move and who is clearly gay.
”

“
He is not gay,
”
 
Nickie
 
protests her face turning red.

“
I know more than one man who would beg to differ.
 
I saw him at a club in Westwood.
”
 
 
Pookie
 
stops talking while the waitress places our food on the table.