A Girl Like Me by Ni-Ni Simone Page B

“I’ll be back.”
    He walked away, but before he was even three feet from us, he screamed in laughter.
    â€œJust take me home,” I said, embarrassed.
    â€œOh, now you wanna go home? Let me show you something. Burger King only pays me a few pennies.” He went back in his wallet and don’t you know, this fool had change spilling from it and falling to the tiled floor. “This is all I got.” He pulled a ten, a five, a handful of dimes and nickels, and placed them in the center of the table. I couldn’t believe this. “You get the picture now?”
    â€œGood question,” came from behind me, and when I looked to see who it was, Haneef was pulling up a chair to the table. He turned the chair around backwards and sat down with his arms hanging over the back. “Oh, my fault.” He inched up a little and gave Jahaad a fist bump. “What’s good, pot’nah?”
    Jahaad was in such shock, he didn’t even respond.
    â€œHaneef, what are you doing here?” I said in disbelief.
    â€œI was about to ask you the same thing,” he responded.
    â€œExcuse you?” This dude had some nerve! And for real-for real, since I hadn’t heard from him, he was lucky I didn’t tell him to bounce.
    The waiter came over to the table. “Haneef…” His eyes were filled with surprise. “Oh, wow! My daughter loves you. You mind giving me an autograph?”
    â€œNot at all, son.”
    Haneef signed the paper the waiter handed him.
    â€œThanks a million,” the waiter cheesed. He looked at Jahaad and frowned, then turned back to Haneef. “Since you joined the party, would you like to order something?”
    â€œYeah, hit me with a Sprite.”
    A Sprite? So he had plans on sitting there long enough to sip on a Sprite?
    Okay…it was obvious that Haneef played too much. I turned to Jahaad, who was still sitting there in disbelief. There he was getting punked and he was acting like a mannequin. A total turn off. “Uhmmmmm…” I folded my lips into my mouth as the waiter quickly returned with Haneef’s soda. Haneef took a sip, then looked at me and said, “Let me hollah at you for a minute.”
    I looked at Jahaad, who had suddenly returned to Earth. “You can’t be coming up in here like this.” And if I wasn’t mistaken, he had poked his chest out.
    Finally, this fool was fighting for my honor.
    I looked at Haneef as if to say, ‘And what you got to say about that?! Teach you not to call me for two weeks.’ And for emphasis, I twisted my neck. “Boy, you can’t be poppin’ up in here thinkin’ I’ma just roll out with you.”
    Haneef stared at me for a moment, and oh, God, I hated that he was fine because it lowered my resistance by the moment. “Whatever,” I said.
    And wouldn’t you know, Haneef laughed. Fell…the hell out! “You real funny,” he stood up and motioned toward the door. “But for real, I need to hollah at you for a moment.”
    â€œHmmmm, let me think—”
    â€œThis is real cute and all, but all this trippin’ in public is not gon’ wash. Understand? Now I’m asking you nicely, let me speak to you for a moment.”
    I sucked my teeth and looked at Jahaad. “You better not move!” he said.
    I cocked my neck to the side. Okay, tough guy was getting a little out of line with what I better not do. “Just give me a minute.”
    â€œExactly,” Haneef said as he nodded his head at Jahaad, placed ten dollars down on the table to cover his drink and tip, and walked out the door.
    â€œYou about to bounce with this cat?” Jahaad spat in disbelief.
    â€œNo, he probably just wants to talk to me about singing or something. Goodness, I said I’ll be right back.”
    â€œThis is some bullshit!” Jahaad snapped. “I swear, if you walk out that door, when you come back to