wildness at times, the girl had a way of getting the adrenaline rush, making Crystal anticipate what life was throwing her way. They were what Crystal’s textbooks called a balanced dialectic match, one of those partnerships of perfect yin and yang. Crystal kept Shonté grounded while Shonté inspired Crystal to dance.
As time passed, Crystal became anxious about leaving Jalessa alone at their apartment. But Shonté coaxed her into getting a quick snack at a fast food place before they went home.
As they sat down at a table with their trays, Shonté gave Crystal a curious look.
“I definitely approve of the change, Cee. But I’m still wondering why.”
Crystal tossed her head, feeling an unaccustomed swish against the side of her neck. “Why what?”
Shonté’s gaze remained speculative. “Who are you doing this makeover for?”
“I just needed a change,” she said with studied casualness. She poked at the lettuce and tomato piled high in a bed for grilled chicken strips.
“Uh-uh.”
The sarcasm in the tone made Crystal’s eyes fly up to meet her friend’s.
Shont é sucked noisily on her drink, then slapped the paper cup on the table. “What’s going on?”
Avoiding her friend’s gaze, Crystal kept her tone casual. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Shonté snorted. “Last week you were Miss Rod-up-your-butt. Then you have a drunken one-night stand, change your hair, your clothes and you’re keeping secrets from me. I don’t know who you are anymore.” A plaintive note of accusation crept into her voice.
“I’m the same person,” she protested.
Shonté regarded her from narrowed eyes. “It all started Saturday night.”
Crystal shoved a cherry tomato into her mouth and kept her eyes down.
“Key said I should let it go. But I want to know. Who was he?”
“What did Key say about him?” she asked in a small voice, poking at the seeds in her tomato.
“Key knows him?” Shonté gasped.
“No!” Crystal yelped.
Shonté relaxed. “Oh. So did this man hurt you, Crystal? Did he make you do something you didn’t want to?”
“No, no, no.” She threw down her fork and sighed. “Shonté, I don’t want to talk about it. It didn’t mean anything.”
The other girl shook her head in frustration, her black hair swinging. “This is not like you, Crystal.”
“Then maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” She pretended not to notice the hurt that sprang into Shonté’s eyes and looked at her watch. “We really should get going. You ready?” She stood up.
“Later,” Shonté grunted. Her lips were a tight line and she didn’t look up at Crystal.
Crystal hesitated, but then left alone to dump her tray and head to the parking lot.
This was simply one of those inevitable bumpy places in any relationship, she assured herself. Key and Shonté had been part of her life for too long for anything to ruin that now. Maybe they’d all gotten a little complacent, a little bored. Some stirring up might bring them closer than ever.
Shonté arrived home almost an hour after Crystal did. She entered with flushed cheeks, tousled hair and a soft smile curving her lips. A secretive shadow seemed to drop over her eyes as she met Crystal’s gaze. They were polite to one another in front of Jalessa but proceeded to bed without any more conversation.
* * *
Crystal stepped off the elevator, wobbling a little on her spike-heeled, narrow-toed Prada pumps. The shoes were the biggest extravagance of yesterday’s shopping orgy with Shonté . Her friend had laughed at the time and insisted that a girl wearing these shoes was guaranteed to get some play.
This morning when Crystal came out of her room dressed for work, Shonté had shooed her back and picked out another outfit and accessories. Crystal had protested feebly, but she was so happy to see Shonté friendly again that she went along with her decisions.
When she looked in the mirror she had to admit that the form-fitting amber
As time passed, Crystal became anxious about leaving Jalessa alone at their apartment. But Shonté coaxed her into getting a quick snack at a fast food place before they went home.
As they sat down at a table with their trays, Shonté gave Crystal a curious look.
“I definitely approve of the change, Cee. But I’m still wondering why.”
Crystal tossed her head, feeling an unaccustomed swish against the side of her neck. “Why what?”
Shonté’s gaze remained speculative. “Who are you doing this makeover for?”
“I just needed a change,” she said with studied casualness. She poked at the lettuce and tomato piled high in a bed for grilled chicken strips.
“Uh-uh.”
The sarcasm in the tone made Crystal’s eyes fly up to meet her friend’s.
Shont é sucked noisily on her drink, then slapped the paper cup on the table. “What’s going on?”
Avoiding her friend’s gaze, Crystal kept her tone casual. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Shonté snorted. “Last week you were Miss Rod-up-your-butt. Then you have a drunken one-night stand, change your hair, your clothes and you’re keeping secrets from me. I don’t know who you are anymore.” A plaintive note of accusation crept into her voice.
“I’m the same person,” she protested.
Shonté regarded her from narrowed eyes. “It all started Saturday night.”
Crystal shoved a cherry tomato into her mouth and kept her eyes down.
“Key said I should let it go. But I want to know. Who was he?”
“What did Key say about him?” she asked in a small voice, poking at the seeds in her tomato.
“Key knows him?” Shonté gasped.
“No!” Crystal yelped.
Shonté relaxed. “Oh. So did this man hurt you, Crystal? Did he make you do something you didn’t want to?”
“No, no, no.” She threw down her fork and sighed. “Shonté, I don’t want to talk about it. It didn’t mean anything.”
The other girl shook her head in frustration, her black hair swinging. “This is not like you, Crystal.”
“Then maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” She pretended not to notice the hurt that sprang into Shonté’s eyes and looked at her watch. “We really should get going. You ready?” She stood up.
“Later,” Shonté grunted. Her lips were a tight line and she didn’t look up at Crystal.
Crystal hesitated, but then left alone to dump her tray and head to the parking lot.
This was simply one of those inevitable bumpy places in any relationship, she assured herself. Key and Shonté had been part of her life for too long for anything to ruin that now. Maybe they’d all gotten a little complacent, a little bored. Some stirring up might bring them closer than ever.
Shonté arrived home almost an hour after Crystal did. She entered with flushed cheeks, tousled hair and a soft smile curving her lips. A secretive shadow seemed to drop over her eyes as she met Crystal’s gaze. They were polite to one another in front of Jalessa but proceeded to bed without any more conversation.
* * *
Crystal stepped off the elevator, wobbling a little on her spike-heeled, narrow-toed Prada pumps. The shoes were the biggest extravagance of yesterday’s shopping orgy with Shonté . Her friend had laughed at the time and insisted that a girl wearing these shoes was guaranteed to get some play.
This morning when Crystal came out of her room dressed for work, Shonté had shooed her back and picked out another outfit and accessories. Crystal had protested feebly, but she was so happy to see Shonté friendly again that she went along with her decisions.
When she looked in the mirror she had to admit that the form-fitting amber
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