#4 Truth and Nothing But Read online

  “Okay, then I’ll expect you back before the class period ends.”

  “The nerve of her,” I said to myself when I stepped into the hallway.

  “The nerve of who?” Reese came up behind me and said, startling me.

  “You scared me!” I said, hitting his hand.

  “You looking for me, right?”

  I nodded. “I was on my way to the gym.”

  “My teacher told me that I needed to come to your classroom.”

  “My classroom is the last place I want to be right now.”

  “Another teacher tripping, huh?”

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “Talk to me,” he said as he playfully nudged me.

  “We’ve got to figure out where I’m going to interview you,” I said, trying to make the interaction professional.

  We walked into the media center. There was a couch and a chair. We went over and sat down.

  “Okay, talk to me,” Reese said acting all concerned.

  “You’re not supposed to be interviewing me,” I said to him, not wanting pity. “I’m supposed to be interviewing you.”

  “Talk to me, Sloan. What’s got you so mad?”

  “Like you care…” I said, not even knowing why I said it—probably trying to hide my feelings that I couldn’t stop from growing.

  “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have asked. I don’t know what’s up with you. Sometimes you’re so warm and cool, and then other times you’re so cold and hot under the collar. Am I doing something to you?” he asked.

  “Today it’s not you,” I huffed and said being too honest. “Here I am on the newspaper. I want to be a reporter to tell the public the real deal. I want to inform people, give them breaking news they don’t have so that they can use it for change. But when people in charge of the paper won’t let me report stuff because it could hurt their job or something, it’s like, why do politics have to be involved in everything? I know my dad just became the mayor, but I don’t know, I feel like I’ve had enough politics to last me a lifetime. I’m tired of playing games.”

  “Well don’t get frustrated with it. Until you’re able to be a decision maker you walk within the guidelines you’re given. But that doesn’t mean you still don’t write what you want to write. Even if it’s just to get it out of you, even if it’s just to put it on your computer, there’ll be a time when you can use it. It’s like me with my speeches. When I got something to say, sometimes it just comes from nowhere and I got to get a handheld voice recorder. I got to get it out when I got something to say. You should do the same thing; that’s all I’m saying. Adults rule the world. But we don’t have to be limited by their way of thinking.”

  I just wanted to reach out, grab Reese’s neck, and hug him so tight. I so needed to hear that. Now I understood another reason why he was a motivational speaker. He wasn’t just spouting rhetoric; deep down he was profound, and I liked that.

  “So, what do you need to ask me about for the interview?”

  “Honestly, I think I’m good. Just knowing what you said to me, every student in the school needs to know the same thing. Don’t be limited, think outside the box, and settle for nothing less.”

  “Yeah, that’s me. I said all that?” he joked.

  “Maybe not in so many words.” I teased back. “But you’re alright, Reese.”

  “I think the same thing about you, Sloan Sharp,” he said, as our hands found their way to touching.

  “Urgh, excuse me!” my sister Yuri came over and said, startling me.

  Yuri eyed Reese. We were sitting sort of close. He and I jumped far apart, like we had been caught kissing or something.

  “Well, that’s it, Reese. Thanks.”

  “That’s why I popped in. I knew you really liked that boy!” my sister declared when the two of us were far from Reese.

  “I do not.”

  “He’s cute!” she admitted.

  “He’s sweet!” I responded.

  “Yeah, if I had a million dollars, I’d bet y’all would become a couple because you like him.”

  “Don’t waste money you can’t make back. There’s nothing to it,” I said, blowing off my growing feelings for Reese.

  “Okay, if that’s what you want to tell yourself. But I see love in your future.”

  I just smiled. Reese was cool because during my journalism class, I was fuming, but he had turned all that around. Maybe there was something there.

  My sisters and I hadn’t had a chance to hang out like normal teenagers in a long time. Last month we were able to go and get hamburgers together. So earlier in the week, we planned to hang out on Friday night and go to the big football game.

  “As soon as we get in the game, these two…” I said as I pointed at Shelby and Ansli. “…gon’ be with their boyfriends.”

  “Right, right,” Slade laughed and said.

  “Oh, you would be too if yours went to this school,” I told her.

  “This is sister time. I promise that’s not gonna happen,” Ansli said.

  “That is until the second half,” Shelby said as she hit Ansli in the side.

  I gave them both a look. Shelby blew me a kiss. I knew she wanted to hang with her boo. I frowned because I really wanted to hang with them with no male interruptions.

  Shelby threw her arm around me, “I’m just playing, girl! Go, Mavericks!”

  As soon as we got to the gate, there was a table straight ahead that said Parent Teacher Student Association. I saw Reese standing with an older gentleman.

  The handsome man who looked to be in his forties stepped toward me and my sisters. “Who in the world are these pretty ladies?”

  “Dad!” Reese said, clearly embarrassed.

  “What? I’m sure they get that all the time,” Reese’s father said.

  I stepped behind my sisters. I guess I was embarrassed too. We did get comments that we were cute a lot. But I’d never gotten them from the father of a guy who intrigued me. Also, I didn’t want my sisters to see I was frazzled.

  Mr. Redmond said, “You ladies look familiar. I know you are not the Kardashians, but you could be.”

  Ansli and Yuri did look like them, but I knew Shelby was about to say, “Okay, Mr. Too-old-to-be-macking-to-the-high-school-girls… we’ll see ya.”

  “Wait now, hold on. My son is SGA president. I just wondered had you guys joined PTSA.”

  “Yes, sir. I have,” Yuri raised her hand and said. “Me and my sister.”

  Yuri tried to point me out. When she moved to the left, I moved to the left. When she moved to the right, I moved to the right. Then she did a double take, and I thought she was turning left, but she really moved to the right, so I was exposed.

  “And who is this?” Mr. Redmond said with a large grin.

  Mumbling, I could make out that Reese replied, “Dad, that’s Sloan.”

  “Sloan? Ohhhhh, Sloan. Well, why don’t you ask her to work with you?” his dad said before looking at me and my sisters. “A couple people were supposed to be helping over here at the booth, but they didn’t show. We won’t keep you too long. I’m at another table on the visitors’ side. I don’t want Reese here standing all alone. A pretty girl like you might get us more memberships. You up for it?”

  “Not tonight. I’m spending time with my sisters. We’re just having girl time,” I said, quickly declining.

  “All you guys sisters? Wow!”

  Shelby said to me: “Well, we want you to serve. We’ll be right in the stands,” Shelby patted me on the back, got close to my ear, and said, “Oh, isn’t this ironic. Who’s with a boy now? You’ve been holding out.”

  Before I could say no, my sisters were gone, leaving me there with Reese and his dad. His dad was gathering paperwork to take to the other table. I felt really awkward.

  Mr. Redmond checked me out once more before jetting. “Thanks for staying here to work with my son. You said she was gorgeous, Reese, good eye.”

  “Dad!” Reese said, as h
is brown face turned red.

  Then it was just the two of us. It was still very uncomfortable. I wasn’t prepared, but I did look cute. Shelby made sure all of us looked good when we stepped out. I could see Reese focusing on my booty.

  “So, um, you told your dad I was cute?” I teased.

  He tried to deny it. He looked away. He looked up, but his flushed face told on him.

  “Yeah, he asked me what was going on at school, and um, you are for sure going on.”

  Now Reese had me blushing. “So what are we doing here? What are you at the table for?”

  “We’re signing up memberships and taking donations.”

  “For what?”

  “We feed the teachers once a month before school.”

  “Even the shady ones?” I said.

  “You got a good point with that.”

  In a booth next to ours was the Mavericks Shop booth. It held all the paraphernalia. Our assistant principal, Mr. Hobby, who always seemed too busy to really talk, was manning it. His line was long. Since Marks was a new school, a lot of people didn’t have sweatshirts, T-shirts, baseball caps, hoodies, and the like. Reese and I were looking right at him. We were both caught off guard when his line was gone and he didn’t put the money for the last sale in the cashbox right in front of him. Instead, he stuck it in his pocket.

  “Did you see what I just saw?” Reese asked me.

  “Oh, my gosh, I did! He stole that money. See what I’m saying. These adults are supposed to be here for us, and every time you turn around, we find more wrong than right. We got to go and see what’s up with him.”

  Trevy walked up, blocking our view. When we stepped around her, it appeared Mr. Hobby was about to walk away.

  “We’ve got to catch him,” I said to Reese.

  “Yeah, Trevy, we got to bounce. Watch the table. We need to go deal with the assistant principal. Something’s not right,” he told her.

  “What you mean, something’s not right?” Trevy asked.

  “He’s stealing,” Reese let out.

  “What? You go, Reese, let me talk to Sloan,” Trevy insisted as she pushed him toward the apparel booth.

  I tried to go after him, but Reese was gone, and there I stood.

  “I just wanted to tell you thanks for being here with Reese. I was late. I’m so excited to see you working. You didn’t just join PTSA, but you’re standing with us. I know that means a lot to him, and it means a lot to me.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Can I borrow your phone?” she said. “I need to call my mom and let her know I made it here, and I left my phone at home.”

  Trying to spot Reese, I said, “Yeah, sure.” I handed it to her.

  “Can you unlock it? I don’t want your code or anything, but…”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I uttered, annoyed. I unlocked the phone while still looking at Reese’s back.

  When I tried to hand it back to her, she said, “Oh, you know what… my phone’s right here. Duh! I didn’t think I would have left without it. Here ya go.”

  “Okay…” I said.

  Trevy was acting weird. “So, you’re not gonna hang here with me?”

  “The game is about to start, and I’m going to go sit with my sisters after I catch up with Reese.”

  “Reese will be fine. The assistant principal isn’t into anything. You guys definitely saw wrong, I’m sure.”

  I said, “But you weren’t here. You don’t know what we saw.”

  Rolling her eyes my way, Trevy said, “I’m just saying. It’s not good to speculate.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  SACRIFICE

  “Come on, Sloan,” Reese came back over to the table and said to me. “I’ve been waiting on you. I think he’s got the money in his left pocket. He’s over there by the concession stand.”

  “I’ve been detained,” I uttered, looking straight at his girl, who was standing in my way.

  Reese squinted. “I don’t understand.”

  “I didn’t either at first, but I got it now. This one here is having a few issues with me and you talking.”

  “Urgh, how could you say that?” Trevy said.

  Finally standing up to this girl, I said, “I’m sick of playing games with you, Trevy. Something is going on between you and Reese.”

  Rolling her eyes, Trevy retorted, “No, something is going on between you and Reese.”

  “Yeah, but whatever, how can anything go on? Every time I think he’s halfway cool, you tell me he’s talking about me.”

  “You told her what?” Reese replied in dismay.

  “Yeah, she told me you talked about my teeth stains, and you said I’m an airhead. She made it seem like there was much more you’d said. I was furious, but now I don’t think you said any of that. She wanted me so pissed at you that we wouldn’t even be talking now,” I said happy the secret was out.

  “Trevy, seriously? Tell me you didn’t.”

  Trevy placed her hands on her hips. “What? You don’t even really know this girl, and you did say she and her sisters think they’re all that.”

  “No, I said her and her sisters are all that,” Reese explained.

  “No, you didn’t,” Trevy argued back.

  “Yes, I did. And you were upset then that I was being friendly with Sloan. So it really doesn’t surprise me now that you’ve been selling me out to her. I thought we were past all this,” Reese said as he gave Trevy a mean glare.

  Trevy went over and touched Reese’s arm. “But I just can’t get over it.”

  “Okay, past what? Over what? What am I missing?” I cut in and said as I crossed my arms feeling the chill in the night’s air.

  The two of them looked at each other like I was supposed to get it, like I knew. I’d had my head so far up a book for years that I was naive to a lot, especially relationship signs.

  Seeing Trevy look into Reese’s eyes, I said, “Oh… ooohhh. You two used to date. He was your man?”

  Trevy rolled her eyes my way. “And you got a problem with it?”

  Reese stepped up to Trevy. “Why you doing this? Why can’t you let us go?”

  “I just want another chance. That’s all,” Trevy uttered in a desperate tone.

  Shaking my head, I sighed and said, “My sister was right! You do like him.”

  “Which sister?” They both looked at me and said.

  Irritated, I voiced, “Does it matter? You thinking I’m some kind of threat. There’s nothing going on between us.”

  Reese grabbed my hand. “But it’s not because I don’t want there to be.” He looked at Trevy. “And don’t be lying saying we’re together and stuff.”

  “I didn’t say anything about us being together.”

  “Nope, she sure didn’t. I didn’t know anything.” I said to him.

  “Well, don’t lie, saying I said negative stuff about her when the only thing I have said has been real positive. I want to get to know you more, Sloan. I’m sure a lot of guys are coming at you and your sisters. Y’all are beautiful girls.”

  “So what. Beautiful is overrated,” Trevy yelled. “I’m so sick of people at school going nuts over the Sharp sisters.

  “Don’t hate,” I looked at her and said, knowing she’d pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. I was not conceited.

  A part of me wanted Reese just to spite her, but that part was small. The bigger part of me wanted him because I could see in his eyes he really wanted me. The question in my mind was, is their thing done? Or was there more to the story that I didn’t know?

  “So what happened between the two of you guys?” I blurted out, breaking the silence.

  “You want to tell her, or do I need to?” Reese said as he looked unhappily toward Trevy.

  And from the way he said that, I figured out Ms. Trevy had been the one who had done something wrong.

  When she was hesitant, I said, “What? You were too clingy? You stalked him? You gave it up too soon? What?”

  “Naw, she gave it up to somebody
else,” Reese spit out, making my eyes open really wide.

  I wasn’t expecting for him to say that, and I don’t think Trevy wanted him to tell me either. This girl had some nerve.

  “Oh my gosh, you did? You hurt him, and now you don’t want him to talk to anybody else.”

  All of a sudden, Mr. Hobby, the assistant principal came walking by, and instead of Trevy letting us deal with him directly, she turned and said, “Hey, excuse me, sir. We want to talk to you about stealing money.”

  “Huh, excuse me?” he said.

  I wanted to pop her. I couldn’t believe she just uttered that, spooking the man. Now he had his guard up.

  Trevy smiled his way and said, “Yeah, these two right here think they saw you stealing.”

  “I don’t know how they would have thought that,” Mr. Hobby said, frowning at me and Reese.

  When Mr. Hobby kept staring my way for an explanation, I said, “Yeah, we, um, were watching you from right here. Saw you put something in your left pocket.”

  He emptied his left pocket, stepped closer to me, and said, “Listen, I know your family is important, but you don’t want to cross me.”

  “She’s not the only one who saw you,” Reese stepped in between us and said. “I did too.”

  Mr. Hobby shouted, “Well, you all are wrong! You don’t need to go around accusing administrators, threatening our jobs for no reason.”

  “Well, you don’t need to go around threatening students. My dad wouldn’t take too kindly to the way you were just talking to me,” I said, sick and tired of everybody thinking they could say whatever they wanted to me.

  Teachers weren’t just supposed to have these jobs for themselves. Even administrators were supposed to serve the students. Yes, I understood that it was a job. I knew that they had to pay their bills, but they didn’t need to lie, steal, cheat, and threaten.

  “You and your little girlfriend here need to back up. Got any other questions for me?” Mr. Hobby said, like we accused him wrongly.

  Reese put his hands in the air and backed up. “Our bad.”

  “Exactly,” Mr. Hobby said.

  “But you owe her an apology on the way you just talked to her though. That wasn’t cool,” Reese demanded.