Butterfly by Sylvester Stephens Page B

people. I will always love the Powells and consider them as my real family, but they were not exactly Buckhead type of folk. Buckhead is a very upscale area of Atlanta. No, they were educated but oldschool. These women were hip and knew what was going on in the world.
    I studied Auntie Valerie all day because she was a little peculiar from the rest of the “office girls.” She was pretty but she was also very masculine-looking. That night, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to ask her.
    â€œAre you a lesbian?”
    â€œDon’t you answer that!” Auntie Wanda covered Auntie Valerie’s mouth.
    â€œMove!” Auntie Valerie pushed Auntie Wanda’s hand away. “Yes, sweetheart, I’m a lesbian.”
    â€œOh Lord! She done corrupted our youth!” Auntie Wanda said.
    â€œOne of my best friends is a lesbian. We messed around a little but nothing major,” I said.
    Ms. Alicia spat out her drink and sprayed on her friends.
    â€œMan, damn!” Auntie Wanda shouted. “You done gave me a damn shower!”
    â€œWhat?” Ms. Alicia asked.
    â€œGood for you and your friend!” Auntie Valerie laughed and then kissed me on the cheek.
    â€œI believe the children are our future!” Auntie Wanda pulled Auntie Valerie away.
    â€œBut uh,” Ms. Alicia said, “but you’re not a lesbian, right?”
    â€œNo, ma’am. It was just a curiosity phase.”
    â€œLawdy Clawdy!” Auntie Wanda shouted.
    â€œWhat do you know about lesbianism, Shante?” Ms. Alicia asked.
    â€œNothing,” I said.
    â€œNothing?” Ms. Alicia asked. “You just said, ‘it was a curious phase.’”
    â€œI meant to say, um, I’m, um, I’m good.” I knew that did not make sense, but I was nervous and said the first thing that came to my mind.
    â€œExcuse me, ladies, but I think me and Ms. Shante needs to have a little talk.”
    â€œOh-oh!” Auntie Wanda said. “Somebody’s in trou-ble.”
    â€œYou gon’ be in trouble if you don’t shut the hell up!” Auntie Valerie said.
    â€œI’m serious, girls, the party’s over! Shante and I need to be alone.”
    The “office girls” grabbed their jackets and purses and left. Ms. Alicia asked Auntie Valerie to stay behind to talk to me. They sat on both sides of me and talked very cautiously as if I had some kind of a disease or something.
    â€œDo you want to talk about it, Shante?” Auntie Valerie asked.
    â€œTalk about what?”
    â€œLesbianism!” Ms. Alicia said.
    â€œCalm down, Alicia! I got this,” Auntie Valerie said. “Go ’head, baby.”
    Ms. Alicia sat back and folded her arms.
    â€œWell,” I said, “I don’t really have anything to talk about.”
    â€œHow old were you when you started to have those urges?” Auntie Valerie asked.
    â€œWhat urges?” I asked.
    â€œUrges to touch another girl.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Auntie Valerie, but I never really had those urges.”
    â€œThen why do you think that you’re a lesbian?”
    â€œI never said I thought I was a lesbian. I just fooled around with a girl, that’s all. We all did.”
    â€œWe all who, Shante?” Ms. Alicia sat up.
    â€œAlicia! Don’t overreact!” Auntie Valerie shouted. “Okay, we all who, baby?”
    â€œMy friends from school.” I looked back and forth at Ms. Alicia and Auntie Valerie.
    â€œWhen you say ‘fooled around,’ what exactly did you do?” Auntie Valerie asked.
    â€œI mean like, we would kiss each other. Touch each other.”
    â€œTouch each other where?” Ms. Alicia asked.
    â€œEverywhere,” I said.
    â€œEverywhere like where, the breasts, the vagina? Where?”
    â€œThe breasts, the butt, you know.”
    â€œOH MY GOD!” Ms. Alicia shouted.
    â€œI’m sorry!” I shouted back.
    â€œWould you stop