the other swimmers had already taken off, but Kevin and I had stayed longer to practice our transitions during the relay. Official swim team would be starting soon and my times were the best they’d ever been.
“So Morgan totally accosted me in the hall the other day,” Kevin said as I opened my locker and dug around for my clothes.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, she was all, ‘How are things with Beez and Ani? Is he still into her?’ Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Bitch and moan.”
I grabbed my T-shirt and pulled it over my head. “Why? She doesn’t think she still has a chance with me, does she?” Christ, how many times did Morgan need to be hit over the head?
“Well, she doesn’t anymore. I told her you two were going at it like rabbits and that pretty much shut her up.”
“Douche bag.” I threw my wet towel at Kevin’s head. “You can’t get involved in girls’ catty games. And don’t ever tell Morgan about what I’m doing with Ani.”
“Whatever. Ani would eat Morgan alive.”
I smiled. She totally would. Morgan wouldn’t know what the hell to do with the Ani package.
“Still. It’s not Morgan’s business and you shouldn’t be saying shit about me and Ani.”
“But you are tapping that, right?”
I shook my head at Kevin. “Tapping that? Seriously, dude, you have to stop watching so much MTV. You’re white, get over yourself.”
Kevin laughed. He didn’t care. We’d had the “you’re a hip-hop poseur” conversation at least fifteen times before. Still didn’t stop him from peppering his conversation with references to “the hood” and “my niggas.”
“We should all go skiing over winter break,” Kevin said.
“I don’t know about that.” I didn’t want to tell him my plans for winter break included spending as much time as I could with Ani.
“Come on. Ani can bring Kate. I’m trying to be flexible here. I haven’t once given you a hard time about you breaking our ‘bros before hos’ motto.”
“You mean your ‘bros before hos’ motto?” I asked with a grin.
“Dude. That’s a universal guy motto. And I haven’t said anything about how I barely see you anymore.”
I hit him on the back of the head. “That’s because it’d be a lie. You see me all the time. Ani would never ask me to choose her over you. And she’d never throw over Kate for me. She’s the queen of ‘sisters before misters.’ ”
Kevin laughed. “She might be, but you totally aren’t. And listen, dude, I don’t care. She’s hot and you’re into her. But still, it wouldn’t kill you to invite me to hang with you over winter break.”
“ ’Kay. Message received. You can hang with us.”
I slid on my pants and shoved my feet into my sneakers. Kevin bounced on his feet next to me.
“I can drive home, if you want,” he offered. I hated to tell him no when he got so excited, but the guy was about the worst driver ever. I’d partnered with him in driver’s ed and learned to expect a near accident every time it was his turn behind the wheel.
“No one touches my baby but me,” I said, feeling slightly guilty about how much time Ani had spent practicing stick in the past two weeks.
“So protective of all your girls,” Kevin said, and snorted.
I pulled out my keys and gestured to the locker room door. “Shut up. Let’s go.”
“What’s that?” Kevin pointed to the triangular stone attached to my keys.
Heat swept up my neck to my ears. “Nothing. It’s just something Ani made for me. A key ring.”
Kevin howled. “Did she give it to you right after you gave her your class ring? Jesus, dude, this is worse than I thought.”
“What? It’s cool. Look, it has this tree in it. Ani wears them all the time. They sort of have this special meaning for her.”
Kevin slapped me on the back. “Bro, this is seriously the most pathetic I’ve ever seen you. Even at the beginning with Morgan, you weren’t this whipped. I mean, really? A key ring with a tree in it?”
“Shut the hell
“So Morgan totally accosted me in the hall the other day,” Kevin said as I opened my locker and dug around for my clothes.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, she was all, ‘How are things with Beez and Ani? Is he still into her?’ Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. Bitch and moan.”
I grabbed my T-shirt and pulled it over my head. “Why? She doesn’t think she still has a chance with me, does she?” Christ, how many times did Morgan need to be hit over the head?
“Well, she doesn’t anymore. I told her you two were going at it like rabbits and that pretty much shut her up.”
“Douche bag.” I threw my wet towel at Kevin’s head. “You can’t get involved in girls’ catty games. And don’t ever tell Morgan about what I’m doing with Ani.”
“Whatever. Ani would eat Morgan alive.”
I smiled. She totally would. Morgan wouldn’t know what the hell to do with the Ani package.
“Still. It’s not Morgan’s business and you shouldn’t be saying shit about me and Ani.”
“But you are tapping that, right?”
I shook my head at Kevin. “Tapping that? Seriously, dude, you have to stop watching so much MTV. You’re white, get over yourself.”
Kevin laughed. He didn’t care. We’d had the “you’re a hip-hop poseur” conversation at least fifteen times before. Still didn’t stop him from peppering his conversation with references to “the hood” and “my niggas.”
“We should all go skiing over winter break,” Kevin said.
“I don’t know about that.” I didn’t want to tell him my plans for winter break included spending as much time as I could with Ani.
“Come on. Ani can bring Kate. I’m trying to be flexible here. I haven’t once given you a hard time about you breaking our ‘bros before hos’ motto.”
“You mean your ‘bros before hos’ motto?” I asked with a grin.
“Dude. That’s a universal guy motto. And I haven’t said anything about how I barely see you anymore.”
I hit him on the back of the head. “That’s because it’d be a lie. You see me all the time. Ani would never ask me to choose her over you. And she’d never throw over Kate for me. She’s the queen of ‘sisters before misters.’ ”
Kevin laughed. “She might be, but you totally aren’t. And listen, dude, I don’t care. She’s hot and you’re into her. But still, it wouldn’t kill you to invite me to hang with you over winter break.”
“ ’Kay. Message received. You can hang with us.”
I slid on my pants and shoved my feet into my sneakers. Kevin bounced on his feet next to me.
“I can drive home, if you want,” he offered. I hated to tell him no when he got so excited, but the guy was about the worst driver ever. I’d partnered with him in driver’s ed and learned to expect a near accident every time it was his turn behind the wheel.
“No one touches my baby but me,” I said, feeling slightly guilty about how much time Ani had spent practicing stick in the past two weeks.
“So protective of all your girls,” Kevin said, and snorted.
I pulled out my keys and gestured to the locker room door. “Shut up. Let’s go.”
“What’s that?” Kevin pointed to the triangular stone attached to my keys.
Heat swept up my neck to my ears. “Nothing. It’s just something Ani made for me. A key ring.”
Kevin howled. “Did she give it to you right after you gave her your class ring? Jesus, dude, this is worse than I thought.”
“What? It’s cool. Look, it has this tree in it. Ani wears them all the time. They sort of have this special meaning for her.”
Kevin slapped me on the back. “Bro, this is seriously the most pathetic I’ve ever seen you. Even at the beginning with Morgan, you weren’t this whipped. I mean, really? A key ring with a tree in it?”
“Shut the hell
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