Frenemies by L. Divine

in class that morning. I’ll just tell her I have another club meeting or a counseling session or something. She’ll let me slide as long as the portfolio’s in good order.
    â€œOh. Well, you know a nigga don’t want to intrude on your work and all. But if you could fit me in your schedule, holla at your boy,” Rah says, making me giggle. He can be so silly sometimes.
    â€œI will. Now let me get to work,” I say, actually beginning to dread the long day. If I didn’t have to deal with customers, it would be all right. But these bougie-ass people around here work the hell out of my nerves sometimes. A few of them are cool, though.
    â€œAll right, shawty. Get at me if you want a ride home,” he says. Now, I might just take him up on his offer.
    â€œI’ll do that,” I say before hanging up and following Shahid and Summer in.
    â€œGood morning, Jayd,” they say simultaneously. For two people who aren’t a couple, they sure do behave like one.
    â€œGood morning,” I say as Sarah and Alonzo join us, ready to start the day. Supreme, the opener for the store, is already in the back taking inventory. We’re ready to get it cracking. I’m going to call Jeremy at lunch just to see what’s up with him. It sucks that we won’t have time to kick it today. I really do miss our extended coffeeshop talks or just hanging out with him. I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow to see him. He’s supposed to pick me up from my mom’s and take me to his house for dinner, but we’ll see. It’ll be the first time he takes me all the way home to Mama’s house.
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    After this morning’s surprise call from Rah, I’ve been wondering if I should just go on and go to the session tonight. I can probably get a ride from Nigel or Mickey, if I really want to. But right now I want to talk to my man while I still have some time left on my lunch. Before I can dial, the phone rings, signaling a call from my dad. Here we go.
    â€œHey, Daddy,” I say in a voice that lets him know I’m glad he’s alive and now we can hang up.
    â€œHey, Jayd,” he says, sounding almost the same. At least the feeling’s mutual. I know I’m his least favorite kid because I’m different in his eyes. And he hates the fact that I show more loyalty to my mother’s folks than his. But what else am I supposed to do? I’ve lived with them all my life because my parents can’t get it together, and he’s the main reason why. I’m sure we could use some sort of counseling or something, but it’s not just anger. We’d need a whole exorcism to get rid of these family demons.
    â€œWhat’s up, Daddy? I’m just clocking in to work,” I say, literally taking my time card and punching it in. I put my wannabe-Coach bag under the register and grab my apron from the wall before washing my hands in the sink.
    â€œYeah, I forgot today was a workday for you. Listen, did you still want to take driving lessons?” he says, like we just had this conversation yesterday. I asked him if he would pay for those lessons when I turned sixteen in March, and that was months ago. What the hell?
    â€œUh, yeah. That was what I wanted for my sixteenth birthday present,” I remind him. “I thought you forgot.”
    â€œNah, I didn’t forget. And you need to mind your sass, little girl,” he says, making me roll my eyes. I can’t wait until I don’t need money from my parents anymore. I wish I could start my own business now and just support myself. I’d move out of Mama’s, get my own spot and just work and go to school. That would be heaven. But who am I kidding? Mama will never let me move now. “Well, I set it up for the next month through the company I used to work for. So give them a call and give them your schedule,” he says, taking me off guard. That’s my daddy though. And, also