Fair-Weather Friends by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Author:ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books

17

Camille

I sat with my mouth open. I couldn’t believe what Jasmine had said. She’d just finished filling everyone in on her little run-in with Tori this past weekend. We were at our regular Good Girlz meeting waiting to begin finalizing details for our big community service project, a trip to New Orleans to help Habitat for Humanity rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We were among several youth organizations across the city who were taking part in a Houston program called “Teens Giving Back.” So we had to iron out details. But right now, I was more interested in what Jasmine was saying.

“So you mean to tell me they rejected Angel because she’s Hispanic?” I asked in disbelief.

“I didn’t stutter,” Jasmine snapped. She folded her arms and shook her head. “I told you they were no good.”

Angel sat off to the side, stunned. We were all happy to see her at tonight’s meeting. She’d come in with a good attitude, and told us from the jump that she was putting the Thetas’ rejection behind her. But this news must’ve definitely hurt. “Wow. I was nothing but nice to them the whole time and I never stood a chance because I’m Hispanic? That’s messed up,” she softly said.

“Tell me about it,” Jasmine said, rolling her eyes.

“Are you sure?” Alexis asked Jasmine.

“Are you deaf?” she snapped. “I told you exactly what Tori said.”

I hesitated before saying, “Well, Tori is just one person.” I could tell Jasmine was mad. But she needed to see the Thetas were bigger than Tori.

“Camille, quit making excuses for them!”

“Jasmine, she’s right,” Alexis chimed in. “I know Tori is foul, but I just don’t believe all of them are like that.”

Jasmine stared at Alexis in disbelief. “Being biracial, this should make you madder than anyone else,” she said.

Alexis looked away like she didn’t know what to say.

Tameka sucked her teeth. “Just because Tori is a jerk doesn’t mean they all are.” She didn’t seem as shocked at the news. Or maybe she just didn’t care, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she already knew and had just kept quiet.

Jasmine cut her eyes at us. “Boy, they got you all brainwashed already. They’re like a gang or something.”

I was just about to say something when Alexis stopped me. She motioned toward the empty seat where Angel had previously sat. “Guys …”

In the midst of our arguing, we hadn’t even noticed that Angel had slipped out of the room.

“She probably couldn’t stand listening to you guys take up for those clowns,” Jasmine said. “And I’m beginning to know just how she feels. It’s bad enough they have you stabbing your friends in the back.” She narrowed her eyes at Alexis. “Now you find out they’re racists and you’re okay with that?”

“It’s not okay,” I said, massaging my forehead. I was still trying to digest everything Jasmine said. If it was true, did I really want to be associated with a group like that?

“Should we go and try and find Angel?” Alexis asked after a few seconds of silence.

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