• For Charity

    “Charity. Charity? Charity are you okay?” SirVante’ Jones snapped his fingers in front of a daydreaming Charity Davis. She shook away her thoughts. Her long black ponytail swung down her back.
    “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Charity looked at SirVante’, then at her lock.
    “I was just saying hi.” He watched Charity open her locker.
    “So Sir, what have you been up to lately?” She grabbed the book for her last class of the day. Charity checked her makeup in the small mirror that was attached to her locker door. SirVante’ leaned against the locker next to Charity’s.
    “I’ve been good. I’m sorry I haven’t texted or e-mailed you in a while.” Charity slammed her locker door shut and turned to SirVante’.
    “What do you want Sir? You only start these conversations when you want something. What is it money? A ride home?” SirVante’ looked hurt.
    “Actually, I wanted to know if you were doing anything later. It is Friday, and I thought you might want to make plans.” Charity sarcastically apologized to him.
    “Why? What plans?” SirVante’ smiled as if he were keeping a secret.
    “I was wondering if you wanted to go skating with me and some other people.” Charity looked for some kind of hint that it was a joke. She had had a crush on SirVante’ for almost four years. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship, so she never said anything.
    “What time?” SirVante’ eyes lit up.
    “This is great. I needed my best friend to skate with when they called for the best friend skate.” Charity’s smile slowly disappeared.
    “Oh. Okay. I have to get to class now.” Charity stormed passed SirVante’ ignoring his goodbye. In the middle of her last class, Charity took out her cell phone and placed it in her lap. She needed to talk to Harmony Pruitt, her best friend. Charity decided to send her a text message.
    <Hey gurl! Guess what?
    From *Charity*
    To $Harmony$
    Five minutes later, she got a reply.
    <Wat. Let me guess....Sir, right?
    From $Harmony$
    To *Charity*
    Charity smiled. Harmony already knew what the deal was.
    <How’d u kno? lol. Wnt 2 go 2 da mall after skool? Need 2 tlk.
    From *Charity*
    To $Harmony$
    <Yeah! Meet @ lckr Tlk 2 U l8ter.
    From $Harmony$
    To *Charity*
    Charity put up her phone and didn’t participate that much for the rest of the class. Thoughts of her and SirVante’ skating twirled in her head. When the school bell rang, Charity grabbed her jacket out her locker and rushed to Harmony’s.
    “Thanks for coming to the mall with me.”
    “No problem. I needed to go anyway. Oh what a surprise guess who’s heading our way. Here comes you man.”
    “He’s not my man.” Charity turned to see SirVante’ coming towards them. He was wearing a black hat to the side. He had a jacket over his black t-shirt that hung over his drooping pants. Charity’s face lit up.
    “Please don’t forget Charity. Its tonight. It starts at eight and ends at one.”
    “I know you act like you have the slowest best friend in the world.” Charity cringed for a minute because it hurt to say best friend to him. Especially because she wanted to be more. Charity’s shoulders began to sink. Harmony knew that was her cue to step in.
    Me and Rico are going skating too.” SirVante’ glanced at Harmony, then focused his attention on Charity, he seemed to be looking for something in her mind. As if he were trying to read it.
    “That’s nice. Talk to you later Charity.” SirVante’ turned and walked out the front door of Branco High School.
    “Bye Sir.” Charity smiled. He made her feel warm inside.
    “Yeah bye to you to Sir.” Harmony screamed then slammed her locker door shut. Charity and Harmony walked out of the doors of Branco High and towards the student parking lot, to Harmony’s car.
    “Thanks for trying to make it better. You’re the best.”
    “I know. You should know that I always got your back girl.” They headed over to the Branco mall. Both wanted to go into a store called “PAINT.” Charity bought a small black t-shirt and had “Geechi Princess” spray painted with neon pink spray paint. Then she bought a matching hat. Harmony bought a hat and shirt that said “Rico’s Girl” painted with neon blue spray paint. Then both girls got a pair of jeans and blue and pink accessories to match. When they were done, they sat down at the food court and talked.
    “Are you ever going to tell him Charity?”
    “I don’t know. Its our friendship that’s in the way.”
    “Ya’ll don’t have a friendship, ya’ll got a ship…a love boat at that. The titanic. That ship is sinking. But for real, your scared to find out if he may or may not have feelings for you?”
    Charity looked at her friend confused, then annoyed, then happily, then depressed, and then blankly.
    “C’mon Charity, you’ll never find out if you don’t ask. You want to know right?”
    “Yes.”
    “So what’s the problem?”
    “I want to miss the chance to get hurt.”
    “You also want to miss the chance at love.”
    “If I can work up a nerve, maybe I’ll tell him.”
    Charity placed her chin in her hands. Harmony changed the subject about their hair for tonight.
    At the Branco skating rink everyone from cheerleaders to science geeks was there. Charity sat by herself at a table with a pop in front of her. Her long black hair was down and flipped out under her hat that was tilted to the side that matched her black shirt with neon pink print on it. She had neon pink earrings, necklace and bracelets. Her jeans showed off her curves. The whole outfit went well with her caramel skin complexion.
    “Charity!” Charity turned to see SirVante’ walking towards her with a girl next to him. She had green eyes, with shoulder-length brown hair. She was about as tall as Charity, she couldn’t have weighed more that 102lbs.
    “Charity this is Paradise summons.”
    “Nice to meet you.” the girl said innocently. Harmony was out in the rink and saw what happened, so she rolled over to the group.
    “Who is this Sir?” Harmony sat down next to her friend who was quietly sipping pop.
    “My name is Harmony. This is my man Rico.” she said defensively while pointing at the guy standing behind her. SirVante’ looked annoyed, until they called for best friend skate.
    “Charity, would you like to skate with me?” Charity looked at Harmony first. With her eyes, she seemed to be saying Go and tell him how you feel. Charity looked at Paradise then at SirVante’, she smiled and got up. Out in the rink, Charity didn’t say much.
    “Why aren’t you talking much?” Charity waited a long time before she answered.
    “Is she your girlfriend?” SirVante’ gave her a surprised looked.
    “Yeah, she is.” They were both quiet for the rest of the song. After it was over Charity gave a fake smile to SirVante’.
    “I have to use the bathroom.” Inside the bathroom, Charity took out her cell phone to text Harmony.
    <c** 2 da bathroom NOW!
    From *Charity*
    To $Harmony$
    Two minutes later she got a reply.
    <K.
    From $Harmony$
    To *Charity*
    Two more minutes later, Charity heard the bathroom door open. Harmony knocked on the stall door.
    “Come out Charity. Someone wants to talk to you.” Charity looked confused.
    “I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”
    “Charity,” this time it was a different voice. “I know you like Sir,” Charity unlocked the stall and slowly waked out to see Harmony and Paradise, both looking concerned.
    “I also know he likes you, by the way he’s always talking about you.” Charity wasn’t sure this was a joke. This was his girlfriend.
    “Did you throw up boo?” Harmony stepped forward. Charity always threw up when she was depressed. Paradise spoke again.
    “You should really tell him. We don’t click that well anyway.
    “I can’t because-” She was interrupted by Harmony.
    “Because your afraid. We’ve all heard it before. You be on that little girl crap. Do us all a favor, and get over yourself and just tell the boy.” Charity thought about it for a minute.
    “Okay. Dang! So pushy.” Charity tried to smile, but she could feel the vomit coming up. She forced it back down as the three girls came out the bathroom. When they got to the table, SirVante’ and Rico had both gotten nachos. Charity swallowed real big.
    “Uh, Sir, can I talk to you? Alone?” SirVante’ got up slowly, looking a bit paranoid.
    “Sure Charity.” SirVante’ said as he walked towards another empty table across the room. Charity followed behind. She glanced at Paradise and Harmony, who both gave her thumbs up. As Charity walked away from the table, she could feel all eyes on her. Her palms go sweaty, her vision blurred and she could feel the vomit coming up. When she got to the table, SirVante’ smiled at her and told her to sit down. Charity let out a nervous laugh.
    “We’ve been friends for a long time right?”
    “Right…What are you trying to get at Charity?”
    “I just wanted to say…..”
    All of a sudden, Charity’s phone began to ring. She had gotten a text message from Harmony.
    <Did u tell him?
    From $Harmony$
    To *Charity*
    Charity started to laugh.
    “Wait one minute Sir,”
    Charity replied to Harmony.
    <No! I’ll text u wen I do!
    From *Charity*
    To $Harmony$
    “Now back to our conversation. Where was I?”
    “Charity? Could you stop playing and tell me.” Charity wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him after the tone he had got with her.
    “Watch your voice little boy, I was going to sat that…I really, really, really like you. I’ve always have. I understand if this will be uncomfortable for you with our whole friendship-” She was cut off by his out burst of laughs.
    “Charity! That’s all…I thought it was something serious. You know, you shouldn’t joke like that.” Charity gave a weak smile and slowly rose out the seat.
    “I have to go to the bathroom.” Charity ran to the bathroom with SirVante’ calling to her. One minute later, Harmony ran into the bathroom to comfort her friend.
    “Char-bear, are you okay.” Her reply was the sound of Charity puking.
    “What happened?” Her next reply was the toilet flushing and Charity sobbing.
    “C’mon out Char-bear.” Charity came out the stall still sobbing, tears running down her face. Her make up was messed up.
    “He said I was joking, and that….that I can’t be serious.” Harmony hugged her friend.
    “Shush…Shush its okay. Do you want to spend the weekend eating ice cream and watch “my girl” over and over again.” Harmony let out a sympathetic laugh.
    “What about Rico?” Harmony went into the stall to get tissue. She brought it to her friend who was still sobbing.
    “I’ll handle him, after I know your okay.”
    * * * * * * * * * * * *
    It was a sunny Monday morning in Branco City. Charity drove to school with all her windows sown, hair blowing in the wind. She was still a little emotional after what had happened that past Friday. Charity felt a little better after Harmony most of her weekend with her friend. She would have spent more time, but Charity insisted she spend some time with Rico. When Charity walked into the school, she got a text message.
    <Meet @ lckr after 1st period.
    From $Harmony$
    To *Charity*
    Charity was glad she didn’t have SirVante’ in her first period class. In her mind kept repeating his words.
    “I thought it was something serious, you should joke like that.” Charity could feel tears burning in her eyes. After class was over, Charity lingered down to Harmony’s locker. When she got there, two people stood in front of the open locker. It was Harmony and SirVante’. Charity felt her legs turn back but stop when she heard Harmony calling her name. Charity hesitated, but slowly shuffled her way to her friends.
    “Charity, Sir has something he wants to tell you,” Charity looked at Harmony, secretly hoping that she wouldn’t leave them alone. “So I’m going to go because this ain’t none of my business.” Charity glared at her friend. After she left, Charity met SirVante’s gaze. Neither spoke immediately.
    “Me and Paradise broke up. She wasn’t for me,” Charity stared at him blankly waiting for him to say more. “ I think its cute that you like me,” Charity could feel her anger coming out of her. She was about to say something when SirVante’ interrupted her. “Because I really, really, really, really like you too.” A smile spread across her face, and she gave a flirty giggle.
    Why are you giggling?” SirVante’ looked confused.
    “You added an extra really. If your going to mock me, you have to do it right.” She had a serious face on now.
    “But I wasn’t mocking you.” SirVante’ said with a fake smile.
    “Yes you were.”
    “No I wasn’t.”
    “Yes you w-.” Charity was cut off by SirVante’s lips on hers. A couple months later, they graduated, went to college and planned to get married.