No Boyz Allowed Read Free

care, Gem. Do you know that they called me every hour, on the hour, to see if I had heard from you or if you’d returned?”
    “And doesn’t that sound a little freaky to you? They don’t even know me. Why would they be sweatin’ me like that?!”
    “They care.”
    “Yeah,” I rolled my eyes toward the roof again. “Everybody cares,” I held my fingers out as if I were counting on them. “Everybody wants to make a difference, everybody knows how I feel, and everybody’s been sixteen. Yada, yada, yada, what-the-heck-ever. Because from where I’m sitting, if everybody’s been in my shoes, then why hasn’t anybody told me why my mother is a crackhead? And who’s my daddy? Huh? Answer me that? How come I’ve been in three high schools and I’m only a sophomore?” I paused. “You know why nobody’s told me that? ’Cause all of these good-willed and good-hearted people are full of it! That’s why!”
    “Gem—”
    “Listen, let’s just get out of this car and get this over with.” I hopped out and slammed the door behind me.
    “All right, Gem,” Ms. Thomas said, getting out of the car. “Let’s go.”
    “Yeah, let’s.”
    I stormed up the brick stairs that led to the front door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, Cousin Crazy appeared.
    “Well, looka here, looka here.” Cousin Shake smacked his lips, and then took a long and loud suck on his toothpick. “We just finished filling out a milk carton application for you.”
    “Whatever.” I grimaced.
    “Baby-Tot-Tot,” Cousin Shake yelled over his shoulder.
    “Yeah, Cousin Shake,” Malik answered from the distance.
    “I got some good news for you!”
    “What’s that?”
    “Kunta’s back.”

4
    I could barely eat, and not because I wasn’t hungry. But... because this whole deal pissed me off, and as everyone sat around the kitchen table enjoying breakfast and each other’s conversation, I was on edge.
    I eyed everyone at the table. Along with Ms. Grier and her husband were Ms. Minnie, Cousin Shake, and Ms. Grier’s real kids, Man-Man and Toi, who were deep in a conversation. Seated in a high chair next to Toi was a baby—I think it was hers.
    I stared at Malik and hated that he acted as if he belonged here. He looked at me and smiled and I shot him the screw face. He turned away, ate a few pieces of his dripping pancake. Then he moved on to licking the pancake syrup off of his fingers.
    “Why are you eating like that?” I eyed him.
    “’Cause it’s good.” He reached for the tray of bacon and I met his hand with a slap across his fingers.
    I spazzed. “You’ve had enough!” I pushed the tray of bacon away from him.
    “Don’t hit him again,” Ms. Grier said with an edge.
    “Lady, please.” I rolled my eyes.
    Ms. Grier hesitated. “Gem, I think you should calm down. You don’t have to be so defensive.”
    Whatever.
    Ms. Grier handed Malik back the tray of bacon and he hurriedly grabbed a few pieces.
    “Slow down, son,” Mr. Khalil said to Malik.
    “Mr. Khalil, you don’t understand. Whenever Gem starts acting like this, it’s only a matter of time before we get put out. The caseworker shows up and we gotta roll.”
    “Nobody’s rolling,” Ms. Grier said. “Now, let’s talk about something positive, please. Man-Man, what are your plans today?”
    “I’m chillin’.” He stroked the light goatee on his chin and a distant smile ran across his face. “I’ma run up to the mall real quick and see this big butt-tender-lil-cutie—” He paused and looked as if his mind had replayed what he’d just said. He snapped his fingers and pointed. “Yeah. What I meant was that I was going to fill out this job application.”
    Ms. Grier sipped her coffee. “I thought that’s what you meant. And besides, you need to do something other than chase behind those fresh lil nasty skanky girls!”
    “Why they gotta be all that, Ma?” Man-Man stuffed a forkful of pancakes in his mouth.
    “’Cause that’s what you like,