When Worlds Collide
“It's good to be crazy, ain't it baby.”
âNe-Yo ft. Jay-Z, “Crazy”
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M
ichael sent invisible waves across the table to Mina. He was pissed at her. It baffled him that it never occurred to her that there was a reason it had been three years and he hadn't bothered to invite Rob out with the clique. He stared a hole through her, waiting for her to see him glaring. She was oblivious as she and Brian whispered, dipping in and out of the rest of the table's chorus.
The door to Rio's Ria opened and Michael cracked his neck looking up, hoping and getting his wish that it wasn't Rob.
His heart pattered erratically.
Even as he breathed a sigh of relief, guilt throttled him, making his temples pulsate. It made him sick that he didn't want Rob to show up tonight. But it was what it was. Mina believed in that fairy tale ending, let's all be friends stuff. He didn't. Some people simply weren't compatible. And JZ and Rob wouldn't be. Michael knew it with a certainty that made the pounding in his head boom double time.
JZ was leading man confident, certain laughter would follow at his every witty remark and that people would agree with him as long as he flashed his charisma. Rob was master dancer arrogant, matter-of-fact about his point of view, never doubtful that his way was the obvious “right” path.
They were actually more alike than different, but JZ would never notice, much less ever admit it. Talk about clash of the titans.
Michael willingly played the straight man to JZ's Joker, his role sealed after eleven years of friendship. He rolled with JZ's macho flow without ever giving in to it. On the flip side, he and Rob were on more equal footing. Their similar opinionated personalities meshed surprisingly well, giving their relatively new friendship an old-couple's comfort.
Michael slipped comfortably into either skin when he was with his two best guy friends, but until now lived blissfully ignorant of what life would be like if the two ever crossed paths.
He had no doubt Rob would see his easygoing, low-key attitude around JZ as too side-kickish. And JZ would see his and Rob's comfortable bond as girly. Not that it would take much for JZ to go there. Just knowing Rob was a dancer, the kind who saw beyond hip-hop dancing, would be enough for JZ to discount Rob as soft.
Michael rubbed his throbbing temples. His eyes focused on Lizzie's mouth moving and he slowly emerged from his fog in time to realize she was asking him for his part of the check. The clique was making moves to leave. He'd zoned out of the conversation almost from the start and now they were ready to roll.
Relief washed over him. Rob hadn't shown.
Kelly's nabe was gated. Michael couldn't see Rob showing up in a strange neighborhood with a guard at the gate. His heart did a happy flip.
There was the usual minor confusion as they all chipped in to pay for the food. As he placed a five on the table, Mina's eyes finally connected with his.
His eyebrows furrowed. “We need to talk,” he mouthed.
She frowned, but nodded. As everyone streamed to the door, Mina hung back until Michael was by her side. They lagged behind.
“What's up, baby boy?” Mina linked arms with him.
Michael slid his arm out. “Uh-uh. I'm mad at you, Mina.”
She stopped just short of the door, looking as if she were having a tough time processing the words. “Why?”
Michael walked into the pizza place's small foyer and leaned against the wall, his arms folded, his expression disapproving. He wasn't that mad anymore, now that Rob hadn't shown, but he had to give Mina the proper amount of grief.
She stood in front of him, chucked his elbow. “What did I do?” She was too sincere for Michael to hold on to his pretend anger.
“Deev, why didn't you tell me you invited Rob?”
Mina's eyes rolled. “Who told you? I wanted it to be a surprise. He's a sweetie. Iâ”
Michael put his hand up to stem the flow of her words. “He told me. Look, don't take this wrong, but Rob is like ... he's who I kick it with to get away from y'all.”
Mina pouted. “Gee, thanks, Michael.”
He grinned. “I told you don't take it wrong.”
Michael linked arms and led Mina to the door. It was full dark in the early winter evening. The clique's voices rang above the steady stream of traffic on Main Street. They were already fifteen yards ahead, but Michael purposely strolled, enjoying the few minutes he had Mina to himself.
“You know how Cinny always talking about keeping her life in the Cove from straight mashing her life in the Woods?” He draped his arm around Mina's shoulder as she nodded. “It's kind of like that.” He grinned down at her, his smile shining in the dark, and bumped her hip with his. “Plus, Rob is like my parallel world JZ. No one knows what happens when parallel worlds meet. One of 'em might dissolve into a million pieces.”
He was relieved when Mina threw her head back and laughed.
“I know, right?” she said. “Maybe if we're lucky just JZ's mouth will dissolve.”
Michael's laugh carried in the night's breeze. “You not right.”
Their steps sped up, in sync, as they neared Folger's Way, a large enclave of mini mansions set off the main road.
“I'm sorry I asked him to pop over,” Mina said, squeezing his waist for emphasis. “I honestly thought you never had him over because, like his schedule was so crazy you always said. I just figured the time had never been right. When I saw him at the mall, I thought it was a sign.”
Michael chuckled. “You and your signs.”
“Don't sleep on my signs, Mike. For real, most times they're seriously on target.”
Michael left it alone. He knew Mina believed in signs like some people believed in God. When it was a “good” sign, she swore by it. When it was “bad,” she fretted like nobody's business, driving everybody crazy until her world righted itself.
“He didn't show up so maybe that's a good sign,” Mina said, rambling on happily.
“More likely a sign that he ended up getting some extra studio time.”
Mina stopped abruptly. “Oh, and how come you never mentioned that his body is like woah?”
Michael tugged her along. “'Cause you have a boyfriend. What purpose would mentioning that serve except to have you window shopping in a store you can't afford?”
Mina wriggled free of his hold and gave him a shove. “That is so wrong, Mike.”
They tripped off one another, dissing back and forth until they were only a few feet from catching up to the clique, huddled near the electric eye that would grant them access through the gate. They all stood under the only streetlight near the entrance, a lit mass within a huge pocket of darkness.
“Come on, they must be waiting for us,” Michael said, his steps quickening.
The huddle separated as they approached.
Michael tripped over Mina's foot as Kelly said, “There he is. Mike, Rob is here.”
Rob's right eyebrow arched. “What's up, Mike?” A big, warm smile spread across his face. “Hi, Mina.”
“Hey, Rob. I'm glad you made it,” Mina said.
The extra cheer in Mina's voice hurt Michael's ears. He was likely the only one who knew Mina inside out enough to get that high-pitched tremor in her voice was anxiety. She threw Michael a quick, nervous glance of apology before joining the circle next to Brian, whose arm automatically went around her shoulders.
Oh yeah, sure,
you
have somewhere to hide,
Michael thought, resisting the urge to grimace.
Rob had shown up. So which sign is this? Michael wanted to ask. Instead, he stepped into the huddle's center and exchanged a halfhearted pound with Rob, his mouth too dry to respond.
“Did you meet everybody?” Mina asked, making up for Michael's absent manners.
“Yeah.” Rob gestured to the guard booth, to their left. “Good thing Kelly recognized me from the mall. I think the rent-a-cop was ready to call the real cops on me. I've been here under this light for about ten minutes, hoping y'all hadn't gone through yet.” He smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Kelly, I had forgot your last name. I didn't want to look dumb at the gate trying to guess at it. I ain't never been to a nabe where I had to give a blood test and background check.”
The clique's laughter echoed off the naked trees surrounding the neighborhood's entrance.
“I know, right,” Jacinta said. “Wait till you go through the gate. Kelly's neighborhood is spooky quiet.”
Rob's eyebrow jumped. “Shoot, even more quiet than it is out here?”
“Yes,” Jacinta said.
“Where do you live, man?” Greg said.
“The hood. I live in Del Rio's Crossing,” Rob said. He questioned Jacinta. “You're from the Cove, right?”
“Uh-huh.” Jacinta played mad, rolling her eyes at Michael. “I see Mike spreads all our business, proper-like.”
“Girl, please, like people can't see you from the Cove,” JZ said. He grabbed Jacinta's wrist in a light hold just as she went to smack him. “Just jokes, baby girl. Just jokes. We know you hood fab and proud.”
As the chatter increased and grew more casual, Michael relaxed. He shifted his weight so he was perfectly wedged between Mina and Kelly, closing the huddle completely. He scanned the circle, watching everyone's body language, as if to ensure himself everything was going well.
Todd was joking, as usual.
Jacinta was saucy, as usual.
JZ was sarcastic, as usual.
Mina was playing hostess, giving Rob's resume to everyone as if she was the one who'd known him for yearsâtaking over, as usual.
Rob, sandwiched between Todd and Jacinta, chatted easily, fielding the clique's questions about attending the Carter and his tight schedule.
A breeze stirred and the circle tightened as everyone fought to ignore the chill swirling around them.
Mention of Rob's neighborhood, the only other low-income housing in Del Rio Bay besides the Cove, arose again, and Jacinta, glad to have someone in the circle from the side of Del Rio Bay she hailed from, blessed everyone about their boogee ways. “Don't mind them, Rob,” she said. “Until they met me none of them had ever even been to our side of the DRB.”
“Man, please,” JZ said, sucking his teeth. “Me and Mike used to ball on the Cove's courts all the time.”
As much as Jacinta deserved the chance to no longer be the sole hood rep, Michael couldn't resist calling her out. “Okay, Cinny, don't even pull the âI'm so hood thing' on us.” He folded his arms. “You definitely a burb chick, now. The point of no return was your
A.M.
swims with JZ this summer.”
A loud chorus of “oohs” broke out. Michael's grin was wide in his dark chocolate face. He laughed aloud when Jacinta had no comeback.
JZ reached across the tight circle and gave him a pound. “Son, you got her good on that one.”
“Whose side are you on, JZ?” Jacinta said, hands on her hips.
“My boy's side.” JZ folded his arms tight across his chest, towering over her, a smile on his handsome face. “You know you as boogee as Mina and them now. Don't even try it. I'm waiting for you to start wearing your hair in a ponytail.”
“Man, whatever,” Jacinta said, waving him and Michael off. She absently ran her hands through her straight chestnut hair. It had been a processed blond, short, curly style when she'd first moved to the Woods. Now it was cut in layers and nearly to her shoulders. She wore it pulled off her face, flipped at the ends, the upturned curls defying gravity.
Michael liked her hair long. It softened her honey-complexioned face.
“Hey, what's wrong with a ponytail?” Mina said from beside him. She hugged up against Brian as she fussed at JZ. “Shoot, you try having to do your hair every morning. It gets played out.”
Todd interrupted as the other girls joined Mina's mock outrage, ganging up on JZ. “Seriously, I think the guard's ready to call the po-po on us.” He waved mechanically at the guard, emerging from the small hut. “Kelly, hurry, flash your credentials.”
“Not the credentials, though,” Brian said.
“See, I knew it,” Rob said. He wedged himself deeper within the safety of the clique, settling in shoulder to shoulder with Jacinta. “Do I need my passport?”
“Hell to the yes,” Jacinta said, making them all laugh again. “Or at least have your hood pass ready, so they'll let you back into Del Rio's Crossing. When you hang on this side too long they turn you into one of them.”