[𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒]

"𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐈 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍."

"You see him every day," Kristen reminded.

"I was just about to say that, but I can't talk because I miss Sean already."

Sean and Shannon had spent the night at my house since London was taking Sean as his plus-one to go see the Bulls play the Warriors and Shannon wanted to see him before he left.

I insisted that London should take Sean since I didn't need to miss any more school and it was something Sean would like.

It was three a.m when the boys woke up. Shannon and I set an alarm in case they decided to act funny and not say bye to us.

"But yeah, I miss London. I haven't seen him for a whole nine or ten hours."

"It must be nice having a partner," Kristen sighed.

"Kiki, you would have a partner, too if you let us set you up with someone."

"I doubt that."

"You have no faith in us," Shannon said, sounding hurt.

"You're right, I don't, not after what happened the first time."

Okay, so Shannon and I did try to set Kristen up with someone behind her back once. It was during lunch that we did this. Our intentions were pure but the execution was horrible.

"Yeah, but who would she date?" Shannon asked. "What boy in our grade is attractive besides Sean?"

"And London," I reminded. "Kristen, do you have a type?"

"Not exactly, no," Kristen replied.

"Damn, this is going to be hard," I grumbled.

During lunch, Shannon and I went around the cafeteria to sort out the guys that we thought would be good for Kristen.

"What about Jake? He plays football."

"Hell Nah, he likes white girls," I told Shannon.

"For real?" she questioned in disbelief.

"Yeah, one time I made a joke about him and Nia Zimmerman being together, he said he doesn't like girls of 'her race.'"

"You're lying."

"I'm dead-ass, bitch, I was so taken aback when I heard that."

"Isn't he mixed, though?"

I sucked my teeth. "Girl, his mom is white. That's why his sister's hair is on its last leg or should I say strand, all that damn heat she puts in it."

Shannon laughed. "You wrong for that."

We both laughed and then controlled ourselves.

"What about Jackson?" I asked.

"Which one?"

"Harris."

"That boy is a hoe, no."

"Yo, you're right. Plus we don't need Kristen getting any type of STD. What about Theodore? Maybe Kristen likes quiet boys."

"Theodore's selective mute, we went over this, Paris."

"Let's sort out girls, then."

"Kristen likes girls?"

"You couldn't tell?"

Shannon shook her head no.

"Of course, you didn't know," I teased and then muttered. "You don't realize it when people are dropping hints."

There was a long pause before Shannon complained.

"This is hard. Can she date a senior?"

"They're graduating in a few months, it won't last."

"Yeah but, not all high school relationships last."

"True, but I know one thing for sure, our's better."

"I know that's right."

We headed back to our lunch table once we saw Kristen get seated.

"Where were you guys?" Kristen asked.

"We were sorting out guys for you."

"What guys?"

"Jake Smith," I said shyly.

She sighed. "He lets his white friends say the n-word. Who else?"

"Jackson Harris."

"You're kidding."

"It's hard to be a matchmaker when you don't have a type, Kristen," I told her.

"Well, I appreciate you guys trying to set me up. But I'm good."

"But how're you going to get a boyfriend?" I asked.

"Paris, it'll happen when it happens. You can't force a connection with someone, it just happens. Love is unexpected, you of all people should know that."

After lunch, Shannon and I were on our way to our last class of the day, Spanish. On the way, we were skipping through people, singing 'Hips Don't Lie.' "

I then felt someone bump me. I turned around and saw the tiny, mean-faced girl who had turned back to glare.

"Excuse you," I shouted.

"What happened?" Shannon asked.

"Little bitch just bumped me."

"People are so rude."

"Right," I muttered and continued walking to Spanish.

"Um, France, is there a problem?" I turned around to see the tiny girl walking toward me with her hands together in a 'what's up position.'

"First of all my name is Paris. And, yeah. Girl, you bumped and didn't even say excuse me.

"So what?"

"So what?"

"Yeah, so what? I don't gotta say excuse me if I bump you."

"Listen, bitch, I know don't have any home training, but here, if you brush past me you better say excuse me. I shouldn't be smelling your Victoria's Secret Perfume and must. And if you don't want to say excuse me, and you see me walking, you better walk the other fucking way."

"You funny, but it's cool because I got something for you."

"Got something for who?" Shannon questioned.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," I said. "If you wanna hit me, hit me."

"Just stop talking, like, I don't think you understand I will really hurt you. I live in the hood, like . . ."

"And what!? I live in the suburbs, baby."

"Paris, I'm from BK, New York—"

"Girl, I don't give a fuck where you're from. I'm from New York, too. What's up?"

"Manhattan doesn't count."

"Manhattan doesn't count? Bitch?! Oh, you gotta lot of nerve."

"Don't come at me crazy, yo, seriously. I'm not the one."

"Are you going to do something?"

"No."

"Yo, I knew you were a scary bitch. You keep talking about where you're from, like, 'I'm from New York, I'm from New York, I rep' Brooklyn all day.' And now I'm giving you a chance to represent your place, and now you're actin' scary. I wanna see how you get down."

Another troop came into sight. "C'mon, Reign," the troop said.

"Yeah, Reign," I said. "Cloudy, you better get your friend before I do."

Reign, the troop, tried to lunge at me but her friend grabbed her. "You lucky she holding me back."

"Nah, girl, you holding yourself back," Shannon added. "Acting like you in a straitjacket right now."

"Right," I agreed quickly, "like, get loose."

Reign and her bodyguard left. I turned to Shannon slowly.

"She really said Manhattan doesn't count."

"She probably doesn't even know what Manhattan is."