She Said, She Said Read online

  She said, She said

  She said, She said

  Celeste O. Norfleet & Jennifer Norfleet

  To Fate & Fortune

  Contents

  Acknowledgment

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Acknowledgment

  I would like to thank and acknowledge my coauthor

  Jennifer Norfleet. You’re a wonderful daughter and teacher.

  I learned so much about myself as a writer and as a mother.

  Writing with you at my side was an experience that I will

  always treasure. I’d also like to thank Christopher for giving

  me additional insight into teen life. And, as always,

  a special thanks to Charles.

  Celeste

  I would like 2 thank my mom, Celeste O. Norfleet 4 putting up

  with me through this whole process, and 4 helping me

  learn more about writing. I’d also like 2 thank my 5 BFFs,

  U all kno who U R!

  Jennifer =]

  Special thanks to Linda Gill and Evette Porter for giving us

  the opportunity to go on this incredible journey together.

  Also special thanks to Elaine English for your constant support

  and direction.

  We’d also like to thank our family and friends for putting up

  with our craziness throughout this process. Your prayers and

  well wishes were a blessing and greatly appreciated.

  Please send your comments to [email protected],

  [email protected] or Celeste O. Norfleet/

  Jennifer Norfleet, P.O. Box 7346, Woodbridge, VA 22195-7346.

  Chapter 1

  Tamika

  Tamika Fraser felt like screaming.

  The words, already permanently etched in her mind, scrambled and unscrambled as she shook her head in disbelief. This wasn’t happening. It was the last thing she expected, the last thing she had imagined. This just couldn’t be happening. She read the note again. Yep, for real, it was happening.

  Still in shock, she crumpled and tossed the neatly scripted phone message her mother had just given her across the room, aiming for the trash can in the corner. Usually it was an easy shot for her, but today she missed. She should have seen the handwriting on the wall. Nothing was going to be as it should. Not today.

  Her mother, Laura, reached down and picked up the crumpled note and dropped it into the trash can. “Tamika, getting upset isn’t going to change anything and there’s no sense sulking and pouting. There’s nothing you can do about it right now, so why don’t you…”

  Blah, blah, blah. That’s all Tamika heard as she sat there not listening to her mother continue with her happy-land speech about life lessons. Always positive and always optimistic, Laura Fraser was as usual completely clueless. She had no idea what it felt like to be disappointed or to want something so badly and have it inches from your fingertips, then have it ripped away. How could she? Her life was always and forever perfect.

  “…after all, it’s just two weeks…”

  Yeah, right, just two weeks. Tamika shook her head. Two weeks was a lifetime as far as she was concerned. It might as well be two months.

  Why was this happening to her? She’d done everything right, hadn’t she? Of course she had. This was too important to her and for the past two months she had lived, breathed and dreamt about the Massachusetts Regional Photo Camp Internship program.

  It was the first of its kind, sponsored by a well-known photographer. It was a workshop on photography that was a for-real stepping stone to her future as a photojournalist. She had paid for it with her own money.

  In preparation she had even quit her job at the mall so that she would have plenty of time to participate. The internship was a major event and having been selected to participate was an honor. Under the guidance of a half-dozen recognized photographers, she was eager and excited to attend.

  The possibility of being taught by a professional in her chosen field was major. And the final coup was the contest with a grand prize of having the winner’s photo published in a national magazine. But because of a mix-up, the internship she’d planned to start in two days had been postponed for two weeks. That meant sitting around the house waiting.

  “…to tell you the truth I had a few questions about that camp anyway. Maybe you should have—”

  “Mom, we talked about this already.”

  “Yes, I know, but tell me, how much do you really know about this program? I mean, it’s not even listed as a formal accredited class in the college curriculum and the class location sites they suggested are extremely questionable to say the least, including the one that requires you to be out half the night.”

  “It’s sponsored by an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts and it’s an incredible opportunity. Do you know what this could do for my college application? Not to mention the possibility of having my work seen and critiqued by professionals. I could even have my work appear in a major magazine.”

  “Why don’t you look for something more suited to your—”

  “Mom, please, okay?” Tamika said.

  “Fine, fine. Whatever. Just get ready for dinner. It’s almost ready,” Laura said, ending the topic of conversation. Tamika watched as she sighed heavily, walked to the door then paused to take one last look around the room.

  “Is that it?” Tamika asked.

  “So, how was your last day of school?”

  “A’ight, I guess,” Tamika said, not wanting to get into another serious discussion.

  “That’s it, just all right? You’re in eleventh grade now, just two more years until college. It’s that exciting?”

  Tamika shrugged. “I guess.”

  Laura forced a smile. “Well, I think it’s exciting. But I still can’t believe that you’re going to college so soon.”

  “I still have two more years, Mom, remember?”

  “I didn’t mean to make it sound like I’m trying to get rid of you. I just want you to realize that time is moving fast. Two years will fly by in a flash. I know the first sixteen did.” Tamika nodded. “So, how’s Lisa doing? Is she ready for the big move to California?”

  “She’s fine. She’s getting ready,” Tamika said as Laura nodded. “Is that it?” Tamika repeated, hoping to hasten her mother’s departure so that she could be alone again.

  “Yes, just come on down for dinner, okay?”

  “A’ight, I’ll be right there.”

  Her mother left.

  Finally. Tamika flopped back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Crap, now what? She blew out exasperatedly.

  Being too young to work last year was the worst. Her father had gone on a two-month-long business trip and she was stuck home with her mother. The only relief was when her dad came home. But then they separated for a while, like three weeks. Then they got back together, but that’s a whole ’nother story. They thought she didn’t know why they separated, but she did.

  This year she’d planned ahead; at least she thought she had. She glanced at the trash can.

  After hanging out at the mall all afternoon with her best friend, Lisa, Tamika felt herself getting stressed all over agai
n. It was the last day of school, but unlike most sixteen-year-olds, she didn’t mind going to school. It was being home that was nerve-racking. At school—for those six and a half hours—she was perfect, popular, confident. But at home all that disappeared. There was no way she could compare with her mother, “Laura the Perfectly Flawless.”

  Now the numbness of being stuck in the house for another two weeks had drama written all over it. Since her mother’s layoff six months ago and not finding another job or anything else to occupy her time, her main occupation had become driving Tamika crazy. She was good at it. But at least it was only two days since she was leaving soon. She was going away for a whole month to go back to her hometown to take care of some family business.

  Tamika smiled—a whole month without her mother. At least something was still going right. Of course, her father would be there, but he was always so into his work that he rarely glanced up long enough to see what she was up to.

  She got up off the bed and headed to the open door, then turned when she heard her cell phone buzzing on the nightstand. She had a text message.

  Lisa: (^_^)

  Tamika: (^_^)/

  Lisa: wassup?

  Tamika: noth-N-U

  Lisa: jst chill-N

  Tamika: what R U doing?

  Lisa: packin

  Tamika: I still can’t beliv U’R movin

  Lisa: I know—weird

  “Tamika, come on. Dinner’s almost ready.”

  Tamika moaned and rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted to deal with was another one of her mother’s perfect dinners, candles, tablecloth, good china, the whole nine yards. Seriously, she had no idea why her mother had to celebrate every occasion as if it were the dawn of time or something. Birthdays, her anniversary, every meaningless holiday on the calendar, a good report card, when somebody coughed, when she dropped a pencil, when she picked it up. They were all superspecial occasions as far as her mother was concerned. But going out to celebrate was totally out of the question.

  But that came with being perfect. Everything had to be neat and perfect too. It was Laura Hopkins Fraser’s rule, probably passed on from mother to daughter. Tamika smirked. Pity. The gene had evidently been passed down from generation to generation, but from a quick look at her bedroom, it was obvious that the gene had skipped her.

  Not bothering to answer, Tamika continued texting her friend.

  Tamika: really weird

  Lisa: can u beliv skool is ovr?

  Tamika: yeah:)

  Lisa: finally—11th grade:)

  Tamika: 2 more yrs 2 freedom

  Lisa: heard that

  Tamika: R U stil going 2nite?

  Lisa: yeah—U

  Tamika: definitely

  Lisa: wht R U wearin?

  “Tamika!”

  “Comin’,” she hollered and went right back to what she was doing, knowing she had plenty of time.

  Tamika: WhT h%die, jeans and Vans—U?

  Lisa: Ditto—GrN h%die

  Tamika: I saw Drea & Lexea 2day

  Lisa: Ewww

  Tamika: I know

  Lisa: they speak 2 U

  Tamika: hell no

  Lisa: LOL—heard that

  Tamika: talkin 2 Justin

  Lisa: OMG—Ouch:-O

  Tamika: I know

  Lisa: Wht happened?

  Tamika: I went off

  Lisa: 4real LOL!

  Tamika: He wants time

  Lisa: 4 wht?

  Tamika: !?! Hater

  Lisa: U 2 break up?

  Tamika paused to consider her answer. She started to text her response but then deleted it and retyped a single word.

  Tamika: Maybe

  Lisa: ?

  “Tamika, did you hear me? Let’s go, now.”

  “I hear you so stop screaming my name. Jeez,” Tamika muttered to herself. “I’m coming now, Mom,” she said, answering aloud, then resumed texting on her cell phone.

  Tamika: Grrr!

  Lisa: Wht?

  Tamika: My mom *@* %!

  Lisa: LOL!

  Lisa: When is she leavin?

  Tamika: N 2 days—can’t wait

  Lisa: I bet

  Tamika: No mom drama 4 A month

  Lisa: U’R dad?

  Tamika: will B @ work all day

  Lisa: :)

  Tamika: I know right

  Lisa: LOL!

  Tamika: LOL!

  Tamika’s ring tone sounded. She told Lisa to hold up a second and clicked over to answer. “Hello.”

  “Are you coming down to dinner sometime soon or would you prefer that I hire a servant and have him bring your dinner up to you on a silver platter?” her mother said sarcastically.

  Tamika’s first impulse was to get smart and choose the silver tray, but she decided against it. “Yes, Mom. I heard you. I’m coming down,” she said, then walked over to her bathroom. “I’m in the bathroom,” she added truthfully, standing in the open doorway.

  “Fine, wash your hands and come on down.”

  Tamika clicked off. Oddly enough she was slightly impressed that her mother had enough ingenuity to call her cell. She clicked back to Lisa.

  Lisa: R U there?

  Tamika: I G2G

  Lisa: K

  Tamika: CUL8R

  Lisa: 1G%dThg-NoMoreskool!

  Lisa/Tamika: (^_^)/!

  “Coming.” Tamika closed her cell and put it in the back pocket of her jeans. The text conversation with her best friend, Lisa Carter, always made her feel better, even if they hadn’t actually talked.

  Lisa lived down the street and even though they talked in school all day, had lunch together and then talked on the bus ride home, they still texted each other constantly.

  Inseparable, they’d been best friends since grade school even though they were total opposites. Tamika was thin, athletic and outgoing. Lisa was studious and slightly overweight. They complemented each other perfectly and did everything together. When Tamika got braces Lisa did too. When Lisa got her hair relaxed and had to cut it because it was damaged, Tamika cut her hair too. Best friends for life, they even planned on attending the same college and one day opening a business together. Of course, they had no idea what it would be, but neither cared as long as they were still friends.

  When her parents divorced and her mother moved to California, Lisa was devastated but Tamika was right there by her side. That’s what friends did: they supported each other no matter what. Now that Lisa was going out to California to live with her mother, they were both bummed. Even thinking about it was hard. How was she going to attend Hayden High without Lisa?

  Well, Lisa was right about one thing—no more school. And since she made a complete and total fool of herself, she needed a nice long break. What was she thinking walking up to Justin acting all jealous? It’s not as if he was actually interested in Drea or Lexea anyway.

  Everybody knew they were skanks. And it wasn’t as if she and Justin were all that tight anymore anyway. Their thing had chilled weeks ago.

  “Tamika Fraser, let’s go. What’s taking so long?” The voice shrieked again for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. “Tamika, now.”

  “I’m coming,” she answered, taking one last look at her reflection in the mirror hanging on the back of her door. She smiled. Her face had definitely cleared up after the last bout of acne she had had a few weeks ago. She added a touch of lip gloss and fluffed her hair, pleased with her appearance. She had decided to go natural about six months ago. A soft, blown-out Afro crowned her small face now. It was a bold statement and she loved it.

  “Tamika, would you please get down here? Dinner is on the table now. Why do I have to call you seven or eight times?”

  Tamika rolled her eyes. Her mother always asked ridiculous questions, knowing that the answer was not what she’d want to hear. Since a response was out of the question, why bother?

  Chapter 2

  Laura

  “Ugh, that child, I swear, she does this on purpose,�
�� Laura muttered as she walked back into the kitchen still agitated by her daughter, an everyday occurrence in the Fraser household. Laura knew that Tamika loved her, of course, but the two of them living together in the same house was damn near impossible. Two women under one roof was guaranteed drama, and they delivered daily.

  Ever since Tamika turned thirteen she’d been impossible to live with. It was like adding the word teen to the end of her age somehow killed off a hundred or so brain cells. The once agreeable daughter she so adored was now an irritable, sullen, irresponsible shrew who hated everything and everyone, particularly when she didn’t get her way, which was often.

  Laura took a moment to consider the photo camp internship. She didn’t like it even when her husband agreed, but she relented to keep the peace. At least now she had a legitimate reason for changing her mind.

  “I swear that child is going to drive me crazy one of these days,” she said aloud.

  “Now what?”

  Laura turned to see her husband standing in the open refrigerator with a carton of orange juice in his hand. “When did you get in?” she asked as she grabbed a glass and handed it to him.

  “A few minutes ago. You two at it again?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You and Tamika. I heard you calling her down.”

  “Dinner’s almost ready and she’s pissed as usual.”

  “Pissed off? Did you tell her already?”

  “No,” Laura said coolly. “There was a problem with her summer camp thing. There was a mix-up and it won’t be starting for another two weeks.”

  “Oh, good, so you’ll probably be back by then.”

  “What, in two weeks? Are you kidding me?”

  “Come on, it’ll probably only take just a few weeks, if that,” he said.