and waited nervously in the car.
The front door of the house opened, and Sharron stepped out onto the porch. She wore a mini-skirt, which allowed her to show off beautiful tanned legs, a tightly fitting cashmere sweater and a bandanna, which she used to hold her long wavy hair in place.
Her eyes lit up as she walked toward the Ferrari. “Charles, is this your car?” she asked excitedly as she got into the Ferrari.
“On my weekly allowance?” Charles said while chuckling. “I don’t think so.” He popped in a Michael Jackson CD into the player as they pulled away from the curb.
As they rode along, Charles nervously pretended to be focused on the music. Through the corner of his eye, he could see Sharron sizing him up.
“So, Charles,” she said, “do you already have a date for the beach tonight?”
“If you mean to ask if I’m going with another girl,” he said, “then the answer is no.”
“What about us going together?” she asked.
The surprise in his voice couldn’t be avoided. “You mean, like, you and me?” he said.
“Yeah, you and me,” she replied.
Charles felt his heart begin to pump hard and fast. This is too good to be true, he thought. I, Charles Gill, have a date with the head cheerleader. The finest girl in school.
Suddenly he felt his elation being replaced with suspicion. Something isn’t right. “Wait a minute, Sharron,” he said. “I thought that you were going steady with the captain of the football team. What’s his name? Donald…Donald?”
“Donald Johnson,” she replied. “He and I are no longer together. We just broke up.”
“So, basically you just broke up with Donald, and all you need me for is a ride to the beach,” Charles responded coldly. “What was I, the last person listed in the school directory who had a car?”
Sharron sat in the passenger seat looking into Charles face. She smiled and gently tapped him on the leg as she spoke. “You don’t think that much of yourself, do you?”
“Well, the finest girl in school calls me up out of the blue and wants to go out with me?” he asked. “You tell me.”
Just at that moment, they pulled into the school parking lot and parked.
“I have to go to class, Charles. If you want to, we can finish this conversation on the way to Santa Cruz Beach. I’ll meet you here after school, if you want to go with me. If not, then I’ll catch a ride with someone else.” Sharron stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her.
Charles sat in the car watching Sharron walk away. “I know this girl is just playing with me,” he thought aloud to himself. “I just know it.”
Chapter 3
Part 1
Charles sat impatiently in class, waiting for the sound of the bell to signal the end of the school day.
Thank goodness this was the last class today, he thought to himself. He continued to wonder how in the world he and Doug could have allowed Dale into talking them both into taking the Algebra 2 class taught by Ms. Papas during this period. They must have been real gluttons for punishment. There was one consolation, he thought. At least the three of them were in the same class together. That would make studying easier and keep them on the honor roll.
Charles felt something soft hit him on the back of his head. As the sound of the crumpled paper hit the floor of the classroom, Charles turned around in his chair to scan the room for a possible suspect. His search quickly ended as his eyes focused on the not-so-conspicuous face of Cedric Lambert, his cousin. Charles reached down, picked up the crumpled paper from the floor, but before he could throw it, he was interrupted by the sound of the bell.
“Finally,” he said. Dropping the paper back onto the floor, he placed his math book inside his backpack and walked toward the door.
Outside the classroom, Charles, Doug, Dale, and Cedric met together and began walking toward their lockers.
“So, what’s up for this weekend, fellas?” asked Cedric. “You guys going to the beach tonight?”
“No, not me,” said Dale. “My father is picking me up to take me to the dentist. It’s root canal day.”
“I’m not going either,” said Doug. “My girlfriend Betty and I had already made plans to go to the movies tonight.”
“So, you mean to tell me that for once in your lives, the three of you guys didn’t make plans to hang out together?” chided Cedric.
“Nope,” replied Dale. “Contrary to what everyone thinks, we do have and lead our own separate lives.”
Dale and Doug stopped at their lockers, while Charles and Cedric continued walking toward the student parking lot.
“So, did your pops go out of town already?” asked Cedric.
“Yep. He left this morning.”
“So that means that you can hang out at my house this weekend?” asked Cedric.
“I wish that I could, Cedric,” said Charles, “but Dad said that East Palo Alto was off limits while he is out of town.”
“Is that because of what happened last week between you and that nigga Kenneth?” asked Cedric.
“No,” Charles replied. “My dad doesn’t know anything about that.”
“I think that I know who that nigga is too,” said Cedric.
“You do?”
“You said that he drives a blue Cadillac, right?” asked Cedric. “Well, I know that I’ve seen him in that car.”
“Where?” asked Charles.
“On Alberni Street here in EPA,” replied Cedric. “Right in the middle of the dope spot. Looked to me as if he was trying to conduct some business.”
“It figures. He looks like the type,” replied Charles. He looked down at his watch and realized that fifteen minutes had passed since the last bell had rung. “Oh man! I better hurry.”
“What’s wrong?” asked Cedric.
“I’m supposed to meet Dennis in the student parking lot,” said Charles. “We’re supposed to ride to the Santa Cruz beach together.”
“Then you don’t need to hurry because Dennis is never on time,” replied Cedric.
“You’re probably right,” said Charles, “but I want to be there just in case.”
“If he’s there, then that will be a first,” Cedric responded. “Hey, since you can’t hang out in EPA, then do you want me to come over and kick it at your house this weekend?”
“Well, Dennis is supposed to hang out at my house this weekend,” said Charles. “But if you want, you can stay over at my house for a week before my dad gets back. And believe you me, it will probably be the last time that I will be able to have company over until I get off punishment.”
“Why?” Cedric asked. “What did you do this time?”
“I’ll show you.”
Cedric and Charles continued onto the student parking lot. Cedric stopped in place, frozen, unable to move. He could feel the blood draining from his face.
“You crazy fool!” Cedric shouted at Charles. “Uncle Charles is going to kill you. I don’t believe it. You stole his Ferrari?”
“Wait, Cedric,” Charles pleaded. “Let me explain.”
“No. I don’t want to hear it,” Cedric said, covering his ears. “And I definitely don’t want to spend the week