Page 252 of Call Me Baby 2: Side B

and slide in front of the exterior door,

unlocking it.

When I swing it open,

Celie’s face appears, blue and furious.

All the words fall right out of me.

“Guess who went on a date last night?

“NOT ME.

“Andrew told his mom he went on a DATE. Then rolled into the penthouse at THREE A.M. In his stupid bar shirt like, ‘oh hey, baby, just got off work.’ He’s a liar, Celie. A LIAR. A⁠—”

Her eyes bug. “The penthouse? He rolled into the—Did he move in? Allie, are you domesticatin' and didn't tell nobody?!”

I slap a hand over her mouth.

“Shhh—shut up—shut up!

“We’re not talking about this.

“Find evidence.

“We got five minutes.

“Move your ass.”

I creep up the stairs and swing open the door, entering back into the kitchen, trying to look like a normal person who definitely did not lie about having to shit, or is hiding a co-conspirator under the house.

“False alarm,” I say, nonchalant,

closing the basement door behind me.

Paola’s in the corner of the couch.

Maria’s rocking in the recliner.

Both are staring at me.

I turn on my swag. “So… what’s up?”

Paola sweeps her eyes over me,

seeing every lie under my skin.

“Funny,” she says.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.”

I toss myself into the other recliner, pull back the lever on the footrest, and kick back. “Just stopped by to hang out with you guys.”

They haven’t moved in many seconds.

“What? A girl can’t chill on a Thursday with her friend’s moms now?”

Paola narrows her eyes at me. “Friend? You friend-zoning Andrew now? Date that bad?”