Kendra by Coe Booth

take it back!” Because, really, it does hurt, what she’s doing to me. “You’re not going to summer school! Definitely not!”
    She lets me go and we go back to laying there, me rubbing my arm. I mean, the things I have to go through just to cheer her up. The suffering!
    But the truth is, sometimes I feel guilty when it comes to her father. I mean, yeah, her father bought her this whole new bedroom set and I know mine could never afford to do thatfor me, not anytime soon. But at least I get to see Kenny all the time.
    I can’t say the same thing about Renée, though.
    A little while later, Adonna changes the subject, which is probably a good thing because she needs to get her mind off her father, and I need to get mine off Renée. “When does Nana want you to come home?” she asks.
    “She said to stay here ’til she comes for me.”
    Adonna’s eyes get that look in them. “For real? Are you serious? You know what this means, right?” Before I can even think to open my mouth, she answers her own question. “It means, she’s probably downstairs with that dude right now and she don’t want you walking in on them, you know, doing the nasty!”
    “I ll !” I cover my mouth with my hands. “Don’t even say that!”
    “How much you wanna bet?”
    “No, not Nana. No.” I’m shaking my head. “Both of them are, like, old !” But it does kinda make sense. I have to admit that.
    And that’s when Adonna comes up with her plan, to sneak downstairs to my apartment to see if anything’s going on in there.
    “And what are we supposed to say if she catches us?” I ask.
    Adonna gets off the bed and pulls me up by the arm. “We’ll tell her you came down here to get that book I lent you.”
    “But I’m still reading it.”
    “Who cares?” she says, dragging me outta the room with her.
    While Adonna heads for the door, I go into the living room to get the key outta my book bag. In the kitchen I hear Kenny say to Grandma, “All I need is a hundred, just ’til next week. C’mon, Ma.”
    I try not to react, which is hard considering how much Kenny sounds like a little kid. And he’s borrowing money from a woman that’s living on disability checks, which is hardly any money at all. I shake my head, grab my key, and leave. I’m not gonna think about any of that now, not when me and Adonna are on a mission.
    All the way downstairs in the elevator, we’re giggling and excited about what we’re about to find out. I’m just hoping, if they are there doing it, they’re not in the living room, because I don’t wanna have to open the door and actually see them or anything.
    When we get to the door we have to get quiet, which takes awhile for us. Finally, I stick the key in the lock, look over at Adonna one last time, and open the door real slow and silent. We tiptoe inside and I don’t see them in the living room or the kitchen. Thank God.
    “Maybe they’re in the bedroom,” Adonna says. She don’t even notice my disgusted face. “C’mon.”
    We go down the hall without making a sound. But Nana’s bedroom door is open and the room is empty.
    “Shit,” Adonna says, disappointed.
    “I know,” I say. “I thought we were gonna see something .” I shrug. “Oh, well.”
    We walk back toward the front door, and I’m feeling like our spy mission was a big waste of time. But as we pass the kitchen and take a closer look, I see something. Evidence.There are two mugs in the sink and a jar of instant coffee on the counter.
    “You were right,” I tell Adonna. “Clyde was here.”
    Adonna giggles. “They probably went back to his place for a little something something !”
    I head straight for the front door, covering my ears with my hands. “I’m not listening to you,” I tell her, then start humming to drown out any other nasty thing she might wanna say.
    But, yeah, at the same time I know she’s right. I mean, coffee ? Things are probably getting serious between Nana and Clyde.
    He got Nana to turn