Shortie Like Mine Read Online Free PDF Page A

one another and everybody knows it. Last year these two got into a great big fight, when Josiah intercepted a pass meant for Dollah and made the state championship’s winning basket. Dollah bum-rushed him and snuck him from the back. The entire gym was in an uproar and what made it worse was that the college scouts were there, recruiting some of the senior players and keeping their eyes on the junior ones.
    But for real-for real, I think that the basketball thing is a cover-up for why they really don’t like each other. The real deal, I think, is because of their brothers. Josiah had an older brother, Ibn, and he was best friends with Dollah’s brother, Best. Well, no one knows the real deal. All we know is what the paper reported, and that was Ibn and Best stole a car, they were being chased by the police, the car spun out of control, and Ibn died. Now Dollah’s brother is in jail doing football numbers for Ibn’s murder. So you see, Josiah and Dollah were destined to be enemies. Therefore, what Josiah’s girl was doing holding hands with his archrival was beyond me. All I knew is I didn’t wanna be around when it all went down.
    â€œWhen you coming to see about me, ma?” Dollah asked Deeyah, looking her up and down.
    Oh heck, no he didn’t?! I don’t care if nobody knew we actually went together, how was he gon’ play me and be in my friend’s face?
    â€œWhy?” She smacked her lips. “What you got for me?”
    â€œWhy don’t you come after school and find out?” he said.
    â€œI gotta wait at least until my mother is asleep.”
    â€œBet,” he said to Deeyah but looked at me out the corner of his eye. “Stay sweet, ma, ’cause I gotta senior ring I need to get for you.”
    â€œYou should have two,” I snapped. “ ’Specially since this your second time in twelfth grade.”
    â€œDang, Dollah, you that smart?” Deeyah asked. “They keep calling you back, huh?”
    â€œYou know how I do it,” Dollah said as he walked away.
    We all just looked at Deeyah and shook our heads. “Am I on That’s So Raven and Chelsea has come to life?” Shae snapped in disbelief.
    â€œYou being real sexist, Shae.” Deeyah batted her eyes. “I’m real surprised at you.”
    â€œI swear to God, I’ma scream!”
    â€œAnyway,” I said. “Deeyah, so what’s this with you and Dollah? Did I miss something?”
    â€œWhat?” Deeyah was grinning from ear to ear.
    â€œWhat’s all that meet me after school and carrying on? What you ’spose to be?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œWell, it sure didn’t look like nothing,” Shae said. “It look like a jump-off contest.”
    â€œYou cheating on Josiah?” I asked in disbelief.
    â€œAnd why are you so concerned with what I’m doing with Josiah?” Deeyah snapped. “And there ain’t gon’ be too many more jump-offs, Shae.”
    â€œGood.” Shae smirked. “Give the male population a rest.”
    â€œThat was really racist, Shae.”
    The first period bell went off and we all headed to homeroom for attendance. I passed by Josiah as I walked down the hall and instantly I started feeling like a fool all over again. For the first time, he looked me in my eyes and smiled. I wanted to flip him the bird and smack him but instead I waved my hand and kept it moving. Had I looked at him too long I would’ve returned his smile.
    Â 
    Although I was in honors classes, it didn’t mean I never got bored. So what Josiah was doing standing in the doorway ignoring the teacher and coming over to talk to me, I didn’t know. I tried to act like I didn’t see him. Instead, I continued to do what I always did, which was write his name a thousand different ways in my notebook: bubble letters, cursive, fancy print, and matching my first name with his last name, all with hearts