Page 10 of Forbidden

“It’s just that I heard you singing. Is that the August Alsina album?” she asks. I give her a genuine smile this time. Anyone who shares my musical preferences is okay in my book.

“Yeah. You like him?”

Her face lights up and she scoots closer.

“Oh, my God. I love him!”

“Me, too! What’s your favorite song?”

“Right now, it’s between ‘Kissin’ on my Tattoos’ and ‘Ah Yeah’.”

“No way. Me, too!”

She sticks out her hand enthusiastically and I take it with just as much gusto. How cool is it that I’ve already found someone my age who lives close by and has at least one thing in common with me?

“Chrystal, but everybody calls me Chrissy.”

“Raven.”

“Raven. Cool name. I live two houses down.”

“Thanks. I’m four houses that way, on the left.”

Her gaze follows my thumb as I jerk it in the direction of our house. Then her smile fades. My guess is she knows Lonnie.

“Lonnie’s house?”

“Yeah. She’s my sister.”

“Oh.”

I knew it. I knew this would happen. Everyone’s going to judge me based on Lonnie’s horrible reputation.

“I know. She’s a slut.” I say.

Her eyes widen in surprise and then a kind of quiet understanding passes between us before she smiles again.

“Don’t worry about it. I know what I’ll have to deal with. The upside is I’ll be eighteen in a few months and can get away from her.”

“Me, too, in September.”

“October.”

“What’s happening in October?”

I look up and see a dark-skinned god approaching, flashing one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen. He halts before us and I tilt my head to absorb his magnificent beauty. Smooth, peanut butter-colored complexion; bright, hazel eyes, and close, clean-cut hair. What sticks out the most, though, is his uncanny resemblance to Chrissy. Slap a wig on him, add some boobs, and he’d be her. He’d look like a bad tranny, but you get my drift.

“Raven, this is my brother, Christopher, world-class jerk. I can’t believe we shared a womb.”

Aah, twins.

“Don’t listen to her. She’s just jealous I got all the looks, brains, and charm.”

I smile despite myself. Heischarming. I swear I saw a glint on his teeth when he smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Christopher.”

“Oh, the pleasure is all mine, beautiful.”