Read Emako Blue for Free Online Page B

?”
    “Jamal’s holdin’ her hand like he’s about to go with her.”
    Gina paused. “I can’t talk right now.”
    “Whatever . . . but I don’t think you are catchin’ the seriousness of all this.”
    “Thank you, Savannah.”
    “Thank you? That’s all you gotta say?”
    “I’ll call you later.”
    I put my cell phone in my purse and got in the car.
    I began to wonder why I was all up in someone else’s relationship. I mean, if Gina didn’t care, then why should I?
    “It was a wonderful concert, dear,” my mother said to me later, from the front seat.
    “Yeah . . . just wonderful,” I replied.

    The very next night, Gina and Jamal had what you would call a major confrontation and she called me, crying.
    “What’s wrong?” I asked.
    “We broke up.” She sounded too pitiful.
    “Right b’fore Christmas. That figures.” Now she wouldn’t even get a present, I thought. “What happened?”
    “He said he just wasn’t feelin’ it . . . you know, me and him.”
    “Yeah, but he’s feelin’ Emako, right?”
    “He said it didn’t have anything to do with her.”
    “And you wanna believe that? Even you’re not that stupid.”
    “Why you wanna say that?”
    “Becuz all he ever did was play you from the beginning.”
    Gina was silent for a moment. “I thought you were my friend, Savannah.”
    “I am your friend, but Jamal ain’t all that.”
    “But I still love him.”
    “Why?”
    “Cuz he’s fine,” she replied, and started crying again.
    I took a deep breath and sighed. I know she doesn’t think I want to listen to this madness all night. “I’m getting sleepy, Gina. I’ll call you tomorrow . . . okay?”
    “Fine. Bye,” she said. I could tell she was pissed.

Eddie
    Two days before Christmas I went to find a present for my baby sister, Hortensia. It was crowded and people bumped into one another like it was expected.
    “Eddie!” someone yelled behind me.
    I turned around and saw Monterey and Emako.
    “What up, Monterey? Hey, Emako,” I said.
    “Hey, Eddie,” they responded at the same time, smiling.
    “It’s crowded, huh?” I said.
    “It’s two days before Christmas, what you expect?” Emako said. “You here to buy us some presents, Eddie?”
    I looked at Emako with a question in my eyes.
    Monterey answered. “She’s just clownin’ with you, Eddie. You know she’s crazy.”
    She spoke to me, I thought. Finally!
    “I forgot,” I said, laughing.
    Emako stared at my Arizona State sweatshirt. “You goin’ to Arizona State?” she asked.
    “I dunno yet. I applied to ten schools.”
    “Which ones?” Monterey asked as we made our way slowly through the crowd.
    “All outta state. I gotta get away from here before . . .”
    “Before what?” Monterey asked.
    “Before I wind up just another cholo like my brother.”
    “I understand,” Emako said.
    “What’s wrong with L.A.?” Monterey asked us.
    “Not much if you live where you live,” Emako replied.
    “Oh . . . it’s like that,” Monterey said. “I ain’t rich.”
    “But you ain’t poor and you don’t havta worry about going outside your house after dark,” Emako said.
    “Or gettin’ nervous whenever a car slows down,” I added.
    “Be quiet, Eddie. You don’t even know where I live.” Monterey sounded like she was getting mad.
    Emako turned to Monterey. “One day when you start to grow up, you might see how it really is, but right now you’re blinded by your perfect little world.”
    “My perfect little world?”
    “That’s what I said,” Emako replied, and walked on ahead, leaving me behind with Monterey. She stopped in front of a store called Forever 21 and peered in the window.
    “Why you gotta talk to me like that!” Monterey raised her voice.
    “Don’t get all mad,” Emako said, and entered the store.
    Monterey looked pissed, so I tried to change the subject. “I gotta find a present for my baby sister, but I don’t know what to get her.”
    “I didn’t know you had a