Bevin grinned as her eyes skimmed appreciatively across the menu. When she and Skills had decided to have dinner before a movie, he had automatically assumed it would be at Karen's Café or one of the local sushi or steak houses. But Bevin had other plans. The chitterlings had turned on to a whole other way of eating. Her mouth watered at the thought of deviled eggs, fried catfish, greens, cornbread and candied yams for dessert. Miss Mabel's Soul Food restaurant was a long way from the country clubs and gated communities she was used to but Bevin didn't seem to mind.
"What are you gonna get, baby?" she cheerfully asked.
"I don't know. The barbecue chicken is good here. Probably that and some pinto beans."
Bevin nodded, looking around for help, before checking her watch again.
"Gosh, I wonder what is taking so long. I mean, there aren't that many people here. Where is our waitress? We've been here like 15 minutes and we don't even have drinks yet. I just don't want to miss the movie."
Skills had noticed the same thing. The eatery was located in his part of town and it was an establishment he had frequented many times before. Most of the time, if not alone, Fergie or one of his family members were with him. Girls like Bevin Maskey didn't come to that part of town. Skills had never even invited Lucas there and they had been friends for most of their lives. There was a reason for that, an unspoken reason.
"Hey Tasha," he called out.
He knew Tasha from the neighborhood. She was a few years older than he was and had been waitressing at Miss Mabel's ever since she had been old enough to hold down a job. She looked at Skills briefly before turning her attention back to the condiments tray, then to another family seated nearby.
"That's kind of rude," Bevin made a face. "Do you know her? Is she like mad at you or something?"
Skills looked over at his girlfriend. She truly was a sweet girl. Growing up rich, a part of her had been protected and shielded from some of the uglier parts of the real world. There were some things she was completely oblivious to.
"Tasha!" he yelled a little louder, putting his hands up.
She rolled her eyes and took her time getting over to their table. Without a word she placed down two rolls of silverware.
"Can I help you?" she mumbled.
"Yeah, thanks," Bevin began. "I had a question about the seasoning on your greens…"
Tasha let out a loud, dramatic sigh.
"What?" she asked rather impolitely.
Bevin seemed taken aback and Skills had had enough.
"Damn, Shorty, why you gotta be so ill? I mean, that's unnecessary."
Tasha gave him a mean look.
"I'm trying to get your order."
"Well, you ain't trying hard enough."
"What?"
"First of all, you heard me. And you saw me too when we walked in here damn near 20 minutes ago. Y'all ain't that busy. Me and my girl don't have a napkin, a drink, or nothing."
"Fine," she huffed. "What do y'all want?"
"How about some courtesy, Ma?"
"Whatever."
"Skills…" Bevin nervously called out from the other side of the table.
"No, baby, it's cool. Tasha, where is Mama Mabel?"
"Why?"
"So I can report you and your lazy, stank ass attitude. I'm sure she'd want to know you treating customers like this. And you know she wouldn't appreciate it."
Tasha defensively put her hands on her hips.
"You trying to turn me in, Skills? It's like that?"
"Hell yeah, it's like that. You're not waiting on us and your ass is being mean as hell. We ain't got to put up with this. Now where is Mama Mabel."
"Fine. Fine, I'll go get Mama Mabel, that ain't a problem. And you know what she really wouldn't appreciate? You bringing Miss Thang up in here."
Bevin's face turned bright red.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Skills argued.
"You know what it's supposed to mean. Just look at you. You a fine brother, doing your thing on the basketball court. I hear you talking about college and shit."
"So?"
"So you just like the others. A black man gets a little bit of success and he ain't satisfied until he got a white girl on his arm. You just had to go and get Malibu Barbie, didn't you?"
"Yo, Tasha, I think you better back off…"
"You got a nerve to bring her skinny ass up in here. You ain't satisfied until you take all our men, and for what? So you can go brag to your little cheerleader friends that you went slumming too on the dark side of town."
"It isn't like that," Bevin defended. "That's really mean. Skills and I are together because we like each other. Color doesn't matter."
Tasha laughed out loud.
"What world, you living in, Princess?"
People were starting to stare and Skills was getting disgusted. He stood and took Bevin's hand, leading her out of the restaurant.
"Come on, Bev. Let's bounce. Suddenly, I lost my appetite."
"You ain't leaving a tip?" Tasha hollered.
"Yeah, I got a tip," Skills retorted as they closed the door behind them and climbed into Bevin's convertible. "Your ignorant ass needs to learn some manners. How's that for a tip."
He angrily slammed the passenger door as Bevin cranked up and they slowly pulled out onto the street.
"Wow," Bevin whispered. "That was pretty bad. I can't believe that girl."
"Well, believe it. That's how it is."
"What do you mean?"
Still frustrated, Skills shook his head.
"You know what I mean. When blacks and whites start dating and stuff, it makes for all kinds of crazy problems."
"For them but not for us, baby."
He looked right at her.
"For who?"
"For everybody else. For people like you said who are too ignorant and blind to know any better. But let it be their problem, not ours."
"You know it ain't over. You know as long as we're together, that's what we're gonna have to put up with."
"Skills…"
"Don't be blind, Bevin. Damn. So we're cool with it. And our friends, Lucas and Peyton and Mouth and Ferg and Junk and Rachel and Bevin are cool with it. But there are a lot of fools out here who won't be."
She shrugged it off.
"So we'll just stay out of this part of town."
"What?"
"Look, baby…"
"You think black folks are the only ones that have a problem with us?"
"Well, yeah. Look at all the funny looks we get in the mall and stuff. Mostly it comes from black women. And remember that time that Pickerington ho bag, Keisha, was all over you? The only reason she had attitude with me was because I'm white."
"Maybe so. Some people are racist, I mean, that's just how it is. But you tell me that you don't think we don't get it from white people?"
"I'm sure we do."
"Oh I'm damned sure we do. Look at all this time we've been hanging out and stuff. It might be cool with our friends but I damn sure don't see you rushing to introduce me to Mommy and Daddy."
"Skills Taylor!"
"What? Don't act all surprised. I ain't stupid."
"Don't throw that in my face or make accusations. Gosh, I so cannot believe you just said that. You know, it's really unfair."
"Is it? I'm just keeping it real."
"Hell yes, it is. I am your girlfriend and you are my man. We care about each other. We make each other happy."
"So?"
"So that should be all that matters, right? You're black and I'm white. Big deal! I mean, who cares?"
"A lot of people care, Bevin."
"We don't. You don't and I don't. I know my parents won't either."
"How do you know?"
"Because they're my parents and I know them and I love them and they are good people. I have a great guy who is intelligent and funny and sweet and respectful. You treat me like a queen and I have never been happier. That's what will matter to them, not the color of your skin."
"Have you told them I'm black?"
"No," she answered softly.
"Why not?"
She had no real response.
"I don't know. I guess I didn't think it was important. It doesn't matter."
"Alright."
"What about you? Have you told your parents about me? Do they know your new girlfriend is white?"
"Hell no."
Her eyes grew wide.
"What do you mean, hell no?"
"Because I know my parents too and I know they will trip."
She pulled over the car in a parking lot before turning to face him.
"Skills, you mean so much to me. We have a great relationship. I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you."
He looked her in the eye.
"I don't want to lose you either, Ma."
"All that stuff about race…it's stupid. I don't care about it. I'm sorry your family is prejudiced. Hopefully one day I can meet them and change their minds. And one day I know you'll meet my family and they will be just as crazy about you as I am. This heavy stuff, I don't want to talk about it. I don't even want to think about it. It hurts. It's depressing. None of it matters. All that matters to me is you."
"Bev…" he turned his head, still exasperated.
"No. You heard me, baby. I said nothing else matters."
"How can you be sure?"
"How can I not be?" she whispered, touching his heart, then hers.
He relaxed a little as their faces came together for a kiss. What had started out as a normal date night had quickly turned into something else, something more. A cruel society, a harsh reality had slapped the two naïve teenagers dead in the face. They were falling for each other and that should have been the end of it. But there were more obstacles to face and surely many more rivers to cross.