Kendra by Coe Booth Read Free Book Online

loud. “Of course, there are the museums and theaters, but the restaurants and clubs—I missed all of that, by doing this whole school thing for so long. I just want to have some fun for a while, you know?”
    “Uh-huh,” I say, swallowing again.
    I don’t know why, but I’m kinda surprised by what she’s saying. I mean, Renée is young and I can understand that she wants to have fun, but I don’t need her to be going to clubs and everything. I need her to be my mother now.
    Me and Renée stay up and talk for a little while longer, ’til she starts yawning and I decide to let her get some sleep. Especially after she tells me she’s gonna leave in the morning to drive down to Maryland. Then, before I go, she says she’s not even sure if she’s coming back here after Maryland or going straight back to Princeton, which she still calls “home.”
    And to me, it’s sad. It’s like she just got here and she’s already leaving. So fast. I don’t know why, but I thought once she graduated, she would be ready to kinda stay in one place. I mean, at least for more than one day.

EIGHT
    It’s Luther’s voice that wakes me up. The music is coming from the living room, reminding me that Renée is really home, that last night actually happened.
    It’s only a little before seven, but when I finally get outta bed and down the hall, I see that Renée is already dressed, wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. She’s packing and singing loud and off key, “ You are my shinin’ star, my guiding light, my love fantasy .”
    I lean against the wall watching and can’t help but smile because she loves to sing but can’t do it to save her life. I mean, she’s really, really bad. But she don’t hear herself like the rest of us hear her.
    The living room is a mess. Renée’s suitcase is open on the floor by the coffee table, but most of her clothes are still thrown over the back of the chair. And the blanket and sheets she used are rolled up at the end of the couch, while the pillow is on the floor.
    Not that there’s anything new about this. The living roomalways gets this way when she comes to visit because, really, there isn’t any room for her in this apartment anymore. I sleep in her old bedroom, in the same bed she used to sleep in. As a matter of fact, practically everything in that room used to be hers. The dresser, the desk, everything.
    Hopefully, when Renée finally gets us a place of our own, I can get some new stuff, kinda like what Adonna got a couple of months ago, a whole new bedroom set. I mean, assuming Renée is gonna make that kinda money at her new job.
    The kettle whistles and Renée rushes past me with a quick “Hey, Babe” and goes into the kitchen to turn it off. I follow her in there and see her pouring water into a bowl of oatmeal. I can smell my favorite flavor, apples and cinnamon, and for half a second I think she’s making the oatmeal for me, but then she stirs it and licks the spoon, and I know it’s hers. She takes the bowl to the table, sits down, and starts eating. When I go over to the counter, all that’s left in the variety pack are the plain ones.
    I don’t say anything to her. I just close the box and put it back in the cabinet. Nana will eat the plain ones because she can’t stand to waste anything. I need to get dressed, but Nana’s still in the bathroom. So while I’m waiting, I go into the refrigerator and grab a yogurt. I sit down next to Renée and, while I’m still licking the inside of the foil lid, she starts questioning me about my grades. Before I know what’s going on, she’s lecturing me.
    “It’s almost the end of the school year, Babe,” she tells me, like I don’t know that. “You need to put all your energy into bringing your average up. I know you think it doesn’t matter,but colleges look at all your grades, even from freshman year. And don’t you want to get into a good college?”
    Like I’m even thinking about college already.
    “My grades are