"My brother, Robert, inherited it for a while."
"Where is he now?"
"Cornell."
Serene lifted her face to the wind. It whipped at her braids and Bets’ glossy dark hair, a shiny curtain of tresses, buoyed in the strong current of air, like a flag advertising her youth. She turned on the radio and the blaring voice of an obnoxious car salesman assaulted them from the speakers. Bets wrinkled her nose and turned the channel to a snatch of reggae.
"Here," Serene called out. "Leave it here." The bouncy sound washed over them.
"Who's this?" Bets asked.
“Sister Nancy. ‘Bam Bam.’” Serene sang along and did a little shimmy with her shoulders, throwing a smile Bets’ way. She moved her body with the beat, thinking about Lanesha, the woman who braided her hair, and how she swiveled her hips. She was always dancing, it seemed, even when braiding.
At the mall, Serene appraised Bets as they crossed the parking lot. Ray-Bans, piercings, flawless white skin, red lipstick, a black babydoll dress with a floral pattern, and black nails. Her feet were clad in combat boots. Bets’ style was grunge. Sexy grunge. Serene stared down at her boring shorts, tank top and flip flops. There was something in her struggling to come out. The other day, Steve had asked her about the scout. She hadn't been to see him.
“Why not?” He'd eyed her quizzically. She couldn't explain it. Skateboarding was fun, but… she found herself flipping through fashion magazines at the store, taking in the styles of different girls at school. How did they know how to put it all together, to look good like that? She wanted to look like how she felt when she was making love to Steve. She found herself posing in front of the mirror, making her lips pouty, digging through her clothes for something feminine.
"Do you ever wear a dress?" Bets asked as if reading her mind. They'd wound up in front of Forever 21. Serene shook her head no as they went in. Bets stopped to admire a white t-shirt dress.
"This would look good on you," she said.
Serene fingered the material.
"Try it on." Bets took one of the dresses off the rack. A small. They wandered by several more racks, Bets grabbing tops, a pair of jeans, her eyes sharp as she zeroed in on just the right garments. As they headed to the dressing room, they passed a display of earrings. Bets plucked a pair of large copper hoops off the jewelry turnstile and held them up to Serene. "These."
Serene took the earrings from her, a frisson of excitement taking hold in her chest. The pop music playing in the store matched her mood, her blossoming sensation of feeling pretty. In the dressing room, Serene tried on each item, marveling at how her look changed with each garment, how Bets knew exactly what color, size and cut would go with her body and skin tone. Serene stared at herself in the mirror. Maybe she could put the clothes on hold and come back later with Ramani. They modeled for each other, and each time Bets made a big deal about how good Serene looked. Even the salesgirl had some words of encouragement.
"What are you going to get?" Bets asked after they finally emerged out of the changing rooms. Serene looked through her wallet. She had ten dollars.
"I can get the earrings."
"You have to get that white T dress. You look hot in that thing."
"I've only got ten bucks."
"I'll get it for you."
Serene shook her head no.
"Relax. You can pay me back. You've gotta buy the dress. Wait till Steve sees you wearing it. He's going to flip." Her last remark was the selling point. The dress only cost $24.99 anyway. Ramani could afford that. It's not like Serene went shopping for clothes all the time. They bought the dress and the earrings. Bets tried to talk her into shoes, but Serene had reached her limit.
When Serene returned home, Ramani and Aarav were still arguing and Darpan was doing his tai chi in the living room. The only thing that had changed in their bickering was the subject matter. Suddenly Ramani came storming out of the bedroom. She was in one of her halter tops that showed off her midriff. Her waist had widened, her belly slightly distended. It was the first time Serene noticed the weight gain. Since they'd moved, Ramani had stopped running and doing yoga. She spent a lot of time reading law books, drinking beer and watching TV with Darpan. Ramani's eyes lit on Serene's bag.
"Went shopping?"
"Yeah." Serene slipped into her room. She ripped the tags off the dress and put it on, slipping the hoops into her earlobes, and admired the effect, the white next to her dark skin. It clung invitingly to her curves. Serene took in every aspect of the transformation, turning around, admiring herself.
When Steve came over, she was still in the dress. His eyes widened like a child suddenly taken for a surprise visit to a candy shop.
"You look gorgeous, Serene." He said, voice husky. She stepped into his arms and then he was removing his pants. They made love quickly up against her wall, tongues sword fighting. He came in three thrusts before they collapsed onto the futon bed, laughing at the whole thing, this heat between them, the new dress.
"So fucking porno," he said, and she stuck her finger up his nose. "Careful, you might find some gold up there," he joked.
Serene rubbed her belly. "I'm starving."
"Let's go out for pizza." Steve traced her bellybutton with his finger, sending a flash of goose bumps over her skin.
"I'm broke."
"You're always broke." He grinned at her, but Serene felt a rush of heat prickling her face. Why couldn't he say, I'll take you out? Why did they always have to be like two brahs? She frowned at the sour thought and turned away.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What?" He sat up.
"I said it's nothing." She pulled the dress all the way off from where it was bunched around
