Page 18 of As You Walk On

Dad cackles, kicking me under the table. I grin. Finally, he drops the subject as I demolish the rest of my grits.

“Come to think of it—going to the Scotts would be good for you,” he notes. “The perfect opportunity to talk to, uh. Justin.” Dad’s cringey expression after saying Jay’s father’s name tells the whole story. Most of it, anyway.

To say neither of us are Mr.Scott’s biggest fan is a gross understatement. He’s not a horrible person. Simply...businesslikewith a lukewarm sense of humor. He reminds me of an undercooked Hot Pocket—generally inviting on the outside but cold in the center.Quite the opposite of Jay’s mom’s endless friendliness.

Anyway, my little meeting with Dr.Bernard last week? It was about acquiring a recommendation letter from a Duke alumnus.

It can’t hurt your chances!she’d said with a this-might-be-your-only-shot smile. Between my grades, extracurriculars, and praise from other teachers, I’m still not a guarantee.

Enter Mr.Scott, proud Duke graduate.

I can count on a single hand how many one-on-one conversations we’ve had in the past twelve years. The number of times he’s been around TNT and only acknowledged Jay. Let’s not tally the “We voted for Obama” reminders he drops Dad’s way with a grin. As if he’s done our very Black family a favor by being slightly less racist than his neighbors.

I do it for Jess, Dad told me when I asked why he never says anything back.She’s been there for me over the years. More than you know, TJ. You make sacrifices for friends. You make difficult choices.

So here I am. Depending on one of those “difficult choices” to change my future.

I shrug. “Yeah, I’ll mention it to him.”

Dad scrubs a hand over the top of my head. “That’s my baby boy.” He restarts his crime drama. “We’re moving closer to The Plan.”

“Yup,” I say with as much brightness as I can stomach.

I feel guilty for lying about my true intentions for tonight. And I’ll talk to Mr.Scott about the recommendation letter. Eventually.

But right now, the Theo Wright Plan is going exactly the way I want.

Nothing’s going to mess that up.

5

DID SOMEONE SAY PREGAME?

Darren was right.When it comes to social gatherings, punctuality is a nonexistent concept for me.

Even with roughly eight hours’ notice, I’m still not ready. That two-hour nap I had after my shower—the need to rinse off the grime from my morning run, plus the stress from my talk with Dad—didn’t help. Neither did the post-nap erection I had to take care of.

Overall, it’s the outfit selection that does me in. What can I say? I take pride in my appearance. Choosing which socks to wear is a thirty-minute process alone. My drip must be flawless when I ask Christian to prom.

That’s what I type in the group chat at 4:45 p.m.

Darren

Disappointed but not surprised.

4:46 P.M.

Jay

Broooooo quit being a girl and put something on!

Its all about what u SAY not what u WEAR

Flirt game on

Wait... u suck at flirtin nvrmnd

4:48 P.M.

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