The Girl Next Door

~12~

"Don't act like you forgot. I call the shot, shot, shots..."

Robyn Rihanna Fenty

6:30 p.m

"Can we get a booth?" Zen asks the pizza parlor cashier.

I look around the place we walked in called CiCi's Pizza.

Apparently, it's a place where they only ate pizza.

I've tasted pizza only about two times. Both times out was cold and a few days old, but I took it. This experience should be different...

"Come on," Zen says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I follow her and Onika to a red and white semicircular booth. Onika slides in the middle with Zen and I on both sides of her.

As soon as we settle in, two girls, dressed in worker uniform, come to our table.

One has three plates in her hand and the other one has a huge metal dish with the wonderful smell of pizza flowing from it. I smile at the smell as my mouth starts to salivate.

The first girl hands us our plates as the second asks,"cheeseburger pizza?"

Cheeseburger? Pizza? At the same time?

"Try it," Onika says as they slide a piece of pizza on my plate.

I hesitantly pick up the piece of pizza and bring it to my mouth.

I look up and see Zen and Onika staring at me.

"Wha' ya lookin' ova 'ere fa?" I ask, causing both of them to laugh.

"Goddamnit, Robyn. Just try it," Zen says, rolling her eyes.

I shake my head and take a bite into the pizza, burning my tongue in the process.

"Ah! Fuh!" I curse, trying to move the hot food around in my mouth. I can hear Zen and Onika laughing and slapping the table.

I glare at them as I chew the pizza. This is actually pretty good, I think as I take another cautious bite.

"Anyhoo..." Zen starts, taking a bite into her pizza,"tryouts, am I right?"

Automatically what happened yesterday comes to my mind and I glance at Onika, who's ears are bright red.

"Yea. It wah int'restin'." I say, taking a bite into my pizza.

"Did you see that tall nigga, tho?" Zen asks.

I think back to the chick that was roughly around 6'5. I quickly remember that she was the one that pushed me on the way to do our running.

"Yea. Wassup wit' 'er?" I ask, as another worker comes to our table.

"Pepperoni or Canadian bacon?" She asks, motioning to her tray.

We all nod and she slips two slices of pizza on our plates.

The girl leaves and Zen continues what she was saying.

"Her names Britteny. Britteny Griner, I think. Apparently, she's a senior that came from Atlanta or somethin' like that. She's been in the team for two years and she doesn't like new people who might pose as a threat to her. Like you," she says, taking a bite into her pizza.

I shake my head and follow suit,"t'inkin' she ah bad gyal a get 'er in trouble," I mutter, chewing my food.

"Where are you from?" Onika asks, her voice pitching a little at the end. I smile, knowing that my accent had an effect on her.