Butter Cake

My name is Sabrena Evans and tonight was my aunt's winter ball. My aunt Priscilla was having her annual black tie event. She had invited all the uppity blacks out to her oversized house on the bayou. She called her event 'Christmas on the Bayou' She was the bravest black woman in the south. She married a curly haired Jew named Rand Rothstein. They had my cousins Desdemona and Elaine Rothstein. Elaine was in my grade. We had been best friends since we were arm babies. Elaine and Cara were my best friends.

Elaine and I moms were sisters. We were excited about tonight. Our mom's had let us wear these curve hugging mermaid gowns. We had been saving money for accessory's and makeup since this summer. It was all to look good tonight. I decided on an all-white mermaid gown that was embellished with crystals. My best friend Cara wore a red gown that had dramatic rousing throughout. Elaine wore a nice orange that complimented her light peanut butter complexion and long black hair.

A lot of our classmates were here. My father's friends from the oil platform were here. The Franklin twins were here. They were fraternal. They looked nothing alike. Jimmy was taller, with a slim build. While Josh was stocky and muscular. But they both sported skin of butter, green eyes, and straight black hair. It was a rumor that their father was a Mexican. But they were top athletes, and every girl had a crush on one of them. Including me. I liked Jimmy Franklin. He was the captain of the football team. I tutored him in Chemistry. I take that back, I did his work in Chemistry.

I wanted to tell Jimmy how I felt. But I know he was with Queen. She was pretty. She wasn't prettier than Elaine or Cara. But she was pretty. Besides Queen had such a good attitude and was always nice to me. I could never go after her boyfriend. She was here tonight.

"Queen's real cool. You should ask her to cut in. Her and Jimmy have been dating since 8th grade. I'm sure she want mind. He's not going anywhere." Cara said.

"You want me to talk to Josh? I will make sure you get a dance tonight. You've been waiting for the right moment since 10th grade." Elaine said walking away. I looked at Cara.

"Come on let's go fix our hair." Cara said taking me by the hand. I went up to my aunt's bathroom. Cara and I always wore our hair with lots of teased volume in the top. With nice flowy curls, and tossed to the side.

"Do I look stupid?" I asked Cara.

"You never look stupid. You are the prettiest girl in school. Those boys in our class are just too immature to look past your skin tone. But you want a dance with Jimmy and that's what you are getting tonight." She said adjusting my necklace.

I was cocoa brown. There was no need for the paper bag test on this chocolate skin. I wasn't going to pass, so most boys didn't bothering bringing me home. Cara and Elaine always told me I was pretty. My parents always said I was pretty. Hell those gross white men thought I was the prettiest nigger in Texas. But that meant nothing to me. I couldn't get the guys my age to see the same.

She and I re-entered the party and Jimmy took me by the hand. Queen smiled at me and walked up the stairs with her friend Vivian. He and I danced to about three songs. Jimmy was really nice. He was slimmer than I imagined. I thought he would be filled with muscle, but he was slim as could be.

"Why you never told me you liked me?" Jimmy asked me as we slow danced. His eyes were so incredible. I couldn't help but to stare into them. They were like emeralds dancing in his face. I could see his lips moving but, there was no sound. I was barely paying attention to anything he was saying. "Sabrena...Hello?" he said as if I were lost. I snapped out of it.

"You go out with Queen. She's always nice to me. I would never do anything like that." I said. He pulled me into him a little closer and his hands rubbed my butt. I was nervous, but it was Jimmy so I was okay with it.