All of this is a true-lie.
I’ve done these things with Grandma and her friends. Just not with a formal group of people or with an organization. But I had to say something. I mean, I couldn’t tell him that I’m spending my summer watching Netflix and trying out the summer flavors of ice cream at Sugar Hill Creamery.
Ms. Lori, the director of Inspire Harlem, walks over to us. “Tye, we’re just about ready to start the second half,” she says. “Five minutes.”
“Okay.” Tye refills his water bottle one more time. “Nice to meet you, Nala,” he says. “Are you coming to hang with us afterward?”
“At Harlem Shake? Yes. I wouldn’t miss celebrating Imani’s birthday, plus, they have the best burgers,” I say.
“One of the best veggie burgers in the city.”
Veggie? Is he vegetarian? I think of something to say. “Yeah. It’s so hard to find good vegetarian food.” And by that I mean, most vegetarian food is the absolute worst food ever.
“Oh, you’re vegetarian?” Tye asks.
I give a slow yes. A yes that’s a lie with no truth in it at all.
“I’m a pescatarian,” he tells me.
“A what?”
“I eat fish,” he says.
“Oh yeah, me too,” I say.
“So, you’re not a vegetarian?”
I clear my throat. “I’m a vegetarian who’s sometimes a pescatarian.” Stop the lies, Nala. Stop it.
Ms. Lori comes back over and tells Tye it’s time to start.
“It was nice to meet you, Nala. I gotta go. But we’ll talk more. Harlem Shake?”
“Yes, I’ll be there,” I say. “And nice to meet you too. You’re a really good host. I’m glad I came tonight.”
And this is not a lie.
3
By the time we leave the library, the rain has stopped. It’s still muggy, so I keep my hair in a ponytail because the last thing I need is to look like a Black Chia Pet. The sun has faded into the clouds, and the city lights twinkle like stars, lighting our way down Lenox Ave as we walk to Harlem Shake. Imani and Sadie are leading the way. Imani is carrying the flowers Toya gave her, so it probably looks like we are her entourage or that she is some kind of princess and we are her court. The sidewalks uptown are wide, but still, with this many out on a summer Friday night, I have to manuver my way to keep up with the group. I try to walk next to Tye, but Toya has her arm linked with his like she is his buddy for the night. “You were so good tonight, Tye,” she says. “I’m so glad you’ve joined Inspire Harlem.”
“Thanks,” Tye says. Then he turns around and sees me behind them. “You good, Nala?” He steps to the side, breaking arms with Toya to make room for me. I step in the middle of them, and Toya makes a face that is definitely not the warm, friendly smile she greeted me with earlier.
When we get to the restuarant, there’s not enough space for us all, so we push two tables together. Tye and I sit next to each other, and Toya sits across from him. Imani is across from me next to Asher. Sadie and Jackson are at the counter ordering their food. A girl named Lynn is with them. Lynn has been to the house a few times, mostly for Inspire Harlem meetings. She wears her hair low to her scalp and always has the biggest hoop earrings on. Every time I see her, I think we should go shopping together. I like her style.
Tye stands and says to me, “Tell me what you want and I’ll get it.”
I want you.
“Um, let me see,” I say. And I look the menu over. I already know what I want—the Hot Mess Burger. This deliciousness is two hamburger patties, onions, pickles, and special sauce, topped with pickled cherry pepper, bacon relish, American cheese, and smoky chipotle mayonnaise. But I have to keep up my vegetarian diet in front of Tye. There is nothing else on this menu that I want. I refuse to get a kale salad at a burger joint. And I’ve had a veggie burger once. Well, I should say I tasted a veggie burger. One bite and I threw the rest away. “I think I’ll just get a side of fries,” I tell Tye.
“Are you sure?”
“Um . . . and a chocolate milkshake,” I say, even though I really want to go ahead and add the burger. I have only known Tye for a few hours, and already I am giving up a lot for him.
Toya says, “I’m getting the veggie burger, but I’ll go up with you. I have a few special requests, so I’ll just order it myself.” She stands from the table and walks with Tye to the counter. I watch them standing next to each other and see how when Toya laughs, she leans into Tye, holds on to his arm like she needs him to keep her standing. It takes them a while, but finally they come back to the table with our food. They both have veggie burgers, Toya’s with extra pickles, sourdough bread instead of the bun, and a side of special sauce. They both have sweet potato fries. I slowly eat mine, the whole time imagining I was eating a steak.
It could be worse. Tye could be vegan.
TOP 3 FOODS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
1.Meat: goat, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, duck. Prepared all ways: grilled, fried, baked, stewed, seared, braised. On a stick, on the bone, off the bone, shredded, chunk, sliced, ground. It’s not a meal if there’s no meat.
2.Ice cream. Imagine it, no hot fudge sundaes or thick scoops of strawberry packed in a waffle cone. Only watery, cold globs pretending to be dessert worth eating. And let’s be clear—this goes for sorbet and gelato and frozen yogurt and smoothies too. There is nothing—absolutely nothing—as good as the real thing. If you want ice cream, nothing else will do.
3.Cheese. Cheese makes everything better. Burgers, sandwiches, scrambled eggs, crackers, bread. My specialty to make is a grilled cheese sandwich. And cheese is good all by itself. Ever had string cheese for a snack? Ever had melted cheese ooze onto the wrapper of a burger? That’s the best part sometimes—savoring every single bit of it. And I know there are cheese substitutes. But does vegan cheese even melt the same way? Does is stretch like an accordian when you pull a slice of pizza from the box? No. I don’t think so.
We are just about finished eating, and the restaurant isn’t as crowded now that it’s late into the night. We spread out and take up even more space. Then, Sadie says, “Okay, Birthday Girl, it’s time for your song.” We sing “Happy Birthday” to Imani the traditional way and then Stevie’s version. The whole restaurant joins in because this is Harlem and strangers have no problem joining in on a celebration. I try not to laugh at Imani, who is struggling to drink her thick milkshake without a straw. It keeps getting on her nose, but she refuses to get a straw, not even the paper ones that are there as an alternative. Toya has one of those, but she can’t drink through it because the shake is too thick, so she is letting it sit for a while to thin out.
Imani sets her shake down and says, “So, anyone notice the songs on the playlist that Marcy put together for tonight’s intermission? Ms. Lori is going to have something to say about that, for sure.”
Toya nods her head, eating the last bit of her fries. “Oh my goodness. I was so embarrassed. What was Marcy thinking?”
“What was wrong with the music tonight?” I ask. And why did I ask that? All of them look at me like I have just asked the most ridiculous question. Except for Sadie. Sadie and I have similar taste in music and movies, so most of our conversations start with have you seen? or have you heard?