Kid Sister

The other day I run into my best friend's little sister. Its really cool to see her grow now, she's always had so much character. We've run into each other randomly a handful of times since she started high school. So we stop and talk, "how's your brother? [yada yada] how's the 'Shaw? [yada yada] Mr. [so and so] still sleeps in class... [yada yada]" the conversation was nice. She asks for my number, we exchange IM screen names, and hug farewell. That last hug felt pretty strange though, different from any time that she's hugged me before. Then she called, and we had a 20-minute conversation. She is priviliged; if not for her being who she is, I have would have exited the conversation with the [dis]communication tactics I learned from twenty years in the city of Los Angeles.

I did not forget how old she is, and she would not let me - all she talked about was the boys at her school and her homegirls. But she's my friend's sister, so I heard her out. At some point we talked about going to eat Roscoe's, it was not until the phone hung up that I realized that I committed to taking her. That was a mistake. There is no way I can take her there, or anywhere to sit and eat. Jack in the Box is cool, but if I was take her out the word will certainly get back to her brother, and I am not prepared to talk to him about that. I could talk to him beforehand, but I'm not prepared for that conversation either; and that would just make the thing seem more serious than it is. Then the boy is like my brother, that's how we move and that's how we introduced ourselves in high school - so that makes her like my sister. If another dude was to hurt her feelings by leading her on, I would be one of the first to press him about it.

I gave her my word though, and I hate to renege. Maybe we can dodge the peanut gallery if we go to Roscoe's on a week day, but I don't believe in that. Plus it wouldn't work, that may just be the random day her brother goes to eat there. Now is the time to apply situational ethics - I must be lame to her (just as I have been lame to so many others) in order to preserve the ultimate trust and quality of our relationship. She may not understand, but who cares, she's 16. She'll get over it and we'll still be friends. Maybe in three or four years we can hit Roscoe's or Fatburger for a platonic night out, or possibly something after that, who knows. But for now, that's way too weird.







P.S.
I hope my homeboy never reads this because he will know that this is about him.

P.P.S.
The title is partly a tribute to Kid Sister, the artist. She's a bad1.