Stones' Diary: Built for Pressura'

Chapter 47.) Valuable Pain

"So... what exactly do you do?" Assyria queried, staring at Essence as they sat on the bench enjoying the cool breeze.

"Wellll," Essence inhaled then sighed exasperatedly before playing with her smoothie, "I went to college for a simple marketing degree but my parents want me to follow in their footsteps and preach at our church."

Noticing her indifferent attitude, Assyria glanced at her and lowered her drink, "You don't want to do dat do you?"

Essence shook her head, "No... but it's a family business thing... kinda don't have a choice."

"Mm," Assyria gazed ahead, "We always have a choice."

"Easy for you to say."

Offended, Assyria squinted at her, "What's dat supposed to mean?"

"Your family names carries a lot of weight from my research-"

"So... you looked me up?" Assyria turned towards her and cocked her head.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't look me up?"

"What I did, I'm sure wasn't tha' way you did."

Essence chuckled, "I only looked up your social media... Black Twitter seems to love your family."

"Mm," sipping on her drink, Assyria turned forward and crossed her right leg over her left, "Doesn't mean you know me."

"I don't, but you don't know me as well... you can't say I have a choice if you haven't had my upbringing."

"Touché," Assyria cut her eyes at her, "So... what do you do for work? When you aren't studying tha' good word or whatnot."

"I work at a Christian hotline center."

"Do you have time away from tha' Bible? You seem like you live and breathe it... I'm surprised you're here."

Essence chuckled, "I have time for myself, why do you think I'm always shopping?"

"Using the church's money for pleasure?" Assyria queried.

"That's out of line and ignorant of you to say," she muttered.

"So how are you getting money? You were tha' one dat said your parents give you a monthly allowance."

"They do other things than preach, in case you haven't realized, it takes money to keep the lights on in a Church."

Unfazed by her attitude, Assyria sipped on her drink before replying, "Ok, cool. I'll mind my business."

Deciding not to reply, Essence busied herself on her phone. Chuckling, Assyria tossed her cup into the nearby trash bin, put on her jacket and stood.

"Where are you running off to?"

"I don't run," Assyria laughed, fixing her necklaces before glancing at her, "and I don't stay around negative energy, you're giving me a headache."

Essence frowned, "I didn't do anything wrong, I was defending myself."

"It's all in tha' delivery," waving, Assyria strolled down the path.

Sighing, Essence stood and followed after her, "Assyria? Seriously, wait up."

"Put some pep in your step, I ain't slowing down," she shrugged, fluffing out her twist out.

Shaking her head, Essence took longer strides then grabbed Assyria's arm but quickly regretted it when she shoved her.

"Boundaries," she glared at her.

"Right," clearing her throat, Essence slipped her hand into her pocket and walked alongside her, "Sorry... can we start over?"