SMELLING ROSES

Chapter Two

I was a morning person. Always have been. I loved seeing the sun lift into the sky and peek through the trees. Something about morning felt like a fresh start...but today was not one of those days.

Regina's words played over in my head, well into the night. You think you know yourself, but you don't. Not really. My subconscious kept requesting the words right before I forgot them. I couldn't stop thinking about how wrong she was, and how true it felt the more I heard it.

Eventually, it lulled me to sleep, but before I knew it, it was morning. My extensive playlist hummed in the background as I pulled my box braids into a pony. I could still hear Regina's voice in the back of my head. The knots in my mind were palpable, I yanked the hair tie so hard it popped.

Throwing the broken hair tie into the trash, I gathered my things and headed outside. Mrs. Davidson's Music School started early. 8 a.m. You'd never know by the way Shae slept in the middle of the floor. I wanted to wake them, but it's been a while since they've slept in. I hated Dad for making them work so hard. Someone was always sacrificing something for him, even sleep.

The weather was cooler than expected, making me yearn for a doughnut and coffee.

As I headed for the bus line, Nadia's voice sprung out from the other end of the alley.

"Nora!"

I couldn't believe she was up this early. Giving her a big wave, I spotted her table at her side. She started early, and I was her first victim.

"Let me do a reading before you go!" she shouted.

The guitar buyer texted saying he was running late. I guess I had time for a reading. "Good morning, Cutie."

Poking out her lips, she held up her fingers. "Three cards."

I scanned the tarot cards piles for the right choice. If I'm lucky, we could finish quickly. Picking up one in the middle, I flipped it over. It was upside down, but other than a white man and blond hair, I couldn't see much before she snatched it away.

"The chariot in reversed. That's not good," she said.

The corners of my lips dug into my cheeks. She practiced. Before she had to look up the meaning of every card. "Why?"

"The Chariot means moving forward, but because it's in reversed-"

"It means I'm moving backward." I tried to speed up the reading. My watch felt like I was being timed.

She shrugged, wanting to flex her knowledge. "Or you're not moving at all."

Ya don't say? I didn't dwell on the truth for too long and picked another card. A red snarling beast with horns that stretched wide. Charcoal wings adorned his back. There was no mistake. "The devil?"

"Yeah, you're definitely stuck." She smacked her lips with a firm head nod. "The Devil means being held captive by luxury."

"I am not."

With a look, Shae does when they're about to win an argument, she said, "You sure do talk about money a lot. Where are you going now?"

You got me. I dropped my eyes and took the final card. A man dressed in red, juggled two objects in his hands, but one tilted higher than the other. "Two of coins in reversed," she affirmed. "As expected, big sister's overcommitted."

"How accurate."

"One more?"

I didn't have time for one more. "Nadia-"

She pushed the pile closer. In truth, I was impressed. I wanted to see what else she could do, and quite frankly, I didn't want to leave things like this. Consequences be damned.