Chapter 1: Way on the West Side

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Chapter 1

Way on the West Side
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Jewels

Lo - (4:36pm): Can you come to the game tonight?

Me - ( 4:37pm): Maybe, I'll let you know.

I sat my phone down on my twin size bed next to my notebook and then climbed off of it and walked towards my room door. Opening it I walked out and walked over towards my mama's room. Her door was shut, as always. Giving me time to actually get myself together before I went in there. So I said a little prayer to myself before knocking on it.

"Come in!" She yelled from inside. I took a deep breath before I turned the doorknob and opened the door entering her room. Cigarette butts and empty bottles of liquor littered the small room, dirty clothes were scattered around all around and the smell in here was horrible. I stepped over the dirty clothes and random pieces of food particles before I was able to reach the foot of her bed. "What you want child."

"I was wondering if I could have seven dollars to go to the basketball game tonight at school?"

"Do I look like I have seven dollars to give to the school, and didn't you just get paid the other day?" She asked puffing on a cigarette, probably her tenth one today, if not more.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, but I bought food, paid my phone bill, and paid the light bill with that."

"Well that's not my fault," she shrugged. "I told you about spending your money on stupid shit anyways."

"It wouldn't be stupid if we were still in the dark." I mumbled.

"Say that again?" She squinted her eyes and raised up from the position she was laying in.

"Nothing."

"I thought so." She replied lying back down.

I shook my head in disappointment and walked back out of her room.

"Shut my damn door." She yelled after me. I continued to walk to my room like I didn't even hear her. Fuck her door and fuck her honestly. I walked into my room and shut the door but before I could make it to my bed, my door was forcefully pushed open making the door knob hit the wall.

"Keep on with that damn attitude and you won't have a place to stay." She pointed at me, then slammed my door closed when she walked out, and a second later I heard hers do the same.

I blew out a angered breath and plopped on my bed grabbing my phone.

Lo - (4:43pm): I can't make it, my mama made plans for us tonight.

I hated lying to my friends, well my friend, my only friend at that. I was just too ashamed of letting her know how the real Jewels had to live. To say I was ashamed was an understatement, I was beyond it. My life compared to Lo's was trash. She had both her parents and a nice place to live. She was always on point, clothing and hair wise.

Now me... That was another story. I barely had a pot to piss in let alone everything she had. If it wasn't for the job I had at Chuck E. Cheese then I would be even worse than I was now. I had to buy my own food, my own clothes and pay for anything that I wanted; and let's not forget the bills I have to pay on my own, and on top of all that, I had my little sister Emery to look after.

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