Game of Destiny

11.

[One month later]:

Destiny walked through the door after a long day at work. Her feet were sore and she was experiencing the worst headache. She tossed her keys onto the table. "Hey, Pooh." A friendly voice spoke. She looked over to see Ashanti seated in the kitchen with Lani. "Hey, girl." Destiny called out.

"Hey, Lani." She greeted De'Lanice.
"Hey. I'm going over to Brittany's. Is it cool if I stay over there, for the weekend?" Her sister asked. Destiny thought about it. Lani had been doing much better mentally in regards to being on the other end of a aiming gun. After a long beat, Destiny shook her head. De'Lanice thanked her before saying her goodbyes and leaving the kitchen.

"Girl, you look drained." Ashanti took notice to bags under her best friends eyes. "I am." Destiny let out a tiresome yawn as she led the way down the hall and into her bedroom. Ashanti plopped down on the bed. "How are you holding up?" She questioned, referring to everything that was going on with Trina. "Fine, I guess." Her shoulders went up then down.

"When's the last time you got a good nights rest?" Ashanti asked. Destiny thought about the question; not able to find a time where she found herself sleeping through the night. The situation where her mother held Darnell and Lani at gunpoint replayed in her head countless times. "I don't know." She responded dryly. Ashanti shook her head, "You need to get some sleep and stop trying to overwork yourself." Ashanti said. "I can't. Bills need to get paid and I have to come out of pocket for my mama treatment." Destiny's headache increased at the subject.

Life was weighing on her heavily. Now that Trina was in rehab, majority of the money she made went towards her treatment care. It was more stressful that she anticipated. But she couldn't fold under pressure now. She thought about finding a third job to continue making ends meet. "Des, you're constantly taking care of everyone else. You need to start taking care of you." Ashanti stated, being openly honest with her best friend. Destiny took her words into consideration. One thing about Ashanti; she was going to speak the truth and not withhold her opinions.

She was a true ride or die friend who told you as it is. "I know." Destiny waved her off. She then stripped out of her uniform, gathering her belongings for a shower. "Be back." She told Ashanti before walking over to the bathroom. She got in tub, taking a nice hot shower. The hot water felt amazing beating on her back, freeing her of all the tension in her muscles. She spent an additional ten-minutes in the tub before hopping out, wrapping the towel around her body.

She walked back to her bedroom. Ashanti was laid across the bed, phone cuffing. Destiny playfully rolled her eyes. "Boy, I ain't feena' play with yo ass." She heard her say when she proceeded to get dressed. Afterwards, she dried her hair then put it up in a messy bun. She crawled into the bed beside Ashanti soon after. "Hold on, lemme tell her." She removed the phone from her ear before pressing the mute button. She gazed over at Destiny. "Hakim said Q having a small party, and he wants you to come." She announced.

Destiny knew exactly what party Ashanti was talking about. Quan had been telling her about the small dinner party he was having for his twenty-fifth birthday. Yeah, that's right— Quan's turning twenty-five years old tomorrow, which means he's five years older than her. He didn't look the part neither. Destiny looked over at her best friend, twisting her mouth to the side while she thought about it. Although she badly needed the rest, it wouldn't hurt to go out and enjoy her life. And she sort of felt bad for not responding to the many text messages she had sitting in her phone from Quan.

"Alright. I'll go." Destiny gave in. Ashanti grinned, taking her phone off mute. "We'll be there." She told Hakim; who was still on the other end of the call. They're phone call ended shortly after. "Okay, bitch, what you wearing?" Ashanti sat up straight while pinning her hair into a low bun.
"Something." Destiny joked, causing Ashanti to roll her eyes.

"No, shit. But what exactly?" She questioned. "Ion know. I'll throw something together." Destiny told her, not caring for whatever she would decide to wear to the function. "Ooh, no." Ashanti stood to her feet. "Q is absolutely feeling you, okay. You not about to show up looking causally cute. His friends and family gon' be there. You gotta make his jaw drop." She told Destiny as she walked towards her closet.

Destiny sat up straight, watching her go through everything that hung on the rack. "No. No. No." She combed through different items. "Oh, yes!" Ashanti stopped midway, pulling a one-piece from the closet. "Bitch, you're wearing this." She held the baby pink bandage bodysuit up in the air. Destiny stood up to her feet. She touched the strings on the outfit, feeling it's soft material. "I guess it'll work." She smirked. "You guess? You know damn well you gon' wear the hell out this outfit, quit playing." Ashanti laughed.

"What I'm supposed to do with my hair? I had no intensions of going out." Destiny stressed, combing her fingers through her slightly damped hair.
"Well, I can always straighten it for you." Ashanti suggested, reclaiming her spot on the bed.
"Do we even have a lot of time for that Shan?" Destiny questioned. "No, but it's almost bad luck to not show up to the event fashionably late." She joked. Destiny shook her head before gathering all the products needed for her hair.

As she sat on the floor getting fixed up by Ashanti, Destiny's mind ran across her mother. None of the kids had heard from her since her check-in at True Co Care. She pushed her thoughts to the back; knowing that this was all apart of the process.
"Alright now!" Ashanti cheesed looking at her work. It wasn't much, but she had Destiny's hair silky and bone straight; almost as if she just got a fresh silk press.

"Thanks Shan. This will have to work." Destiny ran her fingers though her now straightened hair.
"Of course. I'm gon' head home and get ready. Text you when I'm on my way to pick you up." Ashanti stood up from the bed, gathering her purse and car keys. The two said their byes before Ashanti went on her way. A few minutes later, Destiny was seated in front the mirror in her bedroom, brushing her wild eyebrows as she prepared to give her face a light glam. Her phone dinged a few moments later, causing her to reach over and grab it.

Q:
Seeing u tonight👀
- Sent at 9:00pm

Reply:
Idk, guess you'll have to wait & see 😂
- Sent at 9:02pm

Q:
U stay playin🤦🏾‍♂️
- Sent at 9:05pm

Destiny let out a light chuckle before continuing to do her makeup. Once finished, she sprayed her face with some setting spray. She remembered Ashanti's words that for some reason lingered in her mind while she pulled open the top draw. Her eyes roamed all the different pantie and bra sets. Destiny pulled out a pair of black lace thongs; slipping them over her thick thighs. She then proceeded to moisturize her skin with coconut lime body oil.

After what felt like hours or combing through jewelry, she settled on wearing some simple silver accessories. Twenty-minutes later, Destiny was fully dressed and ready for the unpredictable ahead of her. The bodysuit hugged all her curves and dips as she expected it would when she first purchased the one-piece. Slipping the clear open-toe heels on her feet, she looked down at her white gel-polished toes.  Her stomach began twisting in knots as she looked at herself in the mirror; one last time.

When she walked into the living room, Ashanti was calling ringing her cellphone. She informed Destiny that she was in fact around the block and it would be best for her to come outside now. Destiny made sure to grab her house keys before leaving the house. For some reason she felt nervous and jittery at the same time. Though she wasn't looking for any type of approval; she silently hoped Quan's family would take a liking to her— however, she wouldn't be hurt if they didn't. She wasn't there to please anyone.

"Dang, bitch. Hakim gon' catch him a stroke." Destiny laughed once in the car, taking in her besties appearance. The black seville lace corset had her twins sitting nice and perky. Although she wasn't standing; you could see the leather snake skin pants hugging her small curves perfectly. Ashanti always dressed to make a statement. "Girl, please." Ashanti fanned her off, "I just threw something together in a rush." Destiny found that hard to believe since she made her outfit look so effortlessly good.
Ashanti pulled off from the curbside moments later.