"What you gonna do when you wanna get funky!?" Uncle Tony exclaimed.
"CALL ME CRAZY!" Everyone except me shouted in the full parking lot. People were giving us the side-eye & evil glares.
We arrived at Uptown's High & Low Universal Mall. Instead of taking all four cars, we all went in two separate cas. Me, Uncle Tony, Prince, Uncle Damon & Pearl rode in Prince's car. The rest rode in Aunt Rose's car. Surprisingly, the car ride wasn't very long. (That's because Prince ran through multiple red lights. How he didn't get stop by the police is a unaswerable question.) Despite the deserted house, there's a lot of places outside the house. But there was a long line of gate that goes around the house including the woods. So, you can't go anywhere unless you have the code for the gate. But how come there wasn't a gate when we came up the hill earlier?Uncle Tony was taking different turns on the road. And I might've zoned out during the ride too. I'm gonna have to look into that later on. Prince played James Brown throughout the entire car ride. I was in the backseat with Pearl & Uncle Damon. We had a few conversations about different things. You know, just simple small talk with one another. It was nice, I guess. Having a conversation with a couple of strangers in a banana car while listening to James Brown.
"Here we are! At Uptown's mall!" Uncle Kirk said.
Uptown High & Low Universal Mall is literally located uptown. It looks way different from downtown's mall. It's way humongous & very extra teenish. I can tell it's been here for quite some time. The owner of the building kept it very clean & neat. This owner deserves their flowers. I wonder who owns this mall? They must be a trillionaire.
"It's very big."
"That's because there's a whole lot of shit inside & penty of bitches to fuck on!" Uncle Damon said excitedly while rubbing his hands together.
Uncle Tony smacked Damon in the mouth, literally. "Watch ya mouth dawg! Show some respect in front of Princess!" Uncle Tony scolded.
Uncle Damon rubbed his mouth to ease the small pain. "Sorry, Princess."
"Can we go inside now? Its getting extremely hot & I don't want to sweat out my perfume." Diamond fanned herself with her purse.
"Your wearing a fucking fur coat, Diamond. What do you expect it to be? A blizzard?" Aunt Rose said sarcastically.
"I happened to like this fur coat, thank you very much." Diamond said.
"Let's just go inside because I'm getting hot too." Prince said fanning himself as well.
We all walked towards the front entrance of the humongous mall. As we walked inside, the view was the same as the outside. Plenty of clothing stores, food carts, restaurants, & more stores. It had escalators & elevators. Up above was a three story floor. This mall has three stories? Downtown's mall only has one. I wonder what kind of stores they have up there. Hell, a ferris wheel could be up there too.
"Princess, are you coming?" Prince asked. The rest of the group were standing a few feet away from me while I was standing in front of the entrance still.
"Oh yeah! I'm coming!" I quickly caught up with them.
"What store do you wanna go to first?" Prince asked.
I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know, they're so many."
'Tiffany's? Dior? Fendi? Prada? What about Gucci?" Uncle Tony questioned.
All of those names are designer brand. This mall have designer clothes too? Any magazine that comes in the mail, I keep it. Because of the designer brands that's advertise inside. I always dreamed of owning some of those brands. Like those famous fashion runaway models like Naomi Campbell & Tyra Banks.
"Do they have Louis Vuitton?"
"Its on the second floor." Prince said.
'Hey! How about we all shop in separate groups & come back an hour? Sounds like a plan?" Uncle Tony said.
"Yeah." Everyone including me agreed.
"Actually, can it just be me & Princess for a little while? Damon & Pearl? We'll catch up with you guys in a bit." Prince said.
We all separate & parted ways. Prince held onto my hand as went up the escalators. There were so many people here, its ridiculous. How come I've never heard about this mall? People shop online or the cheap $10 stores downtown. We walked inside the Louis Vuitton store. Purses, shoes, jewelry & many more. It literally took my breath away.
"See anything you like?" Prince asked.
As a matter of fact, something did caught my eye. I walked over to the rack of purses examining each one. Everything is so beautiful & very expensive. The prices on these purses are the same amount of prices of products from Jackson Productions. (Michael believes in good money so he increases the prices on his products.)
"How are you enjoying this so far?" Prince asked.
"Its magical."
"We didn't get a chance to talk."
I picked up a clear rainbow transparent handbag. "Yeah, we didn't."
"Where do you live now?"
"Downtown, in the city. I live in a mansion complex. I have neighbors." I put the bag back on the shelf.
"I don't like neighbors."
"I can tell, you live in the middle of the nowhere literally."
I picked up the small brown shoulder bag that was covered in Louis Vuitton initials all over. This is a cute purse, it would go well with some boots.
"I had my home built after you were born. I never got a chance to move inside because I was arrested by the police."
"What were you in prison for?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "Fraud & theft identity."
Did he just lie? In my face? I put the purse back on the shelf. "Fraud & theft identity?"
"I was trying to get around some big money. I couldn't hold a job because of my record. So, I did what any hustler would do. Live the street life."
"You have a record? You must've done some pretty crazy things." I turned around & saw a shelf full of shoes on the other side of room. I briefly walked over to the shoes. One pair of shoes won my heart immediately. Black Louis Vuttion heel-boots. It would go so well with that brown purse.
"Do you want them?" Prince asked walking up behind me.
I shook my head, "Y-yes."
"Kevin!" He yelled at the cashier. "Round up everything she touched."
The cashier quickly came around the counter & brought over two Louis Vuitton shopping bags. I opened the bags to see everything I looked at & touched. It's all here in these bags, already paid for.
"You like it?" Prince asked.
"Yes!" I held up the brown purse. I now own a Louis Vuitton purse. This is my lucky day!
We exited from Louis Vuitton & went to the Gucci store. It was arranged differently from the Louis Vuitton store. It had a highly sense of sweet smell throughout the store like vanilla. Prince went over & talked to the cashier. I was already strolling through the rack of clothes.
"Ah, I see you got some Louis Vuitton!" Diamond's voice said in my ear. It gave me slight chills down my spine.
"Yeah, I did."
"What your gonna get out of here?" She asked curiously.
"I don't know."
She pulled out an outfit from the rack. It was a white short sleeveless jumpsuit. It came with a white gucci belt. "Wanna try it on?"
"They have a fitting room here?"
"Yes, silly! It's over there by the cashier." She pointed. "Come on, I'll come with you."
We walked to the fitting room & found a empty one. Diamond closed the door behind her & handed me the outfit. I don't like getting undressed in front of strangers. But Diamond seems like a good person so I semi-trust her. I begin to unbutton my jeans.
"Hey, Diamond?"
"Yes, darling?" She pulled out her lipstick & reapplied it in the mirror that is in front of us.
"What did Prince go to prison for?"
"Fraud & Theft identity."
I rolled my eyes, of course she would say that. I assume the others would tell me the same thing if I asked. Mayte told me he went to prison for murder. How come he can't admit it? Is he too ashamed of it? Honestly, I would be ashamed too. Admitting to do murder is a hard thing to do especially to family. I've heard stories about murder's families disowning them & forgetting about them. They have to live alone because they're afraid of the people outside. All alone, nobody to comfort them. I wonder if Prince felt the same way when he was in prison.
I slipped on the jumpsuit easily, it fits me like a glove. Diamond turned around & smiled in approval.
"You look amazing in that jumpsuit. I'm gonna buy you that outfit myself."
"Alright."
For twelve minutes, I looked through different clothes & tried on so many. I only picked out three outfits & a pair of heels that I liked so far. The white jumpsuit with the matching gucci belt. A Jean demin balzer jacket & matching pants with a black gucci belt. And a white blazer dress with a pair of black heels to go with it.
Me, Diamond, & Prince exited from the Gucci store. Pearl came running towards us with a couple of Victoria Secret bags in her hand.
"Diamond! You got to go to Victoria Secret. They're having a huge sale on underwear & lingerie!" Pearl said excitedly.
"Princess, do you want to come with us?" Diamond asked.
I looked at Prince who nod his head in approval. "Sure."
Diamond & Pearl grabbed my hand as they lead me towards the elevator. We went up the third floor where the big pink Victoria Secert sign glowed high in the air. They dragged me inside the store pushing pass the lusty women with lingerie in their hand. I've never shopped from Victoria Secret. Latoya & Janet does, they love this store. I didn't find anything special about it because I thought they sold only sexy lingerie for needy women. But from the looks of it, they sell clothes, perfume, makeup, handbags & undergarments. Diamond & Pearl seemed very interested in the lingerie section. I browsed around the store looking at different things. A few things caught my eye but I didn't want it. I'm not much of a sexy person. I went over to the perfume section. There were a shelf full of perfume neatly placed in alphabetical order. I picked up a scent & smelled it. It smelled fascinating so kept i it in my hands.
I have a big thing for makeup & good fragrance. I may look plain on the daily basis. But sometimes I like to switch it up & be girly. My family thinks I'm a tomboy because of my looks. I love makeup, fragrance, & hair. I don't show it because the world can be very judgmental. Many celebrities get clowned for the clothes they wear, their makeup, their body type. Me personally, everyone has their own style. We all don't have to wear the same thing. It's okay to experience a new style once & in a while. But after shopping in those expensive brands, I think I'm gonna switch it up. Try something new.
"Did you find anything you like?" Pearl asked walking up to me with more bags in her hands.
"A couple of perfumes."
"Really?" She scrunched up her nose "That's all? You don't want anything else?"
"Yeah, that's all."
"Alright, let's check out then."
After the cashier ringed up our items, we exited from the store. We went back down to the first floor. Everyone was near the couches & benches waiting on us. Expect for one thing, Prince is missing.
"Where's Prince?"
"He'll be back!" Uncle Tony said.
I sat on the bench between Uncle Damon & Aunt Rose. I opened one of the Victoria Secret bags. Inside of the pink box was the perfume I picked out with a pair of satin black glittery panties. Black panties? Does that come with the perfume? I checked my other bag to see the my other perfumes with three pairs of panties in velvet, white, & purple lace. Wow, Victoria Secret knows how to make their customers happy. Or did Diamond & Pearl has something to do with it?
One of the elevators opened to a blunt Prince walking off the elevator. He came over to us. "Are you guys ready?"
"Yeah." Everyone including me said.
"The restuarant is down the street from the mall. We can walk there instead of taking the car. Is that okay with you Princess?" Prince asked.
"Uh yes, sure. What about our bags?"
"The usher will put our bags in the car. Just leave it there." He said.
We all exited from the magical mall & begin walking down the street. It's hot but not scolding hot outside. Many people are walking around on this perfectly hot day. You can't do that downtown anymore because of the riot. People have safety precautions about walking around in the neighborhood & sidewalks during the day. They even have a curfew for us. I think everyone is just being paranoid. It'll pass on. We walked inside the fancy restaurant. Tall chandeliers on the ceiling, small round tables everywhere, & a huge bar on the side. There was a shelf full wine, liquor & spiritzers. They're so many people here. This place is too fancy. I looked down at my attire, its simple. People were wearing finery clothes. I feel like an outsider.
A waitress lead us to a big round table behind a red velvet rope in the back. We all sat down beside each other. A bunch of waitresses came over with a platter full of drinks. We all ordered our food & went on with a conversation.
"Did you have fun shopping, Princess?" Uncle Damon asked.
"Yeah, I had fun." I was sitting next to Diamond & Prince.
"I can't wait to eat, I'm starving!" Pearl took a sip of wine from her glass.
"I got you something, Princess!" Prince said.
"What is it?"
He pulled out a black box from underneath the table. He slid it over to me. I opened it, a iPhone & a credit card sits in the box. I picked up the iPhone that had a Betty Boop phone case. I don't own a phone because Michael thinks it will rot my brain inside & out. How do I contact anybody? A beeper & a pay phone. So much for a rich baby.
"For me?"
"Yes, it has everyone's contact number on there including mines. If there's anything wrong or need you can contact any of us anytime. And I can easily contact you instead of starting a riot." He laughed.
I picked up the credit card. "My own?"
"Unlimited, you can spend whatever you want on there. There's money already loaded on there. Money will be added on your card every week. It's kinda like an allowance."
"Wow! Thank you!" I can't believe this! I have my own credit card & phone. I can buy whatever I want & not worry about a limit. Wait, that means I have a bank account. I have a bank account too! I pinched myself to check if I'm dreaming. No, perfectly awake. This a dream come true.
The waitresses brought our food over to the table. We all digged into the delicious food. This is the best food I ever had. They don't have this type of food downtown. I might have to come back here sometime. Everyone was having their own conversation while I was enjoying my new phone. It was difficult at first but I got use to it pretty quickly. Although, I do have to hide it from Michael & the others. The credit card? I don't think so.
"I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" Prince asked.
"To the restroom."
"Alright, hurry back."
I walked to the ladies restroom. Gosh, even the ladies restroom is fancy too. I quickly did my ladies business & washed my hands. As I exited from the restroom, I accidently bumped into a hard chest.
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"Amy! I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't know you were into bougie restaurants." A familiar raspy voice laughed.
I looked up & rolled my eyes, "Mr. Dwayne Johnson. What are you doing here?"
"Why the hostile behavior? You can't be nice to me even if Michael & Clark aren't around?" He asked. He wore an all white suit with a matching fedora. He looks like a million dollar pimp.
"Why would i be nice to a frivolous malign ass like you?"
"Oh!" He was taken back. "I didn't know you knew words like that. I always knew you were such a smart girl."
"Can you please move so I can return to my table?"
"What table? Oh! You mean, the table full of strangers that your having dinner with?" He played dumb for a second then he smirked. "I know those people aren't related to Michael. And they can't be some kinfolks. So, who are they?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"None of your business."
"You see it is my business because I recognize somebody at that table. His name is Prince. The infamous drug dealer & prostitution ring leader. You do know he pimps out women, right?"
"He doesn't do that anymore."
He laughed, "Is that what he told you? Just like he told you that he's your father?"
I frowned, "How do you know that?"
"Come on, Princess. When I look at you I see the reflection of that man in your eyes. You have his ways, smart ways. You talk like him. You walk like him. Hell, you are him. I don't know how Michael fooled you into thinking that your his child. But he did a pretty good damn job."
"He did, didn't he?" I folded my arms across my chest.
"I assume your father doesn't know about you sneaking out to hang with Prince. That's real rebellious of you, Amy. I'm quite shock by this sudden behavior."
"Hm, so what do you want?"
"What do you mean?" He shrugged.
"Its obviously that you want something since you caught me hanging out with Prince. What do you want? What's your price?"
He chuckled, "I don't want anything from you especially your money. What I want is something from your father, Prince."
I arched an brow, "Like what?"
"He has something that belongs to me. He refuses to give it back & claims it as his. I need it back."
"What is it that he took?"
"He knows. I'll tell you what, I'll make you a deal. I'll keep quiet about you hanging out with your father if you bring back what's mine."
"How am I suppose to get back what's yours if I don't know what it is?"
"Just know it's a huge diamond. This isn't just an ordinary Diamond, a special diamond. It contains things that can cause more then a riot."
So, Dwayne knows about Prince being my father. Is he stalking me? Did he hire somebody to watch me? Take notes & pictures of me to tell Michael? This is absolutely preposterous!
"If I get your diamond, you'll keep your mouth shut?"
"I don't make deals that I can't do." He held out his hand waiting for me to shake it.
I'm going to regret doing this but it's for Prince's safety. God knows what Michael will do if he found out about us. I don't want Prince getting hurt. I shook Dwayne's hand sealing the deal.
"Fine, I'll get your precious diamond."