Justine
"You should dye your hair purple." Nae said running her hands through my hair. I looked back at her crazy.
"What?" I responded giggling.
"Dye your hair purple! It would look good with your complexion." She stated convincingly.
"Um I don't know about that.." I said sitting back down on her bed.
We had been here for over an hour. I was helping her unpack while we listened to Pandora and talked about foolishness.
"So you and Jaylin huh?" I said randomly.
She smacked her lips smiling. "Girl no, any fool can see all he gotta on his mind is pussy."
"Maybe you'll be the one to change him, you never know." I shrugged.
"I doubt it." She waved me off.
Soon we went downstairs to eat, except for Nae's brother who apparently went to work.
I began my short journey home carrying my book bag on my back. When I made it in I saw nobody was home which didn't surprise me.
My mom worked in the late afternoons and Marley stayed with her after school at the shop. Bri normally wouldn't come straight from school, she normally waltzed in around 7 or 8.
I locked the door and let out a exasperated sigh. I ruffled my hair and started up the stairs.
I went into the bathroom leaning over then tub and turning on the shower. I walked over to the mirror stripping out of my clothes.
I stood in the mirror tilting my head analyzing my petite body, noticing I had a questionable scratch on my thigh that I had no idea where it came from.
I hopped in the shower before the water began to turn cold.
After I finished I put on Pandora as I began to take my sew in out.
"Redemptions on your mind when you think about me.." I sung along and suddenly heard the front door open and close.
I peeked out the bathroom door, laying the scissors down. I saw Bri start climbing the stairs.
"That head looking rough." She chuckled.
"Shut up!" I laughed. "Help me please."
"In a minute." She said before closing her door.
I smacked my lips turning my music back up.
By the time Bri came back I was taking my braids out. She ran her fingers through my braids. "I don't need help now." I rolled my eyes.
She shrugged sitting on the toilet seat. "So wassup with that new girl Tae?" She scrolled through her phone as she spoke.
"It's not Tae its Nae" I giggled, "and nothing she's pretty cool. She just moved in down the street actually."
"She the one you rode home with?" I nodded deciding not to say anything about my stupid school girl crush on her brother.
"Jaylin told me to tell you to get him right with her." Bri said laughing.
I frowned. "Um no, if he wants her he can tell her himself."
"Why you'on like him?"
I shrugged. She kicked me slightly. "You so damn mean Ju!"
I ignored her ruffling my hair.
Bri helped me wash my hair before I put my hair in braids and went downstairs.
I hadn't noticed Mama had gotten home, she and Marley were on the couch watching Frozen.
I swear Marley has watched this movie a thousand times but it never gets old to her.
"Hey mommy." I spoke sitting on the couch crossing my legs.
"Hey baby." She glanced at me. "When you want your hair did?" I shrugged.
"Whenever." She nodded telling me she would do it Sunday.
"Shh!" Marley rolled her eyes. I was about to throw a pillow at her before my phone pinged.
I grabbed my phone and saw I had a new friend request on Facebook.
"Marley you done seen this movie a thousand times give me the remote." Mama snapped holding out her hand.
"No mommy it's almost over!" She whined.
I clicked on the app since I had nothing else to do and saw it was a boy.
Shannon Pearson
I clicked on his profile, kicking my feet and almost fell on the floor when I realized it was Nae's brother. My heart sped up as my mind wondered how the hell he got my information.
I locked my phone deciding to wait a couple minutes before accepting it. I didn't want to him to think I was sweating him.
Which I was.
"I'm going to bed y'all, night." I said just as Mama was yelling at Marley for hiding the remote.
I ran up the steps skipping two at a time, I shut my door to my room and turned on my TV to pass some time.
I counted down the seconds until 10 minutes past and went back on Facebook to accept his request.
I went to his page and saw he had that he was twenty years old in his info box.
I went through his pictures, which he didn't have many of. They all consisted of him blowing smoke clouds or with a bunch of boys. He was in the club or at parties in many of his pictures also.
I got off his profile after a few more minutes of lurking and turned off my TV.
I closed my eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I woke up around 9 and climbed out of bed heading to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and did my hygiene routine before I undid my braid out and sighed. Parts of my hair was still wet so it looked a mess. I got my blow dryer out and dried the rest of my hair then put it in a sleek bun.
I threw on a random shirt and some shorts and went downstairs. It was no surprise my mother wasn't cooking breakfast, she always slept in until like 11.
I got out some bread and decided to make cheese toast and eggs.
"I'm hungry Ju." Marley walked in rubbing her eyes.
"I'm cooking toast, here eat a banana." I said grabbing a banana and handing it to her. She grabbed it walking into the living room.
After the food was done I made Marley and I's plate then we went upstairs to eat in my room.
"Can we watch Disney?" She said grabbing the remote not waiting on my response. I rolled my eyes at her behavior as Bri walked in my room with a plate.
Bri laid at the end of my bed and ate silently strolling on her phone.
"So James is taking me to the movies tonight." Bri spoke after she finished her plate. She grinned looking at me.
James is Bri's 'boy toy', although she tries hard to make it seem she doesn't care about him it's clear she does. She literally stalks his social media and whenever we talk about him it's all teeth and gums. I had seen him from pictures and he was fine and all but the only thing is he's married..
No he's not her sugar daddy, he's 23 and apparently he married his high school sweetheart who he showers with love on Instagram but also who he cheats on every week with a high schooler.
Sheesh.
So yeah, Bri's basically a side chick. She gets pissed when I call her that though so I never press the issue anymore. When I first found out about this little fling I told her my opinion and she obviously didn't listen so I just fell back.
You've gotta let people make their own mistakes in order for them to learn.
"Just be careful, you know I don't trust him." I spoke warning her.
She rolled her eyes standing up and stretching. "Well you won't have to worry because I know a way you can keep a close eye on us." She smiled devilishly.
I narrowed my eyes at her. "What?"
"Your coming with us."
"You done lost your mind."
"C'mon Ju, you won't be a third wheel, he's bringing one of his homeboys-"
"Bri leave me alone." I said focusing on the TV. Marley smacked her lips leaving out the room.
"Y'all talk too much." She mumbled going into her room.
"Please Ju I promise I'll do anything you want!" She begged.
"No."
"Please please please please-" "No no no no-"
"What if I gave you that pink bag you like so much?"
I narrowed my eyes at her. "The one with the gold trimming?" She nodded grinning sadistically.
It was quiet for a few seconds before I finally spoke. "Fine."
She yelled and hugged me. I giggled pushing her off. "But we leave right after the movie Bri, no excuses!"
"Yeah yeah yeah, it starts at 8." She waltzed out the room happily. I jumped up following after her.
"Gimme' my bag!"
Later that night..
Bri and I walked down the busy streets of downtown Atlanta, heading towards the cinema.
The boys were supposed to meet us at the theater but apparently they were late because they were 'stuck in traffic'.
We sat inside the mall and I sat quietly as Bri talked my head off about James.
"He says he going to leave her but I don't know I just have a feeling he's playing with me..." She stressed leaning on her fist.
I rolled my eyes slyly, and a couple seconds later she perked up. I turned my head noticing a man coming towards us. Bri stood up meeting him halfway, smiling.
Once I caught up, I noticed James right away from the pictures Bri had shown me and in person he actually looked much younger.
Bri hugged him as he pecked her lips multiple times, holding her waist. I stood to the side awkwardly.
Bri finally pulled away from their embrace and frowned. "Where's ya boy?"
"Oh sum' shit had came up-"
I walked off not waiting for an explanation.
I should've stayed my ass at home.
"Justine?!" Bri yelled after me. I waved at her and continued walking through the mall. I stumbled upon FootLocker and saw they had a hiring sign out front. I bit my lip as I walked into the surprisingly empty store.
I went to the front desk and a caramel colored girl with blonde hair popped up from the back. She looked me up and down and stared at me.
"Um y'all are hiring right?" I spoke sitting my glasses on top of my head. She reached under the counter and put a application in front of me. She popped her gum as she continued to look at me rudely.
"Thanks..." I said awkwardly as I grabbed the paper and walked out of the store.
Females are weird.
Just as I was heading towards the entrance of the mall Nae texted me asking was I busy. I replied no and she invited me over. I sighed realizing I would have to call a cab.
I began dialing on my phone when I bumped into someone. I gasped as my phone hit the ground. It had landed face down and I just knew it had cracked. I leaned down and picked it up slowly. It had long cracks coming from every corner.
"Shit!" I hissed as a piece of glass stuck into my thumb.
"You gotta watch where you goin sweetheart." I heard a deep voice grumble. I finally looked up frowning.
My eyes widened at the sight of Nae's brother towering over me.
He raised his eyebrow as a look of recognition washed over him. "You my sis lil friend ain't it?" He licked his lips as his eyes scanned over me in my shorts.
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
He stared at me in amusement. He reached into his pocket pulling out a brown leather wallet. He opened it showcasing the rolls of bills. He pulled out a single hundred handing it out to me.
"I know a place around the corner that can fix ya' shit in a hour. Here."
I looked at his money snapping back to reality. "No it's fine, it was my fault. I'll get it fixed myself." I said beginning stepping around him.
He grabbed my arm gently, pulling my side closer to him. He pushed the bill into my back pocket, not forgetting to take a quick and almost unnoticeable squeeze of my ass.
I stood stunned staring back at him as he stared down at me.
"The place called iCracked, right up the street. Big ass blue building, ya' can't miss it." He spoke before he let me go and walked off swiftly.
I stood there for a few seconds and took a deep breath taking a quick glance behind me and seeing that he had disappeared.