Even the air was different. I mean, it was just as humid as Houston was, but it just wasn't the same.
I knew before I graduated that I was gonna come live with Aunt Pamela and her boyfriend, but that didn't mean that I wanted to come. As a matter of fact, the only reason I was out here was because my parents wanted me out of their house and I didn't have anywhere else to go.
So here I was, walking down a New York sidewalk with my Walkman in the pocket of my shorts, playing Bell Biv DeVoe's album in my headphones.
Kiss me pretty baby, and touch me all over
Girl, what makes you think you can do me?
Do you think you can do me?
I spotted a convenience store and went inside, palming the five dollar bill inside my pocket as I roamed around looking for some Cheetos. An older Asian lady came by with a broom, seemingly minding her own business as she swept. I grabbed a bag before heading to the refrigerators in the back, looking for a Coke. I felt eyes on me as I was looking, and I turned my head to see the Asian lady quickly turn her head as if she was still minding her own business.
I turned my head back uncomfortably as I grabbed a cherry Coke and made my way to the front. So it was that kind of store. I lived in Texas my whole life, so it wasn't like it new to me, but still, it didn't fail to irritate me every time.
I took my headphones off and I raised an eyebrow at the boy standing behind the cash register.
How the hell can you be racist and have a black man working in your store? What kind of dumbass shit...
"Is that all?" He asked, and I nodded.
He took the soda from me and started charging it on the register before he looked back up me, showing off pearly white teeth.
"I've never seen you around here, are you new?" He asked in his youthful, yet deep voice. I couldn't help but act smile, this boy was too cute.
"Yeah, I just moved here from Houston," I said bashfully.
"Oh, so you a country girl, huh?" He asked, his expression and body language as friendly as can be. The Asian woman peered at us from around a row of chips and I ignored her.
"Not really, Houston ain't really as country as people think," I said, and he laughed.
"Your accent could've fooled me," he said, and I looked at him, confused.
"My accent? I ain't got no accent," I said, before I paused, suddenly noticing the country twang in my voice.
"I ain't got no accent," he mocked jokingly, and I laughed at his impression of me until the old lady cleared her throat, and I looked over at her annoyed. If this lady don't get her old ass -
"Anyways, that's gonna be $3.25," he said, and I pulled out my five dollar bill in silence and gave to him, watching him open up the register.
He handed me my change back. "I'm Nate, by the way," he said, extending his hand.
I took it, shaking his hand politely. "Bianca, nice to meet you." I looked around briefly before asking, "Hey, do know you any places hiring nearby?"
He thought a for a moment. "Well, we're hiring, but if you wanna work here you're gonna have to have some, uh....." he looked over at the lady, who had her back turned momentarily, "Thick skin."
"Oh."
"But it pays good though. I can put in a good word for you if you want?"
"Yeah, sure. We'll see what happens. I'll see you around?"
"Yeah.....yeah, I'll see you around," he said. I took my stuff and gave a small wave goodbye, a big grin on my face as I exited.
So, maybe this wouldn't be as bad I thought if the boys around here look like him.
I wasn't enthusiastic about the idea of working for some racist Asian bitch - who would be if we're being honest - but it might be my only choice. I had been looking for work all day, and I hadn't come up with anything. The only way I was staying in the house was if I had a job, and I'd much rather be miserable with a roof over my head than be miserable while homeless. Priorities, y'all.
"How'd you like the neighborhood?" Darrell asked when I got home, my half-drank Coke in hand. Darrell was Aunt Sandra's boyfriend of five years, and while he treated her nice, he and I kinda clashed front time to time, even though I knew I wasn't supposed to be talking back to "adults".
"It was alright," I said, and he raised his eyebrows at me.
"Just alright, huh? Well, just know that when you get yourself a J-O-B out there that you still got a job here to do at home," he said, and I rolled my eyes as I sat down on the couch.
"You know you've told me that like ten times? I got it already."
"I was just reminding you, your daddy told me how much you like to "forget"," he said, and I groaned.
"Auntie, come get your man!"
"Bianca, did you look for a job?" She asked as she walked out of their bedroom, ignoring my yell.
"Yeah, I did. The only place that's hiring is some convenience store a few blocks away," I replied.
Darrell snorted, "Mrs. Huang's? You in some trouble, little girl."
"I know, she was watching me the whole time I was in there," I said.
"Maybe you should just hold off on the job, then," she said, and he kissed his teeth.
"Why? She'll be alright, her old ass won't do anything."
"I don't want my niece getting harassed, Darrell," she argued.
"So what if she does? It'll build character."
"Really? You know what, I'll do it. I got thick skin, it won't bother me."
"Are you sure?" She questioned.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
-------------------------
Sure enough, I got that job at the convenience store, but not without Mrs. Huang throwing some threats my way. Out of respect for Asian people as a whole I won't repeat what she sounded like, but you could imagine.
I had been working there for only a week before anything really exciting happened. My days mostly consisted of learning how to use the register and talking to Nate, who was pretty much my first and only friend. I didn't know anyone else other than the boys that would occasionally come to fuck with him sometimes, who he said were his homeboys. But other than that, I was still brand new to the area.
The bell at the top of the door rang and I only flipped the page to a Vogue magazine, not paying much attention. Mrs. Huang was in the back doing Lord knows what, so if someone just so happened to steal something in the next four or five minutes.....oh well. As long as they weren't trying to steal something from me, I was fine.
"Hey," I heard someone say, and I looked up to see a boy about my age with a flat-top in front of me, leaning on the counter with his elbows as his friends walked around the store.
"Hi," I said, looking back down at the magazine. I could already tell where this was about to go.
"Correct me if I'm mistaken but uh," he began, licking his bottom lip as his eyes trailed down my torso, "I don't think I've ever seen you around here. You new?"
"Yep, I'm new," I replied, nodding as my eyes were still on the magazine.
"What's your name? You look like you got a little exotic name, like....Akila, Lola, Alessandra - "
"It's Bianca, actually."
"Bianca, Bianca....that sound real good coming off the tongue. Sounds real Spanish. You Puerto Rican or something?"
"Uh, first of all, Bianca is an Italian name, just putting that out there," I started, "And no, I'm not Puerto Rican. Just black."
"Just black? Even better."
I laughed before I finally put down the magazine. "Can I help you with something?"
"I mean.....yeah, you can help me. You can start by givin' me your number," he said, letting out a soft chuckle.
"I don't even know your name, why would I give you my number?"
"My name is Dalvin, baby," he said, gently grabbing my hand and kissing it, and I raised my eyebrows at him. "And we can get to know each other. I could show you around, let you know where all the hot spots are at - "
"Nigga, shut the hell up. She don't want you," one of his boys said, abruptly pushing him out of the way as he placed a bottle of Sprite on the counter, giving me a bright smile.
"I'm K-Ci. But you can call me Cedric, since you pretty and all," he winked, and I just rolled my eyes.
"Is that all you need?" I asked.
"Can I get a pack of cigarettes? The ones on that bottom row there," he pointed, and I could hear whispering as I turned around and bent over to grab them. Typical boys.
"Y'all wrong," a different boy said right before I turned around, and I pretended as if I didn't hear him.
"That'll be $2.18," I said, and he slid three dollars over to me.
"Thank you, sugar," he said as I gave him his change back.
"You're welcome."
Cedric and the two other boys walked out, chatting amongst themselves. Dalvin followed them out - but not before he came by the counter one last time. I went back to looking at my magazine.
"So....are you gonna give me your number?"
"Bye, Dalvin."
"Alright.....I see you, girl." The bell jingled again and I looked up briefly, to see him and his friends cutting up as they went down the street, and I leaned over the counter to watch them as best I could.
"Hey!"
I turned my head with the quickness, eyebrows knitted together. Mrs. Huang stood there, pointing towards the refrigerated area.
"Need to mop!"
I sighed. "Yes ma'am."
DALVIN'S POV
"Y'all motherfuckers nasty," JoJo said, shaking his head as we left the store.
"Y'all? I didn't do anything, that was K," I said, nodding my head towards him.
"Yeah, don't be tryin' to give Dalvin any credit for my ideas," K-Ci added.
"Yeah, but you looked," he said, "Makin' that poor girl bend over like that. What's the matter with y'all?"
"That was fucked up, but I ain't gone lie, shorty had it goin' on," De added, throwing his arm around my neck.
"You ain't never lied," I said.
"And she was feelin' you, kid. You get her number?"
K-Ci snickered. "I think we was watchin' two different things, 'cause she wasn't feelin' nobody until I stepped up to her," he said, and we both kissed our teeth at him. "Besides, I'm callin' it right now - baby boy ain't gettin' no play until after we blow up."
"Man, shut up," I said, "I can get that girl."
"But can you get her draws?" JoJo asked.
"I can get her draws, she was feelin' me. Y'all ain't hear the way she said my name when we left. Bye Dalvin," I imitated her, making both De and K laugh.
"You cannot get that girl, man, I'm tellin' you. You walk into that store again she just gone turn you down," K said.
"Watch me get that girl, nigga. You gonna be feelin' real stupid when I got her callin' up the crib, feenin' for more of Mr. Dalvin."
"You a virgin, she's probably gonna start laughin' when you try to put it in. If she even lets you hit it."
"Lay off my little brother, alright? You ain't got no room to talk, not after Vanessa from across the hall," he said defensively before nudging me.
"For the last time, it was cold and I wasn't even into her like that!"
"I wasn't into her like that either, but I didn't hear any complaints," JoJo said, and we both let out a 'ooooh' as K-Ci pushed him.
"Anyways, do what you gotta do, kid. Although you might need to get some practice in with a few different honeys if you really plan on layin' it down on that girl," my brother said and I just shook my head.
"I ain't even sweatin' it, De. I got this."
// sooooo. What did y'all think of the first chapter? And what do y'all think of Bianca, or is it too soon to tell? What about Nate? I wanted to include the NE cast in Childs Play but I couldn't find a place for them so I just figured that this was the best time to do it. I hope you yall enjoyed, more chapters to come!