CHAPTER 7.
The next day I got up and helped my aunt around the house a little bit. By the time we were finished it was around 12 in the afternoon, and my Uncle said he was going to be here around 2 so I just decide to get ready.
When I got out the bathroom it was twelve thirty. I lotioned my body and put on my under clothes and looked through the drawers for something to wear. I took out a pair of skinny jeans and a white wife beater.
"Cree can you come here please?" My aunt called.
I ran up the stairs and into her room. "Yes Aunt Annette?"
"Come sit on the bed." I sat on the bed and looked at her. She reached into her purse and handed me a two one hundred dollar bills. "Here is some money, your Uncle called and said he'll be here in a half an hour."
"But I thought he said he was coming at 2." I said confused.
"One thing you should know about your Uncle is that, he is always early even if its for something as casual as going to the mall. When he says a certain time he always means a half hour earlier, always remember that." She said.
I laughed. "Got it."
"Alright well go finish getting ready." She said.
I hopped off her bed and went back downstairs to my room I went into the closet and grabbed my gray and black Air Jordan's. I looked through one draw for a hoodie to wear since it was cold out. I chose my black pullover hoodie with white words that said I love New York but instead of love it had a gray heart.
I went upstairs to watch a little TV in the living room. My aunt came in about twenty minutes later. "Charles is here." I got up and made sure my money was in my pocket. "Listen now if you go to the mall don't mind those boys trying to make a pass at you because they are a bunch of nobody's going no where and I definitely need to tell you this since you look eighteen."
"Okay Auntie." I said after laughing.
"You laughing but I'm so serious." She said as we walked down the stairs to the front door.
"Later Auntie, I guess I'll just see you at Uncle Charles house later?"
"Yea, have fun sweetheart."
I walked off the front porch and made my way into the truck. "Hey Uncle Charles. Hey Daija, Dionne, and Zamia."
"Hi Cree." They all said unenthused. Zamia and Dionne, are my older cousins, Zamia is in the same grade as me eleventh but was born earlier than I was and Dionne is in the twelfth grade which I find weird because they look exactly the same. Daija is my younger cousin she's twelve.
*****************
We made it to the mall, Uncle Charles said that he was going to back for us around six o'clock. We walked in the entrance of the mall and it was huge.
"Ok look, our friends are here and we are gonna stay with them meet us back here at five forty and no later and Daija is gonna stay with you got it?" I looked at Dionne like she had two heads. "Is there something wrong." She said.
"Um yea, first off, you may be older than me Dionne but you're not going to talk to me like I'm your child, that's what you not going to do. You must have lost your mind talkin' to me like I'm three years old excuse you." I said taking Daija's hand in mine and walking off.
The first store I went into was H&M. I looked around and they had really nice things. Even though my aunt gave me two hundred dollars I still want to shop smart so I could stretch this money and get things I need for school. I went straight to the clearance rack and found some really cute things plus I got Daija something too. I walked past a Foot Locker and couldn't help myself. I walked in there and looked at all the shoes that I just could not wait to have. "Cree?" I looked in the direction that my name was being called and it was Jamar and some chick on his arm.
"Hey Mar." I said walking over to him. "We saying hi like we didn't see each other yesterday." I said with a laugh.
"Right?" He said laughing, then his chick cleared her throat. "Oh my bad, Cree this is Chanel, and Chanel this is Cree my little cousin."
"Oh you mean the Hood Rat cousin you was tellin' me about." I gave her the most evil look but I let it slide since I'm just meeting her.
"Yo watch ya mouth, don't disrespect her, you don't even know her." He said to her.
I shook off what she said. "Hi." I said with a smile reaching my hand towards her but she just looked at my hand as if it was dirty. I looked at her then looked at my hand and put it back at my side and gave her a dirty look.
"Um, baby I'll be over there looking at the baby shoes." She said to Jamar.
"Okay." He said to her.
I watched her walk away and when she was far enough I turned to Jamar who was still watching her. Then he turned to me. "So what do you thi-"
"I don't like her, she walkin' around here like her shit don't stink."
"She's not that bad."
"Nigga please, she just called me a Hood Rat and she don't even know me." I said crossing my arms.
"I know she was out of line-"
"Way out of line."
"But trust me she isn't that bad."
"Listen, I don't get a good vibe from her at all, but since you're my favorite, I'll tolerate her, only because she is your lady, but that stunt that just happened, that was strike one two more strikes and I'ma snap." I told him straight up and he knows I play no games. "Is she coming to the dinner tonight with you?"
"Yea. I see you're here with Daija." He said looking past me and at the bench that Daija was sitting on. "But where the other two?"
I rolled my eyes. "Somewhere around here with they friends. I had to put Dionne in her place earlier today when we got here."
He laughed. "Why?"
"Because she thought it was okay to talk to me like I was three. And they left me with Daija, not that she's a problem or anything."
"Oh wow."
"Anyway, I want to find them and ruin their fun as much as I can. Come on Daija."
He shook his head. "Okay well have fun I'll see you later tonight. Bye Daija." She looked at him and waved.
I walked out of the store and stopped at Starbucks to get a Mocha Frappe and then walked around the food court.
"Daija do you want something to eat."
"Yea Taco Bell please."
"Okay come on."
We walked to the Taco Bell and there were so many people that were eyeing me, but just ignored it. If they wanna look let them look.
After we got our food we sat down at the table. "So wassup Daija I haven't seen you in a couple of years."
"Nothing just living life."
"What grade you in now like fifth right?"
"No, sixth grade."
"Well excuse me, my bad." I said with a laugh. "So what's it like staying with your two older sisters?"
"Aggravating! They always boss me around because I'm younger."
"Aw, well since I'm here we can hang out more and stuff, okay sugarplum."
Her eyes lit up and a smile grew on her face. "Thank you Cree, and you gave me a nickname, I feel so special."
I laughed and finished my food. When she was done we got up and tried to make our way out of the food court. "Cree!"
I looked at Daija. "Why do people insist on calling me from across the room?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."
"I don't know either sugarplum."
I turned around and it was Quay coming towards me. "What's up."
"Nothing shopping with my little cousin."
"That's Dionne and Zamia little sister. You related to them?"
"Sadly yes but don't tell anyone." I said and continued walking with him beside me.
"Why?"
"Because I don't need their help making friends." I said.
"Okay but when we get to school on Monday I'll introduce you to some of my friends."
"That's cool, so are you hanging out with Zamia and Dionne now?"
"Yea why?"
"Because I'm bout to have some fun." I said letting an evil grin creep on my face. "When you go back over there, tell them that Daija wandered off."
"But I'm right here." She butted in.
"I know but this is going to be a joke." I said looking at her. "So tell them that she wandered off and now I can't find her."
He laughed. "Okay, little miss evil." He walked away and Daija and I watched their reaction from around the corner. They jumped up from their seat and looked scared shitless. Me and Daija laughed and walked away from the food court area.
We turned into the Hallmark store. I went in and bought some notebooks and pens, the normal things you need for High School. We went out of there and went into Zumiez. Thank God they had a sale going on because I bought a messenger bag for twenty five dollars. I had a good amount of bags by the time I was finished shopping and a couple of dollars left over.
***********
By the time it was five thirty I started to make my way down to the front of the mall. I stopped in Bath and Body Works to grab a couple things and then just sat on the edge of the fountain with Daija and waited for the other two to show up.
"Oh my God Daija there you are!" Dionne said walking over and grabbing her face.
"We have been looking for you everywhere." Zamia said relieved. "We didn't even get any shopping done."
"How could you let her wander off!?" They yelled at me together.
"Number one watch your tone when y'all talk to me, got it?" I said as calm and unfazed "I may be younger but y'all don't run shit on me understood. Secondly she didn't wander off, it was to teach y'all a lesson."
"And what lesson was that?" Dionne said.
"Never underestimate me." I said getting up and grabbing all the bags that I had and walking out the front door to my uncles truck with Daija next to me. I walked to the back of the truck so I could put my bags back there. After I put everything in the back I went and sat in the truck next to Daija. She sat in between me and Zamia.
"Did you guys have fun?" My uncle asked.
"I know me and Daija did." I said.
"I can tell by all them bags you brought out." He said with a chuckle. "Why y'all didn't get anything Dionne and Zamia?"
"I didn't see anything that I wanted." Zamia said looking up at me from her phone, giving me a mean mug. I made a kissy face at her and smiled.
"Same." Dionne said.
He pulled out of the parking lot and took off down the street.
***************
It was about six thirty when we got to my uncles house. I brought all my bags inside and took them into Daija room. I sat on one of the two beds that she had in her room. I laid across the bed and took out my phone and went on Instagram. I scrolled down my timeline and saw a picture of Aria and Terrel, it was a collage, one was them hugging one was them kissing and the last one was of Terrel kissing Aria's stomach. It was the cutest picture ever.
"Aw they look so cute." I said voicing my thoughts.
"Who?" Daija
"My friend and her boyfriend."
"Can I see?"
"Yea sure." I said handing her the phone and she smiled at the picture.
"They look so cute together, but why is he kissing her stomach like that?" She asked.
"Well um, because she's having a baby."
"Oh." She said then handed me my phone.
It was getting a little awkward so I tried to make conversation. "So, how's school going?"
"Schools good." She said plainly.
"You got a boyfriend?" I said teasing her.
She smiled and started to blush. "No." She got off the bed and went to go close the bedroom door then came and sat on the same bed I was sitting on. "But there is someone in my class that I like." She said quietly.
"Awww sugarplum got a lil crushy crush." I said pinching her cheeks.
"Stop Cree." She said laughing. "But yea and I don't think he likes me back though." She said with a straight face.
"Well why do you think that?"
"Well because there is this group of girls in my class and they and make it very clear that he will never like me and I will never have a chance with him."
"Well they aren't God, they can't read that boys mind they don't know what he is thinking."
"That's true, but I like to think that he does have some type of feeling towards me, because when he sees me he smiles at me and he waves at me, even when he's around his friends."
"Oh okay well do you have a picture of him? I'm curious to know what this boy looks like."
"Yea I do, matter of fact he is in my profile picture."
"You got him to take a picture with you?"
"Oh no way, I could never build up the courage to ask him to take a picture with me, he basically just photo bombed." She said looking down at her phone I guess she was logging in to Facebook I think.
She clicked on the profile picture to make it bigger and I saw this brown skin boy sticking his tongue out and my cousin was just laughing, the picture was cute and they looked good next to each other.
"Y'all look so cute."
"Thanks, I guess."
"Anyway, don't worry about those little girls that are telling you all of this crap, they probably just jealous because he show more interest towards you than he does to them."
"You think so?"
"That's usually how it goes, but I'm not making any guarantees."
She smiled and laughed lightly. "Thanks Cree," She said leaning forward and giving me a hug. "you're like the big sister that I always wanted." She said in my ear.
That made me happy. "Aw that's so sweet, but listen if you need anything and I do mean anything you call me, even if its just to hangout or for some advice, I will be here for you got it sugarplum."
"Thanks again Cree."
"No problem sugarplum." Just when we finished talking I thought I heard Jamar's voice. I was happy that he was here but then I remembered that he brought his chick along with him.
"You okay Cree?" Daija asked looking confused.
"Yea Daija, why do you ask?"
"Because your facial expression just changed, you look angry or annoyed. Is it me?"
"No Daija its not you, its just the thought that Jamar is here with his chick and I'm not really feeling her attitude. And I'm only tolerating her for the sake of Jamar." I said.
"Oh okay."
"Well lets go down there and be fake." I said putting on a fake smile and causing Daija to laugh.
As we reached the middle steps I heard my aunts voice. "Hey aunty." I said as I reached the last step.
"Hey baby girl, how was your day?" She asked.
"Good but I have some things to tell you about my day." I said lowly.
"I can't wait to hear." She said with a raised eyebrow.
I saw that Jamar was introducing his female to the family. I don't want to call her his 'girlfriend' because for one, I don't like her, and two, there is something that isn't right about her. It seems like the two cousins of mine are really taking a liking to her though because they are all on the couch just smiling and laughing it up. I walked over and tried to be nice again and say hi.
When I stopped in front of the Chanel, Dionne, and Zamia they all stopped and looked at me. "Hey, Chanel right?"
"Yea." She said with attitude.
I mentally punched her in the face then spoke again. "Okay well I was just coming over here to say hi and not be rude."
"Oh." Was all she said then turned back to Zamia and Dionne.
I just rolled my eyes and didn't care if they saw or not. I walked away and stopped next to my aunt. "Aunt Annette, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked.
"Yea sweetie what's up?" She asked as I pulled her into the empty hallway.
"Um Jamar's female is what's up. Auntie I'm telling you now, I don't like her."
"You ain't the only one."
"I told Jamar that she has two more strikes when I saw them at the mall today."
"What happened to the first one?"
"She messed it up in Foot Locker."
"How?"
"She called me a Hood Rat."
"She did what!" My aunt yelled out.
"Yup she called me a Hood Rat, and I would have gone off on her but it was first time meeting her and she is Jamar's girl, and he is my favorite cousin, I don't have to like her but I'll tolerate her. But he knows that she got two more strikes."
"Alright well just leave it alone for right now and if she comes at you wrong then, all I can say is try not to tear up your uncles house."
I went back into the living room and sat on the opposite couch next to Daija. I took out my phone and went to the camera and started taking pictures. I tilted the camera so I could sneak Daija in the picture. "Gotcha!" I yelled and she looked at me shocked.
"Oh my gosh, Cree delete it please." She whined.
"I'll only delete it if you take better ones with me, I wanna show you off on my IG."
"What's IG?"
"Instagram."
"Oh. What's Instgram?"
I looked at her crazy. "I'm surprised you don't know since you have two older sisters that live with you." I said looking at them on there phone.
"They never tell me anything." She said.
"Wow, well its like Facebook but for pictures, and your gonna be in the collage I'm gonna make."
"Okay."
We started taking pictures and we took a lot of them. We made crazy faces, cute faces, sad faces growling faces and then some. "Oh shoot y'all flexin' for da Gram!" I heard Jamar yell. "Let me get in on this." He said jumping in the photos. We took a butt load of pictures and I made a collage then uploaded it to Instagram. The caption said, 'My two favorite cousins. I love them so much and would do anything for them. My loves!!'
Soon after that we were sitting around the table with mounds of food in front of us. "Aunt Linette this looks so good." I said.
"Thank you Cree." She said sitting down next to my uncle that sat at the head of the table. Aunt Linette is my Uncles wife she is full blown Dominican and she doesn't let us forget it.
"You're welcome." Daija sat on my right and my aunt sat on my left. Jamar sat across from me and my two loser of cousin sat next to Chanel. They are such ass kissers, if someone doesn't like me then they just don't like me. I'm not going to do everything in my power to make them like me and I for damn sure will not change for any God given person just so they can like me. It just doesn't make sense, just be you.
I piled lots of food on my plate, I said my grace and dug in. The sound of forks hitting the plates filled the room, then suddenly someone cleared their throat I looked up and it was Chanel looking at me like she had something to say.
"Yes?" I asked looking at her.
"Oh nothing I'm just admiring your hair."
"Thanks." I said giving her a fake smile.
"No problem, so is it all yours or what?" She asked as Dionne and Zamia both choked on their food because of laughter.
I eyed them both then looked back at Chanel. "Yes it is all my hair." I snapped.
"I was just askin' no need for attitude." She said.
"But out of all the questions in the world you decide to ask me that one though?"
"Woah there little firecracker I was just tryna be nice."
"Oh really." I said putting my fork down. I sat back in the chair and crossed my arms and looked at her. "You could've fooled me, every time I talk to you, you throw me shade." By this time the entire dining room grew silent.
"Well can you blame me, I am having a baby, mood swings play a big part in this you know."
"Bull, you do it on purpose because you just don't like me."
"I never said that." She said.
"You don't have to say it, the way you act towards me show a lot, your actions speak louder sweetie."
"Whatever, you don't know me."
"Just like you don't know me." I said looking dead at her.
I didn't have an appetite anymore, I just sat there with a mug on my face and waited until everyone else was finish with dinner.
When everyone was finished eating my aunt decided it would be better if we left. I said my goodnights to everyone and hugged Daija, I grabbed my bags from the mall and put them in my aunts car and we headed back to her house.
I packed all the things I needed for school and got ready for bed.
Monday is my first day I hope everything goes well.