Chapter 21
Zen P.O.V
We left the doctors office with heavy hearts, my granny does have lupus. I did not want to go through another disease taking away some one else I loved, but I had no choice. I just hoped there was still a way she could be treated. I hope I won't have to lose her. It would be a lonely life.
I sucked it up as I continued the drive home with my granny on the passengers side and Tommy sitting in the backseat. The car ride was silent, and that's exactly what I needed. I've been emotional as fuck lately, and I just needed to chill with everything. There needed to be some change.
I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. I got out the car first, and watched as both granny and Tommy got after me. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving and neither of them seemed excited about it. I don't even know if granny's going to cook, and if she didn't that wouldn't be too much of a Thanksgiving day.
"Zen, I have something for you before we go in the house." She said plastering a fake smile on her face. I looked at her a little confused. There wasn't much that could cheer either of us up at this moment, and I couldn't think of anything she'd get me. She pulled the keys from me and opened the garage door with the keypad, revealing a beautiful brand new BMW convertible. My eyes grew wide and my heart beat so fast. This could not be real "Oh my gosh!" I nearly screamed to the top of my lungs.
This had to be a dream, I thought as I ran my hands against the car's exterior. "Are you for real this is mine?!" I exclaimed. I couldn't even believe my eyes right now. "Yes ma'am it's all yours" granny said as she leaned up against her own car watching me bask over the glory of mine. "Where did you get the money for this?" I asked on astonishment
I mean my granny had money, but I didn't know she had this much. "I pulled it out of my traveling fund, I won't be going many places anyway"
My smiled dropped to a slight frown. I understood what she was saying, and I wanted to sympathize with her, but I just couldn't at the moment. I ran over to her and gave her a bear hug, while grabbing the keys out of her hand. "Thank you granny" I said. She nodded and took Tommy's hand and walked in the house.
I looked at my new car, studying it carefully. The outside was a flawless silver color, and the inside had khaki leather seats. The top was already down, which was perfect, because it was a nice day out. I opened the door and sat inside. This was my own car. My first car. I screamed in joy, before putting the keys in the ignition and backing out of the garage.
I couldn't wait to get my baby on the road. I rode around the block once, seeing it was empty as always, and testing how I felt in my new car driving. It was perfect then I thought about King, and how I haven't heard from him since I gave him my number about four days ago. I mean what does that mean? Does he not like me, or am I going to just be a booty call, cause if so I can't have that shit. A part of me really wanted him to call, but another part of me didn't want to get into anything new with another boy. I rendered the thought as I punched in something on my new GPS. It was time for change, something new. A new city, a new car, a new me. It was time to finally except my new life.
I turned left making my way to the hair salon that my cell phone recommended. I parked my car and walked inside. The smell of shampoo and haircuts hit my nose, which was kind of refreshing. I walked over to the lady at the counter and looked at her as she was typing away on the computer.
"Um, excuse me" I said catching her attention. "Yes, How may I help you?" she replied plastering a smile on her face. "Um, just a walk in, how soon can I be seated?" I asked hoping it wouldn't be too long. She looked behind her seeing if there were any empty chairs left, and then turned back to me. "Right now, follow me?" I did as I was told and followed her to an empty chair that belonged to a young girl that looked only a few years older than me. She had long wavy weave, and a naturally pretty face, with almost no make up.
"Hi, my name is Tasha, sit down" she introduced herself. She looked nice and cool giving off a positive vibe. I did as told and sat in her chair. She ran her fingers through my hair gently. I sat back and relaxed. "So what do you want done to it?" She asked enthusiastically.
I didn't really know what I was getting, just something different. I wanted something that the regular me wouldn't get. "I don't really know surprise me?" I said to her turning my attention back to my reflection in the mirror. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth slightly dropped. "For real girl, you'd let me?" she said
"Yeah, Why not?" I said chuckling a bit. She blew out a breath and led me to the sink across the room. She threw the apron over my shoulders and then leaned my head back and begin washing my hair. I relaxed as she rubbed my scalp and ran her fingers through my hair. She put something else on my hair after the conditioner, and kept it on for a while brushing it through with something that felt like a paintbrush. I didn't think anything of though, just another conditioner and a new technique. When she was done washing my hair she through the towel over my head and lead me back to her chair.
She dryed it slightly leaving it a little damp, before she examined it. I asked her to face me away from the mirror as she continued to do what she did best. As she trimmed my ends she begin to talk. "You new? I ain't never seen you in here before" she asked. "Uh, yeah I only been down here for about a week" I replied nonchalantly. "Where you from?" the girl asked in a wondering tone. "Chicago" I replied in a sure tone. "Damn, you must be tough then." she chuckled. I laughed along with her. That's usually people's first impression when you say you're from Chicago. I mean yeah it's a dangerous place to live, but not as dangerous as people make it out to be.
She finished drying and clipping my ends and then begin to flat iron it. After about a good thirty minutes she finished, and begin spraying oil sheen on it. I silently prayed it looked good as she turned the chair over exposing me to my reflection. My eyes almost dropped out of my head as I looked at myself. My hair appeared a new orangish-brown color, leaving my roots and a little more jet black, like before. It was almost like highlights, but a little more "I love it!" I said running my fingers through my hair. It was really a new me, something fresh, new, and sexy.
I've never even thought about dying my hair before, but I shouldn've because it looked absolutely amazing with my skin tone, and it really brought out my eyes. I would most defiantly be keeping this color and coming back to this salon.
I admired my reflection once more before pulling out my wallet and handing her a crisp bill. She pushed it away, "It's on me girl, it is your first time and all" She simply said offering me a comforting smile. "You sure?" I asked. She nodded happily and handed me her card also. "Call me, girl. If you need some tracks or something. Or maybe you need a friend to show you around, I ain't never busy" She said chuckling. I laughed along with her before nodding and thanking her again. Maybe making new friends wasn't so hard.
I strutted out the salon fierce as ever. I felt like a whole new person, A different me, and that's exactly what I wanted. I felt like I was actually starting to like Phoenix.
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I raced home, ready to get there, cause I was hungry as hell. This has been a pretty eventful morning. I found out my granny had lupus, got a new car, and changed my look. I mean it was kind of sad, but at the same time it was pretty good. I feel kind of bad going off when my granny and Tommy probably needed me at home. I'm just tired of living everyone elses life. It's time to live my own
I rode into the neighborhood seeing nothing in particular, except for a huge group of boys in the front of King's house. I slowed down a little to see what was going on, and just to be nosy. They didn't look like they were doing anything out of the ordinary, but I could be wrong. King caught my eye, we locked eyes for a moment. He looked as if he was confused to see me. "Aye, ma hold up" he spoke up surprising me. I assumed he was talking to me, so I brought my car to a quick stop. He dapped all the boys, and came over to my car, getting in with out permission. Since the top was down, It wasn't that hard for him to get in, even if the doors were locked. "Excuse me?" I said gently pushing him.
"I see you got a new whip" he said leaning back in the seat. I rolled my eyes and pushed the gas going forward. I only did this cause I could see all King's boys looking my way, but if we were alone, his ass would be right there on the sidewalk. He didn't say a word and just rode along. I went around he block again, passing all the houses I did before. I drrove fast, but made sure I was completly careful, I wouldn't want to hae any accidents.
"My bad I ain't been using ya number ma, been doing a lot of business lately" he said breaking the silence. I nodded. I ain't wanna be nosy or some shit like that but I couldn't help it. I just had to know. "Business?" I finally asked.
"Yeah, business" he said in a deep tone dismissing the subject. That shut me real quick. I turned the radio up trying to make the ride a little less awkward. I really didn't even know where I was going anymore at this point, beacuse I had just entered the real rode. It was about four in the afternoon now and they didn't call from home, so I took the next turn to the nearest restaurant in sight. "Aw so you just gon kidnap a nigga like that?" He said chuckled. "You the one that hopped your ass in my car." I said letting the top up. He laughed and winked at me and then followed me out the car. I walked into the restaurant and up to the counter, with King following.
"Table for two?" The waitress asked as she begin taking out menu's "Yes please" I said, following her to the table. King and I sat across from each other. The waitress took our drink order's and then scurried off to the kitchen. King looked down at his phone and started typing something, while I looked over the menu. I haven't eaten all day and I was so damn hungry. I looked over the appetizers since I didn't have much money for an expensive restaurant like this.
King put his phone down and picked up his own menu. "Shit, I'm kind of glad you brought me here, a nigga hungry" he said causing me to chuckle."Yeah me too, I haven't ate all day" I agreed with him. "Get what you want ma, I got you" He said still flipping through me menu.
That brought a huge smile to my face, I was not about to decline that offer. I didn't want to be a gold digger or anything, but an appitizer was not going to fill me up at all. I flipped to the dinner side of the menu and settled on the chicken, while King decided to get the steak. A new waitress came back moments later with both our drinks. She looked at me with a slight grin on her face, as she set the drinks down. Feeling awkward, I looked past her trying as hard as I could to avoid contact.I had no idea why she was even looking at me like that.
It wasn't a look of suspicion, or hate, or jealousy, but a look of flirtation. I kept my gaze on the table next to ours as the waitress pulled her notepad from the top of her shirt turned towards me still. She bent down slightly putting the straws down directly in front of me. She looked as if she were trying to shove her breat in my face, through her overly exposed shirt. I shifted in my seat offering a slight smile, but nothing too serious. "Can I take y'all order?" she said still looking at me.
I cleared my thought and told her what I wanted. "Could I have the chicken parmesan, and the pasta?" She nodded and wrote down what I said still grinning, then turned towards King with a slight attitude "And what you want?" She said rolling her eyes at him. "Yeah, uhh let me get the steak, well done, and the side of fries? And can I get a bottle of steak sauce with that" he said in a kind of bored voice.
"Mhm" the waitress replied quickly scribbling something on a piece of paper. She sent a wink my way before slowly walking off back to the kitchen. King laughed almost uncontrollably as soon as she was out of sight. "What?" I said taking a sip out of my lemonade lke nothing had just happened. "Now I know you saw that shit, ole girl was checkin' for you" he said still laughing. "No, she wasn't that was just her way of being, friendly." I said trying to get her face out of my mind. It's not that she was ugly or anything, It's just that, I don't like girls like that.
"Yeah, you can believe that shit all you want" He said, downing his Sprite. I rolled my eyes and looked around. "But I mean who could blame her, you lookin' good with the new hair" He said making me smile. I forgot all about my hair. I slowly ran my fingers through it again, as if it would feel any different. King's complement made me feel good, because I haven't been getting them much lately. "Thank you", I said. Maybe I should lighten up with King, I never know, this could be something. I should just stop putting a wall up with everyone I meet period. It's not cute and it will get me no where.
"How long you staying down here ma?" He asked giving me his undivided attention and changing the subject.
"I really don't even know, as much as I love my home town, it's so much shit back there that I don't even want to go back to"
King nodded in response, a understanding nod like he knew exactly where I was coming from. I'm glad he did, because these days nobody understood what was really going on in my life, shit I barely did. "Maybe you just need a change, I mean if it ain't shit where you at, move." He said chuckling. "And I wouldn't mind, showing you around my part of town." he continued gesturing to him self.
There goes that feeling again. The feeling I got when I first met him. The new feeling, that I want and need so badly. Maybe King could change me. I just smiled and nodded, looking stupid. "I'd like that" I finally said in response. "But what is down here, that could possibly top Chicago?" I said crossing my arms and leaning back in my seat giving him a challenge. As dangerous as Chicago was, I had to admit it was a fun place. There was never eally a dull moment. "Well, ma. There is me, shit, what else you need?"
"Aw, so we're being cocky now are we?" I said laughing. "But on the real, just try it, I promise you won't regret it. At least stay till New Year's see whatcha think" He said damn near pleading. I mean I would love to stay, but I had priorities back home. Work and school, and I just couldn't just up and start a new life without having my old one under control, that would probably be a little too much. "What about school?" I asked, maybe hoping to get a few answers from my questions.
"You can do that shit online, if you really serious about it. I mean Zen, you ain't gotta make this harder than it need to be, but I'm just laying it down on the table. You might need a lil change in your life. You seem like you been through a lot of shit, and I feel for you ma" he said leaning back still giving me his full attention.
It's as if he was reading me like a book. Everything he was saying made every bit of sense, I couldn't deny that. I did need all the change I could get and more. I sat there with a clueless expression on my face, speechless. Just in time for me not to think too deep the waitress came back to our table with our food. She looked at me with a deeper stare this time as she set my steaming plate in front of me. This girl was determined for me to notice her.
I took my attention from her and focused it on my food. I swear it seems like I haven't ate in days. My plate looked absolutely perfect, and I just wanted to stick my whole face in it. Before she even set King's food down I was already sticking a piece of cut chicken in my mouth. I savored the taste, it was just so good. I payed no more attention to the lingering waitress as she said the usual waitress line. "Can I get you guys anything else" King shook his head no, dismissing her from the table.
After stuffing my face for about a good five minutes, King looked up at me and just stared with a stupid grin on his face. "What?" I said with a full mouth. I put my hand over my mouth intending to stop any food that was trying to come out. He laughed. "Damn, is it that good?" he said still laughing and sticking a fry into his mouth. I glared at him and continued eating ignoring him
We ate in a comfortable silence for a while, just making funny faces at each other until, my phone vibrated on the table, causing me to sigh in annoyance. I hated being bothered with my phone, now it was just my past haunting me. I grabbed it seeing it was only a text message from Ian. I decided to ignore it and, put my phone on silent laying it face down back on the table. King raised an eyebrow as to say So you curving people now? I looked down and kept eating and pretended like I didn't see him. I was not going to explain myself to him. Not yet anyway.
Soon after that we both finished eating and sat there, stuffed, waiting on our waitress to bring back our ticket. King pulled a stack of cash out of his pockets making my eyes go big. That was a lot of money and he pulled it out like it was nothing. I watched as he silently counted it and then took out one crisp hundred dollar bill, and I wasn't a math teacher or anything, but I'm sure our meals combined did not cost a hundred dollars. I kept my mouth shut, I was not going to get in his business.
The waitress arrived at the table, slipping King the notebook with the bill and me a folded napkin. I looked up at her with a confused look on my face, but she just kept smiling. King slipped the money into the pocket and handed it right back to the waitress, even though she wasn't paying very much attention to it or him. "Thanks for coming," She said giving me another wink before taking the ticket and leaving the table.
King grabbed the napkin, before I could and opened it, with amusement all over his face. "So I see you got a number" he said laughing. I snatched the napkin from him quickly "Shut up."
He put his hands up in surrender and then took out a twenty dollar bill, leaving it on the table for the waitress. We walked out of the restaurant. I got in my car, and let the top down once again. It was such a beautiful day out, I couldn't resist it. King didn't complain either as we pulled out of the driveway and started to our neighborhood.
"How's Ms.Rice doing" King asked leaning back in the sight. I didn't want to tell him my granny has lupus, that would just give him more reason to tell me to stay, and trust me. I was already strongly considering it. "She's fine" I lied as I turned up the radio, dismissing the subject. King just nodded and rode along.
We reached the his house soon, and I parked in the driveway. I looked up at King's house as I parked. It was obviously the biggest house on the block, but it looked as if nobody lived here, like it was always empty. I put the thought to the back of my mind, because I clearly needed to stay in my own lane. He turned around to me and looked at me, long and hard. "Think about what I'm saying, for real Zen" He said getting out the car. I nodded. "I'll call you" He said finally walking up to his house.
I pulled out of his driveway and drove the short distance to my house. When I got in the house it was quiet. There was no noise at all, but her car was still outside. I walked to my granny's room, seeing both Tommy and my granny sleep, with a book laying in between them. I smiled at the sight. They both looked so peaceful, despite all the little problems they went through. I turned the light off and walked to my room.
This had been a long day, I just wanted to relax. I ran a hot bath and wasted no time getting in. I relaxed my body and closed my eyes. I really think I should consider moving here, start a new life, and forget about the old one. I didn't have to be that girl that I was in Chicago anymore. I could be somebody new. I mean what was really at home for me?
There were no real opportunities there, I didn't have many friends I would leave behind, and no real responsibilities, besides Dawn, who could obviously take care of herself. I didn't really even have the desire to go back. The only thing that really did matter to me, was Ian and that was done with and over. I hardly ever take risk or do something out of the ordinary, but I was going to do it.
I am going to move to Phoenix.
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Music: Change Me- Justin Bieber
Pictures in the MM.
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