CHANDRA
Feb. 19th
"Mama?" Kay called coming into my room. "Yes?" I answered working on a new wig unit.
"What are you doing?" She asked hopping on the bed. "Making a wig." I answered looking at her through the mirror.
"What's on your mind?" I asked seeing that she had something to say or ask me.
"How Uncle August buy dis house?" She asked I busted out laughing.
"Really Kay?" I asked turning around and looked at her, her expression read 'I'm so serious' which made it funnier.
"He works mama, works hard." I said and she stared me for a moment.
"Can I play with Briel today?" She questioned. "School's tomorrow Kay." I reminded and she frowned.
"Can she come over here?" She begged and thought on it. "You have to ask your Uncle." I told her and she grinned getting off the bed.
"Can I get your phone?" She asked and I nodded turning in the chair to finish work on this wig.
She ran out the room and took a little time to think back on my life.
I was wrong for keeping the girls from their Uncles... I was just scared when Mel got killed so I ran to Houston.
I didn't want August to feel like I was only coming around for money or because I wanted him to feel sorry for me.
Mel planned on telling August about the girls two nights before they took him from us.
He always spoke highly of August.
I knew of his other brothers, but August was his favorite, which was understandable since he was youngest and always around him.
Many nights did he feel bad for hiding the girls from the family, it was part of his whole paranoia with the street life.
When we had Chay, we spoke about telling them but did he got caught up in some mess.
So we kept it between us and mama Sheila.
When they took Mel, I moved into the safe house out in Houston and she would always come to spend time and make sure we were alright.
There wasn't a day that went by where I wanted to just pick up the phone and call August or pop up at his place.
But I was scared, I felt guilty and wasn't sure how he would react.
Christmas may have not been the perfect time to do it, but Mama Sheila and Travis them insisted.
The only thing I could think about was the moment he saw them was that he would chew me out.
But Sheila took the fall and I felt bad, because it was my responsibility.
"Mama!" Kay called snapping me out my thoughts. "Hm?" I hummed and she handed me my phone.
"Why don't you ever type in da passcode?" I asked seeing Chay pop her head into the room.
"What y'all doing?" She asked and I laughed waving her in knowing Amaiya would be in here soon.
"About to call Uncle August." Kayden replied just as I went and hit FaceTime and handed the phone back to her.
She went and climbed on the bed and Chay walked in and sat next to her.
I went ahead and focused back on the wig while they both talked over each other to speak to August.
I was so happy they grew attached to him so quick, I was afraid just showing them pictures wouldn't be good enough.
I guess things work out in weird ways.
**
SKYLAR
later that day
"She's gonna be his little shadow." I told Chandra as I took a photo of August and Kayden.
"Yeah, I can see it." She replied picking Bre up and gave her five.
"What were you doing today?" I asked following her upstairs as August stayed downstairs with the girls.
"Working on a new wig unit." She answered doing a handshake with Bre.
"Frontal maybe?" I asked walking into her room seeing the stuff every where. "Full lace." She replied and I nodded sitting on the side of her bed and picked up the pack of red hair.
Bre came over and I picked her up sitting her next to me while Cha sat at the vanity.
"How many clients do you have tomorrow?" I asked taking the marker from Bre.
"Seven." She answered then frowned and I laughed.
"Do you feel like we're boring at the Salon?" I asked and she shook her head. "No, I like da fact dat you try to keep things clear from drama. We all love gossip, but there's a certain level that you do things." She explained and I nodded in agreement.
"What do you think of Quentin?" I asked putting the pack of hair down.
"I like him, I would get tired of leaving on the weekends to go back to N.O. tho." She said. "He's only doing it until his lease is over, which is next month thank God." I told her and she laughed softly.
"Who's Kim? I heard him talking about her da other day." She asked looking at me through the mirror.
"Like in a bad way?" I questioned and she shook her head. "She was a friend of ours, Trina and Q worked for her and I just hung out with them whenever August and Nell had to handle business. She wanted me to work for her, which I was until I found out that August and Nell bought a building for us." I told her.
Nodding, she picked up the ventilating needle.
"Do you think she's upset dat she lost two of her best workers?" She asked and I shrugged.
"I think she is, but she messages me every other day to see how I'm doing, so I don't think she's that upset." I said and she nodded.
"Are you keeping lil mama natural?" She asked nodding at Bre who was trying to read an article in the magazine and I smiled.
"Yeah, she likes wearing her hair in puff balls, fineapples and out curly." I told her and Bre looked at me and smiled.
"Read it?" She asked and I laughed nodding.
"Something like da girls, they rather wear their hair out or in a updo rather than in braids." She announced.
"I'm sure it's gonna change for all of them when they get older, I know it did for me." I said leaning back on my elbows.
"Absolutely, plus protective styling is easier to manage at times." She added and I agreed.
"I like wearing sew ins and braids when I get bored with my actual hair." I admitted.
"You and me both." She replied picking up her ringing phone.
Bre came and laid next to me as she pointed to the different guys in the magazine.
"They're a little too old for you miss thang." I said taking the magazine from her and she giggled.
"Cute." She said and I shook my head. "No Bre, boys are bad." I said closing the magazine just as August was walking inside the room.
He was always walking in at the wrong times.
"Who's cute?" He asked raising a brow and Chandra looked at me then got up and left out the room.
Well great.
"Nobody." I said sitting up and he looked at Briel.
"Who's cute Bre?" He asked squatting down in front of her and she sat up and looked at me.
"Me." She replied cheesing and I laughed. "Were you talking about da guys in here?" He asked picking up the magazine and she looked at me nervously.
"She's four August." I said taking the magazine from him.
"Exactly my reason for nipping dis in da bud right now." He said and I pursed my lips.
"So you're about to overreact?" I asked looking at him and he looked at me twisted his lips.
"She calls Chris Brown cute all the time, she calls Bow Wow cute, hell she calls you and Nell cute, it's harmless." I said and he shook his head.
"And we stop her from saying it." He stated picking her up and I furrowed my brows.
"I understand why this shit has you feeling some type of way, but she's with us now and everything and everyone is cute to her. She's four, hell I know I had celebrity crushes as a kid and called every person in a movie or book cute or pretty. She's a kid, chill out." I told him and he went and closed the bedroom door.
"Dis is not what we're gonna do." He said putting Bre down and opened the door for her.
She walked out and he waited until she headed downstairs before he closed the door and looked at me.
"Do what?" I asked folding my arms. "She's your sister so I understand you do shit different than how I would. But if I feel like she's too young to be calling niggas cute, den it is what it is. My nieces don't even say shit like dat around me, except for Chay and das when she's talking about dat damn Justin Bieber or Breezy." He stressed and I just stared at him.
"So... we're really about to argue about this? Because it's petty if you ask me." I said leaning back and he chuckled.
"I never said we were arguing, you did. Dis is a simple discussion and you're taking it to heart." He corrected and I cocked my head slightly.
"You don't want her calling guys cute? Cool." I stated laying back and stared up at the ceiling.
"You're mad?" He asked laughing and I rolled my eyes.
"I think you like to piss me off." I said. "Because of one simple disagreement ma?" He asked walking over and hovered over me.
"A childish disagreement." I mumbled turning my face when he tried to kiss me. "She's your sister, so I'll step back. I jus feel some type of way since da whole situation." He explained.
"Mhm." I hummed still looking away and he chuckled.
"Sky?" He called grabbing my face and made me look at him. "Nope." I said turning my head when he tried to kiss me.
"Stop playing ma, you gin hurt a nigga feelings." He said frowning and I shrugged.
"Oh well." I replied looking at him and he smirked.
"You don't love me?" He asked leaning down and rubbed his nose against mine. "Don't play with me like that." I warned and he laughed pecking my lips.
"I'm sorry." He apologized staring at me. "You don't have to be." I told him touching his nose and he chuckled.
"You know you're a luh stubborn?" He asked pecking my lips again before he stood pulling me up with him.
"I've been told." I said and he laughed shaking his head.
"I gotta meet with Max in a few, so I'll leave da car here. Nell coming to get me." He informed and I pouted.
"Meeting for what?" I asked and he gave me a look.
"The less I know the better." I said quoting his favorite line and he smirked.
"Das right." He said opening the door just as Chandra was about to turn the knob.
"What you do to Bre?" She asked him and I laughed seeing Bre peeking around the corner, she was so cute.
"I ain't do nothing." He answered and she folded her arms and arched her brow.
"Baby girl said otherwise buddy." She stated and I giggled walking around her and out the room to get Bre.
"Bre? You're mad at me?" He asked and she hid her face in my neck. "Aw." I cooed rubbing her back.
"See, you hurt her feelings." Cha teased and he kissed his teeth.
"She know I wouldn't do nothing ta her, das my roll dawg." He said coming up behind me and tried to take her but she shook her head.
His face softened and he let out a breath.
"Bre?" He called in softer tone, she looked up at him with her bottom lip poked up.
It was so cute because her eyes were so innocent.
"Are you mad at me?" He asked and nodded. "Can we talk?" He asked reaching for her and she looked at me before she reached for him and I handed her over.
He looked at me and I smiled.
"We gon talk in private." He said heading towards the girls room and I laughed shaking my head.
"He acts like she's his daughter." Cha said walking into her room and I giggled agreeing.
This should be interesting for future endeavors.
**
TRINA
The salon (next day)
"See un uh trick! Dis what we not doing!" Q argued waving his finger in Melanie's face.
They were arguing about if seafood was better than soul food.
"How are you gonna get mad at me for a opinion? Have serval seats." She said waving him off as she turned her client chair around.
Sky and I was just eating this up.
They've been at it all damn morning.
"I'm from da Easy baybeh, but seafood is not better than no damn soul food, yo ass sleeping under Patrick da Star rock." He told her and we all erupted in laughter.
He did not have to play with her like that.
"Oh Lord, they're still at it?" Chandra asked walking through the door with our frappes.
"Yes!" We answered in union and she laughed shaking her head.
"If I say lobster or craw fish is better than chicken or pork chop then let me say that." Melanie argued and clutched his fake pearls.
"Who in here think seafood is better than soul food?" He asked looking around and everyone pretended to be busy.
"My point, Like— I mean I don't even know why girls bother at dis point. Like, give up, it's me, I win, you lose. Ahaaa!" He teased doing his Nicki impersonation.
"You play so fucking much." I said then thanked Chandra for my drink.
"Y'all know I love me some Onika, I had ta kill her real quick." He replied placing his straw inside his drink and Melanie shook her head.
"Can we argue about something else?" She asked and we all stared at her then busted out laughing.
"You lost! Next person!" He exclaimed clapping his hands all dramatic and Skylar laughed.
"Let's talk about where the better music came from." Sky's client suggested and I smirked.
"That's easy, New York, Nola and da Islands." He said shrugging and everyone started talking over one another.
"You will not come to my hometown and try to act like some of the greats didn't come from Atlanta." Yazmin argued.
"I mean... y'all music great, I won't lie. But come on Nola got that raw, real shit. New York got Jay, Alicia, Nas, Tupac, A Tribe Called Quest, A$AP, Busta Rhymes, Craig Mack, LL Cool J, Kim, Foxy, MC Lyte. Cory Gunz, come on they got hot folks like white on rice." Loren stated and I nodded in agreement.
Yaz kissed her teeth, "Atlanta had, 112, Akon, Andre 3000, Baby D, Crime Mob, India Arie, Jazze Pha, Keri Hilson, come on don't play." Melanie replied.
"Sounds like there's great music from all over." Michelle, my client said.
"Mhm, let's not forget Virginia got Missy, Pharrell, Chris, Trey Songz, Timbaland, Pusha T, come on there's greatness on the East Coast, can't nobody tell me different." Cha spoke up and Sky high fived her.
"So maybe we are dope on dis side, but I still stand by what I said, don't sleep on Caribbean music." Q reminded and I agreed.
"That's how I learned how to wine and gully, can't nobody touch the way folks from the Islands dance except maybe y'all Nola folks or most of New York since a lot of Caribbeans end up there." Yaz stated and I laughed shaking my head.
"My mom used to call it 'Freaking' she thought their dancing were all of sexual movements, but they just be living life and fucking shit up." Sky announced.
"We're not about to play like Jamaicans don't be shutting shit down in da club or at events, if you plan on dancing with a Rasta your ass better be prepared for some wild shit." Q advised and I cackled.
"What you know about dat?" I teased. "Child, I done been to a few clubs and thought a bitch was finna break her damn back or neck. Their asses is so damn flexible and smooth wit their moves, I be DAMN!" He explained then shook his head.
"You be dancing with some of the girls?" Sky asked and he smirked.
"Ain't nothing wrong wit dancing, get in where you fit in honey!" He replied then snapped his fingers and we laughed.
"I heard dat."
*
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Thoughts?
Cuz whyyyyyyy August posted that tease video? Lmao he just knows he fine.