"Trust me Lee Lee... California will be a lot better than this ol boring town, what do we have to lose?! Mom and dad are gone!" Maliyah's twin Kaliyah begged.
The two twins were just mourning the loss of their foster parents the Phillips, who had passed 3 weeks ago in a tragic fire when their foster mother Paula was drugged up on sleeping pills and left the dinner cooking, and burned the house down with the two girls out with their foster father Bruce having a father daughter's day. The three of them arrived home to the house engulfed in flames, and Bruce went to find his wife inside, a few minutes later... the stove exploded, and the two of them died.
The twins loved the Phillips after living with them since they were 3 the two were the parents they never had, even though they were a Caucasian couple, they even treated the twins older brother Damien as their own, even though he had his own set of foster parents who were needless to say... weren't as friendly and loving. Being that the three of their biological parents were a prostitute and a dope dealer.
After the funeral, the Phillips biological daughter Beth had inherited everything, even though the Phillips had told the twin girls if anything had happened to them, they wouldn't have anything to worry about when it came to expenses, turns out it was either a lie or the bitch fucked the attorney then had everything switched in her name. The girls were pretty sure it was the latter considering the Phillips disowned their daughter when she dropped out of Georgia State and became a heroin addict.
What really and truly made them disown their daughter? Was when she was home one Christmas break, and convinced a naïve 9 year old Kaliyah to do drugs. They caught Beth with her dope feigning friends laughing at the little overdosed black girl and the older boys were touching on the young girl provocatively.
Now that everything with their foster parents were over, the state placed them in a group home, but considering they grew up with their parents mostly all their lives, Kaliyah wanted to get the hell out of dodge, and forget all about the bullshit they had to endure for their lives.
From being discriminated against being in a predominately all white middle school And their freshman year of high school, trying to befriend some of them falling for some of those boys, and Kaliyah being used by one of those boys taking her virginity and getting knocked up and talked about, and only to have the baby aborted illegally, but Maliyah was always right by her side. The only one who was damn near white washed was Maliyah, the shy, holier-than-thou personality, the only time she was ever to be out spoken was when she was around her twin, the only person to keep her out of her shell.
Now that they were piss broke, 15 barely starting sophomore year in high school, and their older brother who had aged out of the foster care system 3 years ago, only to end up slinging dime bags around the way. Kaliyah and Damien were ready to leave Georgia, and find something better out in the world. The only one who wasn't on board with the road trip was Maliyah.
"I don't know..." She said hesitant, as she sat on the front step of their group home, her face filled with uncertainty.
"Mailyah. If you don't come. We're going without you. I won't be here to keep these raggedy ass dusties offa you." Kaliyah said as she hit her left fist into her right hand with each syllable.
Maliyah stares at her sister in thought. She glanced back at the front door of the home. She but her lip indecisive about the ultimatum her sister gave her.
Kaliyah sighed and slouched a little as she sat next to her twin sister. She gave her a half smile. She pushed some of her curly hair behind her ear like their foster mother used to do. "Lee Lee, I know you're not like me. You're the only thing D and I have left that's good in this world, yo. You level headed. Well, when you not under pressure and shit." She scoffed a laugh.
Maliyah frowned at the backhanded compliment. "Gee Kali, thanks."
"Shut up. You know I'm right. Besides, like I said we ain't got nothin else here fo' us no more. Annddd it's California. LA! You know you always wanted to see the Hollywood Sign! The palm trees, them fine ass niggas, the beaches! Slauson! Giiirl lets goo" she shrieked in delight as she nudged Mailyah with her shoulder playfully.
Maliyah smiled at her sister. "Okay." She said.
"REALLY?!" Kaliyah squealed excitedly, jumping up from the step.
Maliyah nodded.
Kaliyah grabbed her arm, piled her up and the two snuck inside of their group home and packed their duffle bags in a hurry.
"Where's Damien meeting us?" Maliyah whispered to her sister as the other kids in the room were asleep for the night.
"He gon be down the street, now let's go before Clare catches us!" Kaliyah said grabbing her sister's wrist and pulling her out of the quiet crowded room, they both ran down the hallway with the bags on their shoulders, and rushed past some of the residents rooms, they both giggled as they tried to hide their excitement, when they almost reached the downstairs front door exit, Clare the group home instructor appeared in front of them.
"Where you two think your asses goin this time a night?" She hissed scowling at the girls. They both looked at each other, and smirked.
Kaliyah walked right up to Clare, and stared down at her 5ft frame.
She hacked up some spit and let it loose in her face. She pushed her to the tiled floor, and ran out the house with a shocked and surprised Maliyah on her tail.
"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" She shouted at her sister in disbelief.
"Fuck her, that's why I had her retarded ass son pussy whipped. And gave him no pussy." She said as they raced down the street.
"What?!" Maliyah shouted as she stopped her marathon. "Kaliyah! He's not all right in the head!"
Kaliyah stopped when she didn't hear her sister's footsteps, she turned back and walked up to her. "Yeah, you didn't honestly think I was out using the bathroom for over 20 minutes for so many nights straight did you? 'Ol boy had a bomb ass tongue for a lil white boy, so I put his ass to use. He had a hard on for us since we got there, and he was fuckin that retarded bitch Zoe, so I told him either you eat the pussy or I tell ya moms you been raping us." She said nonchalantly.
Evan was Clare's 21 year old son, the man he was pretty good looking, and had been eyeing the twins ever since they arrived at the group home, Mali didn't think the asshole was stupid enough to come onto two underage girls especially after he was just let out of the pin for possession of kiddie porn in South Carolina a few months back. He stayed in the basement away from the social worker that came every other day.
The two heard a honk, and Kaliyah turned and saw their brother's old black Acura Integra sitting a few feet away. Then at that moment they heard shouting, and footsteps hurrying toward them from the direction they had just left from. Clare's goons were racing after them.
The two girls booked it, and made it to the car, and as soon as they closed the doors they took off flying.
"FUCK YOU CLARE! AND TELL YOUR PEDOPHILE ASS SON TO GET HIS DICK GAME UP!" Kali shouted from the back seat.
When they were out of sight and finally on the interstate, Damien decided to press Kaliyah.
"What the fuck was that Kali?" He demanded looking at her through the rearview mirror. "They got baby rapers up in that mug?!"
"No, damn, D. Mind ya own." She said groaned rolling her eyes at him.
Maliyah just shook her head, and laid back on the seat, she reached in her duffle bag, and pulled out the I-Pod her foster dad bought for her. The twins sold most of the belongings they didn't lose in the fire, but Maliyah couldn't survive without music, and most of the pictures from her parents, her sister and her were on that music device. She could never part with those nor the 8,823 songs on there either.
She laid back popping in her cheap $2 earphones, and decided to get some sleep.
California...here we come.
~*~
"Lee Lee..." Maliyah heard faintly.
"Maliyah! Wake ya ass up!" Someone shouted.
She shot her eyes open, and found her sister shaking her roughly to wake her.
She lifted her head and felt a crook in her neck, and her ass was numb. It's been 2 days on the road, and they were pretty much going on nonstop so the law wouldn't catch up with them. When Maliyah awoke she seen the bright California sun, and palm trees all around, as they drove through the streets of Los Angeles. She stared in awe as she eyed the sunkissed people, and the sight of carelessness some of them had.
"Alright this is how it's gon go. I still got about 6k, but since I called out here for a job already, they said they got a place for us to stay." Damien said as he continued to drive. "We'll be stayin over on Peach. It's not the best neighborhood, but issa start. Ya'll gon go to school, no if's and's or buts about it. Understood?"
The two nodded.
"But it's still summer, ma nigga-" Kaliyah began.
"Watch yo fuckin mouth!" Damien reprimanded.
"Whatever. ANYWAYS as I was sayin... it's still summer and it's almost over ma nigga, lets turn da fuck up!" She shouted grinding her body in the backseat.
"Nah." Damien said dismissing her.
"Da fuck you mean no?! C'mon! Please?" Kaliyah begged leaning between the two front seats giving him her best puppy dog eyes she knew he couldn't resist.
He pierced his lips trying to resist, his light brown face taunt, but the smile on his face broke as he caved in. "Fine!" He said.
"WOOOOOO!" Kaliyah said.
"I know about this party going on tonight, I guess it wouldn't be too damn bad. But ya'll startin' school next week, you feel me?" He said sternly.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Kaliyah said waving him off and laying back in the seat.
Maliyah laughed knowing exactly how Kaliyah was going to act in school now that she could be around kids that were nothing like the white snobby kids back in Augusta.
This should be interesting.
The three pulled up to an apartment complex, there were people standing out front that didn't look friendly at all, they were shouting, throwing dice holding money in their hands leaning over the ground, Maliyah came to the conclusion that they were gambling.
Then there were some just standing around talking, and there were even some females wearing revealing skirts, low cut, and cropped tops, along with high heels or flip flops walking past them. She got out of the car along with Kaliyah, and Damien, and wrapped her cardigan around her slinging her duffle bag over her shoulder watching scene in front of her.
She turned around and looked at the busy street. Outdated, faded and peeled paint cars passed by, and some even blaring music speeding down the street, there were some people standing out on their porches staring off into the traffic, and some people shouting a few feet away from the apartment complex. The grass was green with brown patches, trash littered the bottom of the curb along the streets, and animal feces along the dry grass. The sidewalk was cracked, and engraved with old gum, and red spots that made her eyes widen.
"Let's go...and don't say a word to anyone, got it?" He said seriously and sternly to his sisters.
He turned and they each followed him. The two girls were stared at as their thick bare legs were exposed from their shorts. Maliyah felt self-conscious and tried to pull them down.
"Aye!" The three of them heard. They all turned to see a dark skinned man with tattoos on his face, a durag on his head, a white t-shirt, and saggy dark blue jeans, with Nike's on his feet, the man was beyond scary looking. "You the new recruit?" He asked Damien.
He turned to his sisters. "Here, go up to apartment E23 and wait for me, here take my bag, and the money and car keys are inside." He told them handing them a key, and his duffle bag.
The twins hesitated before slowly walking off to the apartment, but not before being looked up and down by the strange man with face tattoos who licked his lips at them.
"Who was that?" Kaliyah asked Maliyah. Kaliyah tended to ask Maliyah questions that she always thought she had the answers to, even when she knew she didn't.
"How the heck am I supposed to know?" She retorted as the two of them climbed the multiple staircases to the E level.
When they made it they walked down the hallway and heard multiple sounds, some were loud moaning and banging up against a wall in one, loud rap music in another, and arguing and shouting in the other. They finally reached the door marked E23.
Maliyah held out the key, and then they heard the sounds of a door opening and slamming from the door next to them, which caused the two girls to jump in surprise. A tall light skinned boy who looked to be about their age speed walked down the hallway throwing his hoodie over his head and accidently bumped into Kaliyah.
"Whoa, my bad ma." He said catching her before she could fall. Kaliyah looked up at the boy in surprise and then smirked when she saw his hazel eyes, and Michael Ealy facial similarities.
"It's all good." She smiled at him.
Maliyah rolled her eyes, and opened the door to the apartment. She stepped inside and left the door ajar for her sister, she looked around and studied the place, it was vacant but it was fully furnished, even supplied with a 20" flat screen and Direct-Tv cable.
A few minutes later Kaliyah walked in with the brightest smile on her face.
"Let me guess... he ate the box? Well that was quick" Maliyah teased.
"Fuck you. I'm not a ho. His name is Chris and he just invited us to this party tonight, and apparently he goes to Crenshaw." She said.
Maliyah just nodded not knowing exactly what to say.
"We're getting fucked up tonight!" Kaliyah shouted enthusiastically.
"Oh." Maliyah said unfazed, she turned around and went down a hall and found 2 bedrooms, and two bathrooms.
"Let's take this one." Kaliyah said dropping her bag near the queen sized uncovered matress, and flopping down on the bed.
"What? No, Damien should have this room." Maliyah argued.
"What? There's one of him, and two of us... I think it's fair he gets the twin bed, while we get the big one." She said in a duh tone.
Maliyah rolled her eyes, and sat her bag on the dresser to put away the little of the belongings she had.
"Well we have a few hours to kill until the party, and since D left us with his keys, and some money lets go get some stuff for the house, and pick up something to wear tonight." Kaliyah smirked.
~*~
After Kaliyah had driven them to the Wal-Mart located in the Crenshaw mall, the two girls picked up some necessities, some bathing soaps, and other toiletries and hygiene needs, towels, sheets and comforters, and pillows for the beds, and they went to a store inside the mall and picked up two matching dresses to wear for the night.
When the two had finished dressing for the party, putting their long hair up in buns, and Damien had still not had made it back home they called his cellphone on the house phone provided, and left him a message that they were leaving the key in the fake plant in front of the door to their apartment, and the two left in his car to the party that Chris provided the address to. They pulled up to the house, and there were teens and people a bit older than them standing outside. Girls walked around in their heels, and Kaliyah couldn't help but laugh at them.
The twins got out the car, and made their way to the front and just before they could pass one of the boys in the front stopped them.
"Whoa whoa whoa." He said putting his hand out so they couldn't pass. "There's a 5 dollar fee ladies."
"5 dollars? To a muthafuckin house party?! Nigga is you stuck on stupid? This shit is nothing but a function. And you just let them 4 hyena's in heels walk in without giving them a hard time," Kaliyah retorted with an attitude.
"Aye ma. You need to calm yo ass down." Another said annoyed. "It's $5 for dark skins."
"Fuck you, bitch nigga." She said.
"Bitch, who the fuck you think you talkin' to?!" He shouted getting in her face.
"Whoa... you need to calm yo' little ass down cuh." A deep voice said coming from inside the gate. The boys turned around to see the tall chocolate man behind him with a beard, who looked about 30. The man scowled at the boy who called Kaliyah a bitch. "Who you think you talkin' to like you grown, cuh?!" He reprimanded.
"Sorry, Craig." He said bowing his head in shame.
"Nah, apologize to these lovely young ladies," Craig said popping him upside his head so hard Maliyah flinched slightly.
"My bad." He said rubbing the back of his head.
"A proper apology, nigga!" Craig shouted grabbing the back of his neck.
"Alright I'm sorry. I apologize!" He shouted in fear.
Kaliyah smirked, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yeah sure,whatever." She said.
Maliyah's heart began to beat in her ears, she was already scared.
"Kali...let's go back to the apartment." She whispered to her sister. "I don't feel comfortable here."
Kaliyah waved her off, and walked into the gate walking passed Craig and the young boys winking at him.
Maliyah hesitated but followed her sister due to the fact that she had the car keys.
She pulled down the white dress hoping for it to reach lower, but it didn't budge.
The sounds of rap music sounded louder as they made their way to the backyard. People drinking from red, blue, and green cups, and some drinking straight from the bottle, some smoking weed, cigarettes, and females grinding and twerking on boys like they have no shame in their asses showing as their dresses lift up as they bent over.
Maliyah crossed her arms over her chest self-conscious and looked around at the boys eyeing her and her sister.
"HEY MA!" They heard a familiar voice slur. They both turned to see Chris coming towards them holding two bottles of Ciroc. "Ya'll made it, and lookin bad as fuck by the way." He said eyeing them both and licking his full pink lips.
"I told yo ass we was comin." Kaliyah snapped playfully, she snatched one of the bottles out of his hand and wiped the top with her hand and then drank from it.
"Why you do that whole wiping shit, ain't nothing wrong with my lips." He smirked. "Wanna see?"
"Nigga shut up. I don't trust you, I don't know where yo nasty ass lips have been," she said pushing him back with her fingers as she rolled her eyes. Chris walked up to her again, and placed his lips to hers. Maliyah's lip curled in disgust watching the two swap spit, she turned away, and saw a few boys smirking at her. She turned her head down and looked at her heeled feet.
"Aye, Lee Lee...we're gonna go hang out, you comin or nah?" Kali said walking off hand and hand with Chris not waiting for Mali's reply.
Maliyah sighed and followed them.
Chris sat down in an old lawn chair and patted his lap for Kaliyah to sit. She pretended to be disgusted and sat down anyway.
Maliyah looked around at the small group of boys passing around the blunt.
"You wanna hit?" One of them asked holding the blunt to her face.
The smell caused Maliyah to cough and cover her face from the stench. "No, thank you." She choked.
The group laughed along with Kaliyah. " Girl stop being a Debbie Downer!" She said playfully reaching out for the blunt and placing it to her lips.
Mailyah's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had never seen her sister smoke before. She watched as her sister toked the blunt and leaned over and blew the smoke in Chris' mouth.
"Owee!" One of the boys laughed taking the blunt back as Kaliyah and Chris continued to make out.
"Wanna sit down?" Mailyah heard next to her. One of the guys had stood up from his seat and held his hand out to usher her to sit.
She took him in. His medium brown skin, flawless face, he had to be in his early 20s. His gear was fresh. The acid washed jean jacket, 2Pac shirt, dark wash jeans and Air Force 1s looked like he belonged in a music video. What really drew Maliyah in was his dreads with the blue bandana across his head and his clean cut goatee.
She smiled at him. "Thank you." She said softly sitting where he once was.
"No problem, beautiful." He grinned, the light catching onto the gold that covered his right canine tooth.
He disappeared for a minute and Maliyah crosses her arms over her chest and looked around the group again. She felt a little bit more at ease but the little voice in her head was still there buzzing like flies.
When Mr. Dreads finally came back he had another foldable chair in his grasp and set it down right next to Maliyah. He glanced at her as she stared at him and he smirked as he chuckled shaking his head at her.
"What?" She quizzed.
He shook his head and picked up a red cup off the ground next to Maliyah's feet that she hadn't realized was there. "Nothing," he said looking off.
Maliyah couldn't help but stare. She bit her tongue because she knew when someone was hiding something she could run her mouth like a motor with questions.
Mr. Dreads looked back at her as everyone else was engulfed with their own conversations, the blunt being passed around again to him and skipping Maliyah. "What's your name, beautiful?" He asked toking the blunt and leaning back in the chair, red cup still in hand.
Maliyah hesitated. "Gina." She lied.
He smiled as he nodded.
"No it ain't!" Kaliyah interjected from where she continued to sit.
Maliyah frowned as she glared at her sister. Mr. Dreads glanced at Kaliyah and then back Maliyah with a raised brow.
"Oh forreal, baby girl?" He said. "What is it then?"
"That's Maliyah, and I'm Kaliyah." She introduced with a mischievous smile. "She's shy, and overly cautious."
"Kaliyah!" Maliyah gapped.
Kaliyah shrugged and went back to talking to Chris.
Mr. Dreads gave Maliyah his undivided attention. "Well Maliyah, my name's Dre. Short for Alexandre. Some call me Xan." He said holding his hand out to her.
She smiled shyly and took his hand to shake, but instead caught her off guard when he kissed the back of it.
"Y'all got a little accent. Where y'all from?" He asked curiously.
"Georgia." Maliyah said.
"Is that true or another little white lie to throw me off cause you think I'm an undercover agent?" He teased.
"It's true." She laughed lightly.
"That's what's up." He said taking another sip from his cup. He started nodding his head to the beat of Freek-A-Leek. "You dance? Or just chillin?"
Maliyah looked at him and shrugged. "Just hanging out I guess." She let out a deep breath.
He nodded in understanding. "I see. Functions ain't really your thing. I dig it. Can I get your number?"
Maliyah hesitated. She didn't have a phone. She didn't know how to tell him so. "I-I don't have a phone, right now." She said lowly.
His eyes widened for a split second and he nodded again.
Maliyah noticed that. He nodded an awful lot.
"She don't need a phone. She stay in jungles. The same complex me and my grams stay. They just moved here literally today, cuh," Chris said from across the way.
"Oh word?" Dre said. "That's wassup. Bet. I guess I'll be seeing you around a lot then huh?" He smiled.
Maliyah gave him a half smile. She was used to Kaliyah talking for her but not others. It was a weird sensation. "Yeah."
"I stay the next block over. And all my homies stay in that complex. You too fine to be missed around here."
Maliyah broke eye contact and looked off elsewhere as her throat started to close up. "I need something to drink. Is there somewhere I can go—-"
"Nah, baby girl I gotchu." He said raising up as she did.
"No, it's okay. I'd rather get it myself." She insisted.
'And not get roofied' she thought to herself.
Maliyah left the group in search of a refreshment. It took her some time but she ended up in the kitchen scavenging through the refrigerator for water and found a few unopened bottles.
She grabbed one and chugged down half of it before rejoining the group.
Maliyah ducked and dodged patrons and when she finally made it back to the group her seat was taken by some girl leaning into Dre the both of them in deep conversation.
Maliyah stares at the pretty girl. Light skin, curly hair dressed in a black dress, jean jacket and wolf grey Jordans.
Just like that Maliyah felt abandoned, she was already uncomfortable, now she had to occupy herself while her sister had her fun. She turned around, and found a brick wall about 4'9 feet tall. She walked up to it, and jumped on it, watching the party. She was watching for a while, and didn't notice that someone had sat next to her, until she heard them sniffle.
She turned her head in shock, and seen a Hispanic boy about a few years older than her, he was gorgeous, light caramel skin, dimples, semi built body, and his head was covered in a backwards snapback, and he wore a white t-shirt, short sleeve opened flannel, and dark jeans with Timberland boots and a chain around his neck.
"What's your name, mami?" He asked smirking at her. She was damn near lost in his dimples.
She didn't know what it was drawing not one but two gorgeous beings in her presence.
She turned away from him, after thinking about how Dre gave her attention only to be more interested in someone else, her self esteem was starting to deteriorate.
He started lightly chuckling at her shyness. She remained quiet, and was thankful that she was dark, along with the night that he couldn't see how flustered she was.
"Soo... you're not going to answer me?" He asked, she could hear the smirk in his talk.
"M-Maliyah." She answered as she played with her hands.
"Maliyah? I'm Gabriel. Estas aqui con alguien?" He asked, she turned to him and furrowed her eyebrows confused.
He got the hint that she didn't understand him. "I asked if you were here with someone." He translated.
She nodded her head. "Yeah, my sister." She said.
"Ooh... So you're single?" He questioned.
Maliyah stared at the dimple in his left cheek. Her face was flustered she couldn't even form words in her mouth.
"Are you alright?" He asked with a raised brow.
Maliyah nodded slowly.
"You're really pretty," He flirted.
Maliyah could only nod again. She knew she probably looked ridiculous so she shook her head and cleared her throat. "T-th-thank you," She stuttered.
"No problems, preciousa." He said. "You go to Crenshaw too?" He asked.
"Umm... no?" She said unsure.
"That sounded more like a question than a answer." He teased.
"Oh no. I mean, my sister and I just moved here from the south, we haven't figured out where we're gonna go to school at yet." She clarified.
"Oooh Ohkay. That's dope. So.. your sister? Where is she?" He asked, and she snapped her head left and right to point her but when she didn't see her she began searching desperately for her.
She hoped off the brick wall in her heels like a pro, and started heading for the group leaving the older boy without another word.
"Hey, have you seen my sister?" She asked Dre and the others.
Dre stood up when she approached and looked at the empty lawn chair Kaliyah and Chris has once occupied. "Nah, ma. They were just here a minute ago." He said
The pretty girl he was sitting with stood up. "I seen them go back towards the front a little while ago, cuzzo." She said.
Dre nodded and Maliyah led the way. When they reached the front, she still didn't see her sister, she saw the car in place, and decided to look inside the house. She heard shouting, and banging coming from the inside. She looked around and saw a few females siting straddling some guys engaged in intense make-out sessions, that she already knew was leading to something more explicit.
When she heard guns go off, her heart stopped.
"C'mon! We gotta bounce!" Dre shouted grabbing Maliyah and running away from the house.
"No! Not without my sister!" She protested but Dre's hand was tightly wrapped around her wrist.
The woman and men in the house scattered like roaches, and Maliyah saw Gabriel and a few other Hispanics running off in a hurry more than everyone else outside, as the guns started firing into the crowd of fleeing people. She ran down the street in her heels with Dre and stopped to catch her breath, she looked around for the same dress and dark skin as hers for her sister.
"Shit. That ain't typical for Craig's gigs. Something is up." He said pacing a little.
"My sister. I need to go back for my sister." Maliyah said lowly.
"It's all good, baby girl. I'm sure Chris is keeping her straight. Let me getchu home. Dez, you good?" He asked the pretty girl.
"Yeah, cuzzo. I got Breanna car. I'm parked around the block." She said.
"Alright, I'll walk you." Dre nodded.
Maliyah started to head back to the party when Dre grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Where are you going?" He asked.
"My sister is still there. I need to find her." She said snatching herself away from him and walking off as fast as she could before he could stop her again.
After about 15 minutes of not finding her, she made her way back to the house that hosted the party, and seen police, and two ambulances. The place was cleared out, and there was police tape securing the area. She stood and watched as the police brought out 4 white sheet covered dead bodies on rollers. She felt her body become weak, when she saw the bracelet of her twin sister and the little tattoo of two flying doves on the outer wrist of her right hand. The tattoo she had gotten three months ago on a dare between the two twins.
She ducked under the police tape, and ran towards the body on the dolly. A police officer held her at bay from reaching any further.
"THAT'S MY SISTER!" She shouted. "THAT'S MY FUCKING SISTER! LET ME GO!" She fought against the cop. He slowly released her from the word of his captain, and Maliyah reached the blood covered dead body. Her shaky hand reached the cover, and she grabbed it, closing her eyes as the tears flowed, and her head began to pound. She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, and pulled the sheet from the corpse face.
She slowly opened her eyes, and when she seen the body of her sister, she cried even harder. There was a bullet hole pierced in her skull, her white dress was soaked in her own blood, her eyes were wide open, and her mouth was ajar. The sight and smell made Maliyah sick to her stomach. She felt the bile coming up her throat, and she retched right there on the floor on her hands and knees. She began to have a panic attack, and before she knew it, she had passed out, right there in her own vomit.
"Kali..." She heard a faint voice. "Aye...Kali!"
Maliyah snapped out of her flashback, and looked into the mirror of the vanity she sat at. She smiled sadly at her boss Madame Rue. It had been 9 years since her sister was murdered. And it's been hell. She dropped out of school after her first year, grew some balls, found out her her brother was a gang banger, and became the first 16 year old Ruelynn had in her club, she had big goals that required cash, and loads of it. The Dollhouse. The club was filled with top notch girls, there wasn't a mediocre in sight. Maliyah wasn't as thin and fit as the other girls, but being thick with a coke bottle shape didn't hurt when it came to making 2 grand a night.
"You're on, sweetness." Rue told her.
Maliyah fixed her lipstick once more, and fixed the string to her satin robe. She walked passed Rue, and up the steps to the stage, she took a deep breath, and untied her robe, she let it fall to the ground as the DJ announced her name Kali Bae. The name she had given herself as an alter ego. Kaliyah was her inspiration to have more self confidence, to have more faith in herself, and to realize you only live once, and to take life by the horns and ride it out.
The slow R&B song started to play and the curtains were pulled back, the bright light came about, and she stepped out, doing what she had been doing for the past years. Making money, and forgetting the past. Half of her died the night she lost her sister, and a part of her sister was born into her at the same time. This was life.... Or so she thought.