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"So how long y'all been in the city?" Cairo asked.
"Few days now." Sky answered.
The two had decided to meet up at the park a few blocks from Sky's house,so that no junkies would be able to walk up and say they knew him while he was with Sky,because after all she was a good girl and Cairo didn't want to mess up hid chances of being with her if she didn't want to accept his lifestyle.
"You said y'all be movin' a lot,why?"
"My mom likes to move around a lot,she's not a regular person," Sky laughed, "her dream was to explore the world,but once she had me and my sister,she kinda had to slow down."
"From the looks of it,y'all ain't slowed down." Cairo laughed.
"Yea,I know,and I hate it cause I just wanna stay in one place." Sky said.
"So do that." Cairo said, "you're gettin' older now,and I'm sure you're capable of making decisions on your own. Tell them that you ain't gonna move next time."
"Why would I tell the people that do everything for me that I don't wanna live with them anymore?" Sky asked.
"Cause you a stronggggg independent black woman!" Cairo joked,snapping his fingers and rolling his neck, "Periodt!"
"I see what you sayin',but I cant just leave Luna with them,she'll hate me if I leave her." Sky sighed.
"Nah,I can tell that she loves you too much to even think about hatin' you," Cairo said, "hell,you ask me,she's the realist person you gon get."
"Yea I know,but I gotta make sure she'll be okay." Sky said.
Now that Sky had thought about it,deciding to live on her own would be a good idea,plus it would be better for her sanity if she lived alone. Of course,Luna was the only thing holding her back.
"But anyway,how was yo first day?" Cairo asked,causing Sky to sigh.
Today had been Sky's first day at Carter G. Woodson High School,where Cairo sometimes attended school.
"I hate it there already." Sky giggled, "it's loud as fuck,and everyyyyyyyone is corny as fuck,except for this dude named JahVontae,he's cool." Sky said.
Cairo snapped his neck in Sky's direction,recognizing Smoke's real name. Cairo was sure that Smoke would probably avoid Sky like he avoided everyone else,but apparently,they had become friends.
"He's your friend right?" Sky asked, "I remember seeing him with you the day we first met. I could've sworn he was a quite boy,but I was wrong as hell." She giggled,shaking her head,moving her curls side to side.
"Y—Yea,that's my nigga." Cairo grinned, "and nah,Jah can't be quite to save his life,once you get to know him."
It was true,Smoke only opened up to people that he considered friends,or at least solid people,and once he opened up,he'd tell you everything there was to know about him. As far as Smoke was concerned,Sky was a cool girl to hang around,plus she wasn't like everybody else,there was something different about her.
"Trust me,I know." Sky laughed, "Where you was at today? I ain't see you."
"My Auntie fell down the stairs,so I had to go to the hospital with her." Cairo lied,biting the inside of his cheek. The truth of the matter was,Cairo had been moving cocaine through the city all day,and as usual,he had no energy for school.
"Damn,I hope she's okay." Sky said.
"She'll be aight," Cairo said, "we need to focus on you tho."
"Sooooo,you said you could make my dreams come true,correct?" Star asked,raising an eyebrow.
"Correct." Dallas nodded, "you got what it takes."
Star had met Dallas at a small studio that he and London owned. It was barely ever put to good use,because the talent that Dallas bought in,was too busy using their mouth in other ways,that had nothing to do with singing or rapping. Not to mention,they were half-ass dedicated to making music in the first place.
"Imma do this with you under one condition," Star spoke, "you gotta keep me hidden. I'm talkin' nobody knowin' my real name,what I look like,or who my parents are. You understand?"
"You on the run or somethin' babygirl?"
"If I was,I wouldn't tell you." Star laughed.
"You act like I wouldn't go on the run with you." Dallas raised an eyebrow.
"I'm here to sing,sir,stop tryna be cute." Star laughed.
"Get'cha ass in there and sing then,fake ass Beyoncé." Dallas joked,making Star let out a ratchet laugh.
"Okay so what you want me to sing?" Star asked,once she was inside of the booth.
"Anything you want,babygirl." Dallas grinned.
"I don't know what to sing,Dallas." Star laughed nervously.
This had been the first time that Star was alone with Dallas and able to see him clearly. Even though the studio had dimly colored lights,Dallas seemed to glow in the light,like a star in space. Star found herself admiring Dallas, the way that his eyebrows furrowed whenever he was thinking hard,or trying to focus,and how loud he'd laugh whenever something was funny to him. If anything,Star thought Dallas was good looking,but she was pretty convinced that London was his girlfriend because of how close they were.
"Aye,Lo!" Dallas called.
"What nigga!?" London yelled,coming into the studio with Star and Dallas.
"Roll up that Kush,and then come in here,Star nervous as fuck." Dallas chuckled,making his way into the booth with Star.
"You ain't have to tell her that I was nervous." Star said,sitting down on a nearby stool.
"You right,but you ain't gotta be nervous." Dallas chuckled,standing over Star,making her look up at him, "trust me,you in good hands."
"Oh,so you Allstate now?" Star questioned,making Dallas laugh loudly.
"It's somethin' about you,girl,somethin' bout you." Dallas shook his head,slowly walking away from Star,as London came into the booth.
"The fuck y'all doin'?" London asked, "y'all in this mothafucka' makin' a love connection?"
"I ain't mean to be all on ya man like that—"
"My man?" London cackled, "Girlllllllll,hell the fuck nah! He's my brother,a uglyass brother,at that."
"Why would you think I was her nigga?" Dallas laughed,still shaking his head,while London screamed and wiped the tears that fell from her eyes from laughing so hard.
"A pussyhoe could nevaaaaaaa." London cackled,falling over,which only made her laugh harder, "this my whole brother,baby,we came out the same coochie."
"My bad." Star laughed, "I ain't got no siblings,so I guess I ain't used to seeing people be so close without goin' together."
"Nah,it's cool,I understand." London wiped the tears from her eyes, "I mean,we're all each other has,so we gotta be close."
Having been in the system most of their lives,London and Dallas only had each other. The fact that they were lucky enough to never be separated,was a blessing,so they were tight as glue,and extremely grateful for one another.
"Don't be nervous round us,relax babygirl." Dallas said,taking a pull of the blunt.
"Aight,imma head out,I'll see y'all later." London yawned,hugging Dallas and Star,making her way to the door.
A comfortable silence grew around Dallas and Star upon London's exit. It was mostly a silence of peace,as they each passed the blunt back and forth.
"Star,you so much different from all the other artists I had in here." Dallas blurted out.
"How so?" Star asked.
"Well,for one,you focused,plus I can tell that you takin' yo career serious." Dallas answered.
"I'm just tryna survive."
"Come on Solána,we got an exam tomorrow! I just need a few addys so that I can focus." Wined one of Sunny's regular buyers.
"You know they tryna crack down on drug use round here,and you gonna put me in a hard place like this?"
"I'll pay extra!" The woman offered, "I'll give you $100 for 15 addys."
"I'm giving you 10 addys,I don't want you to have all that at the same time," Sunny spoke, "Come back for the rest in a few days."
"Lana—"
"Aht aht,don't 'Lana' me,you know you pop those things like tic tacs." Sunny said, "and you know it's not healthy."
Solána was one of the very few dealers who actually cared about the people that she sold to,especially on campus. Not only did she not want to risk getting caught dealing,she also didn't want an accidental death under her belt,because the buyers aren't capable of controlling themselves.
"Thank you so much."
"No problem,babe." Sunny smiled,handing the woman a small bag of adderall pills, "don't go overboard,tho."
"I won't."
Sunny made a mental note to up her prices since selling on campus was getting so risky. Walking to her bus stop with her music blasting in her headphones,Sunny was caught off guard when she was tapped on the shoulder. She quickly snatched out her headphones and immediately threw a punch out in the direction of the person who tapped her.
"Damn,Solána! Chill out." Mars laughed,at Sunny's aggression.
"My bad." Sunny laughed,pulling Mars into a hug, "how was class?"
"Stressful." Mars chuckled, "I know I ain't tell you before,but uh—I wasn't exactly a good person when I first started here." Sunny nodded,showing that she understood,as they both tapped their bus cards and went to their usual spot at the back, "it's uh—harder to focus now,yaknow?"
Sunny looked at Mars strangely,not fully understanding what was going on. Mars never really elaborated on what he meant by he wasn't the best person when he first started college. Sunny hoped that it wasn't too bad of a thing,because she's noticed that Mars didn't have any friends except for her.
As for now,she wouldn't press the issue,because obviously it was a touchy subject for him to discuss.
"What we eating today?" Sunny asked,before Mars continued with his sentence.
In the few days since they had met,Sunny and Mars had grown an innocent little bond,and they had a routine—sit together on the bus,go grab something to eat after class,and make sure the other stayed on top of their work. Their friendship was mostly built on food,support,loyalty,and inside jokes.
"Wendy's? Or Subway?" Mars asked as they sat down.
"Either way you payin' so it don't really matter." Sunny shrugged.
"I hate it here." Mars mumbled, "always makin' me pay for shit."
"Shut ya ass up,I be helpin' you with school,the least you can do is buy me some food for being a smart ass bitch." Sunny cheesed.
"I reallyyyyyyyyy hate how right you are sometimes." Mars mumbled,squinting his eyes at Sunny.
Sunny laughed,something that she had been doing a lot lately. Even though she and Mars considered themselves friends,everyone else couldn't help but think that they were secretly involved,even if they never thought of each other in that way.
Once they got off of the bus,Sunny and Mars walked to Mars' house,a place in which Sunny had found herself to love to be in. Will and Calypso welcomed Sunny with open arms as soon as she stepped into the house.
"Hey y'all!" Sunny spoke as they walked through the door.
"Yooo!" Mars spoke,closing the front door.
"How you feelin' Shine?" Calypso asked,calling Sunny by the nickname that she was given. Sunny got the name "Shine" because Calypso said that Solána was a ray of sunshine in Mars' life—ever since they had met,Solána had the tendency to shine a light of positivity on Mars.
"Good,and you?"
"I live with him," Calypso mumbled,pointing to Mars, "so obviously not that great."
"Aight,aight,y'all talkin' too much,Solána you know the drill." Mars chuckled,pointing upwards.
"Fuck you." Sunny mumbled,making her way upstairs to Mars' room.
Mars,Sunny,Calypso,and Will shared an inside joke,that Sunny wasn't here for Will and Calypso. When Sunny first came,Calypso was sure that Sunny was just some random hoe that Mars was knocking off,but she was proven wrong when Sunny actually sat and had a conversation with them. Calypso admitted that she was convinced that Sunny didn't "know the drill" of quickly saying hi to the family,and them making her way upstairs to get fucked,like any run of the mill hoe. Mars explained that he and Sunny were just friends for the time being,and they all shared a two hour laugh about the whole situation.
"Gladly." Mars joked.
Solána had made her way into Mars' room,which had a fiery shade of red painted on the four walls,in the middle of the room was a California King Bed,with a grey blanket spread across it.
Sunny immediately laid out on the bed,as Mars entered the room and flopped down on the bed with a loud sigh.
"Nap time?" Sunny asked,slightly turning her head to look upon Mars' tired looking face.
Today,like every other day since his release from rehab,had been a tough one. Being known as the junkie from freshman year wasn't exactly the best reputation for Mars to have. The truth of the matter is,after Mars' overdose in one of the bathrooms on campus,the school has been trying to crackdown on drug use to prevent another overdose and possible death. Because of Mars' inability to handle pressure,he resorted to drugs,which led to an eventual downfall.
"Definitely."
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I just wanna thank y'all for showing so much love and support on the first chapter💕😩y'all are really the fucking best!💕
And honestly,I'm feeling a lottttt better about this book,because everything just flows out so well😭😭
(Also,I changed the banner for Sunny & Mars Because I wasn't feeling the first one anymore😭🤷🏾♀️)
-slightly edited-
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