The Dopeboy Next Door

Heathens.

Thursday 3:45 pm

"I'm home Ma!" I hollered as I opened the front door to my house. Removing my key, I slammed the door closed behind me and sat my backpack down on the bench. As I slid off my Nikes, I noticed how quiet the house was.

I ventured into the kitchen and saw a note on the counter.

Bailey,
I had a last minute work trip. I'll be gone for a week. Check your cash app.
Don't forget to water the plants and check in with Ms. Jonisha if you need something.
And charge your phone child!
Love Mom.

I pulled my phone from my back pocket and pressed the power button to see the dead battery symbol. "Yup, it's dead." I chuckled. I ran upstairs and put it on the charger in my bedroom before climbing out of my school clothes to go take a shower.

She would leave right before I have a 3 day weekend.

After my shower, I called my mom to check-in, but she didn't pick up so I left her a voicemail letting her know I got the note and the money she sent.

Next, I FaceTimed my best friend, Araceli.

"Wassup?" She answered the call, propping the phone up to look at me.

"Sooo guess what?" I said, cheesing into the phone.

She rolled her honey brown eyes at me, "Just tell me, I ain't tryna guess."

"My mama gone outta town... for a week," I revealed wiggling my eyebrows mischievously.

"Bitch for real?" She squealed.

"Yeah, wanna stay over this weekend since we don't got school on Monday?"

"Yeah. I gotta tell my brother but I'm sure he won't care." She told me.

"Aight, let me know what he says. I'll see you tomorrow." I said before hanging up.

Araceli and I have been friends since the sandbox. She lives with her older brother, Ivan. He dropped out of college to raise her when their parents were murdered in a home invasion robbery when we were in middle school. She's the closest thing I have to a sister since I'm my mom's only child.

Just as I finished my homework, the doorbell rang. "Who is it?" I yelled running downstairs, nearly busting my ass.

I gotta stop running on this floor with socks on.

Barely hearing the person, through the door, I opened it to see who it was.

Standing in front of me was a fine-ass light-skinned nigga standing at least 5'10 to my 5'5. He had long brown hair that was braided back in two cornrows landing in the middle of his chest. I was instantly mesmerized by the tattoos that crawled up his neck out of his navy blue Polo hoodie that he sported with matching Polo joggers. The nigga looked fly all the way down to his black and white Jordan Concord 11s, but he seemed strangely overdressed, in the nearly 90-degree weather outside.

"Who is you?" I questioned him trying to disguise my gawking.

"Stone." He stated, before licking his lips and flashing a smile that exposed a glistening grill in his mouth. "Jah Jah sent me over to get Nette's numbers before she goes to the licka sto."

"Stone?" I asked. "Well, my mama not home right now and she didn't leave me no numbers so I don't think she playin the numbers this week."

"Awright. What's yo name?" He asked, still smiling.

"I'm Bailey," I told him proudly, trying to puff out my c cup boobies.

"Okay, nice to meet you... Bailey," he said, putting emphasis on my name.

"Mmhmmm. Why you got on a hoodie when it's so hot out?" I finally asked him.

"Cus it's cold in the whip." He said pointing over to my neighbor's house.

I stepped out the door to look and there was a sparkling white BMW parked in Ms. Jonisha's driveway next to her black Cadillac. I'd never noticed that car there before. I looked up to her porch and another boy was sitting outside smoking. I could tell what it was from the smell.

"Who's that?" I questioned.

"That's my cousin, Key." He told me as he stepped down off my porch.

"Key? And Stone huh?" I asked him, scrunching my face.

He nodded.

"Y'all sound like some heathens," I said laughing.

"Ain't nun wrong wit that." He said walking down the sidewalk, "Catch you 'round Bailey."

I looked back at the other boy, but he got up and went inside the house. I shook my head and went back into mine.