"such a beautiful boy filled with so much sin"
29th May 2001, Detroit
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU HOOKER" Danica screamed at her best friend running up to her from across the park. Rosita laughed shyly, cathing Danica as she jumped in her arms.
"Thanks, Dee" She smiled sadly, releasing her friend from the hug.
"What's wrong? It's your birthday. You're not allowed to be sad, it's like...illegal"
Rosita just shrugged in response, sitting on the park bench, opening a bottle of colt 45. "I'm 17 and homeless Dee. I don't feel like celebrating"
"Bitch you're not homeless you're living with Mario and his mom. You're hardly hooking in a hotel on 7 Mile"
"I barely know Mario or his mom. They're only letting me stay there because of Rio"
"So? They're still letting you live with them. It's better than living with your bitch of a mom" Danice winced when Rosita smacked her in the arm but she didn't say anything. Rosita was still protective of her mother, no matter how bad she treated her.
"I know, I know" Rosita sighed "I just wish they didn't have to, y'know" Danica nodded but didn't say anything. The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, sharing the bottle of cheap liquor between them.
"Are you seeing Rio tonight?" Danica broke the silence, rolling her eyes as a lovesick smile came across her best friend's face.
"Yeah, we're just gonna hang out at his place. The usual" Rosita smiled.
"Girl you look to happy to just be hanging out at his place"
"What do you mean?" Rosita frowned
"It's your birthday and you're just gonna chill at his place? You're not gonna do something together?"
"Oh trust me. We'll be doing something" Rosita smirked, Danica letting out a roar of laughter.
***
"Just be careful. That guy seemed weird. I don't want you around him" Rosita rolled her eyes at her husband as he drove her to work. It was the day after Rio had dropped in to her salon and her husband had not stopped talking about him since, insisting he drive her work in case the sketchy guy was hanging around there in the morning.
"He was just welcoming me to the neighbourhood, Jack. He was harmless" She sighed, rubbing her temples.
"Harmless? Rosita! Did you see the guy? Nobody with that many tattoos is harmless!" Her husband shrieked.
"It'll be fine. If he shows up again I'll hire a bouncer" She said sarcastically
"I'm serious, Rosie" She hated when he called her that "I don't want you associating with those kind of people"
"'Those kind of people?' What does that mean?"
"You know what I mean" Jack sighed as he pulled up to the salon "Be careful. I love you"
