AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

SIX

1993
Queens, New York
[Queensbridge]

ZARA

After completing her look for the night, Zara grabbed her tiny side purse off the dresser and sped off into the living room where Dominique and Janae had been waiting for her for the past 45 minutes.

"Finally." Dominique mumbled and rolled her eyes, getting off the couch to get her dad's car keys.

"Sorry guys, but you can't rush perfection." Zara spoke confidently. "I look good, don't I?!" She gave her cousins a 360 spin to examine her outfit.

Dominique loudly kissed her teeth and dragged Zara by arm towards the door. "Let's go before my dad changes his mind about letting me take the car."

The trio tried rushing out the door but were stopped by Dominique's dad's voice.

"Dom?" Mr. Davison called out for his daughter as he walked into the living room and the three girls turned around to face him.

"Look, I know y'all are grown, so I'm not gonna give you a curfew. But please bring my car back in one piece, Dominique. Don't be drinking and driving- oh and tell Jahkai and Malik if they smoke in my shit again, ima fuck them up." Mr. Davison said sternly.

"Jaaames, hurry upppp!" Dominique's mother whined from the bedroom.

Mr. Davison suddenly began pushing the girls out the door. "Ok y'all have fun, and be safe. Tell Omari I said happy birthday and- uh.. yeah. Bye." He gave the kids one last shove out the door and slammed it.

"Fucking disgusting." Dominique scoffed at her parents sexual tension, which also caused Janae and Zara to cringe.

The girls made their way down the apartment and into the parking lot. There, they spotted Malik and Jahkai, play fighting as they waited for the girls to arrive.

"Wassup?" Malik greeted the girls who just stood there staring at him while he held Jahkai in a headlock on the ground. "What took y'all so long- agh!"

Jahkai harshly elbowed Malik in his stomach, releasing Jahkai from the headlock he was in. "Fuck outta here." Jahkai muttered and laughed as he stood up from the ground and dusted himself off.

Dominique unlocked and entered the car while Janae and Zara both rushed over to the passenger's side. "Nuh-uhn bitch. You were the last one to get ready, so that means you gotta sit in the back." Janae stated.

"What?! Since when did that become a rule?" Zara spat as she attempted to push Janae away from the door.

"Since now." Janae bumped Zara with her hip and quickly opened the door and got in.

Malik laughed and held the back door open for Zara. She got in and rolled her eyes at the fact that she had to sit next to Jahkai. Once Malik was in, Dominique pulled out of the parking lot and headed off to Omari's.