SHE

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"Does anyone have anything to say on behalf of Mya?" The pastor asked indirectly, yet directly. Mercy was sitting two rows behind Grandma Viv. Everyone kept stealing glances at Mercy, waiting for her to stand up and go up to the podium to say something about Mya. She was sitting in a row with Lucas, King, Lexi, Darnell, and a grown up Chyna.

*P.S. I made the age difference between Chyna and everyone else to three years. So she is now 18 years old and graduated high school*

Mercy was sitting next to Lexi, who nudged her elbow. She looked at Mercy and mouthed for her to go up there. They were having a silent argument, until Lexi kicked Mercy in her leg causing her to let out a loud yelp in the large and silent church. Everyone looked Mercy's way and cleared her throat. Grandma Viv turned around and mouthed a "please" towards her.

She finally stood up and scooted past the people in her row. When she got out into the aisle she walked towards the podium in her Hudson Maxi Skirt in Burgundy two-piece set along with a pair of Gianvito Rossi Black Suede Pointed-Toe Ankle-Wrap Pump heels that she received as a birthday present from Staci a couple months ago. Today was her first day wearing the heels, which is sort of depressing.

She felt all eyes on her as she walked up to the podium. Mercy did not even want to come to the funeral, but she felt like she owed it to Grandma Viv. Even though both of them have not talked since the graduation, Mercy was still her granddaughter. All Mercy wanted to do was go to Selena's house, her best friend, to pick up her daughter.

Mercy's aunt, Staci, built a salon and barber shop up in Rochester a couple years ago. Ever since then, business has been booming. Staci didn't hire just anyone to work for her salon, she hired the very best. There are a about eight workers in the salon. There are six hair stylists and two nail techs. The main manager is Ann Marie, she's from the south, and you can tell in her voice when she speaks to you.

The other five hair stylists are Mercy, Selena, Trinity, Yasmin, and Ramona. Ramona is a trans-gender woman and everyone loves her! She is the funniest, the realest, and the craziest out of all of them. Not everyone loves her though, the one nail tech, Queenie does not like her because Ramona was trying to get with Queenie's man at Trinity's birthday party a few months back.

Queenie tries to throw slick shade at Ramona, but Ramona shuts that down quickly. Ramona does not take disrespect lightly and does not mind causing permanent facial damage to anyone. As said before, she is the craziest. The other nail tech is Hermonie. She's new and is so quiet and innocent.

All of the women in the salon are under 30, the oldest is Ann Marie, but acts and looks 25. There are usually no problems in the salon until Queenie opens her mouth and says things that should be kept in her mind.

When Mercy went up to the podium, the pastor whispered that she only had three minutes to say what she had to say. Mercy nodded and scanned the entire church. The church was rather large and all the people who attended the ceremony, took up only the middle section.

She began to speak. "I really wasn't planning on speaking here, to be honest. I just planned to come and pay my respects then leave, but I do owe her something. She was my best friend, she was the one that I could count on, trust in, talk to, and laugh with. Until things took turns for the worst. But today, we are not here to talk negatively about Mya, but instead share all the positive experiences we all shared with her.

When I met Mya, things were going pretty well in my life. I was living with my step father and we had no problems. Until a couple years after I met Mya, my life changed. My step father began to sexually abuse me. Luckily, I had a second family. Mya's family. They took me in as if I was their own, they treated me as if I was their own. And for that I will always appreciate them for.