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I walked into my room , instantly falling onto my bed. Today has been hard , all my teachers are down my throat about missing assignments. It's just homework , I don't even live in a home , I live in an apartment. Moral of the story , I can't do homework.
Where the hell is my mom..she was supposed to be home hours ago.
I went to her room and opened the door , revealing my mother sleeping peacefully on the much appreciated mattress she had just bought.
"I guess I'll just have to cook then , huh?" I mumbled exiting her room and walking out into the kitchen. Making my way over to the fridge , I opened it to examine my options.
There ain't much in here as always. But I do have money , I could make groceries down at the corner store. Running back to my room , I grabbed a jacket since it was starting to get cold out.
Just as I made it out of my bedroom door , my mother was standing right there looking tired as ever. "Hey ma , did I wake you?"
"Yes , where you going girl?" She shuffled over to the fridge pulling it open , and slamming it closed when she realized there wasn't shit in there.
"I'm about pick up some stuff from the bodega. You want anything?" I checked my pockets , making sure I still had the $40 she gave me to buy a new metro-card from the station.
"With what money?" She asked walking over to the sink rinsing one of the plastic cups. I couldn't tell her it was the money she gave me to get the card cause then she would make me go get one. "Mr.Jones gave $20 for sweeping up his barber shop." I recited the lie I had quickly came up with.
She eyed me suspiciously. "Ok. What ever , but you be careful over at that barber shop. Those grown ass men are some damn perverts." She shook her head and went back to filling her glass with water.
I nodded and made my way out of the apartment. When I made it down the stairs and to the door of the brown stone , I stopped to look out of the square window. Moving the off-white square of cloth off the window and looking down , I seen a group of guys out on the steps. They were talking about something , I could hear them through the door.
I'm contemplating even going out there cause I knew it would be a little uncomfortable to walk down six whole steps while a group of guys are just staring at you. But , the rumbling cry from my stomach only a few seconds later cleared all the confusion. I'm definitely going to the damn store.
I opened the door and stepped onto the first step , gaining only one of the guy's attention. He looked up for a moment , then looked away. I was thankful for his disinterest. The rest of the boys seemed to be having some kind of freestyle battle. I hurried down the steps , trying to get as far away from the whack flows as I could.
I was onto the pavement now , and still no awkwardness.
"Yo! Dreyah! Where you headed kiddo?"
I turned around and seen Kirk getting up from the last step , walking over to me. He isn't exactly my friend , but he dated my cousin for some time and we became sorta cool. So , I guess we're on a speaking basis...
"To the store." I replied blandly , continuing my escape from the awkward stares of the other guys on the steps.
"Cool , imma go with you." He caught up with me and threw his arm around my shoulder.
"Kirk , you know you aint got no money nigga!" One of his friend's exclaimed , laughing.
"Shutup Steez!" He chuckled.
I just shrugged and continued to the store.
When we made it, I just got all the stuff we would need in the house. Making my way back up to the front , I was about to walk up to the counter and wait for someone to come ring all the stuff up , but Kirk ran up with a bag , dropping all my stuff in it , plus his , and dragging me out of the store.
"Kirk! What the hell?!" I exclaimed snatching my arm from his grasp and stopped running , to catch my breath.
"What? You never ransacked a bodega?" He had his hands on his sides , breathing heavily , squinting his eyes a bit to block the beaming sun that was starting to go down .
"I mean...yea." I lied.
He just shook his head and started walking away , signaling for me to follow him.
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I woke up the next morning feeling a little better than the day before , that should go on my good things list.
After getting dressed for school , I just put my hair into a pony tail and stuffed the $40 I wasn't able to spend yesterday into my jeans pocket.When I was applying my second coat of mascara , my mother came in.
"You still got that money I gave you for the card?" Whenever she asked something like that , it was because she needed it back. I suspected she wanted it for bill money or something.
I pulled it out of my pocket , extending my arm towards her , "Yep."
She pushed my hand back. "Ok , well you need to get that bird's nest of a thing you call hair done today! Right after school!" She said ruffling the puffy ponytail I had.
I laughed. "Ok mama."
"Im serious Dre!" She pointed her index finger at me , doing that famous eye squint of hers.
"Alright , ma."
She left my room , and I did also , right after I turned off my light. After , pouring myself some of the orange juice I found in the fridge , I headed out.
I stepped out onto the street , immediately wanting to go back inside. I walked slowly on the pavement with my hands stuffed into my pockets trying to avoid contact with the outside world as much as possible. I looked across the street where 3 guys were standing in a circle shooting dice. One of them looked over at me , giving me a slight head nod. I returned the half greeting and continued down the block.
On my way to school , while passing the alley I seen Kirk. He was standing near some random man dressed in unnaturally neat clothing. He looked like he had been plucked from a store window. Kirk passed the guy a large coffee can , and the man passed him a wad of cash. I was about to let my curiosity get the best of me. If they saw me , they would probably think I was spying for the feds or something. I'm sure they were engaging in some kind of illegal activity. But it seriously was none of my business.
Even still , I thought about what they had just done. Kirk had just sold that man some drugs. That man handed him a lot of cash too. I glanced down at the forty dollars I had pulled from my pocket. It was all I had and I couldn't even spend it freely. My mom's dead end job meant no free spending for either of us. I bet if Kirk sells a lot of that stuff everyday , he can get a couple hundred daily , no problem. That kind of money could definitely help me and mom out.
Though it's always great when I can have time to think about stuff , I need to get to school. As I took one step forward , I was startled by Kirk's lean body walking out of the alley and down the sidewalk. I wondered if the guy was still there , if maybe he would do the drugs there in the alley.
"I'd rather not know." I mumbled to myself.
I continued my journey to school , that's enough investigation for one day.....
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.third eye don't close for nobody.
~NB
