Identical Sins (Short Story Challenge)

I

Wednesday

My nerves are shot as I perch on the stoop out in front of my apartment building chain smoking Newports. I casually listened to my twin sister Nina rattle off her meticulously thought out plan. I'm astonished at the amount of thought she seemed to have put into this shit.

I wouldn't even be entertaining her ass if I wasn't desperate. Two months of begging, hitchhiking and bumming rides to work after my car died, had finally gotten old. I was damn near walking the 6 miles to work some days.

None of that mattered to my shift supervisor Danny last Monday when I sprinted into the restaurant late for the 100th time. He wasn't trying to hear me talking about my car being broken down or having to walk a mile in the other direction to take my daughter to day care. All his fat ass had to say was "Don't bother clocking in." With a hand raised he ignored my pleas for yet another chance.

I fought back tears like a soldier as I walked back to my apartment only for the flood gates to open once I trudged up the stairs to my walk up to find a pink FINAL NOTICE plastered on the door. I hadn't even paid this month's rent and here it was 9 days away from the 1st again.

Inhaling the smoke I stared through my sister as she bounced my nephew on her knee and rambled on about robbing Luckie, a local drug dealer. She had to be fucking crazy. That's it. She had finally lost what was left of her mind. Luckie might have had money but what Luckie didn't have was a heart. Luckie would kill his own damn mama if he thought she crossed him.

"Lola!" She stretched her eyes.

Though identical, Nina and I couldn't be more different. She was outgoing and daring. Always full of big ideas and never committing to them. I, on the other hand, kept my head down and stayed focused on trying to get the hell out of the hood. I vowed not be a statistic and to make it out the legal way. Everything was cool until I got pregnant with my daughter after 2 semesters in college.

"What!" I frown. Her fairy tale shit wasn't paying none of these bills around here. I needed money.

"You know you sound crazy as hell right now, right?" I ask just to make sure she knew she had lost it.

"Whatever you ain't even listening." She rolls her eyes at my disinterest. "Look girl you ain't the only one fucked up! Me and Amir need all kinda shit and since his dad been locked up we been catchin hell too. I'm trying to get this lawyer. You know his mama ain't no damn help." She sighs.

"What time this lil party anyway girl?" I light another cigarette and blow smoke in her direction. Hell I could barely afford the next pack. I thought about putting it out and saving it but my nerves wouldn't let me.

"The block party at 9 Friday night hoe. I said that 3 times." She huffs.

"Ok, ok, I got it." I sigh. "How you figure this gone work?"

"You know these niggas gone lay down with anybody with they legs open." She laughs.

"I mean the money. What make you think he got money in his house?" I invert my eyebrows and await another brilliant answer.

"What drug dealer you know use the bank?" She tilts her head. "Come on now Lola. Wear that black dress and please, please let me do all the talking. All you gotta do is step in and be pretty on your cue." She smirks.