Sinner's Heist

" 4

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ FAINT SQUEALS OF children that filled the street could be heard from a distance as they played hide and seek in their yards. The dull day in Petersburg was fairly warm due to the high, thick humidity nearly stripping you of your breath. A group of little girls, some with small braids accessorized with bows and others with curly puff balls, chanted riddles as they double dutched along the cracked sidewalk pavement . Teenage to adult age groups sat along the steps of their porches either smoking or eating a BBQ plate that had purchased from Jimmy's- a known shack down the street.

They lived on a dead end street where newcomers rarely drove through unless lived in one of the many antique, white houses that's surface held visible cracks as well as the staircases on the outside or was a fearless bill collector. Some old Cadillacs were parked on the side of the road or in yards that roofs were dusty along with the windows and tires were on flat- that hadn't been moved in years. Most outsiders feared this side of Virginia yet this hood had became almost like family to each other.

"Hey Bebe." The long Malaysian wearing, darkskin girl by the name of Tatiana greeted Bebe as she held up a rat tail comb, pausing the weaving of another female. Her arm covered by tattoos with color rested on top of the white, flimsy plastic chair. Bebe glanced over towards her and lifted her hand up, waving with a hey girl as a response.

Bebe footed the rest of the way to her destination, feeling her cellulite thighs jiggle from out her clothing before turning to the house. She stepped up to the black screen door, pulling it by it's handle and walked inside as it was unlocked as usual. She pulled her shorts -that went no lower than her thighs-farther down that she could carefully to not break one of her long, manicured nails.

"Hey ossie." Turning his head around promptly to the hearing of his nickname, Amos glanced at Bebe. He knew immediately it was her considering she was the only person to come up with that nickname from his biblical name.

He cracked a side smile that deepened the dimples in his cheeks and turned back to the small pot on the stove's burner, placing a pack of ramen noodles in the boiling water to where all she saw was his fresh waves with a curve part. "What's good Be? You just walkin' in my crib."

She admired his honey brown skin decorated with black ink tattoos for a moment as a white wife beater shirt that his slim but muscular back and arms could be seen openly covered his torso. Between his white shirt and grey shorts was red, plaid boxers since he sagged to a small degree. Pushing herself forward, Bebe stood next to his side.

He reached and wrapped his left arm tightly around her waist in a side hug. Their skin glissaded against each other due to her crop top's short length. "Y'know that door never locked." Bebe pushed her long, burgundy box braids behind her shoulder and peeped down at the cooking noodles. "Amos can I..um get something?"

"Y'know I got you. What you needin'?"

Bebe leaned her backend on the counter, facing the opposite way he did of the stove and looked forward while pulling her braids in front of her body away from the fire. "$500." Amos grew familiar of those digits yet still furrowed his brows together as he glanced at her from the side.

"For what?" The long, thick lashes she wore concealed her actual eyes until she peeked at him. Amos read her eyes clearly and spat in frustration. "Guh'."

"Again Be? Tell me you lunchin'." He spoke out to her, using common slang. In other words, he was hoping she was joking that'd she gotten herself into this similar situation repeatedly.