"Ready or not. Here I come. You can't hide. . Gonna' find you, and make you want me . . ." -TheFugees💋
Chapter 24:
Ariel
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The next day, the afternoon sun had dipped below the shoreline of the Hudson River, bringing the temperature down with it, but that still didn't stop the action on the busy streets of Brooklyn.
The popular avenues, such as Lenox, Seventh, and Eighth, were still buzzing with people, and energetic children. A few buildings over sat the governing around-the-way girls council of those parts, doing what they did best: looking cute and killing time.
Ariel, Paris, Brandy, Kim, and Star sat on the stoop of a slightly dilapidated building, drinking Cognac from foam cups and swapping stories with some of the locals.
The excitement of that afternoon had come and gone, giving away to the anticipation of what the night might bring. If you played the hood long enough, you were bound to see something noteworthy.
"Yo', my ass is sore as hell from riding 'dat motorcycle all day," Star said, massaging her thighs.
"Either 'dat, or letting Justin pound you in your shit box," Kim snickered.
"Fuck you Kim. You always got sum' slick shit to say. Don't act like you ain't never take it in da' ass, bitch."
" 'Dat was only once and I didn't like it, hoe," Kim lied.
Truth be told, she took it in the ass from time to time, depending on whom she was with and what she thought the act could get her. Young men traded stories about her on a regular basis, but she chalked it up as taking one for the team.
"Where da' hell is Shardae?" Brandy asked, taking a huge gulp of her drink.
The liquor caused her eyes to water, but she held it like a true soldier. Brandy could out drink all of her girls and a few guys they knew.
"She was supposed to be dropping Cadarious off downtown and coming right back," Ariel said.
"They're probably somewhere fucking," Paris said scornfully.
"Yo', y'all really think they getting down like 'dat?" Star asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised and she just ain't telling us," Brandy answered. "She sure as hell been acting funny. When is da' last time y'all seen her slide with somebody or heard about a nigga hitting 'dat?"
"I ain't seen Shardae with a dude since Vick, God bless," Paris said.
"She ain't been da' same since 'dat nigga got killed," Ariel recalled.
Vick had been a local knucklehead who they had gone to school with. He fashioned himself a pretty boy and his mind was constantly on his paper.
He and Shardae had hooked up during high school and had a romance straight out of a music video. They could often be seen hugged up on the block or shooting hoops in the park.
