A Chicago Love Story

A Chicago Love Story (Part 12)

~LAIYA'S POV~

When I woke up, Mani was jumping all on my bed screaming and laughing. Me: "Girl what da hell is you doin? What time is it?" Mani: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH!!! IT'S YO GLO-DAY BITCH GET UP!!!!" I rolled over and put a pillow over my head. Mani jumped off the bed and pulled my blanket off of me. Me: "Man come on Mani. I'm tryna go to sleep." Mani: "I don't care it's almost 10:30am get up!" She grabbed my foot and started to drag me off the bed. Me: "Mani!! Move." She pulled me to the edge of the bed and stared at me. Mani: "Girl get tf up! I don't wanna go get Auntie Ro but I will if I have to." Me: "I don't want to get up. I wanna go to sleep." Mani rolled her eyes and walked out my room. I grabbed my blanket and pillow and curled back up into a ball. 5 minutes later Momma, Daddy, and Mani was in my room making all types of noise. Momma: "GET UP LAI LAI!" Daddy: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA! AYE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YA TO YA!" Mani was clapping while Daddy was singing and she was smiling at me. I couldn't hold in my laugh any longer.

Me: "Fineee. I'm up now" Momma and Daddy started hooping and hollering. Momma: "My baby is up!!" Mani: "Get dressed Pooh." Me: "Why..." Momma: "Mani taking you to the mall for your birthday, and I want you out for at least 3 hours!" Me: "Why I gotta be gone for so long?" Daddy: "Cus we know you jus gon buy a lil bit of food and try coming home to lay in the bed." "He ain't lying.." Me: "Ion even got nothing to wear tho." Mani: "That's okay. I'm dressing you anyways." Me: "Mani-" Momma: "Aht." Me: "It's my birthday tho..." Momma: "Mhm you right, but we ain't gon let you be sad and dress like you're depressed. Mani go in that closet and pick out her clothes." Me: "Momma..." Daddy: "Come on Lai Lai. I want you to be happy today too. Ion wanna see you spending your birthday balled up in the house." Momma: "Exactly!!  Go out and have some fun!! But not too much." I sighed and got up out my bed. Mani: "I think you'd look cute in this! With some ripped jeans and yo lil Uggs you got, we can put your hair in a slick back bun and some mini hoops and the lil necklace Von bought you." She held up a grey fluffy sweater that I used to wear all the time. Momma: "See Lai, Mani gon get you right today!" Me: "Can yall leave so I can get dressed?" They all walked out and I put on the clothes Mani laid out for me. I looked in the mirror and put the earrings in then picked up the necklace. I stared at it for a minute and then smiled because I thought about all the shit Von said after he bought it. "I'm being too hard on him.. I'm not gon let that ruin my birthday." I lifted up my hair and put the necklace on. Mani knocked on the door and busted in the room. Me: "Damn you aint even gimme time to answer." Mani: "Girl please. I used to change yo diapers and pull ups." We started laughing then she sat me down in the chair to do my hair. We got done at around 10:45am and walked downstairs. Momma: "Awee look at my beautiful baby!" She walked over to me and kissed me on the cheek. Daddy put his arm around me and hugged me. Momma almost started crying then her phone rang. 

Momma: "Hello? Hey! Yeah I'm about to take her pictures then her and Mani gon be at the mall for a few hours. I'll send them to you. Ok. Bye bye now!" Me: "Who was that?" Momma: "Uh it was just Gramma and them down there." Me: "I wanna talk to Gramma, can you call her back?" Momma: "No baby she said she was busy and just told me to send the pictures to her." Something about Momma's answer didn't sound right... It sounded like a lie but I just ignored it. She took a few pictures of me then hurried me and Mani out the door. We got in the car and Mani took us to the mall. Mani: "What all you tryna do today?" Me: "Ion kno. Imma prolly jus be in and out the mall. I kinda wanna go eat or go see a movie." Mani: "Ight we can go see a movie after we go to the mall. I wanna get a few things out there." When we got in the mall the first person I seen was Daijah. Me: "Lawd." Mani: "What?" Me: "There's the girl that I beat up." Mani: "That? Pshh girl bye. She look like a stank hoe who love talking shit." I started laughing but then I seen Daijah look over and start walking near me. Mani: "Girl what she doin?" Me: "Ion know... We bout to see." Mani: "Girl I'm ready to throw down if she feeling froggy." Me: "Mani hush." Daijah came over and looked at Mani up and down then she looked at me. Daijah: "Hey Laiya. Is this your sister?" Me: "I see you finally learned how to say my name. No this is not my sister this is my cousin Imani." Daijah: "Oh! Well hi Imani. I'm Daijah." She stuck her hand out and Mani stared at her.