🌹April ¥ 1992🌹
Today was already Friday, and I was happy because whew...I needed a break from school. My girls and I were going to this party over on 49th street after school and I was about to have so much fun. I just hoped that this one didn't get shot up like the one we'd went to last time. My moms found out and she'd told me I couldn't go the next time ANY party came up, but I'd convinced her otherwise of course. She even told me that I could spend the night at one of my friends house tonight, and that was something because my mom is really protective over me and, with the whole Damani thing its not really easing her mind.
I've never saw Damani Black but I'd be dumb not to know who he was, that in itself was compromising my own safety and anyone else I love. Simply because you never know who you're messing with sometimes and that could get you killed for the "simple" mistake of for an example flipping someone off at a red light, absolutely not knowing he's ole boy's cousin and that they shoot people for a living. I've known several people to meet their end that way and it was scary to be honest, not to mention very superstitio- "Mani!!" Quinn called me cutting off my thoughts.
"Yeah!" I yelled back still technically in my head and not paying attention.
"Girl If you don't get out of that head of yours and come on, we're at the school!" She laughed at me, partially because my eyes almost popped out of my head and I immediately started paying attention to my surroundings.
"Hahaha so funny" I tutted as I was walking off the school bus and into the back doors of the school building and into the line to go through the metal detectors with Quinn right in front of me.
I sat my bookbag down into the bin, along with my belt and waited in the line of three more people ahead of me to go through the detector. Turning around I had asked Quinn what had happened to Layla and Mackie and why hadn't I seen them on the bus, but she'd only responded with they missed the bus so I just shrugged and went to the next subject. I would leave it for now but I would just call and ask Layla and Mack themselves, because they'd obviously gotten into it again and for what reason I didn't know as of right now but will later.
I noticed it was my time to go through the metal detector and I stepped up and walked through, grabbing my backpack and my belt and walking my way to class.
"See ya later Quinn!" I yelled jogging up the stairs.
I faintly heard her say something back but I wasn't paying much attention to it, I had already started running up the stairs and I definitely wasn't about to stop unless I was at my desired destination. The third floor was quite far, so as I was going up I got several heys and greetings from people that knew me or people I'd seen around, especially when I stopped to take a few breather breaks.
Finally reaching my class, I sat down and pulled out some paper and a pencil for my do now. The teacher hadn't made it in yet but it never hurt anybody to just be prepared.
The teacher stepped a few moments later and the day had officially began, and I was sure it was going to end just as quickly.
***
School had been done for about an hour now but we were just now getting dropped off at home. The bus had gotten stopped up right outside of the school, because of a shootout right across the street. Everybody just ducked and stayed down for a while after the shooting had stopped, we knew what was up and when it was over we shook it off and the driver continued the route to taking us all home...making sure not to look at anything that would cause you to be a witness. Nobody wanted that.
When I finally got home I did all my chores and a few extra, I ate, took a nice lengthy shower (to speed the time up), and I put on my banging outfit that I'd payed for yesterday. I was about to look fly and everybody was going to love my fit, all the brothers were going to try and get me to talk to them and I was going to heavily ignore them.
The phone rung and I hurried to pick it up.
"Hello" I said.
"Mani guess what I just heard!!" Layla said sounding panicked. By then I was really listening, it sounded real important and when it came to anything where I lived it was life or death.
"What happened?" I asked.
"You know who may be at the party...." The phone was silent for a moment, I didn't even need to guess to know who she was talking about. Damani Black.. a name that was popping up so often every time I heard it I felt like I was about to piss myself.
"What!!" I whisper yelled. My mom didn't need to know at all of I probably wouldn't be able to go to another party until I twenty five. If she got one word that Damani was going to be there, I nor my friends would be able to go, she would dial their folks so quick we'd all catch whiplash. She hadn't even gotten the call yet about why I was dropped off so late, and I wasn't about to say anything about it either. This could absolutely diminish the chances I have at all of going to that party if she found out, I didn't even think I wanted to go though with the news I had just heard though.
"No one knows for sure, but it could be a possibility" she sounded nervous.
"Well..Umm... I don't think we should go then " I said about as nervous as her, maybe even more.
"B-But it's only a possibility we don't even know I-If he's out of prison." She stuttered. We both knew that Damani wasn't going to be in prison long, because of the simple fact that he had that much power over people.
"Come onnnnn Imani" she whined. She even called me by my name so I knew she was somewhat serious about this.
"Me and the girls don't wanna go without you, and if he is there you would want to leave your best friends there and not come..."
I got quiet for a moment and thought about it, it was only a small possibility that he could be there and I really didn't want to miss this party. Even though Layla was trying to guilt trip me I still wanted to go, I was more nervous than ever though but everybody was going to be there and I didn't want to be the only person at the school to not go.
"Ok" I said with a sense of finality.
"I'm going to go-"
All I could hear on the other side of the phone was a bunch of yeses. She sounded like a kid who'd just gotten a bunch of answers right back to back.
"And Layla?" I said.
"Yeah" she replied
"What happened with you and Mack's this morning?" I asked.
She smacked her teeth and went "she was the reason I didn't have a ride to school today." Then she went on to tell me what happened, "she had called me yesterday and asked me if I wanted to ride to school with her today, and I had told her yes. So when I had gotten all dressed and was waiting for her she didn't show, the bus had already left and she didn't even call me to tell me why she ditched me"
I just stayed quiet for about two seconds... "maybe it was something important and she couldn't get to the phone" I said trying ease her up. Under all this sassy and diva Layla was only worried about her, she just didn't know how to show it... and maybe a bit mad for missing school though but I couldn't blame her. I'd been in the same position before, but in the end Mackie had gotten into a fight with her cousin because of her bad stealing habits and the police had almost arrested them, if not for the fact that Mackie had made her cousin give the things back in exchange for them being banned from inside the store.
"Ya, your probably right she said. Mack's wouldn't do me like that I don't even know what I was thinking." I could basically hear the smile on her face as she came to realization.
"Ok, but hurry and come pick me up I'm ready to dance" I said cutting the sappy moment. I knew Layla would be here in a bit so I just turned on the television and snacked to some chips watching the fresh prince.
