“Oh.” Divine looks like she’s about to cry. “I didn’t think about that.”
“It’s okay.” I’m relieved that this problem lets me off the hook. “Thanks for thinking of me, but I can’t really keep this stuff.”
“Maybe you can wear the jeans, though,” she tells me.
“Oh yeah,” I respond. “I want to keep all those. I can pay you for them.” I don’t want them giving me anything.
“Kylie, stop that,” Divine says as though I said something crazy. “Let me bless you with something.” She holds out her arms. “Let’s just face facts here—I’m rich. I don’t need money. God has blessed my family so that we can be a blessing to others. Now, I’m not going to have you blocking my blessings.”
“Amen,” Miss Lucy utters. “You heard her, Kylie. You take them clothes. They’ll fit you, and as for cleaning them—we’ll take care of it. Don’t you be blocking no blessings.”
I can’t believe Miss Lucy is calling me out like that.
“I hope you’ll keep the clothes I brought over, too,” Mimi says. “Sometimes things don’t come out of my mouth right, but I really want to bless you, too.”
They both seem sincere, so I say, “I’ll keep the clothes. Thank you both.”
“Fashion show,” Alyssa shouts.
I groan softly. The last thing I want to do is parade the room in clothes that belong to Divine and Mimi.
“It’s diva time,” Divine contributes. “C’mon, let’s see how they fit you.”
“Yeah,” Rhyann and Mimi say in unison.
“The food is getting cold,” I protest.
“C’mon, Kylie . . . pleeze,” Divine pleads.
I so don’t want to do this.
They keep pleading until I finally give in just to shut them up. I go into the bathroom and slip on a beautiful shirt by some designer named Tahari.
It fits me like a glove. I notice a pair of denim jeans with stitching the color of the shirt. “Okay, y’all want to see what I’m working with?” I yell from the bathroom.
“Yeah,” they shout.
I pretend I’m on a runway and parade around the room.
“Girl, you looking good,” Rhyann says. “That outfit is cute on you.”
“I might need to take that back,” Divine says, laughing. “You’re looking better than me in those jeans. Kylie, I knew you had some fashionista genes in your DNA somewhere. All right, diva.”
I join in. “Whatever . . .”
I try on the rest of the clothes, falling in love with each outfit, but deep down, I know I’m not going to keep them. I’m never going to own such beautiful stuff, so I might as well not get used to wearing it.
“Do you have any movies?” Mimi asks after we go through all of the clothes.
“We do, but you’ve probably seen all of them,” I respond. “We don’t buy them until the pre-viewed movies go on sale at Blockbuster. I can get two for twenty dollars.”
“I do that, too,” Rhyann interjects. “Sometimes they have three for twenty-five.”
“Let’s see what you have and then we’ll pick one,” Mimi suggests. “Since we’re not going to the movies, I still want to see something. I turned down some quality time with Kyle in favor of my girls, so we need to have a great time.”
Rhyann glances over at me and smiles. It means the world to me to be able to spend this evening with Divine, Rhyann, Alyssa, and Mimi.
The only problem is, I don’t know what will happen to our friendship if they ever find out about my mom.
Chapter 13
Chandler surprises me the next day by coming to the shop around the time I get off.
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you,” he responds with that cute smile of his. “Do you have a few minutes to take a ride with me? I’ll take you home.”
“Let me call Miss Lucy to let her know that I won’t be coming straight home.”
China strolls up to the reception area and says, “Hello, Chandler.”
“What’s up, China?”
They talk for a few minutes while I gather my things together. Miss Marilee isn’t at the salon today, so I’ll have to try and speak with her tomorrow.
Chandler drives over to a nearby park. We sit on the swing and talk.
“I really like you, Kylie,” he says, looking deep into my eyes. “I want you to know that I’m not trying to run game on you. I’ve told Mimi how much I care about you.”
I press a hand to my chest. “What did she say?”
“What could she really say?” Chandler responds. “She’s my little sister—not my girlfriend.”
“I know she doesn’t want us together.”
“She says that she doesn’t want us to get together because if something happens, she loses you as a friend.”
I can’t hide the surprise in my voice. “Mimi actually said that was the reason?”
Chandler nods.
“I was thinking it was because she didn’t think I was good enough for you.”
“Mimi doesn’t want me to hurt you. She actually thought I was nothing but a playa.”
“Why did she think that?”
“I used to brag about my girlfriends,” he says with a sheepish smile. “I was mostly lying.”
“She’s still not cool with us talking, though.”
“Kylie, I’m crazy about you. I want you to be my girlfriend.”
Looking down at my hands, I confess, “I like you a lot, Chandler, but I’ve never had a boyfriend before. I have to be honest with you. I’m not going to let you get in the way of my studies. And I’m not having sex.”
“Okay,” he responds with a chuckle. “I’m very clear on where we stand.”
“And you still want a relationship with me?”
My breath catches in my throat as Chandler places his hands on my shoulders, and a thrill of anticipation courses through my veins.
I think he’s gonna kiss me.
I’ve never been kissed by a boy.
I tremble as Chandler wraps his arms around me. I’m all nerves. Excitement along with a touch of curiosity thrown in for good measure, as my grandma would say.
He holds me tightly in his arms, pulling me closer and closer into him as we kiss deeply.
Chandler slides his hands under my shirt.
“Whoa . . . ,” I say, moving away from him. “The kiss was nice, Chandler, but I’m very serious about this. I don’t roll with the other stuff. Slow it down or we’re not gonna be able to hang out.”
“Kylie, I’m sorry. I just can’t help myself. You are too fine.”
I dismiss his words with a shake of my head. “Chandler, I like you, but if you’re after sex, you might as well move on, because you won’t be getting that from me.”
He is quiet for a moment. That tells me what I need to know.
“I think you should take me home,” I say.
“You don’t have to run away from me, Kylie.”
“I’m not running away. I just think I need to get home,” I insist. “If you don’t want to take me, I can catch the bus.”
“I told you that I would take you home, and I meant it.”
“I hope you’re not upset with me.”
“I’m not,” Chandler tells me. “But, Kylie, I need you to know that I don’t sleep with girls I don’t have feelings for.”
“Chandler, I’m not even thinking in that mind-set,” I reply. “We don’t know each other that well. We like each other, but I don’t think either one of us can say that this relationship will lead to something more serious. It’s way too soon.”
He’s still looking for a way in. “I can agree with that, but you said earlier that we won’t ever have sex. Are you one of those girls who don’t believe in sex before marriage?”
I hold up my left hand for him to see. “This ring is a purity ring, Chandler. I made a vow to God that I would wait until my wedding night. I intend to keep this promise.”
He tries unsuccessfully to hide h
is disappointment.
“I’m cool with us just being friends,” I tell him. “Chandler, I really do like you, but the truth is that I’m not trying to get all serious right now.”
“I hear what you’re saying and I respect it. But just so you know, Kylie, I’m not giving up on you. I really do care about you.”
His words thrill me, but I meant what I said—I’m okay with us just being friends. I’m not gonna let my emotions run wild and end up like my mama.
No way!
“I hope I haven’t ruined my chances with you,” Chandler says as we walk back to the car.
I break into a smile. “You haven’t. As long as you respect me, we’re cool.”
Chandler pulls up in front of my building, shuts off the car, and gets out, opening the door for me.
“Call me later if you feel like talking.”
“Chandler, we’re fine,” I assure him. “You can call me.”
“I hope you don’t decide to tell the girl squad what happened. Mimi will be in my face.”
“What happens between us is our business,” I assure him.
He releases a soft sigh of relief.
Chandler escorts me inside the apartment building. He leaves when I get on the elevator.
“Hey, Miss Lucy,” I greet her when I open the door to our apartment.
She’s sitting on the couch watching television. “How was your little date with Chandler?”
I break into a short laugh. “It wasn’t a date. We just went to a park to talk.”
Miss Lucy studies my face. “I think you did a little more than talk. You let that boy kiss you, didn’t you?”
I put a hand to my face. “How could you tell?”
She chuckles. “I couldn’t. I was just making an educated guess.”
I chuckle in my embarrassment. “He’s the first boy that ever kissed me.”
“Just make sure you two don’t get carried away.”
“We won’t,” I say. “Miss Lucy, I can’t monkey around like that. I’m not trying to lose my virginity. My grandma used to tell me that it was more precious than gold. It’s my only treasure, and I’m keeping it.”
Miss Lucy releases a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you, Jesus! That’s what I like to hear. Good girl.”
As I settle down for the evening, I can’t help but wonder if Mimi is being honest with her brother. She and I have never discussed Chandler, but if she is so concerned about me, why doesn’t she come to me with her concerns? I’m not so sure I buy her story. I think it’s much more than that.
I stroll out of Bank of America, a big grin on my face. I just opened my first savings account with the three hundred dollars I have saved from working at Crowning Glory.
Words cannot fully express how good I am feeling right now. If I hadn’t needed so much stuff when we moved in, I probably could’ve saved a whole lot more.
My happiness deflates when I draw near the beauty shop and see my mama standing outside, smoking a cigarette, looking as hoochie as she always does in a dress that shows off her curvy figure and her huge, heaving bosom. She’s so proud of her double Ds and will tell anybody that will listen. I pray that mine won’t sprout out like that.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, walking up to her. “Why do you keep coming around? Are you trying to get me fired?”
“How can you go around here telling people that I’m dead?” she demands. “Do you hate me that much that you want me to die?”
My stomach fills with dread. She must have spoken to Miss Marilee, which means she now knows the truth and it didn’t come from me. “I don’t hate you, Mama. I just thought it was better than telling people the truth.”
She places her manicured hands on her hips. “Excuse me?”
“You’d never win mother of the year, but I’m sure you already know that.”
“If you know what’s good for you, you had better change your tone and quick like. I ain’t letting you talk to me any kind of way.”
“Mama, I just want peace in my life,” I say with a sigh. “I don’t want to have to worry about doing my homework in the dark or having to move all the time. You should want more than that for yourself.”
“My life is good,” she says defensively. “I have a man who pays the bills. You just out here lying to folks and using them.”
A wave of anger courses through my veins. I know she didn’t just say that! I don’t use anybody. That’s her MO.
“I’m not using anybody,” I retort. “Miss Lucy knows the truth. Miss Marilee . . . I was planning on telling her today, but you’ve already ruined that for me, so Mama, please go. As you can see, I’m doing okay.”
“Since you doing so okay, why don’t you help your mama out? I need some money.”
“I don’t have any to give you.”
“I know you, Kylie. You got some money somewhere.” She points to the black pants I’m wearing—the ones that Divine gave me—and says, “I know how much Seven jeans cost, so how can you afford them? Are you messing around with a drug dealer?”
“Somebody gave me these.”
“Kylie, stop lying,” Mama shouts. “That stuff look brand-new. All I’m asking for is a couple of hundred dollars. I gave life to you, so you should want to help me out.” She winks at me. “If you got a sugar daddy or something, just tell me. You know I like a man with money.”
“I didn’t ask to be born,” I retort. “And for the record, God gave me life. Not you. I’ve already told you that I don’t have any money. Mama, please . . . don’t ruin this for me. Just leave and don’t come back here. I have to work in this place, and I don’t need to lose my job, if I haven’t already. Now that Miss Marilee knows the truth, I may not even have a job.”
“Why would you lose your job by me showing up here?”
I don’t respond.
“You’re ashamed of me, aren’t you?”
Tears form in my eyes. “Mama, you never cared about me and I’m tired of you trying to use me. I don’t want to disrespect you, but I just want to be left alone. I don’t want to live your life anymore.”
My words wound her, and she looks like she’s about to cry herself. “Kylie, how can you say that I don’t care about you?”
“Mama, I have to get to work.” I brush past her as fast as I can.
“Come back here, Kylie.”
“I have to go,” I say, not bothering to look back.
I walk into the hair salon, hoping and praying that Miss Marilee will forgive me. Rhyann, Divine, Alyssa, and Mimi are all standing in the reception area. Before I can explain myself to them, Miss Marilee meets me at the desk. “Is that woman outside your mother?” she asks in a low voice.
A tear slides down my face. “Yes, ma’am. Miss Marilee, I’m so sorry for lying to you. To all of you, but I felt like I didn’t really have a choice.”
Seeing the look of disappointment on my friends’ faces is more than I can bear now, and I can’t control my tears any longer.
Miss Marilee takes me by the hand. “C’mon, sweetie. Let’s talk in my office.”
She closes the door, then takes a seat at her desk. “I think I understand why you didn’t tell me the truth about your mother, but I’d like to hear it from you, Kylie. Now, what’s really going on, dear?”
“You saw her—my mama. That’s how she dresses all the time, and she doesn’t like to do anything but party. She doesn’t act like a mom is supposed to act. She’s not responsible or anything. She is just looking for a man with money, and if she can’t find one, she expects me to earn my keep. I don’t mind working, but I don’t want to give my paycheck over to her if she still won’t pay the rent or utilities. Since we’ve been here, we’ve been evicted twice and moved four times.”
“So you ran away from home?”
She was very patient, but I was upset. “We were gonna lose the apartment and be on the streets or end up living with some man she was seeing.” I could feel my throat growing tight. “Miss Marilee, I don’t like the way h
er boyfriends look at me sometimes. The last one before the one she has now—he came into my room one night. I woke up and he was standing there by my bed with no shirt on and just staring at me. When I started screaming for my mother, he ran out of the room.”
“You poor dear. Did she put him out?”
I shake my head. “He told her some lie and she just believed him. The only reason she’s not with him now is because I think he went to jail. I heard something on the news about his arrest.”
“Why do you think she’s coming around now? Does she want you to come home, or is it for money?” Miss Marilee asks.
“Yes, ma’am, but I’m not gonna give her my hard-earned money.”
“Is she doing drugs?”
“I don’t know. She has smoked weed in the past.” That awful feeling of fear is coming back. “Miss Marilee, she knows where I live. She and Clyde—that’s the new boyfriend—followed the bus and followed me to the apartment.”
Her face fills with concern. “Are they harassing you and Lucy?”
“Not really,” I say. “They just came by that one time, but I’m sure she’ll be back. That’s why I didn’t want her to know where I live or work.”
“I’m so sorry, dear.”
“I’m sorry that she’s coming around here like this.” Sighing, I offer her a way out. “I don’t want her starting stuff, so maybe I better just leave. Miss Marilee, can we please stay in the apartment? I’ll pay you back for the rent. I have three hundred dollars saved, and I’ll work two jobs if I have to. I—”
Miss Marilee interrupts me. “Kylie, you’re not going anywhere. You are my receptionist. If your mother decides to make trouble, then I have no choice but to call my son-in-law. You know Mike is a police officer. Maybe he will be able to talk some sense into them. When you get off, I’ll take you home. In the meantime, I need to speak with my attorney regarding your situation, if that’s okay with you.”
I am so grateful she is sticking up for me. “Thank you so much, Miss Marilee.”
China sticks her head inside the office. “Mom, she’s back in the salon.” She walks all the way inside and gives me a hug. “We love you, Kylie, and I want you to know that we have your back.”
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