Street Chic

by Anthony Whyte

  “We should be heading home now. Mimmy is expecting…”

  “Stop worrying so much Orphan Annie. As far as Mimmy knows, we’ll be late cause we were at track practice,” Claire said.

  “And you better not say anything else, or else,” Candace chimed in.

  “Y’all got this orphan chica in check,” Melanie snickered.

  They laughed and walked away. Jacque and Sean were left shaking their heads. When Jacque realized all eyes were on him, he smiled and waved. He and Sean watched their backfields in motion. The three girls sashayed out of view. Jacque smiled that day watching Candace pulling Melanie away. He secretly decided that Melanie would be the one he was going to lose his virginity to.

  After their first encounter, Jacque treated Melanie really special and quickly became her best friend forever. Candace, who used to be his special interest, quickly became a past fling. She hadn’t lost in anything but realized that she was an also ran, his backup plan.

  “Ooh whew!” he whistled as Sean, his male best friend, came running over to him.

  “Jacque, what’s up, son?”

  “This damn school still pissing me the fuck off…” Jacque said.

  “You finished with detention?”

  “I’m out here, right?”

  “Claire and Candace are looking real good?”

  “But did you see that Melanie Vasquez who was with them. She’s got a walk to make a gay man straight. She’s mine.”

  “What about Candace?” Sean asked.

  “Candace will always be my soul-mate,” Jacque laughed.

  Over the next couple weeks, Candace watched in dismay as Claire went out of her way to hook up Jacque and Melanie. They made a bet that Jacque wanted to lose his virginity to Melanie instead of Candace. She didn’t believe he would, but went along with the program. Claire planned to set them up when they went to the annual school dance.

  Jacque was always well dressed. Like a male model, his tall wispy but muscular frame was sporting a purple suit. He spent most of the night chatting and laughing with Melanie. Later on, he was seen leaving the party with the giggling Melanie on his arm. She took him to her place. He and Melanie were upstairs in her bedroom kissing when the phone rang. Melanie pulled away from his embrace to get the phone.

  “Do you have to take that call?” he asked Melanie.

  “Yes,” she laughed pulling her top off. “It’s for ya ass…”

  Jacque looked at her strangely, and reluctantly took the phone.

  “Yes…?”

  “That’s it nigga, ya ain’t never getting any of this ass. Ya hear boy…”

  The voice was loud and Jacque stared at the phone with surprise all over his face. It was Candace. He could hear Claire laughing in the background.

  “You fucking fag! You better enjoy that Cuban pussy because you ain’t getting any of this, ever. You can ask your man, Sean, and he’ll tell you what it feels like to fuck Claire and Candace Osorio. Bye Jacque!”

  He put the phone down and stared with the look of a lovelorn putz at the sexy Melanie and tried to smile. She let out a big laugh and pushed his face into the cleavage of her breast. Jacque drooled. Things happened fast and before he knew it, Jacque was putting on his jacket and being escorted out the door.

  Waiting for him when he reached outside Melanie’s apartment were Candace, Claire and Sean. They were all smiles.

  CHAPTER 3

  Mimmy tried to give her daughters all they wanted. This tendency of fulfilling their every need caused the girls to expect others around them to do the same. Victims would often be seduced and deceived by the spoiled rotten Osorio sisters. The blame could clearly have rested on the shoulders of their hardworking mother, stirred by the conniving talents of Melanie.

  Sadistically they seemed to enjoy destroying anything they couldn’t have after taking all that was given. They did this equally well and with no remorse. Sheryl knew it first hand when they started on her. Candace and Claire constantly riled her about her past and Mimmy did nothing to put it to rest. Sometimes she even encouraged it.

  “Hey, you better get tough skin if their silly words are gonna bother you,” Mimmy said.

  Sheryl had just been told for the umpteenth time that she was an orphan. The joke had gotten old to her but not apparently to Mimmy. Jacque, who seemed to be always visiting, was there and tried to speak on her behalf.

  “There are penalties for everything you do and they’ll get theirs in the end,” Jacque said.

  He was there trying to see Candace. After his sexual episode with Melanie, Candace was always too tired to speak to him. Jacque came around looking for her and heard both her and Claire clowning. Mimmy didn’t intervene.

  “Jacque why are you all up in the family’s biz?” asked Candace.

  “Why have you been avoiding me?” he asked turning the tables.

  “You’re asking question like you have warrants or sump’n,” Candace said.

  “You haven’t been returning my calls. What’s up, Candace?”

  “Where your mouth been?” she asked.

  “On my face…”

  “Are you sure?” Candace laughed.

  “What’s really good?”

  “Last week, I made a bet and lost,” she answered dryly.

  “And…?”

  “I thought I knew the person and couldn’t lose. I thought wrong, Jacque. Claire won.”

  “Claire…? Oh she never plays fair.”

  “She did this time.”

  “What was the bet about?”

  “I bet her that you wouldn’t fuck Melanie…”

  Jacque opened his mouth but no answer came. Finally he released a heavy sigh.

  “That’s a fucked up thing to do but I never did anything. I’m still a virgin,” he breathed. “Believe in me Candace…”

  His voice trailed off, and he could no longer continue the lie when he saw the evil look on her face. It made him lightheaded. Candace and Claire started hanging with Melanie and her father, a self proclaimed Cuban refugee living in Washington Heights. Papa was a drunk who hung out at the bodega on the corner, and tried to tell his life story for a Budweiser to anyone. Candace and Claire were popular and very playful.

  Whenever they went out, Mimmy always encouraged Sheryl to accompany the sisters to make sure they didn’t get out of hand. Slowly with the help of Melanie and her father, the girls launched a life of crime. Then they underestimated what they were up against once store owners started letting them slide. It started out with Sheryl unwittingly following the sisters and Melanie into a boutique called Le Chic.

  “Let’s check out this place,” suggested Melanie, winking.

  Melanie, Candace and Claire planned on stealing but conveniently forgot to tell Sheryl. They moved cautiously into position and noticed that security was in the back.

  “That just makes our getaway so much easier,” Candace said.

  Melanie found a pair of jeans and Candace found two tops. She checked the sizes. They were perfect. She stashed them in Sheryl’s backpack. They were about to leave the store, and a security guard swooped down, blocking their exit. He brought them back into the store and wouldn’t let them go until after Sheryl spent all the money she had on the stolen items. The store owner knew Melanie’s father and notified him. Papa was there an hour later, half drunk and talking plenty trash.

  Sheryl was sick to her stomach from embarrassment. Candace was scared that Papa would report the incident to Mimmy. Claire tried to diffuse the situation. Claire’s mind was working fast.

  “Hey Papa,” she greeted the old man. “You know us better…” Claire started.

  “Back home in my country, I’d whip yer ass until y’all were sore. But in this country you can get away with anything, if you know the way…”

  “What?” the girls answered at the same time.

  “Are you gonna report us?” Claire asked. They watched him, unsure.

  “Huh? What? The system doesn’t help,” responded Papa.


  Silence followed. Papa took a swallow of some brown liquor and scratched his head as if thinking of their punishment. Then he let out a soft chuckle. The girls watched, perplexed by his behavior. He led them to a park bench and sat them down.

  “Come have a seat and let’s chat about the birds and the bees,” Papa said.

  They did as told and sat uncomfortable, waiting for his next move.

  “Let me school you to the art of boosting before y’all end up in the slammer,” he said with a drawl.

  Melanie, Claire and Candace looked at each other then back to Papa. They watched Sheryl staring at them with a look of difference. She walked away, disappearing inside a McDonald’s restaurant.

  “Rule number one; know your territory. Ya gotta sniff out all the security systems. And be familiar with all the exits but always have at least two ways out and a back-up. Rule number two; be casual and always walk slowly to the merchandise. You don’t want to arouse suspicions.”

  “It’s that easy, huh?” Claire said.

  “Only if you’re confident in what you’re doing, a well planned job is rarely fucked up” Papa answered.

  “We’re young, so what happens if security follows you around?” Candace asked.

  “Yeah, like they always do…” Melanie joined in.

  Papa was about to speak, but took a sip of brew instead, when he saw Sheryl’s glare when she returned.

  “I can’t believe that you guys are sitting here listening to this after what you’ve just been through?” Sheryl lectured.

  The sisters waved her off and no one paid her any attention to what she was saying.

  “That leads us to the third rule. Always dress to kill. That makes the sales people less nervous and they think you’ve got dough.”

  “That’s easy for you to say, but who’s gonna believe we got money?” Claire asked.

  “Tricks of the trade y’all can use in the future. Only use it if your heart is in it.”

  “What makes you think that we even wanna live like that?” Claire asked, cutting in.

  “In my travels as a refugee, I’ve met a lot of good people and a lot of bad ones.”

  “And what…?” Claire asked.

  “You two are fearless beauties, athletic and smart. With a little development you two can…”

  “You think we have more heart than all these others…” Claire started.

  “If you can remember not to disturb your elders when they talk, then the sky’s the limit for you two. You mark my words.”

  “Papa, tell ’em about how ya met Sammy the Bull…” Melanie encouraged.

  “Si, we once shared the same cell. I once saved his life, which reminds me that whenever you find that someone is trying to go against you, then that person must be eliminated… Do all you can do to rid yourselves of that kinda person,” Papa said, and took a long sip of brown liquor. “Never get involved with this shit,” he said, holding up the fifth of Brugal Rum. He drank some more. “Listen to Papa,” he continued. “He knows.”

  “What do we owe you for this?” Claire asked.

  “Stay true to Papa and promise never to steal from one another. Game’s over when you start stealing from each other,” Papa said, snapping his fingers.

  “Papa, that’s it? You tell me before never to kill a cop?” Melanie asked.

  “That was when you were alone…now you got a team.” Papa smiled and raised his bottle.

  “Papa if we…” Claire started.

  “You two haven’t given me your promise yet,” Papa said.

  The girls looked speechlessly at each other. Claire raised her eyebrow and nodded to her younger sister. They turned and faced the drinking man. He seemed hardly able to handle the liquor. The smell, like his thick accent, was heavy on his breath when he opened his mouth.

  “Well… What y’all gonna say?”

  “You’ve got our word, Papa. We promise not to steal from each other,” the girls chorused.

  “And I’m talking about from the heart,” he smiled and coughed.

  “Can we go now?” Sheryl pleaded.

  “Okay, then that’s it. She’s right. Ya gals better get going now.” Papa led the girls to the train station.

  “Papa, c’mon, I got some questions…” Candace said.

  “That’s it girls, classes finished. Get home safely and remember it is very important to never break your promise. Now stay in school.”

  “But you can’t make any money doing that,” Candace said.

  “Yeah, but you’ll be able to count the number of years you two will get if you follow that drunken old man’s advice. Now please let’s go,” Sheryl deadpanned.

  “You don’t have to be soo bossy,” Candace said.

  “Ah man, she’s just hating, ‘cause she’s an orphan,” Claire added.

  “You know I do have parents,” Sheryl said.

  “And they probably ran off because you’re so mean,” Claire said.

  “I’ll find them someday. And if I don’t, then I really won’t need them.”

  The girls walked quietly back to the home. Candace and Claire were thinking of their new game, boosting, while Sheryl was contemplating leaving New York for college.

  CHAPTER 4

  “When are we gonna do that…?”

  Sheryl overheard Candace on the phone. Probably with Melanie, she thought. A couple weeks after the incident, Candace and Claire were still at it. Sheryl took a stance and went to Mimmy and told her the reason for spending all the money in one boutique. The sisters were in the bathroom playfully watching each other get dressed.

  “Why Miss Claire, you look soo wonderful, big sis.”

  “I do thank you, Miss Candy. I’d say you’re looking quite ravishing.”

  They laughed lightheartedly. Their tone changed to a more serious one as they continued to admire themselves.

  “Really though, they ain’t ready for this,” Candace said, smacking her sister’s naked ass.

  “Show me what you’re working with,” Claire said.

  It was then that Mimmy blasted through the bathroom door in a huff of fury.

  “How dare y’all do that crazy shit in Washington Heights? I’m not raising any common thieves…”

  “Mimmy, we weren’t doing anything. It was Sheryl’s fault…”

  “Don’t tell lies, girl. Melanie’s father already spoke to me…”

  “That ol’ Orphan Annie bitch…”

  “Go to your room, right now! You’re both grounded,” Mimmy thundered.

  During the summer of 2004, the sisters gave Sheryl the hardest time of her young life. They told so many lies that Mimmy kept Sheryl on whole month of punishment. She stayed on Mimmy’s bad side. Mimmy forbade her to leave the apartment.

  Many a summer nights when Sheryl would rather be out, she was in the apartment. Resentment for her spilled over in the way Mimmy treated her. There were times she felt like running away. Sheryl wished for her mother. She wanted badly to see the woman who was now seven years removed from her life. During this time, she cried a lot. Sheryl made a pact to search for her mother and let her know about the misery her leaving had caused.

  Claire and Candace were now freed of Sheryl’s involvement. Along with Melanie, they embarked on a summer robbery spree. On a regular basis, they would be boosting, hanging out in clubs, and shoplifting. It got so hot that by the middle of summer, the police were also after Melanie. The police turned up the heat, and she had to flee NYC before the end of summer. It was rumored she was in Florida but no one knew for sure. If they did, they weren’t telling. The Osorio sisters started their own crime crusade.

  Toward the end of the summer, Sheryl Street happily moved back to Florida, vowing never to return. She had graduated from high school along with the sisters. Their plans were to move to Hollywood and become rich and famous actresses. In the meantime, Claire and Candace were busy establishing another career.

  “All right, strap yourself in sis. Look-out Fifth Avenue, here comes the Osori
o sisters.”

  It was early July and the shopping district was crowded. The stores were receiving fall merchandise and all were busy. Summer sales attracted so many shoppers that sales staffs and security were constantly hopping around. Candace and Claire joined the fracas. The shopping grid stretched out blocks and blocks along Fifth and Madison Avenues. They were charming and smiles but there was only one thing on their minds—boosting.

  They checked the store security after waltzing into Armani. They sashayed in and out of Christian Dior, Gucci, and Valentino before finally hitting Dolce and Gabbana. The girls kept it moving from sales racks to sales rack while steering clear of the salespeople in Saks. They did an end to end sweep of Giorgio’s, carefully inspecting merchandise. All the while they smiled, cataloging the security systems in their memory banks.

  “Damn, it’s crowded in all these stores,” Claire observed. “I can’t really operate like I want to.”

  “Let’s head over to Saks,” Candace suggested. “It might not be as crowded.”

  “Candy, I want those new Gucci boots today…” Claire started, but Candace interrupted her.

  “We’ll do Gucci in a minute, big sis.”

  Claire and Candace exited carrying large shopping bags. They walked into Gucci and headed for the leather to sample the couture.

  “Good day ladies. May I be of some assistance?” a salesgirl greeted.

  “No thanks,” Candace smiled seductively.

  “Very well… Enjoy your day at Gucci.”

  “Thank you,” Claire said.

  “Claire, check out those over there,” Candace said.

  “Let’s get to the shoe department first,” Claire said.

  “No, let’s hit that on our way out,” Candace said.

  She was looking at a pair of leather pants and carefully examining the security locks attached.

  “Big sis, this is really hot,” Candace said.

  “Yeah Candy, they’re very nice,” Claire nonchalantly replied.

  “Okay, I got it. Let’s see what they got in the shoe department,” Candace said, shaking her head. Claire followed wearing a smug smile.

  Later at lunch, Claire and Candace laughed and talked about the adventure that quickly became their calling card. The girls auspiciously began their boosting career. The girls boasted about slipping by security systems. Their arms were filled with the days’ loot as they made their way to the train station.