by Pinky Dior
“Where’s this school?” her father asked.
“Queens.” Mercedes spoke loudly. She wanted to go to a school in Harlem, but she knew her father wasn’t going to allow that. Don looked at his daughter with a look of dissatisfaction. He didn’t want her going to a public high school at all, much less in Queens.
Don wanted her to go to school and get her education. He wanted her focused on a future outside of the game. He had never said no to her before, but he was seriously considering doing so in this instant. Those thoughts went out the window when his eyes met with her slanted almond shaped green eyes. Mercedes had him wrapped around her finger.
“You better get out of here before I change my mind.” Mercedes ran behind her father’s desk and firmly embraced him. She pulled back from the embrace and smiled from ear to ear.
“Thank you Daddy…thank you.” She reached over and hugged him again as she chanted. Elated, she disappeared into the foyer floating on cloud nine. Don grinned as he noticed his wife in the background chuckling at him and shaking her head side to side.
“Now I don’t know why you even bothered in the first place signing that girl up for private school. You knew damn well she didn’t want to become one of them snobby white girls.” She shook her head. “You know you don’t even have the audacity to say no to her.” She assured him.
“Just like I could never say no to you right?” Don smiled as he walked over towards Maria and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist planting soft kisses on her neck. She smelled like a succulent sweet pear.
“You’re beautiful and you smell so good.” Don planted a wet one on her neck. Maria moved around him and smiled.
“Better stop that’s how we made the first one.” Maria assured him as she walked from his office beaming.
“It was truly a blessing.” Don smiled.
“Heaven sent.” Maria smiled. Don loved his daughter. He wanted more children, but Maria didn’t. Every time he brought it up she would remind him that Mercedes was his number one princess, his first daughter. If they chose to have another one, Maria knew all hell would break loose. Mercedes wanted all of the attention to be on her and wouldn’t be able to adjust to the changes around the house if they ever decided to have another Carter running around.
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Queens High School was packed with students. Mercedes sat behind the tinted window of the black stretch limo as they pulled up in front of the high school. It was her first day of high school, and she was a little nervous. The school was comprised of blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asians. Everyone in front of the school curiously watched as the limo pulled up. They all wanted to know who was getting out.
Mercedes took a deep breath. The driver, Mr. Gates, got out the car to open the door for her. She swallowed hard and thanked Mr. Gates for the ride. He told her he would be waiting for her when she got out of school.
Mercedes was dressed to the nines as she entered the school. Everyone watched her as she strolled through the halls. The boys wondered who she was and how they could get her attention. Everyone was awestruck. She felt like she was Janet Jackson with paparazzi. Mercedes thanked them with a smile and continued walking down the hall. One of the girls became curious as to who Mercedes was and shot her an envious glare. She chuckled with her friends as they posted up against the lockers. She mumbled under her breath, “Who’s that girl?”
“Mercedes Carter.” Mercedes confidently answered.
The girl didn’t realize Mercedes could hear her. She was embarrassed and her face turned red. The girl’s name was India, and she was a junior. Mercedes thought she was pretty; however, she wasn’t on her level. India didn’t have shit on Mercedes. She was thicker than Mercedes and had huge titties that were busting out of her white t-shirt. She had on some tight blue Fashionista’s from Wet Seal and the usual blue and white Jordan’s that everyone rocked. ‘Typical Bitch,’ Mercedes thought to herself as she eyed the girl up and down.
India stood about 5’6”. Her hair was dyed red and it reached her mid back, but wasn’t longer than Mercedes. She had her chin pierced and she clearly had a nasty attitude.
“Did I ask you?” India retorted and rolled her eyes, as her girls started laughing. Mercedes chuckled at the girl’s sense of humor, but never once was she intimidated by her. Although India was taller and bigger than her, Mercedes knew that didn’t mean shit.
“I’m just telling you because I heard you wanted to know.” Mercedes smiled as she began walking away. She quickly did a 360 when she heard her yell, “Aye, anyone knows who the fuck is a Mercedes Carter?” The hall filled with laughter.
“A girl whose shoes you can’t dare walk in, bitch.” Mercedes said clearly and calmly, letting her and her little friends know she wasn’t some girl they could walk all over.
‘These bitches must have me confused, I’m really the wrong bitch to fuck with,’ Mercedes thought to herself.
India stared angrily at Mercedes. She wondered who she thought she was with her attitude and rich girl persona, trying to act like she was the shit. Oohs and Ahhs filled the hallway because Mercedes’ come back had India at a loss for words. “Punta!” was all India could come up with.
Mercedes loved the attention. She made sure she switched her ass down the hall. She definitely had all eyes on her after the verbal altercation.
After two classes, it was lunch time. Mercedes refused to eat the lunch that the school was serving. She spotted a vending machine and purchased a bag of Lay’s chips, an Almond Joy, and a bottle of Dasani water.
The cafeteria was full of students and filled with laughter, chatting, and yelling. She noticed the girls from earlier sitting in the back grilling her; Mercedes rolled her eyes as she looked away for another seat. She spotted a table with four girls, so she swallowed her pride and walked over to the table and smiled.
“Hey, Um, is this seat taken?”
“No it’s not, you can sit here.” One of the girls politely said.
“Thank you.” Mercedes removed her bag from her shoulder and placed it
beside her.
“Hi, my name is Candice, but they call me Candy for short what’s your name?”
“Mercedes, Mercedes Carter.” She spoke her name with pride.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Mercedes nodded her head up and down in agreement.
“And these are my good friends Chamari, Hazel, and Shateeya.” Candy introduced the rest of the girls. They all greeted one another. These girls were the first ones to make Mercedes feel welcomed in her new school.
Mercedes opened up the bag of chips and started eating. She then felt someone staring at her and looked up to see Candy all in her grill. “Is there a problem?” Mercedes spoke up.
“No, no, no.” Candy chuckled. “You just…look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?” Candy asked, as she narrowed her eyes. She was in deep thought trying to remember where she knew Mercedes from.
“No, not that I know of.” Mercedes looked at the girl just as hard as she was looking at her. She also felt in her heart that this girl looked familiar too; she couldn’t put a finger on it.
“Wait…didn’t you use to go to the private elementary school in Long Island?” Candy asked.
“Yeah, I did.”
“You don’t remember me Mercedes?” She asked smiling ear to ear.
“I remember when we use to be in the gym and all the boys would chase after us and we would scream you got the cooties…you got the cooties….Ha Ha Ha.”
That brought up so many memories when she sang that song. Candice turned out to be her best friend from an elementary school in Long Island that she attended until she transferred.
Mercedes covered her mouth with her French manicured nails as tears welled up in her eyes. Candy was her best friend all the way from kindergarten. She couldn’t believe how different she looked now. So much so, that she didn’t recognize her. Finally she had one ally in this new school; she was happy to have an old friend by her side.
“Oh…my…goodness,” Mercedes slowly said as they both stood up and reached across the lunch table giving each other a hug. They held onto each other for about one minute rocking side to side.
“I’m so sorry, you looked familiar but I just couldn’t remember where I knew you from.” Mercedes apologized as they took their seats.
“I can’t believe it.” Candy smiled.
“Do you still have that charm bracelet I gave you?” Candy threw up her arm and smiled. “Of course I wear this every day.” She proclaimed proudly showing off her wrist.
“Wow, you look good Candy.” Mercedes eyed her up and down.
Candy was not your typical girl; like Mercedes, she too was also a bad bitch. If there was one thing she and Mercedes had in common, it was their love for style and fashion. Never would you see them rocking shit from Old Navy or Forever 21. Candy had a caramel skin complexion and her hair was dirty blonde. It screamed it had been dyed too many times. She carried a small petite frame, but had big breasts and a nice little round butt.
Candy had pretty big brown eyes, a small pointy noise, and small lips. She was a definitely a beautiful girl. Candy was Mercedes’ ride or die bitch from way back, and she was thrilled that they got reacquainted.
Hazel was pretty in her own way. She was half Dominican and African- American and had mahogany colored skin. Her body was curvaceous. She had long, thick, curly, light brown hair with blonde highlights. Her mother named her Hazel after looking into her eyes, but people in the hood called her Haze because she loved to smoke Purple.
Chamari stood 5’5”, she was a chubby girl with a cute face. She wore appropriate clothes for her size. Mercedes loved the hair style she rocked. It was a short bob with spiral curls which brought out her eyes. It reminded Mercedes of Keyshia Cole’s hair, red in the front and blonde in the back.
Last but not least, there was Shateeya. She was the gangsta of the crew. She was a tall dark skin girl, with the flawless skin of a model. She had black healthy hair stretching past her shoulder blades. She rocked a gold Marilyn Monroe piercing on top of her lip that Mercedes thought looked nice on her. She was a cool girl, but if anyone looked at her in the wrong way she would slice them with the quickness.
While the girls were sitting on the bench, they caught Mercedes staring at one of the sexiest dudes in the school. Chino was staring right back at her. He was Dominican, Puerto Rican, and half Korean. He stood about 5’8” and had a medium build. He had thick hair which was coifed into a pony tail and stretched down his back. His baby hairs lay down smoothly along his double line-up. His goatee was neatly shaven, giving him a grown and sexy appeal. His chinky hazel eyes brought out his flawless mocha colored skin complexion. His arms were completely covered with tattoos.
The only imperfection he had was a big scar that ran from the corner of his right eye and halfway down his cheek. In spite of that, he was still the cutest guy in school that she had seen thus far. All of the girls wanted him, but Mercedes knew she would get him.
She watched him as he looked at her while licking his full thick lips. He had Mercedes drooling. Her girls saw her and began cracking up; they could tell he had her open. He had all the chicks in the school open like that. She started twitching in her seat because she felt her panties getting wet. This was a new experience; no one had ever made her wet just by looking. She was coming into her womanhood, and she knew when she was aroused.
Mercedes looked at his gear and sized him up from head to toe. Chino rocked huge 14KT Gold pave` diamond earrings. They glistened from both sides of his ears. He had a nice sized Rolex on his left arm. He was exactly her style with his expensive gear and flamboyant colors; he could dress his ass off.
Chino wore a purple fitted Ed Hardy eagle rhinestone tee, with some Ed Hardy eagle strikes embroidered jeans. He had on a pair of customized purple Air Forces to match his shirt.
“Damn girl, you must be feeling home boy, huh?” Chamari asked.
“Hell yeah, he fly as shit.” Mercedes smiled as she looked at her girls.
“You ain’t got a chance with that.” Shateeya assured her shaking her head
side to side.
“And why is that?” Mercedes asked.
“Girl please, Mercedes is a bad bitch. She’s beautiful and I think he’s feeling her too.” Candy chimed in. They all looked over and noticed he was still ice grilling their table. That’s when the girl from earlier, India, walked over and tried to hug him. Chino gently pushed her way and turned his back towards her.
“Because of that!” Shateeya pointed her finger over to India.
“And she ain’t got shit on Mercedes.” Candy said, as Chamari and Hazel agreed.
“That was his ex, but she fucked around on him and he cut that bitch off.” Hazel said.
“I know he’s still fucking with her though.” Shateeya acted as if she knew everything. Mercedes felt bad vibes from her, as if she was jealous.
“That bitch?” Mercedes laughed. All of them looked at her wondering why she was laughing. “How do you know her?” Candy asked.
“I bumped into her earlier and she rubbed me the wrong way, you feel me?” Mercedes said.
“So I had to let her know who I was…Mercedes Carter bitch, and don’t forget it.” Mercedes smirked as Candy screamed, “That’s my bitch.” They gave each other dap and started smiling.
“That’s India. India Jones, the leader of the crew Queen Bee’s.” Hazel informed her. “She thinks she’s ill because she’s been bullying mad bitches in this school, but she knows not to fuck with me. I’ll slice her ass up real quick. Her and her little Latina crew think they’re what’s up.” Shateeya sounded like their spokesperson.
“Enough talk about that stupid bitch,” Candy cut her off. Lunch time was over and they all went about their business for the remainder of the day. Mercedes knew she had some competition, but she wanted what she wanted. She was going to get it. That’s just how she rolled.
As Mercedes ended her school day, she and the girls came across India and her girls. Chino stood at a distance from her with his boys, still focusing closely on Mercedes. India quickly noticed that her boo was giving Mercedes the eye and stepped in.
“What the fuck are you looking at her for?” India said as she stood there with her hands on her thick hips.
“Why the fuck are you tripping India?” Chino asked. “Get out my face.” He warned her.
Mercedes looked at Chino and he quickly made her face blush. She was happy that he was defending her. She turned and walked down the hallway with her girls.
“Damn girl, he had his eye on you.” Hazel smiled. Playfully nudging Mercedes in the shoulder and laughing. They made it outside and the front of the building was extremely crowded. Mercedes noticed her limo had just pulled up.
“Damn, whose ride is that?” Shateeya asked. She was eager to know who was getting picked up in a limo.
“That’s my ride. Alright girls, I’ll see ya’ll later.” Mercedes smirked and looked around for Chino and India. She made sure that everyone saw her and knew what she was rolling in.
Mercedes kissed each of her new friends on their cheeks and walked down the stairs. She noticed India still trying to talk to Chino, but he wasn’t paying her any mind. All of his attention was on Mercedes. She sashayed to the car walking past India and Chino. She was trying to make her mad. Mercedes clutched on her bag; she could feel all eyes watching her as Mr. Gates opened the limo’s door. Her fellow students stared as if she was Beyoncé or something.
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Mercedes loved her first day of school. She had all eyes on her for most of the day. She knew the name Mercedes Carter would ring bells.
When she got home, her mother and father were sitting on the leather sofa. They noticed she was glowing and smiling from ear to ear. “Hi.” Mercedes smiled at them and headed to her room, but her mother stopped her.
“So, how was your first day of high school?” her mother asked.
“It was great, I
loved it.” Mercedes smiled. “All the attention was on me…I had girls hating on me already.” Mercedes chuckled.
“See baby, that’s why I didn’t want her going there. Hatin ass little girls.” Her father sucked his teeth.
“What else happened?” her mother asked inquisitively.
“I met some new friends.” Mercedes plopped down on the couch between her mother and father. “And guess what Mami? I got reconnected with my best friend Candice from elementary school, remember her?” Mercedes asked.
“Oh yeah, Candice, I remember her she’s a sweet girl.” Maria nodded recalling the years that the two spent together as kids.
“How about you invite them over tomorrow after school and let them help you with your Quincenera invitations and outfit.” her mother suggested.
“But Ma I don’t want a Quincenera, why can’t I just have a regular sweet sixteen?” Mercedes asked.
“Well you know what Mercedes, you can have your sweet sixteen-but it still will have a little of a Quincenera’s style.” her mother smiled.
“That would be a good idea.” her father chimed in.
“I just don’t want no hood rats or loud mouth girls up in here, you hear me?” Maria said and Mercedes chuckled agreeing with her mother.
“I’m starving mom, what did Claudia cook?” Mercedes asked.
“Didn’t you eat at school baby?” Mercedes screwed up her face looking at her mother as if she had ten heads.
“That food looked disgusting, I will never eat that crap.” Mercedes tried to describe the food but she couldn’t. Her face said it all.
“I’ll pack my own lunch.” Mercedes assured them. Her father burst out laughing, knowing that would never happen because they spoiled her so much. He reached over and kissed his daughter on the head.
“Ya'll woman know ya’ll are picky.” Don smirked.
“Come on Daddy, if you would’ve seen that food, you wouldn’t even pick it up.” Mercedes said smiling.
“Alright go in the kitchen, your plate is on the table.” Maria told her.