Love at Booker T.

Chapter 3

• Janet's POV •
It's been a while since I saw Simone. She was a pretty girl, but she just had a shabby home life & her mom was a dope fein. No wonder her & Sophia came in looking so miserable.

I overhead mama talking about them living here, and transferring schools. So that basically means Simone would be coming with me to Booker T. Washington High, and Sophia with Trinity to River's Edge Elementary Academy.

We enter my room. "I had to clean up in here, so I couldn't ride along with mama." I say, giving her the reason I didn't come with her on the ride.
"It's fine," Simone replies, eyeing my room. She stares at my lava lamp. "Ooh, Janet, this is is real cool."

I get sad for a moment. I hated when my own blood admired something that they wish they could have. And I know Simone didn't have much money to buy one herself.

"You can have it," I say.
"Janet, no. It's cool but I don't want it," She replies.
"Still, I want you to have it." I plead.
She sighs, and unplugs the lava lamp. She goes to the other room to give it to Sophia, and when she comes back we talk.

"So how's everything? I ask, trying to spark up a conversation. I plop down on my bed, and Simone just sits on the edge. "I'm comfortable here," She starts, and then begins to speak.

"Bad, as usual. Nothing will ever make my life better," Simone says.
"My mom's a dope fein. My dad is dead. My brother doesn't care about me or Sophia. All times of night my mom is dealing drugs, or doing them herself."

She puts her head in the palms of her hand, and when she looks back up, her eyes are full of tears. They begin to roll down her cheeks quickly, like a waterfall.

I roll over to her side, and rub her back. "I know you think everything is horrible, Simone," I tell her. "But you & Sophia are now surrounded by people you genuinely care & love you two."

She smiles. "Yeah, I guess so.. but ima need you to show me around at the school on Monday," She says.

I nod my head. "Sure. Warning though, the boys at BTW have a weakness for pretty girls." I say, chuckling.

"You should know, you are one," She says chuckling with me.
"So are you, Simone. I mean where else did you get this pretty, curly hair from? And that gorgeous brown skintone? Our side of course." I say, and we both chuckle.

••••

"What you wanna watch? I got Netflix," I ask, returning from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn for me & Simone. We both had put on Nick At Nite for Trinity & Sophia, so it was time for teenage girl night.

Simone thinks for a moment. "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T." She says.
I get too excited. I loved that movie & was in the mood to see it. I hadn't seen it in like a year, almost.

We turn on some Netflix and watch Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.
"I love her braids," Simone says, admiring them.
" I can do them for you, if you want," I offer. I was good at Poetic Justice braids, and did them occasionally. I was a fast learner, so I could watch a tutorial or two on YouTube and get the concept in a blink.

She smiles, her teeth lined perfectly. "Foreal?" She asks.
"Yes, foreal."
"Well, yeah, I want them. I heard it's a great protective style for natural hair girls," She tells me.

"It is, I had them twice and loved them. I mean entirely loved." I reply.
She grins. "I love you, Janet,"
I smile. "Love you too, Simone,"
"Jackson." She adds.
I hit her with my pillow, and laugh. "You play too much, Simone."
"Janet, I'm just joking." She says, chuckling.
I nod my head. "I know."
She smiles, and we resume Just Another Girl On The I.R.T. on Netflix.

Simone was finally home- with her family.