Love at Booker T.

Chapter 4

•. Simone's POV •
The weekend went by so quickly. It's Sunday evening, and it seems like me & Janet talked a whole 24 hours. Both me & Sophia were enjoying our new home. We didn't think about going home for one second.

And I knew neither my mom or Shawn wanted our company at their home.

Janet was almost done doing my braids when her boyfriend calls her. She sighs. "I promise Quantavius always calls me when I'm busy," She says.
They share a quick conversation until Janet tells him she's busy. Don't let his name fool you- Quan was an actually proper, intelligent guy. Janet loved his voice though. She said it was deep and smooth.

I chuckle at that thought. His voice reminded me of a Hershey bar.

Ten minutes later, Janet is done with my braids. I look in the mirror, and I see a gorgeous teenage girl.
I thank her. Then, I hug her so tight, she starts to cough.
"You're welcome, you're welcome Simone," She says, through coughing.

••••

An hour later, Auntie Keisha calls my name from the living room.
"Simone, come here," She yells.
I go down the steps, and I spot Auntie Keisha by the door.
"Someone's here for you." She says, frowning. It must be someone she resents.

I open the door and see a familiar face.

Shawn.

"Look at what the devil brought in," I say. What was he doing here? I was over him & his mom.

He chuckles. "I didn't want to come over here and get ya ugly self anyways,"

"Ugly genes run in your mom's side of the family, and I can see you got them." I reply. Shawn wasn't no cute boy, yet he thought he was Chris Brown.

"She's ya mom too. She wants you & Sophia back home now.. I mean all she gone do is beat y'all.. as the trash you are." He says, chuckling again.
"Keep on laughing, Shawn. Me & Soph ain't going nowhere, you might as well go. Tootles." I say, ending our conversation.

"Auntie Keisha, can you escort this piece of trash away from our doorstep?" I ask.
She nods. "Happy to."

Next thing I know, all I hear is Auntie Keisha cussing Shawn out, and him trying to cuss her out. Such a disrespectful piece of trash. But, no one could beat Auntie Keisha's cussing. She cusses him out so bad, he simply leaves and walks right back to the shabby projects.

She returns in the house. "Problem solved, Simone," She says, chuckling. "I think I need a glass of wine." She says, chuckling even more than before, turning to go in the direction of the kitchen.

I laugh, and then walk back up the steps to me & Janet's room.
Yes, me & Janet's room.
We agreed that both of us would switch off with cleaning the room. She had a bottom bunk. which used to be Trinity's bed, before she got her own room. So, I sleep there.

I arrive back in the room, and I see Janet sprawled out on the bed, on FaceTime with Quantavius. I don't mind though. I just smile & go on to the bathroom, to learn some Poetic Justice hairstyles, and also ones off of Just Another Girl On The I.R.T.

••••

That might I lay in my bed, sleeping on a satin pillowcase. I think of how my life would change tomorrow. A whole new start, at a whole new school. New friends. New teachers. New everything.

I'm still looking up at the ceiling, staring at the pattern. I hear tiny footsteps, and I know it's Sophia.
She softly opens the door, and tip toes to the bottom bunk, where I am. Janet is already asleep.

"Simone," She whispers.
"Yes, Sophia," I whisper back.

"I know I'm 11, but sometimes I still have dreams of how my mom treated us, and that loud door creaking at night. It's kind of creepy, and I'm scared.. can I sleep with you?" She whispers.

"Yes," I whisper, pulling back the covers so she could get in.
I tuck her & myself in very well, so we won't be cold.

"And, Sophia," I whisper, before we drift to sleep.
"Hm?" She answers.

"Those were nightmares. Not dreams. Dreams show good things that happen to people, nightmares show bad," I whisper, again.

"But we shouldn't have nightmares any longer, just dreams."

And we both drift off to sleep.