Trouble Follows

Ch. 17

Mercedes woke up refreshed. Puck was on his back nearly in the middle of the bed, snoring to high heaven.

She pushed the covers back and climbed over them before climbing over him. Once her feet touched the floor, she tiptoed out and to Raven's room with her cell phone.

Raven was crying softly so her mother picked her up and sat in her rocking chair. Mercedes set it in motion and hummed as she lifted the top of her night shirt. She began feeding her and once she was sure Raven had a good latch, Mercedes texted Marcy.

She didn't expect a response; it was six in the morning. But that would have made sense. Marcy texted her back less than a minute later. So Mercedes called her, taking care to whisper. "Hey?"

"Sup."

"Why are you awake?"

"Why are you?"

"I'm feeding Rae. Your turn."

"I'm brushing my teeth."

"At six in the morning?!"

"I can't brush my teeth in the morning?"

"Of course you can. But this is your first morning of freedom. Why aren't you sleep?"

Marcy grunted.

Mercedes rolled her eyes. Talking to her was like trying to get blood from a stone. "Are you going to church?"

"Hell no!"

Mercedes giggled. "Swear jar. Why not?"

"Fuck that jar."

"Marcy!" Mercedes giggled again.

She heard water running. "You're the one who said it was my first day of freedom. I'm not sitting in a hot building all day when I could be out doing stuff."

"What do you want to do?"

"Let's go to brunch."

Mercedes adjusted Raven to be over her shoulder and burped her. "I like that idea. What time?"

"Hell if I know. You know we have to go shopping."

"I want to hope against hope that you mean for clothes."

"There's no way under the sun."

Mercedes made a small sound of displeasure. "It should have been!"

"It was not. I know it wasn't. You know it wasn't. Stop fooling yourself."

"You're a dream killer."

"Didn't we just go shopping for clothes?"

"That was weeks ago!"

"Like two; don't trip."

Mercedes sulked as she patted Raven's back. "You never gave me a time."

"Ten o'clock, heifa!"

"Don't call me names!"

She didn't say anything and the water got louder before it was shut off. "Get bent."

"Rude little thing."

"Whatever. Just call your friends and tell them the news."

"One, they're your friends, too-"

"Shut up."

"Two, you want me to call them right now?"

"If you do, keep me on the line. I want to hear you get cussed out."

Mercedes rocked Raven back to sleep. "They will not cuss me out!"

"Yes, they will. Nobody's up at the asscrack of dawn."