Black Beauty

Latreece and Granny

Latreece stood next to Granny's old-ass green Mercury Valiant. How the piece of junk managed to still run baffled everyone. She wiped the tears from her eyes  as the pain in her chest grew stronger. She felt a is she'd just been stabbed.

When she saw her grandmother walking towards the car, she straightened. She was not this person. She was not the type of person to cry and lose her shit over a some cheating dude.

"Baby, what's wrong? What was that about?" The anger Granny had shown earlier was gone, concern and worry laced the face of her smooth brown skin. She was forty eight without a single wrinkle. People often thought she was her mother instead of her grandmother. 

"Can we just go, Granny?" Latreece asked, looking towards the school. A part of her hoped she would see Corey chasing after her, but the other half hoped he wouldn't because the last thing she wanted was for him to see how hurt she was.

Granny looked from Latreece and then back to the school as if reading her mind. "Okay." Granny began fishing through her big purse, digging through hundreds of bills, letters, make-up, and lord knows what else looking for her keys.

"Granny, hurry up," Latreece said, but it was obvious Corey was not running after her like this was a damned romantic comedy. Fuck him.  

"Here they go," Granny said and pulled out her keys. No less than ten keys were on her key ring and Latreece knew she didn't know what half of the keys were for.

Once they were both in the car, it started on the third try. The seats of the Mercury were old, plastic and cracked. So they were covered in a thick blanket so that they didn't cut into anyone's skin. An empty coffee cup and a discarded bag that once held chili cheese coney lay on the floor on the passenger side.

"Now what's going on?" Granny asked.

"Corey and Shemeya is what's going on."

"You and Corey were perfectly fine yesterday?"

"That was yesterday. Today I found out he's just another trifling ass nigga and Shemeya is a lying hoe."

"He doesn't seem that way and neither does Shemeya."

No they don't do they? It's the innocent people you have to look out for. "They used to have a thing back in the day. And that bitch just wouldn't let it end."

"Well he's crazy, because you're much prettier than she is," Granny said.

"Do you think he likes her because I'm so skinny?"

Granny bit her lip before she finally said, "You're not that skinny."

"Don't lie to me. Yes, I am," Latreece insisted.

"So what if you are. I raised you to know that you're more than ass or tits."

"You don't understand. I'm black. Black girls are supposed to have curves. Black boys don't like skinny girls."

"If that boy don't want you 'cause your ass is flat then you need to leave him the fuck alone because he isn't the one for you."

Latreece sat back and shrugged, "You're right. I don't need him." But it still fucking hurt.