Devil

-19-

-Esla-

Coco text me as soon as I was about to go to sleep early. I rest my back against my bed frame and pulled my covers up over my lap, since I only had underwear and a faded Texans shirt on. I don't know why, but it made me feel guilty to be naked around my phone, like my parents would walk in and think I was being a stereotypical teenager or something, showing off my body.

Coco Puffs🥣: hey
Me: hai
Coco Puffs🥣: why u type hey like dat🤧?? Anywayss, I wanted to ask u sumin..
Me: 🙄 like what?
Coco Puffs🥣: typing...

I tapped my fingers against my screen, trying to calm down my speeding-up heart. If I could just meet up with Nico and settle all of our struggles, then I wouldn't complain about anything ever again.

Coco Puffs 🥣: Nico is seriously known fort pullinf shady stuff. She might appear to give u a good deal, then it could bite u inna ass. I'm jus warning u.
Coco Puffs 🥣: for** pulling**
Me: well I might've just met yo ass like less than a billion and one hours ago, but I trust that yeen finna have me in no deal that's gonna cost me my life. Yk that I care for my fam, and that's the reason why I'm going 2 meet Nico. I'm scared shitless HONESTLY. Ik u gon have my back, rii?
Coco Puffs 🥣: i gotchu. U maly's friend, so u gotta be a good person.
Me: I hope da same about u.

I clicked my phone off and laid my head back. My phone dinged again, which annoyed me, and I picked it back up. A nigga can't nap in peace, the fuck. I opened up my messages and was about to go off on Coco when I saw what she had text me.

Coco Puffs 🥣: I just feel like Dede is the super star child, and I'm nunin. I try to be the best that I can and meet her standards, shit maybe even get a bit better den day. But it's like they spoil her wit attention n errythang else cause she's adopted, then it's like to me, they real daughter they wanna be all like "well, why ain't u like Dede"? Yk and it sucks. That's why I stay bein ova at yo place, cause at least u fuckin see me...or my strap or whatever. U see sumin in me to keep me around Yk
Coco Puffs 🥣: dat**

At first I was confused because Coco didn't come over to my house. And sho wasn't dicking me down. Hell, I hadn't known Coco for a month. Then I realized she must have meant for this text to reach Maly.

Me: Coco... ion know if u realize dis but u text da wrong person.
Coco Puffs 🥣: typing...
Me: but ion mind givin u sum advice about ur sister n allat ❤️

I waited a minute for Coco to respond, which I was grateful for, because I needed to concoct the right response to help her deal with her sibling issues.

Coco Puffs 🥣: my bad.. shii dis embarrassin 😳
Me: nahh it's Ight. Let's talk ❤️

My previous irritation had turned into caring.

Me: do ur parents outright tell u Dede is better than u, or that shes better at everything?? Or is it conveyed?
Coco Puffs 🥣: would it be Ight if I called?
Me: typing...

I sat back and considered the early sleep I had been planning to indulge in. "Anything for a friend," I sighed to myself. I was the friend people came to for advice. Who spilled their hearts out to. Sometimes it got emotionally tiring, because they wouldn't always give me that same energy back in my time of need. But I trust Coco, and I don't want her to feel down.