AWAKE.

3. Friendemies

          Leigh was a morning person. When I heard loud music playing, I thought it was from a car passing by, but when the volume didn't lower I went to investigate. Leigh was in her salon area, gathering products together while bobbing her head to the music. She didn't notice me standing there watching until I began to laugh at her as she rapped a verse from the song. Leigh was always the more silly and loose one out of us. She believed in fairytales and that at the end of every rainbow was a pot of gold. Felix and I never had glazed eyes, we always saw life as the bitter taste it was. I felt the struggle everyday and I did all I could to get out of it, but sometimes I do wish I accepted the world as she did.

"Come sit down." She directs me and I listen.

She removes my head scarf then runs her fingers through my hair. My hair was shorter in the front then it was in the back due to the emergency surgery, it looked like I was sporting a mullet. My hair wasn't as long as my sisters but it was a decent length and very healthy. Cutting my hair to the same length as the front wasn't an option because I knew it would eventually grow back. I remind my sister before she even picked up any type of supplies, then she proceeded to slick my hair back into a ponytail. She nicely did my baby hairs before tying my hair up for my shower. Felix wanted to take me shopping, mostly to get a new phone, but he bragged about buying me whatever I wanted. I still didn't understand what he did for work but he said he was into sales with an uncapped commission. Although, I was a lawyer so I could easily tell when someone wasn't telling me the whole truth.

Leigh helped me wash up in the shower then get dress for the day. I had mostly summer clothes due to the west coast weather, maybe I should take Felix up on his offer. He arrived here by noon, just like he promised. Leigh had a bunch of clients today and wouldn't be joining us so I just thank her for all that she's done for me then followed Felix. When I saw Felix's car, I knew for sure I was in the wrong profession. His Dodge Charger was royal blue without a speck of dirt on it's exterior. You couldn't see the all black leather seats on the inside because of the window tint he had on the car. At this point, I think the twins were doing better here than I ever was in California. They seem like they were actually living a bit luxurious.

"I thought I was the rich sibling." I mumble but I knew Felix heard me by the way he chuckled. He starts up the car and begins driving. "So where are we going?"

"I think Beachwood Mall has a T-Mobile in there, we can go there then you can get you some better clothes from Nordstroms." Felix explains and I twist my face.

"There's nothing wrong with my clothes." I let him know. "I mean, they are not all designer but I can dress very well. Besides, I'm use to a business professional dress code."

"Well you can't be dress like no opp around me. You ain't my lawyer and I don't need people thinking that. You need to be fly." Felix diss me again.

"When did you become all playa?" I ask him and he laughs.

"It's always been in me sis, I just needed a foot in." I was getting ready to question him some more until his phone rang. Since it automatically connected to his car, I could hear it ringing and see who it was. Felix didn't let it ring for too long. "Yo, what's up Trent? Everything good?"

"Yeah, it's all good. How did that shit go last night?" Trent returns the acquisition. Felix looks at me before answering.

"All is good. Easy sale, big commission coming our way." Felix replies and my lawyer instincts kicked in. It definitely sounded like he was talking in code and I was becoming more suspicious of this so-call job. "I'm heading to the mall with big sis, right now."

"That's good to hear. Keep me inform if anything changes or if niggas need more. I'll catch you later." Trent says before ending the call.

Felix must have felt the heat from my glare. I raised him, I knew him better than most people, even if I haven't seen him in years. He ignores all signs of confrontation and turns some music on instead. I don't know why I felt like I was being lied to but it didn't feel good at all. There was already a part of me timid about allowing people back in after losing the ones I was closes to in the oddest of ways. Since I was still getting settled in, I was going to shut my mouth and let the truth expose itself. But my mind was thinking of all possible things and they weren't so positive.
Lucky for him, he got to the mall in less than fifteen minutes. The look on people faces as we walked into the building was kind of odd. It was like they were both in awed and envious. The look on Felix's faces didn't seem bother by it at all. Instead he softly sprinted to the door before I did and opened it for me. We went through the Nordstrom entrance and didn't make it too far before Felix saw something he wanted. He looked at a couple of Balenciaga shoes before settling on a pair for him, two pair for me, a pair for a mystery person. All of these shoes were well over $500 and that was way more money than I ever spent even during a good year. I try to convince him not to buy it, but he ignored me and continued shopping.
Before we even made it to T-Mobile, we both had bags full of designer clothes and shoes that Felix paid for in full. The Vance Family had money and sometimes Derrick would take me shopping and I'd feel like I was being spoiled, but Felix was making me feel rich. It was kind of an ego stroke the way he ordered the workers to grab me whatever my eyes gazed upon a little longer than it should. I still had my doubts about his career but all the questions I had went out the door after he brought me a Moncler winter jacket. I also peeped how he was picking up other woman clothes that wasn't my size. My brother must have been dating someone but again, I was feeling too good to ask questions.
It wasn't until we got back into the car that I found my sense of mind. Felix loaded up the bags first then as soon as he got into the car, he turned the music right back on. He mocked me with laughter, obviously knowing what he was doing to me. I decide to let it go for now but not for long. He starts driving and I notice he wasn't going back in the direction of Leigh's apartment. Thirty minutes later, he was pulling into a gated community near Euclid, OH. The houses were built kind of different but made with the same material so they almost looked alike. Finally he finds a driveway to pull in and turns off the car, then tells me to get out.