valerie
"Babyyy shart doo doo doo-doo doo doo, baby shart doo doo doo-doo doo doo, baby shart," Peytyn sung, driving with one hand on the wheel as we all sat in our low air conditioned Civic with uncomfortable faces.
"It's baby shark, not shart, Pey," I mumbled, already beyond annoyed about having to go out and do this anyways.
Apartment shopping.
Like we couldn't be having the times of our lives right now. We were on the road because of Jadyn, the one who had this grand idea anyways, when she remembered to look up if the office would be open this late anyways to the place we had originally intended on checking out- and it wasn't. So we decided to only check out the apartment complexes that had offices open all day, tonight even though this was the last thing I wanted to be doing right now.
I don't want to do this.
I don't know how much more clear this could be.
But as the road stretched on, it couldn't be more obvious that we were all starting to share this sentiment.
"We almost there yet? How many more exits, Jadyn?" Pey asked, flexing her fingers on the wheel.
"We've been drivin' forever," I heard Milli mumble, staring out one of the windows badly smudged from whatever pollen had gotten on it.
"Almost. This apartment is nice, and maybe seeing it in person will all give us a bit of motivation to want to finally have our own place. From here...maybe even a house," Jadyn said, still fighting to keep the mood chippy. Jadyn and Peytyn sat up front. Me and Milli sat in the back. I stared at the back of Jadyn's head, her undercut low to her scalp, contemplating murder (not really of course).
"Jadyn, we coulda even been out on a mission right now instead of apartment viewing. I woulda preferred that," I complained.
"This is supposed to give us all confidence that a better life can be attainable," she told us quietly, "And this isn't all about you. Hard work isn't comfortable and good money doesn't come by easily for most of us. If we're gonna stop sleeping two in a bed and having hotel people look at a group of black women entering all crazy, then we're gonna get our own place."
"I don't hate the idea of us doing better by ourselves," I said calmly, before an argument could start, "But I hate how we're all work, work, work. We are literally wasting away our young years right now. I coulda went to college-
"Then go," Jadyn snapped.
"Guys...please, not while I'm drivin'," Pey sighed.
"I hate when you two argue," Milli added in, frowning. "You guys both want the best for us. Can't you be civil and at least realize that. Sometimes the two of you are gonna have to compromise on things. It can't always be one person's way or another."
"What's their to compromise about? We're already here," I gestured to the complex in the Google photos Jadyn had shown us along the ride as we saw it in person. Pey exited the freeway and got ready to pull into their driveway off the feeder, I pushed away the sour feeling in me.
"I promise no arguing for the rest of the night."
There. Was that mature enough?
"Good," Jadyn simply said.
"Jadyn?" Pey said in a warning tone.
"No arguing from me either," she said quietly.
"Let's go in before they forget," Milli sighed, sounding annoyed by the whole issue as she got out. I fixed at braids, making sure they hadn't fell into the collar of my top and we all followed Jadyn's lead into the apartment's office building.
