A Thousand and One Nights in Atlanta

Part 2 (Apartment)

          "I'll be glad when we get out of East Point. I just hate the hood I swear." Puffs Je'Rae as the gold Honda brakes screech and eventually halts to a stop.

          Je'Rae and Milo walk into their apartment building lobby. The light bulb flickers as they head towards mail room. Fruit flies buzz around the sickening stench that fills up the room because of the overflowing garbage cans rotting in the corner.

          "What is this?" Je'Rae rips the vibrant flyer off the aging bulletin board.

          "It looks like a masquerade party outside of Norcross," Milo whispers as he peeps over Je'rae's shoulder shuffling through the mail.

          Milo groans as he reads an overdue bill. He starts humming quietly Destiny's Child "Bills, Bills, Bills".

          "You should go, maybe that famous girl that kissed you will be there," Milo teased.

          "Ion know twin. This looks a little too fancy. That's on the suburban side of Northeast Atlanta." Je'Rae pulls out his vibrant yellow iPhone and takes a picture of the flyer.

          Milo checks the notification center on his dark red iPhone. "Twin you gotta go. She just posted she's gonna be in attendance."
          Milo hands Je'Rae the phone. He squints through the cracks on the phone screen to preview E'Nique's Instagram story and shakes his head.

         "You lowkey don't have a choice because I'm forcing you to go now."

         "Okay but what am I gonna wear? The only thing in my closet is a pair of dusty black BoohooMAN skinny jeans and a raggedy Fashion Nova hoodie. I've never owned a suit in my life."

         "Don't worry about that my uncle named Gen the Genie for a reason. He gone get you right twin."

          "That lowkey means you Abu." Je'Rae laughs as he turns and walks to the elevator.

          "I like tha-" Milo laughs and follows Je'Rae, "Wait! Isn't Abu a monkey?"

          The elevator dings and a tall, clean-cut man and a petite younger child with pigtails get off the tiny elevator. Je'Rae ducks slightly and steps into the elevator. The elevator floor wood panels creak as Milo follows behind Je'Rae. Shortly after, he hits the shimmering "3" button. The door closes and the elevator slowly goes from the lobby to the next floor above and onto the next. They finally come to a sudden stop on the 3rd floor. The doors softly cry as they open. Milo and Je'Rae get out of the elevator and carefully walk down the unsettling grimy hallway. When they approach their door, Milo unlocks the door, and they walk in. Je'Rae flicks on the light in the living room and proceeds to jump and lay across the coffee-colored sofa.

          "I'll let my uncle know that you need a Tom Ford suit and some Alexander McQueen shoes before tonight." Milo sits on the wooden stool in the corner of the poorly lit room and pulls his iPhone out and starts texting, "I'm thinking a pinstripe black suit. Classy and original like Tony Montana. With red accents maybe-"

          Je'Rae interrupts, "Twin, I stole her wallet. But I swear on my parents' grave I didn't know I was gonna end up running into her. I just recognized her perfume when I realized."

          Milo looks up from his phone screen and gives Je'Rae a blank stare. He attempts to process it, "So, you stole her wallet on accident and gave it back to her?"

          "Remember the wallet I tossed to you? Before you left to go sit in the car?"

          "Yea, I remember. It was the fourth wallet we swiped of the day. It was like brown or something."

          "That was hers." "Oh, I paid our bills with her card then." Milo shrugs.

          "Bro that doesn't matter right now. I gotta give that wallet back," Je'Rae mumbles, "But if I do it wrong, she not gone want me anymore."

          "Don't worry about that right now. It'll shake out," Milo shrugs and continues texting, "Just focus on the party. We needa make you the cleanest dude in the room tonight."

          "And can you see if your mom can do my hair maybe? I could use a retwist." Je'Rae says jokingly while rubbing his eye.

          Milo winks, "My uncle is gonna get you right. We'll head to his store in a few hours. I'll call my mom when we pick up the suit."

          "Just wake me up when you ready... so I can..." Je'Rae drifts to sleep on the cloudlike sofa.