Brotherly Love

Chapter 1 - Don't

Sierra

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

My eyes shot open as the shots rang out. The blood-curdling screams of a woman followed suit. I quickly glance out my window. It's still dark out. I tuck my head under the blanket. Make it stop already, I think to myself. This is beginning to become an everyday thing on my side of town and honestly, I'm getting sick and tired of it. After a few minutes things die down and the sound of the quickly approaching police siren lulls me back to sleep.

I wake up a few hours later to the sound of my phone ringing. I crack open one eye and lazily flop my arm around to grab it. I look at the screen, it's my bestfriend, Robin.  I ignore her call for now, I need to shower before I do anything. I drag myself out of the bed and slunk to the closet where we keep all of our towels and wash rags. I hear my mother downstairs humming On and On by Erykah Badu. I smile to myself. Even with our city falling apart at the seams around us, my African Queen always manages to stay positive and believe in the good of man. That's probably where I get it from.

I slip into the bathroom and turn on the water. I drop my clothes and get right in. Today's my first day of my senior year. I'm not sure what this school year is gonna have in store, all I know is it will be better than last year. I grab the conditioner from the corner where it stay and I apply it all over my wet hair. The curls pop up almost instantly.

I sigh to myself, I really was not looking forward to going back to that hoodrat ass school but as long as I keep my head in my books I shouldn't have a problem.

I threw on a red dashiki, some black leggings and some "jesus sandals" and grab my bookbag and head downstairs.

"Good morning, Princess" my mom says to me

I smile hard "Morning Mama" I grab a gogurt out of the fridge and lean against the counter. She sips her coffee and looks at me "You ready for your last year of school?" I shrug slightly "It's just another school year to me"

"You can't think of it like that babygirl, this is the first year of the beginning of your life! That's not exciting to you?"

I shrug again "I mean I'm still spending it in the same ghetto school with the same ghetto kids with the same ghetto names that I've known since freshman year."

BZZZ! BZZZ!

My phone starts vibrating, it's Robin again. I quickly answer "What up hoe?"

"Bihhhhh, where are you at? I'm on my way to your house." She basically screams into the phone.

I look at my watch and its 7:20 "I'm on my way now, meet me by the PAL"

"Ard" click.

I say bye to my mom and I head out the house.

I walk out the house and see a bunch of parents rushing to get their children to school so they can go about their day. I see groups of loud teenagers heading the same direction I am. I quickly walk to meet Robin I spot her high yellow ass almost immediately. She throws her tattooed arms in the air. "Bitch, what in the actual fuck took you so long?" I look her up and down "Listen here hoe," I chuckle "Don't you rush me" she sucks her teeth so hard "Sierra bitch you got me sweating out my head wrap." She levels out her Erykah Badu like turban. "I'm sorry best friend, you know I got lil legs." She waves me off "Mhmmm, but listen girl let me tell you about the finest negro I have ever seen in my life." I roll my eyes "Oh lord, go ahead and tell me girl." She goes rambling about some curly hair havin nigga named Pharoah that just moved to Philly from DC. Apparently he got in some trouble down there and had to move up here.