Charlie's Angel

4

I was afraid to go home. I almost never spent the night away from Aaron, and if I did I always had to tell him where I was and who I was with. He was going to be furious and I prepared myself for a beating.

I grabbed my phone, dialed my sister's number, just to calm my nerves.

"Hey, sis."

"Hey, Dakota. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Waiting on Momma to come home. She was out all night with some dude."

I sighed. "You still good with the money I gave you a week ago?" Every few weeks, I give her a couple hundred dollars since our mother couldn't support the both of them. All the money that she miraculously acquired went to alcohol and she brought random men home. I hated how she just shut down after my dad died, but if I didn't give my sister money she would probably be in foster care. I'd die before I let that happen.

"I'm a little low, but I'll manage. I'll just get my boyfriend to buy me lunch for the week," she joked. I laughed a little. I knew she had a boyfriend, his name was Jacob, and she swore to me that he was a great guy. I just hated that she had to depend on other people to take care of herself. Our Momma was supposed to step up.

"Mommy, tell Auntie 'Kota I said hi," Paris chimed from across the kitchen table. She was eating some apple sauce.

"Paris said hi."

"Hi, sweetie! Tell her I miss her!" She giggled on the other end of the phone. My daughter and my sister were best friends. Their bond was kinda like my own with my daughter. Sometimes I even think that she likes Dakota more than me. It made my heart happy.

Paris just beamed and finished off her milk.

Dakota and I talked for a little while longer and we said our goodbyes, with me promising to visit her next weekend.

"Was that your boo?" Sam asked from behind me. I jumped at the sound of her voice, smiled shyly.

"No, ma'am. That was my sister." Sam wasn't making this whole situation with Chris any easier. She was making me want to see him, or at least text him a good morning. But we weren't even friends; that'd be weird.

She kissed her teeth, poured her some orange juice. "What did you and your boo talk about last night?"

Sip of apple juice. Silence. "Nothing really. He just distracted me."

She took a seat where Paris had been sitting. "Lemme ask you this, and be honest with me. Could you see yourself hanging out with Chris?"

My eyes danced across the room and landed on my glass of apple juice. I smiled unintentionally. Took another sip. Locked eyes with her. "I guess so, but I don't know anything about the guy. I know his name and I know he paints. We're best friends alright."

She rolled her green eyes at me. "You gotta make the effort to get to know him. Who knows? He could be your next baby daddy," she muttered. "I say you set up a play date with your daughter and that nephew you were talking about."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not making the first move. Not again. The first time was with Aaron and looked how that turned out." It was true; I was the one who made the first move back in middle school. He was the quarterback and I always thought he was cute. So in seventh grade I went up to him and sparked conversation. We exchanged numbers that day and the rest was history.

"Damn, C. Not every guy is like his bitch-ass." She traced the lines in the wood, raising her voice alarmingly fast. "That low life can't ruin your views on all guys. You gotta leave him."