No. 99 (Joey Bada$$)

1• These Southern Girls

•June 9, Thursday•
(Leslie in the media section)

It isn't easy moving from North Carolina to Brooklyn. Everything is so different. The city really doesn't sleep.
I moved from North Carolina because of my parents and the rest of the family back home, my mom and dad weren't working out so my aunt offered me to stay with her up in Flatbush so I accepted and brought my black ass up here so now I'm in an apartment with my aunty.
I feel like I made the right move and I belong here. Charlotte was too slow anyway, ain't nothing happen over there it was hard putting us on the map. I've been in New York City before but not Brooklyn. Last summer I was in the Bronx with my grandma so I've had my share of the booming city.

"You have all your stuff unpacked?" My aunt asked

"Yeah." I said as I was laying on my bed scrolling through photos of my friends from this year on my phone. It's crazy how I was just with them not even five hours ago. Today was my last day of 11th grade. Junior year. We were just pigging out on cupcakes, cookies and juice and soda, hugging our favorite teachers, and buying yearbooks. We weren't even ten feet away from each other then, but now we're miles apart and won't see each other in person for a long time.

"Memories huh?" Aunty asked

"Yeah, man. Crazy how I was just with them, how I was just laying on the grass talking face to face with them."

She slumped in the doorway of my room "What are their names?"

"Aliyah and Laila."

"A trio." She walked over and sat in the end of my bed. "You'll get used to it here. There are some kids around and in this building."

"Hopefully my accent won't get in the way. I don't feel like answering questions." I laughed

"It's not that bad, Leslie. It's just here and where when you hear that southern twang, you can barley hear it, it's only in some words. Trips me up when you say ain't and y'all though." She mocked the accent in a playful way

I laughed "Don't you guys say it too?"

"From time to time but the way you say it is different. It's sexy, watch them hood niggas come runnin' after you. You gonna be the new word in Flatbush."

I looked down and smiled "I don't want too much attention now."

"Girl bye! It's 7:26p.m go around town and grab a bite or something. Just be back by 8." She got up to leave but I stopped her

"Wait!"

"What child!? I need to clean up!"

"You talkin' 'bout some cleaning up! You not gonna show me around?" I widened my eyes

"Um no. What I look like? A bus?"

"With that yellow ass shirt on...I mean..."

"What you not gonna go is cuss in my house and don't catch no attitude."

"Yes ma'am. What if somebody snatch me up though?"

"Don't nobody wanna snatch yo ass up."

I didn't know if I should feel offended or relived but it was whatever

"You know what? We ain't going nowhere today. You need to settle in a little bit in this apartment, I know you used to a house so just give it time. Tomorrow first thing in the morning we gonna go around Brooklyn and then get on a train to go around New York City." She said. I adore her heavy New York accent.

"Ok. I can't wait!" I flipped my phone in my hand as I watched her leave my room

"Get some rest. It's been a long, maybe even life changing day for you." She disappeared into a hallway.

I Lied down on my back staring at the ceiling. "Of course it was life changing." I mumbled to myself.
I still can't believe how I changed environments so fast! It was like I closed my eyes for five seconds and opened them to find myself in Brooklyn. It's crazy! I'm excited but a bit homesick. Mixed emotions.

I got up from my bed to rearrange a couple of things but ended up rearranging everything. After I moved my bed farther away from the fire escape I feel asleep around 10:54