Ganja on Fourth Street

Chapter Seven

Laken Rivera

I walked in the house just as the sun was coming up. My legs were exhausted and I was very hungry. Xae was in the living room, watching Adult Swim while on his phone. I closed the door and went over to him, plopping down on the couch.

"How was work, Lae?"

"It was hell. That woman keeps working me like a dog."

"Shade?"

"Yes! I swear she didn't care about half the shit she asked me to do."

"She just wants to keep you busy, Lae."

"She can kiss my ass. I might just quit and go back home."

"You really about to go home and deal with mom and pops bull shit? You better off here, sis."

"No, I don't fit it. EJ was telling me how people have been doing this for their whole life...teasing me about being a silver spoon child."

He chuckled, "Well you are."

"So were you but for some reason, you fit in just fine."

"Well just like you, I had to get used to it."

"How?"

"Wasn't easy but I just did. When I got kicked out, I was homeless for about a week. I had to beg some restaurants for some scraps or I just had to go a day without food...I made some allies. Helped me get on my feet...started slangin' until I was able to get this little place with Jojo. Honestly, Lae, I'm still broke as shit. I just make it look good, ya know?" He winked at me as he smiled.

"So what should I do?"

"Learn how to adapt. Instead of complaining just think to yourself...people have to do it everyday. Just because you wasn't ready for reality don't mean it wasn't gon' come to you."

"You right." I sighed.

"Go get some sleep, though. We going out later."

"Where are we going?"

"Gon' introduce you to some people." I nodded and got up from the couch, going into the bathroom.

 I woke up around two in the afternoon. I didn't want to get up, but I had to since Xae wanted me to come with him somewhere. I took another shower and got dressed to go with him. We left the apartment and walked a couple blocks down to Whitman's Park. It was an old park surrounded by trees, making it dark. The playground only consisted of a slide and monkey bars. Surrounding, a bunch of benches that seemed to be the spot for old people, teenagers and grown men to just hang out.

"Those are your friends?" I asked looking at the gang around the bench with a table in the middle. There was two guys on BMX bikes and a couple of girls with some guys around them.

"Yeah...yo P!" He said, walking ahead of me to greet his friend.

"Aye, what's good Xae? This the little sis?" He said looking at me as Xae greeted the rest of them.

"Yeah. Laken, this my friend P, his girl Brandee and her sister, Tye. These the homies, Montana, Lael,  and G." They all said hey to me.

"That is not your sister...she is too pretty." Brandee said, looking at me with a smile.

"So am I, the fuck?"

"Nigga you ugly as shit. Your name is Laken?" She asked.

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Cool. Your not from around here, right?"

"No, I'm a newbie." I said to them.

"Aw, it's okay. Xae was a newbie too but he fam now." Tye said.