ASHLEY

5💎

At school I can't help but spend most of my time looking over my shoulder to see if Kenneth enrolled and will be showing up. He's on his senior year so he should still be in school.

After school I send Aunt Jackie a quick text letting her know I'm going to the mall with my friends and I'm dragging Angela along too. I haven't told her about Angela hanging out with boys and I'm not going to unless she gets out of hand. I don't want to be too hard on her and cause her to defy me and Aunt Jackie more but I don't want to be too lenient and she comes home pregnant. It's not easy trying to take care of a teenager. Now babies I can handle. All they do is poop, cry, need to be fed, cry some more, and sleep. On the plus side they're cute as heck and fun to hold.

With a teenager you have to worry about them sneaking out and getting into trouble. I'm glad I wasn't like her when I was her age. At that age I was running around throwing boys into the dirt and hanging under Kenneth. I didn't have boobs or a phone like Angela does. I didn't have access to makeup either, not that I wanted to. I was awkward and as thin as a toothpick. The girls in my grade would get so mad at me for not hooking them up with my friends that they use to punch me in the chest or pinch my nipples and make comments about how I basically had no boobs.

I still barely have any now but eventually my hips and butt and thighs grew and I fell out of that tomboy stage. A lot of girls still hate me but it's whatever. I have better things to worry about; like deciding if I want to go to college or not.

Aunt Jackie says I don't have to go if I don't want to. College isn't for everyone. But it's best if I do, that way I can get a higher paying job. College would require a lot of money. We aren't poor but we aren't filthy rich either. I don't want to end up having to pay back any loans when I'm done.

After getting the 'okay' from Aunti Jackie I hop in Kayla's car. Angela squeeze in the back. I'm making her come along mostly because I don't trust her and she needs to pick up some stuff anyway.

Kayla's phone starts ringing and I pick it up without looking at the caller I.D. when she asks me to. "Hello?" I ask.

"Why are you answering Kayla's phone?"

"She-"

"Whatever. Just put her on the phone." I quickly hand Kayla her phone, not wanting to deal with Tony, Kayla's ex. I'm not even sure why he still calls her sometimes. They are suppose to be broken up. Tony was very abusive during their relationship. Physically and mentally. He really doesn't care about anyone but himself. He sleeps around too, and did so while they were together. I'm surprised he hasn't caught anything...yet.

At first Kayla wanted to stay with him but we later convinced her no man should treat a woman like the way he was and so she left. She didn't want to deal with it anymore either. She made the right call.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe she let him back in her life. Its the only reason I can think of to why he's always blowing up her phone. Kayla is denying it of course but the other girls think otherwise as well.

"Kayla can you turn on the radio? I don't want to listen to Lira's freaky butt." Angela complains. Lira is always messing with her. She knows it drives Angela crazy. Kayla turns up the radio and speeds out of the parking lot. We sing loudly in sync with the music blasting over the radio.

When we get to the mall Lira goes right to Victoria's Secret while I, on the other hand, go to the piercing section. I lost my nose ring and I need a new one before it close up. I'm not looking for anything too extravagant. I want it to go with everything because I don't want to deal with having to change it often. I pick out a simple diamond stud. Maybe one day I'll try a hoop. Just not today.

"When can I have a nose ring?" Angela ask.

"When you're old enough to get it without permission and with your own money," Erica speaks for me.

"Thank you."

"Nobody asked you."

"Shut up lil' girl. That's why you're not getting one any time soon." Erica sticks her tounge out at Angela. Angela rolls her eyes and push past her. Erica can be so childish.

Our next stop is the fragrance store. I'm almost out of my favorite perfume and shower gel set. Angela and Erica go crazy spraying different fragrance all over the place and pretending to fly into it. Like I said, childish.

"My gosh. You are so beautiful." A tall light skin guy dressed down in black with a shiny gold chain hanging around his neck comes up to me. He looks me over biting his luscious pink lips.

"Thank you."

"Isaiah." He holds out a hand for me to shake.

I take it, "Bria."

"How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen. You?"

"Eighteen. I just had to ask because you cute and all but I'm not trying to go to jail behind nobody."

"I feel you. So uh who you here with?"

"Nosey ass. Nah just a couple of my homeboys. I was walking past and I noticed you."

"Nah be honest. You noticed this ass." I turn my body just slightly to give him a little peak. I can't tell what kind of guy he is but I'm not looking for anything serious anyway. I'm just bored so I need somebody to talk to. Scratch that, I want someone to talk to. I sound so thirsty right now. Oh well. He's cute and it's not like I'm just going to start trusting him or sleeping with him. I do have morals you know.

"Damn Ma. I'm trying be a gentleman and all you can do is talk about that fat ass of yours." He feigns hurt. I pretend to feel bad about it.

"My bad. So uh you want to give me your number or what?"

"I like a girl that likes to be in charge. Hell yeah you can have my number." I hand him my phone and let him put his number in my phone. He saves it under his name. Nothing dramatic like I expected. I guess he does have some class. I hate when guys take it upon themselves to put themselves under Daddy💦 in my phone.