Habibet Albi (Incomplete)

Chapter 2: Cinderella Lost her Jordan

"She wears strength and darkness equally well, the girl has always been half goddess, half hell." ~ Nikita Gill

"THIS IS WHAT you plan on wearing? You look like a lesbian lumberjack." Jose insulted glaring at her horrid choice of clothing. Phoenix wore an oversized red and black plaid printed flannel with baggy black joggers and red jordans. That outfit would be appropriate for attending a coffeehouse or class at NYU but not a club.

Phoenix lifted her middle finger and smiled without revealing her teeth. She fell back on her queen sized bed, "What do you expect me to wear?"

"Um something sexy. You want to look like a mistress not a mister. Or like you wanna get fucked not the guy you'd get fucked by." Jose wittily remarked.

"Aye yo big sis, I'm gonna crash at Azaan's for the night." Hakeem informed with his head poked through the doorway and strolled away.

"Get yo black ass back here right now." Phoenix yelled.

Hakeem entered her room amd shoved his hands in his pockets. "What?" Annoyance laced his tone.

"For starters you can politely ask for my permission to go over your friend's house. I'm your legal guardian and I deserve respect. Text me his address and where you are if you go somewhere. If you don't comply with my orders I will ground you. Am I clear?"

"Crystal, may I please go to my friends house ma'am." Sarcasm dripped from his tone and he bowed in exaggeration.

"Yes, be safe and stay outta trouble. I don't have anymore bail money left I gotta pay this months rent." Phoenix said in a motherly tone.

"Aight I will." He promised then rounded the corner.

"What crawled up your ass?" Jose teased.

"Nothing, he's on probation. He's 15 and needs to stop associating with those degenerates. I can only do so much before he gets locked up. He's a smart kid just does dumb shit." Phoenix explained, tension knitted her eyebrows together.

"I know hun, but you use to be just like him. Remember when you broke that bitch, Aaliyah's nose and jaw after she tried to jump me? Or when you vandalized that homophobic Catholic Church. Or that time you busted the windows out of Justin's BMW and slashed his tires for cheating on you?" He reminisced laughing at the memories.

Phoenix smiled at the images that flashed through her mind. The look on Justin's face was absolutely priceless. The local news reporting a cathedral covered in red spray painted dicks and gay slogans. "Yeah but after Ma was killed I stopped all that reckless nonsense."

"I know now you're all grown. But Helen Keller probably dressed better than you." He stifled a laugh.

"Call Tatum she'll have something for you to wear." He suggested.

Tatum was Phoenix's older cousin who lived in uppereast Manhattan in a penthouse. She was a professional college basketball point guard and was married to a wealthy Nigerian man who was a Harvard graduate lawyer.

"Hey Tate, Jose wants me to go clubbing tonight and says I dress like a lesbian lumberjack. So he wants you to come bring some dresses over." Phoenix informed her. Tate choked on whatever she was drinking. Phoenix assumed some expensive wine whose name she probably couldn't pronounce.

"Anything for you baby girl. I'll be on my way." Tate said and audibly sipped something.

Tatum's Mercedes-Benz pulled up front and her high heels clicked along the wooden floor when she walked through the apartment. "Here you go." She said and laid down a stack of dresses enclosed in plastic.