Be Without You

24: Life in the P's

A/n: Keke in the media

Keke

I just finished my shift at Jorjie's Diner and I'm headed to the locker room to collect this weeks paycheck from my boss.

Yeah...

I know what you're thinking. Why is the "other twin" a waitress,earning minimum wage when the other is a famous,wealthy actress?!

Well,first of all: Fuck you! For being so damn nosy! And secondly,I'm working this damn job because I dropped out of college when I was 20.

Taraji and I had made a plan during high school,that we would get jobs every holiday and keep half our money for college. After high school,we planned to take a year to help our mother raise money for college and help around with the bills for a change.

But I was a bad kid. I got bad grades in high school and thought I was above everyone. Taraji was the good one,though. She always got good grades and she eventually got a college scholarship.

Out of pity,which I hated at the time,she gave me the money that she'd saved up,because "I'd need it". My pride was in the way and I refused to take the money. I never thought that she wanted to help me. I was jealous and angry at myself for failing at life.

So here I am,stuck in this mess. I'm holding down two jobs and so far,I've got $20 000 saved from tireless shifts at Jorjie's and my hair salon and nail spa. I started my business a couple weeks back and it's doing really well,for a new business. I'm thinking of adding a barber to our services. But then I'll have to employ more people and get more equipment,which isn't in my budget at the moment,so I'mma have to put that plan on hold.

As soon as I take off my net cap and apron and enter the air conditioned locker room,I feel like I can finally breathe again.

Thank god I ain't got no kids! I can't imagine getting home at 22:00 to children I need to cook for and still be a mom to. I'd wanna be there for my babies.

I need to get as many shifts as possible before heading down to New York to see Taraji. This trip wasn't planned. My shit from high school caught up with me again! Sometimes... I really wonder what was going through my head in those days.

Flashback to a week before:

I was walking home from a long day at the salon and was shivering from the cold wind,biting at my skin. I turned left,into the dark alley close to my apartment. Aight,who the fuck am I kidding?! I still live in the projects!

I can't afford a crib at the moment so I'mma work towards that.

I climb up the creaky metal stairs,making my way to number 4. Flat 2. My neighbours have started arguing again. La'Tika won't stop swearing at André and the baby won't stop crying. I immediately feel a headache coming.

I watch my hands shiver,as I turn the key in the door. It's so cold,that there's dew on the metal staircase. One of these days,I'mma die from fallin down these stairs. That's part of the reason why I don't like eating a lot. I have to think about the weight I put on these weak ass stairs.

The minute I walk into my house,I hear a chair creak and my heart stops. I live alone. Who the fuck could this be?!

"Close the door" a deep male voice in the shadow demands. His voice sounds familiar,but I brush it off. My hands shake more than ever now,and it's not just because of the cold.

I think about which would be a faster way to get help: Getting my phone and calling 911,or screaming for André and La'Tika to help me. But they wouldn't hear me because André has probably started beating her already. When I told her to report him,she refused and told me "it was too risky".