I Know You Can't Speak

Part 8:

Once Mercedes taught me how to roll, smoking became an everyday routine for me. I released all of my problems with every exhale I did. By 12th grade, I was a pro at rolling and smoking. We had a routine. After school, we would go get weed from her weed man Booda. I had never smoked before smoking his weed but Mercedes always said he had the best weed she had ever smoked.

"Girl I wish you had something to compare it to cus this shit different" she told me.

I didn't know how different, all I knew is that I was high as a kite everytime and that's I cared about. Afterwards, would go to her house and I would stay the night and go to school from her house the next morning. Her parents were rarely home so they never seemed to mind. Mercedes would let me rock whatever I wanted out of her closet. She would take me to her hairdresser and let me get my hair done with her too. Her hair dresser was named Alberetta. A big step up from the kitchen do's and water & grease combos I was used to doing. I was finally feeling confident about myself and having the best time of my life, living carefree and away from Darryl and my mother. Then one day changed everything.

"Jas, I'm coming to ya house today. I think I wanna stay the night" Mercedes said as we stood at her locker.

"Why?" I asked her nervously.

"Because we always at my house" she told me. "I'm tired of being there, I wanna go around ya way. Go to the papi store and find me a corner nigga" she said laughing. I laughed too but deep down inside I didn't wanna take her anywhere near where I lived. I was embarrassed to show her how I had to live. I didn't want her to meet any of my family. I was petrified for her to find out my secret. When school was out, we walked and got in her car as she asked me for my address. I gave it to her in below a whisper as she put it in her GPS and we made our way. Driving down the dirty, trash infested streets of the opposite side of town where I lived, we rode past crackheads, people fighting and abandoned houses. All eyes watched as Mercedes car drove by. Seeing a car like hers was rare in my neighborhood. Everybody wanted to know who was in it. We pulled up on my block and Mercedes parked and got out, looking in awe just like I had been looking at her house the first time. People on the block looked at us in awe too.

"Damn who that?"

"Damn Jas, you hanging with the high rollers"

"Oh shit that's Jas, she rich now"

I kind of liked the attention I was getting.

"Ouu bitch let's walk to that store right there" she said pointing to the store on the corner of my block as she fixed her outfit. She had on a silk Versace shirt with her titties looking like they were about to pop the buttons, some short shorts with half of her shirt tucked in and some black Versace sandals. She had Versace glasses on top of her head that pushed her silky straight hair back. We walked to the store and all the niggas that stood in the front of it were in her face almost instantly.

"Damn Jas who this?" They all asked, grabbing her from all directions.

"You don't see me standing here? You can ask me" Mercedes said to one in particular. His name was Black. I knew him from around the way. His name fit him because he was black as night. All he wore was black too. When people asked him why he used to say "so the cops can't see me." He was ugly though and he had the whitest set of teeth I had ever saw. Mercedes started talking to him as I began to walk in the store.

"Cedes you want something?" I asked her.

"Yeah get me a cheesesteak platter. Black gone pay for both of ours" she said as I went inside. She came in seconds later with the money.

"Girl this why I love the hood. These niggas sweet for it" she said as she laughed. "They see a bitch with her own money and wanna spend their own. I'm down with that." We got our food and walked back outside where Black was waiting. "Y'all coming with us?" He asked her.