Not many have had to undergo the various struggles that twenty-one-year-old Sierra Thompson has had to endure.
Left to care for her younger sister after the tragic death of their parents, all while juggling college and a minimum wage job, Sierra is...
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2
It was Friday afternoon, so Angela, Carlos, Christina, and I were all hanging out at my place.
We were sitting around in my tiny living room watching Family Guy reruns on Netflix until Angela decided to do what she does best—make a scene.
"Okay, people!" Angela clapped her hands together as she stood up from my couch. "Our weekend will not consist of us being stuck inside the house. Let's go out and get trashed or something. It's Friday night!" She then looked solely at me. "I need a sweet release... You know what I'm saying, Sierra?"
Oh, I knew exactly what her nasty ass meant, but I shook my head instead, laughing at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about right now."
She playfully rolled her eyes. "Ok, seriously, we're not doing this boring shit all weekend, so somebody better come up with a plan within the next five minutes before I lose it."
I mentally debated about what I wanted to do.
Did I want to go out with my friends to have a fun night out on the town? Yes. However, I can't exactly afford to blow money on whatever it is we'd end up doing. I need every dollar that I have. I wanted to tell them that but... it's too embarrassing. They know how tight things are for me financially, but they don't know just how bad I really have it. Some things are better off kept to yourself.
"We could go clubbing? It's been a while since we did that," Carlos suggested.
Angela exclaimed, "That's perfect! I know this really cool spot called Lime Light that I can get us in for free. I got the hookup. What do you say, Sierra?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm down I guess."
Whenever the word free was thrown into the mix that was usually all it took to reel me in. I wasn't much of a drinker, so I wasn't worried about spending money on alcohol. I knew how to have a good time without being completely drunk.
"There's one problem," I said to Angela. "What about Chrissy?"
"I'm seventeen years old! I can take care of myself." Chrissy huffed when I put her on the spot. "Besides, you never get out of the house. You should go out and have fun. Don't worry about me."
I smiled at her, able to see right through her game.
"I love that you think all that, but don't assume I don't know about your little secret crush," I teased. "The second I leave you here alone, you won't hesitate to call over whatshisface."
She grumbled something under her breath and then stomped off to her room.
I know that she's one year away from being an adult and that I probably am being a bit overprotective, but I'm just trying to look out for her. I'm not taking any chances of being an aunt before I'm thirty. One rule we had was that there'd be no boys over while I'm not at home. I know she's a responsible girl, and I've left her alone before, but there has been more than one time when I'd come back to find someone sneaking out her window.
