Victorie (Urban Fiction)

Chapter 15

It was now the day before we left for Phoenix. I was so excited. I just had to make it through what would be my last day at work. I was planning on quitting today. When I got to work everybody was there already trying to restock the floor. Inventory was so low because merchandise was stolen soon as it was restocked, and the delivery trucks only came every other week. "Hurry up and clock in," Mrs. Ora said before I could walk through the door good.
After I clocked in, I grabbed some things from the back and started restocking the juniors section. "See why we need you here," Mrs. Ora said coming over to stand next to me. "I'm expecting you to be here tomorrow too."
"Mrs. Ora I won't be here tomorrow. I told you that two weeks ago," I said. "I'm just here to finish out my hours for this pay period."
"I don't know why you living in a fantasy land," she said. "You ain't nothing now and you ain't gone be nothing when you make it back to Cali."
"Listen bitch! Just because you ain't shit-" I started, but at that moment Gina burst through the doors.
"Everybody to the back!! Now!!" Gina hollered.
We all rushed to the break room.
"How's everything been going around here Auntie Ora?" she asked.
"Great," Mrs. Ora smiled. "We've been having a lot of business lately. The girls work great together."
"Is that right?" Gina said. "How come the sales all low, but there's less inventory?"
"Maybe there's a glitch in the system," Mrs. Ora responded. "And you haven't been here in a while, so how do you know how much is in the stock room?"
"I was here last night," Gina revealed.
Mrs. Ora was sweating bullets.
"And why are Asia and Monica closing every night?" Gina continued. "And I know y'all have been stealing money from the store every night."
"What?" Asia and Monica gasped.
"Auntie Ora, you and your trifflin daughters are fired!" Gina hollered.
"I'm closing the store until I hire somebody else. Get your shit and go home!"
Mrs. Ora sat there crying and looking uglier than she already was. I quickly grabbed my stuff and got ready to leave. "Victorie you can stay," Gina said to me. "I need to talk to you. The rest of y'all get the fuck out of my face." Mrs. Ora and who I now knew were her daughters scattered like roaches.
"I should've known better than to hire them. Some folks you can't help," Gina said. "Anyway I just wanted to tell you that when I reopen the store, you still have a job here, and the manager position is yours if you want it."
"I really don't know Gina..." I said. "This place is..."
"You don't have to decide today Victorie," Gina laughed.
"Ok," I said. "Thanks Gina."
I then grabbed my things.

Instead of going home, I went to Angels Park. I sat by the lake and enjoyed a chocolate ice cream cone. I was texting Ari when CeCe crossed my mind, so I decided to swallow my pride and call her. I thought she wasn't going to answer, but right when I was about to hang up she did.
"Hey CeCe!" I said.
"Hey Torie," she said.
"How you been holding up?" I asked. She didn't even sound the same.
"Honestly Torie sometimes I just wanna end it all," she said. "I'm just tired of being here."
"Don't talk like that CeCe," I said. "You got people that love you and need you here. You got your baby, me, and Jaison. We love you, and we need you here."
"You and Jaison huh?" I could finally hear a little cheer in her voice. "So y'all finally took it there huh? Was it everything you fantasized about?"
"CeCe no!!" I laughed. "I haven't fucked Jaison. We've just been chilling."
"You want to though," she said.
"Yeah CeCe I do," I admitted.
"I knew it," she said.
"We're leaving tomorrow to go to this festival," I told her. "But when I get back I'm coming to get you. We gone have a girl's day."
"Ok," she said. "I need it." I heard her baby crying in the background. "I gotta go. I love you Torie."
"I love you too CeCe," I said hanging up.
I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, but I had to make sure my best friend was ok. We were definitely gonna have a girls day when I got back.
Fifteen minutes later, Jaison shot me a text.
Jaison: thank you for reaching out to CeCe. You made her day. I hadn't seen her smile in a long time
Me: I'm glad I did. She made my day. I missed her.

As I thought about it, I realized how silly it was of me to let a simple misunderstanding keep me from being there for my best friend. She needed me, and I was gonna be there for her from now on. I guess you live and you learn. I got up to go home to spend some time with Zuri. This is the first time that I'd be leaving her for days. Hopefully this was the start of something better for all of us.