At 17, Candyce's small worldview is maginifed when her big brother, Ace, invites her into his world as punishment. Ace may have been an overbearing big brother at home, but in the streets he was feared and respected as a young drug dealer, proving h...
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Chapter 7
At home, my room doesn't feel the same. I know no one has been in it, not even Paryis, but it doesn't feel like my room anymore. Bedrooms are supposed to be safe spaces. Once upon a time, this room was my own sanctuary. But after getting shot at, and learning that it can happen any time, I no longer feel safe confined in these four walls.
I lay in my bed as long as I can take it, willing sleep to come. It doesn't. The house is full of noise per usual. The only quiet spaces are my room, the bathroom and Daddy's study. I haven't been in there since he blasted his brains on the walls, so I for sure wasn't going to hide there. I decide on the shower, but standing under the warm water only reminds me of all the fucked up shit that's happened on account of me. Matter of fact, being in this house period, reminds me of all the fucked up shit I've done. My brother was laid in a room down the hall recovering because of my careless actions.
I decide right then that I'm not gonna spend the rest of my Saturday inside the house. It's the summer. I'm supposed to be doing hood rat shit with my friends, not moping around the house. I graduated in May. This was supposed to be our summer to turn up. It's not like my friends were headed off to college or no shit like that. All of them hated school just as much as me. It was a miracle we even made it out, all the skipping and fighting we used to do.
Just thinking about the good times, makes me remember that they weren't all that far away. I was texting Chantal to get into something the day that Ace dragged me along to Angel's house. If he hadn't stopped me, who knows. Maybe none of us would be in this shit right now.
I wrap the towel around my naked body. I pick up my phone and scroll to Chantal's snapchat. I skip through her last 24 hours, wishing I was in her memories and not peering at them from the opposite side of the screen. Last night, she went to a club with some of our other bitches. Maxine and Phora, who we called Max and Phor. They were turned all the way up. As I scroll through, I see the last thing she posted was a picture of Phor in handcuffs.
I text Phora to see what was up and she lets me know that it was nothing serious. She was high off Molly so the cops arrested her to scare her or some shit. Just then, my phone starts ringing it's duck ringtone. A picture of Chantal's ass and me cheesing next to it flashes on my phone.
"Bitchhhhh! Where you been?" She starts immediately.
I laugh into the phone. I don't even feel like the same fun Candy I used to be.
"Girl, so much has been happening."
"I know. Max said she heard some hoes at the club talking about Ace riding up on you. Big brother whooped that ass huh?" She does her high-pitched laugh into the phone.
"Aye fuck you. You know Ace ain't stopping shit round here," I whisper.
