Nobody Likes The Gray Area

Da Function

(Jazmine POV)

~ "Wassup— Reezy, move— HAHA!— Fuck, I can't stand you!" ~
"Cindy, stop playing "Doctor" with Riley, and come over!" I say. "I need your help."
Cindy giggles on the other line, ~ "You sure it can't wait?" ~
"No, this is urgent!"
~ "Aight, I'm comin'." ~

She knocks on the front door as I throw on my bathrobe. I wrap my hair up in a towel on my way down to let her in. I grab her hand and pull her upstairs with me.

"I need you to help me get ready for tonight's party," I say. We sit on my bed. "Give me a glowup."

Cindy usually dresses in baggy, tomboyish clothes. But after I saw how cute she looked those two days in New York, I wanted to look just like that. I know she can help me drive Huey crazy tonight.

She clasps her hands together and stands back up. She looks directly at me, squinting at each feature of my face.

"I have the perfect look for you in mind," she says. "But the dress I want you to wear is at my house."
My eyes widen. "You sure we can't just buy another one?"
She braces my shoulders and shakes her head. "No, Jazmine. Your look has to align with my vision. You're my model and I'm the designer."
"Well, how are we gonna get the dress? Won't your mom and dad be there?"
"She prolly high off her ass right now, and he's always away on his "business trips"."
My jaw drops. "Your mom is a drug addict?"
She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, why you think she loves my- Nevermind." She pulls me up. "We gotta go."

So, after I blow dry my hair and get dressed, Cindy and I take a ten minute walk to her house. We wear hoods over our heads. Of course, we get stares, but it's a little less awkward since I'm not alone.

Cindy's house is this crazy mansion. There's a pool out front and everything. I thought everyone was in the "rich part" of Woodcrest, but this is the "richer part" of the neighborhood. It's apart of the gated part of the area. I didn't even know there was a gated community here.

We hop the fence. Cindy helps me over, then I pull her up with me. I've never hopped a fence before. The thrill gets me more pumped up. This is fun.

"Your house is amazing," I say.

Cindy is unamused as she pulls me around to the side then the back. We duck as we pass the windows. The backyard is even cooler. There's a grotto, a waterfall, and a bunch of lawn chairs. I want a house just like this one day.

"Yeah, well, that's what movin' bricks does for you," she whispers.

I don't know what that means, but don't really have time to think about it before we see smoke coming out of the second floor window. A blonde lady (who I assume is Cindy's mom) leans over the windowsill, blowing clouds of smoke with a joint between her fingers.

Cindy turns around and ushers me back to the side of the house.

"I need you to go cause a distraction out front," she says. "Knock on the door, ring the bell, and meet me back here."

My eyes veer to the side. I really don't want to go through with this.

"Jazmine, go!"
I start to run to the front. "OK, OK!"

I get to the front door. After some hesitation, I bang on it three times, ring the bell, then take off.

When I get back to the backyard, Cindy is dragging a ladder from the shed back towards the house. I help her, and we raise it up against the open window. She climbs up as I follow.