Fire and Ice

Chapter 1 ~ Flashing Lights

"You did a really great job, Karma !" Another satisfied customer exclaims. I just got done doing a full sew-in for this girl named Tammy. "No problem." I tell her. I'm happy she likes it. She fluffs it a little before giving me a hug. I don't even know her like that. A few minutes later, she's gone and I'm alone again. My mother is at her boyfriend's house. She's there every Saturday. Don't ask me where my father is. He left me and my mom for a El Salvadoran women when I was eight. So it's just me and my mother. I like it this way, though. I stuff the forty five dollars in my jewelry box I keep under my bed. It has 500 dollars that I saved from doing hair. I turn on my TV to BET. A re-run of "The Game" is on. I sigh. Saturday's are always boring. My two best friend's aren't answering their phone. Samaria always answers her phone. I can't say the same about Anasia.

Just when I feel like I'm about to die from boredom, my Galaxy S4 rings. It's Samaria.

"Hello... What... Uh... Okay... I'll be ready." I say hanging quickly. Samaria called to tell me that her, Anasia, and her brother are going to pick me up. We're going to his friends house to chill. Anything beats being in this lonely ass house. I pull my long light brown hair into a cute but messy bun. I slip on a black North Face sweatshirt, ripped skinny jeans, and my Concord's.

****

I shiver as I step out into the crisp mid-fall air and into Capri's car. Capri is Samaria's big brother. I know you're probably thinking: Who would name their child Capri? It's just short for Capricious.

"Wassup y'all?" I breathe. "Wassup K?" Anasia asks. Anasia is a pretty brown skinned girl with a heart shaped face and glasses. "Nothing girl. I'm glad to be out the house." "We'll you better be ready to have fun." Samaria rants. She's always hype about something. I laugh as she does a silent jigg session. We call ourselves the Jigg Team because we always turn up when we're together. "Turn down." Capri jokes from the drivers seat. "Capri where's the weed? " Samaria asks. Her and her brother smokes together. "It's up front. " he answers. Samaria leans up front and gets the little baggie. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a Black and Mild. She empties it out and makes the joint. It's sad that she even knows how to do this. She reaches into her other pocket and finds a lighter. "Really, in the car?" I complain. It's not enough air for all that. She looks at me like I'm crazy. She lights it. She hasn't smoked a good five minutes before we hear a siren behind us. "Holy Shit!" Anasia exclaims. The cops are behind us with the lights flashing. "Put that shit up 'Mari!" Capri shouts. We put the weed under the seat and Samaria puts the blunt out. The car still smells like weed. "Gimme the spray!" I yell as Capri pulls over. He tosses it back. I spray the shit out of the can. I get a little nauseous because it smells like we're trapped in a fruit basket. I hold my breath.
The officer taps on our window. We jump. Capri sighs and rolls down his window. "Is there a problem, officer?" He asks. The officer has a grim looking face. "You didn't put your turning signal on when you turnt earlier." That is some real petty shit to stop us for. He must have been really bored. "My apologies officer. Won't happen again." Capri blurts. He's trying to end the conversation before the spray wears off. "It better not. You might get a ticket next time." The officer says before walking away. We wait until he drives away before continuing down the road.