Sweet Tooth: On My Block

15: worries

As Maxine gazed around the empty bakery before her, she let out a sigh of contentment. She felt like she'd erased the slate and started over. 

"Maxie," Oscar called, entering the bakery.

"Hey, Oscar," she smiled. "Why are you here so early? I just opened the bakery."

"Wanted to see you." He shrugged and looked her up and down. "You look good in white. Why don't you wear it more often?"

Maxine looked down at what she was wearing: a simple white top and jeans paired with a cute pair of sneakers. Her hair cascaded down her front, parted equally. She brushed two strands framing her face out of her eyes. "I work at a bakery, Oscar. I can't wear white."

"Well, you look beautiful, as always," he added, and gave her a kiss when she strode over to him. "Can I take you out today?"

"Maybe tomorrow. I have to tell Nova about us first. She'll get mad if I don't."

"Okay then," Oscar laughed. "I'll stay here with you until she gets here."

xxx

"You're in a good mood," Nova noticed. "You hate doing the dishes. Why are you doing them?"

Maxine grinned. "I don't know. I think it's because...I'm dating Oscar!"

"What?" she shrieked, dropping the pan in her hands, which was thankfully empty, and clattered to the ground, making a big crash! sound. "You're dating Spooky?! When?!"

"Since yesterday. It's amazing, right?"

"Yeah, I'm just stunned," Nova admitted. "It's just that I thought you were dating Dom? And I thought he was fucking Sofia? And I assumed he didn't like you?"

"I know, but I called him last night. We talked, and he confessed. We worked it out."

"That's awesome, but what about Dom? Did you just dump him for Spooky?"

"No, he overheard me talking over the phone about breaking up with him and dumped me himself. I didn't just break up with him because Oscar said he liked me."

"Oh, okay."

Something didn't sit right. It didn't take a genius to know Nova wasn't fully happy for her friend, and Maxine knew that. "What's wrong? Tell me, Nova. Aren't you happy for me?"

"Maxie, you know that I want you to be happy, but it just feels like it's all too soon. The second Spooky told you he liked you, you jumped up at the chance. That's what it seems like. I jut don't want you to get hurt." She sighed. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad. I understand why you'd be concerned, but it's Oscar. He wouldn't hurt me."

"Okay, then I'll let it go." After a few moments, she smiled. "Did you kiss?"

Maxine was appalled. "Nova! You can't-"

"Did you?" She pressed on further. 

"Fine," Maxine gave in. "Yes, we did. And yes, I liked it. It was the best kiss ever."

"Aw, that's so cute. Who started it?"

Maxine wiped the counter dry and paused to take the orders from a gentle-looking guy with gray eyes. She handed him a packaged chocolate cookie and rung up his order, waving goodbye to him as he took his cookie and left. "So-"

Kinsey burst through the door with a sighing Sage in tow. "Hey putas, there's a problem!" 

An older woman with a plump build and curly graying hair looked up at the sudden noise, and Kinsey stared her down. "What are you looking at?"

"Excuse me, young lady?" The woman started, but Maxine quickly rushed over. 

"I'm so sorry, miss. My friend is just excited, that's all." She took Kinsey by the wrist and led her into the back. "Kinsey, you can't interrupt my work. What's the issue?"

Kinsey rolled her eyes. "That hoe Sofia found out that you and Spooky are fucking, that's what. How come you didn't tell us?" She asked accusingly.

"Because it happened last night! I would've told you two, but I guess Sofia beat me to it."

"Are y'all really hooking up, or is it something serious?" Sage asked, pulling up her tube top. 

"We're not hooking up," Maxine laughed. "And we're just seeing how it'll go."

"Damn. So it is serious."

"I just told you we're not even sure!"

"Excuse me!" Kinsey interrupted. "Are you guys listening or what? We have a problem, Spooky's ex-hoe is tryna fuck up your relationship!"

"She's right, we need to do something," Nova agreed. "Should we beat her up or confront her? The baseball bat always does the trick."

"Don't go for that lame-ass kid shit. I have a gun, or knives, if we want to be creative."

"Jesus, Kinsey, we're not gonna cut a bitch up," Sage exclaimed.

xxx

"Trust me, this is where she lives," Sage told Maxine, Nova, and Kinsey, pointing at the house in front of them on the sidewalk. "I remember. We used to be tight as fuck until she suddenly became all bitchy and shit." She turned to the door and gave two hard knocks.

"Hey, Spook-what the fuck are you doing here?" Sofia asked Sage, looking at the group in disgust. She was dressed in a black tracksuit, the top half-zipped up so her cleavage was on full display.

"Aw, that's so cute. You were waiting for Spooky but he's not here," Kinsey laughed. "I heard that you were talking shit about my girl Maxine here and I wanted to fix the problem."

Sofia opened her mouth, about to say something rude, but quickly shut it and decided not to when she caught a glimpse of the pocketknife in Kinsey's left hand. "What do you want?" she tried instead, narrowing her eyes.

"First, I want to know why you keep trying to screw up their relationship."

xxx

"See, I told you I'd fix her," Kinsey argued, taking a drink from the bottle of beer in her hand. "She won't be bothering you anytime soon."

"Kinsey, you didn't have to cut off a chunk of her hair," Sage sighed.

The girl rolled her eyes. "It worked, didn't it?"

Both of Sage's and Kinsey's phones rang at the same time. Sage picked up and held the phone to her ear for a minute or so before hanging up and turning to Kinsey. "We need to go." 

Kinsey stood up, slipping her phone in one of her pockets. 

"Where are you going?" Maxine asked curiously.

"Some Prophet putos pulled a gun on Javier and we need to go handle people. Sorry we couldn't stay longer," Sage replied. 

"It's fine," Nova nodded. "Y'all have work."

Once they were out the door and gone, Nova turned to Maxine, who was chewing her lip nervously. "What's wrong with you, Maxie?" She asked teasingly. "Seriously, though."

"I just-I just keep worrying that something like that might happen to Oscar. See, this is why I shouldn't be dating him. What if-"

"Shit, I totally forgot about that," Nova mumbled. She pulled the troubled girl into her arms. "Maxine, it'll be okay. No one would dare threaten Spooky."

"I know, but I just can't help thinking about all the what ifs. Like what if someone-"

"Don't. Don't worry yourself with that. It won't get you anywhere and you know it. You'll just end up making yourself anxious. Just trust that it'll be fine." Nova took a sip from Kinsey's beer and offered it to Maxine, who shook her head no. "Spooky's been through this shit a bunch of times and he's come out on top."

PLEASE VOTE! LOVE YOUUUUU