Gracine is rambling on about boys and the mall while Zeniqua’s mind is zoning out about her father and if he is looking for her. She can see him now sending a mass of his best men on her trail to find out where she went. Going through each state, trying to figure out where she could have gone or hidden until day break. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIfWp5arqw
“Zeniqua, did you hear with I said?” Gracine growls as she finds a parking spot close to the entrance of the mall. “Finally. Damn slow pokes.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPY7ZKz6Xp
“No. I am sorry, I was in deep thought.” She apologizes. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTq1KCdpnB
“I see,” She gets out and so does Zeniqua. “I asked you what did you want to do first? Do you want to shop for clothes or do you want to eat?”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVczVxnvR2L
“I am not hungry so I guess we could shop first.” 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rw2mKWRjW
“Great.” Gracine takes Zeniqua by her hand and they enter Charlotte Russe first.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0ddZ0RIfw
Zeniqua’s cheeks flushed at the short skirts and cut off shirts all around the store. Her eyes glistened at the variety of high heels and glittery sandals. She’d never been to a store of such girlishness since her father always bought her boy clothes. He always shopped for her as a part of his controlling ways and to make sure she didn’t get hit on. But, even in baggy jeans and shirts, Zeniqua was still beautiful. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhQWveY6ZV
“What are you grounded for, Gacine?” She has never really known Gracine to get into any trouble when they were little.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2k6USbgyIG
“I snuck out to a party. When I didn’t come back,” she sighs and fingers through some shirts. “My mom and Neari started a search party and called the police.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvddpRdOoEw
Zeniqua’s mouth falls open and she stops looking through the jeans. “Are you serious?”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUlCQOjRqm
“As a heart attack, girl. They searched everywhere for my silly ass.” She purses her lips together. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuViaRvavYk
“Where were you?” She starts back looking through the jeans and pulls three pairs out and put them across her arm. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr20VhDGMw
“I was next door.” She burst out laughing. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBve1JxKpr
Zeniqua snickers, “A party at the next door neighbor’s house?”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuc1e6MpC3M
“This boy that I had a major crush on was there and I figured it was my chance to tell him I liked him.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJnXiL3HLf
“Did you?”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIyimL7lJ2
“Hell naw. I saw him kissing on three girls throughout the party. But, I didn’t leave just because of that.” She puts a shirt across her arm and continues looking. “I had a great time. I smoked a little weed. I had some drink called ‘Adios Mutherfuker’.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVRQdgLuDb
Zeniqua laughs, “there is a drink called that?”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeq7xo2BwI
“Yeah. It was good. I was drunk and some boy tried to come onto me. I two pieced him, he fell to the ground crying and screaming, but no one flinched.” She shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe if there is another one I can find, you can come with me. But, they get pretty wild.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHoi3MS71P
“I don’t know about that. Remember I am trying to keep a low profile.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ18ocpjsCWI
“Keeping a low profile doesn’t mean you have to be boring, Zeni.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwpR5rKNbd
“You are crazy, Gracine. Crazier than I remember.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ360UX0kkQP
“Girl, I know. But, I couldn’t let him touch on me. I ain’t like that.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5l4plfZoza
Zeniqua smiles. They pay for their things and move to the next store, J. Crew. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcFSKTOdXI
Zeniqua is feeling as though she is in heaven with all the shopping they are doing. Zeniqua was barely let out of the house, only to go to school when her father found out she’d been talking to a few boys. What was she supposed to do? There were boys everywhere. In her classes, up the street, down the street, around the corners. But told Zeniqua that any one of them could be his rivals’ sons and he couldn’t take the chance of her getting hurt because of them. She wasn’t sure if that were true but she understood what her crazed father was saying.
“Come on, Zeni. Pick out some clothes. I got money for days.” Gracine secretly reaches into her purse, Zeniqua peeks and sees a wad of 100 dollar bills. Her hues widen and she stands up. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bW5UZdscL
“Alright then.” She and Gracine begin to go through shorts, shirts, dresses, skirts, and shoes until their arms were full. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlfqA16sxN0
Walking out with bags, they make their way to the food court and plop down with an exhausted sigh. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMkEIXnc4g
“This day is so awesome,” Zeniqua smiles. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hOjnLma9L
“Girl, we are just getting started.” Gracine picks through her bags to observe all she has. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHgPLbxH6n
“How did you get all that money?” Zeniqua whispers. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvX6ydmr5dG
Gracine scoots over to Zeniqua and whispers, “I sell a little stuff on the side.” She nods.
“Stuff like what?” She tilts her head. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQA1B9XZjs
“Loud, bars, molly, X, and PCP. Sometimes PCP. But, I make a killing with just those.” 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHUwlXrTou
“So, you're a drug deale-,” 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYWOJ7htnr
“Correction. Drug rehab. It sounds more sophisticated.” She scoots to her side of the booth.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVUdPERYz6
“Drug rehab.”585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmIvgLAJbk
She nods, “I can get you in. If you want, but then you really have to keep a low profile. Because you can't go announcing that you have drugs. That's how you get robbed.” She schools Zeniqua.585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFk9U2nmcww
“Who do you sell to?” Zeniqua finds herself fascinated with with the life her deceased mother first lived before she met her dreadful father. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2daP2zcRxV
“Anyone who wants some and can pay. If they can't pay, they don't get anything. And I make that real clear.” The sneer on her face sent a cold chill down Zeniqua’s spine. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffiwsptQ9I
“Oh,” Zeniqua sits up straight. “I mean if it's not too much trouble. “ 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡibvdEz1GS5
“Great. I will talk to Avery about it tomorrow. In the meantime, we should shop more and get food.” 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJt25RL943
After a long day of shopping, Zeniqua was happy to be in the room her aunt made up for her. Just as she got a shower and is about to snuggle down in her bed, she hears a commotion at the front door. Hey room door is closed. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DCQR2wG5e
“I know she is here, Taiquana.” The male voice booms. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5C6VtRsFhM
“She is not here, Caleb. Now get outta here!” She hears her auntie yelling. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxeJHJroVB
Zeniqua silently gets out of her bed and creeps to her door. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIMz1ZysqZ
“She is here! This is the only place she would go.” the voice is her father's. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcsmXJaCAN
Hey heart drops to her stomach and her breath catches in her throat. How'd he find me? She steps back from the door at the slight jingle. “Zeniqua! Get your ass out here. “ 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPBGU0BvZo
No, no. I can't go back. He'll kill me for sure. Zeniqua opens her window and climbs out. She shivers at the cold sensation under her feet. Wet grass. Shit.
The door violently swings open and Zeniqua once again takes off running into the dead of night. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFxzin6vEZ
“I told you, she wasn't here.” Taiquana smirks. 585Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQvE0aqboE
