Chapter 4
“You know those new Jordans came out Monday, so it’s about to be packed in Footlocker.” Drake complained as we headed into the mall. I nodded but didn’t respond. My mind was on this game we had coming up next week. Coach told me scouts from three different colleges were coming to check out Drake, several other seniors on the squad, and me. We’d had a good season so far, but I needed to make these next few games count.
“Baby, can we get some food from Mr. P’s?” Brielle begged as she held onto my arm. She’d already spent a chunk of my money on some makeup, perfume, and a bunch of other things she didn’t need. I wasn’t tripping, because I had plenty. I just didn’t like wasting my money on dumb shit.
“We can go as soon as we grab these shoes.” She pouted, but I couldn’t care less. We’d spent enough time on the shit she wanted. Now it was time to spend my money on myself. Drake wasn’t lying when he mentioned how packed this place would be. The line for the sneaker store was out of the door and wrapped around the corner. However, I needed to pick up the shoes that I ordered, so I walked right up to the front.
“Aye, I came to pick up my shoes. They’re already paid for, so I wasn’t sure if I needed to stand in the line or not.” The girl at the cash register took one look at me and started grinning hard. I was accustomed to shit like this, and I wouldn’t lie and pretend like I didn’t use it to my advantage.
“Oh, umm. What’s your name?”
“Dinero Sutton.”
“Okay, Dinero. Give me one minute, and I’ll have someone go check.” She called someone over and whispered something in their ear. I stood off to the side while they talked. The young dude nodded before heading off to the back.
“Well, I’m going to look around to see if there’s anything here that I like.” Brielle walked off with her friend Nadia.
“Nadia’s crazy as hell if she thinks I’m buying her anything. The pussy is straight, but not enough for me to spend my cash on. I mean, she can get a meal, but that’s about it.” I shook my head, but it was no surprise to me. Drake was the flashy type. However, he was stingy as hell.
“That’s cold-blooded.”
“Naw, my father taught me to never give a bitch money unless she is carrying my child or my last name. She might want to hit her daddy up if she wants a sponsor.”
“I guess you don’t plan on dating then, because I don’t know a single broad that’s gonna date a man without you opening your wallet, especially once we make it to the big leagues.” We planned to get drafted into the NFL at the same time and take the world by storm.
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m not looking for a girlfriend. All I need is pussy. They can keep the relationship shit. I’m about to make millions one day. They better fall in line.”
“Yeah, I heard you.” Drake and I shared the love of the game, but we were different in many ways. My mother taught me how to treat a woman and respect them at a very young age. Although I wouldn’t categorize myself as the perfect gentleman, I tried my best to follow my values.
“Okay, here you go. You’re all set. Is there anything else I can get for you? Anything at all?” The cashier winked at me as if she didn’t have a line of people out the door.
“Naw, I’m straight.” Grabbing my bags, we headed over to where the girls were standing. I took a seat on the bench while Brielle continued to shop around. Once we finally made it to the food court, my stomach was touching my back. Brielle and the rest of the group wanted Mr. P’s, while I opted to go to the Steak Shack. I was in the mood for a chicken cheesesteak with all the fixings. I stood in line for about fifteen minutes until I finally made it to the register.
“Welcome to Steak Shack. What can I get for you today?” I recognized the pretty girl as Charae. We never really talked much until recently, but she seemed like a nice girl—one of those innocent and naive ones.
“Hey, how are you doing? Can I get the large chicken cheesesteak with a large fry and lemonade?”
“You sure can. Is there anything else I can get for you?” My head turned over to Brielle and them at the table waiting for me.
“How are you? I haven’t seen you around much.”
“You never paid attention to me in the first place, so I don’t see why you care.” Her words were harsh, but her tone remained professional.
“Touché. I wasn’t trying to offend you or anything. I just wanted to know that you’re okay.”
“I see you’re still fucking with my bully. Your total is 16.50. Will that be cash or card?” I chuckled at the way she dismissed me. It wasn’t something I was used to, being who I am. It kind of made me even more intrigued by her.
“Keep the change.” I handed her a hundred-dollar bill. Charae frowned at me, then glanced back down at the money.
“We don’t take tips from customers. Besides, I’m not a charity case you can throw money at to make yourself feel better.”
“What would I need to feel better about exactly?” She offended me slightly, and I wasn’t sure how to feel.
“Nothing. Your order should be ready in five minutes. You can wait over there.” I couldn’t explain why her coldness got under my skin, but it did. I hated the idea of her looking at me in a negative way, but I couldn’t explain why.
After the other worker called my food order out, I turned to look at Charae one last time. She never even turned in my direction as she took orders from another customer. I didn’t know why her presence got to me the way it did, but I tried my best to put it behind me once I got to the table.
“What’s wrong, baby?”
“I’m straight.” I kept it short because I really didn’t have much to say. Brielle and I had been kicking it for a little minute now, but it was nothing special to me. Truthfully, love wasn’t on my agenda. The only thing I cared about was securing my future and making it to the NFL.
“I saw you talking to Rae. What was that about?” Drake probed, although I wondered why.
“It was nothing.” I shrugged, focusing my attention on my food.
“She’s been acting really strange lately. She gets up every morning and walks to the bus stop before everyone gets up in the morning. I thought maybe I’d done something to her, but she hasn’t been fucking with the family at all.” I glanced over at the girls, knowing I wasn’t trying to have this conversation around them.
“She’s a loser anyways. I mean, look at the way she dresses. If I were your parents, I would have taken her right back to the pound they got her from,” Nadia spat. She and Brielle slapped hands, as if she’d said something insightful.
“Exactly! I’m glad my parents chose not to be foster parents because I would die to be associated with a weirdo like her,” Brielle added in.
“It’s foster care. She’s not a fucking pet.” I glared at them but decided to bite my tongue since I knew my words would be disrespectful. I hated mean girls, and it wasn’t until recently that I saw Brielle as one of them. She kept that shit away from me when we first started kicking it.
“My brother wanted to ask her to prom, but I shut it down. We have a reputation to uphold, and going to prom with someone like her would ruin everything.”
My jaw flexed, but I tried to calm myself down. I couldn’t even explain why their comments pissed me off the way they did. However, I knew this would probably be the last time I hung out with Brielle.
“She’s actually smart as hell, foreal. I don’t think she’s weird at all; she’s just been through a lot of shit in life. My parents aren’t perfect, but I don’t know what I would have done not having them. I’m sure it’s tough for her.” This was the most sympathy I’d ever seen from Drake.
“Aw, do you have a soft spot for that dirty bitch? What? Do you want to fuck her or something?” Nadia sounded as if she held personal animosity toward Charae from how she spoke about her.
“Hell, I might. I know her pussy gotta be tighter than your ran through ass. You’ve got some nerve talking about someone else when you’re only seventeen with two abortions under your belt. If I were you, I would focus on more important things.”
“Drake! I told you that in confidence. Why would you even bring that up?”
“Aye, I’m only pointing out the obvious. You seemed to have no problem judging other people as if your shit doesn’t stink.”
“You know what? Fuck you and your wack-ass dick. I didn’t feel anything when we fucked anyways.” Nadia jumped up from the table, and Brielle followed suit.
“I bet you couldn’t when your walls are wider than the intersection. I’ve never taken that long to nut in my life. Damn near had to imagine six different bitches just to get my rocks off. You need to be talking to your doctor to see if they can sew that shit up a little bit. It’s like diving into a bottomless pit with no flashlight.” My lemonade went down the wrong pipe, causing me to choke.
“Really, Dinero? Are you really going to let your friend talk to her like this?” Brielle pressed with her hands on her hips.
“That’s between them.” I shrugged, getting up to throw my trash away. I spotted Charae sitting at another table. She must have been on a break or something. The urge to go up to her was strong, but I held back.
“Aye, I’m about to head out of here. These broads are in their feelings, so they called Brielle’s brother to pick them up. I hope they know that corny ass nigga can’t see me on my worst day. I’ll lay his ass out.” Drake huffed, although I knew this to be true. Drake had been in plenty of fights and hadn’t lost a single one. It was one of the reasons his ass was always getting in trouble on the field for his temper.
“We can head out. What time does Charae usually clock out?”
“What the fuck do you want to know all of that for?”
“I’m asking because it’s supposed to be a severe thunderstorm tonight, and you mentioned she takes the bus and then walks. I don’t really think that’s a good idea.”
“I think she closes, but I’m not sure what time she gets off. Why don’t you ask her since you care so much.” I stared at him for a moment but decided to bite the bullet.
I noticed Rae getting up for her break, so I rushed over to her. The glare she gave me told me I’d caught her off guard. Truthfully, this was all out of character for me.
“Umm, was there something wrong with your food?” Charae eyed me quizzically while I stared at her soft, plump lips, which made her appear as though she was pouting.
“Naw, my food was straight. I came over here to ask what time you get off tonight.” My hands were in my pockets while she stared at me.
“Why? Are you and your little girlfriend waiting to jump me or something?”
“What kind of question is that? You must have me confused with another dude.”
“Well, I don’t know you like that, so what else would you expect me to think?”
“Look, I wanted to see if you needed a ride home tonight. It’s supposed to rain heavily tonight, and I don’t think you should be walking.”
“Who told you that I walk?” Charae crossed her arms as she glanced over at Drake, who put his hands up in mock surrender before walking away.
“Why are you making this difficult?”
“I mean, you could always leave me alone, and then you wouldn’t have to worry about me or my attitude.” Normally, I wouldn’t have even pressed the issue, but things were different with her.
“You could make this easy and tell me, or I can just sit here all night until you clock out.”
“Didn’t I tell you I didn’t want to be your charity case? What part of that don’t you understand?” For as long as I’d known her, I’d never experienced this version of her. Instead of arguing with her, I took a seat at the table in front of us and pulled out my phone.
“W-what are you doing?”
“I gave you the options, and since you still haven’t answered my question, I’ll be chilling here until you finish.”
“Ugh, why do you have to be so annoying? Did Drake put you up to this, because if so, you can leave. I don’t want anything from him or his crazy ass family.” Her outburst threw me for a loop. This was the first time she’d spoken on them before.
“Drake has nothing to do with this. I don’t want you outside in the rain. Plus, folks like to drive crazy when the weather gets bad. You’ll mess around and end up getting hit.”
“If only I could be so lucky.” She mumbled the words, but I heard them loud and clear. The two of us engaged in a stare off until she finally gave up.
“Look, I have to get back to work, and I don’t have time to be going back and forth with you. I get off at nine thirty, but I’m making it clear that I don’t need you to take me home. I brought my umbrella with me as well as a poncho if it gets too bad. The bus stop is only a block from my house.” I waved her off and then got up from my seat.
“Alright. I’m gonna have Drake drop me off at the house, then I’ll come back around nine fifteen. If you can hook me up with another sub when it’s closing time, I would really appreciate it.”
“You’re annoying,” Charae grumbled behind my back. I smiled, knowing I’d gotten under her skin the same way she’d gotten under mine.
“You’re welcome. Don’t make me have to come in here and get you tonight.” She flipped me off, then turned to walk back to her station. A part of me didn’t want to leave, but I wouldn’t be able to do much if I didn’t have my car. I glanced over in her direction, and we locked eyes. I didn’t know what this feeling was, but I knew I wanted to learn more about her.