30. Halo
Halo
A week later
T oday was Krissy’s birthday. Instead of having a birthday party, she talked me into going out with her to the club. Clubbing wasn’t really my scene, but I always showed up whenever she wanted me to.
Kris had got a booth at Eternal, and I was ready to go out and have a good time. Ma was keeping Brave for me. I was so excited when I came home and saw that she was out. I’d talked to her earlier that week, but she didn’t mention that she was coming home so soon. Said that she wanted to surprise me, and Kris had told her where I was living. I was surprised indeed.
She was living with us now. Luckily, we had a third bedroom where she could sleep. Now that she was out, she was going to have to continue her treatments. I told her that I wanted to be there for her every step of the way.
All morning, I’d been searching for something to wear to the club. I asked Joker if he wanted to come out with us, but he told me to go ahead and enjoy my time with Kris. They’d yet to meet each other. I planned on setting something up for them to meet soon.
When I was out shopping, I stopped inside this boutique in the mall. It had a lot of cute things, but a lot of it was stuff that I wouldn’t wear. It was either too short or see through. I wasn’t wearing that shit. Joker wouldn’t allow me out the house like that anyway.
Getting up from the bed, I exited my bedroom and went down the hallway to Ma’s. I knocked once on the door and then opened it. She was sitting in the bed, watching television. I just stood there and admired her. It still was surreal that she was here with me right now.
“I talked to your daddy,” she blurted.
Sighing, I entered the room and climbed into bed along with her. Resting my head against her shoulder, I replied, “He’s been calling, but I’ve been ignoring him.” I know it’s not completely his fault that he wasn’t in my life. I should’ve been angry with my mama, but I couldn’t be mad at her right now, so I placed my anger elsewhere.
“I really think that you should talk to him. Just listen and see what he says. It’s not his fault, Halo.”
“I know. Do you need anything before I start getting ready?”
“Not really. It’s food in there, so I’ll just go cook us something for dinner after a while.”
“Okay.” Tilting my head back, I pecked her on the cheek. “I’m about to go take a shower and stuff. I’ll poke my head back in before I leave.”
“Alright.”
Climbing out the bed, I exited her room and pulled the door up behind me. Stopping by Brave’s room, I poked my head inside and asked, “Did you finish your homework?”
“Yes,” he replied, looking up from his tablet.
“Bedtime is nine thirty. Make sure you’re in it, and don’t give your grandmother a hard time tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Stepping away from his bedroom door, I went to my room. I was picking Krissy up at ten, and it was already going on seven. I needed to shower, comb my hair, and do my makeup. I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to do my hair. I should’ve taken my ass to the salon and let them do it.
Entering the bathroom, I turned on the shower and stripped out of my clothes. I stepped over into it and immediately cleaned myself. Though I normally usually take a good forty-minute shower, I didn’t have time to be in here all night long.
Once I was done, I got out and wrapped a towel around my body and then exited the bathroom. The dress I found was lying on my bed along with my shoes. After lotioning my body, I put on my bra and panties and then sat down at the vanity to do my hair and makeup. It took almost three hours just to do that, but I was pleased with my reflection.
My phone rang as I got up from the vanity to put my clothes on. Racing over to the nightstand, I swiped it from the charger and answered the FaceTime call from Joker. I figured he was gon’ call sooner or later, especially since he knew I was getting ready to go out.
“Hey, bae. I miss you,” I said soon as his face came into view.
“You not dressed yet?”
“No. I was just about to put my clothes on.”
“I called to see your outfit.”
“I promise it’s nothing you have to worry about.”
“Oh, I ain’t worried.”
“Yeah, okay.” My face scrunched and I tossed my phone onto the bed. Grabbing my dress, I slipped inside and placed my shoes on my feet.
“Brave ready for that game tomorrow?”
“Uh, I think so. He hasn’t said much about it.”
“I still can’t believe they lost the last one.”
“It was just one game,” I replied and stepped in view of my floor-length mirror. I had on this burgundy, lace mini dress. My hair flowed down my back in huge spiral curls. My face was beat to perfection. I looked damn good, and I saw why Joker was calling and checking for me.
Going back over to the bed, I grabbed my phone and said, “I guess I’ll let you see my outfit.” I went back to the mirror and flipped the camera.
“Got damn,” he replied and licked his lips, confirming what I already knew. “I might need you to come here instead of going to the club.”
“I can always come there afterward,” I made known. Ever since Joker got this pussy, we couldn’t stay off each other. He’d become my new addiction. I wasn’t certain if that was a good thing or bad thing.
“I’ll damn sure be looking for you too. Don’t break too many hearts.”
I snickered. “I love you. I’ll call once I leave the club.”
“I love you too.”
I ended the call and grabbed my clutch then left out the bedroom. Fried chicken could be smelled coming from downstairs. I stopped by Ma’s bedroom to see if she was in there before I left. Her door was wide open and she sat in the center of her bed with an empty plate a few inches away from her. Lord knows I missed my mama’s cooking. She had been cooking her ass off ever since she got here.
“I’m about to leave.”
Her eyes locked with mine, and she said, “Okay. Be careful out there.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Stepping to Brave’s bedroom, I saw him lying in bed with the television going, but he was knocked out. Practice probably tore him up today. Entering the room, I stopped at the side of his bed and kissed him on the forehead. Grabbing his remote, I turned the television off. I couldn’t help but think about how our lives changed so suddenly after meeting Joker. I couldn’t thank him enough for upgrading our lives. If someone would’ve told me that our lives would be like this a couple years ago, I wouldn’t have believed them.
Taking one final look at Brave, I left out his bedroom and went downstairs. It was dark. The only light illuminating down there was the one above the stove. Ma left it on like she used to back in the day. I don’t know why they always used it as a night light.
Pulling the front door open, I locked it and left out the house. Hitting the fob on my car, I unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver’s seat. As I backed out the driveway, I sent Kris a text to let her know I was on the way.
Me: I’m on my way.
Kris: Okay. I’ll be ready by the time you get here.
It didn’t take me long to make it to her house. We stayed about ten minutes away from each other. Pulling into her driveway, I grabbed my phone and called her. She answered on the second ring.
“I’m on my way out the door,” she said and ended the call. Seconds later, I saw her emerge from the house. I hopped out the car and opened my Snapchat. My friend looked good as hell. I couldn’t not film her as she strutted to my car.
Kris wore this white beaded dress that was mesh on the sides. She was confident coming out the house dressed like that. I couldn’t wear something that everyone knew I wasn’t wearing any panties. Her hair was bone straight, and her makeup was giving me life. When she realized I was filming, she strutted a bit harder, and I egged her on.
“One time for the birthday girl. Yes!” Kris puckered her lips and opened the passenger door. I stopped filming and got back down into the car. “That dress is so freaking pretty.”
“Thanks. It wasn’t cheap either.”
“I bet it wasn’t,” I told her and backed out the driveway.
When we pulled up to Eternal, the line was a mile long. Luckily for us, we didn’t have to wait in it. I parked in the first empty space I saw and we got out the car. We headed up to the entrance and the bouncer took one look at us. Kris told him, “I got a booth here. I’m Krissy Hopkins.”
He looked down at his iPad for a couple seconds and then said, “Go head.”
We neared the entrance, and I could hear Glorilla’s “I Luv Her” song blasting behind the doors. Kris yanked the door open and weed immediately attacked my nostrils. LED lights bounced off the walls. Niggas were posted up on the walls, and females were twerking their asses everywhere. A skinny chick stood on one of the tables with a bottle in her hand. The bar to the right of me was packed to the point there weren’t any seats left.
“Come on. Let’s take a shot before we head to my section,” Kris said, gripping me by the hand and leading me in the direction of the bar. She squeezed in between two chicks and lifted her hand up in the air. One of them turned her nose up at Kris but didn’t say shit. She better had kept her mouth shut because I didn’t care; I’d whup ass behind that one.
A body pressed up against me from behind and I jumped. When I turned around, I saw some guy standing there. I’d never seen this man a day in my life, and he was all up in my personal space. “Damn, baby, you so fine. Where you been hiding at?”
“Can you step the fuck back?” I bumped into Kris, trying to put space between us.
“You don’t have to be so rude. I was just trying to holler at you,” he spoke back. He wasn’t ugly or anything. In fact, he was kinda cute, but I only had eyes for my man. Every time I was in a relationship, I didn’t see another man.
“I got a man,” I quickly said and turned back around.
“I—” His sentence was cut short. I turned around to see why, and he was gone as if he’d disappeared into thin air. Shrugging, I faced Kris again. She handed me a shot. We clinked cups and tossed it back. I gave her the cup back and she slid it onto the counter. Taking me by the hand, she led me toward her section.
When we got over there, there were a few people already in it. She had purple and gold balloons floating with a big picture of her hanging on the wall with balloons that read Happy Birthday hanging above it. Bottles were already on the table.
“Aye!” this chick that worked with her said and jumped up from her seat. She ran over and pulled Kris into a hug. “Happy birthday!”
“Thank you.” Kris went and spoke to everyone that was in her section while I stood to the side. I didn’t fuck with these people; they were her associates. I did speak whenever spoken to, but for the most part, I stayed to myself.
Grabbing the bottle of Patrón, I poured myself a cup and chased it with some cranberry juice. I placed the cup to my lips just when I heard, “Hey, I’m Alex.” My eyes cut to the right of me and some guy was standing there. I just pretended as if he wasn’t standing there. “Kris told me all about you.”
“And who are you?” I spun and faced him. Alex was one of those medium-ugly niggas. What probably got women for him was his money and the way he dressed. I could sense he had money just from the crisp denim, white t-shirt, and fresh white Air Forces he wore. He had a simple platinum chain around his neck. It wasn’t doing too much like most niggas. The ones that were overdoing it, trying make it seem like that were rolling in cash, were the brokest ones in the room.
“Just a friend.” He flashed me a grin.
“Well, friend , I have a boyfriend and he don’t like me talking to other men.”
His eyes roamed my frame, and he replied, “I kinda figured. Ain’t no way a girl as beautiful as you single, but tell me this, how come he let you out the house like that?”
“Halo!” Kris called out my name. I turned and looked in her direction. She beckoned for me and then turned back to the other two girls she was talking to. When I turned back around to let Alex know I was cutting our conversation short, he was gone.
I strolled over to where Kris was to see what she wanted. “You want one of these?” she asked, showing me a container of brownies.
“Kris, are those edibles?”
A small smile stole across her lips, and she responded, “Yeah. I think it’ll be fun. Take a bite.” I don’t know why I always allow Kris to talk me into shit.
She broke the brownie and handed me a piece. Sticking it to my mouth, I bit down into it. It was good and moist. “Oh, this good,” I told her.
“See. Just wait ’til it kicks in.” She turned her bottle of Casamigos up.
I’m not gonna lie. It took that edible no time to kick in. Between that and the liquor, I was really feeling good. I found myself out there on the dance floor, getting down to one of Latto’s songs. I twerked my ass and Kris smacked it. A body pressed up behind me. Thinking it was Kris, I kept dancing ’til I looked back and saw that it was some random guy. I shoved him away from me and faced the opposite way. Swaying my hips to the beat of the song, rubbing my hands up and down my frame. The same guy approached me again.
“Can you gone?” I rolled my eyes. This was one of the reasons I didn’t like to go out like that.
“I’m just dancing,” he shot back.
“I’on want to dance with you. I’m good.” I turned away from him. He gripped me by the wrist. I snatched away and turned back to curse him out, but he was gone.
Kris and I had an amazing time. After the club, we stopped by Waffle House to grab something to eat. I pulled my phone out and sent Joker a text.
Me: Hey. I’m just checking in. I’m okay. We’re getting something to eat right now. I’ll bring you a to-go plate and I’ll be there after I drop her off.
It was three in the morning. I didn’t expect him to be up, so I laid my phone back on the table and finished up my food. Kris had a good five plates sitting in front of her. When she ordered, she said she was starving and couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted to eat.
“Can I get anything else for you?” the waitress asked when she approached the table.
“Uh, yeah. I want to order the steak and eggs. Scramble the cheese and load the hashbrowns. I’m taking it to go.”
“Okay,” she said and bounced away from the table.
“I’m going to head to the bathroom,” I told Kris. Her phone was blowing up on the table, but she wasn’t answering. I glanced down and saw that whoever was calling was saved as the heart, eggplant, and water emojis. It must was the guy that she’d been talking to. “You not gon’ answer that man?”
“He pissed me off. He was supposed to make it to my birthday and didn’t show up.” Picking up the phone, she rolled her eyes and sent him to voicemail.
“Did you at least see why he didn’t?”
“Fuck him.”
I could feel my pee getting ready to come down. “I’ll be right back,” I said and got up. As I headed to the restroom, I bumped into a guy that was coming out the men’s bathroom. “I’m sorry,” I told him.
“You good, beautiful.” The flicker of a smile passed his lips.
I went into the bathroom and ran to the toilet. If I didn’t make it when I did, I would’ve peed myself. After I was done, I flushed, washed my hands, and left out the restroom. My food was already sitting on the table, wrapped up, waiting for me. Kris saw me approaching, so she lifted to her feet, reached into her clutch, and pulled out some cash.
“It’s on me,” I spoke, grabbing my clutch off the booth. It felt good being able to say that. I pulled out two hundred dollars and dropped it on the table. Grabbing my food, we exited the building and hopped into my car.
I dropped Kris off at home and went to Joker’s place. He gave me a key to his penthouse so I could come over whenever I felt like it. Stepping on the elevator, I pressed his floor and the doors shut.
Getting off in his penthouse, I kicked my shoes off and placed the food on the counter in the kitchen on my way to his bedroom. “Babeeeeeeee,” I called out as I stepped into the room. Joker’s bed was still made with him nowhere in sight. The bathroom was pitch dark, letting me know that he wasn’t in there.
Hitting the power button, I unlocked my phone with my face, went to his contact, and sent him a message.
Me: Where are you?