1. Brittish Abernathy #2
“And what I tell you about putting your hands on my boys?” my mama, Felicia, yelled from the porch with her hands on her hips.
I pointed at Diamond and informed her, “He started it. The three of them jumped me, Ma.”
“Did y’all do that, AJ?” Ma pursed her lips together when AJ looked away, biting his bottom lip. It was a habit I’d apparently passed on to him. “Well, I take that back, Lucah. Get all three of them for my girl.”
The front yard went into an uproar, and I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Any time with my family was a good time. We were all thick as thieves, and the fighting came from straight love.
Like always, AJ wasn’t ready to leave. I teased him about how he’d called me numerous times to see where I was, but when it was time to go, he didn’t want to.
“Man,” Dionte started, draping his lanky arm around AJ, and those medium, bow-shaped lips curved at the sides. “You know how it is when he’s with his uncles. Let him be great and stay.”
Dionte was the baby, and he was a big surprise to us all.
Ma and Daddy were done having kids since they had the best of both worlds with me and Diamond.
So, imagine our surprise when Ma came home crying from an appointment, informing us she was pregnant.
I was ten years old and was the only one excited about it.
Ma’s pregnancy was hard, but we were all blessed with Dionte’s loving spirit.
“Uh, no.” I waved my finger. “He’s going with Asher and Zaina for the summer, and I want to get some one-on-one time with him.”
AJ tossed his little arms in the air before snaking one around Dionte’s waist and leaning into him. “Come on, Ma. It’s not like you won’t see me at all this summer. You know Dad and Mama Z will need date nights, and I’ll be with you. I never get both my uncles on the same day.”
“Britt, leave my nephew alone and go home. Call Pilar and see if she wants to go eat, and I’ll pay for y’all,” Diamond offered, and I realized I had no choice but to take it.
They weren’t going to let AJ come with me.
It wasn’t like he wanted to come anyway, so I took my loss and accepted Diamond’s offer.
I stayed at my parents for a little longer before leaving and calling up Pilar to see if she wanted to go eat.
Of course, she didn’t ever decline food, free or not, so I went home to get ready.
She was going to meet me at my house to pregame.
Whenever we got together, it was a good time.
Neither of us had work tomorrow, and since we were going out on Diamond’s dime, we would get in his pockets.
The weather in Maven Falls was scorching. The winter was harsh, so I figured summer would continue with the pattern. Pilar wanted to go eat at Daily Fix then go out for drinks. Getting cute was the only option.
Once I made it home, it didn’t take me long to get ready.
As I stared in the mirror, I had to hype myself up a little.
The blonde bundles in my hair complemented my sepia skin tone very well.
I was a bit hesitant about trying it since I loved a good jet-black look, but the blonde gave me a little more spice.
After curling and styling my hair in a half-up, half-down style, I put on my makeup and lashes.
Once I was satisfied with my look, I went to my room to scan myself over in my full-length mirror.
My breasts were about to spill out my tube top, but I couldn’t help it that God had blessed Felicia with some jugs that she’d passed down to me.
The older I got, the more I heard how I was built up like the ‘Benford’ women.
Only difference was I had some weight on me.
My stomach wasn’t flat, but neither was my ass.
I carried my weight well, and I looked damn good too.
“Bestie! Where are you?” Pilar’s loud voice filled my house.
Within seconds, she was in my room, with a bottle in one hand while the other was on her knee, twerking. I hyped her up before tightly embracing her.
Anytime I was with Pilar, she healed something in me.
I loved my brothers, but being the only girl could be draining.
When I was pregnant with AJ, I prayed for a girl.
I needed more feminine energy around me, but in my gut, I knew he was a boy.
Pilar had been the sister I’d always wanted since the fifth grade, and I couldn’t ask for a better best friend.
“Ooo, you look cute as hell, Britt! Body tea. Face tea. Everything tea.” Pilar tapped my ass and winked at me.
“That’s all you, P. This burgundy fits your skin so well.”
Since we were kids, I’d always thought Pilar was gorgeous.
She was a bit on the slimmer side with thick, natural hair that she kept curly and dyed.
I wasn’t sure how her hair was so healthy with how she liked to switch it up, but she did.
Now it was burgundy, and the way it looked against her espresso skin was stunning.
She had it styled in a fluffy braid out.
“Thank you.” She blushed, and her brown eyes seemed to glow. “Let’s take a few shots before we leave. I already scheduled a car to come pick us up so we can get as lit as we want.”
“Girl, you know I’m not about to do too much, especially if we’re still going out next weekend for Zaina’s birthday. I want to save all my drunkenness for then.”
“You have a good point. Well, we can still get lit, just not as lit.”
All I could do was wag my head when Pilar opened the bottle of tequila and made her way over to me. I opened my mouth, and she poured a shot in it. It was too much, and the burn settling in my chest had me second-guessing taking anymore.
Our car arrived ten minutes later. Pilar and I talked about work on the way to the restaurant.
She was the general manager of a restaurant, and I swear, she always had the craziest stories.
It was mind-blowing how entitled people were and how they treated service workers.
Pilar was sweet and damn good at her job.
She kept that restaurant running better than the owners, but she didn’t play when it came to respecting her and her staff members.
At Daily Fix, we were immediately seated upon entering, and I was grateful. The two shots we’d taken at my house had hit me, reminding me that I’d hardly ate anything all day.
“So, you know why Diamond’s fine ass wanted to pay, right?” Pilar joked, and I threw my straw wrapper at her.
“I’ll leave your ass here with no money, P. Quit playing with me when it comes to my brother. You’re the second person to bring him up like that. I’d hate to call his wife and let her know women are after her man.”
Pilar’s arched brows hung as she glared at me. “And who the hell was talking about him like that?”
“Girl, go on somewhere.”
When it came to Diamond, Pilar loved messing with me about him.
Back in the day, she had the biggest crush on him, but he let it be known he wouldn’t date someone so close to me.
At first, her feelings were hurt. She didn’t even want to come to the house anymore, but Ma got onto her ass.
Deep down, I believed she still had a thing for him, but her comments were mostly to get under my skin.
Like a true sister, she loved picking with me.
Once our drinks and appetizers came, we said a prayer over everything, and Pilar redirected the conversation.
“How do you feel about AJ’s new travel ball team?”
I picked up one of the fried pickles and dipped it in the spicy ranch.
“Honestly, I’m excited. The team he was on last year wasn’t the best, and I don’t mean players wise.
It was a daddy team, if you get what I’m saying.
AJ didn’t get much playing time compared to some of the other boys, so I’m praying it’s better this year, especially with it being a Black head coach. ”
“I know that’s right. I’d hate to come show my ass at one of his games, but you know I’ll do it. Do you know who the coach is?”
“I don’t, but Zaina does. She said they went to school together, and he had the credentials behind him. I guess we’ll see.”
The rest of my time with Pilar was nice. We ate, drank, and talked for hours. Instead of going out for drinks after dinner, we headed back to my place. It was probably for the best because we both ended up sleeping on my couch.
I missed my baby, but time with my best friend was much needed.