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. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkCM4Gq22K
“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.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxcsY4e9fC
“No. I am sorry, I was in deep thought.” She apologizes. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfR0yDM3Wkc
“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?”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrma5iizZgm
“I am not hungry so I guess we could shop first.” 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXEh6xVc4U
“Great.” Gracine takes Zeniqua by her hand and they enter Charlotte Russe first.596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwix3Yh8CE
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. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdjoZeZCR7
“What are you grounded for, Gacine?” She has never really known Gracine to get into any trouble when they were little.596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxJErtrvWO
“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.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnqldr0mf8
Zeniqua’s mouth falls open and she stops looking through the jeans. “Are you serious?”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiJDUrepHc
“As a heart attack, girl. They searched everywhere for my silly ass.” She purses her lips together. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITDgMbjiXl
“Where were you?” She starts back looking through the jeans and pulls three pairs out and put them across her arm. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSw97TsJfn
“I was next door.” She burst out laughing. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlb5eGGwkO
Zeniqua snickers, “A party at the next door neighbor’s house?”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVkMoXfgSI
“This boy that I had a major crush on was there and I figured it was my chance to tell him I liked him.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7j59QF51gd
“Did you?”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3G4mBG5dg
“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’.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4tvVpy12G
Zeniqua laughs, “there is a drink called that?”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKmzrr8H6k
“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.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlKDowL6j1
“I don’t know about that. Remember I am trying to keep a low profile.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o43BcVYu7
“Keeping a low profile doesn’t mean you have to be boring, Zeni.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPThDliQddt
“You are crazy, Gracine. Crazier than I remember.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzHDas2ixNV
“Girl, I know. But, I couldn’t let him touch on me. I ain’t like that.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1Ix2DGTOo
Zeniqua smiles. They pay for their things and move to the next store, J. Crew. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLqg00JlGu
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. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6fORthQN1
“Alright then.” She and Gracine begin to go through shorts, shirts, dresses, skirts, and shoes until their arms were full. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8qhzOYyF04
Walking out with bags, they make their way to the food court and plop down with an exhausted sigh. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuTApWPT85
“This day is so awesome,” Zeniqua smiles. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSPv1DldCR
“Girl, we are just getting started.” Gracine picks through her bags to observe all she has. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkWIEFQkYA
“How did you get all that money?” Zeniqua whispers. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYfldAPoOm
Gracine scoots over to Zeniqua and whispers, “I sell a little stuff on the side.” She nods.
“Stuff like what?” She tilts her head. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1HSvEmkD4
“Loud, bars, molly, X, and PCP. Sometimes PCP. But, I make a killing with just those.” 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKMYURVLqZ
“So, you're a drug deale-,” 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1FU3VHB1V
“Correction. Drug rehab. It sounds more sophisticated.” She scoots to her side of the booth.596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxQdooQ4f4
“Drug rehab.”596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDizfT0tjf
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.596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72b0ooXRlC
“Who do you sell to?” Zeniqua finds herself fascinated with with the life her deceased mother first lived before she met her dreadful father. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZOSE2LfC6
“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. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDf3fk3pUFp
“Oh,” Zeniqua sits up straight. “I mean if it's not too much trouble. “ 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnWHOx4vsM
“Great. I will talk to Avery about it tomorrow. In the meantime, we should shop more and get food.” 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwkaIf8yVX
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. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qatjpdSFa
“I know she is here, Taiquana.” The male voice booms. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Ym1g47xso
“She is not here, Caleb. Now get outta here!” She hears her auntie yelling. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEs362OdDrE
Zeniqua silently gets out of her bed and creeps to her door. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxj97FHq3bZ
“She is here! This is the only place she would go.” the voice is her father's. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszHy3We1Jp
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. “ 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTna9FIRYI
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. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOa0HpBvBzI
“I told you, she wasn't here.” Taiquana smirks. 596Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhi64YpnlyJ
