Page 2 of The Hood’s Finest: Jersey & Mylani

Mylani

“Mylani, go get Trinity’s ass from school.

They done called here talking about she’s fighting and shit again.

I ain’t got time for this shit today.” My mom, Robin, was a piece of shit, but she was my piece of shit.

She was more concerned about her next high than her own children; hence, the reason I was going to pick my sixteen-year-old sister up from school.

She was what most would call a functioning addict.

She did coke heavily, but she made sure we had a roof over our head and utilities, thanks to Trinity’s dad. Everything else was on me.

Trinity stayed getting into trouble. She mostly did it so that she wouldn’t have to go to school. She was constantly teased because of our mother being a cokehead. Instead of her trying to get better, she only got worse.

“You do know Trinity is your child and not mine, right?” I asked sarcastically.

“Can you just do what I said and not give me lip all the damn time? Now go get your damn sister!”

Not bothering to give her any more of my energy, I got up and went to get Trinity.

We didn’t have a car, so I walked the four blocks to her school.

We stayed in the heart of the Bankhead, and I couldn’t wait to get out this shit.

I loved my hood, but I was over this shit.

Nobody seemed to want to better themselves, and the ones that did got criticized for it.

Fuck that. I was getting out this bitch by any means necessary. Fuck them and their opinions.

I made it to the school and headed to the main office so that I could get Trinity and leave. I approached the receptionist and asked for my sister.

“I’m here to pick up Trinity Richardson,” I told the chubby older lady at the desk.

“Are you her mother?”

“No, I’m her sister. Our mother couldn’t make it,” I explained.

“A parent needs to sign Trinity out. She can stay until your mother comes and get her.”

“Don’t you think if my mother could come, she would have? Now go get my sister so that I can go!” I snapped.

“Young lady, you need to lower your tone and show some respect.”

“Uhh, Margaret, it’s okay. This is Trinity’s sister. She’s of legal age and can be released to her,” the principal, Mr. Vega, came into view and put Margaret in her place. He knew of our home situation and tried his best to keep Trinity out of trouble.

“Thanks, Mr. Vega. Where is she?”

“She’s in the detention hall. She’s on her way up now.”

Mr. Vega had been the principal since I was in school.

He knew all about our mom’s drug addiction.

She was like most parents in the hood. The only difference was that he saw the potential in us and tried his best to keep us on the right track.

I looked up and saw Trinity walking into the office with her hair disheveled and the collar of her shirt torn.

“What happened?” I asked soon as she got within reach.

“Destiny’s dusty ass was talking about how my daddy stays with her and her mom because our mom is a junkie, so I slammed that bitch on her neck and told her to tell our daddy that.”

“Fuck her. She’s just mad that she looks like her dusty foot mama and you’re gorgeous.”

My little sister was beautiful. She was slim-thick with skin the color of bronze.

We both had long black hair. I chose to wear wigs most of the time, while she wore hers in its natural state.

Destiny was her sister and, for whatever reason, was jealous of Trinity.

That was her issue, though. Whatever beef she had with my sister, she needed to get over it.

“Come on, let’s go.” I ushered my sister out the school and headed down the block.

“You hungry?”

“I could eat,” she replied.

We kept walking until we made it to our favorite diner. Our mom started bringing us here when we were younger. It kinda made us feel somewhat normal and not like some misfits that most people saw us as. We walked inside and made our way to the back to our favorite booth.

“You know Ma gonna be pissed, but she’s gonna take it out on Ray’s ass.”

“You know she is. She’ll say he can’t come back ’round, until we see him leaving her room in the middle of the night or the next morning.”

“I know it’s hard, but try to stay outta Destiny’s way. She’s mad and jealous. I know she’s your sister, but that doesn’t mean you have to fuck with her.”

The waitress came and took our orders, and I continued to talk to my little sister until our food came.

It wasn’t often I got to spend time with her because I was usually asleep or working.

I did what most girls from the hood did and stripped.

It was easy money, and it kept us afloat.

Did I want to do it forever? Hell no, but for right now, I did what I had to do.

I signaled for the waitress so that I could pay for our food.

I needed to get a few hours of sleep before I went to work tonight.

“You can go ahead and close us out,” I told the girl waiting on us as I dug in my bag for my wallet.

“Oh, girl. That fine young man over there already paid for y’all,” she informed, pointing to a booth not far from us. I smirked and nodded my head at the fine ass man that was looking in my direction.

“That was generous of him. Here, take this for your tip.” I handed her a twenty-dollar bill and gathered my things so that we could leave.

“Lani, you know him?” Trinity inquired.

“Nope. Not at all.”

“You should. That nigga is fine as hell,” she simpered.

“Calm yo’ lil’ hot ass down. I thought you were dating Dantè?”

“I am. That don’t mean I’m blind.”

“Girl, come on here.” We headed out the diner but not before I stopped by my sexy admirer’s table.

“Thank you for paying for my sister and my lunch. That was nice of you.”

“No problem, shawty. How about you thank me with yo’ name and number?” He grinned, exposing his grill.

“You seem like a hood nigga; use your resources. You know the hood talks.”

“You right. I’ll be seeing you ’round.”

I switched out of the diner with Trinity in tow. I’d definitely be waiting to run into his fine ass again.