I woke up to the sounds of my cellphone ringing obnoxiously beside me.
What the fuck? With Rayquan dead, there was virtually no one who needed to wake me up so early in the damn morning.
Except one other person. Someone I couldn't believe I forgot about.
Incoming call: Laura
Shit! I cursed myself. Today wasn't what I thought it was. I sat up quickly and picked up the call. 537Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgi4WkDorv
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"Hey girllllllll," I answered into the phone.
"I know you didn't forget my family's barbecue today! You were supposed to be here an hour ago so we could get ready together!" Laura exclaimed.
"I'm so sorry. I started my new job last night- I overslept." I finally get out.
"You're still coming right?" Laura asked, anxiously.
"Yes, of course. I'll just meet you there." I tell her, hanging up the phone.
I laid back in bed, my limbs spread out starfish styled. My head was still a little clouded from the alcohol I drank last night but my memory retained the most important parts.
Jackson.
He made me feel something I'd never felt before.
After we finished, we turned the lights on and got a good look at each other. He stood six feet tall, strong jawline, cut abs, a half sleeve on his right arm. His blonde hair shaved to a buzz cut.
Jackson tipped me a thousand dollars. Unbeknownst to me until I counted my money when I got home last night, he wrote on a middle bill his phone number with a 'text me' under the number. Cute.
Anyways, Laura's barbecue had started twenty minutes ago and if I didn't get ready now, I'd be late as hell to the party.
I showered and started on my appearance. I flat ironed my hair bone straight with a part down the middle. On my body was a baby blue knee length skater dress with white wedge heeled lace up sandals.
Now that I had a little more money to my name, I took an Uber to Laura's house which was a 10 bedroom mansion on the other side of town.
When I made it, the guard let me in. I took the two minute walk through the courtyard admiring the foreign cars parked up and down the driveway. Laura's parents were loaded and so were their friends.
I was jealous.
There was music playing. Jazz music. White people barbecues.... man I tell you.
Maneuvering through the crowded house, I searched for Laura. Eventually I found her in the kitchen stuffing her face with the finger foods.
"Hey girl. You alright?" I greeted her, my eyebrows scrunched up with concern.
"Nooooo," Laura whined. "My grandparents are here. They're separated. They're stressing me the hell out." She says.
My jaw dropped. "Mrs. Archibald is here? That woman hates me." My mind traces back to the memory of when Laura and I were in second grade. My hair was in kinks and naps. She couldn't stand the site of me. Calling me "Laura's little black friend".
Laura looked at me like I was crazy.
"Don't be crazy, Karma. She hasn't seen you in over 10 years. What's the worst that could happen?" Laura asked me.
"If you say so," I reply, a little anxious.
Laura and I locked our arms together, walking to the back of the house where majority of the party was.
"Karma is that you?!" I heard a squeaky female voice yell from across the yard. Laura giggles. "Look like mom has spotted you." She shrugs, letting go of me as her mother pranced over to us.
She greeted me with a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Oh it's been so long. How have you been dear? You look so astonishing." Laura's mother rambled on.
"I've been well, Heather." I say, smiling. We chatted for a few minutes before her mother decided to finally let us be.
"Have a mimosa while you're here," Heather winked at Laura and I before running off to finish hosting the barbecue.
Once Heather gave us the okay to drink at the party, Laura and I ditched the mimosas and grabbed a bottle of rum from the top shelf in the kitchen, escaping to Laura's bedroom.
We weren't extroverts and I didn't come to the barbecue for Laura's family, I came to spend time with my best friend.
"You are so lucky you got to take a year off from school. Harvard is stressing me the hell out." Laura confesses. We'd now made it to our third shot of alcohol.
'Got to take a year off.' I mentally repeated. Laura didn't understand my life or why I'm not currently in college. But that's my fault. I hadn't let her in.
"Why?" I ask her.
"The papers, the exams, and I never know exactly what to study for. My gpa is at a 2.0. I'm flunking." She sobbed uncontrollably. I took a gulp of liquor before making my over to her, wrapping my arms around her.
"Shhhh, don't cry. It's only your first year. You got this!" I say, trying my best to be encouraging.
"You don't get it Karma. My whole family is on my case about that damn school! That's why their having a barbecue. To celebrate my first "successful" year of college." Laura cried out.
I rubbed her back and combed my fingers through her hair. My best friend was going through it. I wish there was something I could do to ease her pain.
"Is there any chocolate around? You need something sweet." I suggested. Laura's head shot up.
"In the kitchen freezer. Bring more alcohol too!" She exclaims, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.
I hopped off of the bed, stumbling a little. The rum had made me a bit tipsy.
Before I descended the staircase, I heard whispers from the guest bedroom. Everyone was supposed to be downstairs. I decided to eavesdrop.
"Maybe if you didn't spend so much damn time at that strip club, we wouldn't be getting a divorce Jackson." I heard a woman say.
Jackson?
I peaked my head through the crack to try to get a good look at the people.
"And if you didn't spend so much time with the garden club doing god-knows-what, we wouldn't be getting a divorce. I mean for crying out loud we haven't slept together in almost fifteen years. What were you expecting?" The male voice snapped at her.
The alcohol must have really gotten to me because I could have sworn the same man from the strip club, that I had slept with, was in Laura's home. Arguing with Laura's grandmother.
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