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. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEu7VP6CD8Z
“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.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhEbUvCR7v
“No. I am sorry, I was in deep thought.” She apologizes. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp60nt17K6F
“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?”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBP8pPVnOIL
“I am not hungry so I guess we could shop first.” 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsurxUwOGaN
“Great.” Gracine takes Zeniqua by her hand and they enter Charlotte Russe first.469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIWniYQOoZT
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. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdHgPzByt5B
“What are you grounded for, Gacine?” She has never really known Gracine to get into any trouble when they were little.469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87xFibS7SF
“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.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggoFoTGACX
Zeniqua’s mouth falls open and she stops looking through the jeans. “Are you serious?”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd68WonttE2
“As a heart attack, girl. They searched everywhere for my silly ass.” She purses her lips together. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsklthSPi47
“Where were you?” She starts back looking through the jeans and pulls three pairs out and put them across her arm. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrYxTG36aI
“I was next door.” She burst out laughing. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiak6sm7Mfi
Zeniqua snickers, “A party at the next door neighbor’s house?”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdGZgvsWqwv
“This boy that I had a major crush on was there and I figured it was my chance to tell him I liked him.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNe94NBdeP
“Did you?”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZJAckEvgj
“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’.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwgyWsV93N
Zeniqua laughs, “there is a drink called that?”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ymCSPtoCb
“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.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4Cr278TEE
“I don’t know about that. Remember I am trying to keep a low profile.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6tR2QLDzc
“Keeping a low profile doesn’t mean you have to be boring, Zeni.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡguqfIjl9Zj
“You are crazy, Gracine. Crazier than I remember.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡojhuoYESVv
“Girl, I know. But, I couldn’t let him touch on me. I ain’t like that.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJE8B2KQjd3
Zeniqua smiles. They pay for their things and move to the next store, J. Crew. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawcB0UTud6
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. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6xlq4l1yg
“Alright then.” She and Gracine begin to go through shorts, shirts, dresses, skirts, and shoes until their arms were full. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwL4a6Rwga9
Walking out with bags, they make their way to the food court and plop down with an exhausted sigh. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6J1iZOdne6
“This day is so awesome,” Zeniqua smiles. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNjAN4PuaT
“Girl, we are just getting started.” Gracine picks through her bags to observe all she has. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHxAzHH6CS
“How did you get all that money?” Zeniqua whispers. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBLIaKmtFi
Gracine scoots over to Zeniqua and whispers, “I sell a little stuff on the side.” She nods.
“Stuff like what?” She tilts her head. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDteYwe1YDf
“Loud, bars, molly, X, and PCP. Sometimes PCP. But, I make a killing with just those.” 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYMuAmu78g
“So, you're a drug deale-,” 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAlkD7jkBP
“Correction. Drug rehab. It sounds more sophisticated.” She scoots to her side of the booth.469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqxl9LMtty
“Drug rehab.”469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyIDovqglm
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.469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAghckXDha
“Who do you sell to?” Zeniqua finds herself fascinated with with the life her deceased mother first lived before she met her dreadful father. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MiG5sLNC3
“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. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALudFrGzlS
“Oh,” Zeniqua sits up straight. “I mean if it's not too much trouble. “ 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcHYaVfHQM
“Great. I will talk to Avery about it tomorrow. In the meantime, we should shop more and get food.” 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzlHHyw6KXW
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. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHyP3gqb2f
“I know she is here, Taiquana.” The male voice booms. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ZfKYEAa3h
“She is not here, Caleb. Now get outta here!” She hears her auntie yelling. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH7cwutlro
Zeniqua silently gets out of her bed and creeps to her door. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9JTrVavjH
“She is here! This is the only place she would go.” the voice is her father's. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHSCdQziVR
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. “ 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHkfNS4IpN
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. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspojMZNcTf
“I told you, she wasn't here.” Taiquana smirks. 469Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEuN7QH7zo
