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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYKERDhNUe
“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.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rYP7ni3En
“No. I am sorry, I was in deep thought.” She apologizes. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FsS11gGE3
“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?”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUUUDfjEdF
“I am not hungry so I guess we could shop first.” 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcijATCM3KT
“Great.” Gracine takes Zeniqua by her hand and they enter Charlotte Russe first.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXepPjDri8C
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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1aq0458mc
“What are you grounded for, Gacine?” She has never really known Gracine to get into any trouble when they were little.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkszYHEJb9
“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.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCIJ5tbfgX
Zeniqua’s mouth falls open and she stops looking through the jeans. “Are you serious?”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKKtfTFKR0
“As a heart attack, girl. They searched everywhere for my silly ass.” She purses her lips together. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnOWfxisAa
“Where were you?” She starts back looking through the jeans and pulls three pairs out and put them across her arm. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4BxAh2h7r
“I was next door.” She burst out laughing. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlC2nHu8PV
Zeniqua snickers, “A party at the next door neighbor’s house?”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRY9tXiIq93
“This boy that I had a major crush on was there and I figured it was my chance to tell him I liked him.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM2zNNUBxI
“Did you?”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjqBHG7SIT
“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’.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpceNXhYqWE
Zeniqua laughs, “there is a drink called that?”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGWcM1GniN
“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.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRf6cHkLNt
“I don’t know about that. Remember I am trying to keep a low profile.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzPkBLwhs5
“Keeping a low profile doesn’t mean you have to be boring, Zeni.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQaxEvJjDO2
“You are crazy, Gracine. Crazier than I remember.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTMM1JmFSZ
“Girl, I know. But, I couldn’t let him touch on me. I ain’t like that.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSFu1ySPwf
Zeniqua smiles. They pay for their things and move to the next store, J. Crew. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPFETzgAI4
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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrFhclfGl4
“Alright then.” She and Gracine begin to go through shorts, shirts, dresses, skirts, and shoes until their arms were full. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqk5be4CNK8
Walking out with bags, they make their way to the food court and plop down with an exhausted sigh. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWPJetwUr3
“This day is so awesome,” Zeniqua smiles. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60gBzjzenF
“Girl, we are just getting started.” Gracine picks through her bags to observe all she has. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAnvuJJQHD
“How did you get all that money?” Zeniqua whispers. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYGVaJGtmh
Gracine scoots over to Zeniqua and whispers, “I sell a little stuff on the side.” She nods.
“Stuff like what?” She tilts her head. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBm2IHWfKp6
“Loud, bars, molly, X, and PCP. Sometimes PCP. But, I make a killing with just those.” 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mchob0VPL
“So, you're a drug deale-,” 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEiMAhMcmi
“Correction. Drug rehab. It sounds more sophisticated.” She scoots to her side of the booth.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbRLus9PhK
“Drug rehab.”517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OnZKBKevL
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.517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83icrocREu
“Who do you sell to?” Zeniqua finds herself fascinated with with the life her deceased mother first lived before she met her dreadful father. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyuBAvGbGv
“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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEq4oGp4Ho5
“Oh,” Zeniqua sits up straight. “I mean if it's not too much trouble. “ 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJiw53iSs3
“Great. I will talk to Avery about it tomorrow. In the meantime, we should shop more and get food.” 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqW4rNDpPdZ
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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwDCYG39mv
“I know she is here, Taiquana.” The male voice booms. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg2uZmHmB2
“She is not here, Caleb. Now get outta here!” She hears her auntie yelling. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMAPq3NPlR
Zeniqua silently gets out of her bed and creeps to her door. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0Hjk13gUN
“She is here! This is the only place she would go.” the voice is her father's. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7MPpOf4Mj
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. “ 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jLlpZzktO
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. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPUnjnItOW
“I told you, she wasn't here.” Taiquana smirks. 517Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EDjdOp8HG
