My eyes slowly opened to the sound of doors opening and closing outside my window. I rolled over to glance at my phone to see that I had fifteen minutes to get to class. “Shit!” I spat as I jumped out of bed.
I knew being up all night with Braylen would cost me. He had this mental hold on me that was hard to shake. Three years of game playing, and now it was starting to drain me. I moved between rooms, from getting dressed to doing my hygiene. I grabbed my laptop, books, and bag quickly. Then I hurried out and rushed to my car. The cold morning air nearly burned my face as the breeze hit me. When I got in my car, I tried to start it, but it wouldn’t turn on. “What the hell!”
I tried it again, but I got nothing. My head fell forward on my steering wheel as I took deep breaths. I knew what I needed to do, but I didn’t want to. I picked up my phone and called the person who I knew would be there for me. It rang a few times, then he picked up. “Ugly, what’s up?”
I rolled my eyes. “I need help.”
“What’s wrong? Do I need to come beat some ass?” Pierre gritted.
I was on the verge of breaking down, but that wouldn’t do me any good. “I know you got me this place and all, and Ma, she said that—”
“Paige, what is it? I got you.”
I started crying because I was overwhelmed at this point. “My car won’t start, and I’m going to be late for class. I don’t have any money. I’m just—”
“Stop crying, nigga. This shit is minor. I got you. I will drive up that way and see what’s going on. I’m going to send you some money so you will be straight for a while. I’ll call you when I get there,” he finished and hung up.
Pierre had stepped in to help not only me and mom, but also Leek. He was a savior to our family, and every time I asked him for a favor, I felt like I was becoming a burden. Each time I thought I was moving to the next level, something or someone humbled me. I got out of the car to go back inside when I saw Samara and Dio coming my way.
She waved. “Hey, no class today?”
I gave her a weak smile. I could see Dio looking at me. “I know you. You were at the studio. You’re Beans shorty.”
My eyes widened. “I’m not—”
He waved me off. “That’s what we all say. Y’all like each other. You were at the rink that night, too.”
Samara turned to him. “You are a little too nosy. What she and that man do is their business. I’m going to need you to worry less about that and more about our date night.”
He smiled at her, then winked. “Mars baby, you know I got you. I’ll get up with you later, I have class. No niggas in yo face, Mars. You know how I get down,” he said as he kissed her.
He walked over to a G-wagon, aiming his curled index finger and thumb in the air. “Remember, fah, fah, fah, fah, fah,” he said as if he were shooting.
I let out a light giggle before turning back to Samara. She stared at me curiously before she hit the alarm for her car. “You need a ride?”
I didn’t want to put my problems on her, so I didn’t say anything about my car, but I was glad she offered.
“I can give you a ride and bring you back. My last class ends at five forty-five. What about you?” she asked.
“Well, I have a podcast to host. So, I won’t be done until about seven, but I can find a ride back.”
She nodded slowly. “Cool, come on.”
Samara and I got in, and she took off. The first few minutes were silent, but I could see her looking at me out of the corner of my eye. “So, are you a freshman as well?”
I shook my head. “No, a senior and I can’t wait until I’m done. The struggle is real.”
She nodded. “I understand,” she muttered.
Did she?It seemed to me she had life on a silver platter. A freshman with her own apartment, a boyfriend who seemed to love her, and a nice working car. A part of me felt somewhat jealous because, although I had a place, it was because I got kicked out of the dorms, my car was barely hanging on, and a boyfriend, well, that didn’t exist in my world. I looked at her. “No, I don’t think you do. You have everything someone like me should have by now. Our worlds are very different.”
Her face frowned. “Uh, no, I’ve been homeless since I was sixteen. I had nowhere to turn, doing kinky things to get by. Until I met Dionysus.”
“Who?” I laughed.
She smiled proudly. “Dio. That’s his name.”
“Ah, he’s named after a Greek god.”
