He smiled and licked his lips, “Appreciate it, best one I’ve had in a while. You coming to see me off for prom next weekend?” She smiled and nodded her head before walking off.
On the walk home, Kayla couldn’t stop talking. “Girllll, the way he was lookin’ at youuuuu! You got him gone!”
Diamond didn’t say a word, she just kept walking, trying to fight the smile that wanted to creep upon her face. Deep down inside, she knew Kayla was right. For the first time in a long time, she felt good. She had no idea where it was going, or if it was anything, but she felt something.
“Is that Mommy?” Kayla paused at the end of the alley as a woman begged for a bag.
“Yeah, come on!” Diamond power-walked down the alley toward her mother and the group of boys standing around her laughing.
Diamond’s blood was boiling the closer she got.
“Ma!” Kayla called out as Sherry’s eyes grew wide, she looked like she wanted to take off running but her feet wouldn’t move.
“Ms. Sherry, these your daughters? Shidddd, I’ll give you my whole jab for them.”
Sherry ran her hands through her pretty, wild hair, “Y’all go home.”
“Not without you,” Diamond spoke right up.
“I’m right behind y’all, just go!”
“Not without you!” Kayla yelled as the guys laughed.
“Fuck it, I ain’t never had momma and daughter,” one guy said, grabbing his dick through his pants.
“And you never will, bitch ass nigga,” Diamond shot back.
“What the fuck you call me?” he asked, walking toward them as Sherry pleaded for him not to touch her baby.
Diamond wasn’t worried at all, she could smell a pussy ass nigga a mile away.
“Never let anyone get in your space without swinging first,”her father’s words played in her head. As soon as that nigga was in arm’s reach, Diamond’s arms reached with the quickest two piece that made everyone freeze, dropping him to the ground. She stood over him and beat him until her knuckles felt like they were going to split open.
“Diamond, stop! Let’s go home,” her mother grabbed her arm. “It’s ok, baby, let’s go,” she continued as tears fell from Diamond’s eyes.
She hated when people fucked with her family, she hated that her mother was an addict, and she hated that there was nothing she could do about it. Sherry wrapped her arms around both of her daughters and walked home.
“I am so sorry; you all deserve so much more than me and my fuck ups. I’m gon’ get clean, I promise. Be patient with me, Momma gon’ get better.”
“Do it for you and us, Ma. It’s really starting to be embarrassing,” Kayla spoke her mind as they turned on their block.
Diamond smiled when she saw her father in the yard, shirtless, throwing jabs. She couldn’t wait to spar with him, he worked so much, they barely got any time in. As soon as they walked up, he smiled and kissed Sherry on the cheek, but she hurried inside. Diamond knew she was going inside to cry because that was what she always did when she felt bad about herself.
“What’s wrong?” he asked his girls as they looked at one another.
“She wants better for herself and us,” Diamond spoke up on her mother’s behalf.
No matter what her mother did, she loved her. Underneath that addiction was a beautiful soul that somehow lost her way.
4
Diamond was in awe when she and Kayla turned onto Cam’s block. It looked bigger than it did a couple weekends back, expensive cars were lined up, gold and black décor, and it liked a million people were present to see the show.
Farrah stood at the top of the stairs like she owned the moment, and she kinda did because everyone wanted to be on Cam’s arm for prom. Everything about her screamedperfectandmoney, Diamond could only dream of living a small piece of their lives. Farrah’s gold dress shined under the sun, diamonds covered her neck and wrists.
“Man, I can’t wait to go on prom!” Kayla boasted as excitement built up in her eyes.
“Why? We ain’t coming like this.”
