she took it out on me."
"What?" I yell, standing. "The girl in the mall that day was the same one outside last night?" She nods.
Shit! Shit! Shit! This is my fault. Sky could've possibly committed a murder, and it's all my fault.
"I'm so sorry, Sky," I say, hugging her. "I shoulda been there."
"It's cool. We have to do whatever we have to do to protect each other," she says. "I hope you got my back."
"You know I do," I respond, taking my place back in my seat. "Whateva you need me to do, I'll do." I can't get over the fact that Sky really stabbed somebody, and it's so unbelievable because we just saw those girls the other day in the mall. Again, I try to imagine Sky lying down on the ground. She's right. It was too dark outside to see much of anything. But, I did see blood all over Sky's pants and the girl lying down with her hair partially covering her face. I also remember that she wasn't moving or crying for help. In fact, she was extremely still.
"I'm sorry 'bout all of this," I repeat. "I shoulda been there."
"It's too late for that now. We gotta stay tight. But, you think she okay, Parade? You think she'll be fine?"
"Yeah, I think she's okay. But if she's not, nobody knows you were out there and it was a lot of people at 64
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that party."
"Not to scare you, Parade," she cries as her chest moves up and down, "but I hope she's dead. I really do.
Because if she's alive, she will be able to ID me," she pauses, "and you, too. I just know it." I can't believe what she is saying but I know she's right.
"If she is dead, they'll probably put everything on Silver and them anyway. They always gettin' arrested.
But if she ain't dead, we run the risk of her telling the cops."
"So, in a way, it's better if she's dead, right?" she reasons.
I can't nod, but it is exactly what I'm thinking.
"You ain't gonna tell nobody, right? I mean, Miss Wayne and Daffany don't know, do they?"
"I'm not telling nobody, Sky. Trust me. I promise.
The less people who know, the better."
"That's what I'm saying. The less they know, the better."
She runs up to me and hugs me again. I've known her since elementary school, and she has never volun-tarily laid her hands on me. It was always me, wanting and needing her friendship.
She is hugging me and my cell phone rings. She wipes the tears from her face and says, "Who is it?" as if whoever is on the phone has information about what happened at the party.
"Who is it, Parade?" she asks again. "Answer the phone. They may be calling to tell you something T. Styles
65
Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
about last night."
But I can't because the person on the phone just left her house.
66
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Black and Ugly
7
Jay
JAY IS ANGRY AT PARADE for not answering his calls.
He feels that even though he's with Sky, Parade should be at his beck and call. He likes the idea of being able to control her and doesn't want her getting too far away from him. He is sitting in his car on his way to New York to re-up when he decides to call her again.
The moment she answers the phone, he goes at her.
"Where you at?" he asks her in a serious tone.
"I'm on my way to Miss Wayne's house. You know I was still over Sky's when you called me earlier, don't you?"
"Man, that girl ain't thinkin' ' bout us. She wouldn't even think I'd look your way. Trust me. So there's nothin' to worry about."
He knows that hurt Parade, but he wants to be real with her. As far as he's concerned, Parade is somebody he fucks and it's as simple as that. But what he doesn't realize is that Parade gives him much more. Her kind ways, slowly but surely, are starting to make him T. Styles
67
Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
fall for her and begin to hate the relationship he has with Sky even more. However, because he grew up in a household that looked down on dark-skinned women, he knows he can never put one on his arm - especially one that would be his ex-girl's friend.
"Oh," she
"What?" I yell, standing. "The girl in the mall that day was the same one outside last night?" She nods.
Shit! Shit! Shit! This is my fault. Sky could've possibly committed a murder, and it's all my fault.
"I'm so sorry, Sky," I say, hugging her. "I shoulda been there."
"It's cool. We have to do whatever we have to do to protect each other," she says. "I hope you got my back."
"You know I do," I respond, taking my place back in my seat. "Whateva you need me to do, I'll do." I can't get over the fact that Sky really stabbed somebody, and it's so unbelievable because we just saw those girls the other day in the mall. Again, I try to imagine Sky lying down on the ground. She's right. It was too dark outside to see much of anything. But, I did see blood all over Sky's pants and the girl lying down with her hair partially covering her face. I also remember that she wasn't moving or crying for help. In fact, she was extremely still.
"I'm sorry 'bout all of this," I repeat. "I shoulda been there."
"It's too late for that now. We gotta stay tight. But, you think she okay, Parade? You think she'll be fine?"
"Yeah, I think she's okay. But if she's not, nobody knows you were out there and it was a lot of people at 64
T. Styles
Black and Ugly
that party."
"Not to scare you, Parade," she cries as her chest moves up and down, "but I hope she's dead. I really do.
Because if she's alive, she will be able to ID me," she pauses, "and you, too. I just know it." I can't believe what she is saying but I know she's right.
"If she is dead, they'll probably put everything on Silver and them anyway. They always gettin' arrested.
But if she ain't dead, we run the risk of her telling the cops."
"So, in a way, it's better if she's dead, right?" she reasons.
I can't nod, but it is exactly what I'm thinking.
"You ain't gonna tell nobody, right? I mean, Miss Wayne and Daffany don't know, do they?"
"I'm not telling nobody, Sky. Trust me. I promise.
The less people who know, the better."
"That's what I'm saying. The less they know, the better."
She runs up to me and hugs me again. I've known her since elementary school, and she has never volun-tarily laid her hands on me. It was always me, wanting and needing her friendship.
She is hugging me and my cell phone rings. She wipes the tears from her face and says, "Who is it?" as if whoever is on the phone has information about what happened at the party.
"Who is it, Parade?" she asks again. "Answer the phone. They may be calling to tell you something T. Styles
65
Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
about last night."
But I can't because the person on the phone just left her house.
66
T. Styles
Black and Ugly
7
Jay
JAY IS ANGRY AT PARADE for not answering his calls.
He feels that even though he's with Sky, Parade should be at his beck and call. He likes the idea of being able to control her and doesn't want her getting too far away from him. He is sitting in his car on his way to New York to re-up when he decides to call her again.
The moment she answers the phone, he goes at her.
"Where you at?" he asks her in a serious tone.
"I'm on my way to Miss Wayne's house. You know I was still over Sky's when you called me earlier, don't you?"
"Man, that girl ain't thinkin' ' bout us. She wouldn't even think I'd look your way. Trust me. So there's nothin' to worry about."
He knows that hurt Parade, but he wants to be real with her. As far as he's concerned, Parade is somebody he fucks and it's as simple as that. But what he doesn't realize is that Parade gives him much more. Her kind ways, slowly but surely, are starting to make him T. Styles
67
Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
fall for her and begin to hate the relationship he has with Sky even more. However, because he grew up in a household that looked down on dark-skinned women, he knows he can never put one on his arm - especially one that would be his ex-girl's friend.
"Oh," she
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