Read Online Street Soldiers by L. Divine - Free Book Online
Authors: L. Divine
Tags: Young Adult
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could use some help seeing my way through this mess with Jeremy as well as in beating Esmeralda at her own game. I guess I better get to work on putting together a mastermind team of my own. And, while I’m at it I need to keep better records of my dreams. It’s something about putting things down on paper that makes them seem more powerful, and I’m gong to need all the power I can get.
“Just read the damn letter, Jayd.”
-Nellie
Drama High, volume 1: The Fight
* * *
CHAPTER FOUR: PAPER
It feels nice walking up the block this time of evening. It’s mid October and the air is a bit chillier than it was last month, but I can still get away with wearing a pair of shorts and a hoody. If I were in the South Bay I’d be freezing my legs off by now. I was glad to leave Drama High behind when I left campus a few hours ago. Avoiding Jeremy all week was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I still have very real feelings for him, but we’re just not seeing eye-to-eye on his love of all things illegal. Eventually we’ll have to talk about what we want to do, but right now I can’t deal with any more heat.
After dealing with G’s arraignment on Monday and being Nellie’s chauffeur on Tuesday, I spent the rest of the week catching up on schoolwork and my clients’ heads. I’m glad Mama and Netta gave me the afternoon off to get myself situated. Besides, they’ve been at the church almost every evening to meet with other concerned members of the neighborhood. I could’ve stayed and caught up on the cleaning duties but I don’t want to be at the shop alone, especially not after my dream with Pam and her black eyes.
Mrs. Nguyen and her husband have been running The Right Stop liquor store for as long as my mom’s lived in Inglewood. It’s more than a convenience spot; it’s the neighborhood everything market. From rolling papers to milk to hair beads, Mrs. Nguyen’s got everything we could want within walking distance under one roof.
“Jayd, how are you?” Mrs. Nguyen asks from behind the bulletproof glass counter. After the last shooting I witnessed on Labor Day last year, they improved their security system, complete with a rent-a-cop outside of the front door and a pit bull on the back porch.
“I’m good. Just need some hair supplies and chips to hold me over until dinner.” There’s always a need for Lays in our apartment.
Shawntrese and her boyfriend have become my best clients in this area. They’ve been responsible for the majority of my referrals, too. One of which is his daughter, Chrystal, whose hair I’m braiding in twenty minutes. If her crown is anything like her daddy’s, it’ll be the last thing that I do tonight. Thankfully my Saturday schedule’s already packed insuring a nice weekend profit.
I walk through the narrow aisles to the back wall where all of the hair products are lined up. I don’t normally braid little girls’ hair and need to stock up on pretty beads and whatnot if I’m going to make this a regular part of my hustle. The door buzzer rings indicating another patron has entered the premises, and she’s a hot mess. I recognize her from around the block. I make eye contact with her and keep it moving. The last thing I need is some drama with a female in my mom’s neighborhood. It’s one thing to bother me at school, but I have too many clients around here and can’t afford for hating chicks to mess with my paper.
“Hey, ain’t you that chick who be doing hair?” she asks.
“Yeah. Jayd,” I say, picking out five large packs of multi-colored beads and a few bags of rubber bands. I hope Shawntrese knows she’s going to be helping put these things in Chrystal’s hair.
“Can you do my son’s braids?” she asks, referring to the little boy standing behind her. “He’s looking raggedy as shit and I ain’t got time to hook it up.”
She’s about to bust soon with his little brother or sister. I guess she didn’t want to be bothered with maternity
“Just read the damn letter, Jayd.”
-Nellie
Drama High, volume 1: The Fight
* * *
CHAPTER FOUR: PAPER
It feels nice walking up the block this time of evening. It’s mid October and the air is a bit chillier than it was last month, but I can still get away with wearing a pair of shorts and a hoody. If I were in the South Bay I’d be freezing my legs off by now. I was glad to leave Drama High behind when I left campus a few hours ago. Avoiding Jeremy all week was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I still have very real feelings for him, but we’re just not seeing eye-to-eye on his love of all things illegal. Eventually we’ll have to talk about what we want to do, but right now I can’t deal with any more heat.
After dealing with G’s arraignment on Monday and being Nellie’s chauffeur on Tuesday, I spent the rest of the week catching up on schoolwork and my clients’ heads. I’m glad Mama and Netta gave me the afternoon off to get myself situated. Besides, they’ve been at the church almost every evening to meet with other concerned members of the neighborhood. I could’ve stayed and caught up on the cleaning duties but I don’t want to be at the shop alone, especially not after my dream with Pam and her black eyes.
Mrs. Nguyen and her husband have been running The Right Stop liquor store for as long as my mom’s lived in Inglewood. It’s more than a convenience spot; it’s the neighborhood everything market. From rolling papers to milk to hair beads, Mrs. Nguyen’s got everything we could want within walking distance under one roof.
“Jayd, how are you?” Mrs. Nguyen asks from behind the bulletproof glass counter. After the last shooting I witnessed on Labor Day last year, they improved their security system, complete with a rent-a-cop outside of the front door and a pit bull on the back porch.
“I’m good. Just need some hair supplies and chips to hold me over until dinner.” There’s always a need for Lays in our apartment.
Shawntrese and her boyfriend have become my best clients in this area. They’ve been responsible for the majority of my referrals, too. One of which is his daughter, Chrystal, whose hair I’m braiding in twenty minutes. If her crown is anything like her daddy’s, it’ll be the last thing that I do tonight. Thankfully my Saturday schedule’s already packed insuring a nice weekend profit.
I walk through the narrow aisles to the back wall where all of the hair products are lined up. I don’t normally braid little girls’ hair and need to stock up on pretty beads and whatnot if I’m going to make this a regular part of my hustle. The door buzzer rings indicating another patron has entered the premises, and she’s a hot mess. I recognize her from around the block. I make eye contact with her and keep it moving. The last thing I need is some drama with a female in my mom’s neighborhood. It’s one thing to bother me at school, but I have too many clients around here and can’t afford for hating chicks to mess with my paper.
“Hey, ain’t you that chick who be doing hair?” she asks.
“Yeah. Jayd,” I say, picking out five large packs of multi-colored beads and a few bags of rubber bands. I hope Shawntrese knows she’s going to be helping put these things in Chrystal’s hair.
“Can you do my son’s braids?” she asks, referring to the little boy standing behind her. “He’s looking raggedy as shit and I ain’t got time to hook it up.”
She’s about to bust soon with his little brother or sister. I guess she didn’t want to be bothered with maternity
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