Ghost didn’t even bother looking up. His hands were moving with focus. We were new to this shit and didn’t have any room for error. The only thing working in our favor is that we didn’t have a plug to repay. Once we got rid of all this weight, all themoney was ours to keep. What was new to us started to feel routine. After a while, breaking down and bagging up this work stopped feeling foreign.
At first, it was messy, sloppy even. We were second-guessing everything, moving too damn slow, and watching each other more than the task we had at hand. But once we found a rhythm, everything changed. You get into a groove… and it’s like your hands start thinking for you. It was the same motions, repeatedly. Break it down. Portion it out. Package it up. Again. And again. And again. The conversation lessened as the work got smoother. It was less thinking and more doing. Before we knew it, what started as ten solid bricks turned into stacks on stacks of small baggies, lined up across the table like inventory waiting to be moved.
By the looks of it, we seemed to be ready. Or at least as ready as we were going to get.
I sat back and stared at everything we’d done. A slow exhale left my chest as I finally let my shoulders relax.
“This is crazy,” I muttered. “We did all this in two days.”
Ghost finally leaned back, too, while stretching his neck.
“Told you we could.”
“Na, nigga, you said that we could move it all. We didn’t cross that bridge yet.”
I shook my head while reaching for my phone off the table. For a second, all this faded when she crossed my mind. I shot Maliah a quick text.
Good morning, baby girl. Have a good day at school.
It was simple and normal. Like I wasn’t sitting in a trap house surrounded by enough product to change everything or ruin it. I stared at the message for a second after it was sent, then locked my phone and tossed it back down. I had two different worlds in front of me, and somehow, I was standing in both. By the time we finished, the room looked completely different. What used to be the chaos of open wrappers and scattered work was now organized and clean. Every baggie was zipped shut, grouped, and ready. Ghost moved first by grabbing the now-empty black duffel that the bricks were in.
“Aight, let’s pack it up.”
We worked in silence, both of us too drained to talk for real. Just the sound of plastic shifting and the occasional exhale filled the room. Everything got stashed neatly and was now tucked away like it was never there.
It was like those last two days didn’t just happen. Once the last bag was sealed, I straightened up slowly and stretched my back until it cracked.
“Man…” I dragged out while shaking my head. “I’m done.”
Ghost gave a small nod.
“Yeah, me too.”
We grabbed what we needed and headed out. The ride back to the crib felt longer than usual. I was nodding while trailing behind Ghost’s car. Probably because my body was finally catching up to me. As soon as we pulled up to the complex, I noticed it was quiet. It was morning, and most people were gone already for work. Ghost’s mom’s car wasn’t in her parking spot. I got out of my car, and he got out of his.
“She has to be at work,” he muttered before heading inside.
I didn’t even respond. I just followed him. We passed beer bottles and cigarette buds on the way up the stairs to the apartment. Once we made it inside, I kicked the door shut behind me since I was the last one in.
The house felt calm and normal, like nothing about our life was off. I made it halfway down the hall before I started peeling my shirt off and heading straight for the bathroom. I needed a shower badly. I needed to wash these last two days off. It took me no time to strip and then hop in. Hot water hit my skin, and I just stood there for a second. I let my head drop under the shower head. I didn’t rush it, and I didn’t think. As I looked down at the water circling down the drain, the chipped paint in the tub held my attention. I had to live better than this shit. By the time I stepped out, the mirror was fogged up, and my body felt heavier but in that good way. Like I could finally shut down.
After wrapping my towel around my waist, I grabbed my dirty clothes off the floor, my backpack with my money inside, and headed to my room. I was glad that when Ghost and his mom had taken me in, they lived in a three-bedroom apartment, so I always had my own space. And I was thankful to his mother for that because she could have used this room for anything, but she made sure to clear it out for me. I wasn’t even completely dry before throwing on some underwear and basketball shorts. I didn’t check my phone. And as soon as I hit the bed, that was it. I was knocked out.
Chapter 8
Maliah
School was finally over, and for once, I was glad to be home. I sat stretched across my bed, still in my school clothes with one leg hanging off the side, while I mindlessly scrolled through my phone. But I wasn’t really paying attention to anything on the screen. My mind kept drifting back to him, back to Tahari. A small smile tugged at my lips as I stared at his name in my messages. That simple “Good morning, baby girl, have a good day at school” text sat there like it meant more than it probably should’ve. It wasn’t even long and wasn’t even deep. But he made sure to constantly show me that he was consistent.
Lately, even if we didn’t have much conversation throughout the day, whenever I called, he answered. And I always got good morning and goodnight texts. He wasn’t like any other boy I had talked to. He was just… different. I had responded that morning, but didn’t get a text back yet. I just chalked his delay up to him being busy. A piece of me noticed how he had become slightly distant since meeting my family, but I was pushing that thought to the back of my mind. He was perfect in my eyes, and I didn’t want to start feeling otherwise now.
I rolled onto my stomach and hugged my pillow as I reread the text for the third time. My mind started wandering intoplaces it probably shouldn’t be. Just thinking about Tahari had the pearl in between my legs throbbing, and badly I wanted him to touch it. Or maybe I should. Right when I was about to roll over onto my back, a knock didn’t even come. My door just flew open.
“Maliahaaa!”
I groaned without even looking up or fully turning around.
“Girl, what?” I said with an annoyed tone as I turned over to address my annoying little sister.
