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“You know me, baby—doing whatever to make us happy and get this money,” she said.
God was pleased that Charlie had found another victim. In fact, she found the majority of their targets, scoping out potential victims to transform into a payday. Leaving a trail of bodies behind didn’t bother her. The thrill of robbing and killing had become an addiction for her. Just thinking about potential money stirred up Charlie’s sexual desire. She wanted some dick now. She opened the towel around her body and let it drop to the floor. She was hungry for her man.
“You need to fuckin’ apologize to me, nigga,” she said.
“Oh, you want me to apologize, huh?”
She nodded. “Yup. And I don’t want a weak fuckin’ apology. I want an apology from you that will put a damn smile on my face.”
God grinned, knowing what she was hinting at. Charlie positioned herself on her bed and spread her legs for God.
“Come eat, baby,” she said.
Chapter Ten
Ohmygod, I can’t believe my baby is graduating today and she’s going to Harvard on a partial scholarship. You always were the smart one,” Bacardi said to Claire.
It was graduation day, and Claire was beaming with joy. Today was her day. In a few short hours, she would be walking across the stage in her cap and gown to accept her high school diploma.
She was the talk of the town—a local girl accepted into Harvard—how the fuck did that happen? And the main one scratching her head over her sister’s acceptance into an Ivy League school was Chanel. What was more astonishing was that she actually had a partial scholarship. Chanel wanted to ask questions. How did Claire pull it off? She even wondered who Claire fucked in high school to gain such achievements. But Chanel was happy for her sister—at least she would be out of the house and in a different state.
The family treated Claire like she was baby Jesus on Christmas morning. They raved and celebrated Claire every minute, but there was one problem Chanel had with it all—it was her birthday. Today, she turned seventeen, but it had been forgotten and overshadowed by Claire’s festivities. What a coincidence. What a shock—no one gave a damn about Chanel. However, Chanel kept quiet about it and went along with the program.
“After all we fuckin’ been through this year, it’s good to see something wonderful happening with this damn family,” Bacardi proclaimed.
“Fo’ sure, fo’ sure! Let’s get it on today,” Butch chimed cheerily, the liquor already in his system.
“Butch, don’t fuckin’ embarrass this family today,” Bacardi warned him.
“My baby girl is graduating high school today, so we gonna party. No better day than today to drink and celebrate,” Butch replied, followed by a quick two-step. He took a swig from the flask he carried.
Bacardi frowned at her husband.
The family was dressed and ready for the main event at Brooklyn College. For once, they looked like a normal family, but looks could be deceiving. Bacardi was all smiles and almost looked brand new in the blue maxi dress she wore. Charlie and God looked like a loving and generous couple. Charlie wore a blue A-line dress, and God wore jeans and a button-down. Claire was glowing in her cap and gown, and Chanel played things simple in a polka dot skirt, a white camisole under a jean jacket, and a pair of high heels. She felt uncomfortable around God. His eyes lingered on her for far too long, and he was the only one that complimented her attire, saying, “You look really nice, Chanel.”
She replied with a dry, “Thank you.”
The family piled into a cab, but God and Charlie drove to the college in his Jeep. At Brooklyn College, hundreds of people waited to see the seniors graduate and accept their high school diplomas. It was a joyous day for everyone. The day was sunny and warm, with a blue sky that stretched for miles.
Chanel sat quietly through the graduation ceremony with the long-winded speeches and awards. She had a few things on her mind, like Mateo. It’d been three months since that night she met him and she never ran into him again on her trips back to Harlem to hang out with Mecca. She wondered why she couldn’t stop thinking about him. They met once. It was brief, but that brief moment made a big impression on her.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime of waiting, Claire’s name was called and she strutted across the stage to accept her diploma. The family went crazy with cheers, clapping, and hollering.
“You go girl! That’s my fuckin’ sister!” Charlie screamed.
“I fuckin’ gave birth to a Harvard girl!” Bacardi shouted.
The Browns looked ghetto fabulous and they were loud enough to wake the dead. It was like they were at a sports game. They drew enough attention on themselves that Chanel had to shake her head and sigh. After the graduation, the family w
ent out to eat.
***
Claire was their spotlight, but she had a problem. Although she had a partial scholarship to Harvard, it was still too expensive. Unless she came up with the money, she wouldn’t be able to attend the school in the fall. Since she was their only student accepted to Harvard, Claire’s high school had contacted the local papers. Within days, her story being about hard work and dedication was in the papers. “From housing projects to higher education” was the topic.
They all wanted to help Claire, and they bragged about how she had gotten into Harvard. The entire family believed that she was smart enough to get into the school. She was always reading and studying, and she was always using those big words. To them, Claire was impressive and ambitious.
Chanel was happy for her sister—a bit skeptical, but still, she was happy. She felt the urge to do something nice for Claire, despite constantly being treated like she had the plague. Chanel thought if she could help raise the money, maybe Claire wouldn’t be such an asshole toward her anymore.
