Page 6 of So I Know it's Real

“Forget it.” I dropped my blouse on the floor. “Tomboy chic will have to do for the night.”

I settled on a denim corset, camouflage cargo pants, and dunks made of the same material as my top. Like the girls in L.A., I draped my neck, ears, and arms in gold jewelry before removing flexi rods from my hair.

“Now, that’s how you pop out and show ninjas.”

I grinned, hearing the admiration in my niece’s voice, though I didn’t know if it was sincere. Kya liked to sing my praises when she was on my shit list.

“I appreciate the love, but you aren’t staying home alone. You messed up when you thought it was smart to smoke in my house.”

“Auntie, I keep telling you it was a candle.”

“And I keep telling you you’re a horrible criminal. Every time you ditchoncampus or get caughtoncamera doing the wrong thing, you prove me right.”

“Ugh! I hate my life!” Kya bellowed before she crashed face first into my mattress. “What do you know about being a criminal, Auntie Clover? From the stories I’ve heard, you were a goody two shoes thatdatedgangstas while my mom was putting in work.”

I looked her up and down. “Kya, stop talking about my sister like she was a drug dealer or something.” I teased. “You’re right though. Your mama loved the streets despite being raised in the church. She also didn’t take too kindly to people stepping on her toes. She was a lot like you.”

“Yeah, but Granny and Papa want me to be more likeyou.”

“Not true,” I refuted while adding essential oil to my skin. “I’m not perfect, Kya. I promise they don’t want you to meet a drug dealer, fall in love, and get pregnant at sixteen. Youshouldwant more for yourself. There is nothing in the streets but tricks and hos.”

“The same things are in the church.” She shrugged as she pulled her slender frame from the bed. “Are you sure you don’t want to take me with you? We both know you got those followers because of my camera skills.”

“Skills I paid you to use,” I reminded the brat. “Even if I wanted to take you, your granny isn’t going for it. I’m not getting beat for you or anybody else. Let’s go, Smokey the Bear. I have somewhere to be.”

The trip from my home to my parents’ place took less than ten minutes. I knew I would hear about it later, but I didn’t get out of the car when the kids went into the house. Next to Karlie, my mama was my best friend. If I walked into her home, we would go from discussing my outfit to talking about church folks.

From the hood to Downtown, I blasted music in my Dodge Hornet, setting the mood for the night. Although a flood of cars littered the block, I found a parking spot and made it into the karaoke bar by 9:00 p.m. The sea of people outside matched the amount of folks inside, but thankfully, Karlie reserved a table.

“There’s my girl!” My best friend jumped from her chair and pulled me in for a hug. “You look cute! Were you able to find a spot?”

“Right across the street,” I replied, glancing over Karlie’s shoulder and waving at her sisters. We had hung out a few times over the years, and they were just as jovial as their youngest sibling.

Karlie danced in a circle then pointed to a mahogany beauty with long brown hair and high cheekbones. “Clover, this is Essen, my classmate turned friend. Essen, this is my best friend.”

We exchanged pleasantries while I got comfortable in the chair next to her.

“Have you guys ordered already?” I asked.

Karlie ushered a pink cocktail in my direction. “Yep. Our food is on the way, but in the meantime, I got you this.”

“Hmm. What isthis?”

“Liquor. I know you’re not a big drinker, but your accomplishment is worthy of a few shots of something strong.”

I rolled my eyes and carried the straw to my lips.

“Clover!” Essen called my name. “How long have you been an influencer?”

“Influencer?” I snickered. “I wouldn’t say all that. I just like to thrift and share with other mamas what I piece together.”

“My friend is being modest.” Karlie smacked her lips and tossed her big hair over her shoulder. “Clover has only been posting for a year, and she’s found her tribe. One day, those likes are going to turn into big coins!”

For an hour, we enjoyed good food and strong drinks before something orsomeonetightened Essen’s lids.

“Essen, are you okay?” I probed. “You look like you spotted your enemy.”

“Girl, more like a pain in my ass. My cousin just walked on stage. I’m praying my brothers aren’t close behind.”

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