Gangstress

by India

  “Why?”

  “Janelle, you’re too young to understand the significance of what I’m saying. All you see is the glamorous life, but you have no idea what happens behind the scenes.” She started up the car, and I fastened my seat belt.

  “All you do is see the bad in people. So what my father sold drugs! He wanted to take care of you. Why can’t you see the good in that?”

  “Let’s be clear, your father was no saint!” Gran wagged her finger. “You should try worshiping the Lord instead of Julius.”

  “Gran, you stay in the church twenty-four hours, seven days a week, praying to somebody who allows you to wake up every morning in a rat-infested environment.” I shook my head and looked out of the window. “I thought your Savior said He would never see the righteous forsaken.” I hadn’t paid that much attention in church, but I did pick up on little tidbits here and there.

  “True my building isn’t in the best condition, and I do wake up every morning in the grit and grime of poverty. But what you fail to realize, dear granddaughter, is out of everything you said, the most important fact that remains is I wake up every morning.”

  The debate continued all the way until we walked inside the 36th District Court building. After waiting in line for almost a century, we finally walked through the metal detectors and proceeded toward the courtroom. The place was packed with people who were there to see the judge for various reasons. I hoped this wouldn’t take all day.

  One by one, each case was called, and I watched people leave either smiling, crying, or in handcuffs. The time on the clock above the judge’s seat indicated we had been waiting the better part of two hours to be called. I hoped Ace wouldn’t leave thinking he had already missed me. Today was the only day I had to escape.

  “Janelle Renee Doesher, please rise and approach the bench,” the bailiff called.

  Finally!

  “Ms. Doesher, I see here that you were issued a warning for running away from your grandmother’s home. Is this true?” Judge Sylvia Waters asked while reviewing my paperwork.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m curious as to why you ran away, so please enlighten me.” She placed the paperwork on her desk and focused her attention on me.

  “Truthfully speaking, Your Honor, she’s mean.” I heard a few giggles coming from other defendants in the courtroom.

  Judge Waters banged her gavel and demanded order in the court. “Ms. Doesher, do you know that there are approximately 1.7 million homeless teens in the United States?” Before I could respond, she continued. “And of that 1.7 million, thirty-nine percent of those teens are under the age of eighteen just like you.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Seventy-five percent of that 1.7 million are addicted to drugs or alcohol their first year on the streets. Records show that five thousand young people die on those streets every year due to illness, suicide, and assault. Do you really want to become a statistic just because your grandmother is mean?” This time she waited for an answer.

  “When you put it like that, no, I don’t want to become a statistic.” At this point, I had to say all the right things in order to not piss this lady off. I could tell she didn’t play any games.

  “Sweetheart, the world is a cruel place that will chew you up and spit you out. Don’t be in such a rush to grow up. Soon you’ll be grown, and nobody will care one way or another about your well-being.” She smiled partially and collected my case files. “Again, this was only a warning, but should you run away again, you will be placed in the juvenile detention center for a mandatory six months. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I nodded, and she banged the gavel.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “I hope you heard what she said, Janelle,” Gran said as we made our way out of the courthouse.

  “I heard her.” I scanned the surrounding area for Ace.

  “The next time, you will go to jail,” she repeated.

  “Gran, I heard her.” I spotted on the corner the familiar face I was looking for, and I knew I was about to make a break for it.

  “I’m sorry you think I’m mean. I’m just concerned,” she explained.

  “Gran, I love you.” I wrapped my arms around her as tight as possible. “I know you do what you do out of love, but sometimes it comes across in the wrong way. But it’s all good.” She was shocked by my gesture, and I could tell it caught her off guard. We hadn’t ever had any kind of loving gestures exchanged between us. “I’m sorry I give you a hard time, but it’s in my nature.”

  “Well, come on now. Let’s get from down here and head on over to the pastor’s house.” Gran dismissed my embrace and began to head toward our parking spot. My hug had her so rattled that she walked a whole ten paces in front of me. Without another word, I made my exit and headed toward my ride.

  “Welcome back, baby girl.” Ace winked and fled the scene in the stolen Dodge Durango. He could’ve picked me up in his own car, but there were too many cameras surrounding the court building. If Gran decided to once again call the police on me, those cameras would’ve been the first thing they checked, and they would’ve run Ace’s license plate.

  “It feels good to be back.” I smiled and relaxed in the seat after strapping up my seat belt.

  “I have something for you in the back.” He nodded, and I turned to see what he was referring to.

  “Aw, Ace, you’re too sweet.” I blushed and grabbed the bags from Saks and Victoria’s Secret. The Saks bag contained a beautiful pink strapless dress along with matching heels from the Devereux collection. “What’s the dress and shoes for?”

  “I have something special planned for us.” He never took his eyes from the road ahead.

  My eyebrow raised in surprise. “For us?” I repeated.

  “Yeah, for us.” He changed lanes and passed a senior citizen in a Buick. “I realized while you were gone that I can’t stand being away from you.” He stopped at the red light and gave me his full attention. The hazel coloring in his eyes twinkled. “I think I love you, Janelle, and I want you to be my girl.”

  “What have you been smoking?” I rolled my eyes, but inwardly my stomach was doing backflips.

  “I haven’t been smoking shit.” The light turned green, and he put the whip back into motion. “I know I sound crazy, but I’m feelin’ you for real.” He licked his lips and sent chills down my spine.

  “You could have any girl you want, Ace. Why you want me?” I’m not going to lie. Secretively I’d fantasized about him once or twice over the years, but I shook it off because I knew I wasn’t his type. He only saw me as a sister, or so I thought.

  “I don’t want no other girl!” he snapped. “I said I want you.”

  “But, Ace—”

  “Let me finish,” he interjected. “My love for you runs deep, girl. You’re the first thing on my mind when the sun rises, and you’re the last thing on my mind at night before I say my prayers. I know you’re sort of like my godsister, but I’ve always had feelings for you. I tried to put them on the back burner, but after spending all this time with you, our chemistry is undeniable.”

  “So why are you just now acting on these feelings that you supposedly always had all this time?”

  “Because I didn’t want to cross Julius.” His eyes met mine, and I wanted to kiss him right then and there. “You know your father thought no nigga would be good enough for you. I knew I could be that nigga, but I didn’t want to bite the hand that was feeding me, so I chilled.”

  There was silence between us as we both took in the importance of where this conversation was headed. On the one hand, I was ready to fall into his arms and stay there forever. On the other hand, I knew love had no place in the streets. He was a hustler, and so was I. Eventually love and hustlin’ would clash.

  “Janelle, say something,” he urged.

  “Ace, I’m not sure what we’re doing, but I’m willing to give it a try.” I smiled and reached for his hand.

  “I promise I’ll do right by you.
” He squeezed my hand.

  “Now what’s in the Victoria’s Secret bag?” I looked at him sideways. “It better not be lingerie! Don’t think I’m about to sleep with you just because you asked me to be your girl.” I let go of his hand with an attitude and reached into the bag. Ace didn’t say anything when I pulled out a bath set. Instead, he busted out laughing, and I did the same.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  We pulled up to a stunning condominium complex in Redford, Michigan, where Ace stopped at the security booth to flash some sort of badge. The older guard lifted the gate and waved us through. The place was well taken care of, and by the looks of the vehicles parked in the lot, I could tell that some financially stable individuals lived here. “Welcome home, Janelle.” He parked in the driveway of one of the units.

  “This place is beautiful!” I knew he and Alicia were working on our living arrangements, but I didn’t think they would take the search beyond the city limits of Detroit.

  “If you’re in love with the outside, wait until you see the inside.” He smiled, and I followed him into a home that resembled a smaller version of a New York brownstone.

  Once inside of the home, I was in awe. The high cathedral ceilings, mahogany wood flooring, and stainless-steel appliances had me speechless. After the passing of my parents, I would have never in a million years thought I could live this way again. There were two bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as a loft area that overlooked the open-concept living and dining area.

  “That one is your room.” He pointed to the room on the left side of the house. Without hesitation, I turned the doorknob anticipating a huge blank canvas, but what I found brought tears to my eyes.

  “Ace.” I sniffed. “Where did you find this?” Right before me was the very bedroom set I’d had at my parents’ home. It was my custom-made black sleigh bed with leather in the headboard and footboard. The vintage dresser and nightstand were made of mirrored glass, and the hot pink chandelier glistened just the way I remembered. Ace had added a hot pink thinking chair, a pink fuzzy rug, and one hot pink accent wall to make the room pop. I loved it! “Thank you so much.” I sniffed again.

  “Baby, I told you I will do everything I can to make you happy.” He walked up behind me and held me close. Feeling the safest I’d felt in a very long time, I closed my eyes, leaned my head back onto his chest, and sobbed like a baby. I cried long and hard for every time I couldn’t cry at Gran’s house. I cried until there were no more tears.

  When I stopped, I noticed Ace was crying too. In that moment, we were kindred spirits sharing the loss of our parents. On that day, I vowed to love Ace with all I had. No matter what, I would be there for him as I knew he would be there for me. Nothing but death or a jail cell would keep us apart!

  “Damn! Y’all caking like that?” Alicia called from the doorway of my bedroom. She was standing there with a Kool-Aid grin.

  “Shut up.” I wiped my tearstained face.

  “All right, Janelle, I’ll pick you up at nine.” He kissed my cheek and dapped Ali on his way out.

  “I knew y’all was fucking.” She plopped down on my bed, and I lay beside her.

  “We haven’t had sex yet.” I rolled my eyes.

  “What are you waiting for?” She laughed.

  “Unlike you, I’m no ho.” I giggled, and she hit my arm.

  “Keep on talking that shit and I’ll cancel the surprise I had for you.”

  “What surprise?” I stopped laughing.

  “Come on, you’ll see.” She got off the bed, and I followed suit.

  “Where are we going, and how will we get there?” I asked, confused because she was heading toward the front door and neither of us had a car.

  “I’m taking you to the salon to get your shit tight before the date.” She hit the garage opener, and my mouth dropped.

  “Whose car is this?” I walked around the 2012 Lexus RX 350. It was gun metal on the outside with a charcoal interior.

  “It’s mine. Do you like it?” She beamed like the proud owner she was.

  “It’s beautiful.” I wanted to sound happier for my friend because the midsized luxury SUV was a definite step up from the bus line. However, I was worried it would draw too much attention.

  “Well, then, what’s the matter?” she asked, sensing my apprehension.

  “Don’t you think this is too flashy and expensive for a seventeen-year-old? People are gonna start talking, and God forbid you get pulled over. How will you explain this?”

  “Chill, J, you worry too much!” She unlocked the whip, and we hopped in. “People are always gonna talk, and fuck the police!” she spat. Alicia was hotheaded, and I didn’t want to piss her off, but she needed to be more careful.

  “Ali.” I sighed. “Did you cross your t’s and dot your i’s?”

  “Yes, mother.” She started the engine. “I put the car in my aunt’s name when I got it from the dealership.” She backed out of the garage and closed the door behind us.

  “How much did it hit you for?” I asked, referring to the cost of the vehicle.

  “I put ten racks down, and I’ll make payments on the other twenty-eight thousand every month.”

  “Alicia, you need to start saving a little better.” I didn’t want to sound like her mother, but it had to be said. Her spending habits were reckless, and she needed to be put on notice.

  “Look, I’m taking you out to get your hair done, not to be lectured to.” She turned up the bass in her sound system. “Don’t forget, I’m older than you.” She smiled, and I did too, choosing to drop the issue for now.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  We pulled up to a beauty salon called Hair Politics and parked the car. On the inside, a woman greeted us at the door with a tray carrying champagne flutes. I looked back at Alicia to see what was going on. Obviously, this lady didn’t know we were underage. “Would you care for a mimosa?” She smiled with a mouth full of Lumineers that were so big her lips didn’t fully close.

  “No, ma’am, just water for me.” I smiled politely.

  “I’ll take mine and hers too since she doesn’t want one.” Alicia reached for the glasses, and we followed the woman toward the back of the facility. I took notice of the tasteful décor, classical music with violins playing through the building, and pictures of celebrities like Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and Cameron Diaz hanging on the wall. The one thing that struck me as odd was the fact that not one of the stylists we had passed was African American. Don’t get it twisted, I have no discrimination against Caucasian people, but only a colored woman would know what to do with my type of hair.

  “We originated in Los Angeles, and now we have salons in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Michigan, and Arizona.” The host gave us the rundown.

  “Ali, what are we doing here?” I whispered as Alicia guzzled from her glass.

  “You’ll see,” she said as we reached our destination.

  “This is Dalia, and she will be your stylist.” The host turned on her pricey heels. “Please let me know if you need anything else.”

  “You must be Janelle,” Dalia said. She was a very beautiful Dominican woman with long tresses of jet-black hair. “Alicia has told me all about you.”

  “Yes. I’m Janelle.” I looked from her to Alicia, still trying to figure out what I was doing here.

  “Hop on in the seat and we’ll get started.” She patted the red leather chair.

  “And what exactly are we getting started on?” I quizzed.

  “Well, Alicia told me you have all of this beautiful hair that no one sees because you keep it hidden in a ponytail. So I’m going to do a Dominican press and make your hair bone straight.” She began to undo my ponytail to assess what I was working with.

  “Will you use a pressing comb?”

  “No, I only use this brush and a blow dryer.” She pointed to her supplies. Sensing my apprehension, she patted my shoulder. “Just trust me.”

  Eventually, I relaxed and let her do what she needed to do. I did
n’t complain when she washed my hair in ice-cold water, and I didn’t even complain that the heat from the blow dryer was killing my scalp. In the end, the finished product was more than awesome. My hair was as straight as ever, and it hung way down my shoulders. I shook my head from side to side and admired my new ’do in the mirror. After Alicia paid Dalia, I thanked them both, and we headed back on home so I could get ready.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  “Come on, damn!” Alicia called from the living room. She couldn’t wait to see me in the dress, so I emerged from the doorway with a few poses.

  “You look like a doll.” She admired the gold dress and matching shoes. I accented the outfit with the few pieces of jewelry I’d acquired when we first started hustling. “Ace is gonna be all over you.”

  “Hey, can I ask you a question and you respond honestly?”

  “What’s up?” She looked up from polishing her toenails.

  “Now that Ace and I are dating, does that bother you? I know you sort of had a crush on him, and I don’t want you to feel like I stepped on your toes.”

  “J, ain’t nobody thinking about Ace. Yeah, the nigga is cute, but I’ve been knowing he was feeling you. I was only flirting to be silly.” She blew me off. I didn’t want any drama with my girl, so I was glad to have cleared the air.

  We talked a few more minutes, and at nine o’clock on the dot, there was a knock at the door. “Oh, my God, he’s here.” I panicked while grabbing my purse.

  “Relax, you look beautiful.” Alicia went to open the door. “What up, killa.”

  Ace stepped into the house wearing a black Calvin Klein suit with a matching shirt and tie. His shoes were black Mauri gators, and his wrist was adorned with a crazy Rolex.

  “What up, Ali.” He gave her a five and walked over to me. “Baby, you look breathtaking.” After handing me a single red rose, he leaned in for a hug.

  “You look good yourself.” I tried to compose myself.

  “Shall we?” He pointed to the door.