“Twelve hun—” My eyes grew wide before my brows dipped into a frown. “That nigga getting over.”
“It’s the only thing I could move into as soon as possible. It wasn’t too many people looking to rent a place to an eighteen year old girl, with bad credit and shitty income.”
“I feel you on that, but you don’t need to be staying in shit like this.”
“I agree,” she grinned, revealing a pretty model smile and a deep dimple in her left cheek. “Everybody doesn’t have a prince charming like Trecee. Some of us bitches have to get it out the mud as we climb our way to the top.”
“Yo cousin…Y’all always into and shit.”
“When she starts smelling herself, I bring her back to earth. I love my cousin dearly and would give her the shirt off my back, but I can’t say that she’d do the same for me. Trecee has always dreamed of living this ghetto fabulous lifestyle with a selfish mindset.”
Licking my lips, I took everything she was saying in. Girls like Synthia are rare, most of the time coming from tumultuous backgrounds trying to level shit out. I’ve always respected a girl with a hustle versus a girl looking for a handout without bringing anything to the table. Society ruled women like that as a common dominator, so it makes it strange when pretty girls like Synthia, living like this.
“Yeah, I feel you, that’s your car?”
“Yeah, I purchased it from an auction. It gave me a good run, until I couldn’t keep up with the maintenance.”
“So how you be getting around and shit, Trecee?”
She scrunched her face and threw her head back, releasing a sarcastic laugh.
“Trecee wouldn’t give me a ride to the store if I was around the corner. She has her days, but I don’t bother nobody who likes to give me the third degree about it.”
“So how you be getting around and shit?”
“Mimi, when she has her car, I catch the bus, Uber, or I walk. Sometimes I catch rides from coworkers, if I don’t have any other options.”
“Damn you to fucking pretty to be living like this,” I said out loud, dwelling on my thoughts again.
“That’s the thing, I tell Trecee, being pretty doesn’t limit you from going through hard times. I don’t like the idea ofusing what I got to get what I want. I’d rather hustle and do what I can.”
“I feel you on that, but you don’t think it’s a nigga out here who’d rather trick off, shower you with shit that you deserve, and spoil you?”
“Then I’d be in the same position that Trecee’s in,” she glowered.
“And what position is that?”
“Depending on a nigga hand and foot to take care of her, with nothing to show for it. Those may be her dreams, but they aren’t mine.”
“Damn, you really built different,” I stated, more so shocked by her difference in opinion.
“I just have a different thought process.”
There were a few moments of silence before she thanked me for the ride and prepared to get out of the car until I stopped her.
“Hold on, let me get that for you.”
“It’s okay, Rome, I’m not handicapped.”
“It ain’t about you being handicapped, Synthia, it’s about being in the presence of a real nigga. When you’re with me, you don’t open doors, you don’t do masculine shit. I’ll treat you like a Princess, none of that hard body shit you’re used to. You were born soft, and you need to remain that way.”
With a subtle smile, she nodded and stated, "I guess you’re built different too.”
Stepping aside, I opened the door a little wider for her. “I told you I’m not the bad guy in everybody’s story.”
“I heard you when you said it, but what does that have to do with me?”
“Because.” I reached out and poked her stomach. “I’m trying to be the good guy in yours.”
