I called downstairs for a driver. “Bring the truck ‘round front. Now,” I told him.
A couple minutes later, I was movin’ through the mansion, chain swingin’ against my chest. When I stepped outside, the night air wrapped around me cool and heavy. The truck door was already open, the driver standin’ by. I climbed in without a word with my bag on my lap, and stared out the window as we rolled down the driveway and hit the road.
Some time later, we pulled up to the strip, and my jet was waitin’. Lights glowed against the dark sky, engines hummin’, and crew standin’ ready. I stepped out, adjusted my chain, and walked across the pavement with one thing on my mind.
Pluto…
I climbed the steps, slid into the leather seat with the duffel at my feet. The jet door closed, engines roared louder, and withinminutes we was liftin’ off the ground. The city lights shrank behind me, and the stars opened up in front of me. I leaned back in my seat, my eyes on the night sky, and I knew one fuckin’ thing—I wasn’t comin’ back empty-handed. I was goin’ to get Pluto, and I wasn’t takin’ no for an answer.
Moss Point
“Sissy, can you read me a story?” Zurie asked.
I smiled at her and reached on the nightstand for one of her books that I’ve read a thousand times. The cover was bent at the edges, and some of the pages had tape holding them together, but it was her favorite, so I didn’t care. I slid in beside her under the thin blanket, and she snuggled up to me right away, warm and small, with her little arm wrapped around mine. Her hair smelled like coconut grease from earlier, and I could feel her breathing slow down before I even opened the first page.
I started reading in a soft voice, putting extra into the characters just to make her laugh. She giggled at the funny parts, covering her mouth like she was trying not to be too loud, andthe sound made me smile even though my mind was heavy. I didn’t want her to feel any of the weight I was carrying, so I just read until her giggles turned into yawns and her head rested against my forearm. By the time I finished the story, her eyes were closed and she was gone.
I sat there for a while, holding her and looking down at her face. Being back in this old apartment was the last thing I wanted, but being with her made it worth it. The walls were still stained, the floor still creaked, and the smell of mildew still lingered no matter how much bleach I used, but at least I didn’t have to worry about whether or not she was safe. At least I could watch her sleep and know she wasn’t going to have another spell like she did at the park. It was bittersweet, because while I hated being back here, I loved knowing that my little sister was right next to me.
Still, my chest ached because I missed Pressure.
It had only been three days, but it felt like three years. Every night I laid here staring at the ceiling wondering what Pressure was doing, if he was missing me or if he had fallen harder for Kashmere or his ex. I hated that I thought about it so much, but I couldn’t stop myself. The more I tried to push it out of my head the more it pulled at me.
Me and Kashmere had walked into this together. We had a plan when we got ourselves ready and went shopping for clothes to take to the mansion, and we promised to look out for each other. Now she wasn’t here and everything we talked about had fallen apart. I was left wondering if she had even cared about the plan at all or if she had just been playing her own game from the start.
Eventually, I slid out of the bed as carefully as I could so I wouldn’t wake Zurie. I kissed her forehead before I left the room and went into the bathroom.
The water took a minute before it warmed up, and when I stepped in, I felt like the steam was trying to drown out the smell of rust and mold. I leaned against the wall, letting the water run down my back, and stared at the black stains curling around the tub. My stomach turned just looking at it. Sometimes I felt like I couldn’t breathe in here. Still, I whispered to myself that it wasn’t forever.
I thought about the resumes I sent out, and how badly I wanted one of those calls to come through. The pediatric clinic receptionist position, the office assistant job at the insurance firm, even the cashier role at that little bookstore downtown—I would take anything if it meant I could move me and Zurie into something better. I couldn’t let myself believe we’d be stuck here forever.
I washed quick and pulled my hair up into a ponytail, then slipped into one of my oversized shirts that hung loose against me. As I stepped out of the bathroom, I felt a little lighter just from being clean. I was headed toward the backroom when I heard knocking at the door.
At first, I froze.
Then, I grabbed my phone from the counter and glanced at the screen. It had just turned 11:00 PM. My first thought was my father. I figured he must have been drunk again, banging on the door just to come inside and start some more shit. My stomach dropped because I didn’t want to deal with this shit tonight.
The knocking didn’t stop though. It came again, louder this time, like whoever it was had no intention of leaving until I opened the door. My chest tightened as I whispered to myself not to wake Zurie up.
I crept over and pressed my eye to the peephole, and my whole body froze.
It wasn’t my father.
It was Pressure.
My heart jumped so hard it made me grab the doorknob for balance. My mind couldn’t process it fast enough, and before I knew it, I had the door open just enough to see him standing there, tall and dark against the weak light from the hallway. My chest locked up and I panicked. I slammed the door shut and pressed my back against it, my breathing uneven and my palms flat against the wood like I could block out reality.
The last person I ever thought I’d see at my front door was him. My face burned with embarrassment because now he knew. He knew exactly where I lived, and he was standing outside this raggedy-ass apartment seeing all of it for himself.
“Pluto,” his voice rolled through the door, low and certain. “Open the door.”
I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “No.”
“Quit playin’.”
“Just go.” I clutched the front of my shirt so tight my knuckles hurt.
“Come outside then.”
