Bad Apple - the Baddest Chick(4)

“A’ight, I’ma take that rain check until your eighteenth birthday then treat you to somethin’ nice.”

Apple smiled. She wished it was Cross coming at her the way Edge was. She exited the bodega and noticed that her boo, Cross, was gone. She wanted to look at him again, but she knew he was a busy man and didn’t keep too long at one location. She walked back to her building with her sandwich, cigarettes, and the twenty dollars her mother had given her.

Becoming even more excited about Summer Jam, Apple knew she needed to look spectacular that night because it was going to be a star-packed event. And with all the ballers and shot-callers that would be in Giants Stadium, she wanted her outfit to be tight and sexy enough to stop traffic.

Apple walked into the lobby as her sister Kola was exiting the elevator. Kola was clad in a pair of tight white coochie-cutting cotton shorts, a striped metallic halter top, and stiletto heels with the red bottoms. She sported expensive gold bangles and hoop earrings, with her long black hair styled into a ponytail. She looked like she was about to work a corner. Apple looked at her sister, and their eyes met. They thought the same thing. Aside from the difference in style and mannerism, they were identical—from head to toe.

“Where you goin’?” Apple asked.

“Out.”

“Like that?”

“And? I got places to be,” Kola replied with attitude.

Apple sucked her teeth. “Whatever.”

“You went to the store for Mommy?” Kola asked.

“Yeah.”

“Let me get a cigarette,” Kola said.

“No. Go buy your own. Besides, you know how Mommy gets when she got cigarettes missing.”

“It ain’t like you didn’t already take one, Apple. Shit, I’m just asking for only one. I need a smoke right now. You know she stressin’ a bitch,” Kola told her.

Apple hesitated and then passed Kola the pack of cigarettes, knowing Denise was going to rage when she found out cigarettes were missing from her pack before she could even smoke one. But Apple was used to her mother’s loud and abusive ways, which was a normal thing in her household.

Kola took two from the pack and thanked Apple. “I heard you goin’ to Summer Jam with Ayesha and Mesha. Y’all got an extra ticket?”

“No,” Apple replied shortly.

“Damn! Why you gotta say it like that?” Kola asked. “Y’all probably ain’t got good seats anyway.”

“Stop hatin’, Kola.”

“I’m not. I’m just sayin . . . I probably can do better.”

Apple stared at her sister with disgust and wanted to smack her. Kola was selfish and always thought she was the better twin, always trying to outdo everybody.

Keeping her cool, Apple replied, “Then do better and stay out my shit.”

“Whateva, Apple. I’m out. Have fun.” Kola strutted out the lobby, switching her petite backside and catching eyes from the young boys around.

Apple watched her sister get into a burgundy Benz with chrome wheels and knew Kola had probably snatched up some local drug dealer. She shrugged off her sister’s annoying comment and continued upstairs to the apartment. Once she was inside, her mother was frantic about her missing cigarettes and cursed Apple out.

“Apple, you owe me money! Why you let your sister go into my pack like that?”

“She just did.”

“And where the f-uck is my change?”

“Gone.”

“Apple, don’t f*ckin’ play wit’ me! I need my f*ckin’ money!” Denise shouted.

“Well, I was hungry and got me a sandwich. You ain’t buyin’ or cookin’ shit,” Apple exclaimed.

“Y’all some ungrateful kids. I f*ckin’ swear, I shoulda aborted y’all when I had the chance.” Denise lit up a Newport and heatedly walked into her bedroom.

Apple just smirked and said under her breath, “Next time, go to the store your damn self.” She clutched the twenty-dollar bill in her hand and knew it would be put to better use.

Apple walked into the bedroom to see her younger sister, Nichols, lying on her bed and reading the latest issue of Vibe magazine. Nichols smiled upon seeing her big sister. She was sixteen, full of energy, and developing a body like a porn star, thick in all the right places—hips, thighs, and ass—and slim where it mattered—the waist. Like her twin sisters, Nichols had many young men in the projects vying for her, but she was into her books and still in school on the regular. She was an A student and looked up to her twin sisters like role models. While Kola was teaching her about boys, clothes, and sex, Apple wanted Nichols to stay in school and not get caught up in a wayward lifestyle.

“I heard you’re going to Summer Jam with Mesha and Ayesha. Ooh, can I come, Apple?” Nichols asked with gleam in her eyes.

“We ain’t got any more tickets.”

Nichols sucked her teeth. “I wanna go.”

“I’m sorry, Nichols. We could only get three tickets.”

“I never get to do shit wit’ y’all. All I do is lie around here and do nothin’. It ain’t fair.” Nichols had a sad stare. Being more of an introvert, Nichols spent most of her time studying and with her only close friend.

Apple took a seat next to her. “Nichols, I promise next time we gonna do somethin’ together. I’m gonna look out for you this summer.”