Page 11 of Still Yours

Three months had finally passed since Dexz and Pretti had been on their own. Pretti was tired of doing nothing in their hotel. It was her and Dexz’s eighteenth birthday, and she was broken and so depressed. She looked at the time, and it was six in the evening. Dexz had been hustling in the streets since the night before, so she slept most of the day waiting for him to return. She didn’t have any friends because Rhonda had run them all away when she lived with her, so she spent the day wishing she had a life.

Picking up her phone, she saw Dexz hadn’t texted her back. She texted him happy birthday hours ago. She was hoping he was okay and not locked up or dead. She knew he had fallen to the streets heavy to provide for himself and her. She appreciated everything he was doing to keep her comfortable; she just wished he was there more to keep her company.

Pretti put an outfit together and rolled two blunts out of the weed Dexz left her. She decided she would get dressed up like she was going somewhere, sit on the balcony in their room, and smoke. She walked to the bathroom with her clothes and stepped into the shower after making her water nice and hot.

As she showered, she started thinking about being eighteen. The time had finally come for her to be an adult. She could finally pitch herself to the local barbershop and see if they could give her some kind of work while she was in cosmetology school.

Dexz did everything for her, but she wanted to be independent. She knew he had his own life and couldn’t carry her forever, so she was coming up with a plan to get a job, buy a car, and get an apartment. She even thought about moving out of California and starting over once she finished school.

Stepping out of the shower, she dried off. She put on a light-scented lotion, then slipped on a tube-top mini dress. It was green with pink flowers and a small split going up her thigh. She unwrapped her hair and took her spiral curlers out of her hair, leaving her with small, tight curls.

After she pulled her curls loose, she shook her hair, and her curls bounced like Shirley Temple curls. She was pleased with her hair and couldn’t wait to introduce the style to a few of her clients. She was good at what she did, and she couldn’t wait to show the world her talent.

When she walked out of the room, she slid on a pair of brand-new sandals and grabbed her blunts, Bluetooth speaker, and phone. She was going to have a party of her own. She didn’t need anyone to help her celebrate officially becoming a grown woman.

Walking to the balcony, she heard Dexz’s key card unlocking the door. She turned around, and he walked into the room, smiling ear to ear. She had never seen him so happy, but at that moment, he was glowing.

“Damn, happy birthday. You look good. Where you goin’?” He walked over to her, checking out her outfit and her hair. She was dressed like she was ready to hit the club.

At that moment, he saw her as sexy and not just the usual beautiful girl he was used to seeing as a sister.

“Thank you. I wasn’t going anywhere. I was going outside to smoke and listen to music. Where you been? I thought we were celebrating our birthday together?” She flopped down on the small couch that was in the room.

“We are… I got my homies outside and my girl because she wouldn’t leave my side. I got you a cake, balloons, and all that other birthday shit you been talkin’ about all week.”

“Really?” She beamed with happiness.

“Yup! I’ll be right back. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t naked.”

She laughed and stood up. “Oh, okay! Let’s turn up then.” She hugged him.

Within minutes, their motel was turnt up. Dexz had brought a few people they knew from around Rhonda’s way, Burner Man, and he even brought his girlfriend. She had been dying to meet Pretti because he talked about her a lot. Kayla had no problem with it until she laid eyes on Pretti. She was beautiful, and she knew Dexz had to be lying about not messing around with her.

Dexz and Kayla walked out to the balcony where Pretti was sitting, smoking her blunt and gazing at the sky. Dexz tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned around, smiling. He was holding a bottle of champagne and a bottle of Hennessy.

“Which one do you want, best friend?” He smirked at her.

“Boy, we’re eighteen, not twenty-one.” She crossed her arms.

“We’re grown and have been grown for a long damn time. Fuck the law, now which one do you want?” He laughed.

“Damn, okay. I always wanted to know what champagne tastes like, so I’ll do the champagne.”

“Kay-Kay, go get three cups for us. I’m about to pop this bottle for her.”

“Oh, okay… I thought you were going to introduce me to your roommate?” Kayla expressed, trying not to sound mad.

“Oh! This my best friend, Pretti. Best friend, this my girl, Kayla,” Dexz finally said.

The girls shook hands, and then Kayla walked off to get the cups. While Kayla was getting them, he popped the bottle, and Pretti laughed as the champagne bubbles hit the ground.

“I always thought that was TV shit when the bottle pops and the bubbles start flowing.”

“Nope, this is real life, baby, and you will be seeing a lot more of the good life. This won’t be your last bottle of champagne.” He took a swig from the bottle of liquor. “Come here, ma. Give me a birthday hug.” He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her. He was already drunk, and she was looking good. He knew he couldn’t take things further with her, so a hug would have to do for him.

Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him. Dexz had never been so affectionate with her. She assumed he was just happy to be eighteen.

“Thank you for coming back because I sure thought you would be gone another night. I was all depressed earlier; that’s why I got dressed,” Pretti expressed as she hugged him.