happen next.â
âWeâll get the results, and everything should be okay after this. It will prove she is his.â
âOkay, he better hope so, because he sure has a lot of nerve. Iâll tell you, these men today have lost they damn mind. Making babies and then not taking care of them.â
âYeah, well I think he is going to get it together. At least I hope.â
I talked to my mom a little more, then went upstairs to put the kidsâ bag in my and Danaâs room. It was the back room. My half was the right side, and her half was the left. We used to jump on the bed and stay up all night in this room, sharing so many secrets, dreams about who we were going to be, who we would marry, and where we were going to live. Back then I would never have thought my life would turn out like this.
âMom, Iâm going to get out of here.â
She gave me a kiss on my cheek and asked if I had packed enough diapers.
âYeah, and I already made the formula, so all you have to do is put the bottle in warm water for, like, two minutes and it will be ready.â
âI raised three babies. Iâll manage.â
âI know you will. Thanks for taking them, and Iâll be here first thing in the morning,â I said as I was leaving and tried to figure out what I was going to with my free time.
C HAPTER 5
Crystal
I wa s ready to go pick up my babies. Being home alone and listening to the sound of nothing was boring. It was only nine, but I was ready for bed. The sound of Syreeta saying, âYouâre just a whore-ass baby momâ was still ringing in my ear. I started thinking of everything I could have said back to her but still couldnât think of anything that would have hurt as bad.
I needed to go somewhere, get out of the house. The only friend I had was a girl name Portia, whom I went to middle school with. We talked here and there. Whenever I ran into her, we would always exchange numbers and she would always say I needed to go out with her. Maybe she was out and I could meet up with her. I called her, and Portia answered with all this noise in the background. I could barely make out what she was saying over all the loud music. I asked her where she was and what she was doing.
âIâm at Rascals. Come down. Weâre having a fish fry for Jeremiahâs football team.â
âA fish fry? That sounds so very country.â
âItâs not country at all. Weâre raising money for the teamâs new uniforms, and it is Wagnerâs unofficial reunion. You should come down, too.â
âI probably wonât remember anyone from Wagner, girl.â
âThatâs why I have my yearbook. Come on, Crystal! If nothing else, come out and support my son. Get a platter and leave.â
âAll right. Okay. Iâll come down. Let me get dressed.â
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An hour later I was walking through the door of Rascals. Rascals Lounge was what most people would consider a hole-in-the-wall hood bar. It was crammed with people and had loud music and the aroma of fried fish and fries. A thick girl with a silver ball piercing right over her lip was collecting money. I paid fifteen dollars; she gave me a ticket and pointed in the direction of Portia. As soon as Portia saw me, she rushed over and gave me a hug.
âWho did you come with?â she asked.
âNo one.â
âOkay. Then come over here with me.â She had envelopes filled with tickets and dollars hanging out of them. She was multitasking, talking to me, texting, and greeting other people as they walked by. Over the music she leaned into me and asked me if I wanted a drink.
âNo, but thanks. Iâm going to get this food and probably leave.â
âNo, you have to stay out for a minute. I need someone normal near me.â
âWhy you say that?â
âGirl, everybody here I see from Wagner looks so old and fat. Iâm, like, âI know we didnât