Chapter 7

7

S iasia sat in Stacy’s worn recliner chewing on her cuticles. She already needed a fill-in but after the gnawing session, she would need it even more. The house was quiet since her mama and stepfather weren’t home, which made the bubbles in her stomach bounce off the walls. The full glass of juice she had did nothing to remedy the cottonmouth she experienced. Thoughts of Qamar actually pulling up to her rundown version of a home was singlehandedly the scariest thing she’d ever done. On the bright side her parents were nowhere to be found. That was the silver lining of it all. A knock at the barely there door alerted her already high anxiety state.

“I know he didn’t get out the car,” Siasia mumbled to herself.

Needing to see it for herself, she peeked out the one window in their living room. Noticing his expensive sports car, she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could transport somewhere else.

“Mama!” Qamar called out before he rammed his fist against the door again. The way it pushed back, creating a sliver into the house he knew if he knocked again it would fall down.

Siasia assessed her living area, making sure it was as clean and put together as it could possibly be. It was all or nothing. With her head high, she pulled the front door open.

“You almost changed your mind?” Qamar asked, showing off his perfect, white Colgate smile. Even with his back towards the sun, his coffee with heavy cream eyes sparkled.

“I’m ready ain’t I?” Siasia sassed, holding her hands out for him to see she was fully dressed. “I just threw something on,” she added a lie. She had indeed ram-shacked her closet looking for the perfect I just threw something on but its extra fly as hell outfit.

Resting his hands on the door frame, he leaned in. “Spin for me.”

With a mind of its own, her body spun in a slow, seductive manner giving him a full view of her outfit. In a pair of vintage style jeans and an old men’s button down shirt that she left unbuttoned to show off her full breasts barely covered by the flesh tones bralette, she knew she looked good. To make the ensemble event ready, she wore a pair of Adidas sambas. Her vintage bag paired well with the 90s inspired look, along with her box braids.

“Told you, you the fuckin’ prettiest. You ready though?” Qamar asked, still ogling her waist to hips ratio.

Siasia blushed hard with a nod of her head. She twisted the bottom lock before pulling the door up. Just as they stepped off the wonky porch, Noodle’s bus pulled up.

“That’s my sister’s bus,” Siasia announced, feeling dumb for stating the obvious.

Like the first night she pulled up on him, he posted up on the hood of his car looking like the sore thumb he was. Always dressed to impress, Qamar cut a striking figure in his denim jeans that hugged his long legs just right, paired with a designer sweatshirt that draped effortlessly over his broad shoulders. His matching sneakers gleamed in the sunlight, while a diamond pocket chain dangled from his jeans, catching the light with every move. Yet, it was the watch on his wrist—an exquisite piece that whispered luxury—that truly commanded attention. Even from a distance, the rich, musky scent of his expensive cologne wafted through the air, wrapping around Siasia like a warm embrace.

As the kids piled out of the worn-down bus, their excitement was palpable, and a vibrant energy that filled the air. “Oh, I want a car like that when I grow up,” one girl declared, her eyes sparkling with dreams of the future.

“And the drip… the drip would get me all the girls,” another boy chimed in, his enthusiasm bubbling over as he envisioned a life filled with admiration and swagger.

Qamar beamed; his smile infectious as he bent down to dap up the little dudes brave enough to approach him. “You can have all this plus more,” he encouraged, his voice smooth and reassuring.

“How?” one boy asked, gripping his broken backpack straps tightly, his wide eyes filled with wonder, ready to absorb every word Qamar had to offer.

To these impoverished kids, he was a beacon of hope, a living testament that dreams could come true. What Siasia and the group didn’t know was that he had once walked in their shoes—different city, same bad hand dealt by life.

Qamar tapped the young boy’s head gently, his touch both firm and kind. “You gotta use this,” he said, pointing to the boy’s head. “And trust that.” With a flat palm, he rested his hand on the boy’s chest, grounding him. “And you gotta love what you have now ‘cause God won’t give you more if you ain’t appreciating what he already gave you. Then the most important thing you gotta do is dream.”

“Dream?” the boy who wanted to get all the bitches scrunched up his face, confusion etching his features. “Like when we go to sleep at night?”

Qamar chuckled softly, his laughter a warm melody amidst the chaos, and he knew in that moment, he was planting seeds of hope in those young hearts. “Yea but also when you’re wide awake. Dream all day, every day.”

“So, a dream got you this nice ass car?”

“Watch your mouth,” Qamar chastised. “Nah, my family’s dream got me this car.”

Siasia heard the sadness in his voice. There was something more to Qamar than what met the eyes. He had an uncertainty about himself. Like he second guessed it all when all she wanted to do was trade places with him.

“Yea well I know my family can’t do shit for me so.” The boy shrugged his shoulders while dropping his head.

“Then you do it for them.”

Siasia was so caught up in Qamar’s charm she’d almost forgotten about her sister. Just as she looked towards the bus’s door, she smiled at her Noodle. Their eyes connected with Noodle all smiles at the boy with the shiny car.

She ran towards them. “Aye back your nappy head self up off my sister and her man.” Noodle came through, fanning them away.

“Noodle!” Siasia fussed, ready to correct her.

“Nah, you heard my baby sis. I’m your man.” Qamar pulled Siasia into his side, whispering into her ear and creating another mess in her panties. It was like he knew the effect he had on her.

Pushing him off her, Siasia bent down to Noodle. “We’re going to hang with my friend today. You cool with that?”

Noodle looked at her like she had two heads. “Duh.” She walked past her to get to Qamar. “I’m Noodle.” She held out her hand.

“Qamar,” he charmed, making the ten year old swoon. “Today is a yes day. Yes, to everything. That’s the only word we’re using. Cool?”

“Heck yes!” Noodle jumped up and down, making Siasia shake her head.

“You have no idea the monster you will create.” Siasia looked up at Qamar. She wasn’t in heels which gave him more height over her.

“This your car?” Noodle asked as he opened the door for her to get in.

“It’s yours today. Pretty princesses get to ride in hood carriages.”

“I always wanted to be a princess, Qamar. How you know?” Noodle’s big eyes looked up at him like he had all the answers. For her he would.

“I know everything, Noodle. Now get in and put your seatbelt on,” he directed before clearing his throat to stop Siasia from opening her own door. “Don’t act like you don’t know how we operate.”

Siasia smiled, grabbing her heart to calm its erratic beating. Once she was inside, he reached in to put her seatbelt around her. Inhaling him, she was content. This time she didn’t push his door open since she was secured by the belt.

Qamar looked behind him. “You got enough room?”

“What you trying to say, I’m big?” Noodle faked appalled.

“Never, Princess.” He winked before putting the car in drive and pulling off. Doing a donut for the kids, they went wild.

“Show off,” Siasia teased, loving the way he showed love to the kids.

Any shame she felt about him knowing where she lived vanished the moment his eyes didn’t double in size when she opened the door for him. Qamar didn’t seem to care about her living arrangements. Another thing that went against everything she thought she knew about him. Qamar cranked the music up when Devin Port’s Living on the Edge came on.

“‘Cause one thang about it, I can make shit stretch. From this money to your body if you don’t come correct,” Noodle rapped along, snapping her finger and bobbing just like Qamar.

“What you know ‘bout that, Noodle?”

“I like Devin Port.”

“I knew you was made for me.” Qamar looked at her through the rearview, gaining him a big smile.

Siasia settled deeper in her seat, telling her ovaries to calm down. The way he was attentive to her little sister, she wouldn’t mind giving him a baby. Which was probably why he had one on the way. It was easy to see what other girls saw in him. He was easy, charming, and sweet as pie. That was all extra to his handsome face.

They pulled up to the phone company. “Remember it’s a yes day,” Qamar said, giving Siasia a look, reminding her of the rules.

“But what we here for?” Siasia shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable.

Shutting the car off, Qamar smirked. “You need a phone.”

“Need? I think that’s a stretch.”

“I need to get in touch with you,” he cleared up.

“Oh, can I get a phone too?” Noodle bounced in her seat.

“No!”

“A new iPad, yes.” Qamar looked at Siasia again. “You too young for a phone.”

“I’m not though. I’m ten and almost in middle school.”

“Almost don’t count.”

“You said we could only say yes.” Noodle pouted, crossing her arms.

Siasia turned her head so fast you’d get whiplash from watching it. “Noodle!”

“She good.” Qamar gripped her thigh. “I didn’t say no. I said you can get an iPad, Noodle.”

“I guess.” Her big eyes watered. It was her superpower.

A superpower Qamar was well versed in from dealing with Esmeray. He wasn’t budging. Instead, he pushed his door opened to let her out with Siasia pouting behind them. He held the door open for them which gave him the perfect place to yanked her up. Looping his finger in belt loop of her jeans, he pulled her back to his chest.

“This ain’t for you, it’s for me. Now fix your attitude and I might make sure you end your night floating.”

Siasia wanted to kiss him so bad. The way he had this take charge aura turned her own so much. It was everything she dreamed of and nothing she’d ever witnessed. Qamar had to be a dream. If so, she never wanted to wake up.

As if he could read her mind, he pushed his face closer to hers. “You can have whatever is yours. I want to be yours. Kiss me, Mama.”

How could she not suck his lips off his face after that spiel? So, she kissed him with passion. So much passion, it scared herself.

“Ugh,” Noodle grunted, shaking her head. “We here for a phone and an iPad,” she announced to the salesman who was closest to her. “At least that’s what I’m here for. I don’t know about them.”

Everyone in the store snickered.

“Noodle stop calling me, I’m right here in the car with you,” Siasia fussed after Noodle’s third time calling since she had her new iPad with cellular service.

“Girl, I ain’t never been able to call people when I’m not connected to the Wi-Fi. This is fire!” Noodle bounced in the backseat. “And I don’t have anyone else’s number.”

“You want mine?” Qamar watched her head nod through the rearview mirror. After calling out his number, it only took seconds before she was dialing his number. “I got you locked in, Princess.”

“Ugh,” Siasia snorted at their behavior. She was trying her hardest to hold in the same excitement as Noodle. Just like her little sister, she was elated to have the latest iPhone. The icing on the cake was not having to pay the bill. At least until Qamar got tired of them and moved on to the next girl with a banging body.

Hearing the excitement in Noodle’s voice, Siasia was willing to do anything to keep it there.

“You good?” Qamar gripped her thigh.

“Yea. Where we going now?”

He grinned sneakily. “To get the princess some fly ass pieces.”

“Clothes?!” Noodle bounced more.

“That’s what you want?”

“Duh, Qamar.”

Siasia snickered. “Told you, you will create a monster.”

“Good thing I’m trying to stick around,” Qamar replied casually like he meant it.

He didn’t give her a chance to respond before he turned the music back up, gaining him a deep grunt from her.

They pulled up to Lynn Beach Mall; a place Noodle had never been and Siasia only went to window shop. It was full of high-end stores that had been out of her price range all of her life. Her hand shot to her mouth where she bit into her tender cuticles.

“Yes day, Mama… just chill.” Qamar sensed her hesitation—knew from the jump she would be, but his desire to shower her with more than money could buy kept playing on his mind while thumping in his chest.

“Look, I appreciate the phone and iPad but I can’t take anything else from you. Don’t get me used to this lifestyle only for it to be temporary… only for you to get tired of fixing up the broken girls and place us back out to the side of the road for trash pickup day.”

Noodle’s once exuberant elation had quieted. She was only ten but with the ten years she’d lived, she understood what her big sister was saying. It made sense too. Yes, today would be a day filled with nothing but yes and extravagant things but what about tomorrow? Would their regular, trailer park lives be back to normal when the sun rose and the birds didn’t chip? In the trailer park, even the birds were songless.

Kissing his teeth, he looked at Noodle who’s big and bright eyes begged him to give them the fairytale for forever. When his eyes connected back to Siasia, he knew he would. They reminded him too much of his own family—before the money and fame. “My family has this saying we say, it binds us and keeps our eyes towards the prize. To the moon. It means I got y’all forever.”

“How you know though? We just met.” Siasia was desperate for him to make it all make sense.

“If I say it, I mean it. Okay?”

Noodle nodded. “Okay. To the moon.” She stretched out her little pinky finger for him to lock his into hers.

Obliging, Qamar pinky promised with Noodle while keeping his focus on Siasia, who he could tell was still uncertain. And with right reasons.

“Y’all ready to get a few fly pieces?” Qamar hoped his smile would loosen the tension and awkwardness in the car.

“Please, SiSi,” Noodle begged.

If there was one person on earth Siasia could never say no to, it was her little sister. “But don’t overdo it and remember she goes to school with other kids. I don’t need her standing out like a sore thumb.”

His eyes touched his brows from the big smile her agreeance gave him. “I’ll dial it back on her, but you, Mama? I’m balling the fuck out. Let’s go!”