pretty, let alone beautiful, except Miss Wayne and Daffany. And here I am, speaking to a total stranger who has nothing to gain by complimenting me.
"I appreciate it, but I don't think I'm nowhere as pretty as you are. I wish I had your complexion."
"Why do you say that?" she asks with her face dis-torted.
"Well, I think light-skinned people are pretty, and I'm far from light skin."
"Sweetheart, I don't know who you've been talking to. It doesn't matter if you're light or dark. If you're beautiful, you're beautiful. And if you haven't learned to appreciate your beauty, both inside and out, I beg you to start today."
"I'm ready for you, Mrs. Skarlett," one of the hair-dressers says.
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"Okay," she responds, looking away before turning back to me. "Remember, sweetheart, love yourself because if you don't, nobody else will." The dryer is extremely hot and my ears are burning, but I continue to sit here wondering if what she said could possibly be true.
T. Styles
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13
Parade
"WHAT'S GOIN' ON, SKY?" I ask as I smooth the Proactiv mixture on my face, praying that it works.
Today I woke up deciding to take better care of myself since nobody else would. I figured I'd start with my face. I know Sky said she knew somebody who used it and it didn't work, but I want to see for myself.
"What you doin', girl? And why the water sounds so close? You ain't takin' no bath with me on the phone, are you?" she yells in my ear.
"No. Just washin' my face. Let me rinse this stuff off real -"
"What stuff? You usin' that Proactiv shit? 'Cuz I told you it don't work."
"I know," I say, disappointed due to her reminding me that it may not work. "But I just wanna see what happens. So what's up?" I ask, trying to rush her off the phone and finish what I am doing since Jay is coming over.
"You hear anything yet?"
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"Oh ... 'bout that?" I ask, not wanting to discuss it over the phone. "Maybe we should talk about this kind of thing in person, Sky. I think that would be better."
"No need. I just want to make sure you won't betray me since we was beefin' the other day."
"I wasn't beefin' with you. You were mad at me, Sky."
"It wasn't that I was mad. You've been acting funny lately. Like you not being real with me or something.
The only reason I'm calling now is to make sure you'll keep our little secret. After all, this is your fault." I sit on the toilet to let the toner work throughout my skin, failing to understand why Sky is so dead set on making me feel bad for something I already feel guilty about. She's called me six times already saying the same thing, and each time my answer is the same.
I would never sell her out.
"I'll never betray you, Sky. I swear it. I told you that already," I assure her, hoping the truth can be heard in my voice.
"When you say you wouldn't betray me, does that mean with everything ?" Her words hit me like an electric shock. I wonder what she means and if she knows about me and Jay after all. The only thing that allows me to brush it off is that I've never known Sky to bite her tongue for anything or anybody.
"What do you mean?" I ask, hoping she would clar-ify.
"You know what I mean. I need to know that you T. Styles
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Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
wouldn't stab me in the back after all the things I've done for you, and I'm not just talkin' about with the girl, Parade. Because if I find out you're phony, I'm neva fuckin' wit' you again."
"I know," I say. "You don't have to worry about nothing. My lips are sealed."
"I hope so." She ends the call.
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14
Markee
"I AIN'T GOT NOTHING ON ME, I swear. Why you doin'
this? Please don't hurt me."
"Shut the fuck up, bitch, and open the door!" Markee yells at an unsuspecting girl entering her apartment near Quincy Manor.
Markee had taken the hallway light out and lay in the cut waiting for his unknown
"I appreciate it, but I don't think I'm nowhere as pretty as you are. I wish I had your complexion."
"Why do you say that?" she asks with her face dis-torted.
"Well, I think light-skinned people are pretty, and I'm far from light skin."
"Sweetheart, I don't know who you've been talking to. It doesn't matter if you're light or dark. If you're beautiful, you're beautiful. And if you haven't learned to appreciate your beauty, both inside and out, I beg you to start today."
"I'm ready for you, Mrs. Skarlett," one of the hair-dressers says.
100
T. Styles
Black and Ugly
"Okay," she responds, looking away before turning back to me. "Remember, sweetheart, love yourself because if you don't, nobody else will." The dryer is extremely hot and my ears are burning, but I continue to sit here wondering if what she said could possibly be true.
T. Styles
101
Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
13
Parade
"WHAT'S GOIN' ON, SKY?" I ask as I smooth the Proactiv mixture on my face, praying that it works.
Today I woke up deciding to take better care of myself since nobody else would. I figured I'd start with my face. I know Sky said she knew somebody who used it and it didn't work, but I want to see for myself.
"What you doin', girl? And why the water sounds so close? You ain't takin' no bath with me on the phone, are you?" she yells in my ear.
"No. Just washin' my face. Let me rinse this stuff off real -"
"What stuff? You usin' that Proactiv shit? 'Cuz I told you it don't work."
"I know," I say, disappointed due to her reminding me that it may not work. "But I just wanna see what happens. So what's up?" I ask, trying to rush her off the phone and finish what I am doing since Jay is coming over.
"You hear anything yet?"
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T. Styles
Black and Ugly
"Oh ... 'bout that?" I ask, not wanting to discuss it over the phone. "Maybe we should talk about this kind of thing in person, Sky. I think that would be better."
"No need. I just want to make sure you won't betray me since we was beefin' the other day."
"I wasn't beefin' with you. You were mad at me, Sky."
"It wasn't that I was mad. You've been acting funny lately. Like you not being real with me or something.
The only reason I'm calling now is to make sure you'll keep our little secret. After all, this is your fault." I sit on the toilet to let the toner work throughout my skin, failing to understand why Sky is so dead set on making me feel bad for something I already feel guilty about. She's called me six times already saying the same thing, and each time my answer is the same.
I would never sell her out.
"I'll never betray you, Sky. I swear it. I told you that already," I assure her, hoping the truth can be heard in my voice.
"When you say you wouldn't betray me, does that mean with everything ?" Her words hit me like an electric shock. I wonder what she means and if she knows about me and Jay after all. The only thing that allows me to brush it off is that I've never known Sky to bite her tongue for anything or anybody.
"What do you mean?" I ask, hoping she would clar-ify.
"You know what I mean. I need to know that you T. Styles
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Triple Crown Publications presents . . .
wouldn't stab me in the back after all the things I've done for you, and I'm not just talkin' about with the girl, Parade. Because if I find out you're phony, I'm neva fuckin' wit' you again."
"I know," I say. "You don't have to worry about nothing. My lips are sealed."
"I hope so." She ends the call.
104
T. Styles
Black and Ugly
14
Markee
"I AIN'T GOT NOTHING ON ME, I swear. Why you doin'
this? Please don't hurt me."
"Shut the fuck up, bitch, and open the door!" Markee yells at an unsuspecting girl entering her apartment near Quincy Manor.
Markee had taken the hallway light out and lay in the cut waiting for his unknown
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