Can't Stop the Shine Read Online Free Page B

version and then we’ll be matching. That would be so cute.”
    â€œWhat’s up with your money, chicken?” asked Qwon, eyeing her.
    â€œYou weren’t calling me that a few minutes ago when you were all up on me in the movies,” spit Shauntae.
    â€œThat was different,” said Qwon, glancing around the shoe store. “Look, I’m about to be out. I just came over here to check out what they had in here.”
    â€œAin’t nuthin’ in here for you.” Shauntae smirked with her hands on her hips.
    â€œCool, ’cause I know everyone else been up in it anyway,” Qwon threw over his shoulder as he left the store.
    â€œWhatever,” said Shauntae, eyeing some hot-pink stilettos.
    Mari hadn’t said a word through their whole exchange. She didn’t know if she was more disgusted with her choice of men or how Shauntae could let herself be so insulted by a guy.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with you, girl?” said Shauntae, snapping her lime-green freshly painted inch-long acrylic nails in Mari’s face. “I know you ain’t trippin’ over Qwon. He ain’t even got nuthin’ goin’ on.”
    Mari regained her voice. “How do you know?”
    â€œDidn’t you just hear me say we were in the movies? He can’t kiss or nuthin’. He don’t even know what to do with his hands.”
    â€œJust shut up, Shauntae,” said Mari, raising her voice and her hand. She was more disgusted at Shauntae’s behavior.
    â€œWho are you getting loud with?” Shauntae demanded, rolling her neck. “I can’t help if Qwon knows what he likes, but like I said, he ain’t about nuthin’ no way.”
    Well, they did agree about that, thought Mari, watching Shauntae pick up the stilettos.
    â€œColby. Girl, I bet you couldn’t even walk in these.” Shauntae laughed, holding up one shoe by the heel. “Your skinny foot would probably slip out of the front and you’d bust your butt.”
    Mari had totally forgotten that Colby was even with them. She walked over to where she was sitting and plopped down beside her.
    â€œI thought y’all were gonna throw some blows for a minute there,” said Colby.
    â€œI ain’t trippin’ over that girl.”
    â€œBut you were trippin’ over Qwon.”
    â€œSo,” Mari said a little too harshly.
    â€œI’m just saying, you should be happy that Qwon got with Shauntae. At least you know what kind of girl he likes,” said Colby.
    She didn’t see Shauntae behind her.
    â€œIf you’ve got something to say to me, Colby, you need to go on and say it,” said Shauntae. “Personally I think you’re just hatin’ ’cause you couldn’t catch a holla if you walked through this mall butt-ass naked.
    â€œWell, at least half the dudes in this mall haven’t seen me butt-ass naked,” said Colby, shocking both Mari and Shauntae. Colby rarely stood up for herself.
    â€œWhatevah, trick,” said Shauntae, with a wave of her hand.
    â€œThis is ridiculous. I’m tired of arguing, and I need to get some new clothes,” said Mari. “I’m going to Rainbow.”
    They all had attitudes with one another as they walked out of the shoe store. Mari was thoroughly annoyed and considered ditching her friends to finish her back-to-school shopping alone. As they walked through the mall, Shauntae did get the most attention, but Mari and Colby were used to it. Shauntae had had a grown woman’s body since she was thirteen and she knew how to handle it. Mari did wish she would slow up on the number of guys that she got with, but Shauntae was headstrong, and it was hard to tell her anything.
    â€œI’ma dip into Rich’s,” said Shauntae, finger-combing her curly hair and slinging her empty backpack over her shoulder. “I’ll catch up with y’all.”
    â€œGet something for me,” said