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and blew smoke up toward the ceiling. She passed off the thick blunt to Kyra, who took deep hits.
    â€œOh, and I don’t know who you’re telling to shut up, because I will tell Makai you smoking, and he will get all in that ass. You know he got you on lock,” Mercedes teased.
    â€œMan, whateva. What Kai don’t know won’t hurt him,” Kyra said, coughing a little.
    She knew Makai didn’t like it when she smoked; he had told her a few times in the past. It would really get him angry.
    â€œAnd why the hell are you all worried about me and Kai? What will LaMonte think about you smokin’?” Kyra shot back.
    â€œOh! I think she’s trying to blaze!” Natasha laughed.
    â€œWhoa! Okay, let’s get this straight. LaMonte is not my man and he never will be. I gave him some of this—” Mercedes stood up to model her golden body and flicked her straight, shoulder-length hair over her shoulder “—because I was getting those passes for us. Shit, I sure as hell didn’t do it because he was fine or paid. That nigga was just saying how he got the passes from his cousin who’s a bouncer at Pandemonium and that he could hook me up. So, I figured I would use what I got to my advantage, and I got what I wanted. You see? If y’all were smart you’d be doin’ the same stuff I’m doin’. Sleep wit’ ’em, get paid,” Mercedes explained.
    â€œDamn, I didn’t mean it literally,” Natasha joked.
    â€œA’ight, so what did you get from Reggie, then?” Kyra said.
    â€œOh, you slept with Reggie’s fine ass?” Natasha asked, all excited. Reggie was one of the biggest ballers in the neighborhood, and one of the finest.
    â€œYeah, I slept wit’ him. How do you think I got this?” Mercedes bragged, holding up her brown Gucci G -print purse.
    â€œUh-oh! Turn this up!” Kyra said, turning her attention to the television. Her body was slowly beginning to wind like a caterpillar to the beat of Lil’ Wayne’s latest music video.
    Natasha turned the television set up to its loudest and began to dance along. Before Kyra knew it, they were all up dancing to the music and enjoying the high. They continued to dance and sing together all afternoon until they got the munchies and raided the kitchen, finishing off a pitcher of cherry Kool-Aid, a bag of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies and two party-size bags of Cool Ranch Doritos.
    Kyra enjoyed herself that day. She and her girls hadn’t had fun like that in a while. That was something she wouldn’t have in Prince Paul.
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    Brown. That was all Kyra could see when she opened the door to her living room, which was full of folded cardboard boxes.
    â€œWhere were you?” her mother asked. Her hands were on her hips, her attitude reflecting her displeasure as Kyra entered the house.
    â€œI was at Tasha’s.”
    â€œWell, sit down, because I certainly have some words for you.”
    Kyra wished she could run up to her room and close her door, shutting out everything and everyone, including her mother.
    â€œFirst off, I don’t know who you think you are. You skipped school today! A few teachers called and said you had unexcused absences in their classes, which means you skipped. Then you come in late. It’s five o’clock! Your ass should’ve been through that door two hours ago! You didn’t even bother to call and let me know where you were.” Geneva Jones drilled the words into her daughter. Kyra didn’t even have a chance to defend herself before her mother continued, “Then I guess they figured while they were at it, they would bring up the subject of grades.”
    â€œOh God…” began Kyra.
    â€œOh God is right! That’s what you are going to need when you get out here because that’s all you’re going to have to your name, your faith in God, if you even have that! Your biology