i. Little One {10}

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Omniscient.

Friday,

November, 2006.

Mall 📍

Laanville, Mississippi.

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"200 dollars" Sahari repeated in disbelief as Jayla handed the cashier the exact amount. "Thank you, have a nice day" the cashier handed her the receipt. "That's soooo expensive" Sahari said to Jayla as they walked out of the store. "It is, but it's justice so you'll get street cred" Jayla smiled softly as she found humor in the displeased look on Sahari's face.

"Come on girl, let's go get you some shoes" Jayla put her unused hand out and Sahari quickly grabbed it.

"80...100..120" Sahari mumbled the prices "find anything you like?" Jayla asked from behind and Sahari lightly flinched. "I don't know... Can't we just go to Payless?" Sahari asked, feeling guilty about the amount of money Jayla had already spent on her. "Are you sure? I saw some of those twinkle toes shoes you and Rayven were chatting about" Jayla asked, she wasn't trying to force her, but she didn't want Sahari to miss have this amazing opportunity.

"Maybe I can just go take a peak" Sahari mumbled making Jayla smile and they walked over there.

In the end they got a light up pair and then Jayla also bought her some new play shoes.

They decided to go eat at the food court since it was Sahari's first time at the mall and she wanted to get the full experience. They ended up getting Wendy's because Sahari wanted a frosty.

"You should dip your fries into the shake" Jayla suggested biting her own fry. "That's crazy, no way" Sahari giggled while shaking her head. "Did you have fun shopping with me today?" Jayla asked "I did, I've been wanting to for sooooo longggg" Sahari smiled. She began to think about the time they played hide n seek and she hide in their closet and she was mesmerized by Juno's clothes but also Jayla's.

"You have?" Jayla asked, surprised. "Yesss" Sahari quickly nodded "you dress sooo coooolll. I still think about that pink Jersey dress you wore weeks ago" Sahari put a chicken nugget in her mouth. Jayla couldn't do anything but blush, since moving to the town 4 years ago she hasn't always gotten positive feedback or looks so hearing something positive has her feeling adored and appreciative.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry" Sahari apologized as she saw Jayla starting to fan her eyes. "It's okay Little Mouse, they're happy tears" "I make you happy?" Sahari asked, the surprise evident in her tone. She couldn't believe it. 'I made an adult happy' she thought and smiled to herself.

"So happy" Jayla made known, trying to stop her tears because she did her makeup really good today. She didn't expect herself to start loving Sahari, she knew what Sahari would mean to Juno, but she didn't expect the young girl to start meaning something to her too.

"Do you want a hug?" Sahari asked like they do to her when she cries. But the question only seemed to make Jayla cry harder. "Come here" Jayla put her arms out and Sarahi quickly got out the seat and melted into Jayla's arms. They've hugged before, but for some reason this hug made Sahari emotional. "Thank you Little Mouse" Jayla rubbed her back and Sahari pulled away and smiled as she wiped her face. She then kissed Jayla's cheek.

They finished their food then headed to the car.

"Your Nona asked me to braid your hair, how you feel about that?" Jayla asked as they crossed the street. "Does she not want to do my hair anymore?" Sahari mumbled, thinking her grandmother was slowly pushing her away. "That's not it. She's just getting older Little Mouse and her fingers cramp. She thinks it's better to do something that will last" Jayla explained and Sahari hummed then nodded. "Do you know what kind of style you want?" Jayla asked they settled into the car and she looked back and Sahari smiled as a response.

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"Let me know if I'm braiding too tight, okay?" Sahari nodded while sitting crisscrossed and leaning against the couch. 2 pillows under her butt. Jayla could've taken her to her shop, but she was made aware of a horrible rumor going around about Sahari's father, so she just wanted to protect her a little longer before school on Monday.

When Sahari first started feeling her hair being gripped, she was grateful that it didn't hurt. She was completely fine at first then she remembered the first time she was old enough to remember her grandmother doing her hair and now it was setting in that she couldn't anymore. Jayla heard her sniff, but let her as she remembered that she cried when her mother first stopped doing her hair also.

Sahari didn't cry very long either. It was a bittersweet feeling, she was happy that she was getting something new and more grownup. Almost an hour and half later Jayla was done. "Go look" Jayla smiled as Sahari quickly ran. Jayla could hear her scream from the bathroom. She got up with the hair bucket and was tackled back down when Sahari came at her full force. "Thank you, thank you, thank you" she squeezed, and Jayla kissed her forehead.

Before Jayla could reply the front door open, and Juno stepped in, which made Sahari immediately forget she existed. "Juno B Jones look" she ran to him and he picked her up. "Your hair looks so pretty, you look so beautiful" he said, as he lightly tickled her.

Sahari couldn't even focus because she immediately wanted to get down when she saw her best friend walk in with her parents. "Venny" "Rahi" the kids hugged each other tight, it had been two weeks since they last saw each other. "Well damn" Juno mumbled seeing how she immediately paid him dust. "Yeah now you see how I feel" Jayla teased and he lifted her chin and pecked her lips, twice.

"Girl why he come in the house talkin about sum can cook we while they watch the game" Riley tells Jayla and she immediately notices the grocery bags. "Baby I've already done my labor of the day" Jayla said referring to Sahari's hair.

She wasn't trying to do anything else, but lay in her bed with Sahari and watch House Wives reruns while Sahari colored. "Babe" Juno sighed, but she wasn't going for it and was about to ask why he was sighing, but before she could he pulled her to the side by her waist.

Anthony and Riley only heard the words "with or without the harness" "with" then Jayla turned around with a big smile on her face and said "looks like we're cooking" she looped her friend's arm and they walked to the kitchen. "Lemme fine out yuh bout to lose your virginity tonight brotha" Anthony joked and Juno smiled as he shook his head. "Lemme take a piss then we can go" Juno told him which got the girl's attention especially Rayven's.

"Can we go?" "Go where?" "with y'all?" Anthony chuckled "you don't even know where we're going" he replied and she shrugged. Juno was stunned when he came out the bathroom and all three were waiting on him in the car.

When they made it to the corner store Raven dragged Sahari to the candy aisle, but Sahari was actually more of a chip person. "Do you wanna get our own or share?" Rayven asked Sahari who was standing off to the side. "I have no money" Sahari responded, embarrassed. "Duh... We're kids" Rayven snickered "my daddy or uncle will buy it" "I don't know" Sahari replied as the words from her grandmother coming into her head. 'Don't touch or look at nothing you not buying'

"DADDY" Rayven screamed and Anthony quickly ran to the aisle, but he had alcohol in his hands so he quickly puts it behind his back. "Daddy tell Rahi she can get a snack" he nodded "yeah, just don't get anything hard or hot" he specified. Sahari nodded and immediately went to the barbecue chips.

When they were leaving the store, they saw a crowd of addicts and homeless people loitering. Sahari thought nothing of it and kept her head down like her grandmother had taught. For a second she stopped because she thought she heard a familiar voice, but when she was about to look up Juno walked up to her side and gestured her to the car.

They got in, but Juno started patting his pockets "shit, I'll be back" he mumbled mostly to Anthony. When Sahari looked out of the window to secretly watch him a car pulled up blocking her view. She sighed then shrugged, letting it go.

Juno put his backwoods in his pockets and was about to walk back when he felt someone grab his arm. He immediately pulled out his gun and held it up. When he say who it was he slowly lowered it.

"Still can't shoot your first hoe" Abigail, Sahari's mom gave a dry chuckle, but Juno didn't find anything funny. "You were never my hoe and you know that. Stop saying that foolishness he fed you" he replied as he eyed her. She didn't look dirty but he expected that because he had heard about her recent sex jobs. He wanted to know why she was out here though.

"Why you out here Gail?" she flinched at the name she hadn't heard in years "they killed-" she stopped talking then laughed until she started wheezing and got a dry cough. "Want sum water?" He asked and she glared at him "I don't want shit from you muthafucka. You've already taken my baby from me" she scrunched her face and chuckled.

Even though he knew the state rightfully took Sahari, it didn't ease Juno's guilt. "What you wanna know about her?" He asked "oh anything. Please" she smiled at him and he saw tears began to form in her eyes and all he saw was Sahari. His Little one.

"She's very shy, she has days where she wants to talk but others where she just nods and hums. She has a funny obsession with Like Mike and Lil Bow Wow. She loves to sing" Juno shared with her and she wiped her tears.

"Is she like me in anyway?" She cleared her throat "well the old me" he nodded "she's a crybaby just like you and she loves carebears" he told her. "My baby" she whispered, her hand on her chest. "I have to get better for her" "you have to get better for you" he corrected. "You don't want her to see you like this" he continued and she slowly nodded, knowing it was too late.

"I'll see you around Gail" he told her and she waved him off and walked away. Juno sighed and walked back to the car.

"My fault, there was a line" he lied but it was for no reason because the girls were too busy whispering and giggling to each other in the back seat to care. "Nigga where my Jay-Z CD" "in YOUR car" Juno chuckled as he started the car "well where is yours?" Anthony asked as he sat down the case "glove compartment"

Jayla and Riley were sitting at the dining table drinking a wine cooler when the four came in. "Y'all come catch this ass whoopin in Domino's" Jayla immediately told them.

So that was how they spent their night, the girls went back and forth between playing outside and the guest room. The food was ready around the time of the game. The adults watched and then played games of Uno and shit talked each other until around 11 pm.

When it was time for Riley and Anthony to leave the girls begged for Sahari to sleepover. She wanted to see Rayven's tall dollhouse. The couple was okay with it, but everyone knew Claretha didn't know Anthony, so they came up with a plan and Anthony plus Riley talked on the landline with Claretha on her lunch for about almost an hour until she agreed.

Sahari felt bad for leaving Jayla and Juno, but the couple had no issues with it. Well Juno was a little salty, but Jayla handled that.

The girls were allowed to play for about 20 minutes, Sahari was a big fan Rayven's room and all her toys. They took a quick bath then headed to bed.

They were woken up to waffles and eggs, but they were also on a time limit because Rayven had track practice. Rayven asked Sahari to come so she was just watching from the benches until Rayven suggested that they race each other. Sahari didn't give it a second thought and got in the next lane.

Sahari immediately loved the adrenaline she got from it, it was different from her running from her bullies. That was out of fear, this was fun. So she shyly asked if she could practice with them today, just this once.

'Just this once' she told herself as she again waited for the signal to go. When it went off she immediately sprinted off, smiling to herself.

Just this once.

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Hii. This one made me a lil emo ngl 🥹 say bye to little Sahari ✌🏾now we can get to the real gay shii 😁😌 bye y'all. Have a great week :)

04/08/2024