Scarlett

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  SCARLETT

  by

  TIECE

  Special Acknowledgements

  I’d like to first give a warm and sincere Thank You to My Father God. I know that without God’s grace and commitment of seeing me work through some things, I wouldn’t be here. I’m completely aware that it’s rare for success to happen overnight. I’m also fully aware that with my commitment, faith, power in prayer, and continuing to believe, that things will definitely jump off in due time. Hard work and patience is a virtue.

  I’m going through a transition in my life of change. I’m learning how to love myself and let go of things that aren’t meant for me to change. Moving on may seem simple, but it’s what’s left behind that makes it so difficult. With that being said, I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to Leon, who will always be one of my closest friends. We’ve shared and learned a lot over the years. What didn’t break us has definitely made us stronger. We’ll forever be cool with one another, no matter what.

  To the woman I call “Mother,” Ms. Mittie Lambert. I would like to say that I have and will always be aware that it’s because of your love for God and your power in prayer that has watched over us and kept us moving forward, feeling secure, out of trouble and safe many days and nights. For that within itself, I sincerely thank you and love you with all my heart. Also to my “Mom” Mrs. Janice Holmes, without you, I wouldn’t be here, and I just want to say that I love you very much.

  To my son, Devin, upon seeing him for the time I knew it was love at first sight. He is truly an inspiration to me reaching my goals and succeeding in whatever I put my mind and heart into. I always want to teach him that in life, anything is possible. People may not agree with the path we choose to take, but if we’re very passionate about our dreams, and strongly believe in them, then that’s all that matters. No matter what, Mama is always gonna have his back. It’s funny how he just recently mentioned to me that he’ll be turning sixteen soon, and that I don’t always have to kiss him on the cheek when I hug him anymore. Lol, funny thing is that he’s the Mama’s boy, so he needs to be telling himself that. Smh, gotta love that kid.

  I also want to thank my sisters, Qwanza, Deldra, Terica (Boosie), Jennifer (Moochie) for our many conversations and laughs. They are truly sweethearts at best; a little crazy, but some of my favorite people in the world. Lol, without them, I’d be lost. I love you ladies a great deal.

  I sincerely want to thank my right hand and first cousin, Brittany for always being here for me. We’ve always had each other’s backs, and she is the only person who proofreads each one of my books before it goes through the final changes. While mentioning first cousins, I’d also like to thank Donna and Melissa (Fran) they’re a ball of laughs and I love their company and our crazy ass conversations. Lol, I love you Ladies so much.

  To my Sissy, Sharlette Wright, who held it down with me when it counted the most… I love you and will always appreciate you being there for me. To my Brother, Tony Ervin, who is going to make it his business to stop by or call to make sure that I’m good and always have a way of giving me too much.(insider) Love that guy…

  I’d like to give a special shout out to Cole Hart for giving me the opportunity to showcase my gift of writing. Cole has been a great friend and mentor, and without him, Scarlett wouldn’t be out yet. I’m truly grateful to share this moment with him. Although I’m signed with Write House Publishing, I’m still a member of The BankRoll Squad. It’s a pleasure to be a part of such a great and talented family, and I appreciate the love and support that I’ve gotten from each one of them. Torica Tymes, I’d also like to thank you for co-signing with Cole to give me this chance. It’s because of you that I’m known as the First Lady, a title that I’ve always felt I deserved. *wink* Also to Tina Nance, my editor, who definitely did the damn thing in making sure my book was on point and to Brittani Williams for doing such a great job on the hot cover for Scarlett; I thank you both.

  I’d also like to give a personal shout out to Mario Patterson for coming through for me on any graphics/logos, book covers, etc. He is one of the few that has stayed loyal and will always be on my team no matter what.

  Also to Rhonda Crowder, the first editor I ever had. She definitely is the one who taught me how to build a strong storyline and take it to its highest potential. I thank you!

  To all of my patient fans of CheckMate, supporters, intrigued readers, my Facebook junkies/followers, and my entire team of people whom I work with, I just wanna say, THANK YOU! Last but not least, to my Fantabulous and Sexy KISS~n~TELL Family… I enjoy and love our daily laughs, extreme forecasts, and entertaining parties. This is a group I started a year ago, and we’re still going strong. Y’all are indeed some of the funniest people I know, and y’all make clowning seem effortless. I love y’all crazy asses! If I left anyone out, it wasn’t intentional. Just know that if you’ve been loyal and have stayed down with ya girl through the thick and thin, I love you all. If not, bite me or kiss ass.

  Chapter One

  The alarm buzzed for the second time, and Scarlett reached over to hit the fifteen-minute snooze button again. She was still very sleepy and tired after having stayed up all night with Jay.

  Jay was her cut buddy who she had strong feelings for, but he only wanted to be with her behind closed doors. Sex was the only thing that kept him coming back. He said she gave the best head in the world, and he’d never met a girl who could suck him like she could. This in itself made her feel the need to suck him off every time they got together.

  As she lay there, her alarm went off again. This time, it seemed to buzz louder. Before she could shut it up, her mom was screaming at her bedroom door.

  “Scarred, get your ass up! I don’t know who is gonna pay these bills if you lose your damn job!”

  Scarlett put the pillow over her face and screamed in it.

  “Are you serious, Gwen?” she screamed back, reaching over and turning the snooze off. “Get away from my fucking door!”

  For as long as she could remember, her mother was always Gwen to her. She felt that if Gwen wanted respect, she had to give respect, and that wasn’t going to happen since Gwen was the neighborhood crack head who slept with Tom, Dick, and Harry.

  Why the hell are you bugging me anyway? She thought, sitting up on the side of her bed and stretching her arms out. I’m the only one who pays bills in this muthafucka. “You moved in with me, remember?” she yelled, but Gwen had already left the door and didn’t hear her. She’s fucking aggravating.

  Scarlett peeked out of her window that was just above her headboard and saw the sun shining. It was mid-March and the weather was unpredictable. It was sometimes cold and other times warmer than what it should have been. That day seemed to be a little warmer. She smiled inside; sunny days made her feel better about her life for some reason.

  She closed the curtain back, pulled out the drawer on her nightstand, and grabbed her medication. She’d been taking Xanax XR for the past three years, due to an anxiety and panic disorder. She looked over at the other medication she was supposed to be taking daily called Nardil, which was intended to maintain a mental balance for her, but she had long ago ditched that medication since Xanax seemed to be the q
uick fix she needed.

  She opened up the pill bottle, shook out one pill, and swallowed it quickly. Taking one Xanax was only enough to get her through the first few hours of the morning, so she kept a backup supply in her knock-off Gucci purse. She then headed in the bathroom to take a hot shower before she went to work.

  The intense water beat on Scarlett’s face. It seemed to wash away her sins, and all she wanted was to feel as clean as a whistle when she stepped out of it. She turned and let the water beat down on her back. This feels so good. Her body was totally relaxed from the steam surrounding her. She felt like Calgon had taken her away from her hellhole of a life.

  “Hurry up and get your ass outta there! I gotta take a leak!” Anton yelled from the other side of the door. “I’ll be glad when you get your shower fixed!” he screamed.

  What the fuck! She thought as he disturbed her serenity. Anton was her eighteen-year-old brother who got on her last nerve. He was mischievous, a pathological liar, and four hands full, but she had taken on the responsibility to raise him when no else would.

  She was nineteen years old at the time, and had found out that her mom was back on drugs after staying clean for three whole years. Her brother had just turned thirteen when she took him in, and he was already on some crazy shit. He would say that he was the leader of a gang that didn’t exist. He’d been sneaking cigarettes from their mom since he was nine, and was indeed a chimney smoker by the time he turned thirteen. He cursed like a drunken sailor and didn’t have respect for anyone, no matter how much love or attention she tried to show him. He drank liquor, smoked weed, and never came in the house at a decent hour. She was about as fed up with his bullshit as she was with Gwen’s. Let the truth be told, she only dealt with them because they were the only real family she had, plus it wasn’t Anton’s fault for being the way he was. Gwen was to blame for all of their misfortunes.

  She took her time getting out of the shower and dried her flawless cocoa colored skin. She brushed her teeth and stared in the mirror for a little while. She felt that if Anton had to piss that bad, then he’d go outside and do it. He knew better than to go into her room to use her toilet. She wrapped a big towel around her body and walked out of the bathroom. Anton was impatiently standing by the door.

  “It’s about damn time,” he snapped, rushing in and slamming the door behind him.

  “Ant, don’t piss me off this morning.”

  “You’d rather be pissed off than pissed on, Sis.” He laughed at his own comment.

  She ignored his stupidity and walked into her bedroom to get ready for work. She had the biggest bedroom of the three and felt very deserving of it since she was the only one paying the bills at her house. And even though she had a full bathroom, her shower was broken and this forced her to share the other one with Gwen and Anton.

  Her room could have looked so much better, but she couldn’t care less with clothes and shoes all over the floor. Her bed was never made up, and she didn’t feel the need to ever make it, since all she did was fuck and sleep in it.

  She searched the floor, looking for her pink blouse and her black high waist skirt. I need to do better, she thought. Aggravated at the thought of not being more organized, Scarlett sighed as she found the two pieces she was looking for and put them on. She looked in the mirror and smiled, trying to find something pretty about herself. She never thought of herself as being appealing. She knew she’d seen uglier before, but she felt she wasn’t that far from it.

  Her nose was pudgy, her lips were thick, and her eyes were too big. The kids used to tease her in school, saying that she could see the future with eyes that big. She hated them all, and she would never forget the ones who cruelly taunted her. She was also very skinny back then, so that didn’t help, and she always wore hand me downs thanks to Gwen.

  The only guy that ever liked her in school was Pete Rosenthal. She never could understand why, since he was rather decent looking and was a well-known football player and track star. She never gave him the chance, because she thought he was trying to set her up to look even more idiotic than she already was to her peers. She did regret never hooking up with him, but felt that it was for the best and decided to let that part of her past go.

  After applying her pink eye shadow and her light pink lip-gloss, she walked out of her room and sat in the living room. She turned on the TV while she waited for Sheila to pick her up.

  Sheila Grand was one of her best friends, who had it going on. She was very light skinned, had beautiful facial features, and dressed in name brand clothing all the time. She kept her hair done and got her fake nails and toes done on a weekly basis. Even though Sheila was damn near out of her league, it was something about her that Scarlett liked. Plus, she was the only one of her kind who accepted her for who she was and never asked her to change.

  Sheila’s dad owned a mechanic and towing company called Grand’s Auto Mechanic and Towing. He had owned his towing business for twenty plus years, and it seemed that everybody came to him to get their cars fixed or towed.

  Two years earlier, Sheila’s mother had quit the family business to open up a barbeque rib shack. Sheila offered Scarlett her position, since she was taking over her mom’s lead position. Scarlett happily accepted it, since she’d been working at McDonalds for nearly four years and that position wasn’t leading to anywhere promising.

  Scarlett looked around her house. It was modern and nicely furnished. She was proud of the things she’d accomplished at the age of twenty-five. She felt blessed to have been given the public housing voucher, or she’d probably be staying somewhere in the projects. They’d been living in her house for two years and she loved the community.

  Most of the houses were brick with plenty of yard space, and she was almost certain she wasn’t the only one living in one of them off of a voucher. Her other best friend, Nina, lived in one just two houses down from her and she also had a voucher, so that’s how she came to that conclusion.

  Scarlett got up and grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. She peeked out the window when she heard Sheila pull up in her driveway. Sheila blew the horn, just as Scarlett picked up her knock off Gucci purse and exited her house.

  She nearly tripped over Anton as she turned to walk down the steps of the front porch. “Why in the hell are you sitting out here on the steps so early in the morning?”

  “Minding my business,” he snapped.

  “Well, mind them house chores today while I’m at work.” she snapped back, rolling her eyes at him.

  “Whatever,” he responded.

  She turned and looked at him like she meant business. “What did you say?”

  Anton knew not to push things too far, because Scarlett could be a real bitch when she wanted to. She didn’t care about him being her brother, because she’d take it to his ass just as quick as anybody else in the streets.

  “I ain’t say nothin’,” he mumbled. “I’ll clean up the house, gre’day.” He turned to walk back inside.

  “I thought that’s what you said.”

  Scarlett walked off and got in the car with Sheila. Sheila had a four door 2004 Lexus LS 430. This was her car, but she always drove something different, since her dad was in the business of fixing, towing, and repossessing. When people couldn’t afford to pick up their cars, he’d try to work out a payment plan with them. When that failed, he’d simply tow the car and resell it right away, or let Sheila and her baby sister drive them if they wanted. Eventually he’d sell them.

  “What is Ant talking about this morning?” Sheila asked.

  “Who knows? Ant is always talking out the side of his neck.”

  “I’m surprised he’s up so early,” Sheila said.

  “He’s just up to no good. Just like Gwen this morning. She had the nerve to yell at me about getting up, and then hauled ass right after. At least I know what she’s up to, unlike Ant. He’s Mr. Unpredictable.” They laughed.

  “That’s a shame.” Sheila looked over at Scarlett as sh
e drove down the road. “You’re looking real cute today.”

  “Thanks,” Scarlett smiled. She always thought Sheila gave her compliments because she wanted to help boost her self-esteem, but it never worked. Scarlett would say thank you, but in her mind, she was thinking, yeah right. She only put on decent clothes because she worked in an office now and dressing nice was mandatory. The best thing she liked about McDonalds was wearing a uniform, because it was never hard to find something to wear.

  Scarlett looked over at Sheila. “You look nice yourself.” As always, she thought.

  “Thank you, Scarlett. I’ve had this old thang for about six months. I just decided to wear it.”

  Scarlett smiled, but on the inside, she frowned. “Why do you always say ‘this old thang’, when you just tore the tags off this morning?”

  Sheila looked surprised, and Scarlett immediately felt bad. “I’m sorry, girl. You know I sometimes say things that I only should be thinking.”

  “It’s okay, girl.” She tried to play it off. “That’s why I love you. You don’t ever care what you say, whether it’s good or bad. I just need to watch what I say to my bestie, because you know me better than anyone else. Now to others I can say, this old thang, but not to you,” she said and they burst out laughing.

  They pulled into the Grand’s Auto and Towing shop parking lot.

  “There goes my baby,” Scarlett said.

  “Yep, I see they done pulled her inside the shop now. That must mean that your part is here,” Sheila responded.

  Scarlett drove a 2001 red sport 2-door Cavalier with a rear end spoiler. It was the first thing she ever owned. Greg, Sheila’s daddy, had practically given it to her when the previous owner couldn’t keep up his part of the deal and pay off the transmission work that was done to it. It drove like a smooth running sewing machine, until someone put sugar in her tank and clogged up her motor.

  Sheila parked her car. The ladies looked at each other and in unison shouted, “Another day, another dollar!” They both laughed as they got out of the car.