“you can’t take this cart, it's store property.” The man said. Valencia was about to give him the cart when I stopped her. “What is your name?” I asked him. “James,” he answered. I looked him dead in the eyes. “We have a lot of bags are you really going to make me, and my daughter carry them home?” I touched his hand; he licked his lips and looked down nervously.

Valencia watched studying every moment. “Well, if you need a ride, I can take yall home. I get off in 20 minutes,” he said. I smiled at him thanking him, “just bring the cart around back,” he said, walking back into work.  Valencia screeched at me when James walked away! “Wow, Ruby,” she looked at me in awe. “What's wrong?” I asked her Smirking because I already knew.

 She said she was impressed with my social skills. “It’s was just flirting,” I smirked. She wanted to know more, I told her, “The key is not to have sex.” I explained to her. It’s called the chase of the unknown and curiosity that’s flirting” “But as fun, as it is, it’s also dangerous some people can’t or won’t take a no for an answer.” “or an  I was just playing, and they may hurt or force you into a situation I told her it may lead to peer pressure.”

For the first time, We sat and talked; we talked, not like mom and daughter, but friends like best friends. It was a strange bond we had so much in common. We like the same color and watched the same types of movies. We didn’t let mundane things get to us. We both were gentle, kind people with huge hearts, curious minds, and a story to tell. It turned out that all I needed was food.

After a while, James came out. “Hey, ladies, I didn't get yall names,” he said while packing our bags into the trunk. “I’m diamond, and this is my daughter Crystal.” Valencia started coughing, so I smacked her hard in the back. “Ouch, Mom,” she whined. I gave her the eye, and we were about to get into the car, but I made sure that while we were back there to draw attention to ourselves, you always need a witness. I took a picture of his plate and sent it to my mom.

Then I finally stepped in the car. “Seat belts” I yelled out I opened the door and closed it just to make sure I could. “Crystal, open your door and close it!”  “Umm... Okay, mom,” she said, doing as she was told.  James looked at me, confused. I did not have to explain myself, so I did not. I pointed the way home. When we arrived, he lingered any rules to your house, he asked? “No, not really...” I told him. “Crystal’s dad will be home, so my mom probably let herself in already.” “pop-pop is most likely watching tv” never let a stranger know you live alone

 “Oh well”...he paused, “let me at least take them to your doorstep.”

 “That is fine thank you” I walked out of the car and knocked on my door waited a couple of minutes then let myself in. Cracked the door and cleaned up for the new groceries. I slowly walked back out the door and told him everybody was sleeping; he unloaded everything, and Valencia took it in the house.

 “Well, that's everything MS diamond,” James said. “Well, thank you, James,” I said. I walked to his car and gave him a tight hug, a hug that showed interest. “Can I have your number?” he called out, “I don’t think my man would like that?” I told him after his question. Valencia stood behind the door “that was a close hug you gave him diamond,” she mocked. “Laugh all you want, but watch you will see him again that hug left a what-if in his mind a maybe.” “But he is a little boy!” “Valencia, your age, we just needed a ride.” “no, he was like 20,” she said, shaking her head.

 “Why did you continuously open and shut the doors” “do you have OCD?” She asked.

 I explained to her, “he was a stranger, and you never know a human. You never know what they are capable of, especially because you are a woman. Always check your entrance and exits of a door” “Women and men go missing daily just by not checking car doors”

“I lost my best friend because I was stupid; this is our story.“ I told Valencia as we finished putting the groceries away.

“Monica is my best friend; she is a couple of months older than me than me.” “We were over her house because we had just left a house party, and things got crazy, so we left.” “It was my fault Monica was teaching me the rules of the box!” “And I had become a perfect player with so much power, and being so young, could you blame me?”

“I was teasing and flirting with anybody, then when it came down to it, I would tell them no and leave.” “But this one time, the guy wouldn't take no for an answer.” “And if Monica weren't there, he would have raped me,” “but I still didn't take it seriously. Because she always saved me fresh 16 no-one couldn’t tell me anything.”

“I loved attention, and I would say or do anything for it. ” I told Valencia. “Well, that almost got me killed.” Monica was tired of my recklessness, and she wanted to talk.” “Every time that we talked, she made me cry, so I wanted to smoke first.” “Being that I was 16 I couldn’t buy tobacco yet, so I asked her to buy me a black and mild she agreed and off to the store we went.””smoking at 16?” Valencia shook her head at me.

 “Well, as soon as we got into the gas station, some fine dudes caught my attention.” “They were so fine! Older but sexy,” Ruby said, smiling. Valencia shook her head. “I walked down the aisle they were in. I walked up to the taller one he said his name was Travis.” I reached over him. “Excuse me sexy,” he said, moving out my way. I bounced, reaching for the top shelf. I knew what I was doing Valencia jaw dropped “you were fast!”. Valencia frowned at me.

 He turned around and grabbed the salt. “He was so tall-strong” “I grabbed the bag of salt from him smiling.” “Salt?” Valencia asked. “It was just a cry for attention,” I said, continuing. “I thanked him.” “He asked me what I was doing here all alone at night.” “I told him I wasn’t.” “Who are you with?” he asked me, “My sister Monica,” I told him. She called my name. I told him that it was her calling me.

Travis was all over me. I told him that I wanted that black in his ear and he gave it to me. We flirted. Then the police came. Monica snatched me out of the store. She kept saying we needed to go home. I was so damn mad. So mad that we had an argument.

 We walked back, I was so damn tired of her. She kept me in a box! We were close to home, and they rode up in a nice ass car! Big rims loud music. I was so happy to see Travis again that I ran over to him. They wanted to hang, and I was so down. She wasn’t, but she never was.

 I got in the car, and we rode around. He asked if we smoked or drank, and I told him yes. He rolled up a blunt, but I saw him sprinkle something in it, so I told him never mind to the weed. He handed me a bottle instead. “Henny,” I said, smirking, “my drink back in the day.”

Valencia shook her head again. “you weren’t even old enough to have a favorite drink” she said

 Well, I chugged from the bottle a man likes a woman who can surprise him. He kept touching my face and telling me I was beautiful. He rested his hand on my thigh. I told him, no, so he stopped.

 I got nervous and drank some more. I didn’t remember what I said or what I was saying. I didn’t really drink either; I was just showing off.

 It got hot in the car, so he turned on the a.c he blasted it. I quickly got cold; he gave me his shirt because he was sweating. He had a sexy tattoo of a bird eating a spider. I took another chug than I got too drunk the last thing I remember was Monica yelling my name and her flying into the front seat.  I pulled up my shirt to show her the giant scar; this was the life lesson I told her.

 Valencia sat there quietly just studying the scar her face changed into fear, and she just sat there. I began crying as the horrible memories flooded back of Monica if I was not so stupid, she would be living with me now I keep the second bedroom for her, but now Valencia is in it. I walked to the bathroom and sat on the toilet to pee and saw the blood. Damn it! It's time for my period I reached under the counter for the pads and saw them open!

Damn it, so is she!