Free Hold U Down by Keisha Ervin Page B

being pig-headed, Unique let her pride get in the way. Fuck him , she thought. It wasn’t like he was her man, she reasoned with herself. Needing someone to talk to, Unique picked up her cell phone and called Kay Kay.
    â€œWhat up?” Kay Kay playfully answered on the first ring.
    â€œYou silly. What you doing?”
    â€œNothing. Fixing dinner for me and Arissa.”
    â€œOh, where is Kiara?”
    â€œRipping and running the streets as usual.”
    â€œThat don’t make no damn sense. You need to make her come and get her child.”
    â€œArissa is my niece. Somebody gotta take care of her, and you know Kiara ain’t. But anyway, what you doing?”
    â€œShit, ready to come home.”
    â€œWhy? What happened?”
    â€œNothing,” Unique lied.
    â€œCome on, Nique, this is me you’re talkin’ to. I know something happened or else you wouldn’t be sounding like that.”
    â€œI don’t know, girl. It’s just that I’ve been thinking a lot lately—”
    â€œHold up. What, Arissa?” Kay Kay said, cutting her off.
    â€œAuntie, I’m hungry,” Unique could hear her little cousin say in the background.
    â€œOkay, Arissa, here I come. I’m fixing dinner right now. Go finish watching Raven. By the time that goes off, dinner will be done.”
    â€œOkay!”
    â€œNow back to you. What you thinking about?”
    â€œAbout life and shit.” Unique avoided telling Kay Kay the truth. Love is forbidden was their number one rule, she remembered. Unique had made it up herself. There was no way in hell she was going to tell Kay Kay that she was catching feelings for Bigg.
    â€œNique, are you high?”
    â€œNaw, girl.” Unique laughed. “I’ve just been thinking that I need a change, that’s all.”
    â€œA change? Like what?”
    â€œI don’t know. I just need something to happen. I mean, come on, Kay. There’s got to be more to life than this. I’m tired of hiding behind clothes and cars. After a while that shit don’t mean nothing when you come home to an empty house.” She shrugged, knowing fully well that what she needed was love.
    â€œI don’t know what to tell you, boo. All I can say is that you’re young, beautiful, and smart. What more can you ask for? We got all these hoes out here trying to be like us.”
    â€œI guess, but anyway, what’s going on up there?”
    â€œShit. I just met this nigga yesterday. His name is Tommy. He looks like he workin’ with something. I think I can trick a couple of grand outta his ass.”
    â€œThat’s what’s up. Drain that nigga.”
    â€œOh, I got this. Don’t even trip, but—oh, I forgot to tell you.”
    â€œForgot to tell me what?” Unique interrupted, knowing something was wrong.
    â€œAunt Syleena’s nurse called. She said that your mom had another setback yesterday.”
    â€œWhat? Why didn’t you call and tell me?” Unique yelled, pissed.
    â€œI didn’t want to worry you. Plus the nurse said that they had it under control.”
    â€œWhat kind of setback did she have?”
    â€œThe nurse said that Syleena had another fit. She said that Syleena was fighting with the orderlies again. This time it got so out of hand that she sprained her wrist. My bad, Nique. I should’ve called you.”
    â€œI knew I should have stayed home.” Unique began to beat up on herself.
    â€œDon’t even start, Unique. There was nothing you could do anyway.”
    â€œHow could you say that? She needed me and I wasn’t there!” Unique yelled into the phone, really wanting to say, “I needed her and she wasn’t there.”
    â€œCome on, Nique. You have to let go of this fantasy that Syleena is going to get better. I know that this may hurt, but Syleena is never going to be the mother that you want her to be.”
    â€œDid they say