Free A Girl Like Me by Ni-Ni Simone Page B

quickly ran to get and hurried back. Now my entire outfit was fiyah. Naja put on a tight denim skirt with a cute backless shirt, a matching leather jacket, and a pair of stilettos. Hot was not the word for how we looked. Fierce was more like it.
    Once we were dressed and our hair was flat-ironed straight, Naja said, “Come on. My mother should be gone so I can ask my daddy now.”
    We went in the living room where her father was watching TV. “Daddy,” Naja whined.
    â€œYup-Yup.”
    â€œCan I,” she twisted her finger into her dimpled cheek, “borrow the car to go out?”
    â€œHell, no.” Her mother walked into the living room, fully dressed, with her purse tucked under her arm.
    â€œWhere did you come from?” Naja asked in shock.
    â€œThat doesn’t matter. All that matters is no, you cannot borrow the car.”
    â€œBut why?”
    â€œBecause I said so! And besides, you have school tomorrow. Not to mention, you just got your license and you’re too young to be driving my car all over the place.”
    â€œIt’s Daddy’s car,” Naja snapped.
    â€œOh, you getting smart?!” Neecy said. “Hmph. Well, you really ain’t goin’ now.” Neecey kissed Naja’s dad on the cheek and left.
    I looked at Naja and she was pissed. I twisted my lips and realized we’d just been shut down. When we walked back into Naja’s room, I said, “What the heck we gon’ do now?”
    â€œOh, we goin’.” She sucked her teeth.
    â€œAnd how is that?”
    â€œMy daddy goes to bed every night at nine. We’ll wait until then, and take the car.”
    â€œTake the car? Like steal it?”
    â€œNo, borrow it.”
    â€œHere we go again.”
    â€œWhat’s the problem?”
    â€œI don’t wanna steal anymore.”
    â€œThere you go with the stealing. I just said borrow it.”
    â€œBorrow it, like those clothes you borrowed in your closet? That’s stealing.”
    â€œAs long as there’s an option to bring it back, it’s borrowing.”
    â€œAnd what about when your mother comes home and sees the car is gone?”
    â€œShe won’t notice. She’ll think Daddy pulled his car in the garage.”
    â€œAre you sure?”
    â€œYes. Trust me.”
    â€œAlright, Naja, but yo’ ass is mad sneaky.”
    When nine o’clock came, it was like clockwork; her dad went to bed and a few minutes later he was asleep. Naja snuck the keys from his pants pocket and a few seconds later we were on our way, rushing down the street like we’d escaped from someplace.
    My heart was beating fast, but Naja acted like an expert.
    â€œGirl,” she said, driving down the block, “we gon’ have a ball.”
    â€œNaja, are you sure we should do this?” I asked as we pulled up to the red light.
    â€œYeah, girl. It’s all good.”
    â€œOkay…Naja, I wanna tell you something.”
    â€œWhat?”
    I sighed. “I lied to Haneef about my real life.”
    â€œYou lied?”
    â€œYeah. The night we went out on his boat, I didn’t exactly let him bring me home.”
    â€œI knew you gave him some booty. Now what sleazy four-hour stay did you hit?”
    â€œIll, didn’t I tell you I was not about to be a ho? What I’m saying is he didn’t drop me off in front of the building where I live.”
    â€œSo, where’d he take you?”
    â€œI had him drop me off in front of your house.”
    â€œMy house? Girl, don’t mess around and have me going with him, and Mom-Mom tryna get at him on the creep.”
    I laughed.
    â€œBut why’d you do that?” she asked.
    â€œBecause, I can’t tell him about my mother. Do you know how devastated I would be? I swear, I don’t want anyone to know that shit.”
    â€œUhmmmm…I don’t know, Elite. I think maybe you should’ve just told him the truth.