The Good Girl And Her Gangster Lover

Sinners Amongst Us

The final bell rang ending the school day, & I walked out of class laughing & talking with my friends.

"What are you going to be up to now?," Lia asked as we headed towards the front.

"I have to go to this meeting at the church for the mother & daughter luncheon we are hosting on Saturday. You want to come?" I asked her.

"So your Mama can throw blessed oil on me like she did last time?!" She looked at me crazy, as I started laughing. "It's not funny," she said shaking her head. "My head looked like a damn grease ball. "

"It wasn't that bad." I tried to get out, past my laughter.

"Shit! Not bad for you," Lia said shaking her head. "I'd just prefer to keep my distance you know good & well yo Mama don't like me."

"That's not true!," I said unconvincingly. "She just thinks your a little too different. She has love for you."

"Girl that woman has about as much love for me as people do the devil." She said dismissively, waving my words away.
"Okay, well at least I tried. So don't say I didn't invite you, when your sitting at home bored with nothing to do." I teased. Lia looked at me seriously and said "I'm sure I'll live." Walking away from me "Tell me how it goes," she called over her shoulder.
"It will be later on tonight," I called back. She smiled in acknowledgment.
I walked towards the teachers parking lot, since I knew more than likely that's where my Mom was waiting. It wasn't surprising to see her around school, seeing as she used to be a teacher herself and her college roomate happen to teach here as well.
Walking past the third row, I called my Mom & she told me she was headed my way. She pulled up next to me, before I had even hung up the phone.
"How's everything go today?," she asked.
"It went the same as it usually goes. Go to class, do the same work, talk to the same people," I look out the window "And go right back under you watch, once it's over."
I can hear my Mom sigh tiredly already knowing what she's going to say, "It's not like that at all, your Father just wants to make sure you have clear shot out of here." I mimic silently. "You can't possibly expect to run around with those no good friends of yours-
"But Mother, at least they are having fun!" I say already feeling myself getting annoyed.
"Fun?! Fun, will always be there. Yet, your youth and the opportunities you have that will set you for life will not be." She drones on. "I understand a lot more than you think...," she starts up again. "I was young once too you know." God, please no! Don't take her down memory lane. "Pretty cute I might add, I like to think it was that little tight figure I had that caught your Father-" I turn around quickly.
"Mama!" I shout.
"What?! I'm just saying, I know what your going through a lot more than you think-"
"Yes, but I don't think talking about Father & the two of you...the two of you. Look I just don't think we need to bond over THAT aspect of you life." I said emphatically. My Mom chuckled and shot me a smile, "Well if your sure Ramiya. I just want to make sure your heads on straight."
"It is Ma," I rush to reassure her.
"Good," she says nodding her head. "And don't think I didn't see you mocking me in the window."
"What?! I was not!," I denied.
"Mhmm, sure you weren't. And stop calling me Ma. I'm not some fast tail girl, and you aren't a player," she sat up straighter. "Plus it sounds ghetto." My eyes rolled so hard I was surprised they didn't come straight out.
"Saw that too." I just turned up her oldies to end any more conversation.

We pulled up to the church in record time, and walked in together. Mt. Zion Baptist Church had been my family church long before I was even thought of my. My grandparents attended, and it was also the place of my parents marriage.
    Mrs. Clarke, the First Lady of our church was speaking when we entered the sanctuary. We split up with Mama headed towards the front, while I went towards the back where the youth of the church sat. "As I was saying our annual Mother & Daughter conference is steadfastly approaching. We will also be needing some volunteers to help serve at the end for the luncheon this upcoming Saturday afternoon, do I have any volunteers?," she asked looking around the sanctuary. Please no, God no don't let her-
"We'll volunteer," I heard my Mother say. I closed my eyes in resignation at another weekend spent doing what my parents wanted. "Angela and I will be happy to assist as well," the voice of Sista Marie asserted confidently.
"All afternoon with this messy heifer." I muttered to my cousin and longtime church goer Jamal. "Now you know that's not Christian like," he replied back not even trying to hide his laughter. Some of the members glancing back at us in disapproval.
"She's not that bad to be around." "You don't even like her!" I exclaimed in disbelief. "I sure as hell don't, but bottom line is I'm your favorite cousin and you WILL NOT make me take one for the team...plus you WERE friends with her." Jamal added as an afterthought. It's true though Angela and I were once friends before she thrived on finding out everybody's business and exposing them. Hell who needed World Star when you had her. Volunteers continued getting their assigned tasks; Angela and I were assigned to the group tasked with overseeing/cooking the food.

"I think you girls are doing a wonderful thing by volunteering your services to help make this event a success." Mrs. Clarke stated after the meeting. "And Ramiya can I expect your sock-it-to-me cake to be as good as your Mama's or dare I say it's even better?"
Laughingly I replied "It's only with a great amount of hope that I can be on her level."
"Don't worry Mrs. Clarke, I'm sure with us at the lead we'll pull off this luncheon without a hitch." Angela popped up out of nowhere assuring. "That's what I like to hear," Mrs. Clarke said  in parting already moving on to other mothers in the congregation she needed to speak to.

A/N: I'm....baaackkkk!!!! Lol, seriously guys this summer & past year has been super crazy and I do apologize for my long hiatus I took from writing this story. The one thing I can say that stayed consistent was your love for this story, and it's only fair that I reward it. Sorry for the unpolished way this chapter ends but I feel I needed to give you something to announce my return.