On the Come Up by Hannah Weyer

Author:Hannah Weyer [Weyer, Hannah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780385537322
Publisher: Nan A. Talese
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Next day was better. Call time wasn’t until ten a.m. and Darius had stayed at his mother’s. She got Star bathed and dressed in a little outfit, yellow ribbon in the curl of hair, white baby shoes on her feet. Packed a diaper bag she got from the hospital, made sure she had dipes, wipes, three bottles of formula. Then she called Darius, woke him up. She said, You want to come to set with me? I’m bringing Star. He said, I got things to do.

She called up Niki. Niki said, Hell yeah. I come with you.

When AnnMarie opened the door, she could tell Niki’d got herself dressed up. Starched white tee hanging low over ankle-length baggies, but pressed, with a crease down the middle of each pant leg. Brand-new ball cap on her head, bright red. Looked good against her cinnamon skin. Brought out the freckles. She helped AnnMarie lift the stroller down all the stairs to the subway platform, hopped the turnstile, opened up the emergency gate so the stroller could fit through, rode the hour out to Crown Heights. All the crew people coming over to marvel, to make faces at Star, touch her fingers, say how pretty she was. AnnMarie introduced Dean to Niki and Dean said, So you’re Niki. Female Rapper Extraordinaire. And Niki bust out laughing, ducking her head, like she embarrassed. But AnnMarie could tell she liked it. Getting props from the movie director.

At lunch break, Dean said it was okay to leave if AnnMarie came back on time so they pushed Star in the stroller and walked over to the Golden Palace on Nostrand Avenue. Niki told her how she got into it with Nadette again, how Nadette jealous over this that the other thing. That girl always jealous, even though she still living with Dennis. AnnMarie said, Girl, maybe it’s time you change things, you know, ’cause this just ain’t working. Niki thought about it. Then she asked, What up with Darius. Where he at these days. AnnMarie hesitated, then said, He in and out. But she didn’t want to talk about it. She just wanted to eat, Star fast asleep in the stroller, she could use both hands. And when they finished off all the Kung-Pow Chicken, Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and egg rolls, AnnMarie picked up the check and said, I got this. Pulling cash money from her pocket she’d earned from working.

Walking back to set, Niki said, You want me to take Star home? I was gonna stop off at the Target there on Flatbush. They got the Subway Series tees. I could pick up some dipes for you.

AnnMarie hestitated. She trusted Niki but not enough to take Star home alone. Someone cough in her face, that be mad nasty.

You don’t wanna stay ’til we wrap out, AnnMarie asked.

Niki shrugged. They let me wear the headphones?

AnnMarie laughed. Hell yeah, they let you.

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