Bittersweet Chocolate Read Free

pulse, for a few seconds, she stared at the lopsided mess she’d made of the bed, then straightened and whirled around. Hands on hips, she glared into identical amber eyes, a trait she and her sister shared with their father.
    “Brie, I’m scared of you. Where do you get your information?”
    “From Frank, as long as I don’t ask questions about the gang, he’ll talk about the dumb things you do. He thinks it’s cute.” She shrugged. “If I want answers, I’ve learned not to mention your cute antics could be dangerous, and might get you killed.”
    “It’s about time you figured that out. You can’t know about the gang if you don’t belong.”
    “Yeah, yeah, heard it before, but you don’t belong, either.”
    “True, but I’m close enough.”
    “What- ev -ver.” Brittany snorted, then she persisted, “What’s with the party?”
    “You know Darien, lives downstairs from Janeen. Her cousin Brad belongs to Camac and Diamond. He’s taking us to one of his gang parties.”
    “And how old is this cousin, Rissa?”
    “Uh...”
    “How old?”
    “Okay! He’s twenty-one.”
    “I thought you’d learned your lesson with Matthew.” Brittany turned to her bed, smoothed the bedspread, and plumped up the pillows. Without another word, she walked into their bathroom.
    Recognizing the squeak of faucets and the rush of running water, Marissa knew her sister had started cleaning the bathroom. One way to avoid an argument with Marissa was to ignore her.
    Brittany was the pacifist in the family. She wouldn’t try to talk Marissa out of going to the party, because it led to hostility. They’d had similar discussions before, and Marissa repetitively pointed out it was her life, and the things she did were her way of dealing with reality.
    Moreover, for months, she and Darien had been badgering Darien’s cousin to take them to one of his gang party. Finally, he’d come through with an invitation. Childish misguided exploits aside, this was an opportunity she wasn’t about to forego.
    Nonetheless, as much as she looked forward to the party, Brad lived across town, East Side of Broad Street near Temple University, and she needed to temper her eagerness. She was venturing into the midst of strangers, gang members, with little to no protection, she didn’t know her escort, and she’d only recently met Darien.
    A few inches taller than Marissa’s five-foot-eight-inch frame, Darien had light skin—what some colored folkes referred to as high yellow. She had short, coarse, reddish-brown hair with more brown than red, and a figure most girls envied. With a snub nose and dark brown almond-shaped eyes peering out from beneath hooded lids, the crowning touch to round girlish features were her dimples.
    Darien lived in the same apartment building as Marissa’s oldest sister Janeen. They met some months ago when Marissa had stopped by to see her sister and found Darien babysitting Janeen’s two brats. She and Darien had talked for hours while waiting for Janeen to return, and since that day, they had become practically inseparable. She was Marissa’s only female friend...uh, maybe friend was too strong a word. Darien was more like an associate. Marissa had given up on female friendships. They were too iffy.
    Brittany came out of the bathroom and sat on her bed. Eyes narrowed, she stared at Marissa.
    “What, Brie?”
    “Frank can’t go with you, can he?”
    “Nope, territorial issues, but I’ll be okay,” she insisted. “For the most part, Brad runs Camac and Diamond. Before I get to the party, you’d better believe, everyone who needs to know will be aware that Frank Gaylord, top dog of the Valley, is my cousin.” She chuckled. “You’re aware the grapevine is awesome and travels at the speed of light.”
    “Uh-huh, I’ll take your word for it. But more to the point, and Frank’s notoriety aside, you have to go through Avenue territory to get across town. Those guys hassle you every time you go to Aunt