Mae….The becoming

As we walked out the door the once empty porch was crowded with teens shooting dice and kids surrounding a tv playing the game.

"Ki what you got on" I hear my brother Scoot say face confused looking me up and down.

"She look good don't she?" Mae says once again adding lip gloss to her lips.

" If you say so" Scoot says returning to the boys playing the game. “I got next.” He said excited.

"Scoot I'll be right back, I'm going to the store for Ms. Marie" I say as Mae locks arms with me and starts to walk down the stairs.

“Girl he ain’t paying you no mind he too busy in that game.” Mae said walking down the steps.

"Hey who dis is Mae?" A boy standing watching the dice game says pointing towards me.

"Oh this Ki my new best friend" she says walking through the dice game throwing her hips from side to side.

"Aye let me talk to her.” He said looking at me smiling.

" Talk I'm listening." I say tilting my head trying to hold the heavy bamboo earrings I let Mae put in my ears.

"I'm Ace lil mama." He says licking his lips.

"Nice to meet u Ace." I say smiling still walking.

"Where you going?" he says looking me up and down.

I can feel my cheeks turn red.

"Why you wanna know?" Mae spat back while pulling me down the street.

"Can I walk with you Ms. ki? " He says grabbing my hand.

"Boy no.” Mae said prying his hand off me. “Gone on back with yo lil friends." Mae said pulling me away. " Girl he a opp and he try to talk to everybody don't pay him no mind.” She said turning the corner.

“What’s an opp?” I ask confused.

“I got a lot of work on my hands with you.” She said rolling her eyes. “He not from over here he just come this way to try and fit in.” She explained.

Still I smiled. Never being seen before, never having boys try to talk to me it gave me a rush.

"Ok so we gotta work on yo walk and here put some of this on." she said breaking the trance i was in and handing me her lip gloss.

"What's wrong with how I walk?” I asked taking the lip gloss putting a dab on my finger then my lips.

" Girl give it here that ain't enough ." she said snatching the strawberry scented gloss and placing it on my lips.

“It feels sticky.” I said rubbing it in.

“That’s how you know you got on enough.” She said looking over at me. “You gotta body you gotta walk and show it off girl stop being so scary.” She said swaying my hips in rhythm with hers.

"Hey Mae,what's up? Aye tell Marie imma be down there when I get off." An older man says when we walk into the store.

“Ok Mr. Mack, I'll let her know as soon as I take her this Pepsi." She said all sweet like as she slides a dollar across the counter and walks towards the door.

"Ok and I ain't gone say nothing about that gum you just picked up." he says laughing putting the dollar in the register.

" It's people everywhere around here." I said as we walk down the block.

"Girl where is you from? Why you talk like that?" she says once again frowning her face. "This Chicago it's people everywhere. " She said looking around.

"I’m from Hilcrest, and what's wrong with how I speak?" I say looking down as we walk.

" Giiirrrlll stop talking so proper." She says annoyed.

“I’m sorry.” I said rolling my eyes.

As we walked Mae made me practice talking and walking. I could feel a change. One thing I can say if Mae did nothing else for me she boosted my confidence.